Chapter 272: A Date (Yuri’s Arc)
“Alright, let’s go out today!”
It was the third day of their dates. After spending time with Viola and Primula, the next companion was Yuri Cattleya. Standing in front of Rest was Yuri, dressed in comfortable pants, her sunflower-like smile radiating as she made her declaration. She had a backpack slung over her shoulders, dressed as if she were heading out for a picnic. Faced with the energetic Yuri, Rest let out a sigh, feeling somewhat fatigued.
“Yuri…”
“Hm? What’s wrong?”
“Well… it’s nothing, really…”
After the dates over the past two days, Rest was feeling unusually worn out. While physical fatigue could be healed with magic, there was no remedy for mental exhaustion.
(Encountering thugs during the date with Viola was one thing, but being attacked by that strange monster at the museum was something else entirely…)
Because of that bizarre experience, Rest had trouble sleeping last night, feeling a lingering fear. He felt bad for Yuri, but honestly, he wasn’t in the mood for a fun date today.
“Ah, I heard about it! It sounds like you’ve had quite the ordeal!”
Yuri crossed her arms and nodded vigorously, “Uh-huh!”
“Since you seem to be having a tough time, I thought I’d plan something relaxing for you today! I’ll pamper you thoroughly, so please enjoy it!”
“That’s nice, but… isn’t ‘pampering’ a bit much?”
At the moment, he was only feeling more tired. Where on earth was she planning to take him?
“Come on, this way!”
“Whoa!”
Yuri grabbed Rest’s arm and spun around, lifting him effortlessly.
“You seem tired, so I’ll take you to our destination. Just relax!”
“Wait!? How am I supposed to relax like this?!”
How could he possibly relax while being carried like a princess by a girl? Ignoring Rest’s protests, Yuri dashed through the streets of the Royal Capital. It was still early in the morning, so there weren’t many people around, but those they passed all wore expressions of shock.
“If you’re feeling really worn out, you can sleep if you want.”
“…I can’t sleep.”
As he was carried by Yuri, Rest let out a small groan. To be honest, the experience of being carried wasn’t as uncomfortable as he expected. Despite the speed, he hardly felt any jostling. He didn’t know how she managed it, but the warmth and softness of Yuri pressed against him felt oddly comforting.
(This is bad… This exquisite warmth and gentle sway. I might actually fall asleep…)
It felt similar to being cradled in a mother’s embrace. Warm, soft, and radiating a sense of security… With the fatigue from yesterday and lack of sleep, he felt like he could easily drift off if he let his guard down.
(But… I absolutely can’t fall asleep! It would be way too embarrassing to fall asleep while being carried like this by a girl!)
If he was embarrassed, then the very situation of being carried like a princess was already mortifying. However, there was no point in dwelling on it, so he tried to ignore it.
“Hm? Not going to sleep, Rest?”
“……I’m not sleeping.”
“I see… Then I’ll sing you a lullaby. Sleep now, sleep now. Rest peacefully, for eternity?”
“……Thanks. That woke me up.”
Thanks to her painfully off-key lullaby, the drowsiness that had been creeping in was chased away. He had been on the verge of succumbing to sleep, but now he felt he could hold on.
“Wow… what an interesting singing voice you have…”
Her voice was light and beautiful, yet the pitch was somehow off. It felt like someone who could sing well was intentionally singing poorly, creating an odd discomfort that was almost grating to the ears.
“Sleep like a baby, sleep now. Yes, sleep now.”
“Hey, what is that…?”
“Is it… kidnapping? A too-bright abduction incident?”
“I don’t really know, but should we call the guards?”
Thanks to the exquisitely off-key lullaby, Rest’s drowsiness had vanished, but the loud singing was attracting a lot of attention.
“Please, spare me…”
Being carried like a princess by a girl while being witnessed by a crowd was pushing Rest’s mental fatigue to the limit, and he even started to feel a headache coming on.