Chapter 52: I Tried Having a Bittersweet Moment.
《Side Serios》
When I left the Office, Liese was there, looking somewhat nervous.
At first, I thought it was a coincidence, but it seemed she might have been waiting for me.
She spoke to me, nervous and with a different air about her than usual, touching her hair, and holding my hand.
But then she tried to let go of my hand, and what’s more, she disparaged herself, saying it was dirty from work.
“That’s not true!”
The moment I squeezed Liese’s hand back firmly, I felt a stirring deep in my chest.
Her small hand was cold and a little rough, yet somehow warm.
Just by touching it, I could tell how hard she had been working. To dismiss someone like her with a word like “dirty” – I couldn’t forgive that.
“There’s no way it’s dirty when you’ve been working so hard. Thank you, always.”
My own voice sounded gentler than I expected, much to my own surprise.
Liese looked surprised, and then, blushing slightly, she averted her gaze.
“I-If you say things like that… I’ll be troubled…”
Her voice was small and trembling. As if she were holding something back, or feeling embarrassed.
“What’s troubling you?”
When I asked with an unintentional smile, she blushed even more and looked down.
“Because… Lord Serios… is kind…”
At that answer, I was momentarily at a loss for words.
When she said that, looking up at me shyly, she was so cute it made me want to tease her just a little.
“Liese, I’m not kind at all.”
“What do you mean?”
As the main heroine, she’s becoming cuter and cuter as she develops.
Her beautiful, large eyes, her soft hair, her fair skin, and her bosom, which had begun to develop—considering Maria, I suppose it would continue to grow.
A girl this straightforward thinks of me as “kind.”
However, our original relationship is that of a villainous noble and the opposing heroine.
Thinking about such things gives me the urge to monopolize her.
“Liese.”
“Yes?”
I had Liese stand against the wall, then performed a Wall Pin, cornering her so she couldn’t escape.
Just like that, I brought my face closer, bringing my mouth near Liese’s ear.
“Whether I’m kind or not aside… watching you work so hard, Liese, makes me think I need to get my act together more. Thank you, always. I’m grateful.”
“Wh-!?”
As Liese tried to cover her ears out of embarrassment, I grabbed her wrist.
“Lord Serios.”
“No, you can’t, Liese. Don’t cover them.”
“Y-Yes!”
Liese’s face, looking embarrassed yet closing her eyes and enduring it as if following an order, was somehow amusing and cute.
I gently let go of her hand and continued speaking, reflexively averting my eyes.
“If you were to collapse, Liese, I wouldn’t know what to do. So I want you to stay healthy.”
I caught a glimpse of Liese nodding slightly while still looking down.
That sight was somehow endearing, making me want to reach out to her. But if I did that, I felt like this current, delicate distance between us would crumble, so I just stared intently at my own hand.
“Lord Serios.”
Liese suddenly looked up and stared straight at me. Her eyes were moist, and they seemed to hold a hidden resolve.
“I… Lord Serios…”
“Me?”
“I want you to be conscious of me as a woman!”
“Eh!?”
That is, no, I am properly conscious of Liese as a woman.
Her words pierced my heart and made me think.
“I am conscious of you as a woman, Liese.”
When I told her that, Liese looked a little surprised, then immediately smiled happily. That smile was so adorable, I couldn’t look away.
I felt as if it contained a somewhat dazing, bewitching charm, and my heart was seized.
“Lord Serios, your hand… may I hold it again?”
At the sudden request, my eyes showed my confusion, but… before I knew it, I had naturally extended my hand.
“Yeah.”
Liese gently placed her hand on mine. That touch was a little longer, a little firmer than before.
“Being like this… I feel at ease.”
With a Bewitching Smile still on her face, she pressed our joined hands to her cheek.
With our hands still clasped, I could feel the softness of her cheek against the back of my hand.
Thump, thump, my chest pounded violently, and as Liese looked at me, a surprising amount of embarrassment welled up within me, and at the same time, I felt an affection for Liese.
Feeling shy about it, I gently closed my eyes.
Our hands were firmly clasped. Perhaps we were already in a relationship where we could call each other lovers. But, we were definitely getting closer, one step at a time. I felt that way.
(I want to make sure I never let go of this hand, from now on.)
Such a thought crossed my mind. I gently squeezed her hand again and smiled faintly.
“Lord Serios, I want to continue supporting you by your side, always.”
A Bittersweet Moment, yet filled with Happiness, flowed by quietly.
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Afterword
Hello, this is the author, Iko.
That’s all for today.
I fell ill at the end of the fiscal year. It’s sad that I have to withdraw from the front lines, but consecutive posting seems to be tough on my body.
Everyone, please take care of yourselves as well.
This will be the last post of the year!
Everyone, have a great New Year!
And, I look forward to your continued support next year!!