Eliya suddenly requested a petting.
The effect was truly spectacular.
My brain short-circuited, literally.
Eliya urged me with a glance.
I couldn’t leave her waiting indefinitely, so I decided to comply with her command.
“Well, um… y-you want me to touch you?”
Eliya nodded her head.
I cautiously reached out my hand.
‘What am I supposed to do…?’
In that brief moment, a flood of thoughts rushed through my mind.
I had never petted a person before.
Let alone the fact that she asked me to do it so openly— I never imagined such a day would come.
Especially with Eliya as the subject.
‘She was dissatisfied that I only petted Yuel, so can I pet her like I pet Yuel?’
But Yuel is a beast…
Is that really okay?
I don’t know.
Since she asked for it, I’ll just do my best.
Gently, I placed my hand on Eliya’s chin and stroked her.
Seemingly satisfied, Eliya closed her eyes.
‘…Why does it feel like she’s turning more and more into a cat?’
What if she ends up with ears and a tail later?
‘That could be pretty nice… ah, never mind.’
I pushed that naughty thought away.
I focused again on petting Eliya.
When I usually pet Yuel, I scratch under her chin then rub her neck.
I scratch to make it feel good, but I can’t do that with Eliya.
The Moon Deer has a long and sturdy neck, while Eliya’s neck is white and slender.
Instead, I stroked her face.
Gently brushing with my fingertips, soft and warm.
Her skin is smooth and warm to the touch.
Even as an adult, her cheeks are still round and soft.
Recently, she’s slimmed down a bit, revealing her jawline.
Her eyebrows are distinct yet thin.
A beautifully rounded forehead, and a graceful nose that follows the line.
She has a face that exudes a blend of maturity and youth.
…But I couldn’t bring myself to touch her lips.
Seemingly enjoying my touch, the corners of Eliya’s mouth lifted slightly.
While caressing her pronounced cheekbones, I used my remaining hand to stroke her hair.
Soft black hair that flows like gentle waves.
Her head is so small that it fits in one hand.
With each stroke, her face subtly tilted.
“Hmm, heh…”
Eliya giggled like a fool, seemingly pleased.
‘It’s been five years, so she should be used to it by now, yet she still feels so cute every time.’
If that’s a talent, then it’s a remarkable one.
‘And also…’
She complained that she always had to initiate the hugs.
‘Hmm…’
Usually, she hugs me just fine, but now that I’m conscious of it, I can’t bring myself to hug her.
It feels weird.
‘This is unnecessarily embarrassing…’
Eliya already appears satisfied.
She’s rubbing against my hand that’s stroking her face and hair.
So maybe it’s okay if I don’t give her a hug…
But her words linger in my mind.
She complained she always initiated.
Perhaps it hurt her feelings.
Honestly, it’s not just that.
Above all, I wanted to hug Eliya. It’s something I’ve wanted for a while now.
I cautiously pulled her in for a hug.
Eliya relaxed and entrusted her body to me.
With a light thud, our bodies touched.
She leaned against me.
The weight transmitted felt delightfully light.
In that position, I stroked her hair with one hand and patted her back with the other.
“Hehe…”
Eliya, smiling foolishly, nuzzled her face against my chest.
Just from me hugging her first, what could be so wonderful about it?
“It feels nice…”
She murmured lazily like a dream and clutched my waist tightly.
The warmth radiating from our bodies intertwined.
‘This isn’t good for my heart… could she get even cuter than this?’
Based on my past experiences, it seems likely.
If she gets even cuter, that could truly be a disaster.
It would be a disaster for me, so I decided to relish this moment of hugging Eliya.
Of course, it’s not my first time.
We’ve been sticking together lately, hugging at unpredictable times.
But being the one to hug her like this is my first time, so I thought it wouldn’t hurt to be a bit more proactive.
I buried my face in the top of her head.
Her soft hair tickled my nose.
The faint yet sweet scent wrapped around me like a cloud.
It’s Eliya’s unique fragrance.
I don’t know much about other women’s scents, but whenever I got close to noblewomen at gatherings, the overpowering smell of strong perfume often left me dizzy.
Eliya’s scent is different.
It’s subtle and delicate, almost nonexistent.
Suddenly, I grew curious.
What is our relationship?
How can I define it?
Does Eliya know the answer?
Or, like me, does she wonder about it too?
I’m not unaware of my feelings.
I think I have a vague idea.
No, it’s not vague; it’s clear.
But we’ve never articulated it in words.
Neither she nor I.
‘It might also be because an unwanted guest keeps interrupting whenever we try to define it…’
After the war, we almost spoke about it, but it got awkward, making it difficult to bring up.
As a result, we never discussed our relationship again.
It simply became natural.
Including our actions like this, and our time spent together.
‘Well… it’s not something you must vocalize to understand…’
There are things you can understand without words.
I get it, but still, I wish to hear it.
‘Hmm… maybe I’m just stuck in a rigid mindset…’
While petting Eliya, I suddenly noticed it was way too quiet around us.
Even Eliya, who had been laughing and smiling, was now silent.
“Miss?”
As I slightly turned my head to look back, her face was red.
She glanced at me for a moment and hurriedly averted her gaze.
“What’s wrong?”
“Um, it’s just…”
She rarely stammered over her words.
Then she raised her hand to ruffle her hair.
“It feels a bit strange that you’re so persistently touching me…”
She touched her flushed cheeks, as if trying to cool down her hot face.
‘Oh, so right now…’
Eliya is embarrassed.
All just because I took a sniff of her hair.
She used to accept it as if it were a given.
Now she’s conscious of it.
In other words, something has changed.
Something between us…
“Why… why are you staring like that…”
Her voice trembled.
Her cheeks were red.
I unconsciously swallowed hard.
Eliya’s trembling eyes briefly glanced at my neck and then back to my face.
She also swallowed audibly and wet her lips.
Her red lips glistened.
I was losing myself staring at her lips that looked delicious like fruit, and soon our faces had drawn close.
I leaned towards her.
And she didn’t shy away, instead, slightly raised herself on her tiptoes.
Even though there was no more space to close the gap, we pushed ourselves to get even closer.
Eliya’s breath trembled softly.
It had a pleasant scent.
If I could, I’d want to inhale it all without letting it escape anywhere else.
“Miss, I…”
Eliya stopped my words.
“Later. Right now, we need to focus on something else…”
Her hand traveled up to my face.
Gently, she held my cheek and pulled me closer.
Eliya’s eyes slowly closed.
And then…
– Knock, knock!
Someone banged on the stable door and shouted.
“Miss!”
By the voice, it seemed to be Miguel.
‘…Ah, not again?’
What is this, a divine prank or something?
What are they playing at, teasing me like this?
If there’s a god out there, I want to see their face.
I felt completely deflated.
Just as I felt embarrassed and tried to subtly pull away, Eliya held onto my face.
She fixed my turning head towards her.
“Focus on me.”
Her serious gaze pierced me as if she had made a monumental decision.
The tension that had ebbed away suddenly filled my body again.
Eliya guided my face back to her.
I followed her lead.
– Knock, knock, knock!
Someone banged forcefully on the door again.
This time, even Eliya had to pause and pay attention to the noise.
“Miss! A royal envoy has arrived! They bring the emperor’s response to the peace treaty proposal!”
This was indeed a crucial matter.
…Even if what we had going on here was important too.
“Haa…”
Eliya sighed in apparent annoyance and leaned against my shoulder.
I simply stroked her head.
I felt just as disappointed, but it was too embarrassing to show it.
It wasn’t the right time for such sentiments.
Eliya hugged my waist tightly and muttered fiercely.
“Just wait and see…”
Hmm.
I wondered who that was directed at.
I didn’t know, but whoever it was would be in big trouble.
Meanwhile, Yuel was scratching at the stable door.
It seemed she wanted to open it since someone was knocking from the outside.
Eliya walked over with a thump and flung the door open.
I took a step back, petting the oblivious Yuel beside me.
In front of us were Ria, Miguel, and Bradley.
Bradley looked back and forth between me and Eliya, clearing his throat, reddening his face.
‘…What is that guy thinking?’
How unfair!
If he was going to have these thoughts, he should at least act on them…
Sigh. Whatever.
Eliya coldly stated.
“Someone has come from the royal palace?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Hmm… Show them in.”
The envoy was waiting in the reception room.
“It is an honor to meet you, Duke Eliya.”
The representative of the envoy bowed gracefully.
“Due to some unfortunate circumstances, His Majesty has fully taken into account your insight that there is no need for ongoing senseless conflicts between the centers of humanity…”
“Get to the point. Keep it brief.”
Eliya rudely interrupted the lengthy compliments.
Eliya was far more sensitive and sharp than usual.
Though I worried if this was appropriate, the envoy graciously smiled.
“His Majesty wishes to meet with you, but… it must be just the two of you.”
“Are you asking for a private meeting?”
“Yes. He wishes to discuss important matters as the leader of his group, without anyone else present.”
“The date and place?”
“If you permit, we can arrange it later.”
“Then please relay that.”
Even though it was an envoy of the emperor, they were quite arrogant and rude.
But she had the power to back it up.
‘…It’s somehow impressive, isn’t it?’
Eliya’s arrogant demeanor used to be intimidating.
On the other hand, I also thought that she truly was the villainess I knew.
But now that I consider her on my side, it’s incredibly reassuring.
Maybe it’s the effects of falling for her, or something.
Despite Eliya’s rudeness, the envoy maintained their warm smiles until the end.
After they left, I cautiously asked.
“Are you really okay with meeting just the two of you?”
Eliya crossed her arms and looked up at the ceiling.
Then she boldly questioned back.
“Who, me?”
I had worried for nothing.
Though Johan the emperor wasn’t a pushover, she was the scarier person here.
She’s a magician who can cross the continent in mere seconds.
In fact, it’s the emperor who should be worried.
“Are you worried?”
“How could I not be?”
Eliya suddenly snuggled into my arms.
She laughed and nuzzled into me like a child.
‘Is she testing how much cuter she can become?’
As good as it is for me, I couldn’t just be happy.
The reception room, where the envoy had just left.
It wasn’t just the two of us here.
Miguel had gone out to greet them, but other servants, including Ria, remained in this room.
“…”
They all looked away, pretending not to see, their faces flushed.
Meanwhile, Ria had stopped glaring at us as she had in the past whenever she saw Eliya and me together.
She simply smiled softly.
Sometimes, it felt like she looked at us as if we were about to part ways.
…But that must be just my imagination.
*
“Oh. The flowers bloomed.”
For five years, a pot of anemone has been guarding my window sill.
The last time I returned, there were only buds.
Today, before going to bed, I checked, and the flowers bloomed brightly.
The flowers I casually gifted five years ago led to this pot, which still remains in my room.
It’s truly a strange thing.
Click, the door opened.
Eliya entered as if it were her own room.
‘Hmm… it’s still hard to adjust.’
For the past few days…
Eliya has been sleeping with me every night.
Purely sleeping, of course.
She uses my arm as a pillow, but it’s innocent.
However, every time Eliya enters, my feelings are rather mixed.
It feels like I’m doing something I shouldn’t do…
Even though it’s not really something wrong.
‘After all, we’re both now perfectly fine adults…’
Even though we’ve slept together many times since becoming adults, the situation is different now.
Back then, I had no idea about Eliya’s feelings.
I was like a kind of comforting doll.
‘…Is it really that different now?’
Anyway, it feels strange.
Especially what happened back at the stable…
“Hey! The flower bloomed?”
Eliya noticed the pot and jogged toward me.
Today too, she brought along her red blanket and a cat plushie.
She came closer and checked the red anemone.
“It’s beautiful.”
I wondered if it was only her.
“It looks like the anemone will bloom in the garden soon.”
There are various gardens at Eliya’s Mansion.
The garden she speaks of is a small one centered around a fountain.
It doesn’t have a specific name, but the people here call it the Anemone Garden.
Because there are so many anemones there.
Aside from a few ornamental grasses and trees, there are only anemones.
Every spring, that area becomes a vibrant red.
“Let’s go together when they bloom again this year.”
Eliya took my hand and smiled.
Every year during the anemone bloom, we would visit that place together.
We never made it a formal promise, but it just happened naturally as we walked around.
The warmth of her hand flowed into my heart.
I smiled back at her.
“Sure.”
Shoulder to shoulder, we looked out the window, and Eliya led me.
Naturally, toward the bed.
“I’m sleepy. I’m going to sleep now.”
I know it means nothing.
We truly, just sleep together.
But knowing it doesn’t change how one feels.
‘Good thoughts… good thoughts…’
Eliya in her pajamas.
Fortunately, it’s not something that leaves no place for my eyes.
If I had to say, it’s a cute pajama.
Though it’s a skirt, it reaches her ankles, and the sleeves cover her wrists, adorned with frills.
‘…But once you start touching, that doesn’t matter anymore.’
When I lay down first, Eliya naturally cuddles into my arm.
Eliya, who seems innocent to the matters of love…
…At least that’s what I thought, but it seems like she’s not entirely clueless.
Yet, seeing her act so naturally and unabashedly with physical contact feels somewhat unusual on her part.
In contrast to me, who’s very average.
‘I’ll have to hold back…’
Eliya murmured in her sleep.
“Good night.”
I replied while pulling her into my embrace.
“Sweet dreams, Miss.”
From her freshly washed hair, a pleasant scent wafted.
I had grown accustomed to falling asleep to that scent.
Eliya’s breathing gradually slowed down.
Calm, slow, and rhythmic.
With her breath, I too slowly fell into slumber.
For now, I completely forgot about the concerns of the second tragedy.
*
Eliya quietly opened her eyes.
It was after Judas had fallen asleep.
Even without checking, she could tell.
Over the years, she had developed an understanding of several details.
The strength of his breath, its rhythm, the heartbeat, along with the occasional twitches in his body told her whether he was genuinely sleeping or pretending.
Afraid that she might wake him, she just peeked her head up slightly.
Her gaze landed on his strong neck and firm jawline.
Her eyes fell on his lips.
Unknowingly, Eliya brushed her own lips.
This irrational impulse baffled her.
What is it about lips that draws her in like this?
Why do they keep pulling her gaze, making her yearn for another form of communication during crucial moments?
Her mind was flooded with all sorts of fantasies, suddenly flipping around like fresh fish.
What would it feel like if they touched?
What about the sensation or warmth?
What would her emotions feel at that moment, and what might Judas feel?
Would it become hard to breathe?
Would they bump noses, preventing them from touching?
And then what comes next…
As she continued imagining, a warm blush crept across the lower part of her abdomen.
Eliya had to desperately hold back from reaching for his lips, curling deeper into him instead.
Not yet.
It would be better if they were both awake.
She wanted to make sure they both desired the touch before it happened.
Sneaking pleasures in dreams would be a cowardly indulgence.
Eliya wrapped her arms around his waist and nestled deeper into him.
For some reason, she felt a strong desire to hide.
She wanted to conceal the rapid beating of her heart as well.
But the only place to hide was in his embrace, so she surrendered herself there.
Though she thought she might not sleep easily, it didn’t feel unpleasant at all.
*
“……”
Yurideke stared blankly at the ceiling.
She had to admit it.
Judas’s past.
She couldn’t uncover everything.
But at least she had learned his identity.
To be more specific, she knew why he approached Eliya.
What he had done prior to that moment.
However, she couldn’t grasp why Judas remained by Eliya’s side.
His feelings for Eliya were too clear.
It was difficult to conceive that any other motives lurked beneath the surface.
Grappling with her own complicated feelings, Orpheith almost reached for the bottle but then hesitated.
Instead, she exhaled a deep sigh to relieve her frustration.
Yurideke fumbled with a cigarette before putting it back into the drawer.
Amid all the uncertainties, two things were definite.
One.
The feelings between the two are not a jest, nor are they light.
And two.
“First, let’s bring Judas here through Hermis.”
They needed to inform Judas of this truth before anyone else.
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