“AAAH!!!”
“Wow….”
“….”
I roughly told them about how I ended up with Kyle.
Just casually.
I thought I should sort out that weird relationship during the festival, so I mentioned that I had some worries. By the last day, I was still undecided, but when the fireworks started and I saw Kyle’s face, that’s when I realized I liked him.
I felt super embarrassed while talking, but since both of them were really happy listening, I just went with it.
Especially… Elin was over the moon.
“Louis! Finally, Sophia can properly turn her head!”
“…. No, that’s not quite it, right…?”
“It is, so be quiet.”
“No….”
It could be a bit slow.
Why are they overreacting like this?
And no matter how frustrating I am, isn’t it better than those two?
They can’t even date… at least I’m in a relationship.
“Louis, I think Sophia is looking at us weirdly.”
“She’s probably just thinking something strange.”
“….”
“Well, anyway, congratulations?”
“Yeah.”
I started receiving applause from Louise and Elin.
It’s just dating, but getting this kind of celebration suddenly felt weird. Still, it wasn’t a bad thing.
“Um… so when do you plan to…”
“Huh?”
Suddenly Elin asked a strange question.
With neither the subject nor the object in view, I had no idea what she was talking about.
The festival was over, and there probably wouldn’t be anything else for a while.
“Well… Sophia has already kissed, and you’ve had other kinds of skinship, right?”
“That’s true, right?”
I felt my face heat up at this sudden topic, but it wasn’t wrong.
We had actually kissed, hugged, held hands, and a lot more.
Everything was with Kyle for the first time, and I must have been his first too.
“So when’s the next step?”
“Next?”
“Yeah.”
“….”
I know what she means.
No matter how confused I was, I’m technically an adult.
In my past life, I was the kind of person who eagerly watched risqué stuff.
Of course, in this life, I tried it once and didn’t do it again, but I knew what was implied.
“Uh, maybe that’s something for later…”
“When is later?”
Why is she suddenly asking such a weird question?
I was getting embarrassed all by myself.
Sure, both Kyle and I are adults, but the thought of doing… that kind of stuff with Kyle felt weird.
Separate from the fact that I like him… it just felt strange.
“Uh! Let’s stop talking about that! We didn’t gather to discuss weird stuff, right?”
“We did gather to talk about weird stuff, though?”
“Yes.”
“….”
This is really quite awkward.
I had completely excluded the idea of doing anything with Kyle from my thoughts.
Sure, Kyle sometimes behaved as if he was going to pounce on me, but it never went beyond that.
That’s why I had forgotten about it even more.
*
I returned after getting nothing but weird questions trying to talk about those strange topics.
Honestly, I didn’t answer properly and just deflected.
I really couldn’t give a proper response.
After all, the entire conversation was about Kyle and I… doing that kind of thing.
“Phew…”
Fortunately, when I entered the room, Kyle wasn’t there.
If he had been there, he would have seen my incredibly flushed face.
Then Kyle would have asked why I looked like that, and I would just get even more embarrassed.
“….”
Doing that kind of thing with Kyle.
Just imagining it felt weird.
My lower abdomen trembled, and my body felt tingly.
Logically, doing something like that with a kid who’s six years younger than me is problematic.
Without a doubt, it would be socially acceptable to stab me.
And not just any foolish six-year-younger kid.
A Duke.
He’s the future heir of Eristirol, after all.
Just a commoner like me, who’s also six years older?
“What if someday a girl noble who has a crush on Kyle comes and says, ‘Congratulations on your first experience…’ and stabs me?”
That could really happen.
Kyle is ridiculously good-looking and tall, plus he has a high title.
It’s no wonder noblewomen would be drawn to him while suddenly dating a commoner six years older…?
“Ugh…”
Suddenly an assassin might pop up and stab me.
“Sophia, what are you doing?”
“Eep!?”
While I was lost in thought looking out the window, Kyle suddenly appeared.
Why is he popping up out of nowhere today?
Can’t he at least make some noise when he walks?
“I was just looking outside.”
“Did you have a good chat with Louise?”
“Uh, yeah!?”
“No, seriously, did you talk well?”
“Duh, of course!”
Suddenly memories of what Louise and Elin said popped into my head.
Of course, just because it came to mind didn’t mean my face turned beet red or anything.
It wasn’t that bad, after all.
“Kyle, you didn’t hear any strange stories from Louise or Elin, right?”
“Why’s that?”
“N-no… it’s just that those two were talking about some weird stuff today.”
I was worried they might have said something weird to Kyle, just like they did to me.
But judging by Kyle’s reaction, it seems they didn’t say anything strange to him.
If Kyle heard their weird stories, he probably wouldn’t be responding the way he is now.
“Just some stuff that isn’t really important right now.”
Kyle didn’t need to know.
In fact, it might be better if he didn’t know.
If he heard it, there was a chance it could lead to the same awkward talk we just had.
After that, I spent a normal time with Kyle.
Of course, even while spending time with him, Louise and Elin’s words kept floating around in my head, but I didn’t say anything to Kyle.
Even though we were now considered a couple, it didn’t really change anything dramatically.
Maybe it was because we had spent so much time as temporary lovers?
So I just enjoyed Kyle’s warm body while he hugged me.
*
“Sophia, you got a letter.”
“Huh? A letter?”
“Yeah.”
This morning while I was having breakfast with Kyle, he suddenly mentioned it.
A letter?
What could it be?
I really didn’t have any idea.
“Uh… where is it?”
“Would you like me to bring it to you right away?”
“Yeah, please do.”
Kyle instructed a servant next to him to fetch the letter.
Honestly, I didn’t really know why a letter came so suddenly.
Could it be from Catherine?
She sometimes sends me letters.
That might be it.
So, suddenly reading a letter during breakfast.
When the servant brought the letter, I was a little surprised.
“… Mom?”
Well, it was surprising since I got a letter from Mom out of the blue.
Since I had already gotten several letters this year, I hadn’t considered it at all.
Honestly, just getting two or three letters a year was quite a lot.
“Um…. what’s up?”
“Why are you acting strange?”
“Well, it’s just that someone who usually doesn’t send me letters suddenly did.”
Neither Mom nor I were big on letter writing.
It seemed like we were just doing okay, so we had no real reason to keep in touch that way.
We just exchanged brief pleasantries and that was it.
Barely three times a year at most.
“Just read it. I don’t know what it says, but it was sudden.”
“Ah, okay.”
I had almost forgotten about reading the letter while chatting with Kyle.
But now I really needed to find out why it was sent.
So I lightly tore open the envelope, and at the finished dining table, I began reading the letter.
—–
To Sophia.
Sophia, come home for a visit.
—–
“….”
That was the entire letter.
There wasn’t any other content, just those two lines.
I even checked the envelope to see if there was anything else, but there was nothing left inside once I pulled out the letter.
“What does it say?”
“Um… Mom says to come home.”
I found it completely ridiculous when I told Kyle.
How could she send such a brief letter after not once asking me to come home since sending me to boarding school?
Maybe something happened at home?
“Um….”
“What’s on your mind now?”
“It’s just… I don’t understand why Mom suddenly sent this letter. She hasn’t asked me to come home once until now. I’m wondering if something is wrong.”
“Or maybe she just misses Sophia after a long time?”
Is that possible?
Well, she is my mom.
Being unpredictable, it could be true.
“So, what are you going to do?”
“Um… well, since I got this letter, I guess I should go.”
Originally, I thought it would be good to visit at least once.
I had no idea a letter would come like this suddenly, but I still felt I should go at least once.
“After all, it has been a while since I last went home.”
“I wonder if Sophia….”
“Ah, do you want to come with me?”
I unexpectedly put it out there, but I couldn’t help it.
After only two days of dating, I didn’t want to be apart.
To be more precise, I just didn’t want to be apart from Kyle.
“We still need to check with the Duke about the specifics, but I would like you to come with me.”
“… Would that be okay?”
“Why?”
What is she asking that for?
Kyle wouldn’t be stopped by anyone other than the Duke.
“Well, it feels a bit weird for a daughter returning home after ten years bringing along a boyfriend…”
“Oh!”
That’s true!?
Thinking about it, I hadn’t told Mom much about Kyle!
I just vaguely said I was working as his tutor and hadn’t mentioned being a temporary couple or that we had become actual partners at all!
“Uh, w-ill that be alright!?”
“If you ask me, how would I know? They’re your parents.”
“Yeah, that’s right….” But the problem was, I didn’t know either.
After all, I hadn’t been close to anyone of the opposite sex before.
The only guy I could call a close friend was Kyle.
“Uh, well! I’ll just introduce you then!”
Yeah, what the heck.
If Mom was that strict, she wouldn’t be doing things with Dad every night.
“….”
“….”
“But what if they get mad when I show up…?”
After all this time, my parents might just lose it seeing their daughter come back home with a guy they’ve never met.
In many ways, it could shatter their expectations.
Especially since I had never talked about guys before, and this letter didn’t contain anything about boys from me at all.
“I have no idea….”
“That is true.”
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