*
The chaotic social club settled down with Pina’s arrival.
The noble ladies who bothered Nex were forcefully evicted, and Asha barely succeeded in persuading them.
Chin, chin! Pina clicked her tongue while glaring at those around her. It likely wasn’t going to end here.
Probably because Pina had just witnessed being treated rudely by someone she had known since childhood.
Asha might also receive some punishment for crossing the line.
Pitter-patter, pitter-patter. As I stepped out onto the balcony, the sound of rain tapped against the railing.
Is this the right thing to do?
[“You have achieved 100% affection level with Nex and Schartines!”]
I chuckled wryly as I observed the status window floating before my eyes.
[“EVENT CG: ‘Vampire Who Overcame the Sun’ has been collected!”]
Nex and Schartines were laughing while embracing each other, their eyes red from crying and laughing.
The other nobles in the social club watched with sour expressions, but they couldn’t show any discontent because of Pina.
“They certainly look happy.”
Even though the affection level reached 100%, it wasn’t all sweetness, leaving a bitter aftertaste.
Parents often project their unfulfilled desires onto their children.
Nex got soaked in wine, and Schartines barely avoided hitting the glass – all thanks to Asha’s actions.
Seeing it firsthand must have changed their mindset. They would have seen who put their child through such experiences.
That might be why they retracted their opposition.
Or maybe they discovered an unexpected side of Schartines.
It felt like unraveling a messy ball of yarn. Just barely stitched up wounds.
I know how twisted Nex can be in Night Heart.
A rival who always responded defiantly to the player.
An aristocrat who once so loathed the Phoenix, a trademark of his clan, after losing his loved one.
“…”
I looked up at the sky, letting out a sigh.
Well, as long as the ending is happy, that’s what matters. Isn’t pure love a big deal?
From now on, with the protection of the Aureus clan, Schartines wouldn’t face death either.
“..Licht. Why are you alone?”
At that moment, I saw a pure white girl approaching me with a wagging tail, distanced from the hall.
Her white dress reflected the moonlight, sparkling gently.
Contrasting against the dark night sky, Pina radiated pure white.
“Are you drunk? How much have you had to drink..?”
But her cheeks were red. I caught her as she staggered towards me.
“I didn’t drink much… Licht…”
Her tongue was all twisted. Lying is bad, Pina.
Her eyes softened, no longer sporting that ice-cold expression usual for her.
“Huff…”
Pina let out a warm sigh and drew closer to me. Was it cold due to the rain?
“Drink in moderation. What if you trip and fall and get hurt..?”
I scolded her for drinking even more than I had seen before. She was already beyond her limits, swaying.
“It’s fine.. You’re here, aren’t you?”
She giggled softly, leaning her soft hair against my shoulder.
As she instinctively leaned on me, those cute puppy-like white ears vanished in an instant.
What should I do with this adorable puppy-like girl? As soon as she came next to me, those white ears disappeared with a poof.
“..Pina, don’t just stay here; go in and rest. You might catch a cold.”
I took off my suit jacket and draped it over Pina.
Even if the raindrops didn’t fall inside, I couldn’t let my precious person catch a cold.
“..Huhu, my knight…. It smells nice.”
“….”
Pina embraced the oversized suit jacket, savoring the scent. The sleeves were so long that her arms were hidden and fluttering around.
Her rubbing against her owner’s clothing felt like a puppy enjoying its master’s scent — so cute!
As I reached out to stroke Pina’s head, her wolf ears instinctively flopped back down.
She’s genuinely a wolf beastman. I heard wolves can never be tamed.
“Don’t ignore what I said. Pina.”
“ Noo… I want to stay with Licht..”
That common sense may be wrong.
Pina was adorably acting spoiled while looking at me. I guess I should just pat her head as a punishment.
“So, Licht… Why were you alone on the balcony…?”
As I gently patted her hair to avoid ruining her hairstyle, she suddenly asked, looking surprised.
“Because it wasn’t a place for me to interrupt.”
[“Schartines ♥ Nex 100% ‘Ending Collection Complete’.”]
I turned my head upon seeing the numbers floating in the air.
Now that I think about it, what does that affection level really mean?
Can a simple number genuinely represent love between people?
When a relationship starts, it’s 50%, and when marriage is permitted, it becomes 100%.
What should I call the relationship between Pina and me?
“Huhu, they do look happy. Unlike us.”
Pina spoke softly while looking at Schartines and Nex. Her voice was slow and tinged with sorrow.
“I always thought parents were people who were anxious about not being able to give their children enough.”
Because that’s how my parents were.
A gentle mother, a little blunt yet warm father.
“..I think I might’ve been wrong.”
My father, a firefighter, was always my hero in my heart.
It seems not everything in the world flows smoothly.
“Like Su-hyun’s parents?”
Pina perked her ears while speaking. The word that came out of her mouth was something I hadn’t expected.
“..How do you know that?”
How could Pina know about my parents? She could know about my childhood self, but that doesn’t make sense.
Ah, wait…
“During Tardun’s test, I saw them.”
She stammered while her body heated up from the alcohol.
“They were all kind and warm people, just like you. They treated me warmly even though they saw me for the first time.”
Pina nodded as if my words were correct.
“Is that so..?”
I also saw Queen Bellin during Tardun’s test, so it’s not entirely impossible from that standpoint.
Wait a minute, isn’t this a casual introduction of the families?
“Everyone around me seems happy. Licht.”
As that thought crossed my mind, the reflection I saw was a sad expression.
Tears started to fill her golden eyes resembling the moon. Pina’s expression was sorrowful.
“Pina..?”
Her distinctly red and slightly shimmering lips became visible.
She had made herself up to attend this social club, but that makeup was washing away.
“I… actually don’t really know if love or marriage is important.”
Moonlight descended upon Pina’s unusually long lashes.
“Is that happiness? What they have.”
She broke her silence as she peered at Schartines and Nex.
“..No matter how many times I read it in novels, I still can’t understand it.”
On Nex’s side, Kainel and Ariel were already laughing and eating together.
“Of course, they must be happy. They’re with the person they love.”
We didn’t even notice when we disappeared in the midst of it.
There were already three couples, and two pairs had even arranged engagements.
“Why are they so desperate… I wonder.”
Pina looked thoughtful, resting her chin on her hand. I have no idea who she takes after.
People living lives different from her own.
Pina tried to drink from the nearby wine glass with sad eyes.
“Stop drinking. Pina.”
I snatched the last cup away and drank it myself. A bitter taste of grapes rose up.
“Oh, indirect kiss. Pervert..”
Pina, even so, you can’t drink more here.
Embarrassed, I lowered my head as Pina’s wolf tail wrapped around my leg.
“..I read in a book that love feels like dancing on a cloud. Licht.”
Pina shyly spoke while fiddling with my hand.
Dancing on clouds? Who came up with such a vague expression…?
“Sir Knight, would you dance with me just once..? I don’t really know how to dance…”
Pina opened her mouth shyly right after. Her pure and pristine innocence was evident.
It’s a nostalgic tone.
The way I kept recalling after I first possessed this game.
A pure, snow-white saintess.
It’s undoubtedly the same person. Even if someone were different, Pina remains Pina.
“How’s that? I tried to follow a phrase from the book as closely as possible. Actually, I’m a good dancer….”
The rain started to ease. The pitter-patter sound of the rain faded, leaving a calm silence.
I had been caught by the wolf that wouldn’t stop chasing me from start to finish.
“Understood. Princess Pina Grancia.”
To gift her the memories we weren’t able to make before.
“..I’ll accept your dance request.”
Kneeling, I made the oath of a knight.
*
Honestly, I didn’t think I would succeed.
“L-Licht..?”
I just followed what the female lead in a romance novel would say.
How did it end up like this?
I had the desire to dance, though.
The courtyard of the social club, the place where the rain had just fallen, and no one visited now.
“Excuse me? Why are you doing this all of a sudden, Pina?”
A man wearing the Black Knight’s helmet stood together with Pina.
“Why, why are you taking off your shoes?”
“Oh, that?”
Before dancing with Pina, Licht had taken off his shoes and moved them away.
“I’m not very good at dancing.”
He had swung his sword to protect Pina as a knight, but he hadn’t had the chance to practice dancing at the social club.
“So… I might step on your feet.”
Pina finally understood.
Licht was a commoner. Even if he came from a different world, it seems he had no experience learning to dance.
“..I understand. Here, the ground shouldn’t get dirty, so let’s dance here.”
She beckoned him to the pavilion in the courtyard. It was blessed with a sparkling white marble floor and a clean magic circle.
In that small space, the two began to dance, matching their breathing.
“..Licht, you’re not supposed to extend your left foot here.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Pina…”
Pina’s evaluation of Licht’s dance skills was straightforward.
Awkward.
Too awkward. In fact, it was at a level that could lead to rejection from a partner.
“When dancing… you have to align your movements with your partner, Licht.”
His arms and legs didn’t move in sync. He couldn’t even properly maintain eye contact with his partner, who he was too shy to approach.
He kept staring down, worrying about stepping on her feet instead.
“Okay, slowly… can you hear the music playing in the hall? Try to match that.”
Step by step, Pina layered her instructions over Licht’s movements.
“Ugh, I’m sorry. Pina.”
“..It’s fine even if you step on my feet, Licht.”
Even with mistakes here and there, it felt nice for Pina to confirm that there were no connections between Licht and other women.
‘..I don’t think he’s danced with the Nameless Saintess.’
It felt like she had gotten ahead of someone she had always worried about.
Pina’s smile naturally rose. Though she wouldn’t know it herself, she was delighted.
“So this is how it works.”
Raising her arms and twisting her body to the right, Licht took a step forward to match her.
“Yeah, just keep doing that… repeat it.”
Their gazes were locked on each other.
“Even though I’m still stepping on your feet… I’m sorry.”
“I told you not to apologize. Just don’t, Licht.”
This time Licht pulled her wrist, bringing them closer together.
Their bodies began to stick together like magnets, focusing entirely on the dance.
The sounds from the social club gradually faded away, and the two embraced the dance as if entrusting themselves to each other.
“..Licht.”
“Why, Pina?”
Under the clearest and brightest moonlight, Pina spoke to Licht.
“Will you come to our Imperial Palace tomorrow..?”
A hint of shyness made her cheeks blush, and her eyes widened.
“King Rock will be there, you know?”
“I have my reasons. Licht.”
While exchanging a greeting, she executed the motion that marked the end of their dance.
The moment the ball beneath the moonlight came to an end.
“I want to repay you for the chocolate you gave me before.”
Pina finished the conversation, sending an alluring smile toward Licht.
