“…Why are you sleeping here?”
Seeing her unusually flustered state made me laugh as soon as I opened my eyes.
Was it really that surprising? Then I remembered that Adele had quite a bit to drink yesterday.
Could it be that she doesn’t remember?
After saying those things to me and then not remembering? I couldn’t help but feel a bit of a sting from that.
What should I do if someone in distress is like this? I pondered while briefly gazing at Adele.
Should I explain this or let her remain confused?
But if I kept my mouth shut, that expression of hers would darken even more, so I couldn’t stay silent until the end.
Still, a little teasing wouldn’t hurt. I gently pulled up the blanket that covered her chest and quietly watched her.
Her tightly shut lips twitched a few times, then she cautiously replied.
“Don’t you remember?”
“My head hurts… I think I might remember something, but it’s hazy. I do remember kissing you yesterday. But I don’t know why I’m sleeping here.”
So she remembers the kiss. After all the drinks she had afterwards, it made sense that her memory might get a bit fuzzy.
Her honesty seemed to stem from the alcohol hitting her hard.
It was only natural, given that she drank high-proof liquor like it was water.
After brushing her forehead for a moment, Adele let out a small sigh.
The sight of her struggling to grasp the current situation was quite funny.
Does she really not remember? Well, I suppose that’s possible.
In any case, the sun had risen, so I needed to get out of this room.
Adele had clung onto me so tightly that she fell asleep as is.
But really, it would be better to leave ahead to avoid misunderstandings.
I caught a small smile as I met her gaze, then straightened out my clothes and slowly got up from the bed.
I thought she would probably remember soon enough, but it wouldn’t be so bad to tease her a little if she remembered nothing.
“Didn’t you do all sorts of things to me yesterday? You’re so strong that I had to go along with it.”
“I, to you?”
“Yes, it was my first time. It seems like you really don’t remember.”
It was indeed my first time. Adele had said she wanted to see me, and if we think about it, she was the first to kiss my forehead.
I chuckled softly at her visibly shaken expression and headed towards the door.
It was still quite early, so I figured it would be fine to head out now.
Just as I was about to open the door, I noticed a pair of eyes peering through the crack.
When they saw my face, they startled, and then the eyes of Lothos narrowed as they scrutinized the nameplate above the door.
Lothos’s eyes, which had been staring intensely, narrowed slightly.
His skin, slightly darker than others, turned pale, and his trembling fingers finally pointed towards me.
In that instant, the first thought that came to mind was that Lothos would misunderstand, and the next realization was…
It would probably get quite annoying.
“It’s definitely the place where the Grand Duke is staying. At this dawn… did you two sleep together?”
Flustered, he spoke, yet a faint smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.
He probably thinks he’s hit something juicy.
I deliberately chose not to answer. The scenery visible behind the door had already responded adequately to his question.
There was Adele in her disheveled nightwear, surrounded by scattered bottles and food.
And my very presence leaving the room at this hour likely indicated just one thing.
I smiled bitterly for a moment, but I couldn’t quite figure out how to respond to this situation.
If he asked if we slept together, it was undoubtedly true.
#
“I didn’t expect your relationship to progress so quickly.”
“You wouldn’t believe me anyway. I have no intention of making excuses.”
“Who would believe that a man and a woman just drank together and did nothing? Well, for the Grand Duke, it might be plausible, though.”
Lothos, chuckling to himself, shrugged his shoulders.
Instead of showing Adele in her messy state, I had been engaging with Lothos alone, leaving the cleanup for later.
Misunderstanding? Honestly, it didn’t matter that much.
From what I observed of Ilona’s attitude, it didn’t seem like anyone would push this relationship.
And well, if we were sleeping together, I could probably think whatever I wanted about our relationship.
So, I found myself regretting it. It probably would’ve been better to draw some boundaries. Maybe I had gotten too close.
We’re not exactly lovers, but thinking about it, aren’t we almost in that situation?
…My mind was full of thoughts.
Of course, considering that the counterpart was Adele, I thought she would somehow manage to keep that invisible line precariously intact.
Lothos seemed to enjoy just watching us, laughing to himself for a long while before clearing his throat and then looking at me.
“Anyway, I was quite surprised. I knew you two would have a private meeting, but I thought you’d return after drinking.”
“There were various circumstances. Do you have more questions?”
“May I ask just one thing?”
“Can I take a look?”
When I asked what it was about, Lothos paused for a moment before responding.
“I don’t quite understand what you find so appealing about the Grand Duke.”
“…sigh.”
I wondered if anyone would mistakenly think we had somehow become lovers by now. Even if such a situation existed, it couldn’t possibly compare to the relationship of the past; yet, meeting Lothos wasn’t about wanting to hear such things.
I was seeking something a bit more productive. After all, wasn’t there another purpose for heading north?
With a frown, I sighed again and stared at Lothos, shaking my head. I didn’t think it was necessary to respond to such remarks.
Still thinking more about Adele, who was alone in the room, I decided to clear my mind and change the subject.
“I came here not only for the Grand Duke’s letter but also to seek help regarding something I’m investigating.”
“So you need my assistance.”
“Considering I need information from the North, wouldn’t it be best to look for you?”
Realizing I wasn’t just after small talk and that I wanted something a bit more serious, the smile on Lothos began to fade as he swallowed hard. Returning to his usual serious expression he wore when starting “work,” he offered me a chair and opened his mouth again.
“I already know what you’re looking for. I’ve been investigating the Center to some extent, so are you perhaps searching for the people in masks?”
“You know quite well.”
“I’ve been trying to find out about them since they recently appeared, but I haven’t secured anything solid. All I know is they’re occasionally spotted near the Northwest or uncharted territories.”
Uncharted territories. Hearing that only heightened my suspicions.
Uncharted territories are areas entirely sealed off by ancient magic. No one can enter, and even a dead dragon couldn’t detect that area, indicating a powerful seal.
Now I had to figure out why Kaitel was interested in such a place. If there were any entities I did not fully understand even after multiple reincarnations, it would be him. What his intentions were when he killed me, and why he didn’t completely destroy Taylor despite labeling him a traitor.
“Do you plan to continue investigating those people?”
I nodded in response to Lothos’s question. That was as important a purpose as meeting Adele. Since I wouldn’t be staying here long, I hoped to gain some sort of results.
However, I didn’t think finding something would be easy.
Perhaps Lothos felt the same, as he frowned and replied.
“I understand you won’t be staying long, but it won’t be easy to find anything.”
“I know it’s not easy to find something, but I suppose that’s how it goes.”
“I understand. If we could just catch a clue, that would be a stroke of luck, wouldn’t it?”
“The Grand Duke might be upset. He seemed really excited about being together.”
You know, I found myself oddly intrigued by Lothos’s stories.
When I’m not around, how exactly has Adele been acting that has everyone in the North so curious about our relationship?
I hadn’t imagined Adele much when I wasn’t there, thinking she was just lacking sleep.
“I don’t know if it’s okay to ask this, but isn’t it better than living in ignorance?”
When I asked, Lothos replied as if he’d been waiting for the question.
There was much more to it than I had thought.
It made my cheeks naturally flush from the listener’s perspective. You know, those kinds of stories.
“They really seem to be ordering an expedition. I had a hard time telling them that going to the Center would cause a big fuss.”
“I’ve heard you haven’t been sleeping well.”
“That’s true. Every morning when we gather, the talk is almost always about when the head of the family will change.”
Lothos wiped the cold sweat off his brow and sighed, perhaps having gone through quite a lot.
Looking again, I noticed his complexion was as haggard as Adele’s eyes.
Did she really worry about me that much?
I also chuckled at hearing that they likely changed my bed on purpose.
I think I’m starting to be much more honest than before.
In the past, even with feelings, it was no different than usual. So when she would sometimes get angry alone, I couldn’t understand why.
Isn’t her behavior kind of like a cat now? There were times I’d compare her to a wolf.
Always standing alone in a lonely place, yet as cold and calculating as anyone, that was Adele Igrit.
However, her much softer personality and actions were things I was seeing for the first time in this life.
As I chuckled while contemplating her actions, Lothos cleared his throat and cautiously opened his mouth.
“Since I’ve said this, I’d like you to answer just one thing. The question I asked earlier.”
“If you’re asking which part I like, well, let’s see.”
It was just a fleeting moment that I felt inclined to answer.
Partly because I felt a presence outside the door. Giving this much of an answer was easy.
Smiling slightly, I said it a bit loudly on purpose so that those outside could hear.
“Because you’re pretty.”
Thud.
The sound from outside the door was so loud that I could only smile quietly afterward.
Really, why eavesdrop like that?
Serves them right.
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