“Chirp chirp~”
“…”
I woke up to the cute sound of little birds chirping.
It feels like I haven’t slept in my own room for ages.
Normally, I would have slept in the same bed as Kyle, but… absolutely not!
How could I sleep in the same bed after what happened yesterday?
“AAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
What a crazy guy.
How can he say things like that there?
“Do you like me? Do you really like me???????????????”
Seriously, those are words you’d expect from a girl experiencing her first love in her mid-teens, not a grown adult in her twenties!
I felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me.
“Ugh….”
How on earth am I supposed to face Kyle today?
Should I just hide in my room?
Yeah, let’s just stay in my room and not make a sound.
That way, I won’t have to see Kyle’s face at all, right?
“But then Kyle will do something weird.”
I was pretty sure of that.
If I lie in bed quietly, he’ll come in and hug me from behind.
Then, my face will heat up, and I’ll end up doing something weird again.
“…I should just go out.”
Alright, I’ve lived a few more years than Kyle.
I have no reason to be swayed by a baby who just became an adult!
Even though I slept alone in my room yesterday out of slight awkwardness and embarrassment, it is what it is!
I quietly opened the door and peeked out into the corridor.
I thought it’d be troublesome if I ran into Kyle first thing in the morning.
After all, I kind of confessed to him yesterday…? And we’ve really started dating, but meeting Kyle this early would be….
“Very awkward….”
“What’s awkward?”
“Ah!”
Kyle suddenly appeared behind me.
I had checked to see if anyone was in the hallway, so how did he sneak up on me?
Kyle seemed to have woken up before me and had already gotten ready.
His hair was neatly styled, and he wasn’t in pajamas but in casual clothes.
“K-Kyle? What are you doing here all of a sudden?”
I was genuinely surprised.
I hadn’t woken up late, and I had gotten up pretty early, so why was he here?
Plus, I hadn’t even washed up properly yet!
I had just woken up, and my face was probably still a little puffy.
And my hair was a mess—definitely not a good look!
“Step back a bit.”
“…? Okay.”
When I said that, Kyle, who had been standing too close, backed up a little.
“So, what’s up this morning?”
“I, uh, just wanted to see you, Sophia.”
“….”
How am I supposed to react to that first thing in the morning?
Maybe it’s still too early for my brain to process things.
“Okay, I saw you, right? I need to wash up now, so let’s meet in a bit, okay?”
Honestly, it wasn’t a request; it was more of an urgency.
I really didn’t want to be seen in this state in front of my new boyfriend.
Common sense said it was weird to meet up without washing up first, but Kyle wouldn’t know that.
“Got it. When you’re done washing up, let’s have breakfast together. I’ll prepare it.”
“Y-yeah….”
Thus, I parted ways with Kyle in the hallway.
I kept looking back at him as he walked away, but Kyle never turned to look my way.
Don’t you want to sneak a peek at your girlfriend at least once…?
“….”
For now, washing up was my priority.
I couldn’t face Kyle looking like this.
Even though I wasn’t sweaty or covered in anything weird, it was still better to wash up than to not wash up.
*
“Is it to your taste?”
“Yup, it’s delicious.”
“Good to hear. I’d feel terrible if you were disappointed on our first day together.”
“I always think the food here is delicious anyway. So, it’s no big deal.”
It’s true.
I’ve eaten at the servants’ dining room before, and now I’m enjoying meals prepared by the chefs of the Eristirol Family.
I always thought the food in the castle was amazing.
“Well… every place I’ve gone together with you has been great.”
“Haha. Really?”
“Yeah, maybe it’s because I went with you…?”
I said something a bit shyly.
I knew it was a bit embarrassing to say, but after saying it, I felt even more embarrassed.
But since we’ve started dating now… it felt better to be more open than to keep acting stiff as usual.
“…Kyle?”
“…Ah, yes.”
“Why are you suddenly so quiet?”
“Sophia, you surprised me with that statement.”
“Hehe… is that so?”
Well, I usually don’t say such things.
“That’s understandable. We really are dating now, right?”
There was a lot to unpack, but in any case, we really were dating.
Maybe that’s why everything seemed brighter today.
Of course, it might also be because it’s not snowing or cloudy around here, so maybe that’s it.
I still can’t fully believe I’m dating Kyle, but it felt fresh.
Having breakfast together like this felt even better than usual.
I wonder if Kyle thinks the same way?
I can’t read his mind, but I hope so.
I didn’t want to be the only one excited and happy.
Being in a relationship means both should enjoy it together!
“Hey! Kyle!”
“Louise?”
“Miss Louise?”
After finishing breakfast, I was enjoying a peaceful moment with Kyle in our room.
Then suddenly, Louise barged in, calling Kyle’s name loudly.
“Luise? Why did you just burst in here!?”
My body was lifted off the ground without any warning.
It caught me so off guard that I couldn’t even react.
“W-What? Why did you do that, Louise?”
The reason my body suddenly floated in mid-air was probably due to Louise’s magic.
She used to do similar things like this as a joke, so I was familiar with it.
Though honestly, it felt more like revenge when she was angry, but whatever—this was an expected prank.
“Kyle, I’m taking her with me.”
“Huh?”
“Yeah, just don’t hold onto her for too long.”
“Ugh~”
“W-Wait!? Kyle?!”
Suddenly, I was floating in the air and started following Louise.
I couldn’t comprehend why Louise was pulling me and why Kyle was letting her without hesitation!
“Louise? What’s going on?”
“Shut up and just follow me for now.”
“Huh?”
I had no clue what was happening, but I followed Louise.
Even though I didn’t really have a choice in following her, I went along.
We arrived in the tea room we usually hang out in, still floating in the air.
Other servants often used this relaxation room.
“Elin?”
“Oh, you made it.”
Elin was sitting at the table.
Louise brought me here so suddenly, so I was curious about what was going on, but seeing Elin sitting here made me wonder if they were just planning for tea time or something?
“So… why did you suddenly bring me here?”
After coming down to sit normally in a chair, I asked Louise.
I should have been spending sweet, cozy time with Kyle, yet here I was, suddenly dragged over.
I truly couldn’t predict this at all.
There was no reason for them to pull me out like this.
Were they lacking money lately or something?
“Elin.”
“Yes?”
“You heard everything, right?”
“Of course.”
“…?”
What kind of conversation are they having?
Is there some rumor spreading in the castle?
“What’s up?”
“Hey, you.”
“Yes?”
“You and Kyle are finally dating?”
“Uh.”
What Louise said was shocking on many levels.
It’s true that I started dating Kyle yesterday, but I hadn’t announced it to anyone.
I mean, there wasn’t really a reason to tell anyone either.
“Where did you hear that?”
I never told anyone about dating Kyle.
As far as I know, the only person I’ve met since waking up today was Kyle.
What if Kyle spread the news, thrilled that we finally started dating?
That hypothesis didn’t sit quite right.
It didn’t fit Kyle’s personality at all.
Kyle isn’t the type to go around shouting about things like that.
“Everyone in the castle is already buzzing about you and Kyle dating.”
“Huh?”
“Yup, the buzz among the knights started this morning.”
“…Huh??”
There’s no way that could be true.
I hadn’t told anyone, and Kyle’s not that type, so why would there be rumors?
Well, considering it was fact and not a rumor, then… why exactly?
“Well, they said you two were seen together at the festival last week, and someone claimed to have seen you kissing outside, even overheard a conversation typical of lovers.”
“And when Sophia returned yesterday, people said her face was all flushed.”
“….”
Crap.
I thought no one had seen us.
I genuinely believed no one had noticed.
After all, we only acted that way during the dark when people’s attention was elsewhere.
But if someone saw that, that’s just absurd.
Of course, it’s absurd for those who witnessed it…
“So? What’s going on with that?”
“….”
I was going nuts.
It wasn’t as embarrassing as confessing to Kyle, but it was still super embarrassing.
I just realized how awkward it is to have friends talk about this stuff!
“Umm… yeah. We really started dating.”
“SEX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
“Shh, keep it down, Elin.”
“Ah, I got too excited.”
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