Eliya thrust a fork with some meat at me.
“Here, open wide. Ah~”
I’d rather run away, but that’s impossible.
First of all, Eliya is a wizard capable of long-distance teleportation without breathing.
Physically, there’s no escaping.
With no other choice, I squeezed my eyes shut and opened my mouth.
“Ah…”
Something warm and greasy enters my mouth.
It’s the meat I had cut.
“You have to chew it well.”
I slowly chewed the meat.
Warm juices overflowed, soaking my mouth.
The scent of butter and meat spread.
“Is it tasty?”
Eliya asked while patting my back.
“Y-yes….”
Food has no sin.
It’s delicious.
Top-quality meat, seasoned perfectly with expensive spices, cooked just right.
The sin is mine.
‘Die…! Just die already!’
I shouldn’t feel this way, but it’s not so bad.
I think I understand why Eliya is so insistent on feeding me.
Being fed and cared for is downright embarrassing; I want to hold my breath and die for about ten minutes, but oddly enough, it feels nice.
“Ah~”
Eliya opened her mouth again.
I couldn’t bring myself to meet her gaze as I handed her the food.
She eagerly devoured it.
I glanced at Ria.
I wondered if she’d glare at me like before, but she didn’t.
Her subtly smiling face seemed almost pleased.
‘What’s this… Should I take this as acknowledgment of me… or has her mood changed…?’
I quickly turned my gaze away.
One of the things Eliya said earlier stuck in my mind.
“Am I not a person, but a pet…?”
…Oh.
I wasn’t supposed to say that out loud.
Eliya casually responded from beside me.
“It’s just a metaphor.”
“If it’s not a metaphor… then what is it?”
A knight and a noble.
A master and a servant. Or maybe a pet.
Without the metaphor, how could we define our relationship?
I asked without thinking.
And Eliya didn’t answer.
She seemed unable to.
Her face flushed as she turned away.
She froze, unable to chew the food in her mouth.
Our eyes met for a fleeting moment before she hastily looked away.
I did the same, quickly turning my head.
My face felt hot.
‘Ugh, idiot! Why did I ask that…!’
Neither of us could say anything until the meal ended.
Only the awkward silence flowed.
However, the act of feeding each other didn’t stop.
*
“Don’t get hurt.”
Eliya said while hugging me.
We decided to act as if the mutual embarrassment brought on by our mealtime disaster was nonexistent.
Though it wasn’t spoken, we both tacitly agreed.
“Yes. Don’t worry.”
And I was just about to head off for training.
She always hugs me like this before I leave.
It’s been a few days since we reunited.
Eliya follows me wherever I go.
Conversely, she takes me wherever she goes.
However, she doesn’t do this in every situation.
She allows me my free time during personal training.
‘…Actually, I can’t recall a moment I’ve been away from her, apart from when I’m training.’
Even when I’m sleeping….
Ah, no.
Let’s not waste time thinking about unnecessary things before training.
I need to keep my blood flowing.
In a corner of the Eliya Mansion grounds, there’s a training center.
Most knights train here.
The accommodation is close too.
The training field is already occupied by the Royal Guard warming up.
“Oh, Eliya’s lord husband is here.”
Richard teased as he spotted me.
“Don’t spread any weird rumors, okay?”
“I didn’t spread anything! It’s already out there, isn’t it?”
“……”
“Don’t insult my lord with nonsense.”
Dillon scolded Richard from the side.
“Insult? Come on! The lady probably enjoys it. Just look at those gooey eyes when they’re together; it’s clear they’re all over each other.”
I quietly watched Richard.
Thinking about how to repay that during our next hand-to-hand training.
“Oh man, looking at you two makes me wonder if I should feel frustrated? I mean, you’ve improved, but it’s also kind of refreshing, isn’t it?”
Richard interrupted himself, looking at me.
This had happened a few times before.
Getting carried away with chatter and then being scolded during training.
Richard cheerfully called to me.
“Hey, Judah!”
“Yes, Richard-senpai.”
“Just give me a chance!”
“No can do.”
“Is that so?”
Richard nodded, as if resigned, looked at the sky, and smirked.
“Looks like I’m doomed.”
*
“You bastard, no-good, ungrateful….”
Richard muttered while laid out on the ground.
I poured cold water over him.
“Ugh!”
“Feeling refreshed?”
Richard sat up, wiping his face with cold water.
He glanced at me, then chuckled.
“Yeah man. This feels amazing.”
I sat down next to him.
The training had just ended.
I had just drained him in the last hand-to-hand practice.
“No way does it feel like we were at war just a few days ago.”
Richard said as he looked up at the sky.
And he was right.
This place is overly peaceful.
In reality, the war hasn’t completely ended.
It’s in a sort of tacit ceasefire state.
And still, there’s no tension.
A gut feeling that everything will work out.
And trusting Eliya’s power.
I witnessed Eliya’s magic for the first time.
Before coming to this world, she wasn’t this strong.
The multiple suns she showed when fighting Balak.
And the explosions.
Even from afar, that firepower was abnormal.
If she wanted to, she could probably take on the empire by herself.
Whether that would actually work or not is another question.
I can’t guess what the empire’s intentions are right now.
So much has changed from the future I know.
As the Royal Guard finished their training, they gathered one by one beside me.
They slumped down, taking a collective break.
Some were injured during the war, but no serious casualties or deaths were reported.
How fortunate.
We exchanged idle chatter as we rested.
“Oh right! Judah, who did you meet over at Jericho?”
“Leo and Cooper. Also Brown and Connor.”
“Aha, right, right. I remember now.”
“Are they doing well?”
“They settled in well enough, holding their own.”
“Those two got beat up by you way back when.”
“Wow…. That was already five years ago.”
The conversations always gravitate toward this.
Casual chit-chat.
Then nostalgic training camp stories over the past five years.
‘So many things have happened, huh.’
I asked Richard.
“Is your sister-in-law doing well?”
“Yeah. Thankfully, things have been calmer than expected due to the war, so she’s been fine.”
Richard had only exchanged letters due to the war’s demands.
And then there were more stories about others around us.
Family stuff. All that.
Dillon doesn’t talk much about such things.
More accurately, he tends to avoid discussions about himself.
I don’t know the specifics, but I know he’s somewhat different.
He has no family.
Not even close friends outside the Royal Guard.
I subtly moved closer to him.
“Dillon-senpai, you’ve worked hard. It must have been tough leading this troublemaking Royal Guard.”
Dillon smiled as he took a sip of water.
“Not a simple task, especially with you absent.”
“Um… I’m sorry.”
“I didn’t mean to say that as an apology. Actually, I feel guilty on my part.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’d asked you to take good care of the lady, but I feel like I didn’t pull my weight.”
“…….”
“That task seems something only you can handle.”
Dillon looked at me, letting out a reassuring smile.
A solid smile that had always guided us during training.
He patted my shoulder.
“Glad to see you back and thanks again.”
“…No need for that.”
I awkwardly drank my water, feeling shy.
I looked around at the lively Royal Guard.
Yeah.
This is where I belong, my place to return to.
Even if it’s a bit late, I realized it.
Eliya had asked me to remain as her place of return.
Before that, Eliya had already become the person I wanted to go back to.
‘…I wonder if the second tragedy will be alright.’
*
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are spent with Eliya.
Afterward, I always visit Yuel without fail to take care of her.
Ever since I returned, Yuel welcomed me even more fervently.
Even before I opened the door, I could hear her and immediately recognized her scratching at the door.
When I finally opened up, she dashed out and pounced on me.
“Oh, that’s right, yes, it’s me. I’m back. Oh my, yes.”
I still remember the sound of her cries when I was about to leave her behind.
It lingers disturbingly in my heart every time I recall it.
That day, when the Bevel Family nearly faced extermination, as soon as I returned, Yuel was there, crying her heart out.
She even squawked loudly back then.
“Oh, I’m so glad to see you! I’m sorry. I won’t leave again… uh….”
And her tongue still licks my face uncontrollably.
I really can’t say anything.
But in the end, I am the sinner.
I hugged her without complaints, scratching her neck or chin.
Eliya watched this intently.
Every time I went to care for Yuel, Eliya was always with me.
We started grooming her again, just like before.
Even though Eliya has grown since childhood, Yuel has grown more.
I still have to use a platform.
‘But these days, there’s something… um….’
Every time I bond with Yuel, Eliya’s gaze is a bit intense.
It’s slightly scary.
Sometimes she even lets out a growl like a cat with an attitude.
‘Why… is she doing that…?’
Whenever I ask her about it, she plays it off as if nothing’s wrong, making it hard to press further.
‘She doesn’t hate Yuel.’
I ambled over to Ria and Bradley, whom Eliya had sent outside.
“Seriously, how are you doing?”
Even when Ellie was here, she managed without any problem.
Thinking about it made me feel guilty again, hmm….
Anyway, while Eliya calmly groomed Yuel, I fed her mushrooms or petted her.
Time for grooming ended.
While Eliya cleaned her hands with a handkerchief, I continued scratching Yuel’s neck.
Yuel seemed to enjoy it, stretching her neck while leaning closer to me.
“Oh, that feels good. Ah, that’s so nice. I love it.”
After Eliya wiped her hands, she suddenly said.
“Step outside for a moment.”
It was an order directed at Ria and Bradley in the stable.
Surprised by the sudden command, both stepped outside.
‘…What’s going on?’
As I was puzzled, Eliya approached me.
“Lower your stance.”
“Huh? Oh, okay.”
Since she gestured, I dutifully obliged.
Eliya meticulously wiped my face and neck with a handkerchief.
‘…Out of the blue?’
This wasn’t typical behavior from her.
What’s going on today?
Eliya glanced between Yuel and me before speaking.
“Judah.”
“Yes, lady.”
“Who do you like more, me or Yuel?”
“…Huh?”
What is this?
Why is she questioning my preferences?
I haven’t behaved suspiciously.
Regardless of respect for diversity, I’m not the kind of human who desires fluffy beasts.
So yes, I do love Yuel a lot, but it’s purely innocent.
Furthermore, as much as I wouldn’t want to rank someone, if I had to classify them, I’d admit that I like Eliya more.
Of course, this is different from my affection for Yuel, somewhat.
“It’s obvious I like you more, milady…”
“Then why don’t you pet me?”
I squinted and stared distantly.
Did my hearing get messed up during the war?
That can’t be it.
I clearly heard that.
“…Huh?”
“You always scratch Yuel and pet her. But you’ve never done that for me.”
“Well, that’s….”
Yuel has been this way ever since she was young….
No, Yuel is an animal and enjoys being pet like this.
‘Could it be that this has been a grievance all along?’
That thought was only half-correct.
It wasn’t just that.
“Same goes for hugs. I always initiate the hugs and hold your hand first.”
“Um….”
She’s not wrong about that…
‘But still, isn’t it a bit much for a knight to touch their lord first?’
Eliya whipped her head around like she’s all pouty.
Her lips poked out adorably.
While she’s acting cute, this realization hit me.
I understood why Eliya sent Ria and Bradley out.
Eliya always clings to my side but doesn’t behave this way around others.
She only stays close but keeps her demeanor icy and rigid.
It seems like she doesn’t even recognize that this is her version of being cute.
“…I’m sorry.”
I took that to heart and genuinely apologized.
Eliya crossed her arms and shook her head.
“That’s not it.”
“Well then….”
“Pet me too.”
“…….”
Eliya stepped closer to me.
She lifted her chin, making it seem like she wanted to be touched.
‘Is this really happening? So sudden?’
I was at a loss, my hands trembling, but Eliya took another step closer to me.
“Come on.”
This time, I couldn’t go against her wish.
“Well… then… I-I’ll scratch you?”
Eliya nodded.
I cautiously reached out my hand.
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