“Sophia.”
“What?”
So, they used separate rooms and the next day arrived.
I felt a slightly chillier sensation while sleeping than usual, but it was fine.
I could just pull the blanket up to my face.
Still, there was an inexplicable emptiness, but anyway, it was fine.
“Are you going to keep this up?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you going to stay sulky like that?”
“Uh.”
I would.
I’d stay sulky until Kyle apologizes.
Until then, we’d keep our rooms separate and sit apart like now.
“Ha….”
The princess sighed next to me.
But what could be done?
Kyle messed up.
“You were wrong first.”
“But you should have said it first.”
“I told you not to do it outside, but you insisted.”
“Gah….”
“You should have firmly declined when you said no.”
“If I say no, you’d just respond with something weird.”
It’s truly frustrating.
What did I do wrong?
“Why would you keep going when there are people around, logically speaking?”
“Because I want to do it with Sophia.”
“Exactly! Can’t we go back to our place or the bedroom and do it? Do I really look that easy?”
It shouldn’t have escalated to this, but emotions were running high.
Kyle probably didn’t think that deeply, but as we talked, tempers were flaring.
“Hey. Did you meet me to do this?”
“What?”
“Are you dating me just to do stuff?”
It was said out of a fleeting hope.
No, not merely fleeting; it just came out emotionally.
I knew I shouldn’t be saying such things, yet here we were.
“….”
“….”
We fell into a brief lull.
Kyle and I exchanged glances, saying nothing.
“….”
“….”
“Could you two just eat something first?”
“Yes.”
After the princess spoke, I tore my gaze away from Kyle and turned to the steak on my plate.
Honestly, it seemed better to look at this beautifully cooked steak than at Kyle’s handsome face.
At least this wouldn’t rot my insides.
Ah, but could it go bad?
“Ha… Why are you two being like this?” I felt sorry for the princess.
Causing such a dispute over a regular breakfast.
And I was disappointed in Kyle.
I thought he would just apologize and move on after a day.
*
“Ah, Your Highness. You’re here.”
“Yes, why did you call for me today?”
“I called you to discuss a few things regarding the person who will wear the dress.”
“Sophia?”
Me?
What suddenly needs discussing with me…?
I never expected to have anything to discuss with the shop owner.
Most of the dress-related talks were supposed to be between the princess and Kyle.
I simply thought I would just try it on.
“Yes. Would you please come in for a moment?”
“Ah, yes.”
Following the shop owner’s lead, I stepped inside.
It looked like a workshop.
Is this where they tailor the clothes?
“What are you going to discuss?”
“Um… It’s not something particularly serious… Can you take a look at this?”
The shop owner showcased a dress hanging on a rack.
A luxurious black dress.
Is this the dress I’ll wear?
“Um….”
“Uh….”
But there was one significant issue.
A rather sizeable problem.
“There’s… a lot of exposure, isn’t there?”
“Yes, a lot.”
Yeah, it was very revealing.
Not to the level of being completely naked, but enough to show some side cleavage.
Why is it so revealing?
Was it something the princess mentioned last time?
“….”
“This is why I called you.”
“Definitely….”
It warranted a call.
Yeah, it couldn’t be helped.
Although I left the design and overall presentation to someone else, the one wearing it was me.
The shop owner likely thought the same and called me.
“Can you wear it?”
I could… wear it, I guess.
Sure, I can put it on.
But if I wore this to the ball, socially, I might not survive that mental breakdown.
“…?”
But this dress felt oddly familiar, like a style I’d seen before.
It reminded me of that dress hanging in my room in the castle.
The one Kyle bought for me and that I wore once before never touching again.
“…Please don’t tell me….”
Did he request that dress!?
Kyle, you crazy idiot…
No matter how excited he is about going to the ball with me, this isn’t it.
“Ha….”
I messed up.
Yeah, I couldn’t help but think so.
In my eyes, Kyle already wanted me to wear this type of dress.
If I were to say, “I absolutely despise dresses like this!” he’d just bring out another revealing one.
Even though there wasn’t much time left until the ball, Kyle would definitely do that.
He’s the kind of guy who acts in strange ways.
“Ha….”
“Are you okay…?”
“Ah, yes. I’m fine.”
For now.
Yeah, I’m not wearing it right away, right?
So, I didn’t need to get too angry or stressed.
“All right…. I’ll discuss it with my party….”
Things might have cooled down a bit between me and Kyle, but I had to talk it over.
I’d never have the confidence to wear something like this to the ball.
Nobles would surely laugh at me.
Just like during my boarding school days.
They’d mock me, saying I looked like a prostitute showing off my assets.
Absolutely not.
*
“Hey.”
“Yes.”
“Ha….”
So, I approached Kyle again after leaving the shop owner’s place.
The morning’s argument didn’t help the atmosphere much, but we were still going to the ball.
We couldn’t stay like this forever.
“That dress, you suggested that, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
Yeah, I figured as much.
The princess wouldn’t suggest such a thing.
I wasn’t incredibly close with her, and considering she didn’t know my fashion tastes, how could she decide that?
Plus, I had handed it over to Kyle.
It was clear.
“Did you really want to see me in that dress?”
Or did you add that exposure just to tease me?
Just because it’s a dress doesn’t mean it needs that much exposure.
That’s not exactly proper etiquette.
“Yes.”
“Really…?”
“Sophia has a great figure. Plus, you’ve never worn the dress I bought before.”
“….”
When I thought about whether I liked it or not, my feelings were one thing.
Ambiguous.
Yeah, “ambiguous” was the right answer.
Personally, I didn’t want to wear something so revealing.
But looking at Kyle’s eyes and expression, he seemed to really want me to wear it.
It made it difficult to say much.
“Ha… Honestly, I think it’s too much.”
It wasn’t easy to voice my blunt thoughts because we were dating.
No, in reality, I had never said anything harsh to Kyle.
The only person I’ve been harsh with is that one mad wizard in the castle.
“I’m not a pervert who enjoys exposure, nor am I a teenage girl who acts weird because of her admiration for adulthood. How could I wear something like that!?”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah.”
“You wore it last time.”
“That was! I only tried it on once.”
I tried it on in the shop and changed immediately after.
It was largely due to embarrassment.
“Ha… So basically, the biggest thing here is that you want to see me in that dress, right?”
“Yes.”
In that case… let’s change our approach.
Since I figured I couldn’t break Kyle’s stubbornness.
It would have to be a way for both of us to be satisfied.
“Then I’ll wear that dress once for you sometime when you want. But not during the ball or any busy occasions. Just once.”
Even I thought it was a clever plan.
A method to satisfy both parties.
I began to think maybe I wasn’t so dim after all when I realized how good that solution was.
“And! When it comes to the ball, let’s wear something completely ordinary.”
“What do you mean by ordinary?”
“Um….”
What qualifies as a normal dress, anyway?
I hadn’t worn many dresses, so I wasn’t sure.
I also hadn’t had many opportunities to admire dresses.
“Well, it could show only the shoulders, and there can’t be any side slits, front slits, back slits, and no cleavage showing!”
“Got it.”
“Whew….”
Fortunately, the problem was resolved.
Instead of wearing that lewd dress to the ball, it had transformed into something I would wear once.
Is that not a perfect deal?
I think it’s a transaction both Kyle and I could be satisfied with.
Maybe.
“And…. As I said yesterday and today….”
I didn’t want to fall out with Kyle.
After getting along well for years, I disliked the idea of having our relationship ruined over a silly fight.
It wasn’t even a serious issue; it was about some skinship leading to a fallout, likely earning laughter from passing Louise.
“Let’s set a few rules about being temporary lovers.”
“Rules?”
“Right, we never properly decided anything. We just ended up here, having done it without thinking.”
“That’s true. You’ve never brought up that you were uncomfortable about it, either.”
“Um….”
That was just me being considerate.
Why is he suddenly so oblivious?
I shot Kyle a side glare but quickly dropped it.
“Anyway! Let’s do that. Okay?”
“Got it. But remember one thing.”
“What?”
Kyle suddenly had a very serious expression.
What on earth is he about to say now?
He wouldn’t suddenly ask for a kiss, right?
“If you set rules, make sure they’re properly done. We’re sticking with them to the end.”
“Y-Yeah…”
He spoke in a very serious and low voice, and I reflexively answered.
Well, if we nail down the rules, that would be it, right?
As long as Kyle doesn’t start acting strange or force himself on me, it would be fine.
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