Mary and Emily. The conclusion of their lunchtime and confession operation together was a full-on frontal assault.
So, we decided to wait for now.
Right until Raphne’s tower confinement ends.
Raphne, who had lost her memories, had been under tower confinement for a month after losing a bet.
Although the contract is meant to grant my wishes…
The confinement period of the tower was ultimately at the discretion of the academy.
For that reason, the academy ordered Raphne to be confined to the tower for a month due to the contract’s validity and the fact that she troubled me.
Of course, after the results came out, Raphne could not leave the tower for that entire month thanks to the contract’s power.
From my perspective, it wasn’t necessary for Raphne to remain locked up once she regained her memories.
But since the contract was already in effect, there was nothing I could do but wait for the remaining time.
And as it approached nearly a month since Raphne had been confined in the tower…
“D-D-Date…?”
During our usual dinner time, I brought up the topic of a date with Raphne.
“Yeah, to celebrate Raphne finding her memories and the end of her tower confinement. What do you think?”
“Great! I absolutely love it!”
Naturally, Raphne’s cheeks turned red as she beamed with a wide smile.
Thinking back, even though I had spent the most time with Raphne, I had never wandered the streets with her alone.
Seizing this chance to create such memories would be great.
Above all, it’s important to say it in a special place at a good time.
…Honestly, the reason I was saying that was to avoid the risk of getting confined immediately if we talked about it in the tower.
But anyway, let’s think positively about everything.
“Hehe, a date with Ken…”
Raphne stopped eating her soup, cupping her cheeks and swaying her body.
With that joyfully swaying motion, Raphne looked incredibly happy.
Seeing that made me smile too.
‘Yeah, let’s have a good time and make good memories.’
My plan ultimately was to gain Raphne’s consent for a three-way relationship, but…
Regardless, this was a monumental first date for Raphne.
That being said, while my plan was important, I started to feel that Raphne’s happiness was even more crucial.
Especially since Raphne had done so much for me during this time.
And then, a few days later, time flew by and the end of the month-long tower confinement came.
“U-Uh, what should I wear?”
“I think anything from the three would be fine. They’re all pretty.”
“But…! I want to look even prettier!”
Starting from the very beginning of the date, Raphne caused a delay of about an hour because she couldn’t decide what to wear at the tower.
Raphne held three subtly different outfits in color and design and pondered for quite a while.
Finally, after choosing one of them, we left the tower.
To me, they looked pretty much the same, but it seemed like there was a huge difference in Raphne’s eyes.
“Hehe, I’m so excited!”
The moment we stepped outside the tower, Raphne wrapped her arm around mine and beamed a childlike smile.
Naturally, just because it was a date didn’t mean we were doing anything particularly special.
We simply went out into the streets to eat at a nice restaurant, browsed various shops while shopping, and strolled around in a lovely atmosphere.
Of course, there might be better options, but I thought such an ordinary date suited us better.
After all, it wasn’t often Raphne got to stroll around like this outside the tower.
I hoped Raphne would enjoy this ordinary date course with me.
“This is really delicious! Ken, do you want to try?”
“Huh?”
“Here, ah~. I’ll feed you.”
“I-I’ll eat it myself. Other people are watching.”
“Why? Are you worried about what others think?”
“I’ll gladly eat it.”
We ordered different menu items and shared our food, or fed each other.
The sight of Raphne blushing as she took the steak I offered with her tiny mouth was incredibly cute.
And Raphne, who was feeding me, was playful like a little kid, which was also adorable.
Looking at it this way, it really felt like a normal couple’s date and my heart started to flutter a bit.
Of course, Raphne’s gaze when other girls looked at me made my heart flutter for another reason.
“How do I look? Does it suit me?”
“Uh, yeah. It looks good.”
“…I think you could come a bit closer.”
“……”
“Do you want to touch it?”
“Don’t say things that could be misunderstood.”
It was about her necklace.
With the nature of necklaces, it fell over Raphne’s pure white neck onto her collarbone.
And Raphne leaned over slightly to show me that necklace.
Consequently, her dress’s neckline stretched, exposing a hint of her skin, and Raphne seductively drew me in.
“C-Considering it’s a date, it’s okay to be a bit more assertive.”
“Raphne, we’re in a shop…”
But who am I?
I am a trained man who can withstand desires even when sharing a bed with Raphne in the tower.
I won’t be swayed by such simple temptations.
…Well, I couldn’t help but notice people were looking. It’s only natural for a man.
“But isn’t a date between a man and a woman… about that sort of thing?”
“W-What sort of thing?”
“Being a bit more assertive, being hotter than usual, somehow getting closer…”
“Where did you hear such things?”
“In a novel!”
I definitely need to reduce my reading material.
“…Ugh.”
And then Raphne gently pulled me into an alley between buildings while we were walking.
She pushed me against the wall and looked up at me with a sultry smile.
“So, it’s okay for you to take the lead a bit more.”
Today, Raphne was surprisingly more proactive than usual.
I wonder why? Even though we weren’t in the closed space of the tower but in a public street filled with people, she came up to me without hesitation.
Of course, we weren’t in the middle of the street; we were in a dimly shaded alley, so nobody was watching us.
“R-Raphne….”
What I thought would be an ordinary date was turning out a bit differently.
No, it was very different from the dates I had experienced so far with Mary and Emily.
“I want to kiss you.”
Unlike the dates I had with those two, which were innocent and sweet, Raphne was more actively seducing me.
With more skin contact than usual, it felt like she was testing my limits.
‘W-What should I do….’
Raphne blushed and slowly closed her eyes.
Then, as if she wouldn’t let go, she pressed herself against me, which was now pinned to the wall.
Kissing Raphne.
It had been something she often asked for before we challenged the Tower of Tarros, so while it was embarrassing, it wasn’t something I could refuse.
‘Okay, since it’s a date.’
If Raphne wants it, then let’s do it.
“……”
No, saying it this way makes it seem like I’m unwilling.
To tell the truth, my heart is racing, and my desires are overflowing.
So, slowly I leaned in towards Raphne, who had her eyes closed.
The feeling of Raphne’s lips, which I hadn’t felt in a while…
Thanks to having brushed our teeth after our meal, her light mint scent mixed with her fragrance was delightful.
“……”
“……”
After a moment, when we parted our lips, Raphne’s previously seductive smile had somehow vanished.
Shyly, she looked down and held her cheeks.
It seemed Raphne too had gathered some courage and was working hard to hide her embarrassment.
Then Raphne nestled her face into my chest for a moment.
“I’m so happy today…”
She smiled gently, looking up at me.
Thus, my date with Raphne flowed, perfectly ordinary yet plenty exhilarating.
However, as time passed, my heart shifted from excitement to anxiety and worry.
Soon, I would confess to her.
And then I had to bring up something important and dangerous.
“I want to go to the festival with Ken next time.”
“Yeah, let’s definitely go to the next festival. Now you can come out whenever you want.”
“…Hehe. Ken seems really kind today.”
“Uh, really? I don’t think I’m acting any different from usual.”
“Of course, you’re kind on a normal day, but today you’re just more accommodating.”
As we wandered through shops, we later strolled along a walking path by a nearby lake.
Thanks to the lake, a refreshing breeze blew, and the flowers around were fragrant, creating a wonderful atmosphere.
In the midst of that, Raphne brought up something that made me a bit flustered, almost as if she had sensed my plans.
I thought I had been acting no differently than usual.
Is it that she sensed something subtly different?
Indeed, women’s intuition is terrifying.
“Hey, Raphne.”
“Yeah?”
“Shall we sit down for a moment?”
And sensing Raphne’s keen instincts, I realized it was time to start creating the atmosphere.
We found a bench near the walking path and sat down, looking at the lake.
“I… have something to tell you, Raphne.”
I took Raphne’s hand and began to carefully share the story I had prepared.
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