“How long until we reach Branden?”
Inside the speeding carriage, I threw the question at Kyle.
As the princess had mentioned before, the ball would not be held in the capital but rather in the surrounding territories.
And the name of that territory is Branden.
A place with a rich history, no less.
It’s situated around Borusia, and there are still many people traveling between the two.
“Hmm…”
“Sophia, do you really think someone who lived in the castle would know? Let me explain.”
“Oh.”
I wasn’t really seeking a correct answer; I was just trying to make conversation with Kyle out of boredom…
Even so, I didn’t say anything to the princess.
It wasn’t like the princess was trying to stop Kyle and me from conversing; she genuinely wanted to inform us.
“Branden is very close to the capital, so we can arrive today.”
“Oh…”
“I know that much, your highness.”
“Then why didn’t you just say so right away?”
“I just needed a moment to make sure…”
“See? It’s that hesitation that makes it hard, you know.”
Well, Kyle couldn’t really say anything since he just got his words taken away by the princess.
He ended up losing the chance to respond because he hesitated.
Still…
“Kyle, once we arrive, do you want to have dinner together?”
“Yes.”
“Sophia? What about me?”
“You can have your meal alone for a day, can’t you, your highness?”
Even though we’ve been having dinner together lately, I thought one day alone wouldn’t hurt, right?
I was just feeling a bit sorry for Kyle since he lost the opportunity to speak.
Losing the chance to respond after hesitating… that felt a bit pitiful.
“Kyle, do you want to eat with the princess?”
Just so you know, this wasn’t just a casual question.
Depending on how Kyle replied here, his position could be in jeopardy…
“No, today I’d prefer to eat alone with Sophia.”
“Right?”
Of course, that was the answer I expected.
Even if she is a princess, one shouldn’t hand over such a seat too easily.
If he had said he wanted to eat with the princess…
“…Sophia? Why are you suddenly smiling like that?”
“It’s nothing.”
Nothing at all.
Kyle gave the ‘right’ answer.
If he had given the ‘wrong’ answer, things might have been different, but thankfully, it wasn’t a problem now.
“Ugh… I’ve been working so hard to help you two, and you’re just abandoning me to have your fun together?”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
“…That’s so cold…”
Even if she calls us heartless, it can’t be helped.
The princess isn’t some romantic interest for Kyle and me; she’s just an acquaintance.
Anyway, we continued our journey in the carriage and arrived in Branden, just as the princess said, within a day, and we rented a luxury inn.
Not just a room, but the whole inn.
“Sophia, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I just… it really shows how different people with a lot of money are…”
Typically, even if there are many people, one would rent several rooms at an inn, but who rents out an entire inn?
It was a money sense that was completely beyond what a commoner like me could understand.
Or maybe it was just the norm?
Renting out an entire inn, just in case the princess and the duke had any unforeseen situations…
“Is this how nobles usually are?”
“Not exactly.”
“Right? No matter how many people there are, renting an entire inn like this…”
“Some nobles rent a noble inn for themselves and another for their servants.”
…
Nobles are equally crazy, no doubt.
Isn’t it just an excessively extravagant extravagance…?
Sure, it’s good for the innkeeper to get paid a lot, but still…
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Nothing… I was just thinking that nobles indeed have a different way of spending money.”
“Is that so?”
“Yep.”
While I never got to see them spend directly while at the castle, it was clear it was very different.
But unlike me, Kyle didn’t seem to care about any of this, making me realize he is certainly noble.
If it were me or Louise, we would’ve scolded them for renting out the whole inn.
“But do you need to be thinking about such things, Sophia?”
“Huh?”
Suddenly?
Was I not allowed to think like this?
Or did I inadvertently say something wrong in front of a noble?
“After all, if you marry me, my money will be your money.”
“Kyle…”
I wasn’t exactly moved or anything; I called out to him for another reason.
“It’s not about the money for me.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. If I were that interested in money, I would have asked for a raise.”
Or maybe changed jobs to Oldenburg.
After all, Eristirol offers less pay.
I did not become Kyle’s temporary girlfriend due to any interest in his money.
“What are you laughing at?”
Suddenly, Kyle next to me was chuckling.
Since we were having our meal together in the dining hall, there wasn’t anything wrong, but his laughter just caught me off guard.
There was a bit of a noisy atmosphere around, so we didn’t attract much attention, but still, there it was.
“I’m just happy.”
“Oh? If you’re that happy, eat more meat.”
“Yes.”
During our meal, we talked about many things.
The date of the ball, what would happen at the ball, and how it would work.
Of course, Kyle said I just needed to stick by him, but…
“By the way, you did bring the dress properly, right?”
“Yes, I didn’t bring the dress that you dislike.”
“Good to hear.”
I had tried it on once when I was in a good mood, but wearing it outside? Never!
It’s way too revealing, by common sense, and not even close to being appropriate.
*
“Kyle, toss me that towel.”
I washed up but forgot the towel.
With water dripping from my hair, I had no choice but to ask for Kyle’s help.
My hair was rather long, so there was no way around it.
“Here you go.”
“Thanks.”
Kyle stretched out his hand to hand me the towel, being considerate.
Honestly, I half expected him to come up to the door and peek at me.
Did I train him well or what?
“Or not.”
While shaking my head in the bathroom, I pondered.
How should I handle the upcoming ball?
How to navigate without bothering Kyle, even as a commoner?
“hmm…”
Honestly, no simple solution jumped out at me.
In fact, no difficult methods crossed my mind either.
“The best thought I can come up with is…”
Just keep my mouth shut and stay still.
Aside from dancing with Kyle, just do nothing.
If I got a bit hungry, I wouldn’t bump into any nobles while roaming around.
“Uh.”
Honestly, I felt like I’d fail at all this.
I’m not that great at staying still, and to avoid nobles, the best option would be to not even attend the ball…
“I have no idea…”
How to avoid being a burden to Kyle.
If I asked Kyle, he’d likely say whatever was fine, but I didn’t want Kyle to suffer because of me.
“Kyle, I’m done washing up. Can I come in?”
I dried off and changed into my pajamas before stepping out.
Although I had shown my body to Kyle a few times, I couldn’t do it anymore after his confession.
Now I know how he looks at me.
“Yes.”
Kyle walked in, ready to wash up.
I plopped down on the bed and rested for a bit.
Even if I didn’t ride the carriage for long, it still wore me out.
“Ugh…!!!”
I was sure I had been seated, but why was my back and shoulders hurting…?
I really missed the convenience of a car from my previous life.
From a distance, a carriage might seem romantic and cool, but…
“From a distance, it might seem comedic and up close, it’s tragic.”
Hmm.
That sounds about right.
As I lay back on the bed and stretched for a moment, Kyle stepped out of the bathroom.
His hair was still wet, probably because he didn’t dry it properly.
“Kyle, come here.”
“Yes?”
Kyle looked confused but walked over to me.
Seeing such a big guy obediently following was a bit amusing.
Of course, I didn’t vocalize it, knowing I’d probably end up in a weird situation.
“You need to dry your hair properly, okay?”
“Oh.”
I grabbed a towel and a magical tool to dry Kyle’s hair.
There was a height difference, but it wasn’t an issue when I had him sit on the bed.
I had to stand, though.
– Whoooooosh~
The warm air from the magical tool started to fluff up Kyle’s white hair.
It was crucial to dry hair properly for healthy locks.
Also, managing the heat was vital to avoid damage.
“All done. You’re good to get up.”
“Thank you.”
“It wasn’t hard, though.”
Honestly, isn’t it a bit too polite to be grateful for something so simple?
Imagine how grateful he’d be if I actually cleaned him up…
Of course, that’s not happening!?
“Sophia? Are you feeling unwell?”
“Y-yes!?”
“Your face looks a little flushed…”
“No, it’s just, uh, the room is a bit too warm!”
Having accidentally entertained a weird thought, I didn’t have any good excuses, so I blurted out a strange excuse.
Is it because I’ve done odd things in front of him for so long?
Fortunately, Kyle didn’t press me further.
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