Chapter 81

Chapter 81

[Translator – Angel Dust]

[Proofreader – Prototype]

Chapter 81

Inside a dark room. Karl was lying on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Outside, the sun has already set. When we arrived at the hotel, it was already late evening.

So we agreed to go to the hot springs tomorrow and rest for now...

Rattle—

“....”

Sighing, Karl got up and walked over to the window.

He pushed it open with all his might, and soon something fell to the ground with a loud thud.

“What are you doing again?”

A voice with a hint of exasperation in it. He leaned on his chin and stared at the ground.

There was Eloise, sprawled out on the ground and laughing awkwardly.

“How did you know?”

“This is your third attempt at sneaking in.”

“Really? Not twice?”

“I caught you the first time too.”

“Eek. I thought I got away with that one.”

With a thud, Eloise dusted herself off and stood up. Her eyes suddenly lit up, and she turned to leap through the window.

Of course, Karl’s quick reflexes stopped her, and she ended up on the ground once more.

“Ah, come on! Let’s go in, eh?”

“If you keep this up, I could make this an official diplomatic issue.”

An elven commander trying to sneak into the room of an Imperial Medal of Honor recipient at night.

If taken out of context, the Empire might think the remnants of Luzernes were trying to harm the medal recipient.

“Wow. That’s harsh. You’re not really going to do that, are you?”

“Leave before it comes to that. After a whole day on the train, I’m exhausted, and you are now making it worse.”

Rubbing his temples, Karl tried to suppress his irritation.

He had a feeling that showing his annoyance would only play into the elf’s hands.

“Selena. How many times has she come by?”

“Not even once. What are you talking about? Do you think Selena is like you?”

“A girl just like me, right? Someone who wants to get close to you, just like me.”

“....”

That’s enough. Any more of this and I’d lose my temper. I immediately reached for my greatsword.

Of course, Eloise saw it coming and said, ‘Heh, heh, heh, I’m out!’ and ran away.

“....”

As he stared after her, Karl sighed again.

To understand how things got to this point, he had to think back to earlier.

* * *

“A double room, not a single room?”

“That’s correct.”

“It’s not like there’s a lot of people or something?”

“It’s just the way this place is set up.”

The layout of this place is a bit... odd. An eastern-style building in a western-style fantasy world.

As it turns out, you sleep on a futon on the floor. What a perplexing world.

“But there are seven of us. What do we do about that?”

“In that case, we’ll give you four rooms. One person will have to stay alone.”

And with that, the guy behind the counter slides me four keys.

Okay. Two people per room, and one person alone.

The most logical arrangement would be—

“Karl. I’m all for it, just don’t put me with Shulifen.”

“Well... after taking a bath, Eloise disappeared. I thought she might be here.”

“Of course not. Even if she came, I wouldn’t let her in.”

“I trust you, Karl. I just can’t trust Eloise.”

Really, I can’t let my guard down. Rivals keep increasing. Selena muttered.

...Rivals? Who else is there besides Eloise?

“Um, Karl. So... would you like to go for a walk?”

“A walk?”

“Yeah. Oh, I don’t mean outside. I heard there’s a greenhouse right next to us. They say it’s a nice walking route, and I wanted to see it.”

Without much thought, I nodded. Staying in the room would just mean seeing Eloise try to sneak in again.

‘Later, Eloise will complain that it’s unfair, but honestly, I’m dating Selena. She’ll just grumble, but she can’t say much more.’

With that conclusion, I grabbed my coat and followed Selena.

* * *

“Enjoy your vacation, Selena. Once you start grad school, your time will be extremely limited. It’s good to rest while you can.”

Hearing the professor’s advice sent chills down my spine.

Basically, this meant that this would be the last bit of freedom during the break. From then on, it would be all about dedicating myself to my studies.

‘Ugh... Is this really okay...?’

Of course it’s not okay, Selena. What are you talking about, you fool?

I smacked my head at least ten times after hearing that. Grad school. Becoming a graduate student.

One thing became clear thanks to that. During this break, during this hot spring trip, I absolutely had to advance my relationship with Karl.

If I hesitated because it was embarrassing or awkward, I’d likely waste my precious time.

So, I didn’t hesitate. I endured the embarrassment and awkwardness. Just like now.

“Look, Karl. It’s cold outside, but there are so many flowers here.”

“Yeah. The greenhouse is really something.”

Fearing an awkward silence if the conversation stopped, I kept talking.

Whether he understood my intentions or not, he responded earnestly to everything I said.

“Let’s fully enjoy this week. We’ll both be extremely busy when we return.”

“Why?”

“There’s the patent issue, and if my sister hands over the title of head of the household to me, I’ll have a lot to do.”

Oh, right. Karl was going to be the next Count Friedrich.

“So we should enjoy our free time while we can.”

Standing still with a somewhat dazed look, Karl gazed at the flowers in the greenhouse.

Watching him, I suddenly had a thought, ‘Should I?’

“...Karl.”

“Yes? ...Oh.”

Without thinking, I quickly kissed Karl on the cheek.

To be honest, I’m embarrassed to call it a kiss. It was more like a quick peck.

‘But... What can I do if I’m embarrassed? I can’t do more than this...!’

I don’t want to be too aggressive, or he might feel overwhelmed.

Yeah. So let’s take it slow. One step at a time, like learning to walk.

“You keep doing this. This is getting on my nerves.”

“Karl?”

“Then I can’t lose either.”

Huh, huh? Huh-huh-huh?

Karl moved closer. I instinctively took a step back, but Karl took two steps forward. I can’t help but gulp at the sight of him.

This, this. It’s happening, right? I’m not just getting my hopes up, right?

Instinctively, I lifted my chin slightly, pouted my lips, and closed my eyes.

If I’m wrong, it would be really embarrassing. But... It seems right.

And the next thing I know, I feel something very soft and warm on my lips.

[Translator – Angel Dust]

[Proofreader – Prototype]