CH 64

—It was already late at night when I returned to the castle town after leaving the dungeon where the blue dragon had been. I visited the night shift clerk to report the results of my investigation, and returned to my room for the day with only an audience with the king scheduled for the next morning.

The next day, the report to the king was completed and I was released from my special assignment.

Ah, what a relief to think that it was all over, and I felt a sudden urge to sleep. Even though it was only morning.

As Spera said yesterday, traveling was exciting and fun, but when you get back to your own home, you’re going to feel exhausted… Well, it’s a job I’ve volunteered to do, so I guess I deserve it.

“Whew… now, it’s tempting to go back to my room and have another sleep, but…”

With one big yawn, I slap both cheeks hard.

Wake up, me. I have things to do, or rather, things I want to do, no matter what.

I walk down the corridor of the royal castle, past my room, and come to the room – Princess Leia’s room.

It’s 10 o’clock in the morning. If it were someone from the castle town, they would have already started working… but that’s not a problem.

I confirmed my schedule with the clerk yesterday. Today, I’m scheduled to have dinner with the Duchess’ madams at 1pm in a room at the Royal Castle, and I’m free until then. Then Princess Leia should be resting in this room for another hour or two…!

“Nn, Cough!”

I make a single coughing sound. Then I check my appearance. ” Ah, ah,” I practice my vocalisation in a small voice. Raise your arms and check your armpits for odors. Put your palm to your mouth and check your breath.

Everything’s alright, right? Nothing’s wrong, right?

I could feel my heart pounding and my own heart racing.

Huh? Oh! No. I’m getting really nervous, aren’t I? But it can’t be helped… because it’s really, really been a month since we’ve seen each other.

During the trip, we SS came back to the castle town sometimes. But every time I came back to castle town, I tried to see Princess Leia, for some reason. She had urgent official business, or I was caught by Morgan-san on a sudden business matter, so we couldn’t see each other for a long time.

Okay, I’m ready. I’m going to knock, knock…

But the back of my hand stops dead in front of the door to the princess’ room, and doesn’t move.

Ah, that reminds me. I forgot to check my nose hair! I almost overslept, even though I had an audience this morning, so I didn’t have time to check.

And so, as I was fumbling around in front of the princess’ room…

───Kuekk, suddenly. The door in front of me slowly opened. And then, a flurry. A floral fragrance wafted to my nose.

“Could it be, Gustav-sama…?”

The person whose face peeks out of the door and whose silky golden hair shakes like silken threads is, of course, – – the object of my protection. The single golden flower blooming in this kingdom, and my beloved woman, Princess Leia.

She’s so pretty…! She is indeed a golden flower. I am unintentionally overwhelmed by its brilliance. Her cuteness is even more polished than when I first saw her when I first came to this world.

“Gustav-sama, isn’t it…?”

“Ah, ha, yes! Gyus… it’s Gustav! I came back last night!”

Ugh! I bit myself… It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other…!

As I writhed and squirmed on the spot in embarrassment, the princess came out of the room. Her cheeks were so flushed and red that they looked as if she might have a fever.

“…It’s been a long time, Gustav-sama.”

The princess smiles at me with the radiance of the sun. …Ah, she’s lovely. Too pretty. I’m confident that I can fall victim to the “Enchanted Illusion” state of abnormality just by smiling at her. But I can’t show off any more of my disgusting appearance.

“Yes, yes! It’s been a while, Princess!”

I try my best to calm myself down so that I don’t bite again.

“I’m sorry I haven’t said hello to you for a while, Princess.”

“No, no. I heard from the maids and servants that Gustav has been visiting me from time to time… I’m sorry I haven’t made time for you.”

“No, no, I’m the one…”

We almost get into a mutual apologizing match… and we giggle.

“So… you’re back, Gustav-sama, have you finished your research mission?”

“Yes! There was no major damage to the towns beyond Grand Polzen.”

“I see, that’s good to hear…”

Princess Leia shows a relieved expression.

“Thank you for your hard work, Gustav-Sama. It must have been hard work, wasn’t it?”

“No, it wasn’t. Well, it was just…”

“Just?”

“It’s just that it was difficult for me not to see the princess…”

“- – – Kuu!” CLUCH!

The princess suddenly stumbled, clutching her chest.

“What happened? Princess?”.

It was as if she had been shot by someone. I hurriedly supported her shoulder, but she turned her head fully.

“No, no… my heart is beating a little… no, it’s nothing!”

Nothing? Well, that’s good then. I thought her chest might be hurting, but the blood color of her face looks fine. In fact, it’s too red, so it really seems to be nothing.

“Anyway, Gustav-Sama, do you have any plans for today?”

“No, I have no plans for today. So, if it is possible, I would like to be the princess’s escort for the day.”

“I see fufu, that’s good to hear. I have a dinner at one o’clock, but until then I don’t have anything special to do… if you like, we could have tea in my room?”

“Yes! Yes! With pleasure!”

I enter the room as the princess invites me.

Yes, I have been allowed to enter several times before, but no matter how many times I enter, the Princess’ room smells very nice. She is a person who is blind, so there are a few things in the room: four chairs, a round table, a clock, aromatic oils, and a tea set, which are her hobbies. There are three doors in the room, probably separating the bedroom, dressing room, and bathroom. … Of course, I’ve never been in any of those three rooms.

“Tick.”

Princess Leia locates the tea set by a sound of clicking and begins to prepare the tea with a familiar hand. The right temperature of water was poured from the pot, which had been imbued with magic to maintain a constant temperature, into a stylish teapot, and the good aroma of tea was poured into the cup.

“Here you go, Gustav-Sama.”

“Excuse me, thank you.”

The princess places the cup in front of me. She then places her own on the seat beside me – not in front of me – but next to the cup she served me.

“What?”

The princess then moves one of the chairs right next to the one I’m sitting in and sits down on it.

Close. Princess’ shoulder touches my shoulder.

“Pi, Princess?”

“…It sure is nice.”

“Eh?”

I can’t hear her small voice and ask her back. Then Princess Leia looks up at me with a vermilion-tinted face, as if to pamper me.

“I, too, have missed you for not seeing Gustav-sama for a long time…”

She spills out her cutest words in my ear.

───Doom!!!

I involuntarily held my chest. I thought my heart had been shot out with a powerful rifle bullet… it was a single word with that much destructive power.

“G, Gustav-sama? What was that voice… are you still fatigued…?”

“No, no, I’m fine. It was just a little preciousness bullet that pierced my heart…”

“Preciousness?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

“Really…?”

I shouldn’t, I shouldn’t. I made the princess worried.

It’s true that my recent schedule has been extremely busy with all the things I’ve been doing after defeating the Demon King. But that doesn’t mean that when I was meeting with the princess, there’s no way that I was too tired for her…

“First of all, my fatigue was blown away by meeting the cute princess…”

“───Kuu?”

Suddenly, the princess holds her chest and stumbles.

“Pi-Princess, what’s wrong?”

“I’m… you’re…saying… cute.”

“… ah? No, did it come out in my voice?”

“Yes, yes.”

“Well, I’m sorry about that. Well, but it’s just my honest feeling, so I don’t mind…”

“──Kyuuu Kyuuu”

“Pi-princess!”

I quickly support the princess’ body, which is about to collapse from the chair.

What in the world just happened?

“princess! Hold on!”

“No, it’s all right. I just had a few KyunKyun flew at me.”

“KyunKyun arrows.?”

“They pierced my heart, but I managed to escape unharmed.”

“No, that’s a big deal.”

The princess and I were so flustered with each other that we had no time to enjoy the taste or smell of the tea, and we carried on a conversation full of awkwardness. But even so, little by little, we gradually broke the awkwardness, and gradually bridged the month-long distance that had kept us apart.

“… Will you stay by my side for a while, Gustav-sama?”

“Of course, Princess.”

“… Good.”

The princess leaned her little face on my shoulder, and took my right hand in hers, squeezing it softly. I also gently wrapped my hand around her small, beautiful hand and squeezed it back.

“I love you, Princess.”

“Thank you. I love you too, Gustav-sama.”

A peaceful moment passes. The two hours together really flew by.