Heat

The match ended, and I went straight back to the club room.

There were so many people that it seemed hard to find the club members in the stands and go back together.

The academy’s evening after the duel was filled with the heat of the festival.

A banquet commemorating the duel was being held in the cafeteria, and many people were touring the academy on the campus, each with food in their hands, blooming with laughter.

Aria, who had heard the news that lobster would be served as a special dinner menu, decided to have dinner at the banquet hall after much deliberation.

We arrived at the banquet hall together and ate to our heart’s content. Dinner was a very friendly and laughter-filled occasion.

Leaving behind Aria, who had a lobster in her mouth and seemed to want more, holding lobsters in both hands, and Kane, who was embarrassed by the sight and avoided eye contact pretending not to know her, we decided to enjoy the rest of the evening.

Lacardo seemed to want to spend time alone with his fiancée, so we scattered in the middle, being considerate of each other.

Now that we had eaten, I went outside with Luna, thinking of going for a night walk.

The streets were so crowded that I wondered where so many people had gathered.

After buying a cheese churro from a makeshift tent set up next to the road that smelled delicious.

I walked to the vacant lot behind the Combat Department dormitory, where people rarely went, and took a seat on a bench.

I was smiling, thinking that Luna, who was munching on the churro with her cheeks full, saying that there was always room for dessert, looked like a hamster, when I suddenly opened my mouth with a thought that popped into my head.

“Luna, there’s something I want to ask you.”

“Yeah. What is it?”

Wiping Luna’s hands, which were covered in powdered sugar, I carefully opened my mouth.

“About us dating. Do you want to keep it a secret?”

At my question, Luna looked at me with wide eyes.

It seemed like it was a completely unexpected question. Come to think of it, it was a bit of a random question.

But I had wanted to have a serious conversation with Luna about this issue for a while.

Even though it’s an academy without status, the fact that I’m a commoner doesn’t change.

Unlike me, Luna is the only daughter of a Count’s family.

Just dating a commoner could be a major obstacle when she enters society later.

At my question, Luna lowered her head and didn’t say anything.

I wondered if she was thinking about the sudden question.

I was thinking that I should give her time to think without rushing her.

Luna suddenly raised her head and looked at me with her beautiful blue eyes.

They were such pretty eyes.

“How about Ross?”

“Huh?”

“Do, do you want to brag… that I’m your girlfriend?”

Seeing Luna’s face gradually turning red as she pursed her lips with expectant eyes, the corners of my mouth unknowingly went up.

I suddenly thought that the word ‘lovely’ suited her very well.

“Of course. You’re such a lovely girlfriend. But, I don’t want you to get hurt because of it.”

“…Hurt?”

Seeing Luna tilting her head with a puzzled expression, I organized my thoughts and spoke.

“Well, I’m a commoner. Dating a noble, especially the daughter of a Count’s family, one of the famous three noble families of the East, is something to be proud of. But from your perspective, revealing that you’re dating a commoner would be a big loss. If possible, in a way that’s good for both of us-“

Before I could finish, Luna’s lips stopped my words. The soft sensation on my lips made the words disappear from my mouth.

Surprised by the sudden kiss, I reflexively moved my body back, but Luna grabbed my sleeve tightly to prevent me from running away and continued to press her lips against mine without saying a word, with her eyes closed.

I naturally closed my eyes at the soft and warm sensation felt on my lips, touching Luna’s breath felt on my upper lip.

After a while. Our lips parted, and Luna, holding me tightly, puffed out her cheeks and said.

“Don’t say things like that. Don’t even think about it…. I’ve never thought about that. I’m just so… happy that Ross is my boyfriend. I still don’t know what to do.”

Seeing Luna, who was blushing bright red and holding back her embarrassment, revealing her true feelings, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“Really?”

At my playful question, Luna silently lifted the sleeve she was holding and grabbed my hand, then suddenly placed my hand on her chest.

When I was frozen with a dumbfounded expression at Luna’s actions, Luna whispered.

“Can you feel it? It’s always like this when I’m with Ross.”

At Luna’s words, I could feel the rapid beating of her heart in my hand.

It was an action that allowed me to realize Luna’s sincerity towards me more than any words.

Realizing her actions late, Luna lowered her gaze, and I silently grabbed Luna’s hand and placed it on my chest.

“They say that if you love each other, you resemble each other, so does this also resemble each other?”

Luna, who was looking at me with a blank expression at my words, felt the rapid beating of my heart with her fingertips, and suddenly tears began to well up in her eyes.

I was taken aback by the sight of a single drop of tear instantly forming and falling down her snow-white cheek, and I immediately pulled Luna into my arms.

“Why? Why are you crying?”

Instead of answering my question, Luna burrowed deeper into my arms and mumbled after a long time.

“I’m just… so happy.”

My heart fluttered at Luna’s tearful voice.

Because of that, my mischievousness reared its head to shake off the embarrassment.

“You’ve fallen completely for me, haven’t you?”

Luna, who noticed my playful voice, replaced her answer by lightly pinching my side without hurting me.

Stroking the back of Luna’s head, I whispered as if making a promise.

“I’ll become someone you’re not ashamed of. Enough that you can proudly brag that I’m your boyfriend to others. I’ll become a cool person.”

Luna, who had been burying her face in my arms, raised her head at my words and looked at me with her watery, pretty blue eyes.

“You, you don’t have to be.”

“Huh?

When I asked back with a dumbfounded expression at the reaction that was different from my expectations, Luna slightly pouted her lips, put her hands together in front of her chest, and said with all her heart.

“Even if everyone points fingers and curses, I don’t care. Even if Ross isn’t something to be proud of, my heart won’t change.”

Looking up at me from my arms, Luna’s appearance, as if she was determined to do so, clenching her lips and looking at me as if making a promise, made me feel a strange feeling spreading from my heart to my whole body.

A feeling as if goosebumps had risen on my arms for some reason. The tips of my toes were wiggling on their own, and the beating of my heart was even faster than before.

Can I put a name to this strange feeling?

Various addictive emotions such as excitement, love, and satisfaction shook my head.

When I was tensing my stomach at Luna’s actions of wiggling in my arms and touching my stomach.

Luna suddenly looked at me with watery eyes as if she had thought of something.

Luna, who was touching my stomach with her fingers with her slightly trembling blue eyes as if she was uneasy, said in a small voice.

“If, if my parents oppose our marriage… you have to run away with me. Okay?”

“…What?”

I burst out laughing at Luna’s absurd words.

How far is she going all of a sudden? I was very curious about what was going on in Luna’s head today.

“An, answer me! You’re going to elope with me…!”

When I smiled and looked at her without saying a word, Luna became more anxious and continued to speak while clinging to me even more.

“We’re go, going to go into a mountain where no one can find us and live together. We’ll build a house, and I’ll bake you delicious pies every day….”

Hugging Luna, who was stuttering and rambling, I stroked her head gently with a satisfied sigh.

“Haa, what am I supposed to do with you, really.”

Because of this ridiculously lovely lover, the corners of my mouth kept going up, and now my cheekbones were hurting.

The affection in my heart soared madly without knowing its limits, and the desire to not let go of Luna from my arms filled my head.

Being this cute and lovely is a foul. I felt that I wouldn’t be able to refuse whatever request Luna made to me.

Luna’s lovely demands were a stronger constraint to me than Geas.

I realized once again that I could do anything for Luna.

“Don’t just laugh…! Pro, promise me.”

Luna’s appearance, sticking out her little finger and whining like a child, was very lovely.

“Even if the whole world opposes, I’ll do anything if it’s what you want. I don’t mind turning the whole world into my enemy.”

When I hooked my little finger and put my thumb on it. Luna, who seemed happy to receive my confirmation, leaned her body closer to me, and the scent rushed to the tip of my nose.

When I playfully buried my nose in the crown of her head and smelled it, Luna was startled and raised her hand to cover the crown of her head.

Her appearance was so cute that I unknowingly let out a faint laugh.

“Wh, what are you doing!”

I replied to Luna, who was leaning on me with a grumpy voice, in a sly voice.

“Why~ I smell a good scent here too?”

When I rubbed my nose on Luna’s hand and deliberately took a deep breath with my nose, Luna grabbed my nose.

“D, don’t do it! I’m embarrassed….”

“Okay….”

When I barely answered in a nasal voice, Luna finally let go of my nose, looked around, and suddenly climbed onto my thigh.

I unknowingly swallowed as I felt Luna’s scent and the soft skin under her clothes.

“Can I tell the club members that we’re dating…?”

“Huh? Do you want to?”

When I asked, puzzled by Luna’s words, she pursed her lips as if she was embarrassed, and finally whispered in a small voice.

“I was thinking of dropping honorifics with the club members now….”

Looking at Luna’s appearance, I understood a little bit of the emotions that Roel had shown me.

Luna’s actions of overcoming her timid personality and trying to approach me first were truly admirable.

A sense of satisfaction, a sense of fulfillment. Similar emotions began to soar in my heart.

“Oh my, our Luna has already grown up so much.”

When I playfully said, grabbing her soft cheeks, Luna pouted her lips, and suddenly rolled her eyes as if she had thought of something.

“…Ross.”

“Do you have something else you want to say? Tell me everything you want. I’ll listen to everything.”

What kind of words will she use to embarrass me this time? I was even looking forward to it now.

When I looked at Luna with interested eyes, Luna’s blue eyes trembled. Soon the trembling stopped, and she looked straight at me with a determined look as if she had made up her mind and asked.

“Do you want to receive the reward I mentioned earlier…?”

I could only look at Luna, who was looking at me with her ears bright red, with a dumbfounded expression.

I really couldn’t predict Luna.

My heart started racing as if someone had kicked me in the chest. My head turned white, and I didn’t know what to say.

In the end, I had no choice but to ask back in a dumb voice.

“What did you say…?”

Luna, who was embarrassed by my embarrassment, leaned her upper body slightly and leaned closer to me, and said falteringly with eyes full of hot heat that I had never seen before.

“I’m, I’m ready….”

Luna’s hand, which was grabbing my hand while saying that, felt very hot.