Ch.110[Chapter 110] Dominic AND Hime

When Unryu Hime regained consciousness, the first sensations she felt were auditory and olfactory.

The sound of someone moving and a delicious smell.

Hime struggled to move her eyelids.

Unfortunately, her gaze fell on a spot with lighting, so Hime had to spend a long time recovering her vision.

Hime closed and opened her eyes to remove the afterimages created by the light.

After recovering her vision to some extent through this effort, Hime suddenly became confused about where she was.

An unfamiliar ceiling.

Hime bolted upright.

And first checked where she was.

A neat sofa.

A fairly cozy living room, though not as grand as her family home.

Small one-eyed knight statues arranged in the 108 Arhats formation.

Why was she here?

“Are you awake?”

“Eek!”

Just then, a familiar voice came from behind Hime.

Hime jumped up in startled surprise.

Her fox ears popped out, standing straight up in tension.

“You suddenly collapsed, so I was worried. Have you had dinner yet?”

Sir Dominic set a pot full of stew on the living room table.

Hime’s face turned red with frustration at not having noticed his presence despite her confusion, but soon embarrassment overtook anger.

Growl. A signal sounded from Hime’s stomach.

Hime’s fox ears perked up with their fur standing on end, and her tail wandered aimlessly as if embarrassed.

Hime’s face turned even redder, looking like it might burst.

“I ended up making too much stew. If it’s not too presumptuous, would you like to join me?”

Sir Dominic heard the sound but pretended not to as he offered.

“That’s alri—”

Growl.

Hime tried to refuse out of embarrassment, but her body was honest.

Having lost her words at this perfect timing, Hime hung her head low, trembling slightly, then soon held up one finger and said:

“O-one plate would be…”

The kunoichi had succumbed to hunger.

A little while later.

“This is surprisingly delicious.”

“Is that so? It’s a taste from my homeland.”

Hime took out a handkerchief to wipe away the remnants around her mouth while offering generous praise.

It was a simple stew made with chicken, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, and mushrooms, but on an empty stomach, such simple dishes often hit the spot.

“You’re quite a good cook.”

As the daughter of a clan head, Hime often enjoyed exquisite delicacies, but it was rare for her to eat food that made her feel so comfortable inside.

“Well, that’s because I’m a knight from peasant origins.”

Sir Dominic smiled faintly.

A knight from noble birth or wealth would have brought in someone skilled at cooking or hired a chef as an attendant, but Sir Dominic was a poor knight who fit neither category.

He needed to know and be able to prepare a few simple dishes to eat on the battlefield.

“Mushrooms are the hidden key. They enhance the umami flavor.”

Sir Dominic changed the subject, embarrassed by Hime’s praise.

Hime stared at Sir Dominic intently.

Her heart was pounding.

She could only see Sir Dominic.

Why was that?

Hime tried to identify her feelings with a confused mind.

Do you understand why Hime’s heart was pounding and why she could only see Sir Dominic?

That’s right.

Hime was currently immersed in the aftereffects of fear.

Just before, when the pirate reality shock occurred, Hime had unconsciously associated Sir Dominic with the image of a pirate.

The reason she could only see Sir Dominic was because she recognized him as a “predator” and was wary of his actions, and her pounding heart was her instinct’s desperate cry to flee from this predator.

However, Hime interpreted these feelings differently.

‘That’s love, my dear.’

Hime remembered her father’s words.

“So—”

Suddenly, Sir Dominic’s voice reached Hime’s ears.

Hime looked at Sir Dominic with a start.

“W-w-what?”

Hime asked in confusion.

“…Why are you so surprised? Anyway, didn’t you come here to apologize?”

“Ah.”

Only after hearing Sir Dominic’s words did Hime recall why she was here.

Right. She came to apologize.

And… if she found the courage, to confess…

As soon as that thought crossed her mind, Hime’s face turned bright red.

Her fox ears and tail twitched vigorously.

To hide this embarrassment, Hime got to the point with Sir Dominic.

“Um… I misunderstood last time. I didn’t know the term ‘servant.’ So I misunderstood it as something else… No, that’s not what I—”

Hime spoke incoherently.

Sir Dominic tilted his head at Hime’s words, then let out an “Ah” of realization.

He had figured out what “different servant” meant.

“It’s a misunderstanding. That child is only 15 years old. By human standards, not even 3 years old.”

Sir Dominic desperately tried to clear up the misunderstanding.

A strange and confusing situation where both were trying to clear up misunderstandings and apologize to each other.

“Let’s… consider our misunderstandings resolved.”

Sir Dominic, being in the position to receive the apology, suggested.

“Thank you for accepting my apology.”

Hime bowed politely to Sir Dominic.

…A strange silence.

A peculiar silence fell between them.

As if the confusing situation from moments ago had been a lie, they were both watching each other cautiously, holding back their words.

Sir Dominic sat on the sofa and organized the dishes.

Hime watched him and started to speak but stopped.

The air was heavy to the point of suffocation.

In fact, both of them had business with each other beyond clearing up misunderstandings.

In Hime’s case, she had the bold ambition to confess if Sir Dominic was still single.

What about Sir Dominic?

That’s right.

Sir Dominic was also thinking about Hime.

But both were hesitant to speak up for fear of being disrespectful.

The silence continued for a long time.

Until Sir Dominic returned after taking the dishes, pot, and utensils to the kitchen sink.

And Sir Dominic, with a knight’s decisiveness, spoke to Hime first.

“Lady Hime.”

“Y-yes?”

Hime’s ears perked up and her tail stopped moving.

That was a sign of how focused she was on Sir Dominic’s words.

And Sir Dominic said something unexpected to Hime.

“Lady Hime, I am interested in you.”

What did that mean?

Had Sir Dominic fallen for Hime?

There had been no indication of this until now?

No, there had been signs that he was thinking about Hime, but had Sir Dominic ever directly expressed interest in her?

“W-w-what?”

Hime stammered, her voice breaking in surprise.

Hime had indeed come to confess to Sir Dominic, but she hadn’t expected such a sudden development.

An excellent surprise attack! An effective hit against a ninja!

Hime was so surprised by this unexpected situation that she could only roll her eyes around as she let herself be carried away by her thoughts.

A confession? Is this a confession?

Sir Dominic is confessing?

No, nothing’s decided yet, Hime.

Think about what Mr. Usagi would say. What would he say?

A continuous chaos of confusion upon confusion.

Hime’s thoughts went so far that she had already planned how many children they would have and how many grandchildren there would be.

However, with one sentence from Sir Dominic, Hime’s family planning was ruined.

“I can’t think of a way to counter your technique, [Phase Shift]. I’ve never experienced that kind of attack before.”

Hime’s excitement plummeted.

Sir Dominic’s interest wasn’t in Hime herself but in her technique.

And Sir Dominic was a knight with a strong competitive spirit, a warrior obsessed with battle, and a curious person.

He was the type who couldn’t rest until he figured out, analyzed, and found a way to counter Hime’s technique.

Hime looked at Sir Dominic.

Sir Dominic’s expression was very serious.

It seemed he was indeed more interested in Hime’s technique than in Hime herself.

Hime felt like she understood why Remi called Sir Dominic a dork.

No, that’s not right.

Hime shook her head.

Conversely, she had fallen for such a man.

Shouldn’t she love even his dorky aspects if she wanted to date him?

After carefully considering the advice given by her mentors, Hime looked at Sir Dominic again.

Her heart was still beating wildly.

Her breath caught in her throat.

She was still in love with Sir Dominic.

Of course, this was the prey’s emotion toward a predator, but that information no longer mattered to Hime.

Sir Dominic was still asking about how her technique inflicted damage and what mechanism allowed her to move between phases, but Hime couldn’t hear his lengthy explanation.

When her breath caught and her heart raced looking at Sir Dominic, Hime had already made up her mind.

And she voiced that decision.

“Sir Dominic, will you da—”

Ding dong.

The doorbell rang at the entrance.

“Please wait a moment.”

Wondering who it could be, Sir Dominic got up and walked to the entrance.

Hime’s confession was interrupted by a mere doorbell.

Hime’s excitement completely deflated.