Ch.224Happy Face (1)

Adelia and I ended up alone in a room together because Nicole had suddenly pushed us in. I didn’t mind being in the same room with her since it happened often, but the situation was the problem.

Nicole’s parting words echoed in my mind. She told us to hurry up and decide whether to kiss or have sex, saying she was going to bow her head to her sisters-in-law.

The situation was so sudden that I had no idea what she meant by “decide,” but now I think I understand. She personally took the initiative to ensure there would be no more interference between Adelia and me.

“Wh-why is your sister suddenly acting like this?”

“…I don’t know.”

At first, Adelia looked completely confused about what was happening. Unlike me, who had a deep(?) conversation with Nicole, from her perspective, this was like a bolt from the blue.

However, as time passed and the atmosphere between us grew strange, she seemed to catch on.

This was a situation where my one and only best friend had pushed me into a room with her own sister to bring us together. Not only that, but she had even left those suggestive words behind to give us “certainty.”

While I was sighing deeply inside, Adelia was glancing at my face hesitantly, reluctant to speak. I waited silently for her to speak first.

If I spoke first, it would only make the situation more awkward, so Adelia needed to break the ice.

“…Did you tell Nicole?”

When the quiet silence had settled, Adelia asked me in a careful voice. After a long time, she had finally taken the first step.

I realized the meaning behind her question and silently nodded. What was the point of saying anything? The situation already spoke for itself.

Adelia responded to my confirmation with an “Ah,” nodding her head, then made an expression that showed she didn’t know what to say either.

Normally, she would smile playfully with her characteristic vivacity, but the situation was too complicated to explain in words.

“Ni-Nicole has a mischievous side too. I didn’t know that about her…”

“…”

“Don’t you think so, cutie? You know how strict she usually is.”

She was trying her best to lighten the mood somehow. I listened to her without saying anything.

Adelia let out an awkward laugh, scratched her cheek, and began to ramble.

“Su-suddenly telling us to kiss. And what was the other thing? Se… uh…”

But in the end, when she came to a word she couldn’t bring herself to say, she pressed her lips shut. The red flush creeping up her snow-white skin perfectly conveyed her feelings.

I watched as Adelia’s nape gradually reddened and gave a bitter smile. It seemed unlikely she would speak any further.

In that case, I had only one thing to do: say what she wanted to say on her behalf.

“Nicole must have been pretty frustrated. Even after I explained the situation, she probably thought it wasn’t working, so she brought me here.”

“B-but you have a fiancée… Nicole must know that, so why…”

“She actually asked me about that. She asked if I wanted to be remembered as a scoundrel who took a concubine without his wife’s permission, or as trash who played with a woman’s feelings. I chose the first option, and that’s how we ended up here.”

“…”

Adelia’s face visibly reddened. Choosing the first option meant I was essentially agreeing to accept her completely.

After my duel with Hyria last time, she had confessed her feelings to me. But given the circumstances, I couldn’t accept them at the time.

Nicole must have found the situation truly frustrating. Of course, if I were to accept Adelia’s feelings, there would be no shortage of political complications in the future.

Nicole seemed to understand these circumstances, but she apparently judged that accepting someone’s feelings was a separate matter. That’s why she indirectly accused me of being trash who played with a woman’s feelings.

Moreover, she said this to me: You’re unnecessarily kind, so you won’t stop people from coming to you. So just accept it boldly since you’re going to accept it anyway. Why are you hesitating?

‘If this were my previous life, I’d really be trash.’

It’s fortunate that this society permits polygamy; in my previous life, I would have deserved to be called trash. I guess this means I’ve fully adapted to this world’s social culture.

Of course, separate from getting used to it, I am indeed indecisive. I should have just been straightforward instead of testing the waters with someone’s feelings.

Thinking about it, I understand why Nicole said those things to me. Thanks to her, I’ve had plenty of time for self-reflection.

I should be truly grateful for being born into this world. And I should show at least some sincerity to women who like me.

“Sister Adel.”

“Y-yes?”

“What do you like about me?”

“…”

At my direct question, Adelia’s sky-blue eyes widened, and her body gave a big twitch.

On top of that, her already red face deepened in color to the point where it seemed like red liquid would drip if I pressed it with my finger. Her lips quivered like waves.

When the usually confident and outgoing Adelia shows this kind of reaction, I can’t help but think she’s really cute. She feels younger than me despite being older.

‘By age, I am actually older.’

But that’s from my previous life, and now I’m a vibrant 18-year-old, so let’s move on. People are creatures of adaptation, and after behaving according to my current age, my way of thinking naturally followed.

Anyway, setting aside unnecessary talk, Adelia avoided my gaze for a while without uttering a word in response to my question. Her shoulder-length hair covered her face like a curtain.

Nevertheless, her sharp nose bridge and the sky-blue eyes visible through her hair remained clear. Her profile alone was breathtakingly beautiful.

“…because.”

“Hm?”

While I was carefully examining Adelia’s appearance, she spoke in a voice that seemed to crawl. She spoke so softly that I couldn’t hear her well.

So I leaned my face slightly forward, and only then did her words begin to reach my ears one by one.

“Because you’re warm…”

“Because I’m warm?”

“Yes… Even though you know I’m an illegitimate child, you treat me normally, without discrimination. Even though you’re a noble…”

After saying that, Adelia slowly, very slowly turned her head to look directly at me. Her sunset-red face and tightly closed lips, but her sky-blue eyes contained her unwavering will.

They were so clear and transparent that my face was reflected in them like a mirror. It seemed to express her pure nature.

“There are countless reasons why I like you, but the warmth I feel from you is what I like the most.”

“…”

“We don’t have to do what Nicole said. Just conveying my feelings is enough for me.”

Adelia placed her hand on the center of her chest and spoke with determination.

A knight’s straightforward resolve. But also a knight’s rigid mindset.

Her feelings for me were more sincere than anyone else’s, but because of that, she declared she wouldn’t approach any further—a poignant love. She was essentially declaring that she would be satisfied with the current situation without being greedy.

Did she think I accepted it because I didn’t say anything? Adelia smiled faintly with a wistful smile and made a small request.

It was a request that was as far as Adelia would go.

“It’s enough for me if you just hug me or hold my hand occasionally. If I get in the way, it will only make things difficult for you. I won’t cross the line any further from here.”

“Really?”

“Yes. So…”

Before Adelia could finish her sentence, I grabbed her face with both hands. She looked at me with a startled expression.

It’s not fair for love to be one-sided. At least that’s what I think.

I stared at her dumbfounded expression and then smiled gently, raising the corners of my mouth. Then I declared:

“Then I’ll cross the line first. Don’t you agree?”

“Wh-what?”

“It’s unfair if only I receive love. You should receive love equally too.”

I won’t hesitate indecisively anymore. Rather than living as trash, it’s better for both of us if I live as a scoundrel.

Of course, I don’t mean I’ll literally live as a scoundrel. First of all, I’ll get Marie’s permission, and I’m not saying I’ll touch various women.

Just make an exception for Adelia, only Adelia. Now that Nicole has even gone to bow her head, there’s no more hesitation.

Moreover, Adelia revealed her feelings without even knowing I was Xenon. Political problems?

To hell with that. I will give her enough “affection” that she won’t even think about going back to that kind of person.

So that when I reveal that I am Xenon in the distant future, she can “choose” me without any hesitation.

‘Why didn’t I see such a simple solution before?’

Indeed, it seems people need to face things directly to make proper judgments. While I was thinking this to myself, Adelia, who had been stammering, pressed her lips tightly together.

She couldn’t even meet my gaze, which was truly lovable. The fresh innocence of a virgin tense with her first experience was palpable.

But I won’t proceed immediately. There are things I need to reveal to her, and above all, proper preparations haven’t been made.

Shouldn’t I show her at least basic courtesy so it remains an unforgettable memory for her? I gazed deeply at the shy Adelia and spoke in a low voice.

“I’ll confess something too, sister. I’ll make it so you can choose me later, not those people. I’ll become your real family, not by blood.”

“Augh…”

Adelia made a melting sound and covered her face with both hands. But I removed her arms one by one so she couldn’t hide her face.

Each time I did this, she tried to cover her face again, but as I kept removing her hands, she eventually gave up.

Her heated skin, eyes wandering aimlessly, and wavering lips came into view. Her posture had somehow changed to sitting demurely on her knees.

After glancing at me for a while with a bright red face, Adelia scratched her cheek with her index finger.

“Then… shall we just… kiss?”

“If you want, we could do more than that?”

“Ugh…”

At my mischievous joke, Adelia groaned and fell forward. According to Nicole, she has never had any romantic experience, and that seems to be true.

But thanks to this, I’m learning new aspects of her one by one. I thought she was a dependable and reliable older sister, but the reality was completely the opposite.

Meanwhile, Adelia, who had fallen forward and was groaning, slowly raised her upper body. After looking at me once, she tightly closed her eyes and slowly extended her face.

A silent request for me to come closer and kiss her. She was clumsy, too clumsy. But that made her even cuter.

Swish-

Instead of kissing her as she wanted, I reached out my hand and gently cradled the back of her head. With my other hand, I softly caressed her cheek.

With each of these actions, Adelia’s body trembled. Since her eyes were closed, her senses must have become more sensitive, making this a natural reaction.

But even so, I didn’t kiss her right away. Like a beast waiting for its prey, I was patiently waiting for the right moment.

Adelia, sensing something was off, slowly began to open her eyes. Then she opened her tightly closed mouth with a puzzled expression.

“Why, why… mmph!”

Before she could question, I brought my face close and pressed my lips against hers. Her body stiffened at the sudden kiss.

Her lips, which had been closed like an iron fortress, were slightly open due to her being caught off guard. Moreover, what I wanted wasn’t a light kiss but a deep, passionate one like lovers would share.

My tongue invaded Adelia’s mouth, making contact with her wandering tongue, transmitting taste and fragrance.

“Mmm. Chu. Chu.”

Adelia, who was tense at first, gradually began to surrender to her instincts as the kiss continued deeply.

Her initially clumsy tongue movements became more skillful little by little, and her stiff body also began to relax.

Furthermore, she even wrapped her arms around my neck. The shy virgin was gone. Only a lovely woman remained.

“Whew.”

“Haa… haa…”

When the long kiss ended, we both separated simultaneously. The silver thread connecting our mouths broke with a snap.

While I was relatively fine, Adelia was gasping for breath as if she might lose her mind at any moment. Her once steadfast sky-blue eyes had become hazy, and her lips were trembling.

I wanted to end it here, but I exercised maximum patience. My plan was to give her a memory intense enough to cover her unfortunate family history.

“Was it good?”

“…I think I might get addicted.”

Adelia, still with her arms around my neck, revealed her true feelings. Since I had completely crossed the line first, she no longer needed to hide her feelings.

At this, I smiled and carefully pulled her into my chest. Adelia, nestled against my chest, hugged me tightly as if wanting to feel my warmth.

“…Issac.”

“Yes. Tell me.”

“I love you.”

It was the second confession I had received from her, but the feeling was quite different. It wasn’t a one-sided confession of love, but a confession as a lover.

To that confession, I stroked her hair and quietly answered.

“I love you too, sister.”

“You… won’t abandon me, right?”

Adelia asks me in a trembling voice. It seems the memory of being directly rejected by her family was deeply embedded in her heart.

To alleviate that anxiety, and to cover that memory with a happy one, I spoke with sincerity.

“That will never, ever happen.”

“Ah…”

An exclamation filled with various complex emotions. At the same time, my chest began to get wet.

It was hard to gauge her expression since her face was buried in my chest, but I silently stroked her back. In response, she held onto me even more tightly.

“I’m so glad…”

“…”

“Really… *sniff* I’m so glad…”

Adelia was clearly sobbing. But when I looked down…

“I’m truly happy…”

I could see that she was smiling.