I-I Won’t Ask to Be Petted Again

The days spent with Daina sister were as usual. Naturally.

“Ah, please, Daina sister. Let me feed you fruit.”

As always, I offered sweet and sour fruit pieces to Daina sister who was busy with her arduous duties as a Saint.

Smiling brightly at the hand that patted my head in thanks.

And occasionally, when Daina sister had to go out, accompanying her as far as I could.

“Do you have to come back soon?”

Giving sincere feelings that every minute and second apart from Daina sister would be lonely, the same natural days as always.

Only, now as before, being alone in the temple without Daina sister was too lonely.

I would run over at the slightest hint of someone’s presence, only to confirm that Daina sister hadn’t returned yet, immediately becoming dejected.

Sometimes I felt a little disappointed that Daina sister always returned after quite a long time, but…

Rustle

“Don’t worry, Lord Lua. Being with you is when I’m happiest.”

“Yesss. I like being with Daina sister the most too…”

Thanks to Daina sister’s gentle touch that understood my feelings, my heart quickly softened.

Still, just a little bit.

I thought maybe I could be a bit spoiled.

Because I had been waiting quietly again today without crying.

“Daina sister’s hand feels nice. Please keep petting me…”

I rubbed against her slender fingers while gently holding them with both hands.

Fortunately, from Daina sister, who was kinder than anyone in the world, I didn’t hear any refusal.

And so, not long after, dark night came once again today.

As always, after being thoroughly washed by Daina sister, followed by playful skinship, I was changed into a thin nightgown.

While being held in her warm embrace without resistance, I was listening to various interesting stories Daina sister was telling me with sparkling eyes, when.

“Um, Lord Lua. You want to stay with me forever too, right?”

Since she suddenly asked something so obvious.

Without any hesitation, I nodded and answered that I wanted to be with Daina sister forever.

“I want to live happily with Daina sister forever.”

“That’s right, isn’t it? I’m so relieved…”

Soon after the bell on my necklace jingled once, suddenly, clunk.

“Oh?”

The large window of the bedroom suddenly opened.

Right after that, Daina sister briefly left my side, concerned that I might catch a cold from the chilly night breeze.

And so, just as Daina sister, who had firmly closed the suddenly opened window, was about to embrace me tightly as usual.

Rustle

A golden wind that I had never seen before in my life briefly circled around the room, then flew straight into Daina sister.

At the same time, click.

The necklace fastened around my neck came undone, then split into two pieces and fell to the floor.

It was after this that the fog filling my mind began to gradually clear.

Not long after that, with my reason fully returned, I just blinked for a moment. Then I unknowingly spoke again to the person who was somehow emitting a different atmosphere than usual.

“D-Daina sister?”

『…Not at the moment. According to the name you know, I should now be called, correctly, the Goddess.』

“…What?”

Perhaps because I hadn’t been in my right mind for long, the moment I heard these unexpected words, the cogwheel of my reason creaked sharply and stopped.

However, thanks to the being who introduced herself as the Goddess slowly beginning to explain, I could at least understand what she was trying to say.

What followed was a story about what I had experienced up to this moment.

The Goddess’s appraisal of my journey so far also came after.

『To borrow your expression, it could be called walking a tightrope. Of course, there were minor issues along the way… but you’ve done well so far.』

“Ah… Thank you?”

Soon after, as she smiled gently and suggested I ask if there was anything I wanted to know, I unconsciously.

“Um, Goddess. The current Holy Kingdom doesn’t seem to be a very desirable place… Is it okay for you to just watch?”

I asked the Goddess one of the things I had been most curious about, both in my first playthrough and now.

The answers that came back were slightly distant from the image of a god I had in mind.

『I pursue neither good nor evil. I merely pose questions.』

『If opposition rather than coexistence is the answer my children have chosen, I simply nod to it. I do not judge right and wrong for them.』

『If there is one thing I uniquely wish for… it is the continuation of existence. I hope that the singular order and principle of life and death continue to cycle eternally. That is why I am intervening with my child like this now.』

Right after that, a hand surrounded by small lights like fireflies took both my hands in hers.

『So, I ask you, Lua. Do you truly… wish for this world to exist?』

However, since it was a question where answering no would be strange.

I slowly nodded my head, saying that of course I wanted this world to continue existing.

What came back was a warning in a more solemn voice.

『One who has lost their goodwill is waiting for you. One whose time has been stolen longs for your life.』

『Remember this, Lua. That only you can stop yourself. That no one else can make this choice…』

Not even a few seconds later, as the surroundings began to glow softly, rustle.

The gentle radiance enveloping Daina gradually began to disappear.

But I still had questions to ask.

There were still strange things, puzzling things left.

What’s the point of a god asking only what they want to ask and then running away?

『I will be… watching.』

“W-Wait—”

Not even a second after that, finally, thud.

Daina’s head, having released all light and weakly bent, slowly fell onto my shoulder.

As a result, I inevitably supported Daina with my whole body to prevent her from falling, and then blink blink.

“Huh, wha… Why am I like this?”

The sight of Daina, slightly puzzled and frozen, filled my eyes.

However, as soon as she realized it was me supporting her.

At the same time, when she discovered the black choker that had split into two pieces and fallen to the floor.

Squeeze

“Oof?!”

With a bit of exaggeration, she embraced me so tightly with both arms that it was hard to breathe.

Within just a few seconds, she desperately whispered with a trembling voice not to run away.

“I was wrong, I was wrong, Lord Lua. I must not have been in my right mind. P-Please don’t run away, please…”

Honestly, I was bewildered.

So that means she did it knowing it was wrong. A person who is a Saint.

Maybe I should have asked why such a person was chosen as a Saint.

In addition, the one who really wanted to cry was me.

As the memories of the past three days rushed in at once, causing embarrassment of lethal doses to surge.

All kinds of shameful acts came to mind at once, making me feel my ears reddening by the second.

Even if I wasn’t in my right mind, even though I was just doing what Daina told me to do.

‘Ah, please, Daina sister. Let me feed you fruit.’

‘Daina sister’s hand feels nice. Please keep petting me.’

‘Yesss. I like being with Daina sister the most too…’

‘…I love you, Daina sister…’

Thinking that I had displayed every form of aegyo I could think of without any reservations, I simply couldn’t bear it.

I wanted to hide in a mousehole or anywhere, but unfortunately I was being held more tightly than ever by Daina.

In the end, somehow swallowing the rising embarrassment.

“I-I won’t run away. I promised, didn’t I? To stay only by Daina sister’s side while staying in the Holy Kingdom.”

First, I tried to calm down the person whose mental state had literally shattered.

There were many things I wanted to question, many things I wanted to say…

But honestly, I felt dizzy, like I might suffocate if I continued to be held like this.

After that, when I painfully reached out and began to pat Daina’s back, only then did she slowly release her grip.

So, after somehow escaping from Daina’s embrace.

“…I’ll ask just one thing. Did you really have to go this far?”

Uncharacteristically, I even folded my arms and scolded someone for the first and last time.

At this, Daina kept repeating only words of apology.

In some ways, this might not have been a matter to end with just words, but either way, I still hadn’t received the Saint’s blessing and protection.

If I caused a commotion in the Holy Kingdom, which extremely dislikes beastkin, the one who would suffer in the end would be me.

So I decided to let it slide for now.

“That doesn’t mean everything was fine. I-I won’t ask to be petted again. And I won’t let you pet me either.”

Almost simultaneously, Daina’s face changed to an expression as if she had lost everything in the world.

…Is that all?

“That’s too… too cruel…”

That seems to be the extent of it.

Considering what Daina had done to me so far, this wasn’t even a punishment, but she was already on the verge of tears.

She might be an adult physically, but mentally she still seemed unable to shed her childishness.

It’s not for me, who is still physically a child, to say… anyway.

“I’m sleepy. I want to sleep.”

Right after that, I deliberately didn’t continue the conversation and brushed past Daina to climb onto the large bed.

As expected, Daina also quietly lay down next to me, just as she had done for the past three days, but she didn’t pull me closer and was just carefully watching my reaction.

Come to think of it, I wondered if I should also prevent her from sleeping together with me.

But because anxiety welled up that parting on bad terms on the last day would create its own problems.

And after all, it seemed a bit too much to drive out the room’s owner and monopolize this large bed.

“…Haah…”

I slowly turned toward Daina and hugged her tightly like a huge pillow.

At this, understandably, she didn’t know how to react.

However, because memories of the past days were still lingering in my mind, I too was too embarrassed to raise my head.

I don’t know how long I’ll have to live while worrying about others’ affection levels… but honestly, it was a bit overwhelming now.

If only there wasn’t a system where affection levels could decrease, I wouldn’t have had to do such embarrassing things.

“…Um, Lord Lua. Does this mean you… forgive me?”

“I-I’m just doing this because I need something to hug. No other reason.”

It was quite ironic even to myself that while deliberately speaking in a firm tone, I was actually burrowing deeper into Daina’s embrace.

How did it come to this?

In many ways, it was exhausting.

I didn’t know what to say to Rea, Iris, and Adrian either.

Would they be angry that I left without discussing it with them…?

Hmm, thinking about it, it would be strange if they weren’t angry.

…What should I do?