Her Anxiety

After finishing dinner, at the time when the sun had set and dusk was falling.

I was anxiously waiting for Riel in my room.

Engagement talk is quite a serious matter, perhaps more than I had initially thought.

It’s a topic strongly related to both our futures, and also an issue between our two families.

Considering that we’re both nobles, and fairly high-ranking ones at that, it’s also a matter that would draw attention in noble society.

So honestly, I belatedly regretted whether I should have brought up such a topic so lightly.

But I had already done it, so I had no choice but to go through with it.

Knock knock

Just as I was steeling my resolve once more, I heard a knock on my door.

Since it was the appointed time, I got up and opened the door.

Along with the familiar red hair, a slightly fragrant scent tickled my nose.

“Come in, I’ve been waiting…?”

Wait.

Excuse me?

“Y-yes! I’m here!”

“Uh… uhh… welcome?”

Um, Riel?

Why are you standing there wearing only a bath robe?

“I-I-I-I… um!”

“Uh… yes?”

“P-please take good care of me today!!”

…

Take care of what?

…The misunderstanding was quickly cleared up.

Thinking about it, I guess it was… understandable?

Well, I suppose it was my fault for being unclear with my words.

Riel, who had quickly changed into clothes, was sitting on the edge of the bed.

With her face in her hands and head bowed low, her face visible through her fingers was bright red.

“…Riel?”

“Ugh… so embarrassing…”

“No, it was my fault for saying things poorly, so I don’t think you need to be that embarrassed.”

“This is all because Lilu said such strange things…”

…What on earth did Lilu say to her?

Anyway, it didn’t seem right to leave her like this, so I spoke up to change the subject.

“Riel, about that important thing I wanted to talk about…”

“…I’m so embarrassed… I want to crawl under the blanket…”

“…Hmm.”

This isn’t working.

I should wait until she calms down.

“…You can use my blanket if you want.”

“Okay…”

Riel, who had been crouched on the bed hugging the World Tree seed she always carried, crawled under the blanket at my words.

“Are you calm now?”

“…Yes.”

After perhaps a few dozen minutes, Riel nodded with just her face peeking out from the blanket.

She said so, but her face was still bright red.

Seeing her like that, I unconsciously reached out to pat her head, which made her already red face turn even redder.

But since she showed no sign of rejection, I continued to pat her a bit more, and she showed a somewhat comfortable expression.

“You seem to have really calmed down now.”

“Yes.”

“Then… umm…”

This is bad.

Riel has calmed down, but now I’m getting nervous about bringing up the engagement.

“So… about that important talk regarding our future…”

“Yes.”

Argh. What’s there to be anxious about? Let it be.

“Riel.”

“Y-yes.”

As I looked straight into Riel’s eyes and spoke, she blushed slightly.

“Let’s get married.”

“…Huh?”

Riel’s face, which had been red, did a full turn and she stared at me with a dumbfounded expression.

Why is she looking at me like that?

“M-marriage?! We’re not even adults yet… and…! I’m extremely happy, but…!!”

What?

Ah, I misspoke.

“N-no, I said it wrong!”

“R-really?”

“Yes! I… I meant to talk about engagement but then…!”

“…Engagement?”

…Perhaps because I made a verbal mistake and then stated the main topic after dropping a bomb.

The words came out more simply than I expected.

“Yes. Engagement. I was thinking we could just make it a promise between our families.”

“Oh…”

“…Well, it might be difficult to decide simply for a duke family of your status, but I still thought I should talk to you first… so…”

“……”

Riel didn’t say anything.

Perhaps because of that, I became anxious and was rambling without realizing it.

“Um…”

“……”

“Riel?”

“……”

Riel still wasn’t saying anything.

Was it too sudden to bring up engagement after all?

Given that it’s a duke family, this isn’t a matter that should be discussed lightly.

“W-well, maybe it’s too early after all? I… I sincerely wanted to do this… so then…”

Riel, who hadn’t said anything.

Thinking it might be good to change the atmosphere, I was heading toward the cabinet to get a tea set when I heard footsteps behind me.

Then, I felt a warm sensation along with the feeling of being embraced from behind.

“Riel?”

“…I was honestly anxious.”

From Riel’s voice, I could sense a slight moisture.

“Since I was little, I was always alone, and when things were painful and scary, I couldn’t say anything… couldn’t move on my own…”

“……”

“But after meeting you, reconciling with my sister, making friends… having a lover.”

Riel continued speaking.

“Every day was so happy and enjoyable, like my life had changed… but I was also afraid that it might all return to how it used to be in a single morning… that you might abandon me…”

“No… I would never…”

“Yes. I know you wouldn’t do that. But still, what’s scary is scary.”

Riel continued speaking in a sobbing voice.

“So… I wanted to confirm your feelings, so I confessed in front of my brother… kept clinging to you and tried to seduce you, but it didn’t seem to have any effect…”

…

I had thought she was unusually aggressive lately, so that’s what it was.

“Like… there are many pretty people around you. Senior Iris or Miss Carlena…”

“…Riel.”

She was anxious.

During the time when her body and mind were devastated by the Saint’s schemes.

There was still anxiety within Riel about returning to those days.

I removed Riel’s arms that were hugging me from behind and turned around to look at her.

As expected, she had been crying, and tears were welling up in her eyes.

Seeing Riel with her eyes red and swollen, I pulled her tightly into my arms.

A warm and soft sensation transmitted into my embrace.

“I’m sorry.”

“…Huh?”

“For not realizing how anxious you were and leaving you like that.”

“No… that’s not…”

“It’s an undeniable fact that I didn’t notice your feelings, isn’t it?”

I put a bit more strength into the arms holding her.

And with one hand, I patted her back.

“Don’t worry, I’ll never leave your side.”

“……”

“You don’t have to be afraid.”

“…Yes.”

Afraid that I might leave her side.

Afraid that the friends she made for the first time would disappear.

Afraid that the happy daily life she had obtained would vanish.

Riel, who was afraid of such things but always acted cheerfully while hiding it.

To such a person, I decided to say these words once again.

“I will never leave your side. Will you get engaged to me?”

“……Yes.”

Hearing Riel’s answer, I hugged her tightly once more.

“I’m not anxious at all anymore. Hehe…”

I had resolved Riel’s anxiety, and I had asked her to get engaged to me.

Riel also said she wanted to do that… which is all well and good.

But this isn’t something that will end easily.

Since it’s a matter of engagement between noble families, it’s not something that can be decided just between the parties involved.

Of course, my parents will approve.

Both of them think very highly of Riel, and my mother calls Riel at least once a day to have tea time together.

Asta also has a good impression of Riel, and while Kino’s feelings are somewhat ambiguous, she doesn’t particularly dislike her.

Then what’s left is the duke family… but the duke, who is the head of the family, is currently unable to make decisions.

It could be resolved at the level of Lord Andrew, who is currently acting as proxy for the family head, but it requires more procedures than if the head were to decide.

And there are quite a few troublesome engagement procedures, but I can put this issue aside for now.

Since it was late at night, as I was lying in bed trying to sleep, I happened to look beside me.

Riel was quietly snoring with a peaceful expression as if she was relieved.

I thought about taking Riel, who had fallen asleep as her tension eased in the late hour, back to her room, but I just let her sleep in my bed.

…Also because she wouldn’t let go of my arm that she was firmly holding with one hand.

I used my other arm, the one that Riel wasn’t hugging, to stroke her forehead.

I felt like a slight smile spread across her face, which had been sleeping with a peaceful expression.

…Looking again, it wasn’t actually a smile, so it was just a feeling after all.

“…Good night, Riel.”

Saying that, I also lay down beside her to sleep.

…However, sleep didn’t come easily.

Honestly, if someone could sleep comfortably in this situation, wouldn’t that be more surprising?

“Huh? Huuh??”

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of Riel’s voice from beside me.

Since I had been feeling like something was pressing down on my body, as if I were experiencing sleep paralysis, I remained lying down.

“…Uh… it’s gone?! Where on earth is it?!”

“Riel? What’s wrong?”

Riel, who had already woken up and gotten out of bed, was flustered and in a panic, still in her nightwear.

As if looking for something, she was searching the floor and inside the blanket on the bed where she had been lying.

“It’s gone! No matter how much I look, it’s gone!!”

“Calm down, what exactly is gone?”

…Saying this while still lying down makes me feel a bit like trash.

But when I tried to get up, my body felt heavy, as if I was still experiencing sleep paralysis.

“The World Tree! The World Tree seed is gone! I put it in my bosom when I slept last night!!”

“…What?”

“Ma-maybe it got crushed while I was sleeping?!”

“No, I don’t think that’s possible.”

And for good reason, that thing is incredibly hard.

It looks like some kind of crystal ball, but its hardness is on par with diamond.

It’s also impossible for someone to have stolen it.

The count’s security is very strict, and with mother’s secret unit also patrolling, anyone who could sneak in would have to be some kind of monster.

“Calm down, I’ll help you look… huh?”

While listening to Riel, my foggy mind cleared and I noticed the discomfort in my body.

I had thought it was because of sleep paralysis, but that wasn’t why my body felt heavy.

Something on top of my body…

Startled, I raised my arm and pulled back the blanket.

“…Huh?”

“Eehh?”

Both Riel and I made stupid sounds.

Seeing a small girl curled up and lightly snoring on top of my chest.