Chapter 80

“Sofia.”

“… Yes.”

“No, you should say ‘yeah’.”

“…”

Morning came.

Kyle said to stop work for now and focus on being temporary lovers.

So from the morning, I ended up having tea time with Kyle.

Rather than tea time, it was just time for the two of us to talk.

To be honest, I was extremely nervous.

The current situation was so nerve-wracking that it was difficult to say anything.

“Yeah…”

My heart was not calming down.

Despite saying yesterday that it would get weird if we started right away, I wasn’t calming down at all.

It was a strange situation where Kyle woke me up from the morning.

Completely different from usual.

“Young master…”

“Kyle.”

“…”

“You should call me Kyle.”

Is it because I showed him my unwashed appearance in the morning?

Or is it because I’m seeing Kyle’s face from the morning when I wake up?

I became even less calm.

“Kyle…”

It seemed like it was the first time I was calling him Kyle since I started working, no, since I arrived at Eristirol.

No, had I tried it once before?

I don’t know.

That wasn’t what was important right now.

What was important was that calling him Kyle felt too strange.

It was completely different from calling him “young master.”

Even though it actually has fewer syllables when speaking.

“What should I do…? No, what should I do?”

“Well. What would you like to do?”

Kyle answered me with a smile.

He looked extremely happy, whatever was so good.

Is being with me that pleasant…?

“… I…”

There’s one reason why I started this temporary relationship with Kyle.

Because I wanted to know how I felt.

I wanted to be sure whether I thought of Kyle romantically, liked him, loved him.

If not… it would just be nothing.

Just a story where Kyle liked me, and I didn’t.

“I want to go on a date together.”

Date… I’ve gone down to the domain with Kyle many times until now.

We’ve easily exceeded double digits.

But even so, it was completely different from the dates until now.

“Is that so?”

“… Yeah.”

Until now, I just went because Kyle said to go, and only Kyle recognized it as a date.

In fact, I didn’t think of it as a date, just as going down to take a brief rest.

So this time was completely different.

“Let’s go together.”

I asked Kyle to go on a date first, and the purpose was completely different from now.

I was honestly curious.

What would a date between lovers feel like?

I couldn’t help but be more curious because I had never experienced it.

“Then shall we go tomorrow? Or right away today?”

I didn’t need to worry about what would be better.

The answer was already decided.

“Let’s do it right away today.”

“Alright. I’ll prepare right away.”

There was no need to postpone it until tomorrow.

It was starting from today anyway, and Kyle also said he would accommodate me.

Rather than waiting until tomorrow, it seemed better to do it today.

Because the weather was good today.

“Then Sofia, you go change your clothes too.”

“Yeah…”

After saying that, I left Kyle and returned to my room.

To change clothes as Kyle said.

Since I was changing clothes for a date, it would be good to wear clothes that Kyle likes.

Very feminine clothes.

Pretty clothes.

Sexy… I’m not sure, but anyway, something that looks good.

“What would be good?”

If I were a man… what clothes would I think are pretty when my date wears them?

What would make my heart race?

“Hmm…”

I spent some time thinking about it.

Kyle didn’t tell me to come out right away, so it should be okay to take some time…?

Or not… I chose one from the clothes in my closet and came out.

It didn’t take up to 10 minutes.

No matter how much Kyle said he would wait, that wouldn’t be polite.

“Kyle… I’m here.”

“Ah, you’re here?”

As always, we met in front of the castle gate.

Kyle wasn’t much different from what he usually wears inside the castle.

Just black pants and a white shirt on top.

Since his base was so good, he looked handsome in anything.

“How do I look…? It’s the clothes you bought me before…”

I said while twirling my skirt.

Kyle seemed curious about my outfit that was different from usual, as he was looking more intently than expected.

Does it suit me well?

Could it be not so good?

I was worried.

Even though they were clothes Kyle bought for me before, looking at them now, they might not be so good.

“You look pretty. How about wearing such clothes instead of just formal attire all the time?”

“Really…?”

I got… complimented.

These are clothes I tried on when Kyle bought them for me before.

I hadn’t worn them since then, and there hadn’t been any occasion to wear them.

So I felt good when Kyle said I looked pretty.

“Yes, you’re really pretty. It was worth buying it last time.”

“…”

The clothes I was wearing were the off-shoulder Kyle bought me.

It was a bit embarrassing because my shoulders were completely exposed, but I wore it because they were clothes Kyle bought me.

They also looked not bad to my eyes.

And for the bottom, a mini skirt that came up above the knees.

This was more embarrassing than the off-shoulder.

“Shall we hold hands?”

“Yeah.”

Kyle extended his hand to me, and I took Kyle’s hand.

The only thing I felt when I held Kyle’s hand was that it was warm.

So warm that it felt hot.

Even though I had held it several times before, I couldn’t help but feel that way.

And so, holding Kyle’s hand, we left the castle and went down to the domain.

Unlike before, we didn’t go down by carriage.

I also didn’t think it was necessary to take a carriage.

Although the weather was cold, I didn’t feel too cold thanks to the warm heat from Kyle’s hand.

And the off-shoulder was also made of warm material.

Anyway, it was fine.

Thump-thump….

While going down holding Kyle’s hand, we didn’t have any special conversation.

More precisely, I didn’t speak first.

The conversation continued in a format where Kyle spoke first, and I answered.

The reason was simple.

My heart was racing and wouldn’t calm down.

I had already held Kyle’s hand several times.

I had also gone on dates with him.

Despite that, this current situation made my heart race so much.

Would Kyle feel the same?

I’m not sure.

I’m not Kyle, and I didn’t put my hand on Kyle’s heart to feel his heartbeat.

“By the way, you’re wearing makeup today too?”

“Yeah. I did.”

Today, I also wore makeup.

Despite usually only doing basic makeup or not doing it at all, I deliberately did it.

It was essentially our proper first date.

Until now, it couldn’t really be called a date since only one person thought of it as a date.

“You look pretty. You’re always pretty, but you look even prettier.”

“Really…?”

It had been a really long time since I properly applied makeup.

I did it at graduation or when other commoner students asked me to do it together.

Besides those times, I didn’t really remember doing this kind of makeup.

“Then… should I wear it regularly?”

“If that’s what Miss Sofia wants.”

“I’ll do it if you like it…”

I felt a bit embarrassed while speaking.

It was more so because we were walking hand in hand, just the two of us.

Anyway, that’s how it was.

“Sofia, would you like to try this?”

“Yeah.”

The restaurant we arrived at with Kyle.

Unlike the previous date, this time it was a more upscale restaurant.

A restaurant with a great atmosphere, suitable for a date location.

Could it be because I complained last time about always going to the same place?

That place was good too.

“Aahn~”

“….”

Anyway, following Kyle’s words, I opened my mouth to receive the steak Kyle was offering.

For some reason, Kyle feeding me was a bit awkward, but anyway, he put it in my mouth.

The taste of the steak wasn’t bad.

No, let me express it as good.

It had a slightly different feel from the steak eaten at the castle, but it was undeniable that it was delicious.

“It’s delicious. Thanks.”

I expressed my gratitude to Kyle for bringing me to such a nice place.

Even if it was a temporary relationship, it was polite to do so when he brought me to such a nice place.

I raised Kyle to be a polite person, so I think I shouldn’t be impolite.

“Then I’m glad. It’s my first time here too.”

It was a bit strange to have such thoughts in a lover’s relationship.

It seemed a bit odd to say things like I raised someone or taught someone, but it couldn’t be helped.

Because I actually did.

What’s certain is that I raised Kyle really well.

“Next time, I’ll take you to an even better place. Somewhere that Sofia will like.”

“Yeah…”

I’m not sure if there will be a next time… but I expected it.

Even this place is so delicious, how much better will the next place be?

“Sofia, don’t just sit there quietly, slowly talk while eating.”

“Ah, yeah…”

Without realizing it, I wasn’t touching the steak I was eating.

Could it be because the conversation with Kyle was so good…? That might be it.

Since it was a tone that was so considerate of the other person, it was comfortable to talk.

“Sofia.”

“Yeah?”

“You said before that you were going to quit your job, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

It was when I went out with Kyle before, when I came without any thought of a date.

It wasn’t when the sun was up in the sky like now, and when I came with a different relationship than now.

It was just something I had to say someday, so I said it.

Why is he suddenly bringing that up?

If I ended up becoming Kyle’s lover or marrying him, I would stay at Eristirol anyway.

“What were you planning to do after quitting your job?”

“After quitting my job, I was thinking of returning to my hometown first.”

“Hometown?”

“Yeah.”

The first goal was to return to my hometown and meet my parents again.

Somehow, I hadn’t seen them for over 10 years… so I missed them a bit.

Aside from occasionally exchanging letters.

“Where is your hometown?”

“It’s a village called Hohentol, somewhere in the central region.”

“Ah…”

Does Kyle know it?

It wasn’t an extremely large city, but it wasn’t a small village either, so he might know it.

It’s not like it matters whether Kyle knows it or not.

“I left in my early teens. I should go visit my parents at least once.”

“Then…”

“Then?”

“Next time, should we go together to pay our respects?”

“Huh…?”