Chapter 95

“How long does it take to get to Branden?”

Inside the moving carriage, I asked Kyle a question.

As the Imperial Princess had mentioned before, the ball is not being held in the capital but in a nearby domain.

The name of that domain is Branden.

It was a place with deep history in many ways.

It’s located around Borussia, and many people still travel to and from Borussia.

“Hmm…”

“Sofia, would someone who lived cooped up in a castle know? Let me explain for you.”

“Ah.”

I didn’t specifically ask for the correct answer.

I was just trying to make conversation with Kyle because I was bored…

But I didn’t say anything to the Imperial Princess.

She wasn’t trying to prevent Kyle and me from talking, but genuinely wanted to inform me.

“Branden is so close to the capital that we can arrive today.”

“Oh…”

“I know that much, Your Highness.”

“Then why didn’t you answer right away instead of hesitating?”

“I was just thinking for a moment to be sure…”

“That’s why things don’t work out, because you hesitate like that.”

Well, Kyle couldn’t really say anything to the Imperial Princess now that she had taken over the conversation.

He hesitated and had his chance to talk to me taken away.

Still…

“Kyle, would you like to have dinner together when we arrive?”

“Yes.”

“Sofia? What about me?”

“Your Highness… wouldn’t it be okay for you to eat alone just for one day?”

We may have been eating dinner together lately, but you can eat alone for one day, right?

I’m only doing this because I felt a bit sorry for Kyle who had his opportunity taken away.

Losing the chance to answer after hesitating… it somehow seemed pitiful.

“Kyle, would you like to eat with the Imperial Princess?”

By the way, this wasn’t just a question.

Depending on how Kyle answers here, his whereabouts could be determined…

“No. Today I’d like to eat alone with Sofia.”

“Right?”

Yes, that’s how it should be.

No matter if it’s the Imperial Princess, one shouldn’t give up their place so easily.

If he had said he wanted to eat with the Imperial Princess here…

“… Sofia? Why are you suddenly smiling like that?”

“It’s nothing.”

It’s nothing.

Kyle gave the ‘right’ answer.

If he had given the ‘wrong’ answer, things might have been different, but now there’s no need for that.

“Sigh… after how hard I’ve been helping you two, you’re abandoning me to spend time together?”

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

“… You’re both so damn cold…”

She can complain about us being cold, but it can’t be helped.

Unlike Kyle and me, the Imperial Princess isn’t our lover or anything, just an acquaintance.

Anyway, we traveled to Branden by carriage like that.

As the Imperial Princess said, we really arrived within a day, and rented an extremely luxurious inn.

Not a room, but an entire inn.

“Sofia, what’s wrong?”

“No, just… I was thinking that rich people really are different…”

Normally, no matter how many people there are, you’d rent several rooms at an inn, not the entire inn, right?

As a commoner, I couldn’t understand this financial sense at all.

Or is this actually normal?

Renting an entire inn to prepare for any contingencies when the Imperial Princess and a duke are staying at the same inn…

“Do all nobles do this?”

“Not all.”

“Right? Even with nearly 30 people, renting an entire inn is…”

“Some nobles rent one inn for nobles and another inn exclusively for their servants.”

“…”

It’s clear that nobles are all insane.

Isn’t this too extravagant, even for extravagance…?

Of course, for the inn owner, it would be great to get a lot of money while the rooms are empty.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“No… I was just thinking that nobles really have different ways of spending money.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah.”

When I was staying at the castle, I never saw money being spent directly, so I didn’t know, but it was definitely different.

But unlike me, seeing that Kyle doesn’t care about such things at all, I thought, he really is a noble.

If it were Louise instead of me, she would have cursed at seeing an entire inn being rented.

“But does Sofia need to think about such things?”

“Huh?”

Suddenly?

Am I not allowed to think about these things?

Or does he mean I shouldn’t say such things in front of nobles?

“Eventually, if you marry me, my money becomes your money.”

“Kyle…”

I didn’t call him because I was moved or anything.

I’ve already gotten used to Kyle’s nonsense, and while my heart raced a bit, anyway, there was a different reason for calling Kyle.

“I’m not doing this for money.”

“Really?”

“Yes, if I were that interested in money, I would have asked for a raise.”

Or I would have moved my job to Oldenburg.

Eristirol pays less, after all.

I didn’t become Kyle’s temporary lover because I was interested in his money.

“What are you smiling about…”

Kyle sitting next to me was suddenly grinning.

Since we were eating in a restaurant, just the two of us, it wasn’t problematic, but I wondered why he was suddenly smiling.

The atmosphere around us was a bit noisy, so attention wasn’t focused on us, but anyway, that’s what happened.

“I’m just happy.”

“Yeah? If you’re that happy, eat more meat.”

“Yes.”

We shared many other conversations while eating.

About the date of the ball, what happens at the ball, how to behave there.

Of course, Kyle just said I only needed to stay by his side.

“Oh right, you did bring the dress properly, right?”

“Yes, I didn’t bring the dress that Sofia dislikes.”

“That’s good.”

While I did wear it once when I was in a good mood, I absolutely didn’t want to wear it outside.

Logically, it’s too lewd of an outfit.

No, even without logic, it was a lewd outfit.

*

“Kyle, throw me that towel over there.”

I showered but forgot the towel.

As a result, water was dripping from my hair, so I had no choice but to ask Kyle for help.

It couldn’t be helped because my hair was so long.

“Here you go.”

“Thank you.”

Kyle was considerate and passed the towel by extending his arm far.

Honestly, I thought he would come to the door and try to peek at my body.

Did I educate him well?

“Or maybe not.”

I thought to myself while drying my hair in the bathroom.

What should I do at the upcoming ball?

How can I spend time well without causing trouble for Kyle, even as a commoner?

“Hmm…”

Honestly, no extremely simple method came to mind.

No, difficult methods didn’t come to mind either.

“The only thing I can think of is…”

Keep my mouth shut and stay still.

Do nothing except dancing with Kyle.

Not walk around saying I’m a bit hungry and run into nobles.

“Hmm.”

Honestly, they all seem likely to fail.

I’m not the type who’s very good at staying still, and to avoid meeting nobles, I shouldn’t go to the ball in the first place…

“I don’t know…”

How can I avoid being a burden to Kyle?

If I asked Kyle, he would say I could do anything, but I didn’t want Kyle to suffer loss because of me.

“Kyle, I’m done showering. You can go in.”

I dried off my body completely and changed into pajamas inside.

Although I’ve shown my body to Kyle a few times, I couldn’t do that after Kyle’s confession.

Now that I know how he looks at me.

“Okay.”

Kyle went in to shower.

I was just resting on the bed.

Even though we only rode the carriage for a day, a carriage is still a carriage.

“Argghhh…!!!”

I was just sitting, but why do my waist and shoulders hurt…

I really missed the transportation called cars from my previous life.

Carriages might seem romantic and stylish when viewed from afar, but… they’re not at all on the inside.

“Is this what they call a comedy when seen from afar, but a tragedy when seen up close?”

Hmm.

That sounds plausible.

As I was lying on the bed relieving my fatigue for a moment, Kyle came out of the bathroom.

He still had water in his hair, probably because he didn’t dry it properly.

“Kyle, come here.”

“Yes?”

Kyle looked confused but walked toward me.

It was a bit funny seeing someone so big obediently following orders like this.

Of course, I didn’t mention this out loud, as it was obvious I’d be subjected to strange behavior if I did.

“You need to dry your hair properly.”

“Ah.”

I took a towel and a magical tool and dried Kyle’s hair.

There was a height difference, but it wasn’t a problem since I had Kyle sit on the bed.

Though I had to stand up to do it.

Whiiiiiirrr~

With the warm wind coming from the magical tool, Kyle’s white hair gradually became stiff.

It was important to dry hair well like this for the health of the hair.

And at the same time, I had to control the heat well to prevent damage to the hair.

“Done. You can get up now.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing, it wasn’t difficult.”

Being grateful for something like this, isn’t he too polite?

If I were to completely bathe him in the future, how grateful would he be…

Of course, I won’t be bathing him!?

“Sofia? Are you hurt somewhere?”

“W-what!?”

“Your face is a bit red…”

“No, just, this is, I mean… the room is a bit hot!”

Having imagined something strange, I couldn’t think of an excuse, so I ended up making a strange one.

Is it because my strange behavior isn’t something new?

Fortunately, Kyle didn’t particularly press me further.