episode_0189

“I think it’s okay now. I think I can take a breather.”

At Harvey’s words, Adele and Diane slowed down their horses a little.

That doesn’t mean I stopped walking. Stopping and resting is like buying time for someone to follow you.

“Ha, ha… … Phew.”

Diane took a deep breath.

In fact, my memories from the moment I kissed Adele in the separate building were a little blurry.

That doesn’t mean I don’t remember. Rather, what can I say.

It felt like I was dreaming.

If it was a fairy tale, I read it often when I was young. No matter how Count Hoover did, he never forbade Diane to read a fairy tale.

But I’ve heard so many times that the fairy tale isn’t true.

No matter how unhappy life is or how nothing goes your way, in the end there is no one who can save you. So you should not trust anyone, even the person closest to you—

—But, it wasn’t, father.

Diane thought.

The person in front of her was wearing a hood, so she couldn’t see the color of his hair. But Diane could clearly picture the blonde hair that would be there if the hood was removed.

Her hair was always tied back and flowed gorgeously as she moved around.

It was definitely a slightly duller color than Diane’s hair, and it didn’t have a fancy hairstyle like Diane’s, but every time Diane saw that hair, she would be overcome by a secret feeling of jealousy.

Obviously, Diane had much more and a much higher status than Adele. Adele was the daughter of a family on the verge of collapse, and Diane was the daughter of a count whose future was guaranteed as long as she took a breath.

Strangely, the thing I was holding in my hand seemed to be more Adele.

I had no idea that this person would be the one who would decide Diane’s fate.

Swish.

Suddenly, Adele turned around and Diane shrugged her shoulders. Although it may not have been possible, it seemed like Adele had read her thoughts for a moment.

Adele slowed her pace and matched Diane’s pace.

“Diane, are you okay?”

It was a voice of genuine concern. It was a voice that made Diane feel like she was somehow a commodity, which Diane felt every time her father saw her.

“It’s okay, this much.”

I wanted to respond kindly, like Adele did, but Diane ended up responding that way without realizing it.

For a moment, my heart skipped a beat.

What should I do if I hear a voice of resentment like that, asking the person who saved me the most, saying that he shouldn’t have saved me?

But Adele looked at Diane and laughed.

“Hmm?”

Then he raised one lip at an angle while making a nasal sound,

“Just a moment ago, her shoulders were drooping like an exiled princess, but after she was rescued, she immediately became more energetic.”

“Who, who… … !”

“When we kissed, we clung to each other with our whole bodies.”

“Kiss… … !”

Diane’s face turned bright red. Looking at her burning, it was clear that she was embarrassed even under the faint starlight.

“That, that, is practice… … !”

“Oh, I wasn’t practicing.”

When Adele said that with a sly expression, Diane took a deep breath.

“Oh, no!? That’s definitely practice!”

“By the way.”

Adele put one finger on her cheek and tilted her head as if she was really curious.

“If there is no significant difference between practice and actual practice, can we call it practice and practice?”

“… … !”

When Adele pointed out the key point, Diane was momentarily speechless.

That’s right. Diane also knew that the practice they were doing wasn’t much different from the actual practice. Since the two agreed that it was practice, it was just practice, and if either party said it was a sincere kiss, it just ended up being that way.

Besides, when Diane first seduced Adele, she didn’t want to practice, she wanted to kiss.

When Adele snatched Diane’s lips in anger, Diane was secretly happy.

And I was extremely disappointed when Adele came close to me and I almost would have crossed the line if I had gone a little further.

The reason he robbed the guild headquarters was because he had such mixed feelings. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have attacked the guild headquarters, where it was obvious his father was involved.

So, to be honest, Diane fell in love on her own and was putting it off, making all kinds of excuses.

Of course, I wasn’t sure whether Adele realized that ‘Diane liked her first’ or not.

At least now Adele has fully realized that the thought itself is true.

Otherwise, she would not have refused to marry the crown prince.

In fact, wouldn’t marrying a crown prince be something that all noble women wanted? Especially around Diane, there were many women who did not do that and deviated from common sense.

“What do you think? I was serious, but what about Diane?”

“… … .”

Diane looked down at the saddle with her face turning red.

“If Diane says she doesn’t like it, I can take her back to the royal capital right now.”

“That’s not true… … .”

Adele smiled and looked at Diane, who was dragging her words and avoiding answering.

“I like it.”

“… … .”

“I received your letter well.”

Adele took something out of her arms.

Even Diane could recognize what it was without having to look closely.

A piece of leftover letter.

The words ‘I like you’ were written on the small piece.

It was just a coincidence, a lucky coincidence, but it was also something Diane wanted to say. It was also something she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to say.

So much so that there is no need to say anything more.

If I had to embellish it, it would have been ‘I was happy.’ Of course, I don’t regret not using it because that word is in the past tense.

“What do you think? Is this just a coincidence? You were just trying to give me a piece of your remaining friendship, but it’s just like this—”

“Oh, really!”

Diane finally couldn’t stand it anymore and screamed. Hee-hee, the horse made a sound as if she was surprised, but in the end, she couldn’t stand it anymore and didn’t stop.

“I like it! I like it! I liked it when we kissed! When I found out that Adele had come to save me, my heart was so light that I could fly out the window! I’m probably the one who liked it before Adele!? Is it okay? Is it okay! I like you, Adele!”

“… … .”

Adele opened her eyes wide and looked at Diane a little dazed.

I felt refreshed.

For the first time in a long time, I felt like I had won something.

Diane felt a little proud when she saw Adele’s face turn red.

“Hey, Diane. But you’re not screaming like that, are you?”

“Why are you like that, Adele? Are you even embarrassed now? You whispered your love like that just a moment ago. Anyway, we are the only ones here—”

-ah.

Only after saying that much did Diane close her mouth.

Squeaking, I turned my head as if I had rusted, and saw a Delki city man riding a horse in front of me, a little distance away.

I didn’t look at this side, but if I were to look for the words written on it, it would be ’embarrassing’.

… … At least I seemed to know that that remote distance was a distance to keep manners as much as possible for the two girls’ secret story.

Of course, considering that Diane was screaming a little while ago and that people from Delquish have sensitive hearing, I would have heard it anyway.

“… … .”

Diane lowered her head.

There was an extremely uncomfortable silence between the three for a while.

*

In this world, a convenient medium like the morning newspaper does not yet exist.

Of course, when Amelia and I returned late at night, we didn’t receive ‘new information’ right away.

So, the two of us washed up as usual and had breakfast and lunch leisurely.

The new news came a little later, when a messenger sent to us directly from the royal family arrived.

“H.”

The messenger was so busy that he only sent a telegram to the maid despite the courtesy.

Of course, there was a good reason for that. You could see Amelia laughing like that when she received the telegram.

“Cancel?”

When I asked that question while leisurely stirring the tea, Amelia nodded and placed the telegram on the table.

And as if there was nothing more to look at, he picked up his cup of black tea and stirred it like I did.

“How can you get engaged when one of the two people you decided to get engaged to has disappeared?”

“I knew you would force me to do something. Like scheming someone.”

“No matter what, the royal family wouldn’t do that much for Earl Hoover.”

Amelia said with a smile.

In fact, canceling an engagement is not that easy.

Just like the last time Amelia held a banquet, there are nobles who deliberately come all the way to the royal capital and stay there to attend the royal engagement. Of course, nobles from far away places like Grattonmount invite their children to participate rather than come in person. No, because it’s an engagement.

But even so, you can quickly remember without thinking too much that there will be far more nobles gathered than the Grand Duchess’ banquet.

Moreover, a royal engagement is a festival for commoners.

There must have been commoners preparing to do business with the numerous servants who followed the nobles, and to sell various things to the nobles themselves.

Giving up all the economic benefits and canceling an event is by no means an easy task.

But what can you do?

The most important person has disappeared.

The two of us laughed and savored the tea without saying a word.

There wasn’t that much sugar added, but the black tea was sweet today.