episode_0262

Upon returning to the Star Palace, the first thing that Nara and Edan did was to pack their bags for the upcoming trip to the Witch’s Forest tomorrow.

As it was a long journey, they had to leave as soon as dawn broke in order to avoid any difficulties in the morning. If they didn’t pack their bags in advance, they might run into trouble tomorrow morning. And if they made a mistake, their arrival schedule might be delayed.

By the way, Seraphine had already searched and prepared the carriage and coachman before leaving, so there were no major issues. I heard that the coachman was a trustworthy person, so I just had to trust him quietly.

Anyway, as a result, Dietmayer, who had stayed in Hwangdo just in case, was scheduled to return to the Blackwood Territory tomorrow with the Blackwood carriage. Since he was going, he would also inform Harold that Nara and Edan’s return schedule might be delayed, so they were perfectly prepared in every way.

“I’ve packed clothes, food, camping gear…”

“Did you bring insect repellent, Lillith?”

“I put it in a portable backpack instead of the luggage. I think I’ll need to use it frequently once we enter the Witch’s Forest. It’s better to carry it separately and use it regularly. There are sometimes dangerous insects with poison in the Witch’s Forest.”

“Okay, got it.”

That was the conversation they had while packing their travel bags a few hours ago.

And after that, they just washed up, had dinner, and rested for a while, and before they knew it, it was the night before departure.

“…So many things happened in just a few days.”

Defeating the 4th boss, Machart, and the demon Evelyn, revealing to Seraphine that I was a real saint, planning for the summer vacation event, going on a date with Edan, and even the incident with Catelyn’s grandmother.

It had been a week so full of events that it was hard to believe everything that had happened in just a few days. And the main event of the summer vacation at the Luminoir Academy hadn’t even started yet.

“I feel like I’ve forgotten something… Ah.”

Oh, right. I haven’t asked Edan for his wish yet.

After promising to grant his wish once the Machart incident was resolved, the fact that I hadn’t asked yet made me feel like it would be more comfortable to ask first from my side.

“Should I just ask on the carriage ride tomorrow? Oh, but Agnes will be there, so it might be a bit awkward.”

If it were Edan, he would probably make a request that was a bit inappropriate, and it wouldn’t be appropriate to say it in front of Agnes.

Of course, as I mentioned before, when Edan wanted to tell his wish was entirely up to him. Maybe he didn’t want anything from me right now.

But I didn’t like the idea of letting the wish slip away after mentioning it once, especially since it was a kind of reward for Edan while also acknowledging my debt to him.

“But if I ask directly now, it might seem like I’m pressuring him to decide quickly, so it’s a bit tricky…”

It would be nice to have an opportunity to casually ask, but it was already past dinner time, and there was no excuse to call Edan.

Tomorrow, they had to ride the carriage from early morning, so it wouldn’t be appropriate to call him for a drink of wine.

‘Make sure to have a drink together when you’re alone with your lover.’

“Ah.”

Oh, right, there was that.

Not sure where to put it, I took out the gift from Cashmilly that I had put in my bag and immediately checked its contents.

“I may not have alcohol, but tea should be fine.”

Even though they were leaving tomorrow morning, they had enough time for a cup of tea. Tea was less burdensome on the body compared to alcohol, so it should be fine.

The dry tea leaves, tinged with a hint of pink as if dyed with something, were carefully wrapped in a gift that even included detailed instructions on the proper dosage. Opening the gift, I checked the contents.

“This is the recommended amount for one serving. When brewing, use about 6-7 tea leaves and 500mL of water, steep in boiling water for 3 minutes, and when drinking, make sure to savor the aroma while looking into each other’s eyes…”

It seemed like a gift meant for lovers, as the amount provided was only enough for two or three cups of tea.

Wait, does that mean people without a lover can’t drink this tea? It was a strange warning that seemed to touch on past wounds.

Since it was obviously meant for me and Edan to drink together, there was no way around it.

*Sip, sip.*

“It does have a strangely familiar scent…”

Judging by the lack of a distinct aroma wafting from the tea leaves themselves, it seemed that the scent wasn’t particularly strong. Perhaps it would only release its fragrance when steeped in hot water.

“…If we go to the Witch’s Forest, we might not have a chance to drink it for a while, right?”

Drinking tea leisurely in uncomfortable places like a carriage or the Witch’s Forest didn’t seem feasible, and fulfilling Cashmilly’s condition of drinking it alone on the journey was also impossible.

If that was the case, today was practically the only opportunity. After returning from the forest, it would be too late, and since these things usually have an expiration date, it’s better to drink it quickly for maximum effectiveness.

Since I had something to ask Edan anyway, I thought now was the best time to bring it up, so I picked up the tea leaves Cashmilly had given me and knocked on the door leading to the next room.

*Knock, knock.*

“Ed, are you free right now?”

He couldn’t possibly be asleep already, could he?

There was a chance he had gone to bed early thinking about tomorrow’s schedule, but fortunately, I heard Edan’s voice from behind the door shortly after calling out to him.

“Yeah, I’m free. What’s up?”

“I wanted to talk to you, can I come in for a moment?”

“…Ah, sure. Come in.”

*Creak.*

It seemed that he hadn’t gone to bed yet, as Edan was sitting at the table, writing something.

Come to think of it, he seemed to be working on something earlier in the day, and he was still busy even now. I’m not exactly sure what he’s busy with, though.

“What’s up, Lily? Is it because of a nightmare?”

“I told you that was over last time, didn’t I? Do you think I’m a child who can’t sleep without someone next to me?”

“Well, that’s a relief. …Even if it’s not a nightmare, if you ever want to sleep together, it’s fine with me…”

“Huh?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

Bland. I walked over to the small table in the middle of the room and sat down, and Edan, who had been sitting at the work desk, came over and sat across from me in the chair.

“If it’s not because of a nightmare, why are you here?”

“It’s nothing, I just thought we could have a drink together.”

“Huh?”

“It’s the tea leaves that Cashmilly gave us. The gift we received from the perfume shop earlier.”

“Oh, that. I see.”

Edan quietly looked at the tea leaves in the paper bag as I explained.

“If we don’t drink it today, we might not have time to leisurely enjoy tea until we return from the Witch’s Forest, right? And since Cashmilly specifically said to drink it with a lover, I can’t just drink it alone, so I thought of bringing it to share with you.”

“…Lover…”

“Um, we’re not really lovers, Ed and I, but we’re temporary lovers. Since Cashmilly gave us something obvious to drink, it’s the right way to use it, right?”

“…Yeah, that’s true.”

Understanding my words, Edan rang the bell for the servant and received the teapot filled with boiling water as a delivery.

After pouring seven tea leaves into the water, I quietly closed the lid of the teapot.

A faint aroma began to waft towards the spout of the teapot.

-Click.

“It’s supposed to be ready in 3 minutes, Ed.”

“Yeah.”

“So, should we chat for 3 minutes? Actually, that’s why I came at this time.”

“Huh?”

Edan tilted his head in surprise at my unexpected visit, but then quickly understood and nodded.

“Yeah, it’s fine for us to chat. So, what did you want to talk about?”

“…It’s about that incident with Prince Machart a while ago.”

“…Why that dead bastard?”

Seeing Edan’s expression stiffen at the mention of Machart, I quickly realized my mistake and corrected myself.

“Oh, no, I, uh, misspoke. What I wanted to ask was, after Machart’s death, it seemed like you brushed off the conversation we were supposed to have.”

“The conversation we were supposed to have?”

“You didn’t forget, did you? After the Machart incident passes, I promised to grant Ed a ‘wish.’”

“…”

“Ed?”

Surely, I’m not the only one who remembers this promise, right?

Edan never seemed interested in whether I granted his wish or not, so did I overestimate the value of my wish and wait for no reason?

As these thoughts swirled in my head, thankfully Edan nodded as if he had been waiting for me to mention it.

“Ed…? Did you…forget the wish I granted you?”

“Of course, I remember.”

“Oh, um, I see. I was just worried that you might have forgotten to tell me your wish.”

“There’s no way I could forget. It’s a precious wish ticket from Lily, I could never forget it.”

“…”

“So, do you need to use the wish ticket right now, Lily?”

“Ed?”

With a slightly pressuring tone and Edan raising his head, I could only awkwardly turn my gaze away.

What’s with this atmosphere?

It feels like Edan is acting a bit different from usual…?