Translator: Elisia
Editor/Proofreader: TempWane
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I spent the weekend leisurely.
To be honest, the distinction between weekdays and weekends wasn’t particularly meaningful for nobles. Amelia and I only vaguely perceived such divisions because we attended lessons.
Strictly speaking, engaging in social activities was considered a noble’s duty... but in our case, simply getting married properly would fulfill that obligation.
If this were a world on the brink of war, the one here in Amelia’s place would likely be her younger brother, Ted.
In peaceful times like these, when it wasn’t necessary to gather intelligence from the royal capital to secure profits, nobles sent their daughters to the capital instead. The implication was for them to find a suitable husband.
Although this purpose had somewhat diluted over time, it still partially served as a way to offer a "hostage" to the royal family. What noble would willingly offer their son, who would govern their territory, for such a role? It was better to send a daughter, who was less involved in politics. After all, sending a son and having him become one of the king’s close aides would be a headache for regional lords.
As a result, there were probably more women than men in the royal capital. But that wasn’t something we were particularly concerned about.
Since Amelia was the Grand Duke’s daughter, a marriage proposal would eventually come to her on its own. And as her closest companion, I also received my fair share of marriage proposals too.
Of course, I had no intention of getting married, but given the times, receiving marriage proposals was inevitable.
Throughout the weekend, we mostly stayed in our room.
We were so active during the week that we didn’t feel like doing anything on the weekend. Hosting a tea party with friends was out of the question since neither of us had many acquaintances and Adele, who we saw often during the week, was not an option.
Still, the weekend wasn’t entirely devoid of notable moments.
“Amelia.”
“Mm.”
When I softly called Amelia’s name, she let out a whiny noise and burrowed into my arms.
Yes, she burrowed into my arms.
Perhaps it was because we had slept so close together the previous night.
I found myself pondering what to do with Amelia, who nestled into my embrace while sleeping beside me.
She hadn’t shown any signs of illness last night. Usually, a mild cold would disappear after a good night’s sleep, and Amelia seemed no different.
However, whether some strange sleeping habit had developed or not, I would find her face buried against my chest whenever I came to my senses.
…Amelia’s breath brushed against my collarbone.
That breath traveled over my skin, gliding up my neck.
Hmm…
Well, I didn’t mind.
I didn’t mind, but!
I worried that if this continued, I might lose my self-control.
I was already familiar with Amelia's strength. We often sparred together, so I knew her capabilities.
If I grabbed her wrists and held them down, she wouldn’t be able to resist.
Of course, I was too scared to do such a thing... but how long could I hold out?
“Mm.”
After a long while of tossing and turning in my arms, Amelia finally opened her eyes.
She looked up at me silently.
Upon confirming my presence, she smiled as though reassured.
“Good morning.”
“…Good morning.”
It seemed that refusing to sleep like this wouldn’t be an option anymore.
Well, being in this position was probably the safest for protecting Amelia, apart from me being the greatest threat in this state.
*
The emotional walls that had existed between us seemed to have crumbled.
Perhaps when people grew physically closer, their hearts followed suit. Amelia now treated me with much more affection than before.
I could hear her humming behind me.
Amelia was currently fiddling with my hair, which, while not as well-kept as hers, was nearly as long.
It seemed like she was braiding it.
“Honestly, isn’t this unfair?”
True.
I agreed it was unfair.
Until now, physical contact hadn’t been frequent enough to stir my emotions.
I had resolved to support Amelia if she ever liked someone else.
Even now, I intended to cheer her on.
Still, I wasn’t sure I could let her go with a completely clear conscience.
The closer we became, the more attached I grew. The thought of Amelia, who wakes up in my arms every morning, waking up in someone else’s arms one day, how would I feel?
Especially if it were after their bodies had intertwined, bare.
If I thought about sending Amelia—whose bare skin I’d seen with my own eyes—to someone else without even touching her…
If she were someone I only admired from afar and could forget like a passing memory, it might have been possible to let her go, even if I liked her.
But I felt like I’d never be able to forget the memories I shared with Amelia.
“Unfair, you say?”
“Running around all the time, without any special care, and yet having such good hair. Isn’t that unfair?”
“You don’t take special care of yours, either.”
At my words, Amelia gasped audibly, swallowing a breath.
“What are you talking about? I apply all sorts of things while bathing!”
Ah, did she?
Come to think of it, I might have mentioned in a previous conversation that I didn’t do anything to care for my hair.
In that case, I guess the good condition of my hair was just an extension of the Delkis people’s strong physiques.
“That’s why you smelled so nice…”
I started to say, then quickly shut my mouth.
No. What was I thinking, saying something like that to someone who trusted me enough to sleep in my arms?
It would sound like I’d been sniffing her while holding her, which… well, I had.
Her fragrance was so pleasant that I had hugged her tightly and even buried my nose in her hair.
But Amelia didn’t need to know that.
“…Really?”
After a moment of awkward silence, Amelia replied like that.
“Then I guess I managed it well. That’s a relief.”
I had been a little tense, but I felt relieved when Amelia said that.
…Relieved?
*
Anyway, after spending such a meaningful weekend, it was time to attend lessons again.
Today, the Crown Prince was absent once more.
Could it be because of Becky? Maybe it was because we hadn’t informed him after capturing her.
At the very least, he probably didn’t go to the main base of the information guild. If he had, we might have run into him while encountering the wolf pack.
Or perhaps he was simply busy learning all the things required of a crown prince.
The Archmage didn’t approach me to speak today either. I felt his gaze a few times, but I couldn’t tell if he was plotting something or preparing to give up. At least I had one less thing to worry about, which was a relief.
“…”
Honestly, the person who truly bothered me was Diane.
Even after the weekend had passed, Diane still seemed slightly dispirited.
She looked more composed when she greeted me in the morning, and she maintained her usual overbearing attitude when speaking to Adele, but as the lesson progressed, her energy would inevitably falter again.
The other ladies didn’t seem to notice, continuing to chat with her and bother her incessantly.
“Are you worried?”
“Huh? Oh, um.”
Amelia spoke softly, and I responded with a wry smile.
“Well, a little, I suppose.”
“Hm.”
Amelia’s eyes narrowed slightly. However, her narrowed gaze wasn’t directed at me but at the back of Diane’s head.
She seemed to find Diane particularly unpleasant.
Maybe it was just a sign of how much she liked the original novel.
“I don’t think you need to worry too much.”
Amelia soon reached that conclusion.
“She’s bound to join us for training again today anyway. We can figure it out then.”
“Yeah…”
That was true.
Still, why did I feel like Amelia would dislike it if I spoke to Diane directly?
…Well, we’d see when the time came.
*
Diane followed us, as expected.
Well, I was the one who brought her in, so I couldn’t complain. Sharing the same carriage was simply because there was no reason to bring separate ones for our group and Diane.
After changing into the clothes we had brought, we all gathered and headed toward the training ground attached to the Carlins estate.
Adele, Amelia, and I were all paying attention to Diane.
But Diane herself, biting her lip and lost in thought, didn’t seem to notice.
Was there something on her mind that was making her anxious?
Even Amelia, who didn’t like Diane, appeared slightly taken aback at seeing her with such an expression.
To put it bluntly, Diane’s outward demeanor was usually that of a “carefree but cheerful young lady.”
The kind of girl who’d let out an “Oh~ hohoho!” laugh. Seeing her looking serious made her seem truly troubled.
“Ahem.”
Clearing my throat, I lined the three of them up side by side.
“Then, let’s proceed with the same training as last time. I’ll face each of you in turn. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure how effective this method is, but…”
“It’s definitely effective!”
Adele suddenly shouted, surprising me.
I was relieved I managed to keep a straight face. Long live the sturdy constitution of the Delkis people.
“I can definitely feel the improvement!”
“…That’s good to hear.”
If she said so, who was I to argue?
When the customer demands it, you provide.
Besides, seeing Amelia all worked up wasn’t exactly a downside for me.