We remained silent the entire way back to the room with Thierry. I had expected him to be waiting with Wagen, but I didn't expect him to say nothing like this, so I cautiously observed his reaction.
I guess you could say it's a situation where I feel hesitant to speak up first.
“Rest.”
I grabbed his sleeve as he opened his mouth only after reaching the room.
"...Would you like a cup of tea?"
Thierry looked down at me once, then at the sleeve I was holding, and then looked back at me. His lips were tightly shut, but his face showed he had so much to say.
In the past, he would have just spoken before thinking, but lately, he seemed cautious about everything. Should I say it feels like he is holding back a lot?
That would be even scarier if everything that's been building up explodes like that...
"I have so much to say. I even talked to that elf because I wanted to let Your Majesty know!"
"...Is it because of me?"
"Yes! I felt like he wouldn't open his mouth if we were all together, so I had no choice. It's true."
"What did you talk about...?"
Thierry lightly took my hand that was gripping his sleeve and walked into the room. Assuming he would take care of getting the tea, I grinned and looked back to see Wagen closing the door for me while giving a thumbs-up with a look of relief.
Thierry headed toward the long sofa instead of the table. As a result, we ended up sitting side by side, our hands still clasped together. He even lifted one leg onto the sofa and pressed his body against mine.
I looked at him with a strange gaze. He looked quite pitiful as he leaned his head limply against the backrest of the sofa. I wasn't sure if this was simply because of the way he was looking up at me, or because of that sullen expression on his face.
Thierry watched for a moment as I placed my hand on his leg and fiddled with it, then slowly opened my mouth.
"First, I asked about Lari... The elf said that she is indeed the original owner of that body."
"Wasn't she dead?"
"I don't think so."
Starting with that, I told him exactly what the elf had said. I slowly recounted, in order, things like Lari's soul, the attempt to transfer my soul again, and the method to contact the elf.
Until Thierry scoffed at the sound of being told to leave a note on the windowsill.
"It’s a bit sloppy, isn’t it? I thought, 'Surely he wouldn’t actually do it,' but judging by His Majesty’s reaction, it seems he won’t."
“They said.”
"Yes?"
"They're really using that method. We're watching to see if she's in league with the elf, since she left a note on the windowsill."
"Wow... so she's actually doing it. But it seems certain that she is connected to the elves. She even deliberately asked the elves, pretending to know something."
"Yeah. I suspect she's trying to distract me. But I've already found you, and there's no way I wouldn't recognize you."
"I suppose so. Since you noticed during the hunting festival. Did you figure it out because of the secret place?"
"No, it had been on my mind since before that. I had only been suspicious, but that day I became certain. That you are Lari."
It was an incredible feeling. Moreover, I wondered how he could so readily believe, without any prejudice, that I would be in another body.
I slowly scanned his handsome face with curious eyes.
"If it weren't for that bastard Wagen, I wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble. Tsk."
"Is it a hassle?"
"He told me to be a bit more lenient, saying it'll be hard to uncover the mastermind behind her if you're too wary."
He grumbled while looking at the hand he was holding, then glanced at me. I stared at him blankly for a moment, then tilted my head slightly.
Considering that, didn't he exactly accept it...? I think Wagen always ended up cleaning up the mess. At least she was a pretty simple type, so they managed to get through it somehow...
"Hmm. Thanks to that, we were really able to uncover the mastermind... If it weren't for that note, we might not have even been able to catch the elf we just met."
"To be honest, I didn't want to go out. But since it seemed like you were looking forward to it, I thought I just needed to be a little more careful, but in the end, I ended up putting you in danger again."
"I didn't say that to make you blame yourself. Besides, you came to rescue me right away."
Before I knew it, I also turned my body like him and leaned my head against the backrest.
We stared at each other in silence for a moment. Although we were clearly sitting, the position somehow made us feel as though we were lying down and facing each other.
He carefully reached out his right hand and gently grasped my long, flowing hair. Rubbing it slowly as if to feel the texture, he lowered his eyes languidly and whispered softly.
"...Sorry."
“It’s okay.”
"Bringing you here."
"Ah..."
I blinked. I was about to ask, but to think he would speak first like this. His lowered, delicate eyelashes cast a long shadow.
"I didn't know either. They said it was a necklace that grants wishes, but I thought they were just saying it to comfort me..."
"..."
"At that time, all I had left was that necklace. So I think I prayed without even realizing it..."
"...What did you want?
Like a sunset, his red eyes slowly revealed themselves. At the same time, his hand, which had been touching my hair, dropped down with a thud.
"Someone who will be by my side"
He answered in a choked voice. His eyes, trembling open like a child frightened by something, looked pitiful.
I gently wrapped my hand around his right hand, which was hanging awkwardly like a lost hand. It was so big that I could barely grasp half of it, but I tightened my grip, wanting to share at least some strong warmth with him.
"How is it?"
"What?"
"Do you think I came to the right place?"
I gently raised the corners of my mouth. At my playful smile, he froze like a statue, then blinked his eyes and answered briefly, belatedly.
"Yes."
Then, his red eyes soon contorted into a smile. Only then did his face slowly come to life, entangled with complex emotions. It was a smile mixed with various meanings—as if feeling good yet hurting at the same time—and the feeling of distress was strong.
"More than I deserve."
"Then that is enough. Your Majesty didn't contribute to my death in the first place. I just think of it as a coincidence bringing us together."
“Are you really okay?”
"Yes. Really. So, Your Majesty, you don't need to worry so much."
I grinned and waved the hand I was holding. His hand followed weakly as I cheerfully waved it, as if to blow away the heavy atmosphere.
“...I really like you too.”
He remained silent for a moment before answering. Words that had been pressed down and swallowed, like someone swallowing unbearably sweet fruit, slowly flowed out.
"Uh. Um. Me too?"
Flustered for a moment, I raised the end of my sentence vaguely. All I was saying was that, as a long-time friend, I liked him. I wonder why it sounded so strange.
"But it's a bit embarrassing. To be saying something now that I didn't even say when I was young."
"When I was young? Why are you bringing that up?"
"Yes?"
"What?"
"Hmm...?"
It feels like something is amiss, but I don't know what the problem is. The soft atmosphere turned stiff in an instant. Watching him straighten up from where he was leaning and furrow his brows, I simply tilted my head slightly.
“Ellie.”
"Yes..."
"I'm talking about feelings between the opposite sex."
It was an unexpected blunt remark. I was so shocked that I felt like I couldn't breathe for a brief moment.
I stared at him blankly, unable to even blink.
"Every time I see you, I worry, and I always miss you. And I keep wanting to reach out to you like this."
He gently turned the hand he was holding and intertwined our fingers. Our tightly clasped fingers tightened so firmly, as if determined never to let go.
"I want to be with you as a lover for the rest of my life."
"Your Majesty, even if we aren't lovers, we can be together for a lifetime. Don't be too extreme..."
"Don't treat me like a little kid who doesn't even know their own feelings. You know better than anyone how much I've changed since then."
No, I know very well that things have changed. I know that well, so why is the conversation suddenly veering in this direction? I was just trying to discuss the Elf's location...
You like me? And as a potential romantic partner at that!
I felt like I should say something, but nothing came to mind. In the end, I just kept moving my lips for a long time and couldn't say a word.
Thierry, who had been silently watching me, turned the hand he was holding. As the back of my hand slowly turned and drew closer to his lips, his hot breath soon touched mine.
"Don't try to avoid me by trying to treat me like a child like you used to."
The unfamiliar sensation did not fall off for a long time, as if leaving a brand mark.
***
How did it end up like this?
I sighed as I tightly hugged Rood, whom I hadn't seen in a long time.
"His Majesty says he likes me... Did you know?"
Rood's ears twitched. I was so proud of Rood for staying so well-behaved, even though being in my arms must have been stifling.
Overwhelmed by the cuteness, I was about to press my lips against Rood's head when I remembered Thierry kissing the back of my hand yesterday, and I stopped.
“Ha... I’m going crazy.”
I had already tossed and turned yesterday because of this, and it was driving me crazy that I kept thinking about it whenever I had a spare moment. The only saving grace was that Thierry would be very busy starting today, so I could keep my distance for the time being.
I can't even handle the work right in front of me, so what's the point of talking about a lifetime?
He must have known better than anyone that the top priority was to arrest the imposter and Duke Joubert, who had brought Lari, as accomplices. But as if that weren't enough, even Wagen, who had appeared looking serious yesterday, ended up getting involved.
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