[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
Chapter 79 - The Only Ones for Each Other (4)
In the early dawn that promised aning for us both.
Sunlight crept into what had felt like an endless night, ushering in the morning of a new day.
“You’re awake.”
“…Yeah.”
We woke together, still lying side by side.
Maybe she’d been cold without a blanket.
At so point, Irene had curled up against in her sleep.
Her warmth, the softness of her tail, the unmistakable feel of her body pressed close.
Nestled against , she murmured,
“Looks like we… fell asleep like this.”
“We were both exhausted.”
“There was… a lot going on.”
“Today’s bound to be even busier than yesterday. We should get up and start preparing early.”
“Alright.”
Irene nodded easily, though her dark eyes were still glazed with sleep.
Her expression was a sleepy, tousled ss.
Smiling a little, I reached out and stroked her hair.
“Mm-hmm.”
“…”
Maybe because she’d grown more receptive lately, she didn’t pull away.
She just quietly accepted my hand.
I couldn’t help but recall our first eting, when she’d been so much sharper.
—I don’t trust humans. I know just how vile and cruel your kind can be.
—You said you wanted to “ta” … but I’ll never bow to a human. I’d sooner bite my tongue and die if it ca to that.
—I’m only following you to protect my siblings.
Hatred for humans, resentnt, a thirst for vengeance.
Every negative emotion boiled within her.
Her gaze back then had been fierce, brimming with distrust.
‘I wondered at the ti if we’d ever get along…’
I chewed over this silent thought. Stroking her hair, I noticed Irene reach for my wrist, stopping my hand.
I looked at her with a questioning expression.
“Miss Irene?”
Had I done sothing to bother her?
I started to pull my hand back, but—
“Here.”
“Yes?”
“You can… touch my ears too.”
Her voice was expressionless.
Then, she guided my hand to her head, settling it on her perky, upright ears.
The feel of them was both soft and delicate.
“You kept avoiding them while you petted . It looked uncomfortable.”
“You’re really okay with this?”
“It’s fine.”
“Hmm.”
I tilted my head in slight surprise.
She’d refused every previous ti I’d tried.
She never minded her tail being touched, brushing it off as no big deal, but she’d always pulled her ears back.
She genuinely seed to dislike it.
I’d decided to let it go, so I was surprised to be allowed now.
—From now on, many things will change.
—The only ones for each other.
—Please continue to look after .
It must have been last night’s promise that shifted sothing.
Maybe a little trust had started to build, leading her to grant permission now.
A soft smile ca to my lips.
‘Yes… approaching slowly was the right way.’
Taming requires patience.
Even if you sit a little apart, even if you only sneak glances and breathe in the awkward air between, day by day you beco more aware of each other.
And when you finally reach out, the other won’t run away because the ti you’ve spent speaks for itself.
Perhaps, for , this was one of those monts.
“Then, I’ll happily oblige.”
With that, I gently stroked her ears.
They were so thin and soft, almost addictively pliant, bending slightly under my fingertips.
Warmth radiated through my touch.
Nestled against , Irene shivered.
“Hngh… haah…”
Her breathing turned strangely unsteady.
A blush colored her cheeks, and her eyes took on a hazy, unfocused look.
Wondering if I’d hurt her, I asked gently, but she only assured she was fine.
Burying her face against , she exhaled softly.
“D-Don’t mind… ngh, it’s… nothing.”
“Is it alright to continue?”
“…Mm.”
She nodded.
This ti, I softened my touch, carefully rubbing along the edge of her ear.
Her breathing filled the quiet room.
“Haa… ngh… haah…”
The scent of her warmth filled the air.
Our bodies pressed close, holding one another, and our mingled warmth seeped into each other.
Lying together like this, we drifted in and out of ti.
***
A slightly late morning.
We had finished preparing to return to our school trip.
As we stood on the open deck, the sea breeze whipping past, blue sparks suddenly burst into the air.
Crackle—!
The glittering light spun in a circle.
Space twisted, bringing near what was far.
A portal made through magic.
From the shadows of the swirling gate stepped none other than Lena, her long black hair flowing.
The mont she saw us, she imdiately knelt.
“Captain, I have co as requested.”
“Thank you for coming. Let’s start with a quick rundown, as we don’t have much ti.”
“Understood.”
Without delay, Lena had co as soon as she’d received my ssage.
I gave her a brief summary of the situation.
She listened quietly, nodding as she took in each point.
“You’re asking to take over managent of the ship, and both of you will be returning to the academy’s scheduled events?”
“Yes, since our field trip isn’t over yet.”
“I will also open a portal for your return. Since I’ve been to Heiron before, I should be able to bring you close to an exact location.”
She was always a reliable subordinate.
In the original story, she’d been such a formidable opponent, but now that she was on my side, her skills were invaluable in countless ways.
Her loyalty was especially gratifying.
It felt like saving her from starving to death in the streets had paid off.
A satisfied smile ca to my lips.
“I trust you’ll handle the details well.”
“Once I’ve erased any existing records on the ship, I’ll bring in engineers to have it refurbished. The base design is excellent, so it should serve as a valuable asset.”
“Perfect.”
“As for the forr captives… I’ll send them to a hospital for evaluation, as we did last ti in Belzen. Once we’ve confird their identities, we’ll release them.”
“See that they’re treated carefully. They’ve suffered enough unfairly.”
“I’ll make sure they’re given proper care.”
We went over the finer points of the plan.
As we wrapped up, I brought up a new topic, lowering my voice.
It was about the recent confrontation with an old enemy.
“As I ntioned, the situation is fairly complicated.”
“The Unnad… If the First Sword has been mobilized, it’s safe to assu the Sovereign’s orders are behind it. We’ll look into why they suddenly started moving.”
“For now, don’t ntion the Sovereign to the Vice-Captain. It’s a topic likely to weigh on her.”
“…Understood.”
The ntion of Neria must have touched a nerve; Lena’s expression turned somber.
With a wry smile, I asked a question that had just occurred to .
“By the way… didn’t the Vice-Captain co with you?”
“She’s away for the mont.”
“Oh?”
“She’s been dispatched to a border area. A report ca in that traces of dark magic were found there.”
“That area does seem to see a lot of action lately.”
“Dark magic activity has been unusually high recently.”
“Goodness~ So everyone’s getting rowdy? I suppose we’ll have to prepare accordingly.”
“I’ll inform the mbers.”
“When the trip ends, I’ll rejoin you imdiately.”
“Understood.”
Lena answered with a crisp nod.
After patting her on the shoulder a few tis, I turned and stepped across the deck.
With the explanation done, it was ti to return.
Irene had appeared beside .
At my brief nod, Lena raised her hand and created another portal, piercing space once more.
This one led directly to the hotel.
“We’ll be off, then.”
“I await your return, Captain.”
“I’ll rember that.”
“All according to your will.”
With a low murmur, she bent one knee in a final bow, as if in prayer.
Leaving my dedicated officer behind, we stepped toward the portal, sparks flying around us.
In that mont, as we passed through the shadowed gate,
Crackle—!
We found ourselves standing in front of the building.
***
We returned to our lodging as naturally as if we’d never left.
Even though we’d been away from the trip for three days, it didn’t cause any issues.
Selena had already arranged our attendance.
Thanks to that, I could enjoy the rest of the trip with peace of mind.
“There you are!”
“Y-you’re back…?”
Of course, a bit of questioning awaited from those close to .
I’d promised to stick together, but hadn’t shown myself for days.
I gave them an awkward smile.
“Haha… I’m afraid I have no excuse.”
Two girls stood in front of —the villainess and the protagonist.
“Where on earth have you been?”
“I was so… w-worried… You weren’t in your room, and I tried looking around, but no one knew where you’d gone, and… and I thought sothing might have happened…”
“Setting aside school rules… you can’t just disappear like that! Where were you for three whole days?”
“W-well, I’m glad you’re safe, at least…”
Both greeted in their own ways, showing their concern.
I shared the story I’d prepared.
“I apologize. Professor Selena asked for my help, so I had to step out for a bit. I didn’t expect it to take so long.”
“I-I don’t mind… I was just worried.”
“Thank you for understanding, Miss Regia.”
“...I’m not that angry either. It would just be nice if you let us know first.”
“I’ll be sure to do so next ti, My Lady.”
They seed to accept it once Selena’s na ca up.
Perhaps having the assistant instructor’s rank ca in handy, as my professor’s cover smoothed things over quickly.
“We should make the most of today together.”
“You know today’s the last day of the field trip, right…?”
“That just ans we should hurry.”
“The breeze is so cool… We could, w-walk along the beach…!”
“Sounds good. Let’s get going.”
“Yes, let’s!”
“Haa…”
The Pilot, the Vain Nobel, the Snake, and the Fox.
All left the lodging together.
Whiiiish—
As we walked, the path soon gave way to sand beneath our feet.
The sea stretched before us, as blue as the sky.
“The weather couldn’t be better.”
And so, they enjoyed the last day of their vacation together.
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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