The Only One For Each Other (4)
The dawn when we promised each other meaning.
Even on a night that seemed to last forever, the sun rose, and the morning of a new day arrived.
"You're awake."
"······Yeah."
We woke up lying side by side.
Perhaps it was because the blanket was off that we were cold.
The fox had snuggled up to me in my sleep.
Her warm body temperature, soft tail, and even the blatant feeling of flesh against my chest.
The girl, leaning against me, spoke.
"We...fell asleep like that yesterday."
"We were both tired.
"It was a long day."
"Today will be even busier than yesterday. We should get up early and get ready."
"Okay."
Irene nodded obediently.
Although her reply was immediate, her black eyes had not yet shaken off their sleepiness.
She was a girl with a dreamy, hazy look.
I smiled softly and stroked the fox's head.
"Hehe."
"······."
Perhaps it was because of her suddenly docile reaction.
She didn't resist my touch anymore.
She just quietly accepted it.
I suddenly remembered our first meeting, which had been so prickly.
-I don't trust humans. I know how despicable and cruel your kind can be.
-You said you would tame me...but I have no intention of submitting to a human. If that time comes, I will bite my tongue and die.
-I am only following you to protect my siblings.
Hatred, resentment, revenge against humans.
All kinds of negative emotions.
Eyes filled with poison.
The girl didn't seem to let her guard down.
'I was wondering how to get to know her at first...'
I ponder the meaningless monologue.
As I gently stroke her head, Irene suddenly grabs my wrist.
I raise an eyebrow in question.
"Miss Irene?"
Did I do something wrong?
As I tried to pull my hand away.
"Hey."
"Yes?"
"Instead of my head... you can touch my ears."
The fox said flatly.
The girl then moved my hand and placed it on her perky ears.
A soft, yet firm touch met my fingertips.
"You kept avoiding them and petting me. It looked uncomfortable."
"Is it okay?"
"I don't care."
"Hmm."
I tilted my head.
I had already tried to touch them a few times and been rejected.
The fox would let me touch her tail if I bothered, but she would never let me touch the ears on top of her head.
It was a reaction of genuine dislike.
But I couldn't force her.
I had pretty much given up, but I didn't know she would suddenly allow it.
-A lot is going to change from now on.
-The one and only for each other.
-Please continue to take good care of me.
A conversation reminiscent of last night.
Perhaps it was because of the promise we made that things had changed.
Perhaps she had gained a little trust in me, and that was why she was finally allowing me to do this.
I smile a knowing smile.
'Right... I just had to approach her slowly.'
That's how taming works.
It took patience.
Even when you sit in the grass a little further away, you don't say anything, you just look at each other out of the corner of your eye, you smell the awkward air and the scent of each other, you become aware of each other's presence, and that's how you get closer to each other little by little, day by day.
And when, after much determination, you reach out your hand, your partner will not run away, as if in answer to the time you have invested.
Perhaps this was such a moment for me.
"Then I won't refuse."
I happily rubbed the girl's ears.
They were so thin, yet so soft and pliable, that the feeling of them gently crumpling in my hand was addictive.
A faint heat traveled through my fingertips.
The fox in my arms was wriggling.
"Ugh, ha... heuk..."
A strangely rough gasp.
Her cheeks flushed red.
Her eyes were unfocused and hazy.
Did I touch her too hard? I was worried and asked, but all she said was that it was okay.
The girl buried her face and let out an excited breath.
"Don't, worry, about, it... It's, nothing."
"Is it okay if I continue?"
"...Yes."
The girl nodded. I loosened my grip, now lightly stroking her earlobe. Her continued gasps filled the quiet room.
"Ha...hn, ha..."
The air became thick with the scent of skin. Our bodies intertwined as if embracing. Our body heat mingled stickily.
Lying in bed, we let a little more time slip away like that.
***
The morning arrived a little late. We were getting ready to return from our school trip.
Standing on the open deck, feeling the sea breeze, a sudden blue spark bursts forth in the air.
Crackle—!
The glittering light forms a circle. Space distorts, a paradox piercing through the distance.
A portal, created by an ability.
Emerging from the shimmering shadow is none other than Lena. Her long, black hair flutters in the wind. As her eyes meet mine, she immediately kneels.
“Commander. You summoned me, and I have come.”
“Thank you for coming. We don’t have much time, so let's start with a quick explanation.”
“Understood.”
Lena arrived immediately after receiving the telegram. I calmly summarize the situation. After listening quietly, she nods in understanding.
“You’re asking me to take care of this ship? And the two of you are returning to the Academy?”
“The school trip isn't over yet.”
“I’ll open a portal for your return. I've visited Heiron before, so I can take you to a more precise location.”
“Such a capable subordinate.”
It's reassuring to have her by my side. When she appeared as an enemy in the original story, she wasn’t this helpful.
Bringing her over to my side has proven useful in many ways. I particularly appreciate her loyalty. Perhaps picking her up when she was starving on the streets was worth it after all.
A satisfied smile spreads across my face.
“I trust you’ll handle the details well.”
“I’ll leave the details to you.”
“Good.”
“I’ll have the engineers overhaul the ship after erasing any remaining records. Its basic performance is excellent, so it should be a useful addition to our forces.”
“Excellent.”
“As for the people held as illegal slaves… just like last time in Belsen, we’ll transport them to the hospital first to assess their condition. Once we’ve confirmed their identities, we’ll release them.”
“Handle them with care. They’ve suffered unjustly.”
“We’ll do everything we can to make them comfortable.”
The conversation tidied up the complicated procedures.
As things were wrapping up, I lowered my voice and introduced a new topic.
It was about the ill-fated encounter a few days prior.
“As I mentioned earlier, it's quite a complicated situation.”
“Obscurity… Since the First Blade has moved, it’s safe to assume the King's will is involved. We’ll investigate the reason for this sudden activity.”
“Please be careful not to let the Vice captain hear anything about the King. It could be… unsettling for her.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Was it because of the mention of Neria?
The woman nodded with a somber expression.
With a wry smile, I asked a question that had just come to mind.
“Come to think of it… the Vice captain didn’t come with you?”
“She’s away at the moment.”
“Oh?”
“She’s been dispatched near the border. There’s been a report of black magic activity in the area.”
“You hear a lot from over there.”
“The dark mages have been acting strangely lately.”
“Oh dear, it seems everyone's quite busy. We should start our preparations soon too.”
“I'll inform the members separately.”
“I'll join you as soon as my schedule is clear.”
“Understood.”
Lena replied with a sharp nod. I patted her shoulder a few times, then turned and stepped onto the deck.
With the explanation finished, it was time to return.
Irene was standing beside me, having approached unnoticed. I gave her a slight nod, and she stretched out her hand, creating a portal that pierced through space once more.
This time, the passage led to the hotel building.
“We'll be going now.”
“I’ll be waiting, Captain.”
“Happy to hear it.”
“Everything is as you will.”
The woman whispered, kneeling on one knee. Her head bowed as if in worship. Leaving behind the member who saw us off so respectfully, we moved towards the sparking portal.
The moment our steps crossed the shadow—
Crackle—!
We were standing in front of the building.
***
We returned to our accommodations without incident. Despite being away from our travel destination for three days, there were no problems.
Selena had taken care of our attendance. Thanks to her, we could enjoy the rest of our schedule without worry.
“You!”
“Y-Young Master…?”
Of course, I had to endure some questioning from those close to me.
Clearly, we had made plans to go around together, but I hadn't shown my face for several days.
I smiled awkwardly.
"Haha... I'm so sorry."
Standing before me were two girls.
The villainess and the heroine.
"You. Where have you been for the past few days?"
"I, I was worried... You weren't in your room, and I, I tried looking for you, but no one knew where you had gone, so I, I was worried something might have happened to you..."
"Disregarding the violation of school rules... it's disconcerting when you disappear suddenly! Where exactly were you and what were you doing for three days?"
"S, Still, I'm glad. Since you say nothing happened."
The two girls greeted the boy with different reactions.
It seemed I had caused them worry.
I laid out the lie I had prepared.
"I apologize. Professor Selena asked me for a favor. I had to go somewhere for a while. I didn't realize it would take this long."
"I, I'm okay... I was just worried."
"Thank you for understanding, Lady Regia."
"...I wasn't particularly angry either. You could have at least told us before you left."
"I will certainly do so next time, Lady."
The girls seemed convinced when I mentioned Selena's name.
As expected, having the position of chief assistant allowed me to easily slip out of situations like this by using the "Professor Card."
"Let's start moving together, starting today."
"You do know that today is the last day of the field trip, right...?"
"Then we must hurry even more."
“Th-The breeze is nice, s-so, m-maybe a walk along the beach would be alright…!”
“Good idea. Let's go then.”
“Y-Yes!”
“Haah…”
The Pilot, Vanity, the Snake, the fox.
The children all walked out of the lodging together.
Whooshhh-
Following the blowing wind as they walked, the feeling beneath their feet soon changed to the touch of sand.
The ocean, full of blue, resembling the sky.
“Wonderful weather.”
And so, the children enjoyed the last day of their vacation.
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