85. summer vacation (5)

“… You fell asleep again.”

“It looks like that.”

A ryokan accommodation as usual.

I looked down at Arlot, who was spreading the futon in the tatami room and making regular breathing sounds.

While complaining of pain, she was exhausted and was about to fall asleep.

“You must have had a lot of trouble with acupuncture.”

Koyono combed Arlott’s bangs with her fingers.

It was Arlot, who had been visiting Erica’s mother every day for the past few days and receiving acupuncture.

There was a high possibility that it would be difficult to receive acupuncture after the vacation, so I wanted to receive as much as possible.

… Arlott also understood that, so he was silently enduring the physical burden.

“I can’t help it. I have no choice but to cheer for you to endure well.”

From now on, it was Arlott’s battle.

Only if I overcome the pain and continue receiving acupuncture will I be able to get my leg back.

… All I could do was stand by her side.

“Hey, Lord Schmitz.”

As I was looking down at Arlott’s face, Koyono started talking to me.

“Why is that?”

“If there is time… Would you like to go for a walk with me?”

“Well… Is it a walk?”

I turned around for a moment and looked out the window.

It’s not until dawn, but it’s clear night and the sky is dark.

Koyono panicked as if she had interpreted my gaze in a different way.

“You can leave Prince Arlott to Prince Evan. It’s because I want to talk a little… privately.”

“If you’re going to tell me that much, I’ll go.”

It was a bit awkward to leave the sleeping Arlott,

Maybe she has something she wants to talk about.

Thinking that way, it was difficult to refuse Koyono’s request.

“Okay, then let’s go.”

“All right. Mr. Evan, Miss Arlot, please.”

“… ”

Seeing Evan nod, the two left the room,

Together we headed to a nearby observatory.

The night wind gently brushed his cheeks.

The full moon revealed its presence more clearly than usual…

The view of the city from the observatory halfway up the mountain was very friendly.

It’s been quite a while since I came to Heyrin, but it’s a sight I don’t get tired of.

“I guess you liked the scenery.”

“Because I couldn’t see properly when I came the other day. The feeling is new.”

I think of the time when I came to Heirin as if I was kicked out when I was 15 years old.

As soon as Kate got on the merchant’s wagon, she headed for the ordeal.

After getting the imprint of the flame, he met the slender man and immediately left Heirin.

The 15-year-old me who was busy moving before I had a proper mood or appreciation.

When I think about it now, it’s amazing how I lived so hard.

Did that single thought move me to save Arlot?

“Are you thinking about Prince Arlott again?”

“Well, as always.”

How did you see through the thoughts in your head?

Feeling embarrassed, I touched her face for no reason, and Koyono smiled lightly.

“It wasn’t something I knew from the look on my face. just… It was taken and matched.”

“Well… Is that so?”

“It’s nothing different to call out Lord Schmitz like this.”

My shoulders trembled at Koyono’s words that came in with a hook.

I didn’t expect to get to the point right away, so I looked straight into her eyes.

Her eyes, illuminated by the full moon, were more serious than ever.

I swallowed, waiting for her mouth to open.

[just… I want you to know the girl’s heart, her sincerity.]

[Today’s unresolved question… I’ll solve it in the east during summer vacation.]

I remembered the time when we called each other out and talked after the final exams.

I thought of Koyono’s complicated face, confused and still unorganized.

Her face now, as if she had made up her mind for something, contrasted with her then.

At the same time, hiding her nervous expression, her lips finally moved.

* * *

‘I’m talking… A girl’s heart today.’

My heart beat faster than the moment of bloody battle.

He put his hand on his chest, which was about to explode, and calmed it down.

… Close your eyes, organize your lines once again, catch your breath,

Koyono finally poured out the ‘sincerity’ that she hadn’t been able to talk about before.

“Schmitz is fine. For several years since my time as a trainee, I’ve been living with Miss Schmitz… you.”

“Miss Koyono… ”

“I will keep going until you look at the girl. I know it’s a burden, but… I just wanted to say this.”

In the middle of the night when the full moon is clear, there is no one in the mountain observatory.

Only the voice of Koyono echoed in the place where only the sound of insects could be heard.

Unable to look at his face, Koyono lowered her head.

‘…I finally said it.’

He finally revealed to Schmitz the feelings he may have had for some time.

I’ve been thinking and thinking since the final exams were over, but…

Because he couldn’t give up Schmitz in the end.

Exhaling an excited breath, Koyono slowly raised her head.

What kind of expression is he making without saying anything?

With that face in sight, Koyono’s body froze as it was.

“…uh, um.”

He, that is to say, Schmitz, rolled his eyes here and there, looking bewildered.

Seeing that, Koyono felt her heart skip a beat.

A strange pain radiated from the depths of his chest all over his body.

‘…I expected it, but it’s still threesome.’

I knew better than anyone that it was a natural result.

In his mind, the person named Torino Koyono did not exist.

Ever since I was little, I have lived with a person called ‘Eral de Arlott’.

Hearing me like this would just be embarrassing.

Yes, it is a natural result.

natural…

“…what.”

Something ran over Koyono’s cheek.

I felt my cheek with a trembling hand, and my fingertips were wet.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to look like this… ”

When I realized that there were tears in my eyes, my eyes felt sore for no reason.

I didn’t call him to show you this ugly side…

Koyono forcibly moved her trembling body as if it was out of order and turned around.

“Bar, the night air is cold. go back first The girl has a place to go… I will go first.”

After saying that, she ran down the promenade.

‘What did you expect, girl… ‘

It was not easy to run while wearing the yukata I received from the ryokan and wearing clogs.

However, he ran down the mountain without hesitation.

ran, ran, ran again.

“…Huh. ugh… ”

It was only when I was finally out of breath that I finally stopped.

Because of the shaking of my neck against my will, my breathing sounded like a sob.

That eventually caused Koyono to collapse and fall to the ground.

“…All I have to do is say that I will look at him with confidence…”

Maybe it was because I was forced to run with my clogs on, or maybe the laces on my clogs broke in the middle, so I was barefoot before I knew it.

There were clots of blood on his feet, covered with stones, dirt and dust.

Why can’t I feel anything even though my feet have become like this?

“Huh… ”

My chest was stuffy.

Even grabbing the chest part over the yukata did not relieve the stuffiness.

The imprint of the flame is on him, not on me.

Why is it stuffy and hot like burning?

“…This.”

Because I was sitting down, I could see the surroundings clearly.

Dense stems and leaves lined her field of vision.

It was one of the tourist attractions located in Heirin, ‘Sunflower Garden’.

When I saw that sunflower, there was someone who came to mind again.

‘Lord Schmitz is like a sunflower.’

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Just as a sunflower looks at the sun, Schmitz always lived looking at Arlott, not himself.

If Arlott is the sun, then he is a being close to the moon floating in misery.

An existence that clumsily radiates pale light following the brilliant light of the sun, but fails to attract the attention of sunflowers.

‘There is no gap between the sun and the sunflower.’

It was Koyono who watched Arlott’s heart more closely than anyone else.

The miraculous days of enduring trials in the ordeal history, the delicate consideration and sacrifices of life shown at school.

Even in Schmitz’s small gestures and words, Schmitz’s sincerity for Arlotte is contained.

But what kind of shame did he mean to break up the relationship between the two?

It couldn’t be.

That’s why, in her own way, she was about to declare that she would go after him, but…

“…I have to say I’m sorry.”

Yeah, if it’s a joke.

If you hide your true feelings behind a sham shield of jokes, lies, and slips of the tongue

You should be able to smile by his side as usual.

“Miss Koyono.”

“Shu, Lord Schmitz?”

A shadow fell between the sunflower and Koyono.

Schmitz looks down at himself with a complex expression.

now… I didn’t have the confidence to face him now.

So, I hurriedly covered my face with my hand.

“Ah, what I said earlier was a mistake. Don’t worry too much about it.”

“…”

“The girl must have been crazy for a while. So, so… ”

please don’t leave my side

Koyono was about to say that, but couldn’t bring it out.

It was because he held out his back to Koyono without saying a word.

“Come on, get up.”

“Why all of a sudden…”

“My shoes are broken, my feet are a mess. I can’t go back alone.”

At Schmitz’s low tone, Koyono shivered slightly.

He silently carried her on his back and walked slowly back to the ryokan.

Only the sound of grass insects like crickets and Schmitz’s footsteps echoed.

‘… I feel like I can hear the sound of my heart.’

It was colorless to say that it was a mistake, and my heart started beating fast again just by being carried by Schmitz.

It was because Koyono was anxious in many ways.

Wouldn’t it be unpleasant to sweat from running hard, wouldn’t it smell like sweat…

Schmitz’s voice echoed through Koyono’s complicated mind.

“Mr. Koyono’s heart… is definitely a grateful heart.”

“…I’m grateful, but I think it means that I can’t accept it.”

“It’s not Koyono’s fault. Rather, it is my problem.”

It was understood that Schmitz did not feel a rational attraction to her.

There was a lot of evidence until I saw the reaction and the embarrassed face from earlier.

But what does it mean to say that Schmitz is at fault?

“As expected, as a girl, there’s something that doesn’t please Mr. Schmidt…”

“It’s not like that. It must be because I didn’t have enough time to think.”

“If it’s time to think…”

“It’s things like dating and love. For me, I didn’t have enough time to think about those things.”

Schmitz’s tone was quite determined.

His number one goal is a happy ending for Arlott and this world.

It is true that in his position, where he had to run hard from place to place to achieve his goal, there was a lack of time.

… The trauma of his younger sister lost due to illness and his ‘previous life’ with no experience of dating a woman might be related.

“It is not for the happiness of Prince Arlott that Prince Schmitz is so urgent.”

“To be precise, it is the happiness of this world.”

“World’s Happiness…?”

“Yes. Princess Arlotte and Koyono-san. My goal is to create a world where everyone is happy.”

The happiness of Arlott, his goal, is possible only when the happiness of this world is premised.

Eradication of demons, stabilization of the world.

If all those conditions were reduced to one word, it would be ‘World’s Happiness’.

A happy ending would be more accurate, but the ending is just a story for him.

‘My ending will only be a new beginning.’

So he had no choice but to state the somewhat grandiose goal of world happiness.

Koyono’s arm wrapped around Schmitz’s shoulder began to tremble little by little.

Embarrassed, Schmitz shrugged, but Koyono didn’t care.

As if facing an unbearable trembling.

“Puff… Puff…! The happiness of the world, a man named Prince Schmidt…!”

Efforts to hold back laughter

Schmitz, realizing that Koyono’s trembling was caused by that, couldn’t help but burst into laughter together.

“Ha, really… Schmidt-dono is a man who can’t get out of the way. It’s nice to see him still the same in the ordeal history and now.”

“I can see nothing but teasing words.”

A strange feeling of comfort lingered between the two, who burst into laughter for a long time.

Schmitz was glad that she had her smile back.

Koyono was relieved that his gaze was focused on the somewhat erratic place of the world’s happiness.

However, Koyono wanted to go one step further.

“Come on, Lord Schmitz. Can I ask you a favor?”

“Yeah. I will gladly listen.”

“If… if the day comes when Prince Schmitz finds someone to love…”

‘Could you put the Duke of Arlot and the girl on the same line and look at them?’

The sentence you hold in your heart.

Koyono didn’t even know if he had said it or not.

But one thing was certain.

His back flinched at his own femininity.

His hand lifted up to avoid his sensitive part,

The fact that I was looking at myself as a full-fledged woman.

Koyono, who was very happy about that, tried to fool around a little by clinging to Schmitz even more.