Chapter 188

The memories of last night were far too intense.

Perhaps because of the aftermath, an awkward air lingered between Carmilla and me.

"Princess."

"......"

"Um, I brought you some tea..."

"......"

The princess showed no intention of speaking.

She had pulled the blanket all the way over her head and refused to leave the bed.

It seemed she still hadn't shaken off the afterglow.

Needless thoughts filled my head, and I let out a quiet sigh.

"Mmm..."

Maybe she regretted last night.

After all, the princess hadn't been in her right mind.

Perhaps she had only been swept up in overflowing emotions and kissed me without truly wanting to...

'I don't know.'

Her reaction was so dramatic that it was difficult to interpret from where I stood.

Even as I set down the teacup, I kept turning those thoughts over in my mind.

Perhaps she sensed my presence, because the princess's shoulders gave a small flinch.

The room was suffocatingly quiet. Neither of us spoke, so I carefully opened my mouth.

"Princess."

The princess cared for me.

Still, I had thought that affection was closer to the kind shared between close friends or siblings.

What had happened between us last night might have been different from the sort of relationship she wanted.

"Please don't feel burdened by it."

I could forget.

If that was what the princess wanted, I could return our relationship to what it had been before.

"I know better than anyone that you weren't in your right mind last night. It must have been an impulsive act. The aftereffects of your fit hadn't even faded yet. I think it was the sort of accident that could have happened."

"......"

"I don't mind. So if you wish, Princess, I'll erase what happened last night from my memor..."

"No!"

Flap.

The blanket that had been wrapped tightly around her was thrown aside in an instant.

The silver-haired girl poked her head out from between the fluttering white sheets.

Her face was flushed red with heat.

Her shoulders trembled, and her breathing refused to settle.

Despite being so unsettled, Carmilla stared up at me.

"......Princess?"

"Why... w-why would you say such a thing?! After taking my first, l-like that!"

"Um... I'm sorry. I only thought you seemed to regret what happened last night..."

"I do not regret it! Have I ever said that I regretted it?!"

"You kept avoiding the subject, and you wouldn't even meet my eyes..."

"That's because! I-I was just... so embarrassed... I-it was my first time!"

"Your reaction seemed too serious for simple embarrassment. Besides, it was my first time as well..."

"Do not lie. You have kissed Ranne, that girl, have you not?"

"No... With Lady Ranne, our tongues were not entwined or anything..."

"D-d-do not describe it so directly! Did I not just say I was embarrassed?!"

Her red eyes had even welled up with moisture.

The girl leaned out of the bed and shouted at me.

I nodded without thinking, then added as I looked into those watery eyes.

"Understood. I won't bring up that subject again."

"Talk about it later, when I-I'm all right..."

"I'll remember that."

"Ugh..."

"Still, please tell me if you change your mind. Once your emotions settle further, you may reach a different conclusion."

"......You did not listen to a word I said."

The princess rose from the bed.

She stepped out and strode toward me.

Then she grabbed me by the collar and sharply pulled me toward her.

The distance between us narrowed.

Deep red eyes filled my vision in an instant.

A soft touch met my lips, followed by something wet entering my mouth.

"Chup, mm... P-Princess...?"

"Stay still."

Chup.

The memories of last night played out exactly as they had before.

Her tongue licked my lips, and our clumsy saliva mingled.

Rough breaths escaped us.

We swallowed those breaths in turn, taking each other into our mouths.

Her distinctive scent brushed against my nose. A pounding came from where our chests touched.

"Mmm, chup..."

The princess didn't let me go.

The sticky entanglement made it hard to breathe.

More than ten minutes passed again.

Oxygen deprivation made my head hum dully.

Only after I staggered a few times did the girl slowly pull her lips away.

Pah.

Our saliva stretched between us in long threads.

The princess still hadn't released my collar.

For a moment, only our ragged breathing echoed.

"Haa, haa..."

Her face was as red as a carrot.

Even so, the girl's red eyes looked only at me.

"Look."

"......"

"I am in my right mind. What happened last night was also something I did while in my right mind. So do not decide on your own that my actions were a mistake. Whatever else may be true, I cannot accept that. Yesterday, by my own choice, by my own desire, with my own lips, I kissed you. Setting aside what our relationship will become after this, do not deny the choice I made after much thought. Do you understand? Or must I make you understand again?"

"Yes... no. I'm sorry. I overstepped."

"Hmph. It is good that you understand."

Tap.

She lightly released my collar.

The princess could be surprisingly unwilling to yield on unexpected matters.

More than that, she became incredibly strong when it came to matters like this.

"Ugh, my lips are tingling..."

A few minutes later, the princess had returned to her usual timid self.

Perhaps delayed embarrassment had caught up with her, because her face burned bright red.

Her hand, suddenly shy again, kept tugging at my sleeve.

Then, with her head lowered, the princess murmured as though making a request.

"......It must remain a secret from the other girls."

"I know."

I nodded.

The remnants of nausea lingered in my chest.

I took several deep breaths.

It took quite a while for the dizziness to subside.

After regaining our composure, we tried to spend the day as though nothing had happened.

"Hey."

But there was something we had overlooked.

Whether last night remained a secret was not something we could decide by ourselves.

"You two did it?"

We both fell silent.

A strange air hung in the room.

And there was one person who didn't miss it.

While the others tilted their heads in confusion, Caitlin alone pointed straight at us and asked.

"D-did it...? What do you mean by that...?"

"Your reaction says I'm right. And it wasn't anything ordinary either. You two really went at it."

"What nonsense are you talking about?! I do not know what you m-mean..."

"You acted all noble because you're a vampire and royalty, then you went and devoured your own retainer? There's more than ten years between you two, too."

"D-devoured him?! I never did such a thing! Besides, the age difference is not that large! That may be true by human standards, but when you consider a vampire's lifespan..."

"So, was it good?"

"I-I told you that isn't what happened...!"

Was this what they called a woman's intuition?

Caitlin seemed to possess an inborn talent for this sort of thing.

Perhaps because she was always closely examining people, she never missed even the smallest change.

"R-really? First Lady Ranne, and now the princess...?"

"Student Viktor, I would like to hear an explanation."

"Is that true, Sir Viktor?"

"Viktor's relationships with women are complicated. Yes, impressive."

Everyone's eyes naturally focused on us.

Fate could not be avoided.

In the end, just like with Ranne last time, we had no choice but to endure several hours of questioning.

* * *

A few days later.

I received word from the Border Knight Order and went out.

With no one accompanying me, I visited the Fifth Branch of the Border Knights alone.

"Sir Garulik!"

A middle-aged man warmly welcomed me.

He was a member of the Border Knight Order.

The Third Knight, Kantas.

He was an ally who supported the Slayers.

Ever since we had crossed paths at the Human Ranch, we had continued working together.

"It's been a while, Sir Kantas."

"Thank you for your help during the last Blue Night. Thanks to the Slayers' intervention, we were able to prevent a disaster."

"Not at all. Without the Border Knight Order's cooperation, we would have had a difficult time handling the aftermath. We should be the ones thanking you."

"Ha ha, you are too modest."

"Shall we get straight to the matter at hand?"

"Good. As you requested, I have prepared everything."

We headed underground.

Iron bars stretched down the corridor.

It was a prison managed by the Border Knight Order.

At its deepest point stood a strictly guarded solitary cell.

"This is it."

"Thank you for showing me the way. I'll go in alone from here."

"Will you be all right? We have put restraints on him, but there's no telling what will happen if he starts causing trouble in there..."

"Don't worry. I intend to resolve this through conversation."

"If Sir Garulik says so... very well. I'll withdraw the guards."

Clank.

The thick iron door opened.

Beyond it stood another thick iron door.

The solitary cell was built from several layers of that same structure.

I passed through seven doors before finally stopping in front of closely spaced bars.

"Ahem."

I lightly announced my presence.

The solitary cell was pitch-black.

Only a pair of red eyes blinked within.

I approached the bars and gave a small wave toward the figure chained to the wall.

"Good to see you again."

"......"

"Sir Lefil, was it?"

"......So it was you. The one who locked me up here."

Lefil.

Carmilla's former teacher.

And one of the New Kingdom's greatest fighting forces.

"......Why have you kept me alive like this?"

"Well. There are a few things I would like to ask."

I smiled at the old man in restraints.

The corners of my mask's mouth twitched.

"Then you'll answer my questions properly, won't you?"

Clank.

The cell door closed.

Footnotes: