The Aristocratic Gathering (1)
Three days had passed since I collapsed in the dining hall from sleep deprivation, and at last the morning of the noble gathering had dawned — the very day the long-awaited operation to hunt down McHart would finally be set in motion.
“Aaah, uuuuuugh….”
Right as the morning sun began spilling through the window, my body rose on its own — the punctual wake-up habit I'd cultivated through years of life as a servant.
To be honest, up until three days ago every night had been a torment of sleeplessness, but lately I'd been resting well enough that, mercifully, my eyes had opened on their own without any trouble on the day of the operation itself. And though it was only for a moment, my broken condition had, in the end, returned to normal.
-Rustle, swish.
It wasn't like I had academy classes to worry about, so as I sat there in the Blackwood estate peeling off my sleeping maid uniform the way I usually did, something familiar yet oddly off about the scenery in front of me snagged my attention — and I felt my groggy mind slowly snapping back into focus.
Hold on, come to think of it….
This wasn't my room.
The instant I realized I'd woken up not in my own bed but in Ethan's, a small flicker of confusion stirred in my head — though thankfully, the flustered feeling settled down almost immediately as my brain finished booting up.
Right. I told Ethan I'd be sleeping here for a while.
Three days ago, we'd agreed that until the day of the operation, I would fall asleep in his room to help me manage my condition — because lately the nightmares and insomnia had been keeping me from sinking into any real depth of sleep.
I couldn't say I understood the exact reason for it, but the simple fact was that with Ethan's warmth beside me, the nightmares stopped.
It wasn't some desperate desire to share a bed with the man. It was thorough preparation for the showdown with McHart. If my body fell apart on the day of the operation and things went wrong during the hunt, it wouldn't just be me in danger — I could drag everyone else down with me.
Good thing Ethan's still asleep.
I'd very nearly become a perverted maid sneaking around half-naked while her master slept. Thank goodness my wake-up time came earlier than Ethan's.
Anxious to avoid stirring up any pointless misunderstandings, I slowly began retrieving the clothes I'd so carelessly flung aside.
-Slide.
Climbing back onto the bed to gather up the scattered garments, I crept carefully toward the shirt that had, of all places, sailed clean over to the far side of the bed from Ethan's body.
Don't wake him. Slowly. Gently.
“Haaaam. Lilith, you're awak….”
…But contrary to my hopes, Ethan woke mere moments after I did — and my position at that exact moment was, of course, less than ideal.
-Squish.
“Nngh?!”
I'd been sprawled over his body, arm outstretched, reaching for my clothes — so when Ethan sat up, his face buried straight into my chest.
“Nn-ngh?!”
-THUD.
I startled at the sensation, lost my balance, and toppled forward — and just like that, first thing in the morning, I ended up smothering Ethan's face with my breasts.
“Mmph—nnngh?!”
“I—I'm so sorry! Excuse me!”
“Lilith?! What just—”
I snatched up the discarded clothes, threw them on in record time, and fled back to my own room next door.
Not once, throughout the entire breakfast, could Ethan and I bring ourselves to look each other in the eye.
We were riding in the carriage bound for the Imperial Villa — the venue for the noble gathering.
Perhaps because it had been a while since the two of us rode alone together, the atmosphere inside was awkward in every possible way.
Actually, it wasn't just a matter of being alone in a carriage. Lately, things between me and Ethan had simply been awkward, period. Between what happened this morning and everything else, the awkwardness had been piling up for days now.
Like how I'd lost consciousness mid-meal in the dining hall and woken up clinging to Ethan's body. Or how, that very night, when I'd tried to sleep alone again and found it utterly impossible, I'd gone to his room and begged to sleep together. Or how the next morning I'd woken up plastered against him all over again — and how, in my sleep, I'd nearly kissed his lips out of sheer habit. With that routine repeating day after day, it was only natural that things had ended up like this.
So honestly, the air between us right now was so stifling it was hard to breathe….
But if I think about the operation ahead, this awkward atmosphere might actually work in our favor.
Ethan and I needed to look like we were on bad terms — only then would McHart feel safe enough to come after me. And since we were selling a trap anyway, a little dash of truth would only make the bait more convincing. Nothing wrong with that.
Of course, if we looked too distant, the whole act itself could get seen through, so we'd need to loosen up just a touch.
“Ed.”
“…….”
“…Ed?”
“Ah, yeah. What is it, Lilily?”
“Lilily…?”
“L-Lili….”
Was he not nervous at all — or so nervous that he was fumbling like this?
The moment the thought crossed my mind that this simply would not do, I deliberately brought up the matter at hand to thaw out his stiff reaction.
“What are we going to do if you're this awkward already? At this rate, will Prince McHart really take the bait?”
“…Sorry, Lilily.”
“…….”
“L-Lili….”
“We've spent all this time preparing for this with everyone. Miss Agnes has gone out of her way to stage fights with me just to put Prince McHart's suspicions at ease, and Saintess Serista performed the Consecration for me even knowing it might put her in danger. This is a plan we've all built together, step by step, over a long time — so we have to see it through properly.”
“…I'll do it right when it counts. So don't worry, Lily.”
Well, Ethan was the kind of man who could deliver when it mattered, so once the real thing began he'd probably be better than this.
It wasn't that I doubted his confidence in itself, but I wanted to buy a little extra insurance.
To guard against mistakes — like flying into open rage the instant he laid eyes on Prince McHart, or, while prowling around near me in my role as bait to lure McHart out, accidentally getting spotted by the man himself.
If either of us slipped up and made a blunder in the field, I had to consider the McHart takedown operation as good as gone. A McHart who'd sniffed out one trap wasn't going to step into the same one twice.
And if it came to that, the one begging the Hero's party to take me in would be me — begging Gehmajoshigi-gwat, no less. Staying on as a member of the Blackwood estate even after McHart fully blossomed into a true demon meant putting every single person and servant under the Blackwood name in mortal danger.
If the hunt dragged out into a long war of attrition, the one who'd bleed and wither wouldn't be McHart — it would be my side. The whole thing had to be finished and settled within this summer break, no matter what. Come next semester, I had to reclaim my peaceful everyday life at the academy.
Not that Ethan would ever knowingly throw me into danger, even if I said nothing — but as it stood, I was currently receiving his help free of charge.
It was only fitting to offer a little something in return once the work was done, and giving him something to feel motivated about seemed reasonable.
“Ed.”
“Yeah, Lily?”
“If this all goes well, and I'm no longer living under the threat of Prince McHart… then I'll grant you one wish.”
“Sure, Lily… wait, what?!”
“A wish. As in, a wish.”
…Ah, hold on. Now that I thought about it, maybe I'd jumped the gun.
Worried he might ask for something outrageous, I hastily tacked on a condition and explained myself.
“Ah — of course, nothing like demanding ten thousand gold coins, obviously. Only wishes I can grant within my own abilities.”
“…….”
“That's a pretty bland reaction. Did you want something other than a wish, Ed?”
“N-no! It's not like I'm unhappy with the offer or anything.”
“Then what?”
“It's just… if it's really something you can grant, Lily, does that mean any wish is on the table…?”
“…….”
Honestly. What a sneaky little lecher.
Apparently whatever I'd done for him with my mouth a week ago had left quite the impression. The way he couldn't hide his true intentions to save his life said it all.
If we really could take down McHart without a hitch, I supposed there was no reason I couldn't do that again. My mouth and throat would suffer a bit, sure — but weighed against my own life, it was a bargain by any measure.
And unlike the Hero or the others, Ethan had put his neck on the line for me without a shred of ulterior motive or self-interest. If something like that was what he wanted as his reward, I could grant it as many times as he liked.
“Suit yourself. Though we're talking about after this operation, when I've come through it alive.”
“…I'll protect you. No matter what. So don't you worry.”
“I'll be counting on you, Ed.”
It was, if he meant asking me to repeat what I'd done with my mouth, something I could manage just fine — or so I thought, back then, without a care in the world.
What Ethan would actually demand of me as his reward for the McHart operation… I hadn't the faintest idea yet.