Chapter 32
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 32: Sleepless Night
Subtle tea scent was hovering inside the reception room.
Faint evening sunset was shining through the window, dyeing the pure white hair of Emiline sitting opposite softly.
"...."
"...."
Princess and savior.
Awkward confrontation was continuing.
Sitting in the seat, she couldn't open her mouth easily.
Just scanning with her fingertips for no reason over the thin rectangular object placed on her thigh.
Sweeping down that carefully wrapped thing several times, her gaze went back and forth between the teacup and me.
I waited for a moment then opened my mouth first.
"If Princess Your Highness visited directly, don't you have some business?"
Only then did Emiline raise her head startled.
"Ah, yes! That... that, at the banquet hall... that day..."
Words tangle.
"Thank you very much for saving me."
She seemed to struggle to speak clearly, but her voice was trembling subtly.
I nodded calmly.
"I just did what was natural."
She shook her head vigorously.
"It's not a natural thing. Everyone was confused, and no one would have jumped into that room... but Iden-nim didn't hesitate."
And finally, she held out what she was fiddling with unnecessarily.
It was a thin rectangular object tied with apricot-colored wrapping paper and pink ribbon.
"So... I prepared this. It's nothing much though."
The packaging was unexpectedly delicate.
Sincerity as if tying even the ribbon knot by hand was felt.
I hesitated for a moment then received it.
"Gift... is it?"
"Yes. If you want... it's okay to open it now."
Her eyes looked secretly nervous.
I carefully untied the ribbon and peeled off the apricot-colored wrapping.
What was contained inside the wrapping was a well-drawn canvas frame.
And the moment I saw the painting drawn on that canvas, I couldn't help but admire.
Collapsed wall of the banquet hall.
Afterglow of explosion spreading red.
Fluttering debris.
In the middle of it, my appearance unfolding a defensive summoning circle while embracing Emiline, along with the afterglow of mana were expressed in detail.
It was a painting I might have fallen into appreciating until the night deepened if Emiline's voice hadn't been heard.
"......Is it not good?"
Her voice became small.
I raised my head.
"It is a really wonderful painting."
It was sincere.
Enough to feel that her skill would be unrivaled even though I have no knowledge about painting.
Emiline's face brightened in an instant.
"Re, really?"
And words continued pouring out with relief.
"Because the scene of that day kept coming to mind. When the explosion happened, and I opened my eyes... Iden-nim was embracing me. I thought it would be good if that scene... remained in memory for a long time."
Her voice became smaller and smaller.
Heated breath was continuing.
"Actually, it was the first time being held in someone's arms, and the first time being close enough for breaths to touch... too."
I didn't say anything, and she continued speaking.
"It was a desperate moment. But strangely... I felt relieved rather than scared. So, wanting to commemorate that scene... as a gift...!?"
Then suddenly, Emiline's eyes opened wide.
An expression realizing belatedly what she said.
"Ah, no! Th, not that meaning!"
Emiline's face turned red rapidly and dark grey pupils dilated surprisingly.
"Just... so grateful for saving me! Really grateful! As a commemoration... dr, drew it! Embrace or, breath or such... absolutely no strange meaning!"
"......."
"I just wanted to greet properly— that, th, the situation that day was so dramatic that description... no, description...! What am I saying right now...!"
Appearance making excuses waving both hands in the air was clumsy enough to make the status of Princess colorless.
I was just holding the painting quietly still.
Perhaps that silence made her more flustered, Emiline stammered more and more.
"Don't misunderstand! Absolutely not such intention! I just— just as a gratitude greeting—!"
Eventually stopping speaking out of breath, she bowed her head deeply with a flushed face.
Hands that were waving in fright pinched her own skirt hem tightly.
Psshh...
Feeling as if pure white steam would rise above her head for some reason.
Silence had to flow in the reception room for a moment.
...Hmm.
**
Sticking closely to the reception room door, Erwin was holding her breath.
She knew it was an action she should never do as an attendant.
Eavesdropping on the conversation between employer and Princess, this was clear rudeness.
"...."
But feet didn't move.
Intuition that she must listen unconditionally arose.
Since there was quite a distance between the door and sofa, voices weren't heard clearly.
Instead, low voices flowed out breaking along the wall.
Erwin's eyes narrowed.
What?
At that moment, somewhere in her head snapped, snap.
Close enough for breaths to touch?
Ears became more sensitive, head became hot, and heart started pounding.
Her red eyes flashed as if trying to gather even unheard sounds.
It was an ordinary sentence, just a sentence talking about the crisis in the banquet hall, but what stuck in Erwin's ears where apricot-colored scenes already started glimmering was.
It was.
"......!"
Breath stops.
Brief silence.
And apricot-colored scenes spread out as if exploding.
Erwin's face flushed hot.
No, no. That is clearly a misunderstanding. Right?
But why of all things do words like 'embrace', 'breath', 'first' are heard in succession?
Her hand gripped the doorknob tightly.
Sounds heard from inside became faster and faster.
Seemed like the Princess's voice.
Erwin pressed her ear closer to the door.
Not that meaning?
Then what meaning!
Erwin's heart beat strong, thump, thump.
Then she suddenly recalled.
How Iden could save the Princess so accurately in the banquet hall.
How he could be together in that spot just before the explosion.
'....'
Erwin's imagination began to run wild more and more arbitrarily.
Secluded corridor of the banquet hall, secret library guarded by knights.
Two people together under the pretext of appreciating masterpiece.
Distance became closer before knowing.
Kyaa.
Hot!
Erwin shook her head vigorously.
No.
He is cool-headed, has clear purpose, and is a person not swayed by emotion.
He was someone who didn't care about romantic feelings, a man showing interest only in growth and success.
Erwin's red eyes began to change the slowly cooling heat to another direction.
Flushed redness disappeared, and instead cool resolution took place.
Erwin's lips closed thinly.
Princess Emiline.
Clearly recognize, and classify as rival in love.
Erwin Vermir's fighting spirit began to burn towards one man, and as if she won't be shaken anymore by sounds heard beyond the door, flames burned clearly in her red eyes.
**
"Welcome."
"It is an honor to be able to go to battle with Young Lord Galliard."
Next day early morning.
Iden joined the expedition army procession heading to Saloon Central Plains.
Cavalry with Galliard at the head opened the way, infantry and supply wagons followed behind, and magic soldiers were deployed everywhere.
Wind containing the North's cold crossed the plains shaking flags roughly.
It was air with a faint smell of war.
Iden was driving a horse at Galliard's left rear.
Now as a Summoner and Baronet, and as one military force.
Even in the march heading to the battlefield, numerous gazes scanned past him.
And on his right, half a step behind.
Erwin was following on a horse.
Practical combat uniform instead of dress uniform, sword at waist, and simple magic catalyst pouch on back.
"I can't send my disciple alone."
She had said so calmly, and firmly.
Saying she would be together as a magic teacher.
Iden nodded at her stubborn attitude, but felt a strange gaze all along after that.
She keeps, glaring.
On the horse, during rest, even during march reorganization.
Glance, glance.
Iden eventually turned his head and asked.
"Did I... do something wrong?"
"No."
Short and firm answer.
Nevertheless, the gaze was still there.
Why on earth.
Looking back on memory, there was nothing particularly wrong done.
After the banquet hall incident, he didn't do any particularly rude action, and participated in training faithfully too.
But Erwin's red eyes strangely brushed past him sharply.
As if 'monitoring'.
Iden couldn't know the reason yet.
That night.
The march stopped at the gentle plains outside Saloon Central Plains.
Sentries surrounded the outer perimeter, and the command tent was set up in the center.
It was a night where starlight poured clearly.
A relatively solid barracks built by soldiers was assigned to Iden and Erwin.
Although a structure built hurriedly with wooden pillars and tent, the interior was sufficient to block the wind.
"Quite usable."
Iden spoke looking around the barracks interior.
Quite cozy, a barracks with space for a bonfire and gaps for smoke to escape.
It was a barracks he couldn't even dream of during mercenary days.
Money wasn't the problem.
Because of piled fatigue, he couldn't dare to pitch a tent, and lying down on the dirt floor first was daily life.
Even now, he was someone who would have lain on the dirt floor if soldiers hadn't built the barracks.
Certainly, the taste of success was acting quite sweetly.
Erwin nodded and looked around the unfolded cot here and there.
It was an assembly structure commonly used on the battlefield.
The moment she sat on the bed touching wooden legs and cloth top.
Creak—
Crack.
One leg of the cot twisted and collapsed as is.
"......."
Erwin stopped.
Iden also stopped.
"......It broke."
Erwin, rising from the tilted bed, dusted off her butt and spoke calmly.
Reaction as if she expected it.
Iden knelt and examined the structure.
It seems the soot-stained part among wooden connections couldn't withstand the weight and broke.
"Need tools to repair."
Outside was already deep night.
Soldiers entered shift duty, an ambiguous time to make a fuss.
Erwin looked down at the bed for a moment then spoke calmly.
"Waking up the quartermaster at this time is troublesome. Just sleep on the floor."
"...."
Iden, contemplating, shook his head immediately.
"I will sleep on the floor. I am used to sleeping on the dirt floor."
Her gaze headed to Iden.
"Nonsense."
"Hm?"
"Attendant sleeping on the bed and employer sleeping on the floor is strange whoever sees it."
Erwin was firm.
"Even so—"
"Still no."
Erwin looked at Iden's cot.
Her earlobes were very subtly red.
"And it's uncomfortable. It's more uncomfortable for me that you toss and turn on the floor while I sleep comfortably. So..."
Erwin stopping speech and hesitating for a moment.
Trying to spit it out, it feels like her throat is clogged tight.
Lips dry, feeling whole body heating up.
Kyaa, feeling like she would scream low if she were alone.
But as much as she wished and planned for the current situation, she had no thought of avoiding.
Therefore.
"Sl, sleep together."
Erwin, having committed it, moves her gaze to the floor.
"...What?"
"L, let's sleep together. Since your bed is wider, it won't be narrow for two to lie down. Th, that is comfortable."
"......."
"Wh, why are you looking like that."
Iden thought for a moment.
Tomorrow too march will continue from early morning, and large-scale battle will take place straight away at the arrived place.
No time nor stamina to wage useless squabble.
To him who hates unnecessary consumption and pursues practicality, sleeping even a wink more was beneficial in the time waging squabble.
"...Understood."
He nodded.
Erwin raised her head with a nonchalant face.
Although pretending to be nonchalant with effort, Iden didn't notice yet.
"Then lie down first...."
At Erwin's words, Iden lay on the bed.
Although definitely not spacious for two to lie down, it wasn't to the extent unable to lie down.
As Iden lay down, Erwin hesitated for a moment, brought a pillow and placed it next to him.
And taking off boots, she lies down carefully, and tries closing eyes.
Starlight shone faintly over the tent.
Interval between the two was about one arm.
Distance where body temperature is felt faintly.
Like that, Erwin was doing something called sleeping together for the first time in her life.
It was a sleepless night.