The Second Kiss (1)
But they only took one swift glance before turning back, too busy guarding their own spots to interfere.
Worth the trip here, at least.
Maru could feel it in his body — his axe proficiency had grown. Where at first he had only swung the thing, now he'd grasped the technique of throwing it and striking his mark with pinpoint accuracy.
Would be even better if it came back like a boomerang, though.
It was the Ogre Hand Axe, the one Odrite had gifted him. A fine axe to be sure, but having to trudge over and pick it up again after every throw was getting to be a mild nuisance.
Anyway, about two hours had passed since they arrived at the hunting grounds. With a good deal of leisure on his hands now, Maru asked Edward about the matter that had been weighing on his mind.
"What's your sister say about the marriage? Does she actually want to marry into the Empire?"
Edward was in the middle of prying a fang out of a monster's jaw with a tool when he stopped dead and raised his voice.
"The Queen has no heart at all! I'm her older brother — shouldn't I be the one to go first? Why is it only Audri's marriage she fusses over!"
Apparently Edward had grievances of his own, and his discontent was plain to see.
"I want to go to the Empire and make a name for myself too, you know! Audri! You're not going to the Empire, you're going to hell! I remember perfectly well how you wet the bed until you were eleven! If the Queen found out, she'd call you a fool, fly into a rage, and cancel the whole wedding!"
In his excitement he babbled on, and promptly tripped over a pit, crashing to the ground.
"Aaagh! I'm dying!"
"That's what you get for making a scene."
Maru looked down at Edward sprawled on the ground and saw his ankle had swollen up badly. It seemed he'd bent it at a right angle in the fall.
"Maru! Help me! It hurts!"
"No priest here. Guess we'll have to cut the hunt short."
"P-Potions!?"
"Didn't bring any."
"Wha— how, how could you!"
"Um… if it's all right with you, might I help?"
A priestess from the neighboring party had come over and was looking down at Edward. When she smiled and swept her short hair back behind her ear, Edward stared at her with a blank expression, as if struck by love at first sight.
"I… I think I see a radiance about you…! What is your name, fair lady?"
"I'm Aslag. It hurts a lot, doesn't it? Let me take a look at that leg."
She healed Edward's ankle with a healing skill, then returned to her party. Edward remained completely dazed, his eyes locked on her figure in the distance.
"I've never seen a woman so beautiful… I can't believe it…"
Maru waved a palm in front of his face, then smirked.
"So she's your bride starting today, is she?"
"My bride? What is that?"
"An ingredient used for imagining things. Slang from my homeland. Let's go."
"Already? Isn't it a bit early? My ankle's all better, so let's stay a while longer!"
"No. You'll get moonstruck over that woman and get yourself killed."
"What does that have to do with looking at the fair lady over there?"
"You'll get yourself killed by a monster, is what."
"I won't look, so just a little while. Hmm? Just a little longer! Please!"
Maru herded the reluctant Edward along, and an hour later they arrived at the royal castle.
"Ah… if only I could see her again…"
Edward's head was still entirely full of the priestess.
"Fine, next time I see her, I'll ask if she has a sweetheart. Now forget about her for today and get some rest."
Maru patted his slumped shoulders and parted ways with him at the stable.
Then, as he reached his room and opened the door, a voice came from behind him.
"Welcome back from the hunt?"
He turned to find Odrite beaming at him — casually, warmly, as if nothing had happened between them at all.
"……"
Maru stared at her in silence.
What is with this woman?
Someone was dying inside, and she alone was thrilled. There she stood, smiling away without a care in the world. He couldn't read her intentions at all, and it frustrated him.
And yet, seeing her face, he found himself in a good mood.
Click.
He flung the door wide open.
"Coming in?"
She nodded without hesitation.
"Yes."
Odrite stepped inside and looked around the room with her hands clasped behind her back.
"It's always so tidy in here."
"Tidying up became a habit."
"You clean it yourself?"
"I do."
Maru closed the door and began setting down the things he carried, one by one, on the table. He put aside the one-handed axe, pulled off his gloves, undid his chest guard — all while pondering what on earth he should say to her, and how.
"Oh, right, you need to change clothes, don't you?"
"I do, but we can just talk like this."
"No, thank you. I'd rather talk when you're comfortable. Ah — I know, just pull the blanket over yourself."
Without so much as a by-your-leave, she buried her head under the blanket on his bed.
"There, that works, right? Hmm…? What is this? Why does it smell like a woman's cosmetics under here?"
"Must be your imagination."
"Suspicious."
"You'll have all sorts of fine suitors waiting for you in the Empire anyway. What does it matter to you whether some guy like me smells of other women or not?"
"Listen to that cold voice. Are you angry because I wouldn't see you yesterday or today?"
"Angry? Me?"
"Aww, you are angry!"
Maru clicked his tongue ruefully and spoke.
"I was worried, that's all."
"Right, right! I knew it!"
She was delighted, laughing happily under the blanket. She lay sprawled on the bed in something like a cat's pose, apparently unaware that her backside was poking out from under the blanket. Every time she laughed, her hips and the hem of her skirt swayed and swayed.
It was subtly, unfairly alluring.
Isn't she being far too defenseless in front of a man? Naive girl. She can't be doing this in front of other men either.
Maru turned his gaze elsewhere and spoke.
"So what are you going to do? Will you accept the political marriage?"
"You tell me, Sir Maru."
"I'm from the Empire, so let me offer you one piece of advice. The men there have different standards of beauty than here. The moment you arrive, Princess, you'll look like a homely hag uglier than an orc."
"What did you just say?"
Odrite flared up and stuck her head out of the blanket — then, catching sight of Maru in nothing but his undershorts, she froze in shock and hastily plunged her head back under.
"Y-you could at least TELL me how undressed you are!"
"Who gives a running commentary while changing clothes?"
"You do!"
"Fine — answer my question, and I'll do as you say."
"Which is? Out with it."
"Why wouldn't you see me?"
"Pfft."
What could possibly be that amusing? Odrite giggled like a schoolgirl and then launched into her story with great relish.
"A few days ago, I went with Baroness Osmond to have my love fortune read."
A few days earlier — Madame Mary's mansion.
Though night had fallen, the carriages of noble daughters lined the garden in an unbroken row. When the princess's carriage passed through the front gate and rolled into the garden, the women waiting in line stared at it in wonder.
"Don't tell me the Princess herself…?"
"So she really did come."
Moments later, when a hooded figure stepped down from the carriage, the women gasped in unison and burst into laughter.
"Oh my, oh my. What do you know — so the Princess is in love these days too."
"With whom, I wonder? Who could it be?"
"If she's come all the way here, the man must be desperate indeed."
Whispers rose from every direction. Odrite kept her head bowed in embarrassment and hurried inside the building.
Baroness Osmond had already announced the Princess's visit in advance, so she had no need to wait in line. She was shown straight to Madame Mary and seated across from her.
"Might I hear about this young man of yours? Anything at all — speak freely."
"Well, you see…"
There, Odrite laid out a handful of the things she knew about Maru. When she had finished, Madame Mary nodded calmly.
"Now then, let us read your fortune."
And then, quite suddenly, the woman stuck out her tongue.
Resting on it was a small card with a picture painted on it.
"Good heavens…!"
"Wow…"
Odrite and Baroness Osmond jumped in astonishment. Madame Mary took the card in her hand and studied it.
"The young man has good fortune with wealth, and good fortune with family as well."
She stuck out her tongue again. This time a different card appeared.
"He also carries the power to move a great continent. He must be a man of exceptional ability."
Another card was drawn from her tongue.
"A peach-blossom charm, and the star of travel besides… The Princess, he brings you something ill as well. But look at it another way, and thanks to that travel star, you'll seldom clash with your in-laws — a man who won't heed his parents' word."
A look of wonder crossed her face.
"However did you meet such a man? Remarkable. His energy is so strong I'd suspect him of bearing an emperor's destiny. Like a sun shining down upon the multitudes, one might say. But from your side, Princess, the road will be rough. It seems fated that you'll be swept along in this man's wake for the rest of your life. Your heart will suffer greatly."
Even so, Odrite was pleased.
"I like being swept along! If it's the man I love, I'll follow him anywhere!"
Madame Mary shook her head with a dissatisfied look.
"In love, my dear, there are times you must hide how much you care. Only by occasionally keeping a man anxious will he come to prize you and cherish you. So, Princess — if you simply follow him around saying yes to everything, you alone will be the loser."
Baroness Osmond seemed to agree, and let out an admiring sigh.
"Princess, I believe she's right. I waited on my husband hand and foot every single day, and far from a word of thanks, he treats me like I'm nothing. Suddenly I want to smack him right on the forehead. I could die of how infuriating he is."
Back in the present.
Maru had changed into comfortable clothes, and Odrite sat perched on the edge of the bed, talking.
"Playing hard to get doesn't suit my temperament, so I never intended to do any of that. But then, of all things, Queen Alexandria herself goes and proposes a political marriage. The Baroness egged me on, saying this was my chance, so I thought I'd give it a try. I planned to keep you waiting about a week, but after just a day or two, I couldn't stand it anymore. So the moment you arrived at the castle, I ran straight out of my room to see you."
Odrite grinned from ear to ear.
"Were the two days hard on you? Did you miss me?"
Maru stood leaning against the wardrobe, arms crossed. He gave a hollow laugh.
"I was tying myself in knots over here, while the Princess was apparently having a grand old time."
"Still angry?"
"I'm not angry."
Maru let out a long sigh and, for no particular reason, opened the closed wardrobe door, then shut it firmly again.
"Honestly, something did make me angry, you know."
"That's hard to believe. What was it?"
"You, sleeping with the Hero."
Odrite's eyes welled up at once.
"When I heard you'd slept with the Hero, it hit me so hard I cried in my room. And this whole thing — honestly, it was because I wanted you to hurt too. Because of me."
"Why don't you go take a look at all those handsome young men of the Empire and feel a little jealousy yourself?"
"Did you feel it?"
Maru scratched his nose.
"A little."
"Only a little?"
"Was I supposed to feel a lot?"
Maru feigned indifference and rubbed the back of his neck. Then, as if to change the subject, he asked:
"So what about the political marriage? Are you going through with it?"
"Curious, aren't you?"
She smiled and answered with perfect composure.
"I'm not going to."
Maru tilted his head.
"Why not? You wanted to meet Queen Alexandria, didn't you?"
"I gave it up because of you. The men in those portraits turned out to be even more handsome-looking than you."
"Wait — more handsome-looking than me?"
"Don't twist my words! I mean you look even MORE handsome than they do!"
She flailed her arms in a huff, and Maru burst out laughing. He couldn't help it.
In that instant, her words seeped deep into his chest.
Joy came flooding in.