Sitting Face-to-Face with Amelia in a Dress

Sitting across from Amelia dressed in a gown, the curves no formal suit could ever hide were now revealed in their full, breathtaking glory. I couldn't tear my eyes away.

Wow... The word voluptuous fit so perfectly it almost felt violent. Extremely voluptuous. Packed full in every possible way.

"Um... what brings you here today?"

Amelia broke the silence first. I'd been so lost in admiration of her transformed appearance that I'd committed a blunder. Women were sensitive to gazes directed at them, they said. Especially a woman who knew her own charm. She must have noticed me staring so intently. Probably.

"I'm sorry. The dress suits you so well that I lost my composure for a moment."

I admitted it frankly and apologized. This way, even if she thought me a pervert, it wouldn't reach the level of disgust. It was my own little survival tactic. Of course, it only worked because my face could support it to some degree. If it had been the old me? My head would have been chopped off immediately for the crime of insulting a noble.

"Does it... meet with your approval?" Amelia asked cautiously. I could see the shyness in her, along with a desire to gain some self-esteem.

"It's embarrassing to say with my own mouth... but yes. It looks very good."

"Eep...!"

Amelia let out a small groan and bowed her head. The nape of her neck flushed bright red. She must have been terribly embarrassed.

"Thank you. It's been so long since I've worn a dress that I thought it might not fit me anymore."

"That's a completely unnecessary worry."

The smooth shoulder line honed by muscle. The forearms and collarbone too. It was far more beautiful than those young ladies who were simply pretty.

"You speak too kindly. It's embarrassing. But... what brings you here?"

Only after Amelia spoke did I remember I actually had something to say. The dress had made me forget.

"Ah, yes. The reason is that I plan to head to the sea in a few days. I thought I'd rest there for a while."

"To the sea...?"

"Yes. Follow the river that runs through the Meyer Territory and you'll reach the ocean. It's a quiet coastal village, but it has everything one could need."

During the Species War, we'd prepared thoroughly because of enemies fond ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of rear-stabbing tactics. A breach would mean losses only for us. Thanks to that, the area had developed in various ways, and with refugees added to the mix, its scale had grown. An unexpected butterfly effect.

"You're the heir to the Meyer family, aren't you, Sir Yohan?" Amelia tilted her head. Why ask that suddenly?

"Yes, I am."

"Then shouldn't you remain here at the main castle instead of the provinces and hold your position? Is it really all right for you to leave?"

"It's fine. My father is working. The Count is the one who should be holding the fort."

Why else were nobles nobles? Because they had to hold their positions at times like these. Even if there was nothing to do.

"Ah... I see."

Amelia smiled awkwardly. It seemed this was the first time she'd encountered this type of person, leaving her at a loss for words.

"Anyway. So, I'm planning to go to the sea... would you like to join me?"

"Me?"

"Yes. Together."

Originally one should suggest but never force. It was proper to humbly offer the right to choose and stop there. That was correct. However, the current goal was to separate her from the main base, so it couldn't be helped. A little pressure was necessary.

"The sea. The sea, hmm......"

Fortunately, Amelia didn't seem displeased. Rather, she appeared drawn to the idea. Go? Or not? After waiting alone in tension, the answer finally came.

"Could I... go with you?"

"It would be my honor. I'm sorry to send a guest who's only been here a few days back outside again... but you'll find it comfortable once you're there. That, I can guarantee."

"Not at all. Thank you for your consideration."

Amelia smiled shyly. A faint sparkle of anticipation glimmered in her eyes.

Got it!

I nodded calmly, pretending not to be excited.

"No thanks needed. I'll let you know once preparations are complete, so please rest comfortably until then."

Having said everything I needed to, I rose from my seat. Time to prepare diligently.

Amelia remained alone, lost in thought.

The sea. She had seen it occasionally, but never often. Waves that sparkled without a single speck of contamination even as blood and flesh flew in fierce combat. Water so transparent the bottom was visible. It was certainly a beautiful sight, yet far from romantic.

A place that must be protected. A passage for enemy ambushes or for launching our own. That was all it had meant.

Because of that, she could never think of enjoying the sea. She had always been anxious.

True peace has finally come.

Amelia was captured by a strange, lingering emotion. It felt both joyful and bittersweet.

Resting at the sea. Enjoying the sea.

To Amelia it had always seemed distant, but precisely because of that, she found herself looking forward to it. What would the pleasures of the sea be like? And what expression would the man standing beside her wear?

"Eep......"

Amelia's cheeks flushed red again. Just picturing Yohan's face made her body grow hot. If she had been wearing a suit, she would have needed to undo the shirt buttons to cool the heat.

I had the servants complete the preparations.

There were two ways to reach the sea: by carriage or by riding the flowing river. The river route was fast and convenient. The water wasn't deep, so accidents were rare, and magic eliminated any risk of death. Falling in would simply be inconvenient.

Traveling by carriage allowed for leisure. Unlike the river, you could carry more luggage, and it was easier to mobilize additional carriages. After all, there weren't many boats available.

"How would you prefer? I'd like to respect the young lady's wishes."

"If I may be so bold... I think the carriage would be better. Since this is a journey, it doesn't seem necessary to rush as if heading to war."

I asked for Amelia's opinion. There was no room for argument.

Right. It's not like we're going to war.

Arriving quickly to enjoy ourselves was good, but the journey itself was also part of the trip. A wholesome, excellent ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠thought. The sense of leisure in particular appealed to me greatly.

However.

"Ahem."

Once we actually boarded the carriage, it wasn't entirely comfortable. The interior was pleasant but narrow. Sitting directly across from Amelia, we couldn't help but be even more conscious of each other. It felt awkwardly so.

Amelia also sat in silence with reddened cheeks. Not a single word.

This is a bit...

It wasn't that the awkwardness made us uncomfortable with each other. There were even positive aspects to it. The problem was that it wasn't an atmosphere suited for a healing trip.

"You seem rather tense, don't you?"

"Yes? Me?"

Amelia asked in a startled voice. She ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was still wearing her usual suit.

"Yes. I'm quite tense myself, and you seem no less tense. Is it very uncomfortable?"

"Ah, no. It's not that. I was just thinking about the sea."

"Ah......"

It looked different to my eyes, but I simply smiled and let it pass. Let's go with that.

"And how about you, Sir Yohan?"

"Of course I'm tense. However, when the tension grows excessive and stiffens the atmosphere, it's not pleasant."

"A wise observation."

Amelia sighed and nodded. Her shoulders, which had been stiff and hunched, gradually began to relax. The tension seemed to be easing at last.

"I didn't mention it before, but the region we're heading to is Marseille. The population has grown somewhat, but it's quiet, with scattered hills."

"Ah. I've never been there, but I heard of it often when drawing up operation plans. There were rumors too, weren't there?"

"There were rumors?"

I knew incidents from our territory had been reported upward. Rell had reported them, after all. But I didn't know how the rumors had spread. I was a little curious.

"Yes. The general opinion was that you had handled the enemy's attack excellently. Some even suggested bringing in the operation leader to ask for their opinions."

"Were there no bad rumors? Usually good words aren't the only ones that spread, right?"

"Only an extremely small number. It wasn't a situation that allowed the luxury of leisurely power struggles."

That was true. During the Species War everyone had been fighting desperately, so there hadn't been much corruption. When everyone's lives hung in the balance, who would bother with money or power? Anyone like that had already died.

Ah, there were a few.

The young lady ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠jealous of the protagonist's achievements. Insignificant nobles and knights. The extras used as props to moderately heighten tension came to mind. They had all died in the end.

"I'm glad they viewed it positively."

The words were sincere, yet a sigh escaped me. There was no reward. No praise. In the end, it only led to the conclusion that the whole thing had been treated as if it never happened.

How ridiculous.

Well. Even the war heroes had simply been given titles and dismissed—what reward could there be? It would be strange if they gave anything. The more I thought about it, the more this country made me lose respect. It made me itch for a revolution.

Still, there was the Crown Prince who would inherit the next throne. The protagonist supporting him had a much firmer moral compass than the current emperor. I had to live trusting in that alone.

Moreover, the emperor's administrative abilities weren't incompetent. It was livable.

The carriage continued on as I opened the shutter-style window connected to the coachman's seat.

"Young master?"

"What is it, sir?"

The two men on the coachman's seat turned simultaneously. One was the driver. The other was a knight among the top in Count Meyer's household.

"Just a moment."

I poked my head out and scanned the surroundings. I needed to quickly locate the sections dyed red as if in a darkroom. The pair stayed silent, understanding the situation. It was convenient and reassuring since we'd been through a lot together. No explanations needed.

I carefully examined the flowing river near the carriage, the road we traveled, and the forest a short distance away.

It's in the forest.

A red point was wriggling within the woods. In cases like this, it was more likely a beast than a person. Threats weren't limited to humans, after all.

"There's something in the forest. Don't stop—keep going while staying alert. Don't slow down unnecessarily."

"Yes, sir."

The married knight nodded. The sight of him resting a hand on the sword at his waist while on guard was reassuring.

There were four of us including the driver. Only two combat personnel. It wasn't a situation where we could aggressively charge in to eliminate the threat. In times like this, testing the waters was wiser.

"Sir Meyer? The action you just took...?"

This was as far as I could explain for now. The moment I sat back down after the warning, my eyes met Amelia's. I'd forgotten.

"Ah... I have a rather good instinct for sensing threats. So this happens from time to time."

"An instinct?"

"Yes. It's a secret only those close to me know, so I'd appreciate it if you could pretend not to have heard, young lady."

I smiled gently as I asked. Since Amelia had a good character, this should be enough.

"Yes."

However, I hadn't expected her to answer without the slightest trace of doubt. Most people would suspect it at least halfway.

Looks like my favorability investment worked properly.

Thanks to that, I fully realized the importance of advance investment. It felt very reassuring.