Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Awkward Bed-Sharing
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Some time had passed.
A jolt like the carriage coming to a stop made me open my eyes and look around.
Outside the window, deep darkness had already settled in.
Seeing the fire-leaf trees unique to Drakenspitze scattered here and there, it was clear we'd reached at least the base of the mountain.
'Something must have held us up on the way.'
The distance from the Kaltstein Ducal household to Drakenspitze was about eight hours by carriage.
On horseback, it could be cut down to under six.
Yet we'd left before lunchtime, and not only was the lake nowhere in sight, but night had already fallen.
That meant we'd encountered something on the road that delayed us.
I closed my eyes and extended my qi sense in all directions.
The knights' presences numbered exactly fifty, the same as when we'd set out.
None had ragged breathing or qi that differed from the start.
So it wasn't monsters...
"Well, I can just wake one up later and ask."
I muttered that to myself and shifted my gaze forward.
Across from me sat our somewhat lacking possessor—and my personal intel pouch.
Roselia was in such a deep sleep that I wondered if she'd wake even if I carried her off right then.
'...Not to sound weird saying this, but she's definitely pretty.'
As the sole heir to the Kaltstein family—the Northern Duke with influence rivaling the Loen Empire itself—I'd met countless women before turning twenty for real.
Not for anything physical or romantic, mind you. More like parental setups, blind dates between families?
In this world, noble heirs usually got engaged by sixteen at the latest. I hadn't met anyone seriously even by nineteen, which must've driven my parents insane.
Of course, despite their efforts, I'd never had a single serious encounter.
Why? Isn't it obvious?
Be it foreign princesses, ducal ladies, or daughters of tribal chiefs—no one matched Seria, who was always by my side. None were as pretty.
'Not that being pretty makes it a yes.'
I just preferred Seria, not because she was exceptionally beautiful.
"...".
I don't know why these thoughts popped up now, but I'd always felt that way. Never once had I looked at another woman and thought she was truly pretty.
Or as pretty as Seria.
Yet this woman before me overturned that in an instant. She was absurdly, unbelievably beautiful.
Her figure was perfectly maintained, and her quirky voice and ditzy charm were oddly endearing.
If we snag the dragon's lair treasure here, I might even fall something like in love.
A bit of affection? That vibe.
Anyway, as I blankly stared at my fake fiancée—the possessor's—face, it hit me.
I'd been staring way too openly, and for quite a while.
Even asleep, constant gazes get noticed.
Plus, a duke peeking at a sleeping woman's face didn't look good.
'Enough. Time to think about what to do next.'
I cleared my throat softly and turned my head naturally.
Srurluk.
But right then, Roselia's long lashes trembled, and her tightly shut eyelids slowly lifted.
"...Um."
Half-asleep, she stared blankly at the ceiling, blinking a few times to focus.
Then her gaze drifted down, landing on me across from her. Our eyes met precisely in midair.
"......".
"......".
Silence.
After about three seconds of quiet...
"Eek?!"
Roselia let out a bizarre shriek and flinched, pressing herself against the carriage wall.
Her eyes looked ready to pop out from the shock.
"Wh-wh-what, what is it! Wh-why is the Duke here?!"
"......".
Her reaction was so ridiculous I nearly burst out laughing.
I hadn't put her to sleep; she'd dozed off herself despite knowing I was there because she was tired.
And her first words upon waking? Why are you here?
"Your Highness. You still seem half-asleep. This is inside the carriage. And there's only one carriage we're riding in."
"...Ah."
"If anything, I fell asleep first. It'd be awkward if Your Highness slept later and then asked why I'm here."
"Ah, ahaha... R-right. I mixed up dream and reality for a sec... Sorry."
Roselia flushed embarrassed, twirling her hair.
The drowsy haze was gone; now she rolled her eyes like a small animal hiding her fluster.
After a moment of fake coughs and hair-twirling, she spoke up.
"Ahem. Anyway... It's already night."
She pointed outside, hastily changing the subject.
"Wow, look at that. The stars... They're like they're about to pour down."
I followed her gaze out the window.
In the pitch-black night sky over Drakenspitze, countless stars sparkled like scattered jewel dust.
Was it the crisp northern air? Or the mountain making the sky feel closer?
It was far clearer and more beautiful than what I'd seen from the castle.
'Feels like tonight's special. Last time with Seria up here, it wasn't this intense.'
I admired the sky for a bit before speaking.
"Beautiful."
"Right? You can't see this in the capital. The city's too bright—even at night, the sky glows. Wow... So pretty."
Roselia pressed against the window, exclaiming like a child.
Watching her pure profile eased the awkwardness I'd felt moments ago.
We spent a good while gazing at the night sky, chatting about this and that.
Legends of constellations, how harsh northern winters were, or her little daily stories from the capital.
But conversations always end eventually.
When it trailed off and silence returned, the air in the cramped carriage grew strangely tense again.
We were alone, in a narrow, sealed space, facing a night together.
Roselia noticed too—her words dwindled, and her gaze darted unnaturally.
'She's uncomfortable.'
Even as alliance partners, spending the night alone with a strange man had to be daunting.
I decided to accommodate her.
"Your Highness."
"Y-yes?"
"You seem quite uncomfortable. I'll camp outside with the knights. Use the carriage all to yourself."
I stood without hesitation.
The cool night air outside might feel better anyway.
Staying cooped up might make me lose control somehow.
No matter how strong one's restraint, no one knows until faced with the real thing.
As those thoughts crossed my mind and I gripped the door handle to open it...
Tak.
My coat hem tugged taut, caught on something.
"...?"
Turning, I saw Roselia delicately holding the end of my coat.
"...Your Highness?"
"Th-that's..."
Head bowed, she hemmed and hawed like she wanted to say something.
Her ear tips, catching the moonlight, were red as if about to burst.
"Um... No other intentions or anything..."
Her voice was tiny but clear, each word deliberate.
"...In the middle of a forest like this, sleeping alone as a woman is kinda scary. I hear wolf howls too..."
"...".
"So... Let's just sleep together. Okay?"
Roselia looked up at me.
Her trembling eyes held no seduction or ulterior motive—just a woman's pure fear of the forest night.
I stared blankly for a moment, then released the door handle.
Honestly, the awkward vibe made me want to bolt right then.
But ditching a frightened partner who'd asked so earnestly? Not the act of a true gentleman.
"...Understood."
I sat back down with a short sigh.
"If you're that scared, I'll stay by your side. But my sleeping habits are terrible, so don't hold grudges if anything happens."
"Pfft, don't worry. I'm pretty confident in mine too."
Roselia beamed in relief.
For some reason, her smile annoyed yet didn't bother me tonight.
In the end, in this awkward, cramped carriage, I ended up spending the long night with the princess I'd just been admiring.
Something told me tonight would feel especially endless.