If I Keep Doing This, There's Nothing I Can Do
Dark room. Karl lay blankly on the blanket, staring at the ceiling.
Outside, the sun had already set. When we arrived at the lodging, it was already late evening.
So, we decided to enter the hot springs tomorrow and rest for now.
But—
Clang—
“…”
Sighing, Karl rose from his seat and walked to the window.
When he opened the door with all his strength, something fell to the floor with a thud, making a sound like ‘ugh!’
“What are you doing, again.”
A voice full of contempt. Karl propped his chin and looked at the floor.
There, Eloise lay awkwardly, laughing with “Ehehe.”
“How did you know?”
“You’ve already tried to intrude three times with this.”
“Really? Twice, not three?”
“The first attempt was also discovered.”
“Hic. I thought that wouldn’t be discovered.”
Shaking off the dust, Eloise stood up from her seat. Then, suddenly, her eyes sparkling, she tried to jump into the room through the window.
Of course, she was blocked by Karl’s lightning-fast counter and fell to the floor again.
“Ah, why! Let’s go in. Eugh?”
“If I keep doing this, I might turn it into an official diplomatic issue.”
The commander of the Luzens extermination unit is trying to intrude into the Empire’s Medal of Honor recipient’s accommodation in the middle of the night.
If I just cut off the front and back and say that, what kind of thoughts would the Empire have? Needless to say, they would think that the Luzens remnants are trying to harm the Medal of Honor recipient.
“Waa. Too harsh. You don’t really think that, do you?”
“Before I really do that, go away. I’ve been on the train all day and my whole body is sore, and if you keep doing this too, the fatigue will double.”
Pressing his temples, Karl tried to suppress his nervous reaction.
The reason he thought that showing such a reaction here would pull the elf in the direction she wanted.
“Selena. How many times has that woman come and gone?”
“Never once. What are you saying. Selena wouldn’t be like you.”
“Am I like that woman? Karl, the woman who wants to devour you whole, the same woman as me.”
“…”
This far. If I listen more, I’ll get a cold. Karl immediately tried to pull out his dagger from his pocket.
Of course, Eloise, who noticed that, ran away with “Hehehe! I’m going!” but.
“…”
Staring blankly at her back, Karl sighed again.
To recall why the situation became like this, I have to go back a little earlier.
*
“Not a single room, but a double room?”
“Yes.”
“Not because there are many people or something?”
“The structure of this place is like that.”
The structure here is a bit… strange. Suddenly an Eastern-style building in a Western fantasy world setting.
Looking at it like this, the accommodation is also the type where you spread a blanket on the floor and sleep. What a strange world.
“By the way, our group is seven people in total. What do we do about this?”
“Then I’ll give you four rooms. One person will use a single room.”
Saying that, the person at the counter handed me four keys.
Um. One room per two people. And the remaining one person uses a single room.
In this case, the most straightforward personnel assignment would be—
“Karl. I’m fine with anything, but don’t pair me with Schlippen.”
“What are you saying. I don’t want to share a room with you either, Wilhelm.”
“…”
What good friends they are. Hahaha. In this case, I, who has the absolute keys, can’t hold back.
“Rather, it’s a request. Please pair those guys. Karl. I’ll take a room with Joachim.”
Don’t worry, Alexander. Otherwise, my absolute keys in my hand are already howling…!
“Schlippen. Wilhelm. Share the same room.”
“Aaaaaah!”
“What! Why!!”
“Is there any complaint, my lord?”
“No. None.”
“There can’t be any. Hahaha.”
Secretly pulling out the dagger, they become obedient friends immediately.
I’m really glad I made friends with those guys. If not, I wouldn’t have been able to push the dagger like this as a joke.
“And Alexander. Joachim. You two share one room.”
“Thank you! Really thank you, Karl!”
“Now those guys will be talking all night.”
Alexander and Joachim moving to the room they decided first, leaving Schlippen and Wilhelm behind.
Now the remaining are Selena and Eloise…
“…”
“…”
Hey, if you look at it like that, it’s quite burdensome.
Selena too, and Eloise too. They were staring at me fixedly.
I know what that means. It’s the same room request without saying it.
But both Selena and Eloise. It’s impossible for all of them to share a room with me.
First, Selena, even though we’re dating, that’s it. Not even engaged, let alone married. Suddenly sharing a room?
Although Eastern Confucian thought isn’t widely spread, the manner of men and women is important here too.
Even for ordinary Empire citizens, and especially Selena, the daughter of a marquis family. If that fact is revealed, it could become a very awkward situation.
For similar reasons, Eloise is also out. After all, I’m dating Selena.
In such a situation, suddenly sharing a room with another woman? At this point, even if the Medal of Honor is confiscated, I wouldn’t have anything to say. It’s a world where both men and women are criticized for being double-dealers.
“Selena. Eloise. Share the same room.”
“Karl?!”
“Ah, why! Scaredy-cat Karl! At times like this, I have to decide between you or Selena!”
“Shut up. If I do that, it will cause misunderstandings. I don’t want to hear unnecessary words.”
Exactly. I’m not doing this because I want to use a single room by myself.
To prevent the world from misunderstanding for no reason, and to maintain my dignity as a Medal of Honor recipient!
“Let’s quickly enter the room and rest today. The hot springs are… for now, you all do as you please.”
“Good idea, Karl. Right now, I just want to lie down on the bed.”
Even nobles sitting for over ten hours is a hardship.
So, after deciding that, entering the accommodation, roughly washing and lying on the bed.
Eloise probably didn’t want to accept it as is. She had tried to sneak in the first time, second, and third time.
Shashashak—
“Ah, please. Again?”
Since it didn’t work through the window, is it the front door now? Really, I’m going crazy.
If I push the dagger as a joke, does she think it’s a joke? Should I really poke her once without hurting her?
“Karl?”
“…Selena?”
Wait, hold on. Selena shouldn’t come. I told Eloise that she’s not the same woman as me!?
Carefully opening the door, Selena in simple attire entered the view. She glanced at me and the inside of my room.
“Why? Is there something wrong?”
“No… I washed up and Eloise wasn’t there. I wondered if she was here.”
“There can’t be. Even if she came looking, I wouldn’t accept it.”
“Of course I trust you. Trust me. I’m just doing this because I can’t trust Eloise.”
Really, I can’t be careless. The rival keeps increasing. Mumbling Selena.
…But if the rival increases? Is there someone else besides Eloise?
“Um, um. Karl. So, um… Shall we take a walk together?”
“Walk?”
“Yeah. Ah, it’s not walking outside. I heard there’s a greenhouse right next door. They say it’s good for a walking course, so I want to go once.”
Without thinking much about Selena’s proposal, I nodded and agreed.
If I stay in the room, I’ll just see Eloise trying to intrude again.
“Later, Eloise will say I’m mean and say all sorts of things… Honestly, since I’m dating Selena, I’ll just grumble, and I won’t have anything more to say.”
Deciding that, I followed Selena with my coat.
*
“Enjoy your vacation, Selena student. When formal university graduate life starts, time will be very tight. It’s good to rest when you can.”
Hearing the professor’s advice, a chill ran down my spine.
In simple terms, the freedom during the vacation is the last one. From now on, it means I’ll only focus on academics, saying “I’m dead.”
“Ugh… Is it really okay…?”
Of course not. Selena. What are you saying, you idiot.
After hearing that, I hit my head at least ten times. University graduate? Graduate student?
Thanks to that, one fact became clear. During this vacation, during this hot spring trip, I must advance my relationship with Karl by any means necessary.
If I hesitate, being shy or awkward, there’s a very high probability I’ll waste the time in vain.
So, I didn’t hesitate. Even if it’s embarrassing or awkward, I endured. Just like now.
“Look. Karl. It’s cold outside, but here it’s full of flowers.”
“Yeah. Indeed, the greenhouse is amazing.”
To prevent awkward silence if conversation stops, I busily kept talking.
Karl didn’t know my inner thoughts. He answered my words enthusiastically.
“Let’s rest well for a week. When we return, we’ll both be very busy.”
“Why Karl?”
“There are patents, and if my sister passes the marquis position to me, there will be many things I have to do.”
Ah. I see. Right. Karl is becoming the next Friedrich Count.
“So, when you can enjoy leisure, enjoy it fully.”
Standing still, staring blankly at the flowers in the greenhouse with a somewhat dazed expression.
Watching that, suddenly I thought “should I?” without realizing.
“…Karl.”
“Huh? …Eh.”
I don’t know! And like last time, I quickly kissed Karl’s cheek.
To be honest, it’s at the level where calling it a kiss is embarrassing. Just lips touching and separating.
“But… How to deal with being embarrassed. It’s too much…!”
If I act too aggressively, Karl might feel burdened.
Yes. So, let’s do it slowly. One step at a time. Like walking—
“If you keep doing this, it’s making me crazy.”
“Karl?”
“Then I can’t lose either.”
Eh, eh? Eh eee?
Karl is coming closer and closer. I unconsciously stepped back one step, but Karl came two steps closer instead. At that sight, I unconsciously swallowed saliva once.
This, this. That’s it, right? Right? I’m not expecting something for nothing, am I?
Instinctively, I slightly lifted my chin, pushed out my lips, and closed my eyes.
Otherwise, it would be very embarrassing. But… Probably, this is correct.
And the very soft and warm thing touching my lips was, really, instantaneous.