Chapter 351: Side Story — Dorothy's Case
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 351: Side Story — Dorothy's Case
“President, are you ready?”
“Yes, Sen—oh.”
The moment Dorothy stepped into my room, I nearly forgot how to breathe.
She was adorned in her signature witch’s hat, perfectly paired with a charming outfit to match. Judging by her shy, expectant smile, it was clear she had come specifically to see my reaction.
“Don’t I look pretty?”
Dorothy lifted the edges of her skirt, twirling slightly to show off her figure. She wore a confident expression, looking every bit the woman who knew exactly how beautiful she was.
They say a man’s nose might bleed when he’s overcome with... excitement. Looking at her, I felt like I was right on the verge of that state.
“Yes, very much so.”
I gave her a firm thumbs-up, showering my goddess with the praise she deserved.
“Nihihi!”
I felt a surge of gratitude for my sharp memory; it would allow me to recall this beautiful sight vividly for years to come.
“Can I hug you?” I asked.
“Do you want to be held against your Big Sis’s chest again?”
Dorothy placed a hand over her heart and gave me a sly, teasing smile. When I nodded without hesitation, she shook her head playfully.
“Not right now. It’ll wrinkle my clothes… okay?”
Ignoring her protest, I stepped forward and pulled her into a tight embrace.
“I told you, not now…” Dorothy whispered, her voice laced with soft laughter as she wrapped her arms around my waist anyway.
We stood there for a long time, simply holding each other.
Today was the day I was finally going on a trip with Dorothy. It was the day she would finally realize the future she had dreamed of for so long. I had dumped all my remaining tasks onto the Grand Regent, deciding to focus entirely on enjoying this time with her.
The thought of finally washing away the fatigue accumulated from my hectic workload filled me with anticipation. I felt a profound sense of liberation.
Dorothy was especially high-spirited today. Her excitement was contagious, and I found my own mood lifting just by being near her.
After packing our belongings, we boarded the carriage and departed Düpendorf, chatting and laughing endlessly as the miles rolled by.
“President, Big Sis has been waiting for this day for so long, you know? I didn’t visit any of these places before just so I could experience them for the first time with you.”
Dorothy took the seat next to me, interlocking her fingers with mine and resting her head on my shoulder. It was a warm, comforting weight. I didn't want to move; I wanted to freeze this moment forever.
She continued her playful chatter, her voice bright with joy. “President, you’ve been granted the chance to discover and be moved by new things alongside your Big Sis. This is going to be a massive milestone in your life. You should be honored~”
“I am honored. I really am a successful fan.”
“Nihihi! That’s the perfect answer!”
Dorothy shifted, resting her chin on my shoulder to look at me closely, a bashful smile playing on her lips. Her breath was warm against my skin. When I turned to face her, I saw my own reflection captured in her large, sparkling eyes.
For a moment, words failed us. We simply gazed into each other’s eyes, a sweet trembling filling my chest. Dorothy must have felt it too; I could see it in her gaze.
Before long, the carriage passed through the icy northern lands, cleared the border checkpoint, and entered the Zelver Kingdom. After a polite salute from the border guards, we headed straight for our first destination.
“This is Regel!” Dorothy exclaimed with a radiant smile the moment she stepped off the carriage.
Her voice was brimming with energy. She grabbed my hand, pulling me along. “President, let’s go!”
Regel, a city in the Zelver Kingdom. It was the place Dorothy had insisted was famous for its croissants.
The streets were serene and picturesque. With just a turn of the head, rows of charming red-brick buildings came into view. Colorful carriages strolled leisurely past aesthetically pleasing street lamps.
The aroma of freshly baked bread and roasted coffee beans hung heavy in the air. Following the scent, we found ourselves at a terrace seat of a small café.
We placed our order, and soon, a pair of glossy croissants and two cups of tea were set before us. Dorothy’s eyes sparkled with more intensity than usual. She carefully cut a piece of the pastry and took a bite.
“…!”
Her eyes widened in shock. She froze, not moving a muscle for several seconds. I started to get worried.
“Senior?”
“President… I’m so happy…”
“Pardon?”
“This… it’s unbelievably delicious! I’m so happy to be alive!”
With an expression that hovered somewhere between laughing and crying, Dorothy began to devour the croissant with wild abandon.
“Eat slowly,” I chuckled. Her adorable behavior kept a constant smile on my face.
On the table, our hands remained joined, fingers intertwined. We looked exactly like a pair of young lovers. Since we were on a trip, I wanted to maintain physical contact with her every second I could.
She clearly felt the same. Even if we drifted apart for a moment, she would quickly reclaim my hand or cling to my arm, refusing to let any distance grow between us.
“Before we head to the Moss Forest,” Dorothy said, pointing at me with her fork, “how about we visit the academy again? It’s been a while.”
Märchen Academy. Among our planned stops, it was the closest one to the Moss Forest.
“Why the academy?”
“It’s the start of our trip. I just feel like indulging in some nostalgia… that’s all.”
Nostalgia, huh? I get it.
It was the place where we first met, the hub of our entire journey, and a place overflowing with our shared memories.
“The corner of the Butterfly Garden and our old hideout… I’ve really wanted to see them again.”
Those were the two places where we had spent the most time together. Even though Märchen Academy was currently in session, as alumni, we would have no trouble entering the campus.
“Shall we go, then?”
“Great!”
I, too, felt a pull to see the Butterfly Garden again after all this time. However, I foresaw a problem with the hideout—a realistic problem that neither nostalgia nor romance could fix.
It hasn’t been cleaned in ages.
It was bound to be a disaster zone. Even if Dorothy used her wind magic to blast away the dust, it wouldn't be enough.
Still, spending some time at the outdoor table or on the roof wouldn’t be bad.
We didn't need to go inside. Just watching the night sky from the roof would be romantic enough.
It would have been nice if the trip had continued that smoothly, but…
A few hours later, we were forced to stop at a nearby inn.
Swoooosh—!
“…”
Dorothy stood by the window, her eyes fixed on the torrential rain lashing against the glass. On our way to Märchen Academy, the sky had suddenly opened up. I had quickly deployed an ice barrier to keep us dry, but our schedule was effectively ruined.
“It looks like it’ll rain for at least a week—not just here, but across the entire continent.”
I used [Clairvoyance] to check the weather patterns and relayed the news to Dorothy. It was a hard thing to say, but I couldn't hide the truth. We needed to adjust our plans. Even if we shielded the carriage and pushed through, the muddy, battered terrain wouldn't be fit for travel.
“President…”
Dorothy’s head creaked as she turned toward me. Her brows were furrowed, and the corners of her mouth were turned down in a pout. She looked at me with utter despair, her trembling finger pointing out the window.
“Please make the rain stop…”
“If we intervene recklessly, it’ll disrupt the natural order. We can’t do that…”
Altering the weather was simple enough for me. However, unless a catastrophic natural disaster was occurring, I had resolved to avoid interfering with natural phenomena as much as possible. I wasn't confident I could handle the potential backlash of such a massive manipulation.
No matter how precious Dorothy was, I had no intention of breaking a lifelong vow just for a vacation.
Dorothy sighed softly and turned back to the window. She seemed to understand my reasoning.
“Such a shame… the romance is gone. I didn’t want such a gloomy start…”
Her voice, heavy with disappointment, drifted through the room.
It was my mistake. I should have checked the long-term forecast before we left. It had been so long since my last trip that I’d grown careless. But wallowing in regret wouldn't help. We needed to pivot.
I pulled the itinerary Dorothy had written out of my bag.
“I think it’s better to adjust the plan. Let’s postpone the Moss Forest and the academy for now and look at nearby places where the rain won’t be an issue. There are even some spots that look prettier in the rain.”
“I don’t know… I just feel kind of deflated.”
“Really…?”
When we first set off, she had been as excited as a child on a field trip. The sudden downpour had clearly dampened her spirits.
For a moment, I silently observed her from behind.
“…”
But… is this necessarily a bad thing?
Travel rarely went exactly as planned. Shops closed, weather turned. Taking refuge from a storm and unexpectedly ending up in a place like this was part of the charm of the journey.
Besides, the atmosphere here is actually quite nice.
The sound of rain drumming on the stone paving outside. The old-fashioned, rustic ambiance of the room. A subtle darkness filled the corners, while a warm lamp illuminated the bed. Even Dorothy had mentioned how lovely the room was when we first checked in.
And well…
Above all, as long as Dorothy was with me, that was enough.
I stepped forward and hugged her from behind.
“President…? Ugh…”
I buried my face in the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply. Her rich scent, mingled with the humidity of the room, overwhelmed my senses and clouded my reason. Dorothy flinched, letting out a soft, ambiguous sound, but she didn't push me away.
“This might sound shameless, but I think this is fine too. The atmosphere is nice… and honestly, as long as I have you here, Senior, that’s all I need.”
Looking at the window, I could see our faint reflections. Dorothy’s cheeks were flushed crimson, and she lowered her head.
“T-that may be true, but…”
“Senior, it’s evening now, right?”
“Yeah…”
“Are you hungry?”
Dorothy shook her head. “I had so many croissants earlier, I’m still full.”
She turned her head, locking her eyes with mine. A sly, knowing smile spread across her face, her expression taut with a subtle, electric tension.
“By the way, President… is something pressing against Big Sis’s backside?”
For a long while, neither of us said a word. We simply let the sound of the rain fill the silence as we gazed intently at one another. The air grew heavy and warm as we shared each other’s heat, savoring the sound of our synchronized breathing.
Finally, Dorothy whispered, her voice thick with anticipation.
“So… do you want to pounce on Big Sis?”
In that moment, I realized. We were both yearning for the exact same thing.