The Grand Festival (2)
A short while later, at Milia's dormitory.
"My Lady. We've arrived."
Schwarz stopped in front of her door and turned his head toward Milia, who was still clinging to his back.
"Haa… haa…"
"My Lady…?"
But the only answer that came was the soft sound of her breathing.
Well… it would have been stranger if she weren't exhausted…
With that thought, Schwarz carefully carried her to the bed and laid her down. He slipped off her shoes, replaced them with soft sleeping slippers, and drew the blanket up to her shoulders.
"It's a little chilly…"
The window was shut, yet cold air still seeped through the gaps, and white puffs of breath hung in the room. He walked to the fireplace set against one wall, fed it fresh logs, and breathed a soft flame onto the wood. The kindling caught with a cheerful crackle, and warmth began to spread through the chamber.
Satisfied, Schwarz nodded, pulled a chair close to the bed, and settled beside her.
"She could have taken it a little easier at the end…"
He murmured the words as he watched her sleep so deeply. Even if she had cut a few corners, no one would have blamed her. Yet she had given everything she had to the work entrusted to her. It was a virtue, of course—but watching from the side felt to Schwarz like watching someone walk a tightrope. If she ever collapsed from overwork, he would never be able to hold his head up again.
"Haa…"
Still, a servant could not simply forbid his mistress from working. All he could do was help her with every ounce of strength he possessed.
With another quiet sigh he gazed at her, then gently brushed a stray lock of hair from her face.
"Mmmnn…"
"…!!"
She stirred with a soft, fretful sound, and Schwarz jerked his hand back as though burned.
"…"
"…"
Tense silence stretched for several long seconds before her breathing settled once more into a steady rhythm. Only then did Schwarz exhale in relief.
If I stay here I'll only disturb her sleep. Better to wait outside…
He rose carefully from the chair—
And that was when it happened.
"Mmm… Schwarz…"
"Eh…!?"
Still half-asleep, Milia mumbled his name, reached out, and caught his arm, pulling him toward her. Caught completely off-guard, Schwarz lost his balance and toppled helplessly in her direction—
"Guhhh…!!"
—only to stop himself by a hair's breadth, arms locked, body hovering just above hers.
"Hoo…"
His heart hammered in his ears; cold sweat prickled at the nape of his neck. He let out a shaky breath of relief. The distance between his face and her body was a mere few centimeters. A fraction of a second later and he would have landed squarely on top of her.
"…"
"Haa… haa…"
With great effort he turned his head and saw Milia still sound asleep, breathing softly. It had only been sleep-talk after all…
Those few seconds felt like hours. Carefully, Schwarz braced himself to rise—
But someone once said that storms always come twice.
Just as he began to push himself up, Milia's arms slid around his neck.
"Ah…"
A low sound of despair escaped him the instant she pulled him down. With a silent, wordless scream of pure panic, Schwarz found his face buried against her chest.
Softness. Warmth. The gentle rise and fall of her breathing…
He had no leisure to appreciate any of it.
"Hehehehe…"
As if she somehow knew exactly what she was doing, Milia let out a lazy, contented laugh and began to stroke his hair.
What on earth is she dreaming about…?
Schwarz bit back the scream that threatened to escape and stared at her, frozen. If she woke up right now, the consequences were all too easy to imagine.
"Hoo… hoo…"
Face still pressed to her chest, he forced himself to breathe slowly and carefully so as not to wake her.
Calm down. This is just a little accident. Nothing more.
He waited for the right moment, then slowly lifted his head, trying to slip free of her embrace.
"Mmmnn…"
Milia only made another fretful sound and tightened her arms around his face, hugging him even closer.
Just what kind of dream is this!?
He wanted nothing more than to shake her awake and demand an answer, but of course that remained pure wishful thinking. His eyes darted about, searching desperately for an escape, and landed on the cushion lying near her feet.
If I can just swap myself for the cushion without waking her…
He stretched out a hand—only to find the distance far greater than expected. His fingers clawed helplessly at empty air. After several failed attempts he was forced to admit the truth: he simply could not reach it.
"Haa…"
A short sigh escaped him—and then a sudden idea flashed through his mind.
No choice, then…
Quietly he shifted his posture, drew in a deep breath, and pulled ambient mana into himself. A pair of horns rose from his head; a long, black-scaled tail unfurled from beneath his trousers.
"Let's see…"
He murmured the words and carefully extended the tail toward the cushion. Thankfully it was long enough. With delicate movements he hooked the cushion and dragged it closer until his hand could finally grasp the corner.
"Good… now then…"
Thinking he was finally free, Schwarz slowly turned his head—
"…"
"…"
—and found himself staring straight into a pair of wide, golden eyes that clearly had no idea what they were looking at.
"Ah…"
A tiny, strangled sound left his throat.
Ice-cold silence followed.
How long did it last? Ten seconds? A minute? An hour?
In the end it hardly mattered to Schwarz.
"Wh-what do you think you're doing, you idiotddddd—!!"
Milia's face flushed scarlet as she let out a scream that was half shriek, half roar, and raised her hand. Mana gathered around her palm in a visible swirl.
Ah. I'm going to die.
That was Schwarz's final, resigned thought as a faint smile touched his lips and he closed his eyes.
A sharp smack rang out, followed by a searing pain as though he had been branded by fire—and then consciousness left him.
The next morning.
Snow that had fallen through the night blanketed the streets in pure white, yet even at this early hour the roads bustled with people. Two figures walked among them.
"S-so… how is it? Does your cheek still hurt?"
Milia stole a sideways glance at Schwarz, then fidgeted with her fingers, looking thoroughly embarrassed as she asked the question.
"Hmm… it still throbs a little, My Lady."
"Ugh… I-I'm sorry…"
Schwarz rubbed his cheek with a deliberately playful tone. Milia let out a low, mortified sound and looked away.
In truth the cheek she had struck was completely unmarked. The pain had vanished long ago. Schwarz was simply teasing her a little.
"Haa…"
But Milia took him at his word. She lowered her head with a short sigh, wishing the ground would open up and swallow her whole.
I must have been out of my mind. Why did I fall asleep there of all places…?
Had she let her guard down simply because it was the final stretch? The thought made fresh waves of embarrassment twist through her. The air was cold enough to turn breath white, yet her face burned as though it might burst into flame.
Falling asleep on his back was bad enough—but then she had pulled him into her arms, sleep-talk or not…
This was the sort of memory that deserved to be buried forever. If some shady stranger appeared right now offering to turn back time in exchange for her soul, she felt certain she would accept without a second thought.
"Mmm…"
Watching her, Schwarz made a soft, thoughtful sound. He was laboring under one rather large misunderstanding.
She really doesn't need to feel that sorry…
He believed her awkwardness stemmed purely from having slapped him. Of course that was not what was truly tormenting her, but there was no way for him to know.
"My Lady."
"Ugh…"
"My Lady?"
"Hyeek!? W-what is it!?"
She jumped so violently that Schwarz tilted his head in mild confusion. Her cheeks were faintly flushed, but he simply attributed it to the cold and carefully continued.
"You don't need to feel so guilty. You already apologized properly, after all."
"What…?"
Milia's expression went completely blank. Her mind spun faster than it ever had before, and in an instant she understood exactly why he had said those words.
"Haa…"
The heat that had threatened to explode from her face drained away in a rush, replaced by a dull, throbbing ache behind her temples.
Of course… What was I even hoping for…
Realizing they had been thinking entirely different things, she let out another short sigh. So this was what people meant by "same bed, different dreams." She shook her head, feeling thoroughly pathetic for having fretted alone like an idiot.
"My Lady?"
"Forget it… What could I possibly expect from you anyway…"
Schwarz tilted his head again at her muttered reply. Milia grumbled the words more to herself than to him.
Just what is the problem?
It couldn't be her looks. Even by the most modest standards she was far from unattractive—slightly taller than most girls her age, with lustrous silver hair, skin as white as fresh snow, and sparkling golden eyes. Her active lifestyle had given her a slender, graceful figure that often drew quiet admiration. At nineteen she was the very picture of charm, and with her twentieth birthday approaching, the marriage proposals that arrived almost daily already numbered in the dozens.
And yet, in Milia's eyes, Schwarz seemed to regard her with not the slightest interest as a woman.
"Hah…!!"
Then a sudden thought struck her like a bolt of lightning. Her face crumpled; cold sweat beaded on her skin and her hands began to tremble.
She had finally realized the enormous mistake she had been making all this time.
How could I have forgotten something so basic?
A low, mortified sound escaped her throat as she berated herself for the oversight.
We're different species…!!
It was a misunderstanding so profound that, had Schwarz overheard it, his face would have been a perfect portrait of pure, uncomprehending question marks.