Holding Her Close
After leaving Nell's shop, the place we arrived at was the bookstore famous for being the largest in the commercial district.
"Wow..."
Seeing Cecilia beside me, eyes sparkling as she gazed at the books, I found myself smiling like a doting father without meaning to.
"Ah."
Catching sight of my expression, Cecilia cleared her throat a few times and then began wandering about in search of books. Watching her from a distance that was neither too far nor too near, I surveyed our surroundings.
Inside the academy, Cecilia should be safe.
No matter how much power those who had previously attacked her might wield, they would never dare make an enemy of the academy. Of course, that did not mean I could let my guard down.
Who knows where the crown prince or those male leads might pop out from...
"Ugh..."
"Hm?"
"I can't... reach it..."
"Pfft."
Cecilia was struggling on her tiptoes, flailing as she tried to pull a book from a shelf higher than she was tall. She could have leaned on me a little, but wanting to handle everything alone was simply her nature.
Same as before...
I stepped up behind her, drew the book from the shelf, and held it out to her.
"Is this the one?"
"Ah..."
"Miss Cecilia?"
"Um... you're... close..."
"Oops."
It seemed I had misjudged the distance without thinking, so I quickly put space between us again.
"I'm sorry. I felt bad seeing you struggle, so I just..."
"No... thank you."
Watching Cecilia dash toward the counter with her face flushed red, I scratched my head.
"Treatment and the contract—the distance in between is really tricky."
If I drew too near, she might feel burdened. From now on I would have to make a habit of asking first.
"I already placed a reservation on this book."
"Hm?"
A faintly irritated male voice drifted from the counter.
"But there was no mark on the book..."
"Yes. There's no such reservation anywhere..."
"If I say I did, then I did. Lady Cecilia, I believe I've told you before. I will never again tolerate someone with no talent running wild and hurting Elysia."
"Like I said, that's a misunderstanding..."
"What's going on here?"
Curious, I approached and found a red-haired man in typical mage attire cornering Cecilia.
Boris Finnel. Disciple of the Sage of the Magic Tower and the mage among the male leads.
"Grand Duke?"
"Tsk. I heard that after being dumped by Crown Prince Baron, you immediately latched onto another man. What a light woman."
Boris came up beside me and wore a sly smile.
"You should think carefully as well, Grand Duke. You'll lose more than you gain from an engagement with that woman."
"...That's not for you to decide."
My warning left Boris unmoved. He merely shrugged, never losing that smile as if something amused him greatly.
"Well, I know just how dangerous that woman is."
"Oh? Then."
Smiling, I pulled Cecilia straight into my arms.
"Hic?"
"Why don't you take a good look with those fine eyes of yours. Is Cecilia still dangerous like this?"
"...Ha. This is exactly why you can't talk to barbarians. So right now she... is... huh?"
Boris, who had been wearing a clearly flustered expression, began rubbing his eyes hard.
"Impossible... Why has that violently rampaging mana stabilized like that... Even my master gave up on..."
"What's wrong?"
"Kh."
"Answer me. Is she dangerous?"
"...You'll regret this. You will."
Having nothing left to say, Boris snatched the book from the counter and strode out of the bookstore.
"Regret, my ass."
"Um... Grand Duke? You're... too close..."
"Ah."
Cecilia's face, drawn tight against me, had flushed red to a degree incomparable with before.
"I'm sorry. I was trying to settle the situation quickly."
When I hurriedly released my arms, she began to free herself from my embrace like a broken doll, creaking. Her head was bowed so I could not see her face properly, yet the way her ears had turned bright red was plain to my eyes.
"Are you all right? Has your illness flared up again...?"
"Hoo... hoo. I'm fine. My immunity has increased... from before..."
She started to say something more, then met my gaze and immediately lowered her head again.
"Hic."
And then she began hiccuping cutely.
So cute...
It was the very picture of a startled little rabbit that did not know what to do with itself—especially the way she fanned her face with those small palms to cool it down.
...Haah. I want to hide her away somewhere and keep her for life.....
The instant that thought flashed through my mind, I smacked myself on the head.
"G-Grand Duke, why are you suddenly doing that?"
"I was organizing my thoughts for a moment and ran into a problem."
Crazy bastard. Who do you think you are to take responsibility for her? This is an engagement bound by contract. Snap out of it, Victor Walterheim. Unlike a weed that has to roll around on the battlefield for life, Cecilia is a flower raised in a greenhouse.
Don't get greedy. Focus on what you have to do. Don't make things difficult for Cecilia. The more you do, the more her mana might go berserk.
It was truly wretched. Why was I feeling these emotions now—both in my previous life and while living as Victor?
"My dear little brother, listen carefully. Love originally comes suddenly and confuses you. So when that happens, make sure to tell me your impressions..."
Would my previous life's registered mate number one like this story if she heard it?
...How wretched.
To think my first love would be an unrequited love that could not even begin, one that had never been permitted.
"How wretched."
"Pardon?"
"It's nothing. The book... ha. Did that damn bastard take it?"
"No. It's fine."
"It doesn't look fine. Clerk."
"Yes."
"The book that red-haired thug bought earlier. Was that the last one?"
"Unfortunately, yes. I'm sorry."
"...What book is it?"
"Pardon?"
Cecilia's eyes went round as if startled by my words.
"I asked what book it was. I'll find it somewhere other than the commercial district..."
"No. Now that I think about it, it felt like I chose the book as if possessed."
"...As if possessed?"
"Yes. As if the book itself was telling me to take it..."
"Clerk."
"Eek?"
The clerk stepped back in surprise at my sharp gaze. I pressed my temple, sighed, and spoke.
"What's the name of the book the thug bought?"
"Uh... just a moment. It's Tuckern's Star Magic."
"What's wrong, Grand Duke?"
"It's nothing."
Should I laugh or cry at the fact that the red-haired thug had removed a bomb for us and left...?
The forbidden book mixed in among the grimoires Cecilia obtained in the novel—Tuckern's Star Magic—despite its title, was a black magic tome of a dark mage that made the user's mana go berserk. I had heard it possessed the power to draw mages in...
In the novel, Cecilia had unknowingly acquired that forbidden book, and her mana rampage had worsened because of it.
To think the red-haired thug removed such a black magic tome for us.
Sorry for the insults. I hereby appoint you, red-haired thug, as an honorary bomb disposal unit.
"Grand Duke?"
"Well then, have you bought all the books you wanted?"
"Yes. Though the previous book is a bit regrettable..."
"Don't even think about that book anymore."
"Uh... okay."
Throw that garbage away. Throw it away.
"Then since we've bought everything we need."
"Yes."
"It's time for the welcome party."
"Is that... so?"
"In that case."
Wanting to put into practice the idea I had been turning over while coming to the commercial district, I began leading Cecilia toward our destination.
"Um, Grand Duke, where are we going?"
"You'll know if you follow."
"Eh."
The place Victor and Cecilia arrived at was in front of the most famous dress shop in the academy's commercial district.
"Wh-why are we here?"
"Let's go in."
"Pardon? Why..."
"I haven't properly given you an engagement gift yet."
"Back then the flowers..."
"That doesn't count."
"But..."
Victor took the hesitating Cecilia's hand and opened the door of the dress shop without further discussion.
"Welcome. Do you have a reservation?"
"I made a reservation under Victor Walterheim."
"Ah, Grand Duke Walterheim. We've been waiting for you."
"Eh?"
Victor leaned close to the ear of the clearly flustered Cecilia and whispered.
"Jester made the reservation in advance. Now that you're the fiancée of the Grand Ducal house, you should wear clothes befitting that, shouldn't you?"
"Ah... right. Um, but..."
"Yes."
"N-no, it's nothing."
Do we really need to go this far for a relationship bound by contract? The thought crossed her mind, but...
It's to show people clearly... right?
Cecilia decided to think of it that way. A corner of her chest ached.
But... why... am I so sad... All this kindness and consideration...
The thought that it might vanish in an instant made her suddenly afraid. That she might get drunk on the Grand Duke's gentleness, hope for things on her own, desire things on her own, and eventually cross the line.
No... If that happens, I...
Might be hated by the Grand Duke.
I... don't want that.
The deep scent when held in his arms had been nice. His rough but gentle hands had been nice. The fact that he had rushed over to protect her had been nice.
But all of that might disappear without a trace like a midsummer night's dream.
...Ah... I see. I think I finally understand why I catch that illness that hurts whenever I look at the Grand Duke.
Cecilia recalled a story her nanny had told her as a child. The feeling of wanting to be held in someone's arms and wanting to possess them.
To hold such feelings—that was precisely...
What... do I do.
The moment of falling in love. It was a terrible fever.
"My, my, Lady, you are so beautiful! Then..."
Whoosh!
The fitting room curtain was drawn open, and Cecilia stood before me wearing a white dress, her face flushed bright red.
"Is this the only one?"
"Pardon? No, there are dresses over there as well... or perhaps..."
"All of them."
"Pardon?"
"Let's try them all on."
A short while later the curtain opened again, and unlike before, Cecilia walked out wearing a pink dress. The thought crossed my mind that if pink cherry blossoms became a person, they would look exactly like this.
"..."
"Um, Grand Duke?"
"Next."
The curtain opened once more. This time the blue dress made Cecilia's white skin and silver-white hair stand out even more. On top of that, seeing her slender shoulder line exposed and the way she looked so embarrassed...
"...Hoo."
It was quite the ordeal to suppress the urge to cover those shoulders that very instant.
"I-is it a bit too much after all? Your expression, Grand Duke."
As I watched without a word, face stiff, Cecilia fidgeted with her skirt hem and wore a dejected expression.
She would never even dream that the reason my expression looked so bad was the rebound from crushing down the surging lecherous thoughts.
"Including the clothes you just wore, I'll buy everything inside as well."
"Y-yes???"
"Bill it to the Walterheim residence."
Cecilia blankly watched the employee who ran off cheering with joy, then approached me.
"G-Grand Duke, even so, that's too ma..."
"I won't accept Miss Cecilia's opinion. This is a gift I'm giving you, after all."
"B-but."
You are worth that much. There is no reason for you to be ignored. I will never tolerate that.
Until the day you leave, until the day a reliable person who will protect you appears.
Until then, I will protect you with everything I have.