Hand in Hand Through the Haunted House
"..."
"Victor?"
"Yes?"
"Are you all right? Your face has been pale for a while now..."
"Ah. Forgive me."
What kind of disgraceful display was this, during a precious lunch with Cecilia?
This is all that woman's fault.
After their conversation ended, I had lingered a moment behind the wall to check on her. She was no ordinary madwoman. Muttering to herself, and then at the end bursting into wild, deranged laughter.
"Cecilia."
"Yes?"
"If Elysia approaches you, tell me at once."
"...Why?"
"I'm worried she might hurt you. That woman is strange."
"So you're saying she bothers you?"
"...As I've told you before, that sort of woman is not my type."
"Of course not. Your type isn't a scrawny girl like that, is it?"
"No."
"Then I'd better put on more weight."
"..."
"What is it?"
"I was just thinking your skill at needling people has improved lately."
"That's because of you, Victor."
Today, as always, Cecilia's smile scored a hundred and twenty out of a hundred.
"Superb."
When the meal was finished, we rose from our seats. Our next classes had both been cancelled, so we decided to take a short walk through the academy.
Inside the grounds, outside workers and faculty were already hard at work preparing for the spring festival.
"So that's why free periods keep appearing."
"Yes. Last year, too, free periods piled up two or three days before the festival. I used to shut myself away in the workshop or the apothecary and spend the time researching. But now..."
A faint flush rose to Cecilia's cheeks as she looked up at me with a soft, shy smile.
"I'm with you, Victor."
"Well. We are engaged."
"Yes. And I am your fiancée."
An answer that seemed to match mine perfectly. Something in my chest ached for a moment, but I decided this distance was just right, and matched my steps to hers as I walked beside her.
"...Victor?"
"Yes."
"For the festival... do you happen to have... any prior plans?"
"Uh..."
"Well... if you don't mind..."
"I was planning to go with you, Cecilia."
"..."
"Was that... not all right?"
"No! Let's go together!!"
Cecilia beamed up at me like an excited puppy. Today, too, my urge to scoop her up and wrap her away somewhere safe was stacking up at a frankly alarming rate.
Even if I kidnapped this adorable little creature and poured every scrap of affection into her, I don't have the confidence I'd raise her properly.
"Victor?"
"Yes?"
"Um... if it's all right with you, would you mind if I prepared our route for the festival?"
For a second, Ruche's words from that morning flashed through my mind—how a "spring festival route" was really just code for a guerrilla obstacle course. But then—
There's no way Cecilia would plan something like that.
—I put my faith in her, smiled, and answered.
"Of course. If Senior Cecilia is willing, I'll follow whatever you recommend."
"Senior...?"
"Is something wrong?"
"It has a rather nice ring to it."
"Does it?"
"Yes... hehe."
"Hmm-hmm-hmm~"
Humming a cheerful little tune, Elysia stopped before the door of Boris's dormitory room.
"Boris? Are you in there?"
Creeeak.
The door opened, and Boris greeted her with hollow, sunken eyes and dark shadows of exhaustion painted beneath them.
"Ah, Elysia."
"...Boris, are you all right? You haven't been attending classes properly lately."
"Hahaha... I've had a problem I absolutely have to solve."
"Is that... for my sake?"
A faint twitch.
Boris forced a smile onto his face with visible effort.
"Of course... I want to be a disciple both you and Master can be proud of."
"Boris..."
With dewy, glistening eyes, Elysia looked up at him and pulled him into her arms.
"You mustn't push yourself too hard, all right? Lately I... I've been so scared."
"..."
"Cecilia, the Grand Duke of Walterheim... without you, Boris, I'm so terribly frightened."
"Again."
"Boris?"
"No. Don't worry, Elysia... soon... very soon."
After sending Elysia away, Boris returned to his room and stared down at the grimoire spread open on his desk.
"Soon..."
Behind him, the haze of mana rising from his back deepened steadily into a richer, darker red.
Welcome to the Imperial Academy Spring Festival!!!
Before I knew it, time had carried us into the spring festival itself. Classes at the academy were suspended for three days. Every student was free either to enjoy the celebrations or to return home.
"I was thinking of heading back, but—"
With Jester and Shurian's replies from the Walterheim estate, I felt secure enough to remain at the academy.
"Cecilia."
"Yes?"
"Are you certain you don't wish to visit the Roeyental Duke Family?"
"Ah."
It was a rare opportunity, after all. Even a brief call at the duchy to pay respects to the Duke of Roeyental would have been natural enough.
"Not yet."
"Pardon?"
"Not yet. When the time comes, I will. Without fail."
Cecilia looked straight at me and clenched both fists tight.
"Yes. When that day arrives..."
She's burning with so much resolve that anything more from me would only be meddling.
I shrugged and fixed my gaze on the paper in her hand.
"Is that the schedule?"
"Yes. I put together three days of events I thought you would enjoy, Victor."
"It can't only be for me. You have to enjoy yourself as well, Cecilia."
"Of course. There are events for me too."
"..."
"I... I mean it. Really."
When I simply stared at her face, her expression wavered just a little.
"Truly?"
"Yes."
"If you're lying... hmm."
"Why would I lie?"
"Because I think of you as the sort of person who always frets more over others than herself."
"...I don't fret over anyone but you, Victor."
"See? There—you're lying."
"I am not!"
"And the way you took such careful care of everyone at the Walterheim estate?"
"Th-that was..."
"Proof that you're a kind person."
Unable to answer, Cecilia puffed out her cheeks and whipped her head away, refusing to meet my eyes.
"I don't know!"
"...Cecilia."
"Hmph."
"I... I'm sorry?"
"..."
"What would it take for you to accept my apology..."
"Noona."
"Pardon?"
"Try calling me Noona."
"...Noona?"
"Hehe."
"Cecilia?"
Sensing something off in the conversation just now, I stepped in front of her and studied her face.
"...You tricked me."
"Got you, didn't I?"
"You're growing more cunning by the day."
"Hehe."
"I like it, though. Seeing you like this."
"That's thanks to you, Victor."
"Even after the contract ends someday, I hope you'll still smile like that."
Her steps stopped dead beside me.
"Cecilia?"
"..."
"Cecilia?"
"You're... right."
Those violet eyes wavered for the briefest instant before settling back into calm. Startled by that flicker, I scanned our surroundings.
Did something happen to sour her mood—
There was. Far down the path, Crown Prince Baron and Elysia were walking toward us.
"Cecilia!"
"Yes? V-Victor?"
I caught her hand at once and pulled her into a building where an event was already underway.
"Whew."
"Victor, what on earth was that all of a sudden..."
"Ah. Something in here looked interesting, so I thought we'd try—"
"Welcome to the Haunted House."
"Oh. So you like this sort of thing?"
"..."
No. Of all the things in the world, this was what I hated most.
Watching the profile of Victor walking beside her, her hand held firmly in his, Cecilia felt her face heat of its own accord.
Really, Cecilia... how could you make that face and put Victor in such an awkward position...
The memory of Victor looking so unsettled as he watched her earlier made her heart drop with a heavy thud.
He's trying so hard to ease that feeling for me... and I'm so pathetic for it...
"KYAAAAA!!!"
"Hiiiek!!!"
"...Victor?"
Seeing Victor jump out of his skin at the woman in white mourning clothes who had leapt out beside them, a bright curve of a smile flashed across Cecilia's lips.
"Ha... haha... How... how crude. Who would ever be frightened by a ghost like—"
"Victor."
"Y-yes?"
"Are you... scared of ghosts?"
"..."
Silence was as good as a confession. Watching Victor tremble, Cecilia felt something like electricity race through her entire body.
Ah... aah... he's so cute.
The sight of Victor—who had always been as hard and unyielding as steel—looking so vulnerable woke something deep and maternal inside her that she could not suppress.
"Victor."
"...Yes?"
"Hold Noona's hand tight."
Forceful. Was there any other word for Cecilia in that moment? Face burning, Victor took her hand.
Cecilia grinned and did not stop there.
Squeeze.
"C-Cecilia-noona?"
"Cute—no, no. There. You're not scared anymore, are you, Victor?"
Fingers laced together, the two of them began their push through the haunted house.
"...What is that?"
The costumed ghosts of the haunted house had been doing their utmost to frighten every couple that passed. But they had never once seen a pair quite like the one walking past them now.
"...They're in a completely different world over there."
"We got ignored..."
"I worked on this makeup for days..."
Eyes fixed only on each other. The sound of the other's breathing. Fingers clenched so tightly neither seemed willing to be the first to let go.
"...Ah."
"We're through."
Walking like that, they found themselves pushing open the exit door of the haunted house before they knew it.
"..."
"..."
Neither of them said it was all right to let go. Fingers still interlaced, they simply wandered the festival. They did not follow the plan Cecilia had prepared. They only walked, and walked, eyes fixed ahead.
"So."
Looking down at Cecilia lying on the bed, Chloe wore a smile that suggested she hardly knew what to make of any of this.
"You spent the whole day just holding hands and walking around."
"Mm."
"And then came home."
"Mm."
"..."
"Hehe."
"...Was it nice?"
"Mm... it was nice."
"Well... if you're happy, then I'm glad."
"Victor's hand... was so warm. And when our fingers laced together, it felt even stronger..."
Cupping her flushed cheeks in both hands, Cecilia smiled with a brightness as clear as sunlight.
"He kept squeezing as if he was afraid of losing me... and then he'd look from my hand to my eyes with this worried look, like he was scared he might break my fingers. And it was just so... lovely."
"..."
"My heart... almost burst."
"At this point I almost feel wronged on your behalf."
"Hm? About what?"
"Why on earth does His Grace act as if there's room in his heart for you, only to hide behind that contract every single time he starts to fall?"
"...That's... because it's a contract."
"Haa. Yes, because of that contract, I suppose. But still—"
"Chloe."
"Hm?"
"Anything beyond that is between Victor and me."
Reading her friend's clear wish not to discuss the subject any further, Chloe nodded.
"All right. If that's how you feel..."
"Mm. Don't worry. In the end, Victor will look only at me."
"It does look that way. But Cecil—what if, just in case, His Grace ends up with another woman—"
"...With whom?"
"Huh?"
"Who is Victor supposed to be meeting?"
"Uh..."
"If you're going to make a hypothesis like that, naming the subject of the hypothesis is rather important, Chloe."
Faced with Cecilia's cool demand that the theory be properly analyzed and dismantled, Chloe nodded.
"Well... for example, the two people most often linked with him these days."
"..."
"Princess Luisilla, maybe?"
"Victor doesn't like that kind of personality."
"E-eh?"
"Victor likes the refined young-lady type. That warrior-woman style isn't his taste at all."
"Aha."
"I saw her in passing, and that was not a woman's body. Really—with a frame like that, she dares to think of throwing herself into the Grand Duke's arms?"
"...Uh... Cecil?"
"Don't make me laugh."
After calming the muttering Cecilia, Chloe cleared her throat a few times and brought up the next candidate.
"Next is the one we both hate so much..."
"Elysia?"
"Mm."
"Absolutely not."
"You're that certain?"
"With that scrawny figure? How dare she?"
"..."
"Not a chance."
"Aha."
"Victor's type is a well-fed young lady who's put on a healthy amount of weight."
Smiling sweetly, Cecilia pointed a finger at herself.
"Someone like me... yes."
"...Right."
"So that kind of hypothesis is meaningless and hereby discarded. More importantly—tomorrow... tomorrow I will absolutely stick to the plan with Victor..."