Chapter 98
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: Uncomfortable Walk
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Wendy buried her face in Tristan's chest.
She couldn't bring herself to lift her head.
She lacked the confidence to look him straight in the face.
Wendy... what the hell did you just do...
Regret came crashing over her immediately.
She had said it. Now she could no longer hide her feelings.
Wendy squeezed her eyes shut.
She recalled what Tristan had said to her from the carriage on the day of the entrance ceremony.
-In ten years, you'll have grown into someone more splendid than anyone else.
Ten years. The timeframe Tristan had given her.
That time, which she'd thought was long if long and short if short, had never felt as endless as it did today.
Wendy was anxious.
She feared that Tristan might not wait for her over those ten years.
In the end, her impatience had given her the courage to speak.
No, it could even be called a mistake.
Because of her confession, they might never return to their previous relationship.
"......"
Tristan said nothing.
She had no idea what he was thinking.
All Wendy could do was wait anxiously for his response.
That was when it happened.
Creak
"Teacher! What are you doing here?"
"Huh?"
"Did you forget today is when the medicine delivery arrives?"
"Oh? Oh...! Look at me, I totally spaced."
"Ugh. Hurry up and come out! Everyone's waiting outside."
"I-I'm coming right now!"
The school nurse rushed out in a panic, leaving silence in the infirmary.
Wendy felt like she and Tristan were the only two people left in the world.
Tristan still hadn't responded.
Finally, unable to wait any longer, Wendy lifted her head.
"...Count?"
She was curious yet afraid of what expression Tristan might be making.
The face Wendy bravely met was remarkably serene.
Free of any worry, undisturbed, his eyes were closed as if he were asleep.
Only then did Wendy realize why Tristan had been so still.
"Count... are you... asleep?"
Of course, there was no reply.
The steady sound of his breathing confirmed it.
He had fallen asleep. Before hearing her wish.
"Th-that's a relief..."
Wendy finally relaxed.
All the tension drained from her body.
It was better that her once-in-a-lifetime confession hadn't gotten through.
Even now, she couldn't fathom what had possessed her to say it.
Relieved, Wendy gazed at Tristan's face.
The sleeping face she'd seen while nursing him all night at the hospital before.
That same face was right in front of her now.
Tristan was in such deep sleep he didn't even twitch.
It had to be accumulated fatigue from all this time.
He was always overdoing it where no one could see.
Wendy wanted to comfort him in his exhausted slumber.
So she reached out and secretly stroked his hair.
The rustling texture of his hair felt nice. Afraid of waking him, her touch was gentle.
"Yawn..."
Wendy yawned without realizing it.
With the tension gone, the pent-up fatigue came rushing in.
Now that she thought about it, she hadn't slept either and was exhausted.
On top of that, Tristan's body heat made the drowsiness inevitable.
Wendy drowsily confirmed Tristan was deeply asleep.
Glancing around, she wriggled deeper into his embrace.
She could hear his heartbeat against his chest.
Listening to it soothed her immensely.
"Heehee..."
Blissfully content, Wendy grinned without thinking.
She wanted to act spoiled toward him more. To cling to him.
And with sleep clouding her half-awake mind, she craved things she could never do normally.
For example...
Wendy murmured in a tiny voice.
"Count. Wake up"
...
The deeply sleeping Tristan showed no reaction.
"...I'm a bad girl."
Wendy brought her finger to Tristan's lips as he slept.
"Because I'm a bad girl, who knows what I might do to the sleeping Count... So wake up already. Or else..."
His lips felt soft and warm against her finger.
Surely kissing him would be sweet.
Intensely so, like a dream she'd never forget.
Wendy exhaled slowly and whispered.
"I'm really not sure I won't do something naughty."
Wendy stared at Tristan's lips.
Stealing a kiss from his sleeping lips would be so easy.
But Wendy couldn't bring herself to do it. She hadn't even passed the third exam yet. She hadn't received permission for her wish.
In the end, Wendy moved the finger from his lips to her own.
She kissed the warmth lingering on her finger.
It was regrettable, but this was the most she could do right now.
Even an indirect kiss was enough to make her heart tremble uncontrollably.
To her, it was naughty enough.
"N-next time... I might do something even worse. You have to stop me then, okay? Count..."
Wendy closed her eyes in Tristan's arms and thought.
She wished this moment would never end.
She wanted to always be by his side.
"I love you... Count."
Mumbling like sleep-talk, Wendy soon drifted off with steady breaths.
Bzzz.
Bzzz.
Wendy opened her eyes at the vibration.
It was coming from above her head.
When she reached up, she felt a hard hair clip.
The vibration stopped, and Myohail's voice rang out.
'Disciple, are you awake now?'
'Master...?'
'But why are you sleeping in a place like this?'
'Huh...?'
How long had she been asleep?
Wendy was alone on the infirmary bed.
'Huh...?'
The man who should have been beside her was gone.
Only the lingering warmth in the blankets told her she hadn't fallen asleep alone.
'Where's the Count...?'
"Yawn... Count?"
Myohail yawned as he spoke.
'Hm? You were alone when I woke up. Still half-asleep?'
Meikahel Empire's capital, Luddrow, on a certain street.
"......"
"......"
...
Two women were drawing the eyes of passersby.
One was a tall beauty with a cold demeanor.
Her neat suit gave her a prim and disciplined air.
The woman beside her wore a black military coat.
Her face was hidden by a mask, but her beautiful legs peeking from under her short skirt caught everyone's gaze.
Regardless, she stood there shaking one leg, looking displeased.
"Ahem..."
Blanche broke the silence.
"Is there somewhere you'd like to go?"
"......"
Helga didn't answer.
Though ignored, Blanche persisted.
"Would you... like to take a walk with me?"
"......"
"Um...?"
"......"
"A walk...?"
"......"
Finally, Helga looked at Blanche.
Her eyes screamed that Blanche was the most pathetic thing on earth.
Only then did Blanche remember the gag in Helga's mouth.
"Ah, I'll remove it for you."
Blanche moved to do so, but Helga shook her head.
Right after, she casually spat out the gag.
Somehow, the handcuffs binding her wrists were already off too.
"...You think I couldn't remove this crap myself?"
"Then why...?"
"Why? Because it was the Count's order."
Helga said incredulously.
"And a walk? Why should I walk with you?"
"Because our young lady ordered it."
"...You're seriously going to follow a prank like that? Are you an idiot?"
Blanche's eyes narrowed.
She wanted to snap back but let it go.
"I don't want to walk with you, the Count's guard. More than that, I have no taste for strolling with a collared mutt."
"...?"
At first she didn't get it, but Helga realized Blanche was eyeing the leash around her neck.
"Heh... Keep flapping that loose lip, and should I drill another hole? So you can talk out of one and leak from the other."
"That's intriguing. Loyal mutt."
"I've got a name: Helga. You oversized illiterate cat."
The two glared at each other with smiles.
Chilling smiles that dropped the temperature around them.
But neither showed signs of backing down.
"Pfft. Don't worry, cat. Unless the Count orders it, I have no intention of harming you."
"Is that so...? I'm more surprised you even have the skill to harm me."
"Heh... Didn't you fail to dodge my attack last time?"
Blanche tilted her head at that.
"Didn't I clearly dodge it? At worst, you grazed me."
"That's why it hit. A graze still counts as a hit."
Blanche sighed at Helga's words.
"That was a scratch from the wind pressure. I definitely dodged the weapon you swung."
"What nonsense is this? Wind pressure is part of my attack."
"So even if it's wind pressure, it doesn't hurt, so it doesn't count as an attack."
"Wow, got it. So even if I smash you with wind pressure, it won't count for you? Want to test real wind pressure from now on?"
"Go ahead, if you can."
Blanche shrugged.
Helga glared sharply at her.
"Sigh... Back then, you really think you survived thanks to our Count?"
"...Thanks to the Count?"
A crack appeared in Blanche's composed expression.
"Yeah. If the Count hadn't stopped me, you'd be dead by my hand."
"Don't talk like that man showed me mercy. It's disgusting."
Blanche growled.
One might shrink from her icy tone, but Helga just chuckled.
"Heh... I know all about it."
"...? Know what?"
"If you're jealous, just say so. You're envious I serve such a fine man like the Count, right?"
"Envious...?"
Blanche, who at first didn't comprehend, slowly turned beet red.
"W-who's jealous of whom?!"
"Look at you, all red. Embarrassed, huh."
"Does this look embarrassed to you?! I'm pissed off right now!"
Blanche exploded, but Helga continued nonchalantly.
"Ahh, you have no idea how great it is serving the Count up close. Last time, I wiped the sweat off him after training. He took the handkerchief, but... I secretly got it back, of course. Hehehe... Jealous?"
"Not jealous! Not at all!"
The two bickered on the street.
Fearing getting caught in their fierce aura, passersby hurried past.
That was when it happened.
"Hey! You gotta pay!"