The Imperial Ball (9)
"I won."
"...Pardon?"
Aria wore a triumphant expression. I stared at her hand, completely dumbfounded. Her fingers had been curled into a tight fist from the very beginning. What the hell was going on? In a panic, I glanced back and forth between my hand and hers, but the result refused to change. Another loss.
"Hehe. Since I won, the choice is mine, right?"
"......"
Damn it. Why did I lose again? I was certain I'd win this time….
"Then…."
And the request Aria made with a bright smile across her face was… exactly what I had feared. She wanted the two of us to share one bed.
POV: Aria
......
......
In the dark room where the lights had been extinguished, only the faint sound of our breathing filled the silence. I rolled my eyes and stole a glance toward Leo. Thanks to the darkness, I could just make out his faint silhouette. It looked like his eyes were closed.
Just in case, I rolled over slightly to face his side and whispered in a small voice.
"Um... Your Grace?"
"No."
The moment I called his name, a firm rejection came back so quickly that I nearly burst out in frustration.
"I haven't even said anything yet...!"
"Regardless, no. As I said earlier, do not cross more than half of the bed. The moment you do, I'll consider it a breach of contract and sleep on the sofa."
"Hmph... I wasn't planning to..."
Even as I said that, my head was actually full of sneaky plans to invade his side of the bed once he fell asleep. I felt a pang of guilt inside. Besides, given that I'd done it once before in the past, I had no real defense. Why couldn't I hold back that time and ended up pouncing on Leo out of pure instinct….
Idiot.
...Still. Being able to sleep in the same bed as him at all was something. I rationalized it that way.
POV: Leo
......
My arm felt heavy. And for some reason, my body was warm. Especially the inside of my arm and my chest—there was a warm, soft sensation pressing against them….
"...!"
A bad feeling hit me, and I snapped my eyes open reflexively.
"What the fuck…."
A curse slipped out before I could stop it. Sure enough, my ominous premonition had become reality. Aria was nestled snugly in my arms, facing me, sleeping peacefully.
What kind of insane situation was this? My head spun. Even more shocking was the fact that my own arm was wrapped around her shoulders, holding her close. On top of that, I was even serving as her arm pillow.
The two of us facing each other, bodies pressed together, with the man giving the woman his arm as a pillow. No matter how you looked at it, this was the textbook position of lovers sleeping in an embrace.
Her beautiful silver hair, with her face buried against my chest, gave off a faint floral scent. The shoulder and back I held were impossibly soft. Every time she breathed, a gentle puff of air brushed against me. And above all, I could feel an undeniable, soft fullness where our bodies touched.
This was dangerous. From any angle, it looked like I had been the one to pull her into my arms first. I needed to get out of this situation before she woke up.
With that thought, I carefully began to withdraw my arm. That was the moment.
"Your Grace...?"
Aria's lips parted as she called to me in a sleepy murmur, her eyes fluttering open. Our gazes met directly.
"......"
"......"
In the midst of this incredibly awkward situation, I froze with my arm halfway withdrawn. Aria stared at me with half-lidded eyes, still not fully awake. I stared back at her with a flustered expression. Even like this, she was annoyingly beautiful. Her perfectly proportioned features and slightly tousled silver hair created a dreamlike atmosphere. It was like looking at a forest fairy who had just awakened.
Time seemed to stop as we simply gazed at each other in silence. After what felt like an eternity of seconds, Aria finally registered the situation. A mischievous smile slowly bloomed on her lips.
Cold sweat ran down my back. I could already guess what those rosy lips were about to say.
And of course, she didn't disappoint.
"Your Grace. What is this hand doing?"
Aria's gaze was fixed on my hand, which was still awkwardly wrapped around her shoulder.
"......"
Yeah. I want to know that too. Fuck.
......
......
An awkward atmosphere settled between us. It was almost identical to what had happened before. The only difference was that this time, I was the perpetrator.
"Um... My Lady."
"Yes?"
When I called out to her cautiously, Aria—sitting across the table with her arms crossed and legs elegantly crossed—responded with a meaningful smile. It was an irritating attitude, but I had no choice.
"I'm sorry."
Suppressing my personal feelings, I bowed my head first. No matter the circumstances, objectively speaking, it was true that I had pulled her into my arms and slept like that.
"It wasn't intentional. When I woke up, I found myself in that position without realizing it... I don't even know why I did it. I'm truly sorry."
Aria didn't respond to my weak excuse. She simply looked at me and kept smiling in circles. I couldn't lift my head. At this point, I no longer understood how I had ended up doing such a thing. All I could do was resent my own terrible sleeping habits.
Aria observed me for a moment like an eagle eyeing its prey, then spoke while maintaining her smile.
"Yesterday, didn't you say it first, Your Grace? Not to cross more than half of the bed."
"...Yes."
"Yet you were the one who crossed over first?"
"...It appears so."
"Could you explain how this happened?"
"I'm sorry. As I said earlier, it seems I did it unconsciously in my sleep. It was absolutely not on purpose…."
Yes. If only Aria had been the one to invade my side, I would have had some room to make excuses. Instead, the position earlier showed that I had crossed over half the bed and freely invaded her territory.
But separate from that, this woman seemed thrilled to have found my weakness, grinning as she slowly poked at my nerves. When I repeated the same words again, Aria pouted her lips and spoke in a coy tone.
"Yes, well. I understand what you're saying. But is saying sorry with just words enough?"
"......"
"If you truly feel apologetic, shouldn't you show it through actions?"
This woman really....
The continuous high-handed attitude suddenly made anger flare up inside me. I lifted my head, met her eyes, and shot back.
"But didn't you do the exact same thing before, My Lady? Pulling me into your arms while I was asleep?"
"Eek...! T-that...! That was then, and this is now…."
"...Sigh…."
Now she was even pulling out double standards. I no longer knew what was what. It didn't seem like anything I said would work anyway, and arguing further would only give me a headache. I scratched my head and finally spat out in resignation.
"Fine. As an apology, I'll grant you one request—anything you want."
"Anything?"
"Yes."
"You mean it? No taking it back later?"
"Please refrain from anything too unreasonable."
"Then, um…."
Aria smiled softly and spoke shyly.
"Spend the whole day outside with me today."
**
Inside the outer castle walls of Raphael Castle lay a residential area for the middle class, whose status was relatively lower than that of the high nobility. It was a place where the Milfeuille Market—the largest bustling district in the empire—and the upstream waters of the Raphael River flowing beside it created a fantastic view. Since it was also festival season, every street was crowded with people.
And there I was, walking through those crowded streets while unintentionally holding hands with Aria. Just like lovers would.
Of course, it was Aria who had grabbed my hand first. The moment we left the room and passed through the castle gates, she gradually drew closer to my side and then slyly took my hand.
Her small, soft hand wove between my fingers. A warm heat transmitted from that delicate hand that seemed like it would break if I applied even the slightest pressure. In contrast, my heart grew colder and colder.
I wanted to ask why she was clinging to me again, but because of what happened that morning, I couldn't say anything. I could only walk forward, staring straight ahead.
Why did I ever say I would grant any request….
I let out a small sigh and secretly glanced sideways at Aria walking beside me. A sky-blue spring dress for going out, with her brilliant silver hair flowing naturally. The skin on her slender arms and legs visible beneath the clothes was pale and lovely. Aria, who had dressed up brightly today, had been wearing a shy, happy smile since before we left, as if something delighted her immensely.
What could possibly make her that happy?
...Well, of course. She had seized my weakness and was probably thrilled at the thought of toying with me from now on. If I kept looking at her, I would probably say something strange again, so I turned my gaze forward.
At one point, Aria adjusted her grip and squeezed my hand more tightly, which made me tense up for no reason. The firm interlocking of our fingers seemed to convey a determination not to let go.
"......"
Then she glanced my way, our eyes met, and I hurriedly looked away.
Why did she have to look so beautiful today? Damn it.
I told myself not to waver. This woman was simply acting on another impulsive emotion. The moment I gave in would be my defeat. I calmed my mind with that thought.
With all this, would I really be able to break off the engagement a year from now? That worry crept up slowly.
"Your Grace."
At Aria's voice calling from beside me, I reflexively turned my head. She was looking at me with a gentle smile.
"What is it?"
"Is there anywhere you want to go, Your Grace?"
"Weren't you the one who suggested we go out together because you had a destination in mind, My Lady?"
Aria looked somewhat flustered at my words.
"Huh? Ah, well, that's true, but... I thought I'd ask just in case. It feels wrong to only do what I want."
Seeing her ramble like that made a vague sense of unease wash over me again. Was this going to veer off in a strange direction once more? It hadn't even been a full day since Aria had forced me to wear that engagement ring yesterday. I had no idea what nonsense she might pull today.
Incidentally, the platinum engagement ring Aria had bought yesterday was still on my left ring finger.
Yes. Rather than following wherever this woman dragged me and getting caught up in more annoying situations, it would be better if I chose the destination myself. With that in mind, I suggested the most reasonable place possible.
"Then, how about we stop by a café for a cup of coffee before lunch?"
"A café? That sounds wonderful!"
And not long after, I regretted that choice.