CH 35

“What’s up? Both of you.”

“Eric ……”

“Eric sama ……”

They hear Eric’s voice coming from the back of the truck and turn their gazes from the campfire to his face.

No matter how hard they try to mend, no matter how hard they try to hide their feelings, in front of the man they love, everything is just a child’s ubiquitous reaction.

Both Sera and Sofia have talked a lot with men, but they have never had their hearts shot out so far. So when they see the man who made them fall in love befriending and even skin-to-skin with a woman they think is much nicer, they still feel insecure.

Obviously, they understand. Eric is not the kind of man who would follow his desires.

However, a woman’s heart is always crying out to him not to leave her and to love her more. They smile awkwardly after managing to fool around with such frustrating feelings.

Then he says

“Come over here for a minute.”

“?”

“?”

Suddenly, Eric beckons them to come over, and they twist their faces into a scramble. However, the other party was a man they could trust. So, they quietly followed Eric’s lead.

The two arrived at the carriage that Eric was using as a place to sleep. Eric made a clattering sound as he climbed into the back of the wagon, and soon, the ceiling of the wagon was opened with a clatter, and Eric spoke again to them.

“Over here.”

“…….”

“…….”

They climb into the back of the truck and see Eric suddenly lying down in the middle, and they are a little shaken up.

“Come on, you two, lie down with me.”

“Eh? W-What? Perhaps we could lie down together?”

“Eric sama,…… then I’d better refrain,…… so as not to disturb you both.”

“Eh?”

But Eric looks like an unsullied, unwashed, goose-stepping child. Sera and Sofia, whose hearts are racing, are relieved to see him, but on the other hand, they are a little disappointed.

“I-it’s nothing!”

“… it’s nothing!”

After saying this, they lay down next to Eric.

“Look at the sky.”

“Sky?”

“Sky…?”

Eric said, and they looked at the night sky from the ceilingless back of the truck. And there it was.

“stars, lots of stars.”

“Yes, they are. Beautiful.”

“Aren’t they?”

Stars scattered in the sky were shining as if they were about to fall. It was truly a spectacular sight.

“I, you know, I usually live in the city ……! I’ve been living in the royal palace, so I’ve never seen such a beautiful starry sky at night because of the shine stone. But you know, when I finally get to see them, I feel like a tiny person and it doesn’t really matter. All my worries, all my cares ……”

Saying this, Eric puts on a lonely face. He was thinking about the old days, and there was a hint of melancholy in the air.

“Well, it’s true, this world is a big place. But we have a very important mission to bring peace to the Orient. In other words, Eric to us is a very big deal.”

“Yes! You are absolutely true!”

Both girls spoke words of encouragement for the man they loved.

With him, they want to overcome hardships and difficulties and live a happy life. In order to do so, they must support him to the best of their ability. No matter how awkward the relationship has become with Mandane, their desire to make his dream come true will never disappear. Perhaps Mandane is thinking the same thing.

It was the moment when such a thought suddenly crossed both of their minds.

Suddenly, Eric used his left arm to pull Sera close to him and his right arm to pull Sophia close to him.

“Kya! E-Eric! What are you doing?!”

“Eric sama!”

“Just as I’m a big deal to you both, you’re a big deal to me, and irreplaceable to me.”

“Eric, ……”

“……”

“So, tell me, why are you trying to distance yourself from me and Mandane?”

He touches. That alone is enough to make Sera and Sophia unable to reason. As a palace maid, Sera, who was treated badly by Eric in the past, has always had a blush on her cheeks and a twinkle in her eye. Sophia, the next queen of the Kingdom of Halkeginia, was shaking as if her whole body was electrified.

Her pride as a palace maid and the pride of a princess with the reputation of being the strongest swordsman are all a bubble of illusion in front of Eric.

“I-I can’t …… say such a thing. ……”

“Why not?”

“Because …… it’s ……”

“Eric-sama …… to try to get a woman to say that …… uuu …….”

“Eh? I’m not supposed to ask you that?”

“Not really, but ……”

It doesn’t matter if they say it. However, they want him to notice. They want him to notice their love for each other. They kept screaming in their hearts, “I’m in love with you,”

But Eric was relentless. He put more strength in his arms and hugged them tighter.

“Eric…….it’s not fair……you know I can’t do anything when you do this to me…………..”

“Eric-sama,…… this is …… different way to …… not be able to hold myself up. ……”

“Say it.”

“……”

“……”

Eric’s sweet attack caused them to fall.

“Breasts.”

“Breasts.”

“Breasts?”

“…… Eric is sweet, but he’s a …… man.”

“My breasts are not far behind Princess Mandane’s …….”

They blurted out in a muffled tone of voice.

Hearing this, Eric muttered in his mind, “You still care about such a thing?” and then spoke his true feelings in gentle words that would not hurt her heart.

“There are so many girls with big breasts in the kingdom of Ilas. But I like you two very much. I also like Mandane. This is not about the size of her breast. ……”

And then, after a pause, Eric suddenly mumbled. They both made a “huh?” sound and continued to urge Eric to continue.

“I like Sera and Sophia’s body, mind, soul, and everything about them too much …… to live without them anymore …… and, in case you’re wondering, I’ve been putting up with them for a long time… …”

The moment the words reached their ears, they rolled their eyes and shook. This is a tremor caused by fear. A fear that makes them think they are too happy to die. Moreover, he sees them as “women. Thinking about this, they feel something growing in their hearts, and they can’t stop their hearts from pounding.

This is bad. His kind words completely take over. There is no turning back now. What’s worse is that deep down inside, their desire to be dominated by him is so great that they are on the verge of exploding.

But Sera and Sofia suddenly step off the back of the cart, away from him.

“Eh? What’s wrong with you two ……? Did you maybe hear what I said earlier and pulled away?”

“No. Eric,…… tomorrow I’ll be friends with Mandane,…….”

“I, too, will be sincerely devoted to her, Princess Mandane. I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused you.

“Y-yeah. Thank you ……”

“Good night.”

“Good night.”

“Y-yeah….. good night.”

Sera and Sofia head for the tent with a confused Eric at their backs.

“Sera”

“Yes.”

After exchanging a few words like this, they went inside the tent.

However

“Eh? Mandane is gone?”

“She was here just a moment ago, but I wonder if she went out to catch the …… night breeze.”

“I guess so. Well, let’s go to bed.”

“Yes!”

“I’m sure we can get a good night’s sleep today,…… if the fever dies down.”

“Really,…… Eric-sama,……, you always do gentle skinship,…….”

“I wish I could be like that.”

“It’s true! Oh, but Eric-sama says he’s been holding back too……”

“Let’s …… go to bed!”

“Yes!”

The two of them each gave a hot sigh and then meditated.

“Fufufu……… looks like that went well.”

Mandane hid behind a tree near the fire and gazed at the tent with a tender expression on her face. Eventually, she shifts her gaze from the tent to the back of the truck.

“Eric, please make sure you and luvia make up! And …… my dreams too.”