CH 172

Characters in this chapter:

Sapphiras Perfectio, former 2nd son of the Earl of Aldridge

Percival Belisario, 3rd son of Margrave of Vanderwall on the Eastern Frontier

Susanna, servant in the Belisario household

……Nnn?　There’s some kind of noise all around me……

What on earth is all that noise? Ah, maybe sleeping here was a nuisance? But I’m sorry, I’m very sleepy right now and I can’t open my eyes at all. I’m sorry, but I just need to sleep here for a little while. If you think I’m a nuisance, you can roll me into a corner but I’d like you to leave me alone for a while……

In the sticky drowsiness, I was trying to shrink myself down so as not to disturb too much, when my body suddenly floated up. It’s fluffy and very comfortable. I don’t really understand it,  I don’t know what it is, but is this the cradle of dreams?

Surrendering myself to the gentle swaying, I sank back into sleep.

“Mnnn……I slept well.”

I woke up refreshed and stretched out a lot.

“Huh? This is……?”

“Sapphiras, are you awake?”

“Eh?……Percival?”

For some reason, Percival is right beside me.

After cleaning up after the Calamity Dragon, I transferred to Vanderwall’s castle. It was almost dawn, and I was already feeling sleepy, so I fell asleep right then and there out of relief that I had finished my work.

And yet, before I knew it, I was in a comfortable bed, and I’d changed into a cosy nightgown.

“You collapsed in front of the castle entrance. Unisus neighed and told us that Sapphiras has returned.”

“So that was it……”

“You seemed uninjured, but how are you feeling? Is your magical power okay?”

Percival checked my physical condition with exaggerated enthusiasm.

“I’m fine. I slept well, so I’m in good physical condition!”

“I see, that’s good……I have a lot to ask you, but first of all, welcome back, Sapphiras.”

After saying that, Percival hugged me. Feeling a little embarrassed, I also put my arm around Percival’s back.

“Yeah. I’m home, Percival. I’ve exterminated the Calamity Dragon without leaving a single scale behind. Don’t worry, it won’t come back again.”

“……! Sapphiras is as amazing as ever.”

Percival rounded his eyes. I couldn’t help but laugh at that expression, which was unusual for Percival.

“It’s not that much. I had my tricorn wand!”

If it weren’t for the tricorn wand, it might have been a little more difficult to put an end to the Calamity Dragon. I’m really glad I had the wand. Not only is it compatible with me, but it also looks cool. After all, a magician needs a wand. It’s a shame that it’s just an auxiliary magical tool. In this life, I will make a name for myself as a wand magician and convey how wonderful wands are to magicians all over the world.

When I was thinking about this, Percival’s face, which had been staring at me, slowly came closer.

Oh, this must be it.

I closed my eyes and waited for Percival’s lips.

As I expected, our lips touched gently, but then quickly moved apart. I tried to open my eyes, feeling a little disappointed that it was already over, but then our lips met again. As I tried to open his eyes, feeling a little disappointed that it was already over, his lips pressed against mine again. However, this time, it was completely different from the gentle touch before, and it was a greedy kiss.

“Nnnn……!”

Eh!? N-no, wait a minute……!　

Percival’s tongue enters my mouth, parting our overlapping lips. It is soft and entangles my tongue with a forcefulness that even feels a little rough. When our tongues overlap and rub against each other, a shiver creeps up from the depths of my body.

Uwah……what’s this, it feels outrageously good. And it’s not the kind of gentle feeling I’ve felt from the previous kisses, but it was much more violent, like my mind was spilling out.

I grabbed Percival’s shirt, feeling like I wouldn’t be able to keep my head up like this, but I couldn’t find the strength in my fingers.

“Ha……a…….”

When our lips finally parted, I had lost all my strength and was leaning limply against Percival. I’m limp, like meat that’s been boiled in a pot.

The lingering aftertaste of the kiss didn’t quite leave me, and the inside of my body ached with the smouldering heat.

“……Somehow, aren’t you quite familiar with this?”

Besides, Percival is definitely good at kissing.

I don’t think the serious Percival had any experience before he entered the academy, but somehow he’s much more comfortable than I, who is in my second life.

I assure you, it’s not that I wasn’t popular. It’s just that being an adventurer was so much fun that I wasn’t interested in romance!

“That’s not true. I swear to the Goddess, Sapphiras is the first person I’ve ever locked lips with.”

Then where the hell did you learn to kiss like this?……The Knight of the Sun is as seamless in every direction as ever. This is something I can never compete with, so I’ll raise the white flag early on.

“We found out that we both feel the same way. There’s no need to hold back anymore, right?”

We have the same feelings for each other……

That’s when I finally remembered. Before I went to defeat Insania Metus, Percival told me that he loves me, and I told him I love him in return.

I once again remember the situation at that time. Vanderwall-kyou, Madam Adeline, and his brothers were also there.

Feeling like I’d done something wrong, and a sense of embarrassment slowly welled up.

It’s true that I have special feelings for Percival. If that’s what you call love, then I think that’s what it is. But how dare I say I love him in front of Percival’s family? What kind of face am I going to make in the future when I meet them all? Ah! I can’t bear to be here!　

As I pondered the idea of going back to the school dormitory without seeing anyone, I felt a sense of strength in Percival’s arms as he hugged me.

“Sapphiras, where are you going?”

“Eh……no, that…….”

As expected of Percival. It seems that he noticed that I was about to transfer.

“Do you remember the promise you made to me before you defeated the dragon, Sapphiras?”

“Don’t overdo it, right? Of course I didn’t overdo it.”

“I think there was one more thing?”

“……Ummm?”

“You will definitely come back to me.”

“Of course I remember! There’s no way I’d forget something so important!”

Although I was a little short, I made it to the front of the castle.

“……When I saw Sapphiras collapsed in front of the castle, I thought my heart would stop.”

Percival’s arms tighten as he hugs me.

“I-I’m really sorry about that.”

I tend to act like I did in my previous life, but now I’m no longer the adventurer Fortis, and Percival isn’t one of the weathervanes that were similar to me.

No matter how much of a out-of-the-ordinary magician I was, everyone would have thought how ridiculous it was to go and defeat the Calamity Dragon alone like this.

I wonder what Percival was thinking when he sent me away at that time. I think he believed me when I said it would be okay, but maybe he was prepared to never see me again. When I think about Percival’s feelings, I slowly feel a sense of guilt.

“……I know that Sapphiras wants freedom. I’m not going to take away Sapphiras’s freedom just because I’m going to be your partner. But just for now……just for a few days, stay by my side……please.”

I can’t see his expression because he’s hugging me, but I can’t detect the usual dignity in his voice. If Percival asked me to do something like this, how could I say no? No, it’s definitely not possible.

“Percival, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll always be by your side.”

Percival loosens his arms and makes eye contact with me.

“Sapphiras, that’s……”

“I’m not forcing myself.  I want to be by Percival’s side.”

I understand what Percival is trying to say, so I made that clear to him.

It’s true that I want freedom, but I also want to be by Percival’s side.

That’s why, don’t make such a pained face.

I kiss Percival, trying to convey my feelings not through words but through my actions. When our lips briefly touched, they parted, and this time Percival touched my lips. It wasn’t like the kiss that melted my body like before, it was a kiss that just touched. I got a little excited and kissed him playfully again and again.

I guess this kind of thing becomes addictive.

While I was thinking about this and was engrossed in the kiss, there was suddenly a knock on the door of the room.

“Excuse me, Percival-sama. Is Sapphiras-sama awake?”

It’s Susanna-san.

I came back to my senses and hurried away from Percival.

“Ah, sorry, but could you please prepare breakfast?”

“Understood.”

I was on the verge of fainting in agony from embarrassment, but Percival replied as if nothing had happened. I think there’s a little too much composure.

Maybe I’m the first person he kissed, but after all, he’s a strong man who has been trained in a hundred battles……?

Now that I think about it, someone said that men from the frontier gain experience quickly. In any country, frontier areas are often dangerous places, so they want to leave behind a successor as quickly as possible. I see, then I can understand this composure.

“What’s wrong, Sapphiras?”

Percival noticed my gaze with a mixture of approval and slight envy and tilted his head.

“No, I think a man from the frontier is really amazing after all.”

“?”