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“I… was really excited.”
“……”
Somehow I felt proud. I even thought I should have done it for him earlier since he liked it so much. I was stroking his soft hair like petting a baby when suddenly Cedric muttered like talking in his sleep.
“Ah… what should I do. I don’t want to let you sleep.”
“What would we do if I don’t sleep?”
“I’d have to do sexual things with you until morning.”
I was about to say whether his head was filled with nothing but sexual thoughts, but then stopped. Seeing how I was getting flustered, I was the same kind of guy.
“I’d lick and suck and devour every corner of you.”
“What…”
“Just kidding.”
It doesn’t… seem like a joke though.
Cedric, who had lifted his head, stared at me intently. When I looked at him with sleepy eyes, he grinned and slowly came down to kiss my lips. Just like birds bumping beaks, he went peck, peck and just pulled away, which made me strangely frustrated.
“…What are you doing?”
“Kissing.”
Then he shamelessly pressed his lips to mine once more with a peck. It was as if he planned to make up for all the kisses we hadn’t done until now in this one spot.
I was thinking that at this rate I’d get aroused again in the middle of the night and end up rubbing against this guy, so I was about to threaten him to stop when Cedric, who had stopped kissing like a ghost, smiled with curved eyes.
“I like you.”
When that usually blunt and seemingly cold impression smiled like that, it melted away like snow in an instant.
I suddenly remembered childhood and let out a chuckle.
“Why?”
“When we were kids… we practiced dancing together a few times, right? Do you remember how you’d fall on top of me whenever you had the chance and laugh?”
“Ah.”
“I thought your smile was the same then as it is now.”
If there was something different, it was that the face that used to be annoying or infuriating back then now looked quite cute.
Cedric smiled deeply and pulled my hand to his face.
“Eddie, actually, you know. I did that on purpose back then.”
“Huh?”
“Because if I didn’t do that, I couldn’t touch you.”
“…What?”
“I deliberately pretended to be clumsy and hugged you.”
I was so surprised by the confession I had never even suspected that I opened my mouth wide without realizing it.
In the meantime, when Cedric tried to stick his finger into my open mouth, I hit his back.
“Ow.”
“I thought something was strange.”
“What was strange?”
“Back then you were definitely terrible at it, but from some point you suddenly got good. Right. Just like someone who had been good from the beginning!”
At the time, I thought he suddenly became skilled after his head grew to a certain extent, but… listening to his words and thinking back, it seemed like he got good after I stopped accompanying him as a practice partner.
…This is kind of absurd? The most absurd thing is myself for never once noticing or even suspecting Cedric’s schemes.
“Wow. You’re really quick to notice.”
“……”
“It only took you 10 years to figure it out.”
“Don’t tease me.”
“Still… the fact that you inwardly felt something was strange means you were watching me.”
Cedric let out a soft laugh. He occasionally found and rejoiced in my attention even in such trivial things.
The way he searched for my gaze like wringing out a dry rag, the fact that he must have had such an unrequited love, suddenly hit me and made me feel uncomfortable.
“…How did you endure liking me for so long? I would have given up long ago.”
Especially if you knew me well.
“I’m originally good at waiting. I’m persistent.”
“……”
“I tried to give up many times, but in the end I couldn’t.”
“……”
“But I got rewarded, so it’s okay.”
Cedric rubbed against my forehead with his nose tip and nuzzled me. Seeing him kiss my lips without hesitation as a finale, he’d become a complete kissing ghost.
‘…I haven’t even answered his confession yet.’
The more I learned about Cedric’s heart, the heavier it felt. The depth of his longing for me and my longing for him were not the same. I was worried whether I could fully receive his heart that I couldn’t dare to fathom…
But surely you would say it doesn’t matter anyway. That it’s okay even if our hearts aren’t at the same depth, as long as I stay by your side, saying such uncertain words again.
…So at least when I answer your confession, I wanted to return feelings that matched the affection you give me.
I’ll confess magnificently and squeeze tears out of that guy’s eyes. I’ll make it into an unforgettable memory.
With that determination, I cupped Cedric’s face. Like an obedient dog that only looks at its owner, I kissed the lips of him who was quietly facing me.
When I first did it, I was so nervous I thought my heart would really burst, but now it just beat pleasantly. But more certainly than before, I came to accept that I liked this guy.
“…Eddie. Are you seducing me right now?”
“Let’s sleep now.”
“You’re saying let’s roll around with our cocks together, right?”
“…Let’s sleep!”
Really, this guy obsessed with sexual things… cute bastard. When I tightly hugged Cedric’s broad embrace to really sleep, he also hugged me tightly.
“Sleep well.”
“Yeah. Sleep well.”
I felt the warm warmth and closed my eyes while fidgeting pleasantly. It was a bit stuffy, but the coziness that his firm embrace gave quickly made me fall asleep.
* * *
I finally woke up from sleep only after the morning had become quite bright.
While Cedric was sleeping in, I got up first, washed, and came out to shake awake him who was probably still wandering in dreamland.
One more thing I recently learned about Cedric was that he was quite a late sleeper.
“Cedy. Time to get up.”
“Mmm…”
“Let’s wash up and go down for breakfast.”
“…I’ll get up if you kiss me.”
I chuckled without realizing it and kissed his forehead. Unlike before when I hesitated, I could do it as much as I wanted now.
Cedric silently pulled up the corners of his mouth and sat up. Then he roughly swept back his disheveled hair. Even that relaxed appearance looked handsome, which was amazing.
“I’m completely awake because you kissed me.”
“Liar. Your eyes are still full of sleep.”
“No. I’m wide awake.”
“Fine, so hurry up and go wash.”
“Mmm, okay.”
Cedric was pushed toward the bathroom by my nagging. When we arrived at the dining room together afterward, Riette and Gareth were already sitting at a table ready for their meal. They seemed to have been waiting for us.
“Did you sleep well? You two came down together?”
“Ah, yeah. I woke him up to come.”
I accepted Gareth’s greeting with a nod following Riette’s.
It was a bit awkward to mention that the two of us slept together in one room, so I glanced at Cedric for no reason, but he also didn’t seem to want to talk about it and just yawned while quietly sitting next to me.
Then breakfast began.
While we spent meal time sharing small talk with each other… at an appropriate time, Gareth threw out a suggestion.
“The weather is really nice today. There’s a forest good for hunting nearby. Would you all like to go together after we finish eating?”
“Hunting?”
“Yes. Many magical beasts inhabit the forest. It’s a place managed by our family, so it’s not very dangerous and there’s no need to worry. I’m sure you’ll all be able to enjoy it properly.”
There was no reason to refuse that suggestion. Actually, it would be more about fellowship than hunting itself. Riette seemed to have heard about it beforehand too.
“Sounds good.”
I nodded in response.
“I don’t mind either.”
Cedric added.
So today’s afternoon schedule was decided.
After finishing our meal, we called Lionel and the merchant group uncles and headed to the forest that continued behind the villa.
Yesterday was also a nice day, but as Gareth said, today was even more sunny than yesterday.
“The sky is incredibly blue.”
“Really.”
“Everyone, since we’re doing this anyway, shall we divide into teams and play a game? The team that catches the biggest game wins.”
Gareth, who had been walking in front, turned around and said.
I stayed quiet since I wasn’t confident about hunting, but the merchant group uncles were enthusiastic saying it sounded fun, and Riette also seemed willing to try, so the atmosphere leaned toward doing it.
“How should we divide the teams?”
“I think people who want to can team up together.”
“Then we’ll team up with the young master…”
Just when the merchant group uncles were smiling warmly and trying to coax me, suddenly Lionel interrupted and said.
“We! We should team up among ourselves!”
“Huh?”
“The noble gentlemen are skilled at hunting, so it wouldn’t matter if this side has more people, right?”
Gareth nodded saying it didn’t matter. I could tell right away that it seemed like they were dividing teams so Riette and he could have a date.
Then I expected it would be divided into Riette and Gareth, me and Cedric, and the merchant group uncles…
Sure enough, he looked at us and asked.
“Shall we divide into pairs like this?”
“Let’s do that.”
The answer quickly came from Cedric.
‘Hmm.’
I was a bit worried. That Cedric might be held back because of me.
Anyway, I knew I had no talent for things like hunting, so I didn’t care if we came in last in the game, but I thought Cedric’s pride might be hurt.
“Will we be okay?”
I asked with that worry, and Cedric, who glanced back at me, grinned and patted my head.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make us win.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
