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Cedric’s gaze, which had been focused entirely on me, turned forward. He seemed to be appreciating the artwork hanging on the wall, but he was clearly lost in thought. While I waited calmly, Cedric gave a straightforward answer.
“A strict and cold man.”
“…”
“Actually, I don’t know much about that person either. We’re not very close, so I just have the impression that he’s the head of the Soliwen family.”
Calling his father ‘that person’.
It’s a term that feels very distant.
“That’s unexpected.”
“Really? Did you think we’d have a harmonious relationship?”
“Mm, yeah. Your mother was affectionate.”
At my assessment, Cedric just silently curled his lips in a smirk. As if he wanted to deny those words.
I wanted to ask more, but I wondered if it was okay to dig deeper than this. I was worried I might touch on some unpleasant parts.
Moreover, my vague worries only grew larger. No matter how much free love has become active in noble society recently… families with high titles are still conservative. If his temperament is like that too, there’s a high possibility we’d face opposition.
Perhaps noticing my worry, Cedric pressed his body close and secretly interlocked our hands so others couldn’t see.
“Anyway, even if my parents oppose it, it doesn’t matter. I have no intention of letting you go. What I want to tell them isn’t to ask permission for our relationship, but just to notify them.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“And even if they don’t like my actions and want to do something like banishment, they won’t be able to. How could they when I’m the only grown heir in the family?”
“…And you’re even outstanding.”
“Right. So don’t worry about me.”
Cedric drew an arc on his mischievous face.
“I’m more worried about your parents.”
“My parents? Why?”
“I wonder if they’ll… think well of me.”
“Beyond ‘thinking well,’ they’ll jump for joy.”
Our parents have always been fond of Cedric. Of course, there might be the aspect of viewing him favorably as their son’s friend, but even if their son’s friend returned as their son’s lover, their reaction probably wouldn’t be much different.
“I hope so.”
“Have confidence. You can afford to.”
I deliberately patted his back playfully as I said this. Suddenly Cedric looked at me with sparkling eyes.
That gaze felt so intense that when I turned my head, he tilted his head slightly toward me and whispered small as if telling a secret.
“Eddie. I want to kiss you.”
For a moment I felt goosebumps rising on the back of my neck and unconsciously hunched my shoulders. The ear his breath touched became burning hot.
“…”
I quickly looked around at the many watching eyes, then quietly dragged Cedric to a corner.
I pushed him, who had followed behind me without complaint, to the back of an invisible pillar, into a blind spot, and faced him.
The moment our eyes met was brief.
Like children causing mischief, we busily sought each other’s lips without caring who went first and opened up and ravaged the inside. Our finely panting breaths tangled together.
While being mindlessly pulled along by the sensation of biting and sucking tongues, I flinched when I felt Cedric unconsciously groping around my lower back while holding me.
“C-Cedy… wait.”
When I pulled my body back, Cedric, who had been holding me in his arms, pressed his lips to my neck. My heart beat like it would jump out, making my head ring and threatening to cause a reaction below.
I frantically tapped his shoulder to make him come to his senses. Only then did he make eye contact with me. Looking at those flushed, excited eyes made my throat feel parched, so I awkwardly averted my gaze.
“L-let’s go now. Before the guards come.”
“…Mm-hmm.”
Cedric was dragged out again by me with a pleased-looking face. I wiped my glistening lips once with my sleeve and kept adjusting my clothes.
It was because I felt guilty in case I looked strange. Fortunately, no one seemed to have noticed the secret acts that happened behind the pillar.
After that, we busily walked around the exhibition hall looking at things as if we had never created a suggestive atmosphere.
We appreciated the artworks and shared opinions and thoughts about them. We learned new things about what each other liked and disliked.
That itself was enjoyable, but because the person beside me was Cedric… because he was the person I liked, I felt even happier.
Please let this time continue.
I was unconsciously thinking such thoughts.
Not long after, the sun set.
Saying it would be better to return before it got darker, I rode in a carriage with Cedric and moved to Lowell territory.
I got off in front of our mansion and Cedric had to go further to Soliwen territory, so we said our goodbyes.
“Then see you again next time, Eddie.”
“Yeah, I’ll invite you to the salon soon.”
“I might visit suddenly before that.”
“Do that then.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. Cedric, who smiled back with me, said lastly before the carriage departed.
“I love you.”
Why does the resonance of those words saying he loves me feel good no matter how many times I hear it? I savored the feeling of being swayed by waves of emotion and gave back the answer “Me too.”
‘Today was fun.’
I watched the spot where the carriage had left for a while, then headed straight home.
As I opened the door and entered, perhaps because he had been waiting for me, head butler Redward, who was standing near the front door, bowed in greeting.
“Young master. I’m sorry as soon as you arrive, but there are guests who came to see you, so you should go straight to the reception room.”
“Guests?”
“Yes. The Count is currently receiving them.”
At this point, when he said guests, the only ones I could think of were Castian and Lionel, who had said they would visit me. I immediately followed his guidance and asked.
“Lionel and His Highness came, right?”
Redward nodded in response. That part matched my guess. But the following answer was unexpected.
“There’s one more person besides those two.”
“…?”
One more person. There was no such content in the letter. Who could have come to see me? I was puzzled inside.
Redward opened the reception room door and politely stepped aside. When I entered, everyone’s attention focused on me.
“Welcome, son. Did you have fun?”
Father was the first to welcome me with a kind smile. I answered that I had fun and glanced at those seated. Castian and Lionel, whom I met after a long time, had the same faces as always.
“Hello, rabbit. It’s been a while.”
“Welcome!”
Since the two greeted me warmly, I happily received their greetings. And among them, I discovered the face of an unfamiliar man.
‘Who is this?’
Relatively short-cut black hair and pitch-black eyes as dark as his hair. A darkness that seemed like no light could penetrate was staring at me persistently.
‘This is definitely a face I’m seeing for the first time.’
The gaze he was directing at me, the boiling emotion like he had something he’d been longing for right in front of him, felt quite deep.
“Come here and sit down first.”
When Father gestured for me to come closer, I hid my bewildered feelings and approached to sit beside him. Even during this, the man didn’t take his eyes off me.
As if trying to ease the awkward atmosphere, Father introduced the man first.
“Eddie, this person’s name is Terion. He’s someone who greatly helped catch the tail of the conspiracy. Today he came because he has a favor to ask of you.”
“More precisely, of Prometil behind you.”
Castian added the latter part.
‘Of the god?’
I looked back at the man called Terion. He somehow gave off a taciturn and gloomy atmosphere, making it hard to readily speak to him.
[Honey, did you call me?]
That’s when Prometil’s voice suddenly popped out.
I guess he’s been alive and not disappeared all this time.
[You’re acting like you hoped I had disappeared?]
Hey. That can’t be.
“Mm. What favor do you want to ask of the god?”
Leaving behind Prometil’s sulky voice making unfounded accusations, I asked Terion. Then everyone’s meaningful gazes turned to him.
The atmosphere was somehow mysterious… it seemed like they had already had sufficient conversation before I arrived.
Soon Terion moved his lips.
“I’d like to talk just the two of us.”
Castian was the first to react to that.
“Then shall we step aside for a moment?”
He got up, uncrossing his arms. Lionel also hesitantly followed. Only Father sat motionless with a furrowed brow, but as if knowing what he was worried about, Terion said calmly.
“I won’t do anything foolish, so don’t worry.”
“…It’s probably the same story you already told all of us, so is there really a need to talk separately just the two of you?”
“I want to have a more open conversation.”
“…”
“It’s okay, Father.”
I also appeased Father. Anyway, if they brought him this far, it probably meant he was someone who had been verified to some extent, and if anything happened, the god was also here, so I wasn’t very anxious.
Eventually Father, who released the tension from his brow, slowly stroked me and left the reception room with Castian and Lionel.
Left alone like that. While I was slightly wary and reading the situation, Terion spoke first.
“I’ll get straight to the point.”
His dry voice resonated quietly.
“I am the same kind of avatar as you.”
“Ah, avatar…”
“Right. I’m Jephs’s avatar.”
At that moment, I…
‘…Huh?’
〈But how did you know that?〉
〈…I happened to find out.〉
I recalled the conversation I had with Cedric before.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
