Still sitting on the sofa, Sion was fixedly staring at me.
I was at a loss for the answer⊠And ended up saying what I think.
âLetâs, see. Probably I do⊠Is what I thinkâ
âProbably? Thatâs very vague. When I saw you together the other day⊠you looked like very intimate loversâ
I averted my eyes from Sion who asked so in wonder, and looked outside the window.
The weather is fine today. While gazing at the floating white clouds, I again answered with what came to my mind.
âHonestly speaking, I donât understand well. I think Iâm fond of him, however, I wonder if this feeling is temporary or not⊠Iâm not sure myself, and so Iâve been keeping His Highness waiting all this timeâ
⊠I donât understand why Iâm telling this to Sion.
Still, I somehow thought I wanted him to listen.
ââââ Him, who had never said he loved me in the past.
â⊠Itâs my fault, isnât itâ
While I continued absentmindedly watching clouds, Sion murmured.
âNn? Did you say something?â
When I looked back at Sion and asked him, he said No with a faint smile.
Then with relaxed movements he stood up from the sofa.
â⊠Since I promised, it canât be helped. Iâll encourage you just onceâ
âEh? What, Sion?â
Unable to understand the meaning of his mutter, I tilted my head.
Without answering Sion only smiled and walked up to me.
Confused about his intentions, I blankly watched his movements.
âLidiâŠâ
Having come close, Sion called my name, and with natural flow scooped my jaw. Just like that he tilted my face.
Eh⊠what? Perhaps Iâll be kissed?
âNoo!!â
Before our lips touched, I promptly slapped his cheek with my left hand.
It wasnât conscious. It was an instinctive action.
Silence followed the dry sound of the slap.
Haa haa , roughly breathing I intensely scowled at Sion.
Sion stared at such me with a smile.
His cheek turned slightly red.
âWhat are you doing suddenly!?â
âSorry⊠But, that makes it clear, right?â
âHa? What are you sayingâŠâ
When I scowled at him again not understanding what I had been told, with G ood grief Sion shrugged his shoulders.
I felt offended as he said âAfter all, youâre dullâ with a sigh.
Whatâs with after all . After taking a little distance from me, Sion slowly spoke.
âDo you hate me?â
âHa? Whatâs this out of nowhere?â
âNever mind that, please answer. Iâm asking whether you hate meâ
I was bewildered by the sudden topic change.
But, overwhelmed by Sionâs serious face, I reluctantly spoke.
â⊠I donât really hate youâŠâ
I donât intend to reveal it, but weâre acquaintances from my previous life.
Since we met here by chance and he said heâll stay in this country, I would like us to build a friendly relationship.
When I answered, Sion nodded with a self-satisfied look.
âYou donât hate me. Fine. Then, can I take it to mean that if you had to say, youâre fond of me?â
âEh? Eeh, well, I think itâs similarâŠâ
Despite being bewildered by Sion wanting a clear answer, I nodded my head.
If I donât hate him, Iâm fond of him. Itâs putting it simply, but itâs not wrong.
âIs that so. I understand⊠Then let me ask you. Why did you refuse my kiss just now? If youâre fond of me, thereâs no problem with kissing, right? After all, arenât you kissing with somebody youâre not sure if youâre fond of almost every dayâ
â⊠Ha?â
The words he said were so unexpected, I couldnât deal with them immediately.
âAm I mistaken? The Kingâs Flower is the proof a Princess Consort. And youâre living in the same room as His Highness Friedrich. Of course, itâs also accompanied by that kind of act, isnât it?â
âEr, rr. Thatâs, wellâŠâ
Unable to deny, I nodded. Itâs known within the castle anyway.
âPlease answer, Lidi. Why am I no good? If you had to say, youâre fond of me, right?â
ââŠâ
Sion pressed me for answers.
I can understand what heâs saying.
But, itâs different.
Freed and Sion are fundamentally different.
Although itâs (provisional), Iâm roughly aware I love Freed.
On the other hand, I have no feelings for Sion anymore. I find him nostalgic, but thatâs all.
Driven by a strange feeling of irritation I answered.
Speaking of the difference, of course itâs in the romantic aspect. I think I more or less love Freed (provisionally) in that way, but itâs different towards Sion.
But, I canât answer the implication behind the words âWhy do you accept without being sureâ without hesitation.
⊠After all, itâs something I also thought about a little.
And yet I chose to continue accepting Freed. There were times when I even invited him myself.
Having that pointed out, I could understand less and less.
Still, with a feeling that Sion is trying to teach me something important, I desperately thought over it.
Sion piled up words.
âThe reason you only allow His Highness Friedrich. What is it?â
âThatâsâŠâ
Itâs simple.
⊠Itâs because I know I donât dislike kissing with Freed.
Itâs not just kissing. Everything beyond that too. Even the act of him boring inside my deepest place and filling me.
Every single thing has felt good from the beginning.
Iâve not once felt uncomfortable.
Thatâs why I didnât need to think about it.
My encounter with Freed was at a special place called masquerade ball, where I only went with the aim of losing my virginity.
I thought kissing was a rite of page for that sake, and in fact I didnât need to worry much, since I didnât find it uncomfortable. Kissing, and beyond too.
⊠Then, why wasnât it uncomfortable.
Finally confronted with the question I purposely hadnât thought about until now, I was at a loss.
âIf you can accept being embraced without being sure whether youâre fond of him or not, thereâs no problem if Iâm the other party. If you donât mind, shall we try it out?â
âStop!â
When he reached out his hand again, I shook it off with all my strength.
Everything about me is rejecting him. I screamed that I hate anybody other than Freed touching me.
âThatâs wrong! Iâve never thought that I hate Freed!⊠After all, after allâ
I donât know how I should explain.
Still, in a tiny voice I told him what I understand right now.
â⊠Unless itâs Freed, Iâd hate it. Iâd absolutely hate it if it wasnât himâ
Iâm certain of that much.
As I am now, I donât want a man other than Freed to lay even a finger on me in that sense. I shudder from the mere thought. Itâs enough to make me feel nauseous.
Sion sighed at my reply.
â⊠If itâs not a special feeling, then what would you call it. Are you still under the impression that itâs a temporary thing? If you donât cut it out with your unawareness, youâll only hurt yourselfâ