𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕𝟏: 𝐑𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐏𝐢𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐝
“You baked it again.”
Whenever I bake raspberry pie, Tyran-san’s expression always clouds over.
Even after taking a shower, I wonder if the smell still lingers on my clothes. I thought so and tried showering, but he still easily detects it.
It doesn’t work to try to disguise the scent with other sweets.
He always throws this question at me.
“I won’t give you any. That is mine.”
“I don’t need a snack that only brings sadness. How long do you plan to continue this?”
“Until I digest everything, I suppose.”
With a small smile, Tyran-san’s expression becomes even more distorted.
Lately, I’ve only been seeing this kind of face. I want him to smile, but I can’t even make him happy anymore.
“He is not here. Instead of making something for someone who isn’t here, I want you to make something for me.”
“Do you have something you want to eat?”
“Steamed sweet potato bread.”
“Tyran-san, you really like it, don’t you? Please wait a moment, I’ll make it right away.”
“No, I didn’t come here to request a snack.”
“Then what is it?”
“I like Dairy. While you were acting as Granny’s substitute, I planned not to say it. I didn’t want to bind you with words, so I decided to tell you in two years. But seeing the current Dairy, I can’t help but say it. My words of saying that Dairy is enough may not resonate. But still, I don’t want you to choose the Hero, I want you to choose me.”
Tyran-san’s words make my throat tighten.
I should just overwrite it. I’ve thought about it many times myself.
If I affirm the memories and feelings I have built with him at the Demon King’s Castle, I can feel relieved.
But I stopped. I was afraid that even the memories with him would become tainted.
I don’t want to lose the peaceful life I have finally found. I don’t want to suffer. I don’t want to increase the things I dislike any further.
I no longer have the courage to move forward.
The time when I could act on impulse has already been dedicated to someone else. I shake my head without being able to utter a word.
Tyran-san looks very hurt.
I don’t want to hurt him. But it is undoubtedly me who is hurting him.
While tears flow down, I continue to apologize in a hoarse voice.
“It’s my fault. Please forget about it.”
He laughs with a lonely expression and tries to leave this place.
Unconsciously, I grab onto his robe.
“Dairy?”
Surely, he will bury the events of today deep in his memory and behave as if nothing happened.
But I know.
Once something has happened or words have been spoken, they cannot be undone. The stronger the feelings that were present, the more they will remain in memory and in the heart.
Imagining Tyran-san pouring raspberry pie, my chest tightened.
I don’t want that. I want him to smile. I want him to not suffer, and I feel the same way.
So, what should I do?
Tyran-san took a step forward for me.
He must have also feared that our relationship would break.
If I’m the only one who is afraid and pretends that his feelings and my feelings never existed…
Can I say that the life we lead is peaceful?
“I like you. But I’m scared to move forward.”
Before I knew it, those words spilled out. Selfish words.
“Then, is it okay for me to wait until you can move forward?”
“But I don’t want to take up Tyran-san’s time.”
But. But. All that comes out of my mouth are excuses.
I must be exasperated. Trembling in fear, his hand strokes my cheek.
“Don’t think that you’re taking up my time. I’ll wait patiently while doing something.”
Tyran-san’s expression when he said that was soft and gentle, like his beloved steamed sweet potato bread.
True to his words, Tyran-san didn’t rush me.
On the days when I baked raspberry pie, he would slightly frown, but in return, he started smiling at me more often.
Recently, even the reserved Demon King-sama has started coming to me again, saying “Dairy, Dairy,” just like before.
It seems that I worried not only Demon King-sama but also other people.
Still, they don’t say anything. They welcome me into peaceful days where time passes slowly, as if nothing had happened.
“Dairy.”
Every time Tyran-san calls my name, the bitterness that had accumulated in my throat gradually fades away. In its place, sweetness grows in my heart.
Because Tyran-san loves snacks, he would accept me even if I become sweeter than I am now.
With that in mind, I can move forward little by little.
“Tyran-san, I want a new book.”
“Shall we go see it again?”
“Yes.”
Even the land where the humans, whom I thought I would never step on again, live, is not scary when I’m with Tyran-san.
I want to walk the path we once walked as siblings, but this time as lovers.
We may not be able to walk like we did back then, avoiding street vendors, but we can obtain something much more beautiful than the accessories displayed.
That’s why I want to convey it.
The footsteps on the teleportation magic circle were surprisingly light, even to myself.
I have a feeling that as long as I’m with Tyran-san, we can overcome anything that comes our way.
“Fufu.”
“What’s wrong? Did something good happen?”
“I’m happy just walking beside you.”
Whispering that, Tyran-san’s face turns bright red.
I intertwine my hand with his, and I swear to the gods that I will never bake raspberry pie again.
・・・
『”𝙰𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜.𝚌𝚘𝚖” – 𝙳𝚒𝚜𝚌𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚊 𝚌𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎, 𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚍𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎, 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚞𝚕𝚐𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚕𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 “𝚍𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝚞𝚙𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚜” 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚎𝚡𝚌𝚕𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚌𝚌𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚝𝚘 “𝚊𝚍𝚟𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚍 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜”.』
・・・
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