𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒𝟐: 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐧, 𝐊𝐢𝐝𝐧𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐲 𝐚 𝐃𝐨𝐠
As it approached noon, I thought to myself, “It’s about time.” Then, I heard an explosion from the distance, and the fortress shook slightly.
It must have been Cid blowing up the mage research institute. That’s what it felt like.
When I went out onto the balcony, I could see smoke rising from a building along the coast.
“The enslavement of demon beasts will now be completely forgotten, won’t it?”
“Yeah.”
Dimitri-sama nodded quietly. His expression was stiff as if he took his brother’s actions seriously.
And in less than ten minutes, Cid arrived at our balcony. He effortlessly climbed over the railing and stood in front of me.
“Vi-sama, I have come to pick you up~.”
“Cid!”
I jumped into his arms with enthusiasm.
“Welcome back! Since you were late, I crushed Henry’s side and put him in the dungeon.”
I thought I might have skipped a bit too much, but Cid understood and smiled wryly.
“Well, I somehow figured it out myself. It’s scary how well I understand. I’m just glad you’re safe. . .my Vi-sama.”
It felt nice to be embraced.
However, I knew we couldn’t stay like this for long.
Cid gently let go of me and looked at me.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes.”
Naturally, Cid picked me up sideways, which made me flustered.
“Wait, are we going like this?!”
The hem of my dress fluttered in the wind. I should have changed into something more comfortable to move in, but it was too late now.
“It’s easier than being carried like luggage, isn’t it?”
That’s true, but. . .
It’s embarrassing and makes it hard to breathe, so it was also quite dangerous.
“Oh, Dimitri-sama. Here.”
Cid took out two letters from his pocket.
They were slightly faded and had the royal seal on them.
Dimitri-sama, who looked at the contents as soon as he received them, widened his eyes in surprise.
“These will serve as evidence of the former king’s assassination. I leave the rest to you.”
“Where did you find these?”
“When I went to the castle to abduct Carinare-sama, I searched Henry’s private room and found them in a hidden chamber.”
He really did break into the place illegally?!
Well, it’s fine. We found evidence of a crime.
It must be complicated for Dimitri-sama, but I want him to do his best as a member of the Fumble royal family.
Dimitri-sama put the letters inside his coat and said with a wry smile,
“You’re truly outstanding. Do you have any intention of serving in Fumble?”
Cid smiled and immediately made a decision.
“No, I don’t.”
He held me tighter in his arms.
“I only have this person. I don’t need anyone else.”
“I see. I’ve lost a valuable younger brother. That’s what I truly regret.”
It was a casual remark, but Dimitri-sama did indeed refer to Cid as his younger brother.
While Henry saw everyone, except himself, as pawns, Dimitri-sama considered Cid, whom he had never spent time with, as his younger brother. For some reason, it warmed my heart.
I’m glad there are decent people in Fumble. . .!
Cid seemed a little surprised too, as I noticed a momentary pause in his movements.
But he quickly smiled and jumped onto the balcony railing.
“Well then, goodbye. We probably won’t meet again.”
“Yeah.”
As I turned back to Dimitri-sama, Cid gave him a mischievous smile.
“Take care, dear brother.”
Caught off guard, Dimitri-sama weakly replied, “Yeah,” in a powerless voice.
Cid, carrying me, unhesitatingly jumped off the balcony, skillfully kicking off the wall and landing on the ground.
“Is this okay?”
Although I didn’t think Cid had any ambitions, there might have been a path for him to live as a member of the royal family. I briefly thought about it.
“Yes. Henry’s plans have all been crushed, and Mother has been safely taken to Duke Marcus’s mansion. Vi-sama is mine. There won’t be any greater achievements than this, right?”
“True.”
We smiled at each other and tightened our grip on each other’s arms.
I placed my hand on Cid’s neck and realized that this was where I truly belonged.
“. . .You’re surprisingly straightforward, Vi-sama.”
“Once in a while.”
I had wondered what would happen if we couldn’t see each other anymore.
Now, I realized how much I treasured these moments. Though I didn’t say it out loud, I believe Cid could sense how worried I had been.
Cid continued to run while holding me, and we entered the forest.
There, Ret, the horse that had traveled with us from Roselia, was waiting. I happily stroked Ret’s face to reunite with him.
“Oh. . .Ret, were you doing well?”
This adorable creature rubbed its forehead against my hand, expressing its joy.
“Cid, you also retrieved this for me.”
He had also cleverly retrieved my belongings, and inside my bag was the precious frying pan for making tamagoyaki.
And somehow, there were more books.
“What’s this?”
A thick, slightly worn-out book. I didn’t have this before.
“I stole it from the forbidden library in Fumble Castle! It might contain ancient teleportation magic.”
“Really? That’s amazing!”
It sounded like a fairy tale, but if it was Cid, he might be able to do it.
He packed the books into a bag and secured it to the horse so they wouldn’t fall off.
Standing next to the horse, I waited for Cid to announce our departure.
“It’s really over, isn’t it. . .”
Just when I thought I was finally free from Fumble, I couldn’t stop my cheeks from loosening.
Cid, who was gazing at my cheerful expression, suddenly became serious and extended his right hand.
“Viara.”
The atmosphere suddenly changed, and I felt a jolt.
Cid rarely spoke with such a serious tone before. It was a rare occurrence.
“Now I am completely just Cid.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
His crimson eyes conveyed a strong determination.
“I have nothing but myself. No title, no position, no wealth. . . Everything i had, everything that should have been mine, I have none of it. Yet, I want you.”
My heart raced, and I felt breathless.
I desperately held back the tears that were about to overflow.
“Will you continue to live with me from now on?”
I covered my mouth with my left hand and nodded repeatedly.
Then, I placed my right hand on top of his hand.
“With Cid. . .I’ll be with you forever.”
Tears welled up and blurred my vision as Cid embraced me.
We stayed like that until my breathing calmed down.
“By the way, Vi-sama, do you remember?”
“What?”
Cid brought up the promise we made before.
“You said you would give me a reward if I could reunite with Mother safely.”
I moved away from him slightly and looked up at his face.
“Huh? Oh, yeah, I remember. Ten gold coins.”
“That’s not it!”
What was it again?
In the end, it seemed like the conversation ended with something like “Let’s discuss it.”
“What do you want? For now, my assets are just some gold coins and a tamagoyaki frying pan.”
If you want this legendary frying pan (?) I can give it to you. But I might ask to borrow it occasionally.
As I tilted my head, thinking about such things, Cid said with a gentle smile,
“What I want is this.”
Before I could even blink, our lips touched.
“Huh?!”
Surprised, I quickly jumped back, and our first kiss ended in an instant.
“Oh, you ran away.”
Cid, looking dissatisfied, closed the distance between us again.
“I heard that I can have anything I want, right?”
“Well, that’s. . .”
Maybe I did say that. As I averted my gaze, struggling with my pounding heart, Cid gently placed his hand on my cheek and firmly pressed his lips against mine this time.
My whole body felt like it was in turmoil, pounding and painful.
He gently sucked on my lips as if savoring them, and then he closed his eyes and stroked my head, which was obediently following his lead.
When our lips finally parted, I couldn’t help but think I wanted a little more. . . but I couldn’t say it out loud.
“Is this the reward?”
“Yes.”
Wait, is this really okay?
Who gives a kiss as a reward? What kind of princess am I? Such an event doesn’t exist in the dictionary of a villainess.
I was dumbfounded for a while, but gradually, I became embarrassed and started to panic.
Cid’s gaze was too sweet to bear.
Who is this person? Was he always like this?
“For me, it’s one of the things I wanted most in this world.”
He’s being humble. . .ahhhh!
“Well, if that’s the case, I can give you as much. . .”
“Oh, really. . .as much?”
“Huh?!”
Realizing too late that it was a careless remark, I panicked.
When a man is told he can have as much as he wants, it’s only natural for him to think, “I’ll gladly take it”. . . Unfortunately, we don’t have time for that right now.”
“That’s right.”
“Let’s leave Fumble as soon as possible.”
Saying that, Cid reluctantly brought his lips close to my eyes and smiled mischievously.
He effortlessly lifted me up and placed me on the horse’s back. Then, he jumped on himself and sat beside me, supporting me with one arm while holding the reins.
“Off we go!”
The horse started running briskly, full of energy after spending a leisurely time at the fortress for the past four days.
The sea breeze gently brushed against my cheeks, creating a pleasant sensation.
Leaning against Cid, he leaned forward and rested his cheek against my head.
It was so close that my face grew hot, but in this position, he couldn’t see my face.
“Cid. . .um. . .”
“Yes?”
What should I say? Despite the situation not being resolved, I felt overwhelmingly happy.
As I thought I couldn’t express this feeling, Cid spoke up first.
“You gained a little weight during your confinement, didn’t you? You feel softer to the touch, and it’s very pleasant.”
“Don’t ruin the moment with such comments!”
We resumed our journey together.
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