This morning, Prince Eligion came to visit Nyau's room.
"Nyau, are you free today?"
"Yes, I'm free."
"I'm about to go out now, would you like to come with me?"
"Yes, of course, that's fine."
Since it was impossible to refuse a request from the royal family, the sage Nyau nodded in agreement. Well, since she was truly free, there was no problem with going.
"Where are we going?"
"I've been thinking of going on a hunt for a change. I've been busy with preparations for the triumphal ceremony lately, but I finally have some free time."
"Is that so?"
Hunting, huh? Riding on a horse, shooting down beasts with a bow; not something Nyau was particularly confident about.
"And, I've been a little curious about you."
"Um…"
As there was no clue as to why Prince Eligion would be concerned about her, Nyau tilted her head.
"Do you like Kiska-kun?"
"――――!!"
In an instant, Nyau's cheeks turned red. She never expected that Prince Eligion would be aware of her feelings. Was her reaction really that obvious?
"Well, I thought it was not my place to interfere in matters of love, but watching you, it's just frustrating. You should be more assertive in your approach."
"But Kiska-san already has a lover."
"It's just a lover. If they're married, it might be an excuse, but if not, there's no problem. Well, even if they are married, I don't think it's a big deal. After all, in this country, extramarital affairs are quite common."
Certainly, what Prince Eligion said was true. Even the current king had multiple mistresses aside from his queen, and it was an open secret. It was not an uncommon practice. However, Nyau didn't have the courage to engage in such affairs.
"But with someone like me, I don't think Kiska-san would pay any attention."
Nyau was short and lacked feminine charm, and it was a concern for him.
"I don't think that's true."
"Huh?"
"Yeah, because Kiska-kun often looks at you. When you meet his gaze, it's clear that he likes you."
"I-Is that so…"
It seemed that Kiska was indeed paying attention to her. Until Prince Eligion pointed it out, Nyau hadn't noticed. Learning about it, Nyau felt an overwhelming urge to rejoice right there.
"In the end, it's up to you to decide, but maybe you should gather a bit more courage."
"But I don't know what to do."
"There's one obvious thing you can do."
Saying that, Prince Eligion whispered in Nyau's ear.
"Forcefully push him down."
Unexpectedly, such words came out from the seemingly innocent Prince Eligion, leaving Nyau utterly stunned.
"In my estimation, if you make a move, Kiska-kun will surely respond. Give it a try."
"U-understood. I'll do my best."
"Ah, I'm rooting for you."
If Prince Eligion went so far as to say this, Nyau thought it might be worth giving it a shot.
Suddenly, Prince Eligion stopped in front of the room and knocked.
"Hey, good morning, Kiska-kun."
"Good morning. What's the matter, Eligion-sama?"
Kiska emerged from the room, and behind him was Agetha. Knowing they were together inside the room, Nyau felt disheartened.
"Well, I'm actually about to go out for some fun. Would you like to come along?"
"Of course, I'll join you."
Nyau was surprised as she hadn't expected Kiska to accompany them. Prince Eligion glanced at her and winked.
Prince Eligion was likely using this opportunity to subtly encourage Nyau to deepen her relationship with Kiska.
"So, where are we going?"
"Ah, I thought of going on a hunt in a distant place."
"Hunting? I'm not confident if I can do it."
"It's fine. I'll teach you the ropes."
"Thank you."
"Mmm, Kiska, weren't you supposed to be with me today too?"
Suddenly, Agetha expressed dissatisfaction.
"Hey, Agetha, occasionally is fine. Days like this happen."
Kiska tried to appease Agetha.
"Agetha-san, I thought you would come along too. Was I mistaken?"
Prince Eligion said.
"Alright, I'll come too. I don't want to be away from Kiska."
Nyau pursed her lips with a displeased expression. It seemed that unless she dealt with Agetha somehow, she wouldn't be able to be alone with Kiska.
◆
In the previous timeline, the four of them went out for hunting.
Last time, the day ended without any particular incidents, so it would probably be the same this time. Therefore, there shouldn't be any problems with casually joining in.
"Kiska-kun, it went that way!"
Prince Eligion, riding on a horse, shouted.
"I'll get it now!"
Controlling the horse, they chased after a fleeing boar. While chasing, they drew the bow. The arrow flew with a swish, piercing through the boar's body. It hit the target. In the previous timeline, they couldn't manage to catch any beasts at all. Perhaps the experience gained in the previous timeline turned out to be useful.
"As expected, Kiska-kun."
"No, I just happened to hit it by chance."
"Right, could you carry the caught boar to the cabin? I'm searching for other animals."
"Understood."
As requested, Kiska lifted the boar and manipulated the horse.
Come to think of it, they lost sight of Agetha and Nyau. It was because they got absorbed in chasing the boar with Prince Eligion. Well, since many of Prince Eligion's subordinates were accompanying them, there shouldn't be any particular issues.
"Oh, Kiska-san."
"Nyau, were you here all this time?"
"Yes, I was feeling tired, so I thought I'd take a break. Did Kiska-san happen to be the one who caught that boar?"
"Well, yeah. By some stroke of luck, the arrow hit its mark."
"Even if it's luck, it's still impressive."
Afterward, Kiska gently placed the boar on the ground. For the time being, it should be fine to leave it in front of the cabin.
"Um, Kiska-san."
"What is it, Nyau?"
"Well, since we're here, how about taking a break inside together?"
By "inside," Nyau probably meant inside the cabin. Although calling it a cabin might be an understatement, as it was larger than an ordinary house. The hunting grounds around here seemed to be managed by the royal family, and this cabin was one of them.
"Of course, that's fine."
There was no explicit promise to return immediately to Prince Eligion, so it wouldn't hurt to spend a little time with Nyau.
"Y-Yeah, that's great. Let's go together!"
With that response, Nyau grabbed Kiska's hand and pulled him into the cabin.
Kiska was startled when she suddenly held his hand. He never expected that he would have another chance to be close to Nyau like this.
"Oh, I'll go prepare some tea."
"Ah, thank you."
The inside of the cabin was spacious, equipped with large sofas and a kitchen. Kiska sat on the sofa, waiting for Nyau to return.
"Um, here you go."
"Ah, thank you."
Kiska thanked her and sipped the tea Nyau had prepared.
"This is incredibly delicious tea."
He had never tasted tea this good before. Was it because it was made from leaves provided by the royal family, or was Nyau just skilled at making tea?
"I'm glad you think so."
Nyau also sat next to Kiska, sipping her own tea. However, he couldn't help but feel that Nyau was oddly close. If he moved his elbow a bit, it would touch her; that's how close Nyau was sitting.
"Um, I want to apologize for everything."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"In the dungeon, I caused you a lot of trouble."
"No, I don't mind at all. I understand now that it couldn't be helped. Besides, Hero Agetha can be scary because I can't always understand what she's thinking, but I trust you, Kiska-san."
"Is that so? I'm glad you say that."
"It's really not a big deal."
Kiska was anxious about whether Nyau disliked him, but it seemed that wasn't the case, so he felt relieved for the time being.
"By the way, I was worried about you, Nyau."
"Huh? Why is that?"
"Well, you were crying in the carriage."
"T-That was just, um, something got in my eye…"
The tears couldn't be explained by something getting in Nyau's eye. However, if she wanted to keep it a secret, Kiska thought maybe he shouldn't press further. But if Nyau was troubled by something, Kiska wanted to be there for her.
"Is that really the case?"
So, he turned to Nyau, who was sitting next to him, and spoke. Surprisingly, Nyau's face was closer than he had anticipated, and it startled him. Kiska quickly apologized, attempting to turn his face away, but Nyau didn't allow it. That's because Nyau had a firm grip on his face.
"Do you really want to know why Nyau was crying?"
Nyau spoke those words.
◆
"Kiska, where are youuu!"
Agetha shouted in the middle of the forest.
"Ugh, I got lost."
Looking around, all she could see were trees, and there was no sign of another person.
"Hey, don't just go off on your own!"
The horse she was riding seemed to have its own plans and was moving in a different direction. Riding wasn't Agetha's strong suit, considering her limited experience with it.
"Kiska, help me!"
Despite her cries, Agetha's words never reached Kiska.
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