Elina
Lux’s Side
I had been invited to Florence-san’s mansion for the next holiday, and that night I reported that to Siana.
Then, Siana opened her mouth and, as her first words, said,
“I would also like to accompany you, Master!”
“I’ll check with Florence-san.”
It had been fine at the last tea party, so I wanted to nod for her right then, but since things could be different inside the mansion, I answered that way.
“Thank you very much!”
Siana said that with a smile.
“We had talked about going out somewhere on a holiday together, Siana, but I ended up making plans for the next holiday. I’m sorry… Let’s go out together on the holiday after next.”
“Please don’t worry about it! As long as I can be with you, Master, anywhere is fine for me!”
“…Thank you.”
That was yesterday’s story.
And so, I declined Siana’s offer to come along, and now I was out in town alone.
The reason I was in town was that, since I had the opportunity, I wanted not just to go out but also to give Siana a little extra surprise.
“I wonder what kind of things Siana likes…”
Jewelry or accessories would probably suit her, and I think she would like them, but if I gave her something like that, I might feel uneasy… In that case, clothes are probably the way to go.
But what kind of clothes does Siana like… I only ever see her wearing a maid outfit, so I don’t know what kind of clothes she prefers.
With those thoughts in mind, I made my way to the clothing store and entered.
Then, I headed to the section where women’s clothes were sold.
“All of these would probably suit her, but that just makes me more troubled about which one to choose…”
As I stared intently at those clothes, someone wearing a red hood called out to me.
“Hey, are you looking for clothes as a gift for someone?”
It was a woman’s voice… There was no reason to ignore her, so I answered normally.
“Yes, I thought I’d like to give a little surprise to someone who has always taken care of me.”
“I see, so that person is a girl and that’s why you’re looking for women’s clothes?”
“Exactly.”
When I answered that, the woman in the red hood picked up a piece of clothing and said,
“Something like this is trendy among the nobles right now.”
Saying that, she showed me a dress that exposed the cleavage.
“Thank you… but I’d prefer something a little more for everyday use rather than a dress.”
“Is that so… Then, how about something like this?”
After that, for a while I chose clothes together with the woman in the red hood.
And then, in the middle of that, the woman in the red hood asked,
“What kind of girl is the one you’re giving clothes to?”
When I was asked that, I answered in a loud voice,
“She’s kind and intelligent, and when I’m in trouble, she helps me even though I haven’t said anything yet, and she thinks of me all the time. She’s a truly kind girl!”
“…Oh.”
After that, as we continued choosing clothes with some trivial conversation mixed in, the woman in the red hood said,
“It’s been such a long time since I’ve felt that it’s fun to spend time with someone!”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, normally I live in a more calculating world, so it’s really been a while… Maybe because I can tell that you’re not speaking with any calculation?”
After saying that, the woman in the red hood continued murmuring something in a small voice.
“But… since you’re still a man anyway, if I get serious… sigh.”
I couldn’t hear what she said, and I couldn’t read her expression because she was wearing a hood.
“Is something wrong?”
When I asked that honestly, the woman in the red hood said,
“No, it’s nothing… Hey, if we meet again next time, I’ll take off the hood for you.”
“Huh…?”
“I’m pretty cute, you know? To the extent that just my cuteness alone could bring peace to the world!”
What she was saying was on a very grand scale… and because of that, I was reminded of Siana a little.
Thinking that, I answered.
“Understood, I’ll look forward to it.”
“Yeah.”
After saying that, the woman in the red hood looked at me a bit, placed her right hand on my face, and said in a somewhat sad voice,
“I think it’s difficult, but I want you to stay just as you are forever…”
“…Huh?”
After saying that, the woman in the red hood distanced herself from me… I didn’t understand the meaning of those words, but since I suddenly had something I wanted to ask, I voiced it.
“…What is your name?”
When I asked that, the woman in the red hood answered,
“Elina.”
“Elina-san… Understood, I’m called Lux.”
“I’ve remembered… Well then, Lux.”
“Yes, let’s meet again!”
When I said that, Elina-san left the clothing store… It was a strange meeting, but somehow I felt I could get along with Elina-san from now on as well.
After feeling that strange sense, I purchased clothes to give to Siana as a present.
Elizalina’s Side
“So there is such a girl.”
Elizalina, sitting on the bed in her room in the royal castle, remembered Lux whom she had met earlier at the clothing store.
Elizalina had talked to people of various ranks and ages until now, but she had never met anyone as devoid of calculation as Lux… Although they had only met once, Elizalina, due to her line of work, was confident in her ability to see through people.
Therefore, just from meeting him once, she understood Lux.
“He’s someone I can’t put into words, someone who seems to be made entirely of kindness… It wasn’t kindness aimed at me, but Lux, when talking about his gift recipient, was truly dazzling.”
And then Elizalina remembered Lux’s parting words.
“Yes, let’s meet again!”
Elizalina, sitting on the bed in her room in the royal castle, was thinking about Lux.
Then she said in a loud voice,
“I don’t want to meet him, though~! Because if I take off that hood, that seemingly pure Lux will turn into a beast~!”
Although she was shouting loudly outwardly, inwardly she was completely cool.
Then, feeling emptiness from shouting, Elizalina murmured in a sad voice,
“It was really fun… If he were a noble, he should have a far darker aura, but Lux didn’t have that… I couldn’t not notice this, so maybe Lux is a commoner… It doesn’t matter, right, since if Lux saw my appearance, he would surely be enraptured by me.”
After that, Elizalina murmured again,
“That’s why I don’t want to meet Lux… Lux, just a little longer, let me dream.”
Elizalina decided that, until the next time she met Lux, she would dream of him as a prince from a story, so pure and dazzling that she had never encountered anything like him.
Elizalina knew that such an existence couldn’t possibly exist… After all, if Lux let down his guard, not a fragment of kindness would be visible.
Even so, even though she knew it would never become a true dream, Elizalina fell asleep dreaming of Lux.