Sleeping Beside Siana
Lux’s Side
“Master!”
When my room’s door was knocked on, I heard Siana’s voice calling out to me loudly.
“You can come in.”
When I told her that, Siana opened the door and stepped into the room.
“Welcome back… you’re a little la—”
Just as I started to say that.
Siana closed the distance between us and suddenly wrapped her arms around me.
“S-Siana!? Wh-what’s wrong?”
It was so sudden that I froze in surprise, and Siana brought her face close to mine and spoke with clear worry.
“Master! Are you all right? You aren’t injured anywhere, are you?”
“Huh? I-injured? Why would you ask that?”
“It’s because… I heard that you were attacked by someone holding a sword…”
“…!”
I thought no one had been around at the time, but maybe someone was there and I simply didn’t notice. Maybe Siana heard about it in town while she was out shopping…
And because of that, she worried about me this much… if that’s the reason, then.
I decided I couldn’t let Siana worry any more than this and opened my mouth to speak.
“I’m sorry for making you worry. I’m fine… someone who happened to be there with me took care of everything.”
“So that’s what happened… I’m truly relieved.”
“…”
Siana was holding me out of worry, and I gently wrapped my arms around her in return.
After we had stayed like that for a little while, Siana spoke.
“Master… Do you remember our promise for tonight, that I would sleep beside you?”
“Ah! Y-yeah, of course I remember.”
Hearing her say “sleep beside you” made me feel a little embarrassed, but I answered, and Siana continued.
“Then, would you bathe with me tonight and go to sleep together afterward?”
“Eh!? W-we’re taking a bath together too!?”
“Yes… tonight, I wish to stay by your side the entire time.”
Taking a bath together really was a bit embarrassing, but…
Siana was saying this out of kindness, so I couldn’t possibly refuse her.
“All right, let’s do that tonight.”
“Ah! Thank you so much!”
After that, Siana and I entered the bath together, and she began washing my back from behind.
Then, a short while after she began washing me.
“Master… when I think that something might have happened to you… I’m truly, truly grateful that you’re safe…!”
Siana hugged me from behind.
“Ah!? S-Siana!? H-hugging me when we aren’t wearing any clothes is, um, kind of a problem, or, well…”
But there was no way I could tell Siana to stop hugging me for a reason like that, not when she was like this, so I put all my effort into diverting my attention from the soft sensation pressing against my back.
After that, once we had soaked in the bath together, we enjoyed talking for a while in my room.
When we climbed onto the bed together, we slid under the covers, and Siana hugged me and spoke.
“Master… being able to serve you until the moment you fall asleep like this makes me very happy.”
“Siana… I’m really happy too, being able to stay with you until night like this.”
When I told her that, Siana tightened her arms around me as if to show her joy.
“…”
A lot had happened today, and there were still so many things I needed to think about, but…
Being held by Siana gave me a different kind of comfort and peace than Florence-san did…
And just like that, I slowly drifted off to sleep.
**
Siana’s Side
By the time Lux, still in my arms, began to breathe softly in his sleep.
Siana’s cheeks were flushed as she…
“I must not. No matter how defenseless and adorable Lux-kun looks when he sleeps… I have to endure, I must endure…!”
She was fighting a desperate battle to restrain herself, and that battle continued for some time afterward.