LIGHTNOVELWORLD Episode 34
Chapter 34
“…… I don’t know what’s going on here.”
When I woke up, I saw a ceiling I’ve never seen before, so I said that as a form of expression, but I felt a bit embarrassed.
“Now then, since Milo didn’t mention anything, I assumed I didn’t die… but what happened after that?”
In my still groggy state, I can vaguely recall the falling blocks of ice and a figure standing in front of me.
Now that I think about it, that must have been Orto.
If that’s the case, then it makes sense that I survived.
And if I survived, then Alshade must be safe too. I breathe a sigh of relief in my mind.
“…… First, let me check… huh?”
My upper body feels heavy, and I can’t raise it. To be precise, something is pressing down on the upper right side of my body, keeping me pinned to the bed.
Part of the blanket seems oddly elevated, and I have a bad feeling, but I slowly lift the blanket and peer underneath.
“…… Suu… suu…”
“…… Fuu…………”
I think I saw some blond hair, but it must be my imagination. I slowly lower the blanket back and exhale, realizing that I had unconsciously held my breath.
“(Well, it might be a mistake, but I should make sure.)”
I lift the blanket again.
“…… Suu… suu…”
“……”
Is she not feeling suffocated sleeping with the blanket over her head?
Whether it was the cold night or because of my sleeping posture… No, let’s stop escaping from reality and face the situation properly.
In this room, two underage, unmarried individuals—Alshade, the daughter of a noble family, and me, of the opposite sex—are sleeping in the same bed.
Now, let’s answer the question about how the servants and maids who witness this scene might feel.
(“…… I’m doomed, right? Alshade has been dependent on me, so we’ve spent at least one night like this. And in the worst-case scenario, if I was sleeping, then this situation could have been going on every night or every morning… There’s no doubt it’s become a rumor by now…”)
Even if Alshade returned safely and I’m credited for that, many people might not be happy with the situation.
Even if Orth sided with me, he’s a hired hand and it’s difficult to guarantee his position within the Baltzfeld family.
It’s best not to think that this situation can be easily resolved just because I’ve become isolated in the household.
However, Alshade, the next head of the family, is on my side, and as a close aide, there should be people who would support her.
(…Ignoring the high possibility that they’re just trying to cozy up to power, it should be fine.)
From my perspective, I don’t trust them, so it’s not a major problem, but…
So, what’s the most correct choice in this situation?
“…… Maybe I should just go back to sleep.”
I decided to take another nap, wait for Alshade to wake up and leave the bed, and then get up.
Being in the same bed while being conscious of it and being in the same bed while at least pretending not to be conscious… The impression is quite different.
At least, that’s what I’d like to believe.
Fortunately, the view outside the window was faintly tinged with purple near the horizon, but the sunrise hadn’t started yet.
I had plenty of time for a little more sleep.
I released the hand that was supporting the blanket and was about to drift back into the dream world when someone… Alshade, grabbed my wrist.
“…… Hey, Rio, good morning. It’s so mean to ignore me like that. I was worried, you know?”
While still holding onto my wrist, Alshade moved on top of me and smiled, but I couldn’t help feeling a slight pressure this time.
“Oh, Al, good morning. Sorry to bother you, but could you back off a bit?”
“No.”
With a sweet smile, Alshade refused my request and wrapped her arm around my neck, hugging me tightly.
Her sweet fragrance tickled my nose, but it didn’t make my heart race like before. Instead, it somehow made me feel a little more at ease, or was that just my imagination?
“I really… was worried about you. I thought, what if you… didn’t wake up like this… Thank you for waking up…!”
Alshade looked at me with moist eyes, smiling while tears streamed down her face.
Seeing her tears, I naturally reached out and gently stroked her head. It seemed I had chosen the wrong words to say to her first.
Even so, she didn’t get angry. She’s sweet to me.
“I’m sorry for worrying you. And….I’m back.”
“Yeah, welcome back…”
After about an hour of gently stroking Alshade’s head, she stopped crying and appeared to have calmed down.
“Thank you. I’m feeling much better now.”
“I’m glad. When you cry, I don’t know how to handle it.”
“Really? I thought you handled it pretty well.”
“No, if that didn’t work, I really wouldn’t know what to do.”
“Hehe, then you better learn to understand my heart quickly. Oh, but it’s fine if you never understand a woman’s heart.”
Clearly, that’s a dangerous subject, so I refrained from mentioning that not understanding a woman’s heart would also apply to her.
Words are known to be a source of trouble, and wise men avoid approaching dangerous territory.
“Hey, I know that Orto-san came and saved me, but can you tell me what happened while I was asleep?”
“Sure. Where should I start? Um…”
According to Alshade, I was unconscious for two weeks.
After I lost consciousness, she and Orto tried to apprehend the mastermind of this incident, Hyann, but he had already frozen to death.
Nevertheless, they didn’t worry too much since they had another source of information, Barots (Dick).
Later, they needed manpower to capture the remaining remnants of Hyann’s faction, so they released the confined retainers and servants who were left behind.
Alshade entrusted overall command to the leader of the remaining group and rested.
“I only know what was passed on to me, as I was resting with everyone’s concern on the second day. Ort went to meet the head of our undercover organization early in the morning and apparently dismantled the abductors’ organization.”
“Is that okay? Isn’t he still an outsider?”
“There was no one else who could go to places where the enemy’s henchmen might be hiding and accomplish the task safely and quickly except Ort. Besides, he seems to have gained considerable trust among our retainers after what happened this time.”
Indeed, to the retainers, Ort would seem like a hero who came to the rescue in a dire situation. He defeated most of the enemies and even captured Dick, who was an Imperial agent.
Well, in any case, I’m relieved that the underground organization was taken care of.
However, since some time has passed since the attack, there’s a chance that Lamdo has already sensed the danger and fled.
“Oh, by the way, there’s some good news too. It’s about the war with the Empire. Apparently, we won! The reward ceremony and other formalities might take some time, so my father won’t be able to come back immediately, but at least we can breathe a sigh of relief.”
“Is that so…? Wait, they won against the Empire!?”
Surprised by the news that came from Alshade, I forcefully sat up and grabbed her shoulders, questioning her about the details.
“Yeah, that’s what the messenger said. Why? Is there something wrong?”
“Well… I just didn’t think the conflict would be resolved in just two weeks, considering all the other schemes they had in place…”
“I see. In fact, the initial Western Aristocratic Union forces that tried to intercept were defeated due to a large number of traitors. However, my father, as the core, managed to retreat and later won against the pursuing enemy forces that joined with reinforcements from the capital.”
(Strange… The Empire was supposed to gain significant power from this war. Could something have changed due to the incident at Bartzfeld?)
I couldn’t help but tilt my head at the divergence from the original story that seemed to occur out of place.
Did something change because I resolved the incident at Baltzfeld?
“Hey, does the Count know about our situation here?”
“Yes, I sent a messenger immediately with a fast horse. Oh, that’s right. Hyann was originally planned to join my father’s army as a fake reinforcement, so I informed him about that too.”
“(That’s it!)”
Perhaps, the original plan was for Hyann and the other prepared traitors to exploit the opening created by the betrayal and secure a victory.
However, with Hyann’s failure and the information about the traitors reaching Count Baltzfeld, the flow of events must have changed.
It might not be completely accurate, but at least it made sense to me, and I felt relieved.
“Um, I think it’s enough already…”
“Oh, sorry…”
I suddenly realized that I was staring at Alshade at close range.
She blushed slightly and averted her gaze.
In a hurry, I tried to move away, but I noticed that the door to the room was open.
A maid with chestnut hair and glasses stood there, her eyes wide open, locking gazes with me.
“W-Wait a moment…!”
Then, the door was slowly closed.
“(My social life… it’s over…)”
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