—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Eileen’s mood couldn’t be better.
As they walked through the streets in the middle of the capital, people’s gazes were naturally drawn to her.
As if they had nothing to do with the festival happening at the Imperial Palace, the gazes of people going about their normal daily lives were inevitably drawn to the combination of Eileen and Rudrick.
“…She’s pretty.”
“The man is handsome too. I’m envious.”
Rudrick didn’t seem to hear it, but Eileen, who possessed physical abilities that were on a different level from ordinary humans, could pick up even the small whispers of passersby.
The words muttered by the people passing by, or more precisely, the people looking at Eileen and Rudrick, all carried a sense of envy.
Whether they envied Eileen or envied Rudrick.
It was a situation that made Eileen’s shoulders naturally rise.
It was a combination that anyone would admire and think of as a good-looking couple. And Eileen was one half of that combination.
“Rudrick, is there anywhere you’d like to go?”
“…Who knows? I was suddenly dragged out here before I knew it.”
“I see. Then it’s understandable that you’d be flustered.”
Eileen nodded and took the lead, guiding Rudrick.
In any case, escorting a gentleman was a lady’s duty.
Thinking that she had lacked consideration for Rudrick, Eileen started walking.
After walking with great momentum for several minutes…
And Eileen realized that her hand holding Rudrick’s hand was starting to sweat.
First of all, it was good that she had come out in a good mood on the first day to wait for Rudrick.
Feeling a sense of superiority from receiving the gazes of others and feeling happiness just from being with Rudrick.
Even that was good.
It couldn’t be more perfect than this.
However, Eileen was struggling to select a date course with Rudrick.
‘…This is bad.’
In fact, how much experience did Eileen have wandering around the capital aimlessly?
The date course she had selected based on her memories from her academy student days had already been used up last time when she walked around the capital with Rudrick.
She was slightly reluctant to go to the same place again.
Although Eileen was usually looked down upon by others due to her characteristically stiff expression and way of speaking, she was still on casual terms with people she frequently met, such as the adjutants or staff members of her fief.
Even though they had no choice but to be in awe of the Nord Grand Duchess due to the nature of her status, there was something Eileen had heard while mingling with their group.
‘…Phew, it took a while to appease my boyfriend’s mood last time.’
‘Why, what happened? Did you forget an anniversary or something?’
‘No, I took him to the same restaurant we went to last time on our date. He said it lacked sincerity. Even though he didn’t say it outright, he made it clear that he was in a bad mood.’
‘I really don’t understand men’s hearts. It’s much easier to come up with a battle plan than that.’
Recalling the conversation she had heard among her subordinates, Eileen felt cold sweat running down her spine.
In reality, Rudrick probably wouldn’t have minded much, and if he had heard it, he would have nodded his head and said that people living in different places are all similar.
But for Eileen, who had only gathered information biased in one direction, it was a huge problem that could make the sky fall at any moment.
“Eileen, are you hot?”
“…No, that’s not it.”
Rudrick, who had been walking while holding her hand without much thought, asked to that extent.
Rudrick simply thought that Eileen, who lived in the north, was feeling the heat after coming down to the relatively warm capital.
Similarly, without any intention of giving a hard time, a single question asked out of pure curiosity drove a wedge.
“So where are we going now?”
“Th-That’s…”
Eileen, who had been walking aimlessly without deciding on a destination yet, stuttered with a visibly flustered expression.
In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through her mind, and at the same time, a simulation was running in her mind on the answer she could give at this moment.
First option.
Apologize and say that she couldn’t decide where to go, as was the truth.
‘…No way.’
Eileen closed her eyes tightly.
Although Rudrick, whom she had known for nearly ten years, was kind-hearted and wouldn’t say anything, it was easy to imagine his disappointed expression.
Then the second option.
Somehow use her wits to select a place to go on a date.
‘This too…’
It was easier said than done.
If it were possible, there would have been no reason for her to keep worrying just now.
Eileen closed her eyes tightly, made a frustrated expression, and even let out a sigh, while Rudrick looked at her with an expression that seemed to say, “Why on earth is she acting like that?”
As the time for a decision approached, the second option among the multiple-choice options given to Eileen was gradually being erased.
“…Rudrick.”
“Yes?”
Eileen’s voice trembled slightly.
Before becoming the Grand Duchess, even when she led a small scouting party and encountered a large detachment of barbarians beyond the snow-capped mountains of the Great Wall, she hadn’t trembled like this.
Her body, which hadn’t trembled even when encountering an enemy twenty times larger than her own forces, was now shaking and trembling like a teenage girl, out of control.
“…I’m sorry. To be honest, I haven’t decided… no, I haven’t thought about where to go yet. I was so distracted by the fact that I would be spending time with you.”
“Ah.”
“I’m sorry. If you give me a little time, I’ll think as quickly as possible—”
“I was wondering what you were talking about.”
“Huh?”
Rudrick chuckled.
He didn’t have such picky tastes, and from Rudrick’s perspective, who maintained the way of thinking from his previous life, it was a cute worry.
Rather, the thought that Eileen had been struggling over it for a while made her seem suddenly cute to the point where he felt like hugging her.
“Why were you worrying about something like that? We can just go anywhere.”
“Rudrick…”
“If you haven’t decided where to go yet, let’s just walk around for now. If we come across a place that looks fun, we can go there.”
Eileen’s eyes sparkled.
“Do you really think so?”
“It might be awkward to say to someone who was just worrying about it, but it was an unnecessary worry, Eileen.”
“…Ahem.”
Although it wasn’t Rudrick’s intention, Eileen felt an overwhelming desire to hug this lovely being who seemed to be saying only the words she wanted to hear.
Anyway, they weren’t officially dating yet, and they had come out to spend some time together with a mutual understanding, so she couldn’t do that.
Especially since Lassiel had unnecessarily added a comment at the end before stepping aside, saying it wasn’t her turn.
Still, it would be enough for them to be seen as a well-matched couple in the eyes of others.
Now, it was rather Rudrick who took the lead and started walking, having been quietly holding hands until now.
“How about that? It looks fun.”
“That’s…”
Eileen’s face, which had followed Rudrick’s pointing finger, turned red.
It was a massage parlor that had been rapidly increasing in the affluent capital with a high standard of living recently.
It wasn’t the illegal and decadent kind that existed in Rudrick’s previous life, but rather the kind of place that couples sometimes chose as a unique date course.
It was just a suggestion made while recalling memories from his previous life, but Eileen, who had fallen into her own misunderstanding, readily nodded her head with a flushed face.
“…If you want, let’s go.”
“Doesn’t it seem nice? I’ve been sitting at a desk all the time recently, so I’d like to get a massage. You usually sit a lot too, Eileen, because of work.”
“Although there haven’t been any recent invasions by barbarians, that’s true…”
In fact, Eileen had never experienced it either, so it was ambiguous to answer, but she simply agreed since Rudrick wanted to try it.
“Oh my, are you a couple? Welcome.”
As soon as they entered, the owner came out and greeted them with a smile.
It was just a standard business line for the owner, but…
“C-Couple…”
Eileen, who had been enjoying the gazes of passersby and feeling a sense of superiority until just now, muttered with a flustered face, contrary to her previous demeanor.
“Our establishment has many noble customers like you two, as well as adventurers who are regulars. So, would you like to go with the recommended course?”
“Yes. Let’s just go with the recommended course.”
While Rudrick was answering, Eileen, who hadn’t been able to escape the destructive power of the word “couple,” followed Rudrick obediently with a flushed face after paying the fee.
However, there was one problem.
‘…The same changing room?’
It was good that they were guided to the changing room to change into the provided comfortable clothes since they couldn’t receive a massage in cumbersome uniforms.
However, the problem was that the owner had misunderstood their relationship and sent Rudrick and Eileen to the same changing room.
It wasn’t a big deal since they weren’t changing their underwear and were simply changing their outer clothes into comfortable ones.
Not only was Eileen wearing proper underwear, but Rudrick was also wearing a thin t-shirt underneath his usual robe.
“Aren’t you going to change, Eileen?”
“Th-That’s…”
Rudrick, who was about to take off his robe after entering the changing room, asked, but Eileen could only blush and couldn’t properly answer.
Just the act of changing clothes in the same changing room made her feel like she was committing a sin.
“Ah, it must be uncomfortable for you.”
Rudrick, who seemed to have realized something, turned his body in the opposite direction and said while taking off his robe.
“Then I’ll turn around and change.”
“…!”
What was visible was the thin white cotton t-shirt underneath his robe, and a glimpse of skin-colored expanse visible through it.
Unfortunately, due to the excessively strong visual stimulation that Eileen couldn’t handle…
Eileen quickly turned her head while plugging her nose to stop the blood flowing out.
“Kuk!”
A short, stifled sound rang out.
Her nose, which had recently become excessively sensitive to stimuli, couldn’t go a day without bleeding.
Until Rudrick, who had his back turned, finished changing clothes and turned his head, shouting in surprise,
“Eileen! Blood! Your nose is bleeding!”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
such a classic
At least she has a good indicator when she goes in heat