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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Hey! Hey! Let me at least change my clothes first!”
“Wow! I’ve been to the capital a few times, but this is amazing, isn’t it?”
I had thrown on a shirt May had given me, but it was small and soaked with sweat. I wanted to change, but May continued chattering excitedly, oblivious to my discomfort.
She had a faint aura of mana around her, a clear sign she wasn’t going to back down.
“Stop.”
At the plaza fountain, I finally pulled my hand away from hers. I had indulged her to avoid hurting her, but I had reached my limit.
Amidst the sound of splashing water and the bundled-up citizens braving the winter chill, I turned to May.
“Enough. I don’t have time for this.”
“Where’s the candy I gave you?”
“Sigh.”
May crossed her arms and grumbled.
I told her I had dropped it, but that wasn’t the point.
“I don’t have time for this. I have things to do.”
“And what exactly are you going to do? Mope around and swing your sword by yourself?”
“……”
I was about to retort, but May sighed, shaking her head.
“Fine, go. But wash up first.”
“What?”
May walked towards me and shoved me hard in the chest.
Caught off guard, I stumbled backward…
Splash!
My legs caught on the edge of the fountain, and I fell in.
“What the…!”
Soaked to the bone in the freezing winter air, I was about to unleash my fury on May, but…
“Woohoo!”
She jumped into the fountain, fully clothed.
Water splashed everywhere, and the people in the plaza grumbled, annoyed at getting wet, but May, as if we were at a water park, started splashing me.
“I should have worn my swimsuit! I’d melt your brain right now!”
“Your swimsuit wouldn’t melt anything!”
“Have you seen it?!”
What was she doing?
It was December. It wasn’t swimming weather, and I didn’t have time for this.
But May continued splashing me, laughing.
“St-… Ack! I swallowed water! Stop…!”
The fountain water, surprisingly, was warm, so the more she splashed me, the warmer I felt.
Though I would probably catch a cold later.
“There are fish in here.”
“What?”
She was right.
Small fish, mistaking my hands and feet for food, nibbled at me.
Was that why the water was warm?
“You’ve been in the capital for days and didn’t know there were fish in the fountain?”
“……I haven’t had time to look.”
I stood up, brushing the fish away, and May, having climbed onto the edge of the fountain, wrung the water from her hair and started talking to the children who had gathered to watch.
“Where are you kids from?”
“My house!”
“Her house!”
“We were playing hide-and-seek!”
“What are you doing in there, miss?”
“Swimming!”
May chatted with the children, and after a whispered exchange, they looked around cautiously, then jumped into the fountain.
“Hey! You’ll catch colds!”
“So what? We have a cool older brother and sister to play with!”
“I…!”
“Splash!”
The children started splashing me.
“Die, monster!”
“Ugly monster, take this water attack!”
“May! Help!”
Surrounded by splashing children, I felt ridiculous, yet… the warmth of the water in the cold winter air was strangely comforting.
Smack!
“Ow! She threw a fish!”
One of the children had apparently scooped up a fish and thrown it at me. It smacked me in the face before falling back into the fountain.
Seriously…
Tweet!
“What are you doing?!”
Royal Guards, blowing whistles, rushed towards us, ordering us out of the fountain.
The children’s faces fell.
I wiped the water from my face and addressed the children.
“You’ll catch colds if you stay in here. Let’s go.”
The children looked disappointed, and May, hands on her hips, spoke from behind me.
“So what?”
“……What?”
“What does it matter what happens tomorrow? We had fun today. Just play. And if you catch a cold, wrap yourself in a blanket, drink hot cocoa, and cuddle. Problem solved.”
“……What are you trying to say?”
“It’s better to have fun now than to worry about what might happen tomorrow and mope around all day looking pathetic!”
May pulled a lollipop from her pocket.
The wrapper was wet, but the candy inside was fine, and she offered it to a child who had been eyeing it.
“It’s always better to just do it! You were so cool before the break, why are you being such a wimp now?!”
“……”
“Something bothering you? Something hurt you? Can’t figure it out? Then don’t suffer alone, idiot! You saved me! And Elise! And Lucia! And Eve! And Tana! You saved us all by just doing it!”
May pushed past the children and the splashing water, approaching me. She grabbed me by the collar, forcing me to meet her gaze.
Her amber eyes held a firm, yet gentle, resolve.
“So this time, asshole, I’ll help you!”
“……”
She released my collar, her chest heaving, and turned away.
I told myself my head was just hot from the exercise, from being out in the cold all morning.
But that wasn’t true.
My head felt heavy, like a burning coal, a pressure that had nothing to do with physical exertion.
I had been pushing myself, working out intensely, to create a reason for the heat in my head, a distraction from the true source of my pain.
I slowly raised my head.
The cold winter air washed over me, and for the first time since my return, the burning in my head subsided.
“Can’t we play anymore?”
“Aw, that was fun!”
“May, let’s go talk to him!”
“Ask that brother, he’s important in the kingdom.”
Don’t tell the kids that.
The Royal Guards were still shouting at us to get out of the fountain, and the children were looking at me expectantly.
“Sigh, ten minutes. That’s it.”
I pulled the royal insignia Elise had given me from my pocket. She had told me to use it if I got into trouble.
Seeing the insignia, the guards snapped to attention and saluted, but I waved them off.
“We’ll be out in ten minutes. If they come out now, the children will catch colds. Could you bring some blankets, hand warmers, and hot tea?”
“Yes, sir!”
The guards hurried off, and the people in the plaza chuckled, watching the children play.
One of the children, prompted by something May had said, approached me.
“You’re a beast-kin, why aren’t you defeated? We attacked you!”
“……Do I have to do that too?”
I thought it was a bit much, but May grinned and crossed her arms.
“Go all out. Don’t be stingy.”
“……”
I sighed and sat back down in the fountain.
The warm water was actually quite comfortable.
“Okay, I lost.”
I was about to play along, to tell them I would be good from now on, but the children, as if trained, swarmed me, their small bodies clinging to my arms and legs, restraining me.
“We caught the beast-kin! Capture him! Beast-kin meat for dinner tonight!”
“Let’s cut off his head and hang it at the village entrance! It’ll scare the other beast-kin!”
“I want the thigh meat!”
“……Help me.”
This game was a bit… morbid.
It would be over in ten minutes anyway.
I played along, calling for help, but…
A weight, definitely not that of a child, settled on top of me.
May, straddling me, grinned.
“I’ll have the first bite.”
She kissed me.
Then licked her lips.
“Mmm…!”
I was stunned, speechless.
May, her face flushed, leaned against me, whispering,
“Outdoor play?”
Sometimes, I wondered if she was even crazier than Elise.
After leaving the fountain, we wrapped ourselves in blankets and headed to a nearby clothing store. It was a large store, with a fireplace burning in the hearth, and we warmed ourselves by the fire.
Once we were dry, we browsed the clothes.
“How about this? Looks good, right?”
May, preferring comfortable clothes, picked out items that were a size too big or designed for ease of movement.
I had similar preferences, so I simply nodded in agreement.
“……Aren’t you even going to look?”
“They’re your clothes. Why should I bother?”
I had already chosen something for myself.
I couldn’t stay in wet clothes.
A store clerk, bringing us tea, smiled and interjected.
“If he’s your boyfriend, you should help him choose his clothes.”
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
“Not your boyfriend? But you stole my first kiss!”
“……”
I glared at her, and she grinned, enjoying my reaction. The clerk looked flustered, having just learned that we weren’t dating, despite having kissed.
“I-I’ll be going now. Please call me if you need anything!”
The clerk backed away, then quickly turned and fled.
I wanted to explain, but…
“Sigh.”
All I could manage was a sigh.
“She misunderstood.”
“But I wasn’t wrong.”
I closed my mouth, knowing any further conversation would only lead to more misunderstandings.
I wanted to simply sit by the fire, but seeing May deep in thought, I stood up.
“I think this would suit you better.”
“Huh?”
Surprised by my unexpected comment, May stared at me, then grinned and headed towards the fitting room.
“I’ll be right back!”
I watched her go, a sense of gratitude washing over me. She had helped me regain my composure, pulling me out of the darkness that had been consuming me.
“……”
I decided to indulge her for the day.
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[Your Text Here]
May the goat
How come May stole it when your first kiss was with Rin?