Chapter 499 - Unyielding Priority
"Alright, alright, okay. I'll get everything ready, so feel free to use it however you like. As for a chef… you don't need one, as usual, right?"
"Mhm, I'm fine. Thank you."
"It's no problem at all. Anything for my sweet, precious little sister."
"…I appreciate it, but I'm really not a child anymore."
"Oh? No matter how old you get, you'll always be our baby sister. Little Ashe."
"I'm not little. At 160 cm, I'm slightly taller than the average Japanese woman."
"Hehe… whether you're pouting or falling in love, you never change, do you?"
"………………"
"I'm looking forward to the day you introduce me to your boyfriend. I can't wait that patiently, though, so please set something up before the year is out."
"…He's not my boyfriend yet. And I don't even know if he'll ever be."
"—………… Ashe, seeing you so timid is a fresh and unbearably adorable sight, but I don't think you have anything to worry about."
"…………"
"You're our cute little White princess. There's no way any boy could resist falling for you after you've captivated the entire world. Right?"
"…………Good night, Emery. I'll call you again."
"Good night, Ashe. Sweet dreams."
◇◆◇◆◇
"—So, that's the situation. We're leaving on Monday, at the start of the week."
"…………Um… you mean, like, the week after next?"
"No, this coming week."
"What day is it today?"
"Friday."
"So this coming Monday is?"
"Three days from now."
"…………………………Suuuu—… Okay."
Isn't the timeline from 'the plan is set' to 'get ready' a little too sudden? And isn't it a bit inconsiderate to just announce a decision instead of consulting me? Things like that crossed my mind, but I swallowed them down.
It was because I was starting to understand Ashe's nature. Whether it's a habit or something else, this princess has a tendency to just throw the 'result' of her thinking at you. And it seems she tailors that behavior to the person she's talking to.
In other words, she only throws these startlingly blunt fastballs because she trusts that I'll be able to interpret them correctly.
If I think of it as a kind of indulgence she reserves for those she's close to, then it makes me want to put in the effort to understand and play along.
Basically—translating her words, which she rattled off the moment I opened the door in response to the chime after dinner, it would be something like this.
—Everything's ready, so if it's not inconvenient, I'd like to leave in three days.
Wait, is that any different from what she actually said?
"Ahem, so………… what about Goldow and the others? Is such short notice okay for them?"
"It's not a problem. They said they could handle it even if it were tomorrow, as long as it's this month."
"I see…"
Everyone's so flexible… True, at yesterday's meeting, he did say, 'We don't have much to do this month, so everyone just do what you want for a while.'
Even if the rest of us rankers don't have work, the General Commander, Goldow, must have at least a few things to do—then again, the same probably goes for the Sword Queen, Ashe, standing before me.
Thinking about it, that means Helena-san, who's truly acting as the queen in the south, is probably in the same boat… wait, could this also be a chance for the leaders, who are about to get busy, to take a breather?
No, it's a rest in preparation for work, so 'recharging their spirits' would be the correct term.
"Haru."
"Oh, yeah. Sorry, I was spacing out."
Called back to my senses, I saw her black eyes staring intently at me. They appeared emotionless, as always—but that was just a facade. I imagined that behind them, thoughts and emotions were swirling at a speed and volume incomparable to that of an ordinary person.
"My words. I'm aware that I'm being nothing but selfish regarding this trip."
"You can be as selfish as you want, you know."
It's not like I find it annoying or troublesome. It's just that every time, I'm so surprised that I can't keep up and just end up zoning out.
And so…
"Alright, roger that. Monday it is. I'll get ready."
Once the surprise and confusion passed, I had no hesitation in my reply. It wasn't exactly an immediate 'yes,' but when I gave my consent, Ashe's eyes widened slightly, and then…
"…Thank you."
Unless I was imagining it, she offered a smile that seemed tinged with relief.
…That sort of thing is just too powerful, which is why her constant, unreasonable demands always get converted into something endearing. She's a truly cunning princess.
"By the way, besides 'ocean,' 'villa,' 'one week,' and 'private tutor,' I haven't received any additional information. Could you fill me in on the details of the plan?"
"Of course. Although, it really is just 'spending a week relaxing at a seaside villa while being your private tutor.'"
"How we relax is what's important. I don't know how big this villa is, or if Goldow and Helena-san will be with us the whole time, or what we'll do for meals and other arrangements. There's a lot I need to know."
"Uni will be cooking."
"I see, so you've hired a chef. Then I don't have to worry about meals, that's a relief—wait a second, who did you say is cook—"
"Calm down. …………If we're going to talk, may I come in?"
Before I could process the new piece of information that had just blown my mind, Ashe pushed past me. Despite having asked, she entered the room without waiting for an answer.
With the door having been left wide open for some time, it now created a scene where I, still holding the doorknob, looked like I was pushing her into the room with my other hand.
That wasn't good for my mental well-being, so I quickly backed away. The princess, the probable perpetrator, let out a small, smug, yet expressionless smile that was hard to read.
"—Ah… I see. Right, that makes sense."
After hearing all the details about the trip, I corrected a fundamental misunderstanding—or rather, a baseless assumption—and nodded deeply in understanding several times.
"So that's it. It was originally a sort of company retreat for the Southern Faction rankers…"
"That's how it started, yes. But not many people could make it, so it ended up being a small gathering."
Just as Goldow had said, 'a trip around this time of year,' it seemed to be a regular event. Tracing it back, it apparently began when the Lady-in-Waiting—not Ashe—suggested creating a space for relaxation and bonding.
As for why there were so few participants—
"Even though our atmosphere is different from the East, we in the Southern Faction get along quite well. Everyone said they 'wanted to go,' and they also told me they 'wanted to meet you.' But meeting in the real world presents more than a few obstacles."
"Well, yeah, there's that."
In fact, even now, I feel an indescribable sense of unreality facing Iris in person. It's the same when I'm with Nia or Sora.
Meeting someone in real life whom you got to know somewhere else carries a hurdle, big or small, depending on the person. The issues are numerous, from personal stances and boundaries to physical distance.
My encounters with those three were a sudden, flowing, forceful combo that resulted in a landslide of meetings, but that was, for all intents and purposes, a one hundred percent fantasy scenario.
"Hmm… how should I put this—"
A slight sense of incongruity came to mind as I listened to her explanation, and from that, a 'what if' occurred to me. I hesitated for a moment on whether to voice it…
"…?"
"Ah, it's nothing."
Seeing Ashe tilt her head, I swallowed the words back down.
That wasn't something I needed to bring up here.
"Anyway, I get it now. It's not that I was the reason for this trip; I was just invited to a pre-existing regular event as the new face. That's it, right?"
"…Phrasing it that way is a little…"
"A little? —Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute! I didn't mean anything by it, I was just saying I understood!"
For reasons I couldn't quite grasp, my reaction seemed to displease Ashe. She stood up from the sofa and quickly closed the distance between us.
The makeshift safety zone I had constructed by sitting on a chair behind the sofa, using its back as a shield, was instantly trampled…
"I-I'm telling you…! You're always so cl—"
"Don't talk as if you're just an extra. If I didn't have to be so considerate or hold back, I'd whisk you away across the sea, just the two of us."
Trapped between the back of my chair and her arms, just like that one time, I could do nothing but freeze, overwhelmed by the stunning beauty so close to me.
"You're the 'origin' of everything for me right now, Haru. I didn't invite you to something that already existed; I used something that existed so I could be with you."
"…………"
"There's no reality in which you are an 'afterthought' to me. I need you to understand, without any mistake, just how much I only have eyes for you."
"…………"
"…If you're going to stay silent, I'll kiss you right here. Answer me."
"—I-I get it! I get it, okay?! I understand I chose my words poorly, so please just forgive me this time! I'll reflect on it, I'll reflect deeply, I promise…!"
This was far beyond being merely overwhelmed.
Her delivery should have been calm, yet every word she spun was filled with a sweet heat she had no intention of hiding. As if that wasn't overpowering enough, whether intentional or not, her expressions were now unlocked, leaving me with no means to resist.
She must have been truly furious that I had so casually misjudged her 'priorities.' Ashe, her cheeks faintly flushed with anger, glaring at me with narrowed eyes, was—
Ashe was, well, um… Since I'm the one who angered her, I'll avoid saying it out loud, but…
"Good. Reflect on it."
"Yes, ma'am, I'll be more careful…"
Since this was getting dangerous for me in more ways than one, I decided I needed to live a little more cautiously when she was around.
They flirt and flirt and flirt and flirt endlessly, so they never, ever, ever get to the important explanations.