Let’s rewind just a few minutes.
Having somewhat regained my senses from the brisk air, I suggested to Lily that we return to the Academy. In response, Lily asked:
“Must we really go back today?”
Confused by the meaning behind her words, I stood there with a dumbfounded expression, until Lily took my hand and led me somewhere.
We arrived at an upscale lodging facility with an elegant entrance. The staff, alternating their gaze between Lily and me, handed over the room key with a significant smile.
By then, my mind was still foggy, and I simply followed Lily’s lead. Upon entering the room, Lily said she would take a shower first and headed toward the restroom.
This is how we ended up in the present situation.
As reality began to set in and I tried to piece together the circumstances, one conclusion emerged:
“…What?!”
Is this… a setup?!
It felt as though someone had whacked me on the head with a hammer, and suddenly I snapped back to my senses. Glancing at the restroom, light seeped through the cracks of the door.
That light would occasionally disappear and return, confirming that someone was inside.
Moreover, the sound of water wasn’t simply running—it made a dull noise as if something was intercepting it before it pooled and fell.
Considering Lily’s earlier question, “Must we really go back today?” together with this atmosphere of the lodging place and her volunteering to shower first… there was really no other way to interpret it.
‘No, no, no, no… is this really happening?!’
It was hard to believe.
‘Lily and I…? Of course, it’s not like I dislike her or anything… but…’
A tingling sense of tension made my legs tremble involuntarily. Goosebumps ran down my body, and cold sweat trickled down just then.
From inside the restroom came Lily’s voice:
“Arthur, could you bring me a towel?”
“Yes, y-yes! A towel?!”
“Yeah, there aren’t any inside.”
I sprang up, making creaking noises as I searched the room.
“Oh, it’s here!”
Creak
“Could you pass it here?”
“!!!!!”
The bathroom door opened, and Lily extended her hand. Thankfully, the door swung to the side, so at the angle I couldn’t see inside—only her extended hand was visible—but…
‘Heart, calm down!!’
My heart raced as I saw the beautiful outline of Lily’s hand, moist with steam and radiant. Moving slowly, I turned my head and handed her the towel.
“Here… you go…”
“Thank you. You should get ready to shower too.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
A moment later, Lily emerged from the restroom, looking fresh and comfortable.
“Phew~ Washing up feels great. You should hurry up too.”
Upon entering the restroom, it was full of steam. Amidst that steam was a faint scent, one that almost drew my gaze downward involuntarily.
“Damn, this is insane…”
—
After finishing my shower, I absentmindedly rummaged through the shelf, searching for a towel.
“Ah, I said there’s no towel—”
At that moment, I felt something under my fingertips.
It was something that felt a bit scratchy at first but yielded softly when pressed… Hmm?
This shouldn’t be here, right…?
“Towel?!”
It was a soft, slightly fluffy white towel. Staring blankly at the towel in my hand, I slowly raised my head and pressed it to my forehead.
“Again… I’ve been tricked…”
She must’ve asked me to bring it just to embarrass me.
“Damn, this is getting ridiculous…”
I quickly dried myself with the towel and got dressed.
“Lily!”
I kicked open the bathroom door, ready to confront Lily, but…
“Hmm?”
At the sound of her reply, Lily turned to me…
“…Uh…”
She was wearing a lacy, flowing nightgown.
“Isn’t this called a negligee?”
I think I read about it somewhere in a book. As usual, her outfit was entirely black, which complemented her pale skin beautifully.
Half reclined on the bed, she looked at me with an expression that reminded me of a goddess from mythology.
‘She is a goddess, after all…’
Realizing I was staring, Lily softly raised the corner of her eyes.
“Why~? Is there a problem?”
Her teasing smile left my heart feeling purified, and any intention to confront her vanished, leaving only fluttering in my chest.
Lily flicked the blanket away, creating some space and patted beside her.
“Come here.”
Without realizing it, I approached the bed and crawled under the covers. Then, I was greeted by a rich, intoxicating fragrance that made my head spin and blurred my vision. Somehow regaining my senses, I tried to stop Lily from coming closer.
“Lily. I—”
“I understand.”
“…What?”
How could she understand what I was about to say?
She grabbed my extended hand that had tried to stop her, pushed her pillow aside, and instead rested her head on my arm.
“F-f-farm?”
My cheeks tingled as her hand made its way up.
“We’re family, right?”
“…”
“Right?”
Lily had accurately cut me off before I even finished my sentence. That’s right. We’re family. What kind of family would do… this kind of thing?
No matter how much I pondered in the shower, it inevitably came down to this answer.
“Since we’re family, we shouldn’t cross the line, right?”
“Yes.”
Taking a deep breath, I spoke again.
“Lily, you’re precious to me.”
Lily listened carefully to my heartfelt confession.
“As a man, I adore you deeply as a woman, but as family, Lily, you mean just as much to me.”
The meaning of ‘family’ to me was significant. The loneliness I endured led me to wish for someone, which brought us together. Through you, Lily, I’ve come to understand the joy of having someone always by my side.
That’s why I didn’t want to lose this familial bond.
If we were to cross the line, I feared losing it.
I was afraid.
“Hmph, Arthur. I knew you’d say that.”
Lily accepted my forced argument—what was probably just an excuse.
“You knew I’d call for the towel, didn’t you?”
Even the act of her “taking a shower” felt unnatural. With a mere thought, Lily could clean herself instantly, so why take a shower? It didn’t add up.
Lips pursed, Lily pouted as she muttered.
“Well, I tried, alright? In case you might fall for it.”
“I’m sorry, but while I may desire that… I—”
“No, it’s my fault. I was too impatient.”
Lily approached me, wrapping me up warmly in her embrace.
“I can wait as long as you need. When you’re ready, when you want to change this relationship, just tell me. I’ll always be here to accept you, whenever you’re ready.”
What I said sounded like nonsense even to me. Wanting both Lily as a romantic partner and as family made me realize how selfish I truly was.
“Thank you, Lily. For accepting even someone like me.”
“Not at all. You make me who I am.”
Lily looked me in the eyes and smiled.
“I love you.”
Ker-thump
Ah, my resolve almost crumbled right there.
Isn’t her smile a bit too unfair?
“I love you too.”
Our faces naturally drew closer, our breaths intertwining.
Peck
“…We’re family, aren’t we? Is it okay to kiss?”
Of course, one could point out that words and actions don’t align, but honestly, there was reason.
Smiling, I threw back her own words from a while ago.
“Eh? Isn’t it normal for families to kiss without hesitation?”
Honestly, after what we’ve already done, it would be tough to stop here. Plus, I had a bit of an excuse.
“Lily, didn’t you skip dinner today?”
“Hmm…yeah.”
“Shall we have dinner now?”
“….Sorry.”
So we shared a meal. Though the moment of life-drain was brief, the dinner time felt much longer, but we quietly agreed not to nitpick about that.
—
Awakening to the same beautiful face every morning—though I’ve grown accustomed to it and no longer feel surprised, my heart still races uncontrollably.
When I spoke the command, the blackout curtains drew open gently, letting an appropriate amount of sunlight in.
Gazing at the radiant countenance of Lily enhanced by the sunlight, I muttered to myself.
“Thinking about it, isn’t the recurring nature of this situation a bit contrived?”
Even though Lily does sleep, me always waking up first feels a bit strange.
Saying it aloud, I wondered if someone might be listening.
“Sometimes it’d be nice if Lily woke me up, right?”
At that moment, Lily’s breathing seemed slightly off. I decided to pass it off as my imagination.
With no sign of Lily waking up, I sighed and thought, she’ll probably wake up with a kiss.
Peck
Peck
Big kiss!
That’s when Lily slowly opened her eyes.
“Good morning, Lily?”
“Yeah. Good morning, Arthur?”
“Good morning. How did you sleep?”
“I slept well. What about you?”
“Me too.”
“What would you like for breakfast?”
“…Anything.”
“Hmm… You know that’s the hardest answer to work with?”
“But anything you make will be delicious, so it’s hard to decide.”
“Ah-ha-ha… You’re right about that.”
Peck
Her sleepy, murmured voice was unbearably cute. Startled by my surprise attack, Lily smiled softly and responded in kind.
Peck
Peck
And so, for a little while, we lingered in bed, enjoying the peaceful morning.
—
The morning meal was a rare treat—Old One Grill.
…Was it really rare?
‘One day counts as rare, I guess…’
The moment I took a bite of the Old One Grill’s insides, I nodded in approval.
‘This is it!’
Yesterday’s high-end restaurant was certainly good and worth its price, but Lily’s homemade cooking carried a different kind of emotional impact.
“Is it good?”
I kissed her cheek lightly in response to her question.
After finishing our meal, we stood side by side at the sink brushing our teeth. Thinking about it, Lily didn’t really need to brush her teeth, but then again, she didn’t have a reason not to either.
‘Funny how this feels so much like married life…’
I glanced at Lily, and our eyes met. While she smiled gently, I turned away immediately, overcome with shyness.
Reflecting on what I said last night—while I loved her, I wanted to remain family—wasn’t that just a messed-up thing to say?
And yet, Lily accepted it, which made me feel so guilty.
Thinking back, an idea struck me as a possible way to make up for my guilt.
After spitting out the foam in my mouth, I said,
“Lily.”
“Mm?”
“Would you like to role-play?”
“Hmm?”
Lily looked at me with a puzzled expression, her cheeks slightly puffed.
Her cuteness was almost too much. Unable to resist, I smiled lightly and continued.
“Consider it my request.”
“Alright.”
“I love you, Lily. Would you go out with me?”
Klang
The toothbrush Lily had been holding clattered to the sink.
“What, whaaat?!”
—
