The winter break at the Academy lasts exactly 14 days.
What one does during that two-week period…
Students either focus on their individual studies or enjoy their leisure time to reward themselves for their hard work during the semester.
Some return to their families while others remain in the dormitories.
Generally, the former are nobles, and the latter are commoners with nowhere to return to.
And I always belonged to the latter group, spending my vacations going back and forth between the library and the dormitory. A fulfilling winter break spent alternating between studying (reading) and leisure (reading). That’s how it always was, and that’s how this one was supposed to be as well.
…At least, that’s what I thought until about a month ago. But now…
“Ah~”
“…Do I really have to eat like this?”
“Why? Are you embarrassed?”
“…Yes.”
“Oh, when did the boldness go that proposed to me?”
Lily was feeding me porridge in bed. Since I hadn’t eaten anything for a month, she said that suddenly eating food would shock my stomach and cause trouble.
“Hmph… Ah~”
While blowing on each spoonful of porridge to cool it down before feeding it to me, Lily was wearing her usual evening dress, but she also had an apron tied over it.
Though it seemed like a combination that wouldn’t suit her, when worn by Lily, it only made her look cuter. As they say, “the face completes the fashion,” and this was proof of that.
“…Ah- Aah… swallow…”
“You’re doing great~”
Smiling gently, Lily patted my head.
…Is she teasing me?
Though I protested a little…
“Dismissing my actions as a joke while I take care of your health, my beloved fiancé? That’s naughty.”
She said.
In the end, I decided to just eat it quietly. Despite being embarrassed, I didn’t feel bad about it.
“Mmm… This porridge, where did it come from? Isn’t it delicious?”
The porridge was a simple vegetable porridge, but for some reason, it was flavorful and didn’t get tiring; I wanted to keep eating it.
Surely Lily didn’t make it herself, right?
“Hmm? I did.”
“???”
What are you saying?
Truly astonished, I looked at her, and Lily replied with a sly smile.
“What? Did you think I couldn’t cook?”
“…No… But you always showed me simple cooking…”
The meals Lily had prepared for me were: Old One Skewers, Old One Sashimi, Old One Fries, and Boiled Giant Penguin Eggs. While they were all delicious, they were simple dishes made with the Dark Flames of Lily’s.
Naturally, I thought it was just because the ingredients were good and never considered that Lily might be good at cooking.
“Is that called simple? Do you know how hard it is to cook with Old Ones? It’s surprisingly difficult to cook them just right, not too raw, and not overcooked, especially for creatures that thrive in space?”
Even I, with years of experience in solo dining and cooking, feel utterly defeated now, all thanks to this vegetable porridge.
“…Well, I feel something…”
“Huh? What’s wrong with that? How many years do you think I’ve been cooking?”
Indeed, by Lily’s standards, a short practice could mean years of time passed, by human standards.
“Experience on the scale of a lifetime… I’ll never beat her.”
Just as I was feeling a bit melancholic…
Peck.
Lily lightly kissed me on the lips.
“Why do you look so glum? All my cooking is for you.”
She was right. Lily’s cooking never caused me any harm and only brought me great benefits. Just this vegetable porridge is extraordinary enough. If she starts cooking elaborate dishes, how amazing would they be?
Just imagining it made my mouth water.
“Of course, my cooking has a special secret.”
“Ooh, what is it?”
She gestured for me to bring my ear closer, so I leaned in towards her.
Lily whispered softly near my ear, then gently kissed my cheek.
“Peck! It’s because I fill it with love!”
…Damn, is she not being too adorable? Did she attend some lectures on “How to Act Adorably”?
“Then, shall I also serve you a meal filled with love?”
Honestly, the meal was just an excuse. What I really wanted was to kiss her adorably mischievous self more.
Realizing this, Lily grinned cutely.
“It’s fine, right? You just barely came back to life. You don’t need to push yourself.”
Just sit there quietly and accept all the love I give you?
Never.
I sat up abruptly and covered Lily’s mouth with mine.
Lying down in a natural flow next to each other, we gazed at each other.
“Lily, it’s vacation now. What do you want to do?”
“Hmm… I want to…”
Suddenly narrowing the distance, she whispered a word into my ear.
A two-syllable word.
“!!!”
I was startled so much that I immediately jumped back. Of course, I was on the edge of the bed.
Thud.
The dull thud of impact reverberated through my spine, but I didn’t feel the pain.
My head was hot with excitement, dizzily spinning.
“Ho ho ho, just kidding. Joke. Why are you so startled?”
“…A joke, you say?”
You almost sent my heart into space with that one word!
“Ho ho ho, you’re so cute.”
I climbed back onto the bed, grimacing in pain as the delayed ache settled in.
“Hurts a lot? Let me check.”
Lily inspected my back then cast a healing spell.
“…Wait a moment. Come to think of it, healing spells…”
Lily once said she revived me with a healing spell. But healing magic takes life energy from the caster. Given the severity of having my heart pierced, my energy should’ve drained and I should’ve withered long ago.
“Lily, did you really revive me with that spell?”
As she muttered the spell, her hand on my back slightly trembled.
“Hmm? Really?”
I turned to face her. Lily averted her gaze.
“Lily?”
“…”
“What is it?”
“What?”
“You know what.”
“I don’t get it?”
“…Lily, please tell me…”
She stared directly into my eyes, guarded, as if waiting for my next words.
“…Did you use your Divine Power?”
The only way to heal someone without paying a price is through divine power, given by the gods, and wielded by their apostles, the priests.
The priests of the Holy Kingdom can supposedly revive anyone who isn’t dead yet. Reviving someone with a pierced heart should’ve been no trouble for the true deity, Lily.
“Was it not too much?”
“Mmm-hmm, not at all.”
As she replied, she avoided meeting my eyes. For some reason, it seems like it was excessive.
I sighed deeply and pulled Lily close.
“Taking care of me is fine, but please, Lily, also take care of yourself. I’d go insane if you got hurt because of me.”
“Mmm-hmm, I’ll remember.”
Even if she says that, I’m sure she’d push herself again if I were in danger. Just as I would do anything to save Lily if she were in danger.
Looking at my hands over Lily’s shoulder, I remembered how as a child, I healed quite easily—any minor injury would be gone by the morning without leaving a scar, making my hands always look pristine. Clenching my fists, I could only see the bones through my thin hands. The white hands had never felt so light.
Thinking that something like this could happen again scared me. It wasn’t the fear of my own death, but the thought of Lily being left alone if I die.
‘I can’t make her cry again.’
Looking at my fists, I resolved.
‘I must get stronger. At least enough not to be a hindrance to Lily, enough to take care of my own life.’
And thus, I resolved in my heart.
Just then, something came to mind.
“The Necronomicon.”
Surely, that book must have the answers I seek.
—
The first day of the vacation, I strictly followed Lily’s advice and stayed in bed.
Then came the second day.
A soft touch on my lips woke me up from my slumber. About to respond immediately, I suddenly felt playful and decided to pretend to be asleep.
The softness of Lily’s kiss pressed repeatedly on my lips, making me want to sit up right away, but I resisted using the strength of will, wanting to play a prank on Lily.
“Umm? Why won’t you wake up?”
Cute sounds, accompanied by murmurs from Lily.
Then came another kiss.
“Poom… Chu… Chu…”
Lily, after preparing by sucking my lips, proceeded to kiss me deeply, almost swallowing my mouth. My guess is that she wanted to wake me up with the strong stimulation—but—
‘I’m already awake~’
I gave in to Lily’s kissing, lying still until my lips eventually let go.
“…Arthur?”
Lily called my name, seemingly realizing something was off. Then I felt her place something long under my nose.
“…Is he breathing?”
‘Hehe, checking if I’m dead now, huh?’
Lily’s every action now seemed utterly cute. Does she act like this when I’m not looking?
“Hmm…”
Lily pondered a bit, then grabbed my jaw to slightly open my mouth. After a short wait, something moist entered my mouth. Moving with a supple motion, it licked all around my mouth.
Every time it touched my tongue, an arousing sensation seemed to run down my spine.
Unfortunately, Lily soon pulled back.
“You pretended.”
Her voice was filled with certainty.
“How could anyone keep sleeping with their tongue involved?”
True, that would be hard.
“…Didn’t want to wake up?”
“…”
“Alright, if that’s what you want…”
Gently, Lily pressed closer, her warm body covering me. I could feel an overwhelming weight on my upper body as she leaned over me.
Whispering into my ear:
“If you keep sleeping, who knows what I might do? For instance…”
At the same time, her hands began heading lower…
‘Wait, wait! Her hands are going where-‘
“Huff-huff~”
“Chhhh!?!”
The surprise tickling of my ear made me burst out with an odd cry and open my eyes.
Lily, facing me directly, smirked and said softly:
“Good morning, Arthur.”
“Go, good morning, Lily-”
“Did you like it?”
“…Huh?”
“The kisses you took while lying there so quietly. Did you like them?”
“…”
There was only one thing to say.
“…Yes. I liked it. Sorry.”
Then Lily smiled sweetly.
“As long as you liked it, I’m happy. But…”
Leaning into her own lips, she lightly pressed her finger against them.
“Tomorrow, it’s your turn to wake me up. Don’t forget.”
Ah… I didn’t think that far.
Lily, sitting up abruptly, asked me what I wanted for breakfast. Answering that I wanted to eat Old Ones since it’s been a month, I told her.
“Alright. Just wait a little.”
As Lily swirled away, I waited quietly in the room until—
Ding-dong
Boom-boom-boom
The bell rang, and there was knocking at the door.
“…Who would visit us?”
Curious, I peeked through the lens on the door—
“Wah! Ah! It’s a surprise visit!”
Someone’s eyes were close and big in the lens.
Boom-boom-boom
As I operated the door panel, the soundproofing magic weakened, and I heard voices from the other side.
“Junior!”
“We!”
“Do you remember us?”
The twin reporters from the Press Club, Regina and Johnson, were at my door.
“We know you’re inside!”
“We know everything!”
“Come out quickly!”
Who are these people?
—
