We arrived at the park that was slightly away from the shopping area.
We settled on a park bench and opened the lunchbox.
“Wow~!”
Upon opening the lunchbox provided by Lily, I experienced three shocks.
First, as soon as the lid was opened, a delicious smell tickled my nose—a sensory shock to my olfactory system.
Second, the aesthetic arrangement of foods color-coordinated beautifully, stunning my visual senses.
Finally…
“Does it please you?”
The third psychological shock came from the warmth Lily had put into making the lunchbox specially for me.
“I thought you might not know much, so I’ll explain.”
“It’s a light lunch since we’re eating outdoors.”
“This is yubu sushi. It’s the main dish to fill your belly and has a slightly sweet and tangy taste.”
“This one is old man’s fry. I suggest you dip it in the sauce that’s over there.”
“I also prepared a bit of fruit—it’s nice to eat them in between meals.”
“Over here… It might get a bit greasy, so I added something a little spicy for balance. Don’t worry, it’s safe, so try it.”
There was something strange about the last dish, but regardless, there was no reason to doubt Lily’s cooking.
“I hope you enjoy it!”
I started with the familiar “old one” fry.
Inside the crispy breading was tender “old one” fish.
As Lily mentioned, dipping it in the sauce perfectly reduced the greasiness, making it even more delicious.
Next was the yubu sushi that she mentioned as the main course.
It was the first time I tried it, but the slight tang and sweetness were pleasant.
Between the fried foods and sticky rice, I enjoyed the sour and refreshing fruits that helped cleanse my palate, proceeding to continue the meal.
When I started to feel a bit greasy, Lily lifted up a red dish with the main ingredient concealed.
You look like a dangerous guy, that thing said. Just its appearance made my nose sting.
“One at a time is better. It’s a bit spicy.”
“Ah, how spicy can it be?”
Even though I said that, I followed Lily’s warning and cautiously picked up just one and put it in my mouth… I immediately regretted my earlier words.
“Hmm… hooouuuhhh… haha…”
My breathing quickly became coarse, and soon after:
“Ahahaha!”
“Did I make it too spicy?”
At first, I thought it might be a little sweet, but then the heat hit, as if my tongue was on fire.
“Water… water…”
I fanned myself with my hands, and Lily summoned a bottle from the air and handed it to me.
After quickly gulping the water, I couldn’t speak for a while.
Whenever I tried to form words, it felt like my tongue was melting.
Noticing that the breathing nearby had become soft and gentle, I turned to see Lily with her head bowed down in embarrassment.
“…Sorry. I failed to adjust the spiciness.”
“Can you eat this yourself, Lily?”
“Yeah, I made it according to my own tolerance.”
Really, are you going to eat this?
I stared in amazement, and Lily waved her hand, making the remaining red concoction disappear.
“Next time, I’ll make it much less spicy.”
Adorable as her shy demeanor was, it wasn’t the kind of image I wanted from her.
“I’m fine, Lily.”
“No, it’s my mistake.”
“But I’m fin-”
“It’s my mistake.”
Why was she doing this?
Unreasonably stubborn… unless, no, could it be?
“…Are you… trying to make up for it?”
Really?
“Because I messed up…”
Lily was staring at my lips intently.
“Kiss… to make up… is necessary, right?”
Could it be that she planned this all along?! Could the intentional mistake in the spice really have been deliberate?
“Lily…”
“It’s my fault. It’s my mistake.”
“Wait…”
Lily was slowly approaching me and was now taking a deep breath in front of me.
Her warm breath tickled the tip of my nose.
“Let’s… kiss… alright…?”
She was openly tempting me with her charm, using her tongue to tease my lips in a lethal manner.
‘Are you lying to me just to get a kiss, Lily~?’
Even after already having one, Lily was still yearning for more from me.
‘Is she serious… how could anyone say no to this…’
Just as I was about to give in slightly and meet her lips,
“Arthur?”
“!!!!!”
Startled by the sudden call, I immediately pulled my head back that I had extended toward Lily.
Looking around, most people didn’t bother to look at us or come near.
However, one person,
The one who called me was coming straight toward me.
“Arthur, it is you!”
It was Luke.
I whispered to Lily in a way Luke wouldn’t hear.
“Aren’t you using a concealment spell?”
“I am.”
“But how… why could Luke-”
“He can’t possibly be stronger than you, but probably… he’s someone with such bad instincts that the concealment spell doesn’t work on him.”
Isn’t he too stupid for the magic not to work?
I suddenly had the urge to hit Luke’s head.
It might sound like an empty drum…
While I was thinking this, the approaching Luke extended his hand toward me.
“It’s been a while, Arthur! Do you know how worried I was when you suddenly disappeared?”
Wait, is he unaware that I slept for a month?
I first shook his extended hand.
“Sorry, I had something come up…”
“If that’s the case, it must have been something unavoidable. By the way, Arthur…”
Luke turned his gaze to the side.
“Who is this fair lady?”
“This person is—”
Before I could introduce Lily, she suddenly stood up, hooked her arm with mine.
“I’m Lily. Arthur’s fiancée.”
“!?!”
Luke’s and my faces simultaneously filled with shock.
‘Why did you say such a thing!’
Luke’s eyes darted back and forth between me and Lily.
“Ah, no… a fiancée? Really?”
“…yeah.”
“Wow, to already be engaged at your age! Impressive!”
“Mmm, impressive maybe…”
Luke enthusiastically shook my hand up and down.
“I congratulate you, Arthur!”
“….Yeah.”
Being congratulated by a classmate on an engagement… it’s an unexpectedly embarrassing situation, isn’t it?
Especially since Luke’s pure heart of celebrating was obvious, it made it even more uncomfortable.
After continuing to shake hands for a while, Luke glanced at his wristwatch and released my hand.
“I’d love to congratulate you more, but unfortunately, I have a prior engagement. See you after the semester starts, Arthur!”
“Yeah, see you then.”
Luke quickly departed and soon disappeared from our sight in the park.
“…Lily.”
“Yeah?”
Lily was looking down at me with bright eyes.
“Could you at least ask me before saying such things?”
You startled me by just announcing we were engaged…
Then, suddenly, Lily murmured with a slumped expression.
“…Am I not good enough as your fiancée?”
Why is this conversation going that way?!
“I don’t think you are.”
I was embarrassed because it wasn’t that being engaged to Lily was the problem; it was the mere act of being congratulated by a classmate.
“But why prevent me from saying it?”
Well, it’s natural that…
“I said Lily, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, but…”
“…Lily, would it be okay if your identity gets exposed?”
“…Huh?”
Didn’t she realize?
“Think carefully, Lily. Who was the one who made us dream during the practical test a month ago?”
“Hypnos.”
“Right. The Chancellor knew we had dreams. Meaning…”
“That Hypnos and the Chancellor are in it together?”
“Yes. The fact that they used the god’s power for a simple test shows they have a close relationship. And, Hypnos is one of the group that includes Nodens, right? If news of your existence reached the Chancellor and somehow Hypnos and then Nodens…”
Finally, Lily took on a serious expression.
“Right. I didn’t think that far.”
Nodens is often depicted in various books as cutting down ordinary outsiders like a kn*fe through butter.
In fact, it was Nodens who had injured Lily before.
So, it was absolutely essential that Nodens never became aware of Lily’s existence.
“From next time, at least don’t say the name. Otherwise, creating an alias might be better.”
Ideally, Lily should avoid conversing with humans altogether.
We were lucky it was Luke who first heard her name.
As Luke was the kind of person who wouldn’t spread rumors, we were safe.
However, this method wasn’t foolproof.
Even if we could control rumors to an extent, Lily’s face had already been published in newspapers.
If anyone recognized Lily’s appearance…
‘I sincerely hope that doesn’t happen…’
The premonition was not good.
—
After the interruption earlier, I resumed the delicious lunch and quickly finished it.
Once the meal ended, Lily casually suggested,
“We should have dessert, right?”
“Sure, where do you want to go?”
Lily’s gaze turned in a certain direction.
As I recalled what was there, I started sweating in my palms.
“Over there?”
“Yeah!”
Although I was honestly uneasy, since it’s a place Lily wanted to visit, there wasn’t much I could do.
-Sweet Love~♡
In the end, we ended up going there again.
“Welcome, customers~ to Sweet Love!”
We were greeted by a lively voice from a server… Wait, isn’t this face familiar?
“Ah, aren’t you the ones who came last time?”
It was the same server who guided us during our last date and witnessed our affectionate behaviors.
“Would you like me to escort you to a private room again?”
The server immediately flashed a meaningful smile and spoke softly.
Heck, while I turned red with embarrassment, Lily sat confidently beside me.
“Hooh, please come this way~”
The server led us to the top floor, assigning us a similar room like last time and whispered to us just before leaving:
“Like I mentioned before, we’re a ‘proper’ establishment. So, after you’re done, just clean it up nicely. Have a great time!”
Really, that kind of comment wasn’t necessary…
Sitting on the floor, Lily naturally took her place beside me.
Unlike the last time when my body felt like it was on fire just from sitting together, things were slightly different now.
This time, I even leaned closer to Lily, resting my head on her shoulder.
As always, my heart was pounding uncontrollably, but now, that wasn’t burdensome and rather made me excited.
Lily placed her hand on my chest.
“…It’s beating wildly.”
At this, I placed my hand on Lily’s back.
“…Is Lily’s heart beating faster this time compared to last?”
I distinctly remembered that her heart rate quickened after the kiss during our last visit.
“It’s gotten even better. Even with slight actions, it makes my heart race.”
Through her beautiful lips, Lily let out words just as stunning.
As a result, my gaze unconsciously went to her lips and, catching on, she turned toward me.
“…Didn’t Lily eat lunch today?”
“…Yeah.”
What can be done.
I couldn’t let Lily starve.
With a smooch.
For a while, in this small room, we only heard the sound of heavy breathing and lips colliding.
—
Around the same time.
“…What is this?”
A man’s hands were trembling.
In one of his trembling hands was a scrap of paper.
The small piece of paper, small enough to hold with one hand, had a picture printed on it.
A picture of a couple.
The man focused on the woman among them.
“…Long black hair, shining crimson lips, skin white as marble…”
All the adjectives he could think of perfectly described the woman in the picture.
The man brushed away the goosebumps rising on his arm as he murmured:
“This… this is ridiculous… really?”
—
“Lily?”
—
