Chapter 23

The neatly arranged room was lit with a calm light.

After placing the documents on the desk with a rustle, Aquasteed confirmed the next day's schedule with Elliot, but before that, he glared at Elliot.

"Don't clean up without permission."

"Are you still going to eat it? Well, it's fine, I guess..."

Elliot, the servant, looked at Aquasteed, who was sitting on the sofa, with a sigh. "Eat" was Aquasteed's response to the acorn cake made by Tiara Roses during the day.

Aquasteed, who usually doesn't eat much sweet things, was different when it came to something made by the beloved Tiara Roses.

With a fork, he took a bite and his face lit up, saying, "It's delicious."

"Really. If that's the case, you should have said how delicious Tiara Roses' cake was right away."

"...You. Miss Aishira's mood needs to be kept in a good state. Especially while we're in the castle."

"That's true, but..."

Elliot understood, but he couldn't help but be concerned about the anxious look Tiara Roses sometimes showed.

And Aishira's mood was closely tied to the existence of fairies. Aishira, who was deeply loved by the sea fairies, could directly convey her emotions to the fairies.

When Aishira was in a bad mood, the sea spirits would become restless. Conversely, when she was happy, the sea would bring blessings, and the country would become rich and prosperous.

That's what Aishira, the heroine of the sequel, who was loved by the sea fairies, was all about—.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Ahhh! A man so good, even the water drips from him!!"

Tiara Roses, who had shouted in her sleep, suddenly opened her eyes and jumped up. It was still the middle of the night, and the darkness had not yet given way to the morning sun.

She sat up abruptly, remembering a fact she had completely forgotten.

—A man so good, even the water drips from him.

This was the only sample still from the game that was released just before Tiara Roses' death in her previous life.

It was an event where Aquasteed, while walking on the beach with Aishira, falls into the sea to protect Aishira from falling.

She remembered the promotional text, "A man so good, even the water drips from him."

"Why did I forget about such a wonderful still...? Lord Aquasteed looked so cool."

She sat up in bed and sighed, "Hmm..."

Recalling the still with a sigh, she also thought about Aquasteed's usual self. He was always kind and indulgent towards Tiara Roses, and he was such a good man that she felt unworthy of him.

"I wonder when the event will happen. It should happen when we go to the beach..."

Since only the still was released, Tiara Roses didn't know when the event would occur.

However, there were no plans for Aquasteed to go to the sea for official business. While she felt relieved, she wondered about his private time.

Aquasteed, who worked every day, didn't have many days off. Moreover, whenever he had free time, he always came to Tiara Roses.

It was unlikely, no, impossible, for Aquasteed to go to the sea without telling Tiara Roses just because he had free time.

"I'll make sure to keep track of the schedule."

If there was any plan to go to the sea, she would do her best to stop it. If it was an unavoidable official duty, she would even try to hold Aishira back.

However, Aishira was the daughter of a duke in this country. Although Tiara Roses had been granted Lapis, she was the daughter of a marquis from another country. It would be difficult to be too forceful.

"...At the very least, I'll make sure to go with them."

—I can't let Aishira and Lord Aquasteed be alone on the beach!

That was a must.

Determined to do her best this time, Tiara Roses, still excited, slipped back into bed to try to sleep again.

◇ ◇ ◇

"—What?"

"Yeah? Miss Aishira is going to the sea for an inspection."

In the middle of the night, the event Tiara Roses had feared... was about to become a reality.

Why was this happening now when it had never been mentioned before? When she asked Aquasteed for the reason, he said, "A new type of coral has appeared."

The sea of Aishira, who was loved by the sea fairies, was home to a variety of colorful corals and fish.

As Aquasteed explained, new types of fish and corals were born at certain intervals. It was a convincing reason, but Tiara Roses still didn't want him to go.

She didn't want Aishira to see a man so good, even the water dripped from him. She wanted to keep him all to herself.

"What's wrong?"

"..."

Worried about Tiara Roses, who stood there in a daze, Aquasteed slowly sat her down on the sofa.

Currently, only Tiara Roses was in his office. Therefore, Aquasteed was in a good mood, thinking he could indulge her as much as he wanted.

However, seeing the clouded expression on Tiara Roses' face, he couldn't do that. He wondered what was troubling her.

"...No, it's my selfishness."

"Go on, tell me. Tiara can be more selfish, you know. You never indulge yourself with me."

"That's because I can't cause any trouble for Lord Aquasteed."

Aquasteed also sat down next to Tiara Roses and gently stroked her head, saying, "There's no need to hold back," with a smile.

She had just sworn not to let this event happen in the middle of the night, but Tiara Roses didn't want to interfere with Aquasteed's work.

She shook her head, thinking it was just a thought that came from her night-time excitement.

However, Aquasteed wasn't about to let her off that easily.

"Come on, tell me."

"...But, Lord Aquasteed, it's official business, right? To do that for me, um—"

"No more."

With a tap, Aquasteed's finger touched Tiara Roses' lips, indicating that no more excuses were needed.

—Embarrassing!

Aquasteed's finger pressed gently on her lips, as if enjoying the sensation. He looked very pleased, saying he wouldn't stop until she spoke.

Realizing she couldn't let this continue, Tiara Roses quickly opened her mouth to express her desire for him not to go.

"You don't want me to go to the sea?"

"Yes. —But, it's my selfishness."

"...Hmm?"

Seeing Tiara Roses, who was blushing and slightly looking down, Aquasteed tilted his head.

He wondered if she was jealous of his relationship with Aishira. He thought she might be making a cute request not to go see Aishira.

However, what Tiara Roses said was a bit different.

—Not to Aishira, but to the sea?

That meant it was okay to go to Aishira's house, but not to the sea. Aquasteed couldn't understand what Tiara Roses was trying to say.

Was it because she didn't want him to go to the sea because she disliked the sea fairies? But that seemed impossible.

Tiara Roses, who was to become the queen, was very enthusiastic about studying fairies. It was hard to imagine her rejecting something related to fairies.

There was no way Tiara Roses could explain that a game event was going to happen.

Seeing that Tiara Roses had no intention of giving a clear reason, Aquasteed decided, "It's fine."

"I won't go."

"Wh—?"

"I'll leave the new coral to Elliot. I think Tiara is more important."

Aquasteed said this as if it were nothing, thinking that reading the report would be enough.

He had been particularly busy lately and felt he had made Tiara Roses feel lonely. This kind of selfishness seemed only cute to him.

"Lord Aquasteed. Um, thank you."

"—Yeah. Be more selfish. If you feel lonely when I'm not around, come to me right away."

"Yes...!"

Tiara Roses hugged Aquasteed, who was sitting next to her, tightly. Happy to be embraced, Aquasteed thought about making more time for the two of them.

He slowly stroked Tiara Roses' cheek and lifted her chin with his finger. As he leaned in to kiss her—there was a knock on the door.

"…!!"

Tiara Roses was startled and immediately pulled away. She was confident that if someone saw her in such a state, she would be too embarrassed to leave her room.

On the other hand, Aquasteed looked disappointed and annoyed at the sudden visitor. "Come in," he said, and Aishira appeared.

"Excuse me, Prince Aquasteed."

"Aishira... I'm sorry, but Elliot will accompany you today."

"Oh, I see. Understood."

Aishira accepted Aquasteed's refusal without hesitation. However, Elliot was currently out of the office.

Tilting her head, Aishira asked, "How long will he be?"

"Probably not long, but—how about we go together part of the way? Tiara, come too."

"Lord Aquasteed?"

"Elliot is going to the Knights' Order, but there's a beautiful rose garden on the way. It might be a good change of pace?"

At Aquasteed's suggestion, Tiara Roses and Aishira immediately agreed.

The roses grown in the castle were magnificent and very popular among the young ladies. Tiara Roses was very happy to be invited by Aquasteed.

Even with Aishira there, she was more pleased by Aquasteed's thoughtfulness. She even thought that if Elliot returned to the house, she might be able to be alone with Aquasteed afterward.

"Let's go then. I'm sorry to trouble you, Aishira."

"No, I love roses too."

"That's great."

Smiling, Aquasteed escorted Tiara Roses as they walked.

Aishira followed behind, and the three of them arrived at the garden where roses bloomed around the fountain.

"Wow, they're beautiful."

"They are... beautiful."

Tiara Roses and Aishira exclaimed in admiration, captivated by the beauty of the roses.

The fountain, modeled after a goddess, was surrounded by colorful roses in pink, yellow, and red, delighting Tiara Roses.

Leaning in, the sweet scent made her swoon.

"I'm glad you like them."

"I see more coral than flowers, which is a bit embarrassing for a young lady."

"Miss Aishira, you raise such beautiful coral. I think you should be proud of it."

Aishira, who spent more time in the sea than looking at flowers, should be more proud, Tiara Roses thought.

—As the heroine of the sequel, of course, her basic stats must be high.

Still, the current Aishira was the result of her efforts. It was something to be proud of, and not something anyone could easily imitate.

Of course, Tiara Roses, as a young lady and the future queen of Lapis Lazuli, had received more than enough strict education. That was why she couldn't dislike Aishira.

"Thank you. Miss Tiara Roses is very kind. ...Ah, this is a white rose."

"Colored ones are beautiful, but white roses are also lovely."

"Yes, and white goes well with Miss Tiara Roses' honey-pink hair."

The usually mature Aishira was acting her age, excitedly admiring the roses. She even said something nice, saying that the white rose would suit Tiara Roses.

However, in the next moment, Aishira, trying to see a rose higher up, lost her balance and fell towards the fountain.

"—Miss Aishira!"

"Kyaa! Miss Aishira!?"

Tiara Roses let out a surprised scream.

But Aquasteed moved even faster. Seeing Aishira fall, he rushed over and shielded her with his body.

With a big splash, Aquasteed fell into the fountain. Fortunately, Aishira didn't fall in.

"Prince Aquasteed...!"

"Lord Aquasteed!"

Aishira, who had been shielded, immediately crouched by the edge of the fountain and asked Aquasteed if he was okay. Tiara Roses also rushed over, about to ask if he was alright, but her body froze as if she had stopped breathing.

—A man so good, even the water drips from him.

What flashed through Tiara Roses' mind was a still from the game.

The illustration of a man so good, even the water dripped from him, which she had remembered in the middle of the night. The sight of Aquasteed getting up from the fountain overlapped with the still.

Recalling it, she realized that Aquasteed was wearing the same clothes as in the still, and the gesture of brushing back his wet bangs was exactly the same.

"Could it be...? Is the game's power, the event, absolute? Is it impossible for me to change it?"

Even though they didn't go to the beach, the game event still happened.

A sense of helplessness welled up, and Tiara Roses held back the tears that threatened to overflow. She trembled, thinking she couldn't change the flow of the game.

—No, if I stay here, I'll cry!

Leaving the wet Aquasteed and the concerned Aishira behind, Tiara Roses ran away from the scene with all her might.

The sweet voice of Aquasteed calling her name lingered in her ears—...

Everyone's support for Kieth...!

I haven't been able to respond to your comments, but I've been enjoying reading them.

Today, I'll write a bit like a dating sim.

Don't worry, Aquasteed will do his best too!