We started a game of beach volleyball. Alicia certainly wasn’t unathletic. On the contrary, she boasted of stats befitting the game’s heroine. However, as the team containing villainous daughters, the combined stats of Lady Sophia and Fol were just too high.
Due to the light weight of the ball, the spikes1 weren’t that fast. Of course, there was also the fact that I refrained from going all out. But at any rate, no matter where they would throw the ball within the playing field, I’d be able to block their attack. As for Alicia, she was limited in her ability to react.
Under normal circumstances, this pair of villainous daughters would take a crushing victory. However, since they wanted to enjoy the game, they appeared to be skillfully slacking off a little, so they only won after a close call.
Afterwards, Alicia seemed to be struggling with her stamina and withdrew from the game. Lady Sophia and I then had a showdown with the teacher-disciple team consisting of Fol and Teacher Tristan.
Fol was suffering from Magical Overcharge Illness so she was learning how to use spells from Lady Sophia and I. As a result, she apparently reached the stage where she could regularly enhance her physical abilities with a spell. Therefore, Fol was easily holding her own against Lady Sophia, who had enhanced her physical abilities with magic as well.
However, the difference in physical abilities between the young, pre-teen me and Teacher Tristan, who was in his mid-thirties, was just too great. I gave it my all by using a spell and all my physical abilities, but I was no match for him.
Teacher Tristan was considerate in allowing not only his ally, Fol, but also Lady Sophia to actively participate, but he was sending spikes my way that were always just barely out of reach. That being the case, our team—or rather, just me— had lost.
…Damn it, he was being so childish!
And so, the second match ended. This was when Prince Alforth and Raymond finally decided to make an entrance. As Fol’s butler-in-training, Raymond retreated to a corner, and the pair of villainous daughters zeroed in on Prince Alforth. And so, the battle between the teams of Fol and Alicia, and Lady Sophia and Prince Alforth began.
They were evenly matched in regards to their stats…although Lady Sophia’s team might have been a tiny bit stronger. However, given the circumstances, Fol’s team was in a much more favorable position. Captivated by Lady Sophia, Prince Alforth was hit by Fol’s serve and fell over.
“W-w-wait wait wait, Lady Fol, is it alright for you to do something like this to His Highness?!”
Faced with Prince Alforth clutching at his face, Raymond, who was watching over the game from beside me, went pale.
“Don’t worry, this ball is very light, so I think it should only hurt a little bit.”
“Even so, isn’t this lèse-majesté, or like, lèse-majesté or I don’t know – lèse-majesté2?!”
“…Is there nothing else you can say besides lèse-majesté? And no, it’s not.”
The current Prince Alforth would never say that it was a case of lèse-majesté. To begin with, the one who hit him was Fol, another Royal. Even taken to the extreme, it was like a quarrel between siblings at most. So why was Raymond so panicked…don’t tell me that he still didn’t know Fol’s true identity?
I turned to look at Teacher Tristan to confirm this but he immediately turned his face away. It seemed that they were intentionally withholding the information. I’m sorry, Raymond.
I understood that they let him work for Fol without letting him know that she was a Royal to check his work performance. However, since Fol had made an appearance in high society, it shouldn’t take too long before her true identity came to light. Although, I believe that it would be better if she revealed it herself before Raymond could learn about it from someone else.
Nevertheless, there was no need for me to meddle.
Having decided that, I reassured Raymond that Prince Alforth wasn’t the type of person to utilize lèse-majesté against a friend, and continued watching the game to see the result of the match.
Well…it was a huge defeat on Prince Alforth’s part. However, the person in question seemed to be happy, so perhaps in that sense, it was actually his victory. It was actually Lady Sophia, who was in the same team as him, that seemed frustrated over losing.
So, starting with beach volleyball, each of us began to enjoy ourselves, either swimming in the ocean or walking along the sandy beach. Soon after, Teacher Tristan—or rather, my elder sister—gave me some additional information about the aforementioned event.
Upon hearing the details, I approached Lady Sophia, who was building a sand castle. Building a castle with a shovel in one hand, Lady Sophia somehow looked very adorable. Also, the level of perfection of the castle she was building was rather extreme….As expected of my Lady.
“Lady Sophia, would you care to take a walk with me?”
My Lady blinked in surprise, and then flashed a charming smile.
Normally, Lady Sophia would walk in front and I would walk behind her. But today, the two of us were taking a walk together and thus, I walked by Lady Sophia’s side. It certainly wasn’t the first time that I was walking beside her, but we were both wearing a swimsuit that day, so it somehow felt very new. Perhaps Lady Sophia was feeling the same way, as she had a spring in her step, much more than usual.
“Cyril, are we perchance going to the top of the hill?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The top of the hill had an amazing view. The scenery was apparently highly acclaimed as extremely beautiful, even in the game’s still picture.
According to Teacher Tristan, if we went there, the event would start. If I failed in handling the event, the possibility of Lady Sophia falling into darkness would increase, but if I succeeded, the possibility of her falling into darkness would decrease substantially.
That was all I had been told, but it wasn’t hard to imagine what kind of event it was going to be.
“I wanted to see the world unfolding around us from the top of the hill with you.”
Lady Sophia’s eyes widened.
“Truth be told, I heard about the beautiful scenery from the maids working in the mansion and I thought to myself that I would like to go there together with you, Cyril. So—I’m really happy.”
An enchanting smile appeared on her face.
“As long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”
“Yes, I’m really—ah!”
Due to a small bump on the ground, my Lady tripped. I immediately caught her in my arms.
“Are you alright, my Lady?”
“I’m fine, but…”
My Lady’s gaze dropped to her feet. Below her see-through tiered skirt, the strap on one of her beach sandals had come off. It was impossible for her to walk all the way to the top of the hill like this.
“Please accept my sincerest apologies.”
If her beach sandals were of bad quality, then I was the one responsible, since I was the one who had prepared them.
“It’s not your fault, Cyril. I might have overdone it a little when I was playing beach volleyball.”
“…I see, that’s certainly something I hadn’t foreseen.”
Enhancing one’s physical abilities through magic—it was impossible to expect an ordinary beach sandal to withstand someone playing with their full strength. When I took a closer look, the sandals were already battered, even though today was the first time she had worn them.
I knew the reason behind the beach sandal breaking. However, it was impossible to climb to the top of the mountain in these circumstances. ‘So, whatever shall I do?’ I thought, pondering over it.
This was the first day of our trip. Even if I didn’t take Lady Sophia up the hill at this point in time, it wasn’t like she would suddenly fall into darkness out of nowhere. Returning this once should be safe. Having decided that, I told my Lady: “Excuse me.” and lifted Lady Sophia into a bridal carry.
“…Cyril?”
“I have spare sandals in the mansion. Let’s head back for today.”
“….But I…don’t want that…”
Held within my arms, my Lady looked a little forlorn.
“What’s wrong, Lady Sophia?”
‘If there’s something you wish for, I will grant it for you.’
I asked her with this intention of mine clearly shining through the question. My Lady’s eyes darted around for a bit, before she asked me shyly.
“Am I not heavy?”
“Unfortunately, that question is meaningless.”
“…Why?”
“Even if you were to weigh three times more than you do now, my Lady, it would be impossible for you to feel like a heavy burden to me.”
When I answered her seriously, Lady Sophia’s eyes went round with puzzlement.
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“I don’t know whether I should be happy or whether I should sulk. It’s troubling,” Lady Sophia said and pouted.
“It is, isn’t it? So, I shall say a few more words. You’re very light, my Lady. I wouldn’t mind in the slightest even if we were to stay like this forever.”
When I laughed mischievously, Lady Sophia’s cheeks went red right before my eyes.
“You’re very lovely like this, Lady Sophia,” I said with a smile and Lady Sophia firmly pinched my cheeks.
“Cyril, you’re being a little unkind today.”
“My apologies. You just looked so very lovely, my Lady…”
“I—I won’t be manipulated by words like that, you know?”
“Excuse me, My Lady. I shall put you down then.”
As I was about to place my Lady down just like I said, my Lady began to cling to me tightly.
“…My Lady?”
“If…if I’m not heavy, would you carry me all the way to the hilltop?”
“….If you wish me to do so.”
“I do.”
“Your wish is my command.”
I firmly readjusted my Lady in my hold and began walking to the top of the hill.
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