“Ah! Prince Jeord, have you heard about what happened yesterday?” I said, referring to my nose getting bitten.
“I heard a rough account of it from my brother.”
Ooh, I guess since I told Larna, she must have told Jeffrey. There was something slightly embarrassing about him knowing that I’d had my nose bitten.
“That was the very act for which I was about to make a proper apology to Katarina. It was a spur of the moment thing, but I couldn’t think of anything else. It was terribly rude of me. I would also like to extend my sincere apologies to you, Prince Jeord, her fiancé,” said Cezar, making a respectful apology to both of us.
“Erm, but it was only because you did that, Cezar, that I was able to come back to my senses, so you saved me...” I said, hoping to communicate that Cezar wasn’t at fault. Then I saw the furrows in Jeord’s brow become even deeper.
“I do know that. I understand that Prince Cezar’s actions saved you, Katarina. But I can’t just stand by when anyone besides me touches you. Katarina, you are my fiancée.”
After saying this, for some reason Jeord brought his face closer to mine. I didn’t understand why, and just stood rooted to the spot, my eyes wide open. As Jeord’s face came much too close to mine, my head started to get fuzzy. At the same time, I felt something soft brush against my lips.
Eh? This sensation seems familiar. Are those Jeord’s lips?! But that would mean... H-He kissed me? Wh-Why would he do that, all of a sudden?! I was confused, in full-on panic mode inside my head, but my body wouldn’t move. I just had to take it. This is a looong kiss. When he’s kissed me in the past, he’s always pulled away immediately, but this time his lips don’t seem to be going anywhere. Not only that, but something soft just went inside my mouth! What on earth is happening? Hm? Could it be? I’ve only heard about it in rumors, but is this— Is this what they call a grown-up kiss?!
My head was too full for me to think anymore, so I let go of my consciousness.
“Katarina is my precious fiancée. So please, don’t have anything more to do with her,” I thought I heard Jeord’s severe voice say, just as my thoughts were fading away.
After giving me a piggyback ride back home from the mountains where I injured myself, my older brother’s legs were even more badly hurt than we imagined. The next morning, he was taken to hospital.
As I watched him leave, I apologized.
“I’m sorry; this is my fault.”
“It’s not your fault,” my brother replied woodenly, looking back with an extremely disapproving expression on his face. “It’s a big brother’s job to help his little sister when she’s in trouble,” he said quietly, before quickly stepping out of the door.
Suddenly I felt a warmth in my chest, and I was really happy.
“Thanks, —.”
Though he bullied me a lot, and said things that upset me, I guess I still loved my big brother.
Ah, I had another nostalgic dream. It feels like I’ve been having this kind of dream a lot recently. Maybe it’s because I’ve been confusing Cezar with my big brother from my past life. Nah, my big brother wasn’t that cool. It was only after these thoughts occurred to me that I wondered, Huh? Come to think of it, why am I in bed again?
When I looked up, I saw the same ceiling I saw every day, in my bedroom. Bright rays of sunlight still streamed in through the windows.
It’s morning? Wait, if it were morning then Anne would have come to wake me up. When did I even go to bed? Thinking that this was all very strange, I sat up.
“Looks like you’re awake, Katarina. Thank goodness,” said Jeord, coming toward me at an alarming pace.
Huh? What is Jeord doing in my room? I wondered, giving him a quizzical look. He suddenly bowed his head.
“I’m sorry, Katarina. The truth is, I was convinced that Prince Cezar had kissed you...”
“Eh?! Prince Cezar has never done anything of the sort!”
“So it would seem. Later, I was told that was not the case. It would appear that there was a misunderstanding between my brother and me. Sorry.”
I can’t believe he thought that Cezar and I kissed. How embarrassing.
“And so I became so jealous that I forgot myself—and did something like that despite having company.”
Hm? Something like what...? Oh yeah?! Jeord gave me a g-grown-up kiss! I felt the heat rising in my face again, gasping loudly while feeling so embarrassed that I wanted to run around the room.
“Well, can I ask you to forgive me?” Jeord asked. As he looked up at me with his face still downcast, his eyes reminded me of a poor abandoned puppy.
“Ah, uh, sure,” I responded, nodding while my face was still burning red.
A smile suddenly broke across Jeord’s face, almost like a flower blooming.
I couldn’t help but be spellbound by that smile.
Then the door to my room was thrown open with a loud bang.
“I heard what happened, Prince Jeord. Please, step away from Lady Katarina,” said Mary, charging toward us with such momentum that I expected to hear a zoom sound effect.
“Prince Alan,” said Mary, whereupon Alan—who’d come in after her—tore Jeord away from my bed.
“Hang on, what are you doing?” said Jeord disapprovingly.
Next, Keith entered the room with his arms folded.
“You’re in no position to be asking that,” he declared. “Please, reflect on your actions this time. You are forbidden to enter Claes Manor for the time being.”
“That’s right. You mustn’t go near Lady Katarina for the time being, Prince Jeord,” said Sophia, who had arrived while Keith was still speaking. Nicol, standing behind her, nodded silently.
With their combined strength, my friends steadily pushed Jeord out of my room.
“I have already apologized to Katarina, and she has forgiven me,” said Jeord.
“Even if Lady Katarina forgives you, we shan’t,” said Mary, showing no signs of backing down. Jeord steadily drifted further away.
As I watched this unfold, I felt the burning sensation recede from my face.
“You okay, big sis?” asked Keith, having suddenly appeared at my bedside again.
✦ ✦ ✦
