🦊 🦊 🦊
“IT’S so dang hot out here!” I bemoaned.
The sun had reached its zenith and was hot enough to melt a person. Earlier, while having tea with the girls, the light breeze had felt pleasant on my skin. However, the heat had become sweltering with the approach of the afternoon.
All my friends were relaxing or taking naps in their rooms. Since no one else wanted to be active, I visited the lake with Custode and Squishy. Mary had joined us as well. Despite her reluctance, I’d persuaded her to wear one of my newly designed swimsuits.
After a light swim, I began floating on my back. Custode was using Squishy as a swim ring, floating around with apparent delight as well. Following a light swim of her own, Mary began preparing tea underneath a large parasol. She wore a black rash guard, tight shorts, and a sarong that matched the color of her eyes.
She’s so beautiful, I thought as Mary gracefully prepared tea. By this world’s standards, she might be a spinster, but back on Earth, unmarried women her age were a dime a dozen.
“The tea’s ready, milady,” Mary called.
After getting out of the lake, I wrapped a sarong around my waist and took a moment to relax.
“Have you ever considered getting married?” I asked offhandedly.
“Milady,” Mary replied, her face falling as if the world had ended. “Do you not need me anymore?”
“Huh? No, that’s not what I meant at all. You’re so beautiful. I was just thinking how cute your children would be if you married.”
Mary’s expression returned to normal. “I plan to help raise your children,” she said, shaking her head. “Based solely on appearance, they’ll probably be the cutest children in the world. I’ll help raise them from day one to ensure they don’t inherit their father’s twisted nature.”
“Oh, uh, good thinking,” I responded with a dry laugh.
Certainly, my children stood a real chance of turning out just as cunning as Embert.
But setting those worries aside…
Just like the previous Alexandra, Mary had experienced numerous painful time loops. At long last, she’d arrived in this world of second chances. Naturally, I wanted her to be happy. Of course, marriage wasn’t the only path to happiness. Even so, the reassurance of a loving relationship—having someone to lean on—couldn’t be understated.
As I considered that, a boisterous group approached the lake. Based on their white and navy fatigues, I recognized them as the chivalric order within moments. While they complained about the heat to a ridiculous degree, I noticed someone unexpected among their ranks.
“Janus?” I asked.
My brother led the group alongside Gaetano.
“Oh, Ally, are you here to cool off as well?” Janus asked, approaching me with a radiant smile. While everyone else slumped beneath the afternoon sun, only he seemed unaffected by the heat. Those who reached Janus’s superhuman level probably didn’t even sweat. “I see you and Mary are wearing matching outfits in different colors,” he continued with a chuckle. “How adorable.”
He kissed me on the cheek as usual. His clever, effortless praise of us reminded me of what a wonderful person he was.
“Thank you, Janus,” I said before returning his kiss on the cheek.
Next to Janus, Gaetano had frozen in place, his face bright red. His gaze was fixed on Mary. Though Mary feigned composure, her ears were slightly red as well. After a moment, Gaetano shook his head, looked in my direction, and offered a knightly greeting.
“My name is Gaetano Cotarini. I’m Julietta’s cousin.”
Oh, that’s right. I was still a fennec when we last met. When I spotted him with Mary later, I tried to stay out of sight.
“My name is Alexandra Vistriano,” I said. “I apologize for my appearance.”
“No, no, you look fine,” he replied with a laugh. However, his gaze remained fixed on Mary. “I’ve heard about you from Lord Janus,” he continued. “You’re as beautiful as he described.”
“Thank you very much.”
Was it just my imagination, or was that compliment actually intended for Mary? He was probably reluctant to address my handmaid right in front of me. It’s not like I cared about that sort of thing, though.
“I’ve heard about you from Mary as well, Lord Gaetano,” I said with a soft laugh. “Our Mary is quite strong, isn’t she?”
“Strong is an understatement,” Gaetano replied, launching into stories about their sparring matches. “I’ve invited her to train with me countless times since then, but I’m always at the mercy of her agility.”
Are you at her mercy in another sense, perhaps? I thought while looking at Mary.
“I’ve had enough of a break,” I said. “Why don’t you come swim with me, Janus? In the meantime, you can keep Lord Gaetano company, Mary.”
Mary looked taken aback for only a moment. Grinning, I took Janus’s hand and led him away to give the lovebirds some privacy. While Squishy rested on my shoulder, Custode perched on Janus’s shoulder.
“You can feel the love in the air, right?” I asked.
Janus picked up on my meaning immediately. “It’s hard to miss,” he answered with a smile.
After Janus had finished changing, we went into the lake together. A number of knights were already splashing around in the water. “I’m gonna go for a quick swim,” Janus said before heading in their direction.
Meanwhile, I took off my white sarong and remained in the shallows. There, I played around by pushing Custode, who was floating on top of Squishy. A little while later, Janus returned from his light swim.
“Is Em still working?” I asked.
“Haha, unfortunately!” Janus replied with a hearty laugh. “He’s having a conversation with Prince Giusto and the King of Bragioga. Mostly about the royal prince.”
Yeah, that makes sense.
At the same time, I also cocked my head. “Shouldn’t you be with them?” As Embert’s personal retainer, it was unusual for Janus to leave his side while in a foreign country.
“Embert gave me a half-day off,” Janus responded with a smile. “A magic barrier is protecting the meeting room, and plenty of guards are present as well. I joined the knights for dueling practice, but the heat made training unbearable before long. So, we came here for a swim. I plan to return when the meeting ends, but Embert will probably come to meet us first.” Janus’s laughter coaxed a smile from me.
Custode burst out laughing as well. “He’ll probably come rushing here the moment the meeting ends, no?”
“Squishy, squishy,” the slime cheeped. Apparently, Squishy was thinking the same thing. We could hear a few knights clamor about a swimming contest nearby.
“Would you like to join us, Lord Janus?” one asked.
My brother chuckled. “Bold of you to challenge me.”
Thus, he decided to participate. The knights were competing to see who could touch the fence and return here the fastest, just as I’d done with the boys. About ten of them lined up at the starting point.
“Good luck, Janus!” I cheered.
Everyone’s attention focused on me.
“Hey, that’s not fair,” one of the knights said. “Could you cheer for me too?”
Of course, I did no such thing. I shuddered to think how Embert would react to me cheering for another man.
“Go!” the knight acting as referee shouted.
Everyone dove into the water at the same time. Needless to say, my brother crushed the competition.
As Janus swam over to me, I laughed softly. “They never stood a chance,” I told him.
For some reason, the other knights crowded the water around me as well. Being surrounded by such brawny men, all of them showering me with compliments, felt rather oppressive. As I thought that, Janus muttered under his breath, “This might be bad.” Not a moment later, a tremendous pillar of water erupted from the center of the lake. Everyone turned to look at the pillar, unable to comprehend what was happening.
“Oh?” I muttered. “Do my eyes deceive me, or…?”
Upon closer inspection, someone appeared to be inside the water pillar. I squinted to get a better look, but that necessity soon disappeared.
“Really, now,” Embert said with a dark chuckle. “Why do you always seem to attract these vermin?”
✦ ✦ ✦
A chill ran down my spine. When had Embert transformed into the demon lord? He radiated the aura of a final boss while floating in the water pillar, a sinister smile on his lips. What kind of magic was he using to float, exactly? As such trivial questions raced through my mind, Embert vanished and reappeared on the shore. He’d probably used teleportation magic.
“Perhaps I really should prepare a birdcage,” he said with a serious expression emanating wickedness. “I’ll lock you up and hide you somewhere safe. Otherwise, my jealousy might burn this entire kingdom to ashes.”
The knights stared at Embert dumbfoundedly. Meanwhile, Janus and Custode roared with laughter by my side. After transforming from a swim ring back to his original form, Squishy jumped on my shoulder.
“Oh, give it a rest, prince of chaos,” I said with a heavy sigh, walking over to Embert. Of course, I wrapped my sarong around my waist. “Please calm down, okay? The knights are just showing an interest in Janus’s little sister. You know nothing untoward happened, right?”
Embert’s wicked aura vanished. Perhaps my words had reached him, or something else had caught his attention. In any case, his eyes bore into me.
“Did you make that outfit?” he asked. He was interested in my swimsuit, which he’d never seen before.
“Sure did,” I replied, spinning around to show it off. “Does it look good on me?”
Embert threw his arms around me. “You look adorable, Ally. It’s unbelievably frustrating that I wasn’t the first to see it.”
I didn’t mention that Giusto and my male friends had already seen this swimsuit. Why cause even more chaos? Thus, I kept my lips shut tight while Embert called me adorable. As I accepted his praise without comment, he suddenly lifted my chin. Wait, did he plan on kissing me here? In front of so many people? No, I couldn’t let that happen.
“Squishy!” I cried.
In response, the slime rammed itself into Embert’s face. Likewise, Mary placed a concealed weapon, which she’d hidden Goddess knows where, against his neck.
Janus, who stood to my left, wore a charming smile. “Now isn’t the time or place for that, Your Highness.”
Phew, that was close.
“My apologies,” Embert said while peeling Squishy off his face. “I forgot myself.”
Still floating in the air, Custode flipped onto his back and guffawed.
He won’t laugh himself to death, right?
After calming down, Embert joined us in the water. Meanwhile, Mary and Gaetano spent the entire afternoon swimming together and chatting beneath a shady tree. I began considering their relationship earnestly. Their difference in status worried me, but if marriage was on the table, House Vistriano could always adopt Mary.