“Congratulations! Your Lieselotte has evolved into a tsundereally-pissed.”
The spirited voice belonged to Lord Endoh, a god from a foreign realm.
It was autumn. There was a little over a month to go before the Festival of Gratitude, where we were to have a decisive battle against the Witch of Yore who wished to destroy the world. The gods had informed me that my fiancée, Lieselotte, needed someone to support her emotionally at least until then, or else she would be possessed by the witch and most likely meet her doom.
I want to be that emotional support. I don’t want to give up my beloved to anyone else. That was what I—Siegwald Fitzenhagen—vowed as her fiancé when I realized my own feelings for her. I endeavored to grow closer to her, but as the crown prince, I’d always treated everyone equally without ever revealing my inner feelings.
Thus, Lieselotte seemed to find my current efforts unnatural. She refused to accept them, instead blushing, running away, and rejecting me.
Yesterday, I inadvertently revealed these concerns to my friends. Hearing lines such as “All you have to do is chase her into a corner where she can’t escape!” and “Break a leg, Sieg!” encouraged me, and I resolved to chase her down one way or another.
Yet today, for some reason, Lieselotte said, “Your Highness, I adore you; as such, I will not succumb to the trifling attacks of the Witch of Yore.” This straightforward confession prompted the gods to say she “evolved into a tsundereally-pissed,” and it allowed me to express my true thoughts to her as well, even the improper ones. We now understood each other’s feelings, so I suppose it worked out in the end.
It was a blissful day, so much so that the gods’ cheers—mainly those of the Color Commentator, Lady Kobayashee—rained loudly from the heavens. The unexpected turn of events did come with one issue: Lieselotte, embarrassed, asked me not to look at her face, so I had to stare in a fixed direction for a while. She was still cute, though, so all in all, it was a good day.
The weather was lovely that autumn afternoon, almost as if the environment was congratulating us as well. Reluctant to leave each other after those heartfelt confessions, we decided to take a leisurely stroll in the castle’s gardens. We walked side by side in the area where the roses were in bloom.
“Lieselotte— Liese, are you cold?” I asked.
At long last, our feelings were mutual. The nicknames we now allowed ourselves to call each other were proof. I still felt a little ticklish when I called her Liese.
Lieselotte smiled shyly. “No, Your Highness. I am not cold.”
“I said I wanted you to call me Sieg too. You don’t have to speak so formally with me either.”
She awkwardly averted her gaze. “Th-This may be a private area for royalty, but it’s still part of the castle. A-Also, I’m not used to this situation yet, so I couldn’t possibly get even closer to you...”
What she mumbled in the latter half was likely her true reason. In the past, she probably would’ve only said the first part, turning it into a flat rejection.
The change put a grin on my face. “I see. In that case, I don’t mind waiting. Oh, the wind has picked up. Are you sure you aren’t cold, Liese? If you are, we can view the garden from the sunroom instead.”
“No, Your Highness. The sun is warm today, and I am wearing my overcoat. If anything, I feel a little hot, and the wind is pleasant. Since the roses are blooming so beautifully, I’d rather stay here where I can enjoy their fragran—” Lieselotte gasped, and her expression turned serious. “No, it is indeed cold.”
“Huh?” Wasn’t she politely declining my suggestion? In fact, didn’t she just say she felt hot?
“Oh, that was an exaggeration. I am wearing my overcoat, so walking in the garden isn’t an issue. It’s just that...my fingertips are a little cold.”
Lieselotte held out her hands to show she wasn’t wearing gloves. Though it was autumn, it wasn’t yet cold enough to warrant them. I wasn’t wearing them either. The chamberlain should be nearby, waiting for orders. Should I have him bring gloves for Lieselotte?
“Sieg, you look like you’re thinking something off the mark,” Lord Endoh said, exasperated. “This is clearly a case of, ‘I really wish you’d hold my cold hand, wink wink nudge nudge!’”
I stiffened. My fiancée was indeed holding her hand out unnaturally and glancing up at me. Um, is that what she wants?
“My right hand is especially cold!” Lieselotte said. “Y-You know, it occurred to me earlier that your body temperature seems a little higher than mine. I assume the same would be true of your hands, but, um...”
Apparently so.
I gently took her right hand in mine and resumed walking. She didn’t object. In fact, she had a happy smile on her face—or rather, it was the smile of someone desperately trying to contain their joy. From the look of it, Lord Endoh was right.
My fiancée, who was usually prickly, came closer to me and even rested her head on my shoulder.
What?! That’s so cute! Seriously. Lieselotte is absolutely adorable! My fiancée is the personification of cuteness! But if I react to this, I have a sneaking suspicion she’ll get embarrassed and run away.
It was as if a bad-tempered kitten had finally warmed up to me, and I was overcome with an intense urge to squirm with joy. However, if I did that in front of Lieselotte, who was even fussier than a kitten, she was sure to dart off. Thus, I made an effort to keep a calm expression as I walked, tightening my lips to prevent any strange sounds from escaping my mouth.
Hm? Didn’t we just pass by here? Which spots have I brought her to, and which have I yet to show her? I’m not sure anymore. Ah well, let’s continue.
The garden was filled with a strange silence. Like me, Lieselotte kept her eyes forward, not saying a word as she walked. In her case, it was likely out of embarrassment.