Tossing and turning all night with various thoughts, Yuda finally managed to fall asleep late into the night. When he woke at dawn, the memory of the previous night hit him the moment he opened his eyes. The reality of the kiss made him giggle, his lips curling into a grin that stretched ear to ear.
Feeling like he was laughing in a creepy way, Yuda cleared his throat and stopped. This wasn’t the time to be grinning.
"She’ll probably wake up soon, so I should cook some hangover soup and feed her."
Recalling a simple recipe for a soupy dish, Yuda headed to the kitchen. He tied on an apron, pulled out ingredients, and started cooking. Midway through, perhaps drawn by the delicious aroma, the door swung open with a bang. The sound of shuffling footsteps followed. Turning, he saw Tia, her hair disheveled, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand to clear away sleep. Still affected by the alcohol, she staggered toward him like a zombie.
“You’re up?”
“Yeah… sleep well?”
He hadn’t slept well, but he was in a good mood. Seeing her greet him so casually, it seemed she didn’t remember last night. He’d have to keep it as his little secret, he thought with a touch of disappointment, before responding.
“Yeah, of course.”
Tia came to his side, grabbed a cup, and poured cold water from the fridge. She gulped it down so eagerly that the sound alone felt refreshing to hear. After draining the glass, she let out a satisfied “Ahh” and looked at Yuda.
“By the way, how did I get home yesterday…? …Huh?”
“What?”
She stopped mid-sentence, so he turned his head wondering what was wrong. Her eyes darted side to side as their gazes met. Her expression was confused, her face flushed, and she stood with her mouth open, unable to speak.
“Tia?”
“Y-Yuda… yesterday, did I… kiss you? Was that… a dream?”
After a brief silence, Yuda let out a small chuckle.
“Think it was a dream? Unfortunately, it wasn’t.”
Yuda scooped some of the simmering soup to taste it, answering without hesitation. If she was going to suspect it anyway, it was better to be honest. As he slurped and checked the flavor, Tia stared down at him blankly, her face on the verge of exploding.
“S-Sorry. I must’ve lost control because I was drunk… I’m really sorry. I’m not usually like that…”
“It’s okay. It was cute. And honestly, I liked it because it was you. I like you, Tia.”
"……."
No response. The silence stretched on. Stirring the soup with the ladle, Yuda looked up at her. Their height difference was still significant, but he figured he’d catch up in a couple of years. Or maybe it’d still be tough then? Five years. In five years, he was confident he’d be much taller than her. As he entertained these random thoughts, Tia, looking down at him, was deeply confused.
“What did he just say?”
Kissing young Yuda yesterday was already out of character, but hearing him say he liked her now made her face burn red, as if it might burst. She knew this wasn’t right. They were teacher and student, like family. But lately, she couldn’t help feeling drawn to Yuda more and more.
“Am I in heat?”
No, it was too early for that. Her overloaded mind, struggling to think clearly, at least managed to figure that much out. It was still far from mating season. But perhaps due to years of suppressed instincts, her body seemed to want Yuda as a mate. Sure, he still looked young, but at his age, he could impregnate a woman. Plus, he was growing up quite handsomely lately. In a few years, he’d become a fine adult. And the size of his penis, which she’d glimpsed by chance in the bathroom, was impressive for a kid. Forgetting her original train of thought, she licked her lips, lost in the flow of her consciousness.
“Wait, what did Yuda just say to me?”
You said… you liked me, didn’t you?
"……!"
Tia completely lost the composure of a mature adult. If she hadn’t remembered last night’s drunken mistake at all, it wouldn’t have been this bad, but the memory was too vivid. What she did, what she said—though her memory cut off completely at the end…
Feeling like she couldn’t stand there any longer, Tia bolted to her room as if escaping.
“Hm.”
Yuda stared blankly at Tia’s sudden disappearance, then lowered his head. He was just as embarrassed. Saying he liked her took courage. He’d hesitated, wondering whether to say it or not, but decided to just throw it out there. Her reaction wasn’t bad.
Thankfully, she didn’t seem to dislike it. Out of curiosity, he opened her status window to check her affection level—it was exactly 69, one point shy of the 70 needed for the “lover” stage. If it reached 70, could they really date like actual lovers?
While pondering this small question, the sound of the soup boiling vigorously snapped him back. He quickly closed her status window. The hangover soup was bubbling, about to overflow. He adjusted the heat, scooped off the foam, and continued preparing breakfast.
Today, for a change, he prepared rice, assorted greens, and soup instead of bread and stew. Somehow, it ended up heavy on the greens. Thinking it might be tough for a carnivorous beastkin like her, he quickly grabbed some sausages, scored them, and put them on the frying pan. Octopus sausages. As he watched them sizzle to a golden brown with satisfaction, a knock knock knock sounded from somewhere.
“Huh?”
“Excuse me! Is anyone home?”
He hadn’t misheard. Someone was at the door. Hearing the quiet knocking, Yuda was about to call Tia to answer it for him, but then realized she’d gone to her room. He didn’t know why she was so embarrassed, but if she was feeling guilty about him, he wanted to tell her she was wasting her time on something pointless.
Knock knock knock!
As he said earlier, Yuda was thrilled to have shared his first kiss with her, and saying he liked her wasn’t a lie. He didn’t know if she was confused because of his age, but he felt a pang of regret.
Knock knock knock!
“By the way, why are they knocking so persistently?”
Yuda transferred the octopus sausages from the pan to a plate and glanced around the kitchen. There was nothing left that could catch fire if he stepped away briefly.
“Is anyone home?”
Someone kept calling politely from outside.
Who could be visiting this early in the morning?
Still wearing his apron, Yuda shouted, “Coming!” and headed to the front door.
“Who is—”
As he flung the door open and started to ask, Yuda’s words caught in his throat.
〈Blue lance knight, Jeanne Atruare〉
She stood at the door in casual clothes. Seeing Yuda, she bowed politely and greeted him. Yuda knew he was still a child, and most people spoke to him informally as a result. But the blue lance knight before him was different. Despite his youth, she bowed deeply and greeted him with remarkable courtesy.
“Good morning. I’m Jeanne Atruare. We’ve met before, haven’t we?”
“Oh, yes. Hello. But why are you here? Or rather, how did you know where I live?”
They weren’t close enough for her to know his address. Besides, the house’s location wasn’t easy for a stranger to find. But she gave a light smile at his words.
“The people of Serenia Castle are surprisingly kind. When I said I was looking for you, they all pointed me in the right direction, so it wasn’t too hard to find.”
She nodded toward the street behind her. A man not far off waved at Yuda once before going on his way.
“…That’s good to hear. But why are you here?”
“I’m not sure if it’s appropriate to discuss here, but I have a request. No, let me correct myself. I’d like to propose a commission.”
“What? A commission?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Yuda looked at the blue lance knight with a dubious expression. A commission from her could earn affection or trust points, which would help greatly in recruiting her as a companion later. But what kind of request would make her come all the way to his house in person? It felt a bit suspicious.
“I’ll ensure proper compensation. And it’s not a difficult task.”
Seeing Yuda’s hesitant expression, Jeanne quickly mentioned compensation. But his expression remained unchanged.
“It’s not about the reward, it’s the commission itself. I’m not a mercenary or adventurer… Let’s talk inside. Have you had breakfast yet?”
“…B-Breakfast?”
Jeanne’s eyes widened as she looked at Yuda. Come to think of it, he was wearing an apron. She must have come while he was preparing food. She’d thought it was a reasonable time, but perhaps it was too early. She bowed slightly in apology.
“I’m sorry. It seems I came too early. I’ll return later. When would be a good time?”
“No, I’m asking if you’ve eaten. Not telling you to come back later.”
It might have sounded a bit cheeky. But Jeanne didn’t seem offended at all, just puzzled, shaking her head.
“I haven’t eaten yet, but why do you ask…”
“Then eat with us. Come in. We can talk over tea after breakfast.”
Leaving only those words, Yuda went inside. Standing at the wide-open front door, Jeanne looked around awkwardly, unsure what to do. This was a first for her. Being offered a meal without an invitation or appointment was utterly unfamiliar. The thought of it being rude gripped her, but leaving now would also be impolite. Resolving herself, she reluctantly stepped inside.
“Excuse me.”
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***Author’s Note***
Nothing to write in the afterword.
Wait for it. I’ll post one more chapter.
And I’ll fix typos after posting.
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