Chapter 344 : Deep Sleep
The next morning after the raid into Darkan’s mansion.
I woke up and slowly got up. I raised my arms and did some stretching.
What a nice sleep.
Because of what happened last night, I went to sleep much later than usual, but thanks to the drowsiness and this fluffy warm bed, I was able to sleep soundly.
Nicola slept in my bed the other day because she was afraid that Liane would sneak into her room. I thought she would sleep in my room again, but after I told her how Liane was clinging to me during the mission, she changed her mind.
She said, “That girl might come to your room with a wig. She would put it on you and secretly sleep next to you until morning! Now that I think about it, your room is probably more dangerous than mine.” She then went back to her room.
Thinking how much Liane loves the female version of me, I was worried that what Nicola guessed might happen.
I put my hand on my head.
There was no wig…
I looked to the side and slowly pulled my blanket away.
There was no one next to me…
Phew…
It seemed that Nicola was just thinking too much.
After sighing in relief, I got off my bed, changed my clothes, and left my room.
When I walked down the hallway, I bumped into Nicola.
She looked very tired. I was wondering why, but then I immediately found out the reason after I saw Liane who was warping her arm around Nicola’s while sniffing her neck.
「Li, Lia-chan, can you let go of me already, please…?」(Nicola)
「Haa… Haa… J, Just a little longer! Haa… Haa… Nicola-chan in the morning smells so good~」(Liane)
In contrast to Nicola, Liane looked so energetic.
It seemed that Nicola’s prediction was wrong. Liane seemed to sneak into her room instead of mine.
「Aa! Onii-chan!」(Nicola)
As soon as she noticed me, Nicola beckoned me with her other hand, telling me to save her.
「Lia-chan, look! Onii-chan is heading this way! I think you should let go of me! It’s kinda embarrassing!」(Nicola)
「Why? I don’t mind.」(Liane)
「Ugh…」(Nicola)
「G, Good morning, Nicola, Lia ーNo… Liane-sama.」(Mark)
「Good morning, Onii-chan…」(Nicola)
「Ara, good morning, Mark-san. Why are you dressed like that?」(Liane)
「Umm… What do you mean? I always dress like this.」(Mark)
「Where’s your wig and frilly dress? I want to see my Mary onee-sama.」(Liane)
「Huh? No, no, no! I won’t dress like that anymore, okay!?」(Mark)
「Eeeeehhh…..」(Liane)
Uwahh… She looks so disappointed…
And, why did she even mean by ‘my Mary onee-sama’?
「I thought you liked cross-dressing.」(Liane)
「I don’t have such a hobby! Geez…」(Mark)
「Is that so? What a shame… Umm… By the way, why did you call me ‘Liane-sama’? You called me Lia yesterday.」(Liane)
「Eh? But it was for acting for the mission, right? Are you sure I can call you Lia?」(Mark)
「Ho, honestly… I don’t mind… From today on, I will consider you a friend. Be grateful!」(Liane)
「Uhh… Alright then, Lia.」(Mark)
「G, good… But don’t get me wrong! I still see you as my biggest rival! Someday I will surpass you and take Nicola-chan from you!」(Liane)
「O… Okay…」(Mark)
Does she see me as a villain keeping her princess captive or something like that…?
『Onii-chan, what are you doing!? Can’t you see me suffering!? Help me!』(Nicola)
『What should I do? I don’t think she will let you go even if I told her to. Just bear with her a bit longer. She did her best last night, so think of it as giving her a reward.』(Mark)
『What? She already got enough rewards. She broke into my room with a spare key and slept next to me until morning! Aa-ahh… I should have slept in your room… Why didn’t she sneak into your room instead?』(Nicola)
『Oi, oi. What are you talking about? It would be a big deal if someone found out a count’s daughter sneaked into the room of a commoner boy her age. Imagine what her father would think about that.』(Mark)
『I think he would be very happy.』(Nicola)
『……….You might be right.』(Mark)
She’s right… It’s Tryon we’re talking about.
He would definitely be happy if her daughter sneaked into a boy’s room as if he had been waiting for years for that moment to come…
「Ara~ Looks like everyone has woken up. Good morning~」(Celine)
「Good morning, Mark, Nicola-chan, Lia-sama…」(Ester)
While the three of us were chatting, Celine and Ester came into the hallway.
Celine looked the same as usual, but Ester seemed a little less energetic than usual.
Last night, Ester told us that she made a lot of mistakes. She almost got killed a few times, but was saved by Maya.
That’s probably why she seems down.
「Good morning, you two. Umm, Ester, you should stop worrying about last night. Cheer up. At least we successfully completed the mission and everyone returned safely.」(Mark)
「…You’re right. I can’t stay depressed forever. Hehehe…」(Ester)
Ester was smiling at me, but I could see her pointy ears hanging down.
「Yeah, you shouldn’t be worried about that. Like I said last night, the enemies were professional mercenaries. Unlike the weak bandits we fought on our way to this city, they were trained like soldiers. Even the city guards had a hard time fighting them.」(Celine)
「Un… but you and Maya-san didn’t seem to have a hard time dealing with them.」(Ester)
「Ester, listen. I’m a C-ranked adventurer, and Maya used to be a strong adventurer too. Compared to us, you haven’t even become an adventurer yet. But, don’t worry. For a rookie, you already have excellent combat ability. You will surpass me and Maya in no time. Trust me.」(Celine)
「You really think so?」(Ester)
「Of course~」(Celine)
While complimenting Ester, Celine stroked her head.
「Thank you, Celine.」(Ester)
Thanks to Celine, it seems like Ester has regained her vigor a little.
As expected from someone who has years of experience.
She would probably be mad if I said that out loud though…
「Cheer up, Ester onee-sama! I will ask Maya to train you more. Let’s train together and get stronger together!」(Liane)
Saying that, Liane let go of Nicola’s arm and grabbed Ester’s hand.
「Un! Let’s do our best, Lia-sama!」(Ester)
Nicola didn’t want to miss this chance. While Liane and Ester were talking, she sneaked up and hid behind me.
「Ahhh… I’m finally free…」(Nicola)
She then clung to my back, using me as a shield.
I could smell Liane’s scent from her. Liane was clinging to me all the time last night, so I remember her scent.
She must have been hugging Nicola while sleeping through the night.
It must have been hell for Nicola. I kinda feel bad for her…
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Nah, don’t feel bad, it’s her punishment for being like that to other, it’s ironic.