Chapter 91 – Episode 90. Come Back Safely
“All right!”
Violet did not hesitate.
As soon as she heard Leopold’s words, Violet immediately grabbed Ashley’s thick forearm as if she were hugging it, and urged her steps forward.
“Uh, uh… Whoa, whoa… ?”
Seeing such a sad gaze didn’t mean that Astrid had something to say, and above all, Astrid was perplexed.
“Then, I’ll go first! Asti, see you later!”
After all, the guesthouse was not too far away. Besides, to leave early tomorrow morning, pack your bags and have a lot of things to do. Violet stretched out and pulled Ashley’s arm, while with the other hand, she waved it towards the remaining Astrid and Leopold and moved further away.
“Shall we take a short walk?”
Leopold wasn’t looking at Astrid.
She turned her head indifferently, looking at her somewhere other than her.
A cool wind blew.
The heat from yesterday, which had been quite hot, had faded due to the rain this morning, and Leopold’s hair fluttered as the sticky moisture was scattered.
Leopold’s golden hair swaying in the wind.
And blue eyes looking somewhere from below.
Leopold’s profile, with his sharp nose and an expression that seemed to be soaked in melancholy somewhere, was really good.
– Pounds.
‘Oh, oh… ?’
At that moment, it seemed like a loud beating sound came from somewhere.
That heartbeat, why… Does it sound so loud?
Astrid didn’t know.
“Asti?”
Astrid, who didn’t answer for a long time, looked strange. Leopold, who was looking somewhere around him, turned his gaze to Astrid.
Of course, that twilight orange light was accurately cast on Leopold’s face.
Leopold’s proud face was staring at Astrid’s face, but this time Astrid, on the contrary, turned away from Leopold without looking at him.
“Is that so?”
“Egg plant.”
Turn your face or not.
Either that or not.
Leopold took a step forward as if he didn’t mind.
“Go, like… “
The word, go away, almost jumped out of his mouth. Astrid hurriedly swallowed those words and followed Leopold, who was walking first.
“Are you okay?”
“What… Are you talking?”
These were the words Leopold suddenly gave after walking for some time. I’m not asking if you’re okay because I don’t know what it actually means. But I didn’t know what to answer there.
“Going north… I mean.”
“I’m going to my house, will there be any problems?”
At Astrid’s answer, Leopold looked at Astrid for a moment.
She wasn’t wrong.
Just because she went to the north, would there be any danger?
Besides, the north is where her home is. The Grand Duchy of Myterien was originally from the north, so that wouldn’t be a problem.
But something didn’t feel right.
Leopold doesn’t want to let go of Astrid, he doesn’t like going somewhere where his eyes can’t reach.
“It’s because something doesn’t feel right.”
“In what way?”
Astrid didn’t take care of Leopold’s words. Even if there is no data, even if there is no visible evidence, there are times when this intuition or feeling is valid.
“Just… Unstable.”
Bruise, bruise, bruise.
The only sound was the sound of the two walking down the street.
It was inside the cluttered academy, but for some reason, at this time, the students were nowhere to be seen. On a Friday night, most of the cadets were busy enjoying their Friday evening out on the main street, and very few, like Leopold and Astrid, were heading towards the canteen.
“Asti.”
Then Leopold suddenly stopped. A place where light and light intersect between street lights. There, where the darkness was narrow, Leopold stopped.
“You.”
Leopold turned around. His face was hidden in the darkness. Astrid looked up at Leopold’s face, which was covered in darkness, unable to tell what expression he was making or whether he was looking at Astrid or not.
Again, there is a height difference.
Astrid is not short either, but Leopold is taller. He’s slightly, but the height difference is so great that you have to look up. Amidst the height difference, Astrid looked up at Leopold’s face.
“Are you okay?”
What do you mean nothing is wrong?
Astrid wanted to ask that. But he didn’t ask. It was felt that Leopold’s words were not finished. Astrid thought that it was time to just shut up and wait for Leopold’s words.
“You, to leave my side and go to the north. Aren’t you feeling anything?”
At those words, Astrid was speechless.
“I am-“
Leopold took a step towards Astrid.
Only then did the darkness cast over his face dissipate, revealing his face under the intersecting light of street lamps.
An expression of sadness and sadness.
With that expression, Leopold was looking at Astrid.
“I don’t want to let you go. I realized this all over again, but I had to spend a month or so far away. It’s a shame.”
Astrid was drunk and coquettish.
Astrid, who had been acting bizarrely due to estrus magic.
Astrid was dozing off in the classroom.
Astrid, at a loss for what to do with Violet’s teasing.
Astrid laughed at Eranya’s behavior that seemed a little over the line.
Astrid, everything is completely different from 10 years ago.
Astrid, he thought he could now watch over him a little more.
How much Astrid has changed he thought he could now watch straight through.
I did, but Astrid has been away for a month.
Leopold’s heart was heavy at the thought.
One month.
It’s a long time.
Leopold took another step towards Astrid.
Astrid looked up carefully at Leopold. It’s not a frightened look, and it’s not even scary. If he had set his mind to it, it would not be difficult at all for Leopold to remove his hand from his shoulder and step back.
But I couldn’t. Although the difference in strength, or physical strength, was significant, Leopold’s hand on Astrid’s shoulder was so strong that Astrid could not bear to shake it off.
It was a look of deja vu.
Once upon a time, on a bench at the back of the inn… Yes, it was the same as then.
In front of his nose were Leopold’s pupils.
It was so close that he could see Astrid reflected in his eyes.
Breathing was felt. Leopold’s breathing tickled Astrid’s lips. Perhaps my breathing was the same, and from that moment on, Astrid began to pay attention to her breathing.
“One day, we met face to face like this, Asti. Do you remember?”
“… Yes.”
Astrid nodded lightly.
“At that time, I said Even if you bring your face this close, I don’t feel any kind of pounding or fluttering in you. You said that too.”
“Yes… It was.”
Leopold’s eyes gently drew an arc.
He was laughing
“Now, how is it?”
Now, now… It would be meaningless to say how it is now.
Astrid’s face turned red.
A pounding chest,
The beating of a thumping heart.
It was a situation where I had to worry about Leopold hearing about it.
“Me, how is your Highness?”
“I am… If the question is, how am I?, Then I must answer like this.”
Leopold’s hands, which had been on Astrid’s shoulders, gently wrapped around Astrid’s cheeks. He seemed to feel some warmth, but Leopold’s face moved away from Astrid’s eyes.
And then–
Something moist touched her forehead.
Leopold’s neck was in front of her eyes. With the moist and soft touch on her forehead, Astrid was able to realize what it was.
Her face was burning hot. Her heart was still beating frantically, and Astrid held her hands stiffly outstretched, shaking, unsure of what to do or how to react.
“Yes, it is like this now. What is the answer?”
At some point, Leopold’s face came back to Astrid’s eyes.
The hands that covered her cheeks moved away, and Leopold’s face also moved away.
“—I think it is a good thing to have the spirit to take care of things that will be a disaster for the country with the body of the Crown Princess. One thing that might be dangerous. You would do well to be a little more self-respecting and move carefully.”
Leopold smiled brightly.
At that smile, Astrid’s body trembled.
‘What, what is it? That smile… Isn’t it a foul… ‘
【It’s really absurd… You.】
Regardless of what the real Astrid said or not, Astrid was staring blankly at Leopold’s face. Astrid was mesmerized by that charming smile, as if she was bewitched, as if she would soon be bewitched even if she hadn’t yet.
“Come back safely. To my side waiting for you Make sure to come back safely. Do you understand, Astrid?”
【What are you doing, don’t answer! Like this prostitute!]
“Ah, I see… Yes, Your Highness… “
Astrid nodded her head, still dazed.
