“…………”
Wha-what should I do…?
Some ten-odd minutes have pa.s.sed since I hugged Sir Leonhard.
Now that I’ve just come back to my senses and realized what sort of situation I’m stuck in, and how shameless I’ve been, I’m breaking out in a dripping cold sweat.
I couldn’t hold back my emotions and hugged him, but was that okay or not okay? Which was it?
Depending on the situation and the perspective, would I be charged with the crime of a groper for jumping on another person without their consent? No, if I considered the difference in our statuses, it probably was s.e.xual hara.s.sment…
I wasn’t flat out rejected, so I decided it was probably within the bounds of what was acceptable, but I was being quick to jump to conclusions. Even if he was reluctant, the princess couldn’t just be pushed away, could she?
If I can think that far ahead, then I need to let go immediately. That was my thought, but I couldn’t find the right moment to break away. Now? Maybe now?! Someone, please do a countdown! From three…no, my heart needs to prepare itself, so from ten, please.
“Your Royal Highness…?”
“Eeee—!”
I’d been trying to sort the chaotic activity in my head, begging an imaginary friend for a favor when Sir Leonhard’s soft whisper brought me crashing down to reality.
Shocked out of my reverie, I made a weird sound and jumped back.
Witness to my eccentric behavior, Sir Leonhard stared at me in amazement.
Ugh, even if I say it myself, I did think my sudden movement quite resembled those of a frog. I wanted to die.
I knew heat was slowly but steadily gathering in my face. Would I become as red as a tomato?
I hadn’t wanted to display any more disgraceful behavior, but it had been out of my control.
Sir Leonhard blinked several times from what he’d seen, and then a laugh coughed out of him.
Unintentionally, it seems, and I could feel no malice in his laughter.
But it was still embarra.s.sing. He noticed I’d begun to tear up, so he covered his mouth his his right hand and cleared his throat.
“Begging pardon…”
Ugh. Someone, please bury me deep…
“I’m sorry, too. On top of losing my composure, I hugged you as well. I really sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused, Sir Olsein.”
Resisting my desire to run away in shame, I hung my head.
“Please, do not call yourself a bother. Personally, I want you to rely on me more.”
“So you did not…find it disagreeable?”
“Most certainly not,” he said, nodding.
Encouraged by his positive response, I tried asking about what had been troubling me the most, and he swept away my worries without pause as soon as I posed the question to him.
I’m so glad.
It didn’t seem like he didn’t dislike it, so I sighed in relief.
“However…Your Royal Highness?”
“Uhm…what is it?”
Although I felt a moment’s relief, I was dismayed to find him sending a meaningful glance at me.
Huh? Maybe it wasn’t okay after all? And it became s.e.xual hara.s.sment?
My expression froze, but Sir Leonhard smiled like he was having fun, eyes like those of a child up to no good.
“Perhaps, princess, it is time you called me Leon.”
“!!”
I was reminded of all the times I’d behaved in a shameless behavior.
My heavens, I’d done it again, hadn’t I?
“T-that is…umm, well…”
Right away, voice was given to my longing; desire made itself apparent on my face. In my mind, I’ve always called him that.
I needed dodge the question somehow, but all the ideas that came to mind were completely useless. I’d be more likely to come up with a full confession of my wickedness than an excuse.
Whatever the case, I can’t recover my image. Coming to my conclusion, I gulped and took a deep breath.
“May I…call you that?” I asked timidly, covertly looking at him. I waited for his answer, trying to keep the pressure of my heart beating from the jitters under control.
Anyhow, if I couldn’t worm my way out, then I decided I might as well savor the opportunity. I mean, only my older brother has been invited to call him that, it wasn’t fair! I want to call him that, too.
“Certainly,” he said, smiling at me.
“Th…thank very much…!”
Wooooohooooo!! Even though I pumped my fists inwardly, I was careful to not show any change outwardly. Not only was my demeanor unbefitting of a princess, but I was also weak to his charms.
“It is a small matter you need not thank me for.”
His eyes smiled as he looked at me, like he saw something pleasing to the eye—an animal or a child, perhaps.
Seems like my true character has not been revealed.
“Then…Sir Leon.”
I tested his name again. My voice wavered slightly from nerves.
I wanted to chat casually with him forever, but time was limited. Christof was keeping Klaus away, so I needed to take my chances now.
“Will you listen to my story?”
Sir Leon’s eyes opened wide, and he wiped the smile off his face.
“Yes,” he said, nodding.
His low voice and solemn expression made me nervous.
I gathered my resolve, and began to tell him my story.
“When I was still very young, I had a dream.”
“A…dream?”
I nodded.
“It was the typical dream, of a not very much changed reality. With familiar scenes, and familiar figures…but, I was filled with slight sense of unease. The people I kept seeing were slightly older.”
Sir Leonhard’s breath caught, and he whispered in a hoa.r.s.e voice, “Visions of the future…”
“It was nothing so grand. I don’t believe I’ve been gifted with a divine power. However, the dreams I had for that short period of time only were different somehow… And I couldn’t find evidence to otherwise prove I made too much out of nothing.”
There was certainly reluctance to lie on my part.
However, to divulge the entire truth would have been too big of a risk.
I have no idea if he’d believe me if I told him I’d been reincarnated with memories from my past life, but leaving that aside, what was even more difficult to explain was probably the fact we were inside the world of a game.
In a world without even a single TV, I didn’t think I’d be able to make sense of those things called “video games”. It was something I should never attempt to do in the first place.
If he learned the world he was living in had been artificially created, then he was bound to be shocked no matter how strong of a character he had. Besides, there was still no proof that this world was the same as the one from “Welcome to the Reverse World”. It could be a very similar parallel universe, for all I know.
Right now, what was important wasn’t me failing to disclose everything.
I’m bringing Sir Leonhard into my confidence, giving him what knowledge I posses, to avoid the events that will happen in the future.
So that Sir Leonhard will become my ally.