Chapter 16: Stroll
Mistral-san & I are walking in the forest of old trees as we held each others hands。
Ah、my heart feels like it’s gonna burst。I’m sure that my face is bright red right now。
I’m nervous and shy。But I’m also excited too。
I wonder why am I having a stroll with just me and Mistral-san in the forest of old trees?
Isn’t Mistral-san also getting nervous while holding my hands?
What might she be thinking?
While I am thinking inside of my pink brain、Mistral-san dragged my hands as we went deeper within the forest of old trees。
Though Mistral-san is scary when she is angry but she’s really a gentle Onee-chan。
Even if I said this or that、she is still worried about me。
The reason why she was angry a while ago too is because she was worried about me too。
If Mistral-san would become my bride then I might become a happy man。
I would hold hands with Mistral-san and have a stroll in the forest of old trees everyday……
I enjoyed the pink flowered imaginations in my mind while strolling。
However、I haven’t had said a single word or talked to Mistral-san after we entered the forest。
Hmm。
When I began to notice the sorrowful reality、Mistral finally stopped walking。
She lowered her waist at a fallen tree as she urged me to sit at her side。
「E-、excuse me then」
「Fufufu、why are you so nervous like that?」
At my awkward movements、Mistral-san smiled。
「Th-、that is、For me to be alone and take a stroll with such a beautiful girl such as yourself、of course I’ll be nervous」
「Ara、Ernea-kun is quite sweet with his words」
While saying so、Mistral started to prepare some drinks。
「Hawawa。I’m sorry。I became arrogant with my words there」
I was blasted off my pink flowered imaginations。I seem to have blurted something outrageous。
While I received the cup where Mistral-san put the water、my face became bright red。
Mistral-san told me that I’m really cute as she patted my head。
I became more nervous as my body hardened。
Without minding me who has hardened while holding the cup filled with water、Mistral-san kept on patting my head。
「Ernea-kun’s hair is really fluffy and soft」
Hawawawa。Mistral-san、what are you doing? I became perplexed。
「Uhm。The thing about the engagement that the Old man said。I thought about it a bit」
When doing so、Mistral-san abruptly changed the topic of our conversation。
「Yes」
I started to become nervous again。
Am I going to get rejected? Would it be so? That might be it。Since I’m just a human with no redeeming features & Mistral-san is a Dragonian who held the t.i.tle of the Dragon Princess。
We aren’t suited for each other o I didn’t have any qualifications for her。
My imagination of a flowery pink garden radically changed as it became darker and the flowers started to rot。
「I」
*Gokuri*、as I swallowed my saliva。
「I、I think that I’m also alright with it too」
What are you alright with?
Is she saying that it’s alright for me to ignore Old Sleigstar’s words?
With that、does she mean that we should treat the engagement itself like it didn’t exist from the start?
My heart sank into th darkness。
At the time when the engagement came out、Mistral-san was really troubled by it huh。She seems to see it as something troublesome。
Though I noticed it too but I wanted to also dream about it for a bit。
Perhaps、I would be able to marry this person。
However、I wouldn’t be able to obtain the thing that I have not made an effort to get it。
Since Ristia who has many brides is the result that he got from his achievements。
「What does Ernea-kun think about it?」
Mistral took a peek at me and asked that。
「I am……」
I’m not suited for Mistral-san。
I’m helpless with only these feelings of mine。
Mistral-san’s feelings are important too。
Marriage is not an easy thing that would be done with just a one-sided unrequited love。
The relationship of Mistral-san & me。The engagement that Old Sleigstar made without our permission。For such a weak person like me、I would just be a pest for Mistral-san。
I who wasn’t making any effort。
This is、haven’t I already understood the right answer completely?
I erased my doubts & stood up from the fallen tree。
I shouted out。
「I shall become a man that will be suited for Mistral-san。I’ll do any effort for that。That’s why、I WANT TO MARRY YOU！！」
I wanted to。To marry Mistral-san。
If I haven’t gave enough effort yet then please give me a chance to make an effort。I’m sure that I’ll become a man that will be suited for The Dragon Princess Mistral-san。
Even if it’s a engagement that Old Sleigstar just made without permission but I still wanted to take that chance that was given to me。
……Now I’ve done it。After shouting、my body hardened from embarra.s.sment and awkwardness。
Mistral-san was surprised as her eyes were widely oped。
And Mistral-san also stood up from the fallen tree。
「Uhm。Okay、I’ll be in your care from now on」
She said that as she clasped my hands。
「EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHH！！」
I was surprised。
「Wh-、why are you so surprised like that?」
Mistral-san was surprised as I was surprised as she backed away a bit。
「That’s、that’s because」
While my face became bright red、I told Mistral-san about what I thought her words meant。
Though it was embarra.s.sing but since she couldn’t read my thoughts like Old Sleigstar then it wouldn’t be good if I don’t neatly say it with my mouth。
「I understand、I have said my words in an easily misunderstood manner」
Mistral-san made a wry smile。
「I’m alright with advancing with the matter of our engagement is what I meant。If that is alright with Ernea-kun too」
「Ah、I have misunderstood that」
「No、the way I expressed it was at fault」
We mutually apologized to each other as it became embarra.s.sing for us to meet our glances。
Uhm、this is。
This means that the engagement shall be heading off to a good direction now。
Which means that Mistral-san is going to be with me。
My heart has shown its first time on beating so loud。
Not only my face but wasn’t my ears, hands or my whole body really bright red right now。
「S-、shall we have a seat?」
With Mistral-san’s suggestion、we started to sit again。
I suddenly felt thirsty so I chugged the the water that I had。
「To be honest、I was bewildered when that old man suddenly talked about the engagement。I was wondering on what was that old man saying。Since not only was it me but he rolled Ernea-kun with it and it might trouble him is what I thought」
Mistral-san drank some water too。
「I’m sure that Ernea-kun is troubled by it。Since I’m a Dragonian too & I’m also older than you。I’m a dangerous girl who would flay a blunt weapon around & I’m not as cute as Ernea-kun too。To suddenly be married to such a girl that he has just met for the first time then he is likely to be more troubled by it」
Mistral-san also talked about it。
「I see、we were thinking of the same thing」
「That’s right」
Mistral-san & I gave off a wry smile。
「However、If it’s alright with Ernea-kun、this talk about our engagement、I was worried if it would be alright to go with it……」
Was that so?
So the meaning of her silence a while ago when we entered the forest of old trees was because she was worrying whether to talk about our engagement or not。
She’s really brave。Since I also needed a large amount of courage for what I said a while ago so I also understood。
「I’m really sorry。I should be the one who should have started this talk as a man」
「No、Since I’m the caretaker of the old man and I’m also older than you so it’s my duty to be the one who should start this talk」
Mistral-san who shakes her head。
「A-、anyways。Ernea, you only have to continue on what you’re doing」
Mistral-san says so while her face was burning red。
She was a beautiful girl usually but her embarra.s.sed appearance is truly cute。
「The question is、since I’m already fine with the this engagement then it now depends on the final answer of Mistral-san」
I’m feeling a bit uplifted too much right now so some words that I wouldn’t be saying usually came out of my mouth。
「Oh my。However、you need to make some efforts too、for various reasons」
Mistral-san teasingly says so & I started to panic。
That’s right、I vowed to work hard in order for me to become a man that is suited for Mistral-san。
「Well then、for my final answer、I’ll be watching Ernea-kun and shall make my decision on your actions」
「Tha-、that’s too muchhhh」
Fufufu、whispered Mistral-san as she gave off a smile。
「In that case、for the first step for you to become a man that is worthy of me」
After the drums beat。
「Shall we stop using honorifics?」
Yep yep is what Mistral-san says as she nodded herself。
「I-、I understand」
「Hmm?」
「Ye-、yeah、okay」
「Fufufu、you’re tone isn’t like that Ernea-kun」
Mistral-san、nope、Mistral was still looking at me while I’m still blushing while being sulky。
「Muuu、it’s too hard to suddenly change my tone like that」
To me who was being sulky、Mistral started to approach me。
「In the commemoration of our compromise for each other」
She said。
Mistral’s lips met with mine in an instant。
FUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA！？
My mind blasted off to the skies as it started to melt and almost disappeared。
What the meow。What the meow just happened?
it was only an instant so I didn’t understand。
「I haven’t prepared my heart for that yettt。Please give me one more！」
I requested a reproduction of what just happened。For the purpose of making my heart heat up again、I’ll be in your care once again。
I didn’t understand it since it was just a single second so please make it longer this time。
However, my earnest desire was futile as Mistral spin around to my back as she began to have a stroll yet again。
「Ah、wait for me」
I followed after her while panicking。
Then when she neatly stopped and waited for me、she held my hand yet again。
Mistral wasn’t showing her embarra.s.sed appearance from a while ago right now as she has returned to her dignified look。
She really is a beautiful woman after all。
Her mature atmosphere really suited her unlike me。
Will I someday become a man that will be suited for this person?
Other than that、if I didn’t then I wouldn’t be able to marry Mistral。
Do your best、me。Don’t lose this time, me。
I began to cheer myself for my bright future！