CLINK CLINK CLINK
Cold and subtle mist loomed over a beautiful glass of juice, a light and pinkish tint brewing inside as the metal straw was stirred. The scent was subtle but undoubtedly sweet, the glass sweating droplets from how cold the drink was.
Such chilled refreshment was enjoyed by none other than a young lady, pedaling her smooth and delicate legs as she lay down the sofa, wearing comfy and casual clothing, a bright smile blooming on her face as she lazed around.
Her silver hair fluttered in the air, and the soft whispers of the wind rang inside her long and pointy ears, carrying the calming and fragrant scent of flowers from the garden outside. She continued to sip her strawberry milktea.
"Mmn～! I knew it! Relaxing is best done with a cold drink!" ［Yuna］
"Cold, you say... There's barely any ice in it..." ［Grey］
"Mou... Too much ice will give me brain freeze... Though I wouldn't mind extra sugar in my drink. Can I?" ［Yuna］
"Don't try to outsmart me, Young Lady. You still have a long way to go." ［Grey］
"Tch. You're too strict, Grey... Lift my sugar ban already..." ［Yuna］
It has been over a week and a half since the opening of Esperanza, and after several days of busy hell and a mountain of work, Grey and Yuna are finally able to rest and enjoy themselves, now lazing around in their homes.
It took a little while, but with the workers now getting the hang of things, everything soon fell into place and everyone naturally adapted to their new workplace. Even if new workers were to be hired, the trainers are already more than capable.
Of course, there were still some minor issues in the administrative side of things, but that's for Cedric, Marcel, and some reliable people to handle. Grey and Yuna already did their parts, and it was now time for them to rest.
After all, not only did they build a whole shopping mall, they also made factories, a handful of worker dormitories, schools and workshops for the refugees, and planned out almost every project concerning the mall. No one deserves rest better.
"Psst... Hey, Grey... Grey... Grey..." ［Yuna］
"Hm? What is it?" ［Grey］
"Can you sit up for a little while? I want to try something." ［Yuna］
"Haah... What are you up to again, you little devil?" ［Grey］
"That's a secret～! Now hurry up! Sit up already!" ［Yuna］
Now, the two are lazing around and flirting to their heart's content. They just had a warm and hearty meal complete with all sorts of rare ingredients, and now, they are lying down on the sofa, wasting their time together.
Yuna, the mischievous devil that she is, suddenly asked Grey to stop lying down and sit up for a while. There was a stern yet excited look on her face, Grey heaving a sigh as he followed the whims of his beloved. He already knew what she was up to...
Not wasting any time, Yuna then closed Grey's legs together, then sat on him with a cheerful expression blooming on her face. She then took his arms and wrapped it around her slim waist, then snuggling to him whilst she giggled ever so softly.
She was like a chick snuggling close to its mother hen, seeking out the warmth of her beloved and monopolizing him for herself. Her cheeks were painted a light pinkish tint, ears flapping all the while, clearly happy as can be.
"You could have just said you wanted to cuddle, you know?" ［Grey］
"Ehh～? But doing it this way is more fun, right～?" ［Yuna］
"More fun, you say... You just want to be spoiled is what you mean. Were you really that lonely these past few days?" ［Grey］
"Un! I was super lonely! We barely got to spend time together, after all!" ［Yuna］
"Waah... No hesitation, huh..." ［Grey］
Declared the young lady whilst she puffed her cheeks, looking like a little chipmunk. She may have looked fine in front of others, but Grey knew full well she was barely holding back her loneliness. She was a clingy one, after all.
Well, it's not like Grey doesn't understand her. They are together once work is over, but even then, all they could think about were problems related to work. It was high time they spent some quality time together.
"That's why! You should spoil me a lot! I've worked really hard this time! And I also helped a lot of people! I've been very good, haven't I?" ［Yuna］
"Yuna, you're childish and demanding sides are showing." ［Grey］
"I don't care! I just want to be spoiled by you! Hmph!" ［Yuna］
"My... What a troublesome fiancée I have..." ［Grey］
Or so he says, but his actions begged to differ. Before Grey could even think, both his arms already held Yuna in a tighter embrace, drawing her close to him. Soon one of his hands caressed her head, patting and praising her like she deserves.
Had they been in public, Grey and Yuna would have been able to show such displays of affection, but since they were in their own home, there was no one stopping them. They could flirt all they want, however they want...
Seriously... Normies should just go explode...
Personal hate (and envy) from the author aside, the day went on with Grey and Yuna relaxing and lazing around one another. They played games, watched a movie, made some tasty snacks, and planted some new flowers in the garden.
The familiars are now out and hunting in the nearby forests along with the spirits, so they pretty much have the entire house to enjoy just for themselves. They continued to laze and flirt freely, until...
RING RING RING RING RING
... A familiar series of sounds started to ring inside their ears. The cellphone started ringing once again, and after days of receiving endless calls for help, the two quickly noticed it, then picking it up soon after. Thankfully...
「Big Bro! Big Sis!」 ［Natalia］
... It wasn't people from work that called. Rather, it was none other than the cute and adorable Little Princess. Judging from the sounds in the background, it seems like Iris was also present, the Crown Princess just nearby.
Other than the Grand Opening of Esperanza, it has been quite some time since they heard the Little Princess' voice. And much like before, the sheer energy and fluffiness from her voice was enough to melt their fatigue, healing their exhausted hearts.
「Elder Sister Yuna! Elder Brother Grey! I truly apologize about this! I was powerless to stop Natalia this time! I hope you understand!」 ［Iris］
「Hahaha. That's not something to apologize for now, is it? And Iris... You're using a formal tone right now. Did you just finish a formal audience?」 ［Grey］
「Fu-Fweeh?! A-Ah! I'm sorry! A-And, yes! I just recently greeted some quests soー Ah! Wait! Natalia, stop it!」 ［Iris］
「No fair! Talia too! Hello～!」 ［Natalia］
It was a bit chaotic on the other side, Iris trying to stop the Little Princess, and the latter simply wanting to talk to Grey and Yuna as well. Mixed in with the chaos was the soft laughter of the Crown Princess, clearly watching over them warmly,
As for the reason they called, there really wasn't much to it. It seems like the Little Princess just missed Grey and Yuna, and wanted to see them again. They just met at the Grand Opening, but it was so short, it barely counted.
With the start of the construction of the mall, all the way to the busy days they just went through, Grey and Yuna barely spent any time with the Little Princess, and now she's acting a little pouty and sulky. She's quite attached to them, after all.
「Fufufu! I see... So Natalia wants to see us, huh? Fufufu! How cute.」 ［Yuna］
「I-I'm really sorry for the unreasonable demand, Elder Sister Yuna, Elder Brother Grey. I hope you aren't too angry with her.」 ［Iris］
「Fufufu! Not at all～! And, we're also done with work anyway. Visiting the capital should be a nice change of pace. Right, Grey?」 ［Yuna］
「Yeah. We also made some sweets, so we'll have you try them.」 ［Grey］
Of course, there was no need to refuseー no, rather, there was no reason to. Other than the fact that they baked a lot of sweets, Grey and Yuna had been in Galderia for far too long. Visiting other places would be quite a relaxing experience.
With that in mind, Grey and Yuna then agreed to head to the Royal Castle later on, and have a good old tour around the Royal Capital after it. It has been quite a while since they had a date, so it was quite exciting to look forward to.
Smiles across their faces, Grey and Yuna soon hung up, finished their little tasks, and wore some nice casual clothing for their little date. They also made sure to cast some illusion magic to mask their identities and make things more exciting.
"Well, it was a little unexpected, but... Shall we, Milady?" ［Grey］
"Fufufu! I will be in your care, Sir Grey." ［Yuna］
Playing knight and lady, Grey soon opened up a gate towards the Royal Castle, and without wasting any more time, the two of them headed inside without a hitch. In the blink of an eye, the scenery changed completely, a familiar garden before them,
It was a quiet place, only a couple knights and servants to be seen, the number of butterflies and ladybugs far surpassing them. The flowers in the garden were also in full bloom, all sorts of colors popping up here and there.
"Ohh～! What a nice flower! Let's ask Their Majesties to give us some seeds next time. I want to plant them in our garden!" ［Yuna］
"Aren't those... Petuniasー No, Royal Blue Petunias, right?" ［Grey］
"Un! They're such a bold and pretty color, aren't they? I'm sure they'll look good in our garden. We can use them for alchemy too!" ［Yuna］
"So that's the real reason... You silly girl..." ［Grey］
A silly topic brewing in the air, Grey and Yuna soon took their steps and the two slowly but surely headed towards the Little Princess' room. There, a couple figures await, some more than welcome, and some only bringing trouble everywhere they go.
There was the Queen, the Crown Princess, the Prime Minister, a maid, Shasha, Iris, and of course, the Little Princess. For the troublemakers, there was the King and the Crown Prince, and surprisingly, Vanessa as well... Antoinette was with her too.
During the phone call, Grey and Yuna were positive it was only the Crown Princess, Kris, and Natalia, but it seems like work got out of their arrival and all sorts of people arrived. Luckily, the Little Princess' room was quite spacious.
"Big Sis Vanessa is one thing, but... I'm surprised you're present as well, Your Honor. It's good to see you again." ［Grey］
"Good to see you as well, Your Highnesses, and well... It was not my idea to come here actually. I'm only here to supervise a certain troublemー no, I think it's a certain pair of troublemakers now, is it?" ［Anderson］
"Oi, Aderson. Those words hurt, you know?" ［Ernes］
"That's right. We also do our work seriously. That's unreasonable." ［Galleus］
The Prime Minister had yet to mention a name yet the King and Crown Prince were already reacting. They were obviously guilty of their own negligence, causing trouble not only to the Prime Minister, but other government officials as well.
Well, not that Grey and Yuna have any need to know such things anyway. Whilst the Prime Minister bickered with the King and the Crown Prince, Grey and Yuna quickly took out a white table and a couple of chairs, displaying the rood soon after.
Of course, there weren't just sweets. Shasha had already prepared tea for everybody to enjoy. They weren't as good as tea from Leif's leaves, but they were very delicious and aromatic. As expected of the Royal Family... Natalia had milk, of course.
"Mmn～! This strawberry shortcake really is a magnificent work of art. I just can't seem to get enough of it!" ［Talia］
"Ah! Looks like you made brand new sweets again! Can you teach me next time? I also want to make Ranzel something tasty." ［Vanessa］
"Mama! I want that one!" ［Natalia］
"Fufufu! Open wide, Natalia～!" ［Natasha］
Before long, the whole room was filled with laughter and giggles, everyone choosing sweets of their liking and stuffing their cheeks with cake, cream, and fruits. Even the Little Angel, Antoinette, was enjoying herself with some light sweets.
As for the bickering trio, they were so caught up with their argument that they didn't even notice everyone had already gone ahead of them and enjoyed themselves. Of course, Grey and Yuna weren't so heartless to just leave them be...
"And don't even get me started about your work, Your Majesty! It hasn't moved an inch since the day started! I'm going to get bald from stressー" ［Anderson］
"Your Honor, please calm yourself down a little bit. And here... Please have a try at these. They're freshly baked." ［Grey］
"A-Ah... Sure, and thank you... Sorry for showing you an unruly side of mine, Your Highnesses. It must have been unsightly." ［Anderson］
"No, not at all. It's only normal to get stressed. We understand your pain all too well, Your Honor. Should we cast some recovery magic on you?" ［Grey］
"Oh, that would certainly be most welcome." ［Anderson］
... They also gave the Prime Minister his share of sweets, and had him calm down a little bit. As a bonus, they also healed his fatigue and relaxed his mind with recovery magic, his mind easing quite a bit as he heaved a sigh. The sweets were delicious.
Though... The two only gave the Prime Minister his share. For the troublemakers who also happen to be the King and the Crown Prince of Alfrione, there was nothing for them. The latter two were confused as they looked around.
"Oi, Grey, Yuna... Where's our share?" ［Ernes］
"Ah... Silly me, we forgot to set aside some for you... Dear me..." ［Grey］
"Huh...?" ［Ernes］
Or so he says, but there was not a single trace of dismay nor regret in Grey's face as he uttered such words. It was clearly intentional, the young man wanting to get back at the two for all the things and troubles they caused them.
Back when they were busy with work, despite the Queen's disapproval, the King and Crown Prince kept calling and bugging to install all sorts of games and contraptions in the Royal Castle so they could have some fun and also surprise the Little Princess.
It would have been fine any other day, but they just happened to disturb them when their stress and fatigue levels were at their highest. Not to mention how many times they called. They really were good-for-nothing troublemakers.
"Hey, Dear, can I have some of your share?" ［Ernes］
"No. You should reflect on your actions first. You as well, Galleus." ［Talia］
"Then, how about you Irisー" ［Ernes］
"Dear, don't take food from children. Act like the King you are." ［Talia］
One was a King and one was a Crown Prince, but to Grey and Yuna's eyes, they were nothing more than an annoying old man and an idiotic doting father. It may be petty, but they wanted to teach them a lesson.
Everyone was having the best time of their lives, enjoying all sorts of wonderful treats whilst the King and the Crown Prince could only watch in envy. It was torture for the two of them, the two soon giving up and asking Grey and Yuna with puppy eyes.
With such a display, Grey and Yuna had no other choice but give them some sweets. It wasn't because their hearts were wrenched from their pleas, but because it was very horrifying watching two grown men do it. They had goosebumps.
In the first place, Grey and Yuna didn't know if it was fine for a monarch to easily bow their heads just due to mere sweets. No rather, it was already questionable how such people could run the country... It was clearly all thanks to the Prime Minister...
"Oh, right! Grey, Yuna, Anne's birthday is coming up in a couple weeks. You must attend the party, okay?! You absolutely must!" ［Vanessa］
"Hm? Has it been almost a year already? It feels like it was just yesterday when she was born... Time sure flies, huh..." ［Grey］
"Right～! And now, our lovely Anne is turning 1!" ［Vanessa］
"Bba! Bbubbu! Guuu! Waah!" ［Antoinette］
"Fufufu! That's right! We'll have the best birthday ever!" ［Vanessa］
One way or another, the topic soon shifted to Antoinette's birthday, and taking the chance before her, Vanessa quickly extended their invitations, all the while giving them some details. It was your usual celebration, for nobles, grand and lavish.
It was still a couple weeks away, but Grey and Yuna already knew what present to get the Little Angel. They already panicked a few times before when they suddenly had a birthday party to attend to. However, this time was different.
"A birthday party, huh..." ［Ernes］
Mumbled the King in a low voice as he stroked his beard. He already hosted several parties, and knew just how important a birthday party was, not just for the celebrants, but for the parents too. It was a chance to show their love for their children.
The King thought and thought, a couple ideas popping in and out of his minds as he thought deeper and deeper. Soon enough, a brilliant plan came to mind, a smile then blooming on his face as he made a suggestion...
"Then how about we hold the birthday party at Esperanza? With such a magnificent place, it will surely be an unforgettable day." ［Ernes］
"At Esperanza...?... Well, we just proposed a room rental service for parties... I think that would be a great opportunity to test things out." ［Yuna］
"Oh! That's perfect then! Isn't that a wonderful service!" ［Ernes］
"It is good, however... Your Majesty, please look behind you." ［Grey］
"Hm? Behind me... What do youー !!!" ［Ernes］
... Of course, as one would expect of the King, it wasn't a suggestion without ulterior motives. He just wants an excuse to skip work and experience the unforgettable and indescribable wonders of Esperanza once more.
Unfortunately for the King, he was one step too late. The Prime Minister already knew what he was planning, and before he could even do so much as push through with his suggestion, the latter already grabbed ahold of his shoulder.
"Your Majesty... You aren't perhaps trying to skip work again, are you? Surely not... We still have a lot of paperwork to sign after, all. Right...?" ［Anderson］
"N... No...? Of course, not... It was just a suggestion." ［Ernes］
"A suggestion, I see... Then I wish it would stay that way. After all, we cannot afford to lose any more valuable time, can we?" ［Anderson］
"Y-Yes... We can't spare a single second... Yes..." ［Ernes］
The Prime Minister was mostly prim and silent, but his menacing and intimidating smile couldn't be compared to the horrors of monsters. Even demons would falter at such a sight, trembling in fear and terror as they should.
The King had no other choice but to reply exactly the way the Prime Minister wanted him to. Had he been stubborn, not only today's case, he might even punish him with work worth several months. The Prime Minister is scary when he's angry.
All the intimidation aside, Grey and Yuna continued enjoying their free time with one another, playing with Natalia and Antoinette as usual, and taking some cute shots of the kids. Everyone doted on them, praising them playfully.
Just like that, time passed by quite quickly and before they knew it, lunch already arrived. Carlton and the other chefs served them the best meal they could possibly ask for, everyone enjoying a feast worthy of the Royal Family's name.
After which, everyone parted ways and did their own things. The members of the Royal Family went back to their duties, Vanessa headed back to their mansion, and the Prime Minister dragged the King and Crown Prince away. As for Grey and Yuna...
"Come on, Grey, closer! Closer!" ［Yuna］
"I'm already very close, you know?" ［Grey］
"Teehee! I just want to take a good shot." ［Yuna］
... They proceeded with their day, enjoying a good old-fashioned date around the Royal Capital. They visited all sorts of tourist spots and took several pictures there as if it was their first time exploring the place.
They have already explored the whole Royal Capital, but before, they didn't have a camera with them. Now, they took the chance they could to snap a couple photos and make some new memories together. Another photo album, if you will.
"Auntie, how much are these grilled buttercorns?" ［Yuna］
"Fufufu! That would be 3 kiels each, Sweetie."
"3 kiels... Grey, would you like to eat some grilled buttercorns?" ［Yuna］
"Yeah, sureー Hm? Just one sec. I think I smell something amazing over there. I'll go take a quick look, alright?" ［Grey］
"Un! Go ahead!... Auntie, I'd have 4 of these, please." ［Yuna］
Of course, what date would it be without some snacks too much on. Grey and Yuna went around the market and the streets buying all sorts of tasty goodies, enjoying them as they rightfully should. The best street foods there were.
They rested inside the gardens, marched around the central square, watched a quick play by the theater, watched the sight of the Royal Capital from the clock towers, and many more. It was a date overdue, the two happy and merry.
Before long, the 3 o'clock bell finally rang and they were already halfway through the afternoon. They have already explored a handful of places, and just as they were about to visit some acquaintances...
"Ugh... My body is hurting... That training was brutal..."
"I really hate practical training..."
"This is the worst..."
They heard some unfamiliar voice echoing in the background, complaining about how hard their day was as they stretched their bodies. They were students from the Royal Academy, and it seems like they just underwent some practical training.
The students themselves weren't really that special, but after seeing them, a great and wonderful idea came to mind. Though it's unusual to visit such a place during dates, it's not like Grey and Yuna are bound by common sense anyway.
"Yuna, I just had a great idea." ［Grey］
"Fufufu! What a coincidence, I also just thought of one too!" ［Yuna］
"Hahaha. Then, shall we, Milady?" ［Grey］
"Un! Let's go!" ［Yuna］
It was time for a quick visit.
CHAPTER 472 END