The Next Morning

The next morning, after breakfast, Ethan and I stepped out of the palace for our morning outing. Agnes, who had made it clear she didn’t want to interfere with our date, was nowhere to be seen. She must have left early to prepare for the journey on her own. While I was a bit worried about leaving her alone, I knew she could handle herself. After all, she was a walking time bomb—anyone foolish enough to try and pickpocket her would be lucky to escape with just a few burns.

Lately, Agnes seemed to have mellowed out, but one could never be too sure. Regardless, I planned to pack some essential extras for her, like insect repellent spray, knowing she’d likely forget something important.

‘Not that I should be worrying about Agnes right now.’

For some reason, the idea of going on a date after such a long time made my heart race. This was our first date since we became "temporary lovers," and even though it wasn’t real, it still made me nervous. Lately, I had been feeling more and more unsettled around Ethan, and it was hard to ignore that tension, especially now.

Ethan had done so much for me recently. Most notably, he had been indispensable in dealing with MacHart. From planning to execution, he had been there every step of the way.

‘I should probably find a way to thank Ethan separately, aside from granting his wish.’

Of course, I wasn’t planning to thank him with anything inappropriate. A thoughtful gift would be more appropriate, something to convey my gratitude without any suggestive implications. I hadn’t decided on what to give him yet, but fortunately, I had brought along a decent amount of money—ten gold coins, to be precise. I hadn’t expected to need them, but it was always wise to be prepared for an extended stay in the capital, where prices were higher than in other towns or cities.

Even though I didn’t plan on splurging, it was reassuring to have a financial cushion.

With these thoughts in mind, I descended to the first-floor lobby of the palace where Ethan, already dressed and waiting, greeted me. As soon as our eyes met, I quickened my pace to reach him.

“Did you wait long, Ethan?”

“No, I haven’t been waiting for long.”

“Well, that makes sense. We just finished breakfast a little while ago.”

“…True, but then why did you ask if I was waiting?”

“It’s just a polite greeting. Usually, the person who’s late asks that on a date.”

“…Really? How do you know that, Lilith?”

“…I just heard it somewhere.”

It would have been nice if he just accepted my explanation instead of digging deeper.

Ethan had a tendency to get oddly inquisitive about the strangest things. It wasn’t a bad habit per se, but sometimes his excessive interest could be a bit overwhelming.

“Don’t worry, Ethan. It’s not like I learned this from dating other men.”

“…That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean?”

“…”

“Anyway, let’s get going. When it comes to long journeys, freshness is key, so we need to secure fresh ingredients for our smoked and preserved foods. And if we don’t find everything we need today, we’ll have to come back tomorrow.”

“…Right, let’s go.”

Our date was off to a bit of a shaky start. The atmosphere wasn’t ideal for a first date as "temporary lovers." If this awkwardness continued throughout the day, it might be too much for me to handle.

Realizing that I needed to brighten the mood, I noticed Ethan’s empty left hand next to me.

—Suddenly, I grabbed it.

“L-Lilith?”

“It’s a date, right, Ethan? It’s okay to hold hands, isn’t it?”

“Y-Yeah, of course….”

I didn’t bother mentioning that traditionally the man is supposed to make the first move. I’m practically half a man myself, so there was no problem with me taking the initiative.

After all, it wouldn’t be much of a date if we just wandered around the market barely speaking to each other. A date should at least start with the right atmosphere….

‘Wait, wasn’t the point of this outing just to buy supplies?’

We were just out shopping for things we needed for the journey—was it really necessary to create this kind of atmosphere?

Now that I thought about it, a strange warmth crept into my hand as I realized what I had just done so nonchalantly.

The truth was, Ethan liked me, but I didn’t have romantic feelings for him. So, why was I trying to create this kind of atmosphere?

‘…But it would be even stranger to let go of his hand now.’

It seemed I would have to continue this date, hand in hand, until a natural opportunity to let go presented itself.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

The marketplace in the capital was bustling with energy in every sense. With a wide road lined with shops on both sides, it reminded me of a traditional market back home. The only differences were the Western architecture and the medieval European-style goods being sold.

It was probably nothing like an actual medieval European market, which would have been much less pleasant. The creators of Luminoir Academy clearly wanted to design a lively, clean environment for the protagonists and heroines to enjoy their dates, rather than a narrow, dirty, and smelly street where players might lose track of their partners or get pickpocketed.

I wasn’t looking for any unnecessary trouble, so I had chosen the most modest dress I could find—a pastel pink dress from the palace wardrobe. Even though it was understated, it still had a noble air, as it was a dress from the royal guest rooms.

“Your dress looks nice, Lilith.”

“…Thank you, Ethan.”

I hadn’t worn it to receive compliments, but it didn’t feel bad to be praised.

As we continued to stroll through the marketplace, hand in hand, Ethan suddenly called out to me from my right.

“…Lily.”

“Y-Yes? …Yes?”

I was a bit flustered by the unexpected use of a pet name. Didn’t we usually agree on this kind of thing beforehand?

In social settings where we wanted to emphasize our closeness, we’d use nicknames, but hearing it out of the blue in this casual situation was a bit surprising.

“Why? Can’t I call you Lily?”

“It’s not that you can’t, but… suddenly?”

“It’s a date. Don’t people use pet names on dates? And we’re supposed to be lovers, right? Pet names are usually used to express affection, not just for show.”

“…You’re right.”

“…”

“…Ed.”

I felt a slight pressure in our joined hands, as if he was just as nervous as I was.

Even though Ethan called me “Lily” so casually, it seemed he wasn’t entirely at ease either.

In a normal romantic relationship, this would be perfectly natural. Pet names are meant to express affection, after all, not just to show off.

So, it wasn’t strange to call each other by pet names….

“Lily, do you want to check out that stall over there? It looks interesting.”

“…Sure, Ed. We can take a quick look.”

My face felt warm every time I said his nickname, something I couldn’t control.