Chapter 17

The long, long night passed.

The morning, which seemed like it would never come, finally dawned.

“……Haaam.”

Of course, I didn’t sleep well.

Even though I boldly took out the bedding from the closet and laid it on the floor yesterday,

the fact that I had never slept on the floor since being transported here made my back ache.

Even though we were separated by the bed and the floor,

how could I sleep comfortably knowing the person I like was sleeping in the same room?

“……You’re sleeping well.”

In contrast, the princess was still peacefully lost in dreamland.

Even though I’ve seen Rebecca for three years, this was the first time I’d seen her look so relaxed.

The expression I’ve seen the most on her until now was the one she made when she lost to me and was frustrated.

*Pfft-*

Just imagining Rebecca’s expression now made me smile.

“……I’m in deep. Me too.”

I knew this wasn’t normal psychology, but

wasn’t it already too late to pull myself out of Rebecca?

While lost in these random thoughts,

I carefully sat on the edge of the bed so as not to wake Rebecca,

and admired the princess’s sleeping face.

Her skin was as pure and flawless as white jade.

Her red hair, soft and smooth even in sleep.

Her delicate eyes, nose, and lips.

Every time I saw Rebecca, I wondered if there could be anyone more beautiful in the world.

“Isn’t this too defenseless?”

At the same time, I was a little worried.

Even though I declared I wouldn’t do anything,

how could she sleep so defenselessly next to a young man full of vigor?

It’s not like she’s unaware of how pretty and attractive she is.

How could she travel to dreamland so carelessly?

It’s lucky it’s me sleeping next to her. If it were someone else…

‘……Ugh.’

I didn’t even want to imagine that.

Shivering at the creepy thought, I moved a little closer to the sleeping princess.

Now, if I just leaned down a little, our foreheads would touch.

Suddenly, a funny thought came to mind.

What kind of reaction would Rebecca show if she woke up to see her annoying fiancé’s face right in front of her?

“Would she scream?”

She’d probably scream in surprise.

Then she’d try to get as far away from me as possible, like last night. Though, since we’re on the bed, the distance wouldn’t change much.

Just imagining the princess’s reaction made me happy.

Waiting in the same position for a few minutes, anticipating Rebecca’s reaction,

“Are you awake?”

Finally, Rebecca opened her eyes.

Even after I greeted her, she just stared at me blankly, showing no reaction.

Maybe she’s still half-asleep and can’t tell if this is reality or a dream.

‘……Disappointing.’

I was a little let down.

I was expecting her to scream in surprise.

But this wasn’t bad either.

Seeing the princess, who had just woken up and still looked sleepy, with her half-closed red eyes,

it wasn’t a bad feeling to have her gaze fixed solely on me.

“Let’s get up. It’s time for breakfast.”

Though I thought it wouldn’t be bad to enjoy this moment a little longer, breakfast time was approaching.

Earlier, I checked and saw that the door the Duchess had locked was already open.

If any of the Valencia Duchy’s servants caught us like this, it definitely wouldn’t be good news.

So, after waking the princess, I tried to get up from the bed.

“……Princess?”

Until Rebecca grabbed my wrist.

I was momentarily stunned.

I never expected the princess to grab my wrist so suddenly.

But, as always, my flustered feeling turned into a desire to tease her.

“Do you like being with me? If so, then I guess I have no choice……”

Just as I was about to shake my head and tease her,

the delicate hand holding my wrist pulled me toward her.

The red eyes looking at me were filled with mischief.

As I’ve said before, I can’t beat the princess in strength, so I was pulled toward her.

“……Be quiet.”

*Chu-*

It happened in an instant.

Along with Rebecca’s quiet voice,

her soft lips overlapped with mine.

At that moment,

I couldn’t think of anything.

This was nothing like the childish cheek kisses. A real kiss.

It was so sweet that my mind went blank.

I forgot that I had been teasing the princess and just let the moment pass.

How much time passed like that?

When our lips, which seemed like they would never part, finally separated,

and our gazes locked,

Rebecca’s soft voice reached me.

“……What’s this? You’re redder than me.”

“……”

Leaving behind that inexplicable comment, Rebecca fell back into dreamland.

“……”

And I, sitting there dazed for a while,

only managed to get up after realizing Rebecca had fallen back asleep.

“Prince Albert, are you awake……”

“……”

Ignoring Dorothy’s greeting at the door, I ran to the Duchy’s bathroom.

I stood in front of the sparkling mirror.

“……Wow.”

Only then did I understand Rebecca’s dreamy comment.

My face was much redder than Rebecca’s embarrassed face I’ve seen before.

It was so red, I thought it might burst.

And then I thought.

“……I can’t let anyone find out.”

I decided to keep the fact that my first kiss was stolen by a sleeping Rebecca as a memory I’d take to my grave.

I vowed never to let anyone find out.

I firmly resolved.

***

Rebecca was dreaming.

She woke up in her room as usual, but Albert’s face was right in front of her.

At first, she was a little startled, but she quickly realized it was a dream.

There’s no way her fiancé would be there when she woke up in her own room.

Besides, as if to prove it was a dream,

“Are you awake?”

Her fiancé’s voice asking if she was awake was so kind and pleasant to hear.

Rebecca could clearly feel this was a dream.

At least, the Albert she knew wouldn’t greet her with such a tender voice and a fluttering smile.

Perhaps that’s why.

“Let’s get up. It’s time for breakfast.”

When her fiancé tried to get up to go to breakfast, she grabbed him.

It was a bit of an impulsive act.

Even she was surprised by her boldness.

There was a reason, though.

A slightly embarrassing reason, but she wanted to see more of this kind and gentle side of her fiancé.

“……Princess?”

But seeing Albert’s flustered expression, she felt it was worth it.

Even if this was a dream, seeing her fiancé so flustered wasn’t a common sight.

Even in the dream, she could feel her mood lifting.

But even in the dream, Albert was still Albert.

“Do you like being with me?”

Seeing her fiancé about to tease her again,

watching him move his lips to say something teasing,

she suddenly thought.

‘……What would his lips feel like?’

It was a bit embarrassing, but she remembered how nice it felt when his lips touched her cheek.

If it felt good on her cheek, how would it feel on her lips?

Curious about the sensation, and annoyed by her fiancé’s teasing even in the dream,

“If so, then I guess I have no choice……”

“Be quiet.”

She pressed her lips against his to stop him from talking.

Even if it was a dream, this might have been the first kiss of Rebecca, the only daughter of the Valencia Duchy.

She could confidently say it was quite sweet.

It wasn’t like the overly sweet scenes from the cheesy romance novels Dorothy sometimes gave her,

but from her fiancé’s soft lips, which should have had nothing,

she wondered how such a sweet feeling could come.

Perhaps that’s why.

She kept pulling her fiancé closer, their lips pressed together for a long time.

When their lips finally parted, and their gazes met,

she felt a small sense of victory.

“……What’s this? You’re redder than me.”

Her fiancé Albert’s face was redder than her hair.

Considering how red she got when she was embarrassed, it was easy to imagine how flustered dream-Albert was now.

Even if it was just a dream,

the thought that she had finally won against her fiancé made her fall back asleep in a good mood.