Chapter 193

“The morning sunshine is blinding,” Ria thought. Maybe even more than usual.

From that perspective, some of Ria’s ‘feelings’ must have mixed in.

After all, they say the world looks dazzling to someone in love.

Of course, that’s only half true. Even if you’re in love, if you think that love won’t come to fruition, the world will surely appear gloomy.

It might not even be fully realized right now.

Yet, the person Ria liked—the one she could say she was ‘in love’ with—was right next to her, sleeping snugly. At the very least, that warm sensation could be described as happiness.

“……”

Without making a sound, Anna was breathing softly, asleep in Ria’s arms like a gem.

In her loose but thin outfit, Anna felt so close and exposed to Ria under the bed covers. Had it been a cold night? Anna had burrowed into Ria’s embrace.

Moving her hand, Ria touched the smooth back behind Anna. Despite being quite the eater, Anna’s body seemed not to have a single ounce of fat. Must be her constitution?

As Ria’s hand gently grazed Anna’s back, she slowly moved it downwards. Passing over her slim waist, she encountered Anna’s curvaceous thighs, which seemed even more pronounced in contrast. And then behind that—

Ria couldn’t help but grimace.

She spoke of protecting her and being a knight and all that, but Ria herself was somewhat particular about her looks. Especially with Anna right beside her; if she let her guard down even a little, comparison was bound to happen.

Anna knew she was pretty, and she’d already said so herself. At first, it sounded like a bold statement, but thinking back, it was also a dangerous proclamation. Anna wasn’t just someone who was attractive in Ria’s eyes.

How did it come to this? Even in contemplation, answers didn’t come easily. Ria hadn’t fallen for Anna at first sight.

It happened gradually, as they spent time together, slowly seeping in. Then the thoughts developed into a desire to protect, eventually transforming into deep affection.

“Hmm.”

Did Anna feel Ria’s touch even in her sleep? She shifted slightly. Though Anna was asleep and surely didn’t mean anything by it, it led to her face digging deeper into Ria’s chest.

Ria chuckled and raised her hand to gently stroke Anna’s hair.

“Hmm…huh?”

Only then did Anna groggily lift her head to look at Ria.

Her mouth and chin were still half-buried in Ria’s chest as Anna’s gaze turned toward her.

With sleep still clouding her eyes, Anna gave Ria a brief glance before—

“Huh!?”

It was an odd noise as she swiftly tried to back away.

Isn’t this something she’s done more than once? Why is she acting like this now?

If Ria were to guess, it was likely because of that kiss yesterday. Or perhaps it was because Ria had never held Anna this closely and petted her like this before.

……

They had kissed, hidden from prying eyes, and they slept together in each other’s arms, holding hands and linking arms, yet reacting like this to such a small act was a bit exasperating. Ria was already thinking about Anna. The target of affection had, at some point, transformed into something she wanted to possess.

Ria had no intention of completely ignoring Anna’s wishes. She liked her too much for that. However, unilaterally liking someone was not a pleasant feeling.

Ria touched the back of Anna’s head and pulled her closer.

“R-Ria? W-What—”

With her words seemingly caught in her throat, Anna couldn’t finish her thought.

It wasn’t just Ria who kissed first yesterday. After their initial kiss, Anna had leaned in and kissed Ria again. At the very least, Anna was someone who could kiss Ria.

Was it all an act? Was Anna doing it without any feelings for Ria?

Ria didn’t think so. Anna could indeed be someone who could kiss Ria, just as she could be someone who could date her.

It was somewhat ambiguous whether she was simply timid or didn’t realize she could do such things.

It was more likely that she simply didn’t know. Anna often appeared ignorant about such matters of the heart.

“……”

As Anna’s lips found Ria’s, her mouth slightly parted. Just like yesterday, Ria gently slipped her tongue inside.

Unlike the tense, upright nature from standing, Anna’s body on the bed melted like warm jelly, soft as a cat.

Perhaps because Ria was the only one there with her.

The kiss they shared again was simply blissful. A kiss with someone Ria liked. Moreover, that person had never kissed anyone else before Ria.

There was a strange sense of conquest. A flower perched on a cliff that no one else could reach was now safely within Ria’s grasp.

With a wet sound, their lips parted.

“Haah…”

As Anna finally exhaled after having her mouth sealed, her warm breath brushed against Ria’s lips.

“Feeling more awake?”

“……”

At Ria’s question, Anna stared at her blankly for a moment before exclaiming,

“W-What are you doing!?”

She freaked out and tried to spring up.

But Anna was already completely trapped in Ria’s embrace even before she woke up. It was impossible to push Ria away with sheer strength.

“Wa-wa-wait! What’s this all of a sudden? It’s not like we’re in front of others!?”

“Does kissing only count if others are watching?”

“W-Well…no…!”

“Isn’t that how most people think?”

“That’s not how it is!?”

As Anna’s voice rose and her pitch wavered, Ria found it a bit ridiculous.

And then, she felt a bit annoyed.

Now? After all that? Of course, they were both girls. And the one who initiated the kisses was Ria when Anna was unconscious and then it was all Ria afterward. So if we were to talk about ‘who’s responsible,’ that would fall to Ria. It wouldn’t make sense to bring up old-fashioned notions like, ‘the guy has to take responsibility for kissing a girl’ given how progressive their relationship was.

“Hey, Anna.”

A hint of irritation bubbled up, so Ria addressed Anna in a somewhat stern tone.

Anna immediately quieted down.

“We kissed yesterday in front of others, right?”

“Y-Yeah.”

“What was the reason for that?”

“W-Well, to deceive the others…”

It was a frustrating answer, but technically, ‘on the surface’ it was true. Strangely enough, they hadn’t confessed to one another yet.

Not that there wasn’t a reason—

“Right, that was the purpose, wasn’t it? Then how are we supposed to act normally? Are we supposed to stay apart during regular times and only kiss when deceiving others?”

“If we do that, it’ll raise suspicion!”

“Exactly. Then we’d need to act the same all the time. Others might be watching us. Even now, it was possible for someone to suddenly burst through that door.”

“……”

Watching Anna’s eyes dart back and forth as she processed this, Ria felt her anger surging again.

In truth, she didn’t want to fake it.

She just wanted to declare outright that they were together, to boldly claim Anna—the Saintess right in the middle of the Church—and run away with her.

Except, Anna still had things she wanted to pursue, and so Ria was waiting patiently at her side.

Initially, she thought of it as watching over a somewhat pitiful girl, but now her goal was much more defined.

To prevent anyone, especially that higher power, from whisking her away.

As Ria thought this, she fancied she heard a sigh from above that sounded incredulous, but dismissed it as simply her imagination.

Yeah. That was how it was. When the time came, she would take her.

Yet, at the same time, that was a last resort.

“It’s a method, you see, a method. If we need to avoid the Church’s gaze, we should be thorough about it.”

“That makes sense.”

Ria nodded seriously at Anna’s earnest reply.

Yeah.

The kisses were initiated by her. Ria thought she had given quite a lot as well. She planned to protect Anna for life.

If that was the case, then shouldn’t confessing be the other person’s responsibility?

……

Ria knew, too.

What if, after all this, Anna didn’t actually harbor feelings for Ria? What if this was all just an act?

That was terrifying.

More frightening than any monster she had encountered or even the demon race itself, the thought of that possibility sent chills through Ria.

“…Hey, Ria?”

At Anna’s words, Ria pushed those thoughts aside momentarily.

“But still, we should at least be able to wash up together, right?”

“…Yeah, I guess.”

No matter how you slice it, going in together wasn’t quite right.

Ria nodded at that.

Letting Anna go, she rose from the bed. The spot where Anna had been clinging was slightly damp with sweat.

“Well, sure. It’s a method, right?”

Standing in front of the bed, Anna said that.

Before Ria could respond, Anna pressed her lips against Ria’s.

With a soft sound, it was nothing more than a light kiss.

“This is a method too.”

After saying that, Anna scampered off to the shower room.

“……”

Ria stared blankly at Anna as she left, then after the shower room door clicked shut, crawled back onto the bed and curled up.

“…Ah.”

What Ria had received was far more embarrassing and ticklish than all her previous blatant actions towards Anna.

In the end, Ria was similarly smitten.