12. The Beginning of Time for Just the Two of Us

After Stillca and Stillio ascended the throne, TiaraRose set out on a world tour with Aquasteed. Leaving the country to their sons for a trip with just the two of them made her heart pound with excitement. It felt almost as if they were doing something naughty.

With no ladies-in-waiting or guards—just the two of them, truly—it was like a secret journey.

Once, long ago, Aquasteed had promised TiaraRose that they would go on a trip together. That promise had now finally come true.

The first country TiaraRose and Aquasteed arrived in was “Collage,” a nation located to the west of Marineforest. Though it is a small country, it is famous for its chocolate and has many delicious sweets. It maintains friendly relations with Marineforest and exports cacao and other goods there.

It was one of the countries Aquasteed had wanted to bring TiaraRose to for a long time.

“Wow, the scent of chocolate is incredible.”

As soon as she entered the city, TiaraRose looked around restlessly. The sweet aroma drifted to her nose; if she let her guard down, it felt as though she would absentmindedly walk toward the source of the smell. In this country, if she didn’t stay focused, she would likely become a lost child in no time.

“Tiara, let’s secure an inn first.”

“Ah, that’s right. My apologies, Aqua.”

Aquasteed held out his hand, and TiaraRose softly took it. She felt a bashful sensation as they walked with their fingers intertwined in a “lover’s hand-hold.” Although their physical appearance was that of people in their twenties, thinking about doing this at forty-six years old made her a little embarrassed. However, right now, there was no one who knew who they were. Telling herself this, TiaraRose walked through the city streets with Aquasteed, feeling as if they were on a date.

—Wait, this actually IS a date!

Realizing once again that it was a date made her shy, but she was very happy to be able to walk through the streets with Aquasteed like this. TiaraRose became a bit more proactive and decided to walk close to him.

“Ah, honestly, Tiara, you are too cute.”

“!”

“Make sure you stick close to me so you don’t get lured away by the chocolate and end up somewhere else.”

“Y-Yes…”

At Aquasteed’s words, a kiss fell lightly upon her forehead. While her face turned red, TiaraRose nodded.

What they found was a lovely two-story wooden inn. Flowers decorated the exterior, and several people were coming and going. It seemed there was a dining hall on the first floor where one could use the facility just for food and drink.

“Oh, welcome. Are you staying the night?”

The landlady of the inn spoke to them, and TiaraRose nodded.

“Yes.”

“For now, we’ll request a week,” Aquasteed stated the approximate length of their stay, and the landlady immediately replied “Understood” and handed them the key to the room at the very end of the second floor.

Since it was a commoner’s inn, there was no one to carry their luggage to the room, and they would have to do the cleaning and tidying themselves. On previous trips, they had stayed at inns, but they were always the best ones in the city with full service. Because they rarely had to lift a finger, many things about this trip were fresh for both TiaraRose and Aquasteed.

—It somewhat reminds me of my previous life.

Though she was born as a noble lady and held the status of a Queen of a great power… in her previous life, she was a mere commoner. Born into an ordinary household, attending school, becoming a working member of society, and healing her daily fatigue with the otome games she was obsessed with. She had walked such a life.

However, things had changed completely, and now she was the villainess of her favorite otome game, The Ring of Lapis Lazuli. The game had already reached its ending, but the feeling of her heart pounding never went away.

When she went up to the second floor with Aquasteed, a carpet was laid in the hallway, and flowers were displayed. The warm atmosphere calmed her heart.

“It’s a lovely inn.”

“It is.”

“But let me know immediately if there is any inconvenience. We can move to a different inn.”

“Yes. …But I’m fine, you know? I was a commoner before I was born in this world.”

TiaraRose laughed as she said this, but then she started. If anyone were to find this difficult, it would more likely be Aquasteed. TiaraRose had experience living as a commoner, but Aquasteed did not. If anyone couldn’t endure this lifestyle, it would surely be Aquasteed rather than TiaraRose.

—What should I do? I was having fun remembering the feeling of my previous life, but for Aqua, having to do everything himself must be difficult.

Preparing clothes, tidying up, getting the bath ready—they had to do it all themselves. It was completely different from the castle life where the maids did everything. As TiaraRose grew flustered, Aquasteed saw her and gave a small chuckle. He seemed to have guessed exactly what she was worried about.

“It’s okay, Tiara. I can do at least this much.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course. There were times I went on expeditions with the knights, and at those times, I did things for myself. I believe I have a certain amount of knowledge for survival.”

Aquasteed spoke of episodes like sleeping outdoors and helping with cooking. They were stories that sounded difficult but also very enjoyable.

“I see. …But please rely on me if anything happens. This might be my chance to have you rely on me, after all.”

Since TiaraRose was always the one being helped, she wanted to show a dependable side of herself when the time came. Seeing TiaraRose firing herself up with a determined look, Aquasteed’s expression softened.

“That’s reassuring. If anything happens, I’ll have Tiara help me.”

“Yes, leave it to me.”

While they spent time relaxing in the room with such small talk, night arrived in the blink of an eye.

A night with just the two of them made her heart pound. It wasn’t as if they didn’t have plenty of time alone together while living at the Royal Castle.

—Even though we are always alone at night, why does my heart race so much just because the environment has changed?

TiaraRose became nervous at every single move Aquasteed made. As she sat on the edge of the bed, Aquasteed called her name. “Tiara.”

“Ah, yes.”

Though she answered as calmly as possible, Aquasteed seemed to notice something. He chuckled and sat down beside her.

“You seem somewhat nervous.”

“Uu… why is that, I wonder. Is it because everything feels fresh? Um, the nightclothes and such…”

Both TiaraRose and Aquasteed were wearing nightclothes different from their usual ones. They were simple, but a bit bold. That might be part of why her heart was thumping.

—But Philine was the one who chose these.

The nightclothes Philine had handed over, saying they were recommended, were mostly on the bold side. They were a bit different from what she usually wore at the Royal Castle. Since she would be seen by other maids at the castle, the shy TiaraRose rarely had a chance to wear such things. The neckline was wide open, showing her shoulders. The hem wasn’t short, but there was a slit showing her white thighs. That, too, was likely why she was so nervous.

As for Aquasteed, he was dressed in simple but high-quality nightclothes in a calm grey. However, his chest was more exposed than usual, which made her heart race.

—It’s not as if I’m not used to seeing it, but I don’t know where to look.

If she wasn’t careful, TiaraRose’s face would turn bright red in an instant.

“Hey, Tiara. Actually, there is a purpose to this trip.”

“Eh? A purpose?”

TiaraRose blinked her eyes at Aquasteed’s sudden statement. They had talked about traveling the world together for fun, but this was the first she’d heard of there being a specific “purpose.”

—I wonder what kind of purpose it could be.

TiaraRose tried to think. Perhaps he intended to conduct diplomacy with many countries for the sake of Stillca and Stillio, who had just ascended the throne. Or perhaps he was looking for some new materials or ingredients to bring back to Marineforest. Other possibilities included scouting for talented people. There are unexpectedly many things one can do for their country while traveling.

While TiaraRose was wondering which it was, Aquasteed gave a small chuckle.

“You have the face of someone who is thinking too hard, Tiara.”

“—!”

Aquasteed pressed his lips close to her ear and whispered, “The answer is much simpler.” At that low, sweet voice, her heart gave a thud and began to beat rapidly like a bell.

—Even if you say it’s simpler than what I’m thinking, I still don’t know.

She could only groan in thought.

“Ah. C-could it be souvenirs for Lucia, Luca, and Rio…?”

“I’m not like you, Tiara, so I won’t buy that many. Though, of course, I do intend to buy souvenirs.”

He flatly stated that buying souvenirs was not the purpose.

“…In that case, is it interaction with other countries? Since we are as we are now, we can move relatively freely.”

“Incorrect.”

Apparently, that wasn’t it either.

“Then, visiting the heritage sites of various nations…!”

“That’s also incorrect.”

“…Mmm!”

A smiling Aquasteed seemed to be waiting for TiaraRose to get the right answer. Furthermore, every time she got it wrong, he touched and tickled her in various places—her cheek, her neck, her ear.

—At this rate, things are going to get out of hand!

TiaraRose thought seriously while her face grew red, and she suddenly hit upon an answer.

“I’ve got it!”

“Hmm?”

Seeing TiaraRose with eyes full of conviction that she was right, Aquasteed laughed. It was likely because he suspected she was wrong.

“Are you trying to find a special power like Akari-sama’s power of Holy Prayer!?”

“Yes, incorrect.”

“!”

The moment Aquasteed spoke those merciless words, TiaraRose’s world inverted. All she could see was Aquasteed and the ceiling over his shoulder. She had thought the decorated flower lamps were cute, but she was only able to think that for a fleeting second—.

End of 222