Extra Chapter: Anime Celebration

229. My Cute Husband — TiaraRose

The anime finale airs tonight at 23:00~! Please look forward to it.

When TiaraRose returned to her room after the tea party, Aqua was sitting on the sofa, breathing softly in his sleep. The work that had been piling up over the last few days must have finally been cleared, and he likely came to see her.

Unconsciously, her cheeks softened. She couldn’t help but feel incredibly happy that the first place Aqua came to was her side.

“I’m going to relax for a bit, so you may take a break as well, Philine.”

“Yes. Please excuse me.”

Normally, she would have Philine prepare tea, but right now she wanted Aqua to rest undisturbed, so she let her attendant withdraw.

She walked to the sofa, making sure not to let her footsteps sound, and peered into his face. His silky hair was lustrous, and while his well-featured face showed signs of exhaustion, his breathing was steady. It was easy to tell he was quite tired. After all, Aqua is usually sensitive to presence and would typically wake up just by her approaching.

“…………”

She found herself staring at his sleeping face. It was a strange thing; no matter how long she looked, she never grew tired of it. If anything, she felt as though she could watch him forever.

Suddenly, Aqua shifted slightly and leaned against her. For a moment she thought he had woken up, but his consciousness seemed to still be within a dream. The weight against her shoulder felt somehow pleasant, and she tilted her body slightly toward him. Aqua’s hair brushed against her cheek, feeling a bit ticklish.

“I wish time could stay like this forever.”

The peaceful flow of time allowed her to forget the busyness of daily life.

…I wonder if Aqua will get tired in this position?

Once that thought occurred to her, she became a bit concerned. There was no sign of him waking, so she figured it would be alright to move her body slightly. With that in mind, she created a little distance from Aqua… and Aqua slowly tilted along with her, eventually collapsing onto her lap.

Surely he must have woken up now… she thought, but Aqua was still deep in his dreams. Far from waking, he unconsciously wrapped his arms around her waist. His sleeping face looked somehow happy, and she instinctively reached out to his head. As she slowly stroked his silky hair, Aqua rubbed his head against her stomach as if asking for more. He was just like a cat; it was adorable.

“Is he half-asleep, I wonder?”

She stroked his hair as if saying “good boy, good boy.” As she ran her fingers through his bangs to sweep them aside, his forehead was revealed. It was usually hidden by his hair, so it felt quite fresh. While he occasionally swept his bangs aside for formal events, seeing it like this made her heart pound even more than usual at how handsome he was.

As she stroked him tirelessly, a small sense of mischief began to well up.

“…Maybe just a little bit would be alright.”

She began to braid his hair, incorporating a bit of his bangs into the side. She had only ever watched Philine do this for her, but she managed to braid it surprisingly well. When she tucked the braided hair behind his ear and looked at him, she was struck by a different type of handsomeness that made her heart flutter.

“I feel as though I’ve stepped into forbidden territory.”

Since she couldn’t let his hair get a permanent kink, she undid the braid after admiring it for a bit. She continued to stroke his head for a while, thinking to herself: If a situation like this happens again, may I try it once more?

After that, she ended up falling asleep herself while enjoying the quiet time, and was quite surprised when she woke up to find Aqua giving her a lap pillow.

And with that, the anime reaches its final episode today.

I wanted to post a few more short stories, but I ran out of steam due to busyness and other things. My apologies.

I hope you enjoy the 23:00 anime broadcast and the streaming services!

End of 229