A Pre-wedding Trip in the Name of a Field Investigation 4
Early morning, waking up to the chirping of little birds, I vaguely
looked around the room. As the early summer morning sun cast the shadow of the
canopy, the sheets shifted with a mosori. Eh, it moved?
Wondering why, I looked next to me, and the next moment, I screamed.
「A-Ashren-sama!! Why... mugu」
「...Good morning, Layla. My apologies, but a scream would cause
misunderstandings, so please stop.」
When I nodded my head koku koku, Ashren-sama carefully
let go of his hand, and with a sparkling smile, said "Good morning"
once again. Gasping, I pulled back the sheets; although he had taken off his
gown, his sleepwear was buttoned up securely to his neck.
「U-Um... last night... huh, my memory cuts off halfway...?」
「You mistakenly drank the cup I had poured plenty of brandy into, and
fell asleep koten just like that. I carried you to the bed, which was
fine, but since the room was not in a state where it could be locked, I decided
to stay in this room as well.」
「The sofa...」
「Oh? You are telling me, who was tired from the long carriage journey
and took care of a drunkard, to sleep on the sofa?」
「Ugh, that is... T-Thank you?」
As I thanked him while slightly confused, Ashren-sama nodded
with satisfaction. 'Thank you' is the correct response here, right?
「Well then, I will return to my own room.」
Saying so, in a completely natural flow, he dropped a kiss on my cheek
and left.
~~!! Needless to say, after that, I wrapped myself in the sheets while
writhing in agony. Perhaps because of that, it didn't even cross my mind that
the reason Ashren-sama, who usually wakes up in a bad mood, didn't do so
this time was because he hadn't slept a wink.
Having gotten ready, we headed to the botanical garden located about a
two-hour carriage ride away.
Although called a botanical garden, its scale was larger than the area
of the castle, and partly because the surroundings were rich in nature, I
couldn't tell the boundary of when we had entered the botanical garden.
「Ah, Ashren-sama, that tree is something found in regions further
east from here, isn't it. Ah, that flower over there is...」
「Layla, calm down. Even so, to think it was
this vast. It will be impossible to look around everything in a few days.」
「In that case, by all means, please come to our Earl's territory for
your honeymoon. Actually, I am advising my father to build accommodation
facilities near here and turn it into a tourist destination. The inns are not
built yet, so please use the villa just like this time. And if possible, I
would like to hear your opinions.」
Blake-san, sitting opposite us, still had hair
that made it hard to tell if it was bedhead or natural waves. It looked like a
bird's nest, making me want to touch it a little.
「You are the eldest daughter, right, Layla-san? Will your younger
sister inherit your family home?」
Since I am getting married, it is natural for this topic to come up. Carter-sama's
punishment was decided afterward, and he is now doing hard labor in a mine
under the country's jurisdiction. I haven't heard about his term so I don't
know, but it should be a considerable amount of time.
As for Aisha, partly because her responsibility for the research
was originally smaller than Carter-sama's, she is scheduled to be
released after being imprisoned for a few years. However, for the Wilbas
Viscount family, there was apparently a partial confiscation of their territory
and a fine. I heard all of this from Ashren-sama, who read the letters
that arrived from my family home on my behalf, so there were probably omitted
parts, and overall, the expressions were sugarcoated.
「...Various things happened, and a cousin two years younger than me will
take over the succession.」
「I see, so he is the same age as me. I am envious that he has a
knowledgeable cousin like you, Layla-san. By the way, regarding the
greenhouse, it is in the center of the botanical garden...」
Blake-san, who smoothly changed the topic
there, might have sensed something from me dodging the question.
Looking at Ashren-sama, he was looking at me with some concern,
so I smiled back to show I was fine, and listened to Blake-san's talk
until we reached the greenhouse.
Where we arrived were greenhouses even larger than the one in the
medicinal herb garden, and there were as many as five of them built. When I
tugged on Ashren-sama's sleeve while suppressing the urge to start
running, he laughed with a wry smile, "Calm down." Even though Ashren-sama
himself was fidgeting with sparkling eyes.
We decided to enter them in order starting from the front for now, but
by the time we had looked through about half, sweat was beading on my forehead.
「I knew it would be, but it is hot.」
「This greenhouse is the largest, and there is a well in the center.
Let's take a break there.」
At the end of his pointing finger was a pump-style well and a water
area made of bricks surrounding it. There was a bench and a small table, making
it seem like a rest space, and on the table was a tray with several glasses
placed facedown on it.
「Layla-san, I am sorry, but I will pump the
water, so could you rinse the glasses?」
「Understood.」
「It's fine, Layla. I will do it. Your clothes will get wet.」
Ashren-sama placed the jacket he had already
taken off on the bench, rolled up his sleeves, and took the glasses.
I somewhat regretted not wearing a short-sleeved dress as well. Since I
heard it was a well-maintained botanical garden, I wore easy-to-walk-in short
boots and a knee-length dress, but I should have worn an outfit where I could
adjust my body temperature by taking something off.
Ashren-sama, for example, had unbuttoned his
first button and was flapping the chest of his shirt. As I averted my gaze,
wishing he would stop because his sex appeal was leaking out and it was poison
for the eyes, I was handed a glass filled with water with a "Here."
His bangs are wet probably because he washed his face too. At times like this,
I can't help but think that men who don't wear makeup are unfair.
「Thank you very much.」
When I received it, Ashren-sama headed to the well again,
switching places with Blake-san to pump the handle of the well up and
down. After exchanging a few light words, it was Blake-san's turn to
wash his face with water. How nice, it looks refreshing.
「Do you want to do it too, Layla?」
「I would like to if I could, but I am wearing makeup so I cannot.」
Then, Blake-san wet a handkerchief he took out of his pocket and
offered it to me.
「Just cooling the nape of your neck feels good, you know. Make sure you
stay hydrated—though you know that without being told by someone like me,
right?」
「Yes, thank you very much.」
I met the eyes of Blake-san as he brushed up his wet bangs. I
could clearly see the green eyes that are usually only visible through the gaps
in his unruly bangs.
A very beautiful emerald green. It shined just like a jewel, so much so
that I felt like I could be sucked in. Thinking it was a waste to hide this, I
was staring intently at them, when Blake-san tilted his head with a
puzzled face.
「Is there something on my face?」
「You have beautiful eyes, don't you. It is a waste that they are usually
hidden.」
「My older brother tells me to either cut my hair short or let it grow
out and tie it. But even if I cut it short, it grows quickly, and before it
gets long, it gets so frizzy it's unmanageable. I admire hair like yours, Ashren-sama.」
「I feel the same way.」
Ashren-sama, who had been listening to our
conversation, pinched his bangs and looked at them with a "Hm?", but
it seems he was born with it so naturally that he doesn't realize its value.
「I prefer your hair, Layla; it's nicer to the touch.」
「No, no, yours was much silkier, Ashren-sama.」
I was thinking that he absolutely doesn't do any maintenance, when Ashren-sama
slightly furrowed his brows.
「Have you ever touched my hair, Layla?」
「!」
Oh no. I can't possibly say that I secretly enjoyed touching it while he was sleeping. If I said something like that, it would come back to me multiplied many times over. While I was thinking about how to gloss over it, I heard a voice along with the sound of leaves being brushed aside.
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