When I heard this question, I froze for a moment, simply trying to comprehend it.
Who is more important to me?
What kind of question was that? Honestly, it was even a little ridiculous that Erica would ask me something like that!
Wasn't it like the typical question: who do you love more, mom or dad? At least, that was exactly how it sounded to me! After all, both Erica and Amalia were my good friends, and I treated them equally.
So, even though it was ridiculous, I immediately said:
"You and Amalia are both equally important to me!"
"Really?"
"Of course! How could it be otherwise?"
At first I was very surprised why Erica had even asked such a question, but then something dawned on me...
Could this really be jealousy?
I thought that such a thing only happened in the relationships of lovers, but I hadn't even suspected that friends could also experience similar feelings. And who would have thought that this could happen with us?
It was unexpected, but at the same time a little cute.
Nevertheless, I still wasn't going to allow any misunderstandings, and so I clearly stated my position from the very beginning.
"You and Amalia are my dear friends. Whatever happens, I am not going to single out either of you, and that is how it will always be."
But at the same time, the same thing applied to those two... I wanted all three of us to treat each other equally and maintain good relations!
After I said this, Erica was silent for some time, thinking. I also felt a little awkward, but nevertheless patiently waited until she said something.
Finally the girl opened her mouth and said something completely unexpected:
"If we really are equally important to you, then I want you to do something for me."
"What is it?"
Erica looked at me, and then unexpectedly stated directly:
"I want you to spend the night together with me."
Wait... did I hear that right?
I stared at her with rounded eyes.
"...W-what?"
I was already too stunned by her request. But then Erica finished me off with her next words:
"You sleep with Amalia every night. So, if I am also important to you, then do the same thing with me."
Uhh...
Was it just me, or did that sound a little ambiguous?
What did "sleep together" mean? Amalia and I simply shared one room, like roommates, that was all! Honestly, if some outsider could hear our conversation, they might even misunderstand.
And yet...
I was surprised that Erica's request was exactly that. Why did she even want this specifically? Although I was confused, still, looking into her red eyes, I hesitated.
Essentially, there really was nothing wrong with spending the night together... It was just sleeping together, that was all.
So I saw no reason to refuse. Besides, I still felt guilty before Erica for what had happened. And so I especially couldn't refuse any request of hers.
I thought for just a little while, after which I made a decision and nodded:
"All right, if that's what you want."
I smiled, but at the same time I had a slightly strange premonition.
***
In order to fulfill Erica's wish, I agreed to spend the night together with her tonight.
Besides, Amalia had already recovered enough to manage without my help, and so I also didn't have to worry about that.
When I told Amalia that I was going to spend the night in Erica's room today, she smiled and said:
"I see? All right. In that case, why don't we all spend the night together?"
"What?"
"Wouldn't it be more fun together?"
Well... that was also true.
Since Amalia's suggestion sounded quite logical, I thought it would really be good if we all spent the night together.
At least, those two should also spend more time with each other, and not only with me!
Thus, in the evening Amalia and I came together to Erica's room in the dormitory.
In fact, such sleepovers were not permitted by the orphanage administration, since everyone was supposed to sleep in their own room. Nevertheless, since no one strictly watched over it anyway, there was nothing wrong with us doing it today. So to speak, it was a small violation of the rules.
When Erica opened the door and saw us, her face unconsciously twisted.
"What is this?"
She asked this, meaning why we had come together.
"Ah, Erica, don't be surprised," I smiled warmly. "I just thought it would be fun if we all spent the night together! You don't mind, do you?"
But the girl only pressed her lips together and said nothing. It seemed she wasn't too pleased with this turn of events. Nevertheless, she sighed heavily, as if resigning herself.
"...Come in."
When we entered Erica's room, I saw a standard room that was the same as the others in the dormitory. Of course, I had already been here before.
The interior was simple and poor, with peeling paint on the walls. Of the furniture there were only two beds, one wardrobe, and a table. Of course, it was far from a luxury suite. Nevertheless, for an orphanage it was an ordinary setting.
Erica's room was also a little different from the others. The difference was that, unlike other children who lived in a room two or three to a room, Erica lived here alone. In other words, she didn't even have roommates.
Yeah, so much space for just one person... Honestly, I was actually a little envious of Erica in that regard!
"What do you want to drink?" came the question, as Erica tried to show her hospitality.
By that time I had already plopped down on the bed and relaxed.
"What do you have?"
"Depending on what you want."
"Well..." I thought. "I wouldn't say no to a glass of juice."
"And I would like tea," Amalia smiled.
"There's no tea. There's only juice."
Amalia couldn't hold back and snorted with laughter.
"Ah, I see... well then there's nothing to be done. I'll have juice too."
In the end we successfully spent the rest of the evening doing some nonsense. We played a board game that we had already played a hundred times before, but since we had no other alternative, we had to make do with what we had. In other words, the evening passed quite acceptably.
Nevertheless, the main dilemma arose when we finished playing and it was time to go to bed.
The problem was that there were only two beds in Erica's room. And there were three of us...
This meant that one of us would have to sleep on the floor.
Well, of course, there wasn't much point even thinking about it. After all, it was obvious that it would be me.
"Erica, can you give me an extra blanket and pillow?" I asked. "I'll sleep on the floor."
Nevertheless, when I said this, Amalia immediately objected:
"No, the floor is cold! How can you sleep on the floor?"
That was true. But there was nothing to be done, since there were only two beds.
"It's fine. It's summer now, so even the floor isn't that cold."
"No! Then I'll sleep on the floor, and you take the bed."
When Amalia categorically refused to accept that I was going to sleep on the floor, I was at a loss.
And moreover, her suggestion angered me even more.
What? No, that was completely unacceptable! How could I make the duke's daughter sleep on the floor? No matter how you look at it, of the three of us, such a place really suited me most of all.
Thus, I was still going to insist on my own.
"Amalia, you can't sleep on the floor. You were sick not long ago! Everything will be fine if I just spend one night like this."
"No, I can't allow that."
In the end Amalia and I argued about this for some time, until Erica put in her word:
"In that case, you can sleep together with me on the bed."
"What?"
"If we lie together on one bed, then I think we can fit."
Unlike Amalia, Erica didn't go for "self-sacrifice" and offer me her bed in exchange for the floor, but instead came to a completely different decision. Nevertheless, it seemed that this decision only sowed even more tension in our room.
Hearing this, Amalia measured Erica with an angry gaze and snorted.
"Hazel, maybe you would be better off sleeping with me?" she suggested.
"W-what?"
"If you don't mind, then we can also sleep together on one bed."
I couldn't understand how everything that had happened could lead to this, but at the moment two pairs of eyes were fixed on me. Red, like fresh blood, and blue, like the azure sky.
And those two pairs of eyes were directed at me with a certain expectation.
Expectation of what?..
Did I really have to decide who I would sleep with?!