The mountain path was filled with the scent of trees, and Fuuka, who was raised in the royal capital and unaccustomed to it, took a deep breath.
She gazed at the back of Miyako, her former rival in love walking ahead.
Why.
Just why had she taken her hand?
“We’ll be there soon, Fuuka-chan.”
“Honestly, such a mountain path…”
“It’ll definitely feel great, the open-air bath!”
Open-air bath.
At the unfamiliar term, Fuuka shrugged.
Though she hadn’t noticed it when they were interacting as rivals, this woman named Miyako was truly eccentric in some way.
“Today, let’s warm up in the bath and go to bed early! The weather seems like it might turn bad, too.”
“Is that also your [Clairvoyance]?”
“No, it’s the western sky.”
Miyako pointed at the sky.
The area beyond the western sky was dark.
“Weather moves from the west!”
“…Huh.”
So, she can read the sky.
Sky reading is one of the skills included in white magic. In this country, white magic has long been considered an accomplishment for well-bred young ladies, but nowadays, most people buy their mastery licenses with money.
The Hamilton family was no exception. “Rather than wasting time on white magic, you should go buy a dress instead,” her father had said.
Fuuka had rebelled against that. “If I don’t obtain the mastery license with my own power, it’s meaningless,” she had insisted.
Probably, thinking back on it now.
That, too, must have displeased her father.
Things you haven’t earned with your own power are meaningless, Fuuka thought.
Surely, that shouldn’t be wrong.
“It’s still far off, so I hope the weather holds until we get home.”
Miyako, who casually used her white magic knowledge like this, must be more hardworking than Fuuka had thought.
“…Hmph. Miyako, you’re quite something, aren’t you?”
“Huh!? Did I just get praised by Fuuka-chan!?”
“I did not praise you.”
“Aww, that’s too bad~!”
How very honest.
Yes.
That time, when she took Miyako’s hand, it must have been a moment of weakness.
She was a little tired.
Life here was full of experiences she could never have had in the royal capital.
The farm work she had wanted to try.
The cooking that was harder than she thought.
Even the continental language she had been studying for so long. Today was the first time she had actually used it.
When she was told, “You’ll make a good merchant.” even though she knew it was half lip service, her heart had fluttered uncontrollably.
The efforts she had made were bearing fruit in the real world, through her own power.
It was so exciting. It felt like her fatigue had vanished.
“That’s right. I was just a little tired.”
“Huh?”
“It’s nothing.”
Yes, she was just a little tired.
That’s why, by the windy window, she had taken that hand.
Miyako’s white, strong hand.
Just tired, surely, just tired.
So, for these two weeks, she would take a break.
“The deadline is two weeks. By then, make me say I’m happy,” she had said.
Even so, she had no intention of saying “I’m happy,” nor did she plan to.
This was just a two-week-long mischief.
Suddenly.
A plant growing by the nearby river caught her eye.
It was a medicinal herb she had only ever seen in books.
“Moonlight Grass?”
“Huh? What is it, Fuuka-chan?”
“It’s a rare medicinal herb. Said to be blessed by the moon goddess and effective against any illness, it’s a highly potent mining herb.”
“Huh, shall we take it?”
“No.”
Fuuka shook her head.
“Moonlight Grass is famous for being difficult to preserve. It would be wasteful to take it unnecessarily.”
“I see. That makes sense.”
They walked on, step by step.
Step by step, step by step.
“…”
“…But, if it’s just observing it up close, it shouldn’t be a sin, right?”
“Fufufu, yeah. I think so too, Fuuka-chan!”
Once she returned to the royal capital, she would never have another chance to see Moonlight Grass growing wild.
Oh well, oh well.
“Alright, wait a moment. Ah, ahhh~~~!?”
As Fuuka eagerly tried to descend to the stream, her feet slipped in the mud.
…Splash.
Steam. Warmth. A secret hot spring.
Unable to hold back her voice, Fuuka trembled.
“Ahhh ahhh~~~♡♡ I-It feels so gooood♡♡♡”
Ah, it’s warm. It’s warming me from the core of my chilled body!
Or rather, isn’t this incredibly comfortable?
What is this? I don’t know. Such pleasure…
“Whew~, that’s great. Good thing there’s a bath nearby!”
“Miyako, what’s with that nosebleed?”
Haha, maybe I’m overheated. As Miyako laughed and wiped the blood, Fuuka gently distanced herself.
Thank you for reading. I’m very happy!
Fuuka, who refuses to say “I’m happy,” will she fall within the remaining 12 days…??