“What about you?”

“…Me.”

“Yes, you?”

“I too, I too only like you. I only want to… only want to do it with you, Catherine. Just imagining you rolling around with another man makes my insides twist… I’ve never even looked at another woman…”

“And so?”

“What?”

“And so!”

Catherine stomped her feet impatiently, urging him to spit out the words she wanted to hear. Usually he was so quick-witted and sharp, but why was he so dense now?

Michael’s face gradually softened as he realized what her urging meant.

His complexion, which had turned pale, regained its color as he tightly embraced her with both arms and said, “Catherine, I love you.”

Yes, that was it. This.

“Right, you idiot. That’s what you should say. Why go in circles?”

Catherine hugged Michael’s broad back in return and muttered with a bright smile.

Complete joy filled her. Relief settled on Michael’s face as he deeply kissed her hair.

“I love you, Catherine Notrisha. For a long time. From the beginning. I’ve only loved you.”

“I know, Michael. We were destined to love each other from the start. Right? Even though we realized it too late.”

Michael also smiled with a face that couldn’t hide his feelings at Catherine’s voice, which held not a shred of doubt.

“I’m just happy that I realized it even now.”

“Well… I feel the same, Michael. I’m glad we realized it now, really. If we hadn’t had s*x, how long would it have taken us to realize we loved each other?”

With their foreheads touching, the two giggled.

“Who knows. Even if it took a long time, we would have realized it eventually.”

“What if we had realized it when I was an old wrinkled grandmother? I would have had no strength or passion left.”

“Then I would have been old and without strength too, wouldn’t I?”

“Oh, my goodness… Then it’s really fortunate that we realized it now. Since we both have so much energy that it’s almost painful.”

“It’s going to get more painful in the future. What will you do?”

“…Hmm, I’ll try to build up more stamina. And I actually… like that energetic side of you.”

The eyes of the two facing each other sparkled with the same warmth. Their hearts, overflowing with love, felt ticklish and warm.

It was the moment they became lovers after being very old friends.

-Epilogue-

“Oh my, did you say Catherine’s horse has a terminal illness?”

On a warm afternoon.

Countess Notrisha and Countess Heimdall¹T/N: are they a count or ducal family? I also don’t know which one is which. The author is using the terms interchangeably had their Tuesday gathering, shopping and visiting scenic places.

It was Roselyn, Countess Heimdall’s first long outing since recovering from the aftereffects of the carriage accident.

Until now, she had mostly stayed at her mansion or had very brief tea times, unable to resist the fuss made by the overly concerned Leila. Having a long time out with a friend for once made her feel exceptionally good.

With a healthy complexion, she was drinking tea under the sunlight when she widened her eyes at Countess Leila Notrisha’s words.

“By Catherine’s horse… do you mean the one that the former Count Notrisha brought for Catherine’s first birthday?”

“Yes. He was such a horse lover. He wanted to personally select his granddaughter’s first horse. It took him a whole year, you know.”

“Right, the one with the beautiful orange coat, I remember. I saw it a few times too. But… that child is dying soon?”

“Yes, its heart has weakened considerably. The doctor says it has three months at most.”

Leila recalled the conversation she had with the family doctor about two months ago. Allen was an excellent doctor who occasionally checked on animals’ health as well.

He had noticed something unusual about Catherine’s horse Tintin by chance, and upon careful examination, discovered a heart problem.

Allen wisely didn’t speak to Catherine, the horse’s owner, first, but went to the Countess instead.

He couldn’t easily tell her that the horse she had grown up with could die at any moment. Leila was deeply saddened.

— I should tell Catherine myself.

— My lady…

— I hope she won’t be too shocked.

That conversation had taken place three months ago. Even then, Allen had said Tintin would live a year at most, or as little as six months. And now Tintin had weakened further, with three months being the best-case scenario…

Unable to delay telling Catherine any longer, Leila had revealed the news a few days ago. Naturally, Catherine fell into deep sorrow and was extremely sad.

And throughout that week, Michael had come. To comfort Catherine in her grief…

Leila, who had been drinking her tea, suddenly burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny, Leila?”

“No, our bet. Come to think of it, I won, right?”

“Our bet…? Ah, that one?”

“Yes. I was right, wasn’t I? I had a feeling. That those two would start dating within six months.”

Leila had first noticed something strange when Michael and Catherine were acting awkwardly with each other a few months ago.

Even without the Tuesday reading club, the two children would visit each other whenever they had time. They would come up with all sorts of trivial reasons.

‘I bought macarons. I thought the blue ones would suit Michael well…’

‘I stopped by on my way to Westwood.’

‘There’s a new plant encyclopedia out, I wanted to look at it together…’

‘I remembered something she asked for, so I came to give it to her…’

‘I suddenly felt wronged about what he said to me last time. I’ll be back.’

And so on. They visited each other for such insignificant reasons.

Then there was a time when these two children didn’t even call each other’s names for exactly one week.

When Leila casually mentioned Michael’s name in passing, Catherine’s expression was different from usual. As soon as she saw that, Leila thought that these two had finally become aware of each other.

It was the same on the day of Rosie’s accident. She could clearly read Michael’s restless expression when he saw her. Though he was usually expressionless, his subtle anxiety was obvious.

He just paced around, unable to even say Catherine’s name, which should have naturally come out.

‘What, really? My goodness… Is my dull son finally recognizing his feelings?’

‘I give it exactly six months. Until they’re madly in love with each other and dating.’

‘Isn’t six months too long? They’ve been just friends for decades…’

‘Since they’re late bloomers, they’ll heat up quickly.’

‘You think so?’

And so the two mothers made a bet. Leila said six months, Rosie said a year. And the final winner was Leila.

“Do those children really think we haven’t noticed their relationship?”

“Just leave them be. It’s cute. Secret romance is so much fun.”

“True. They’re adorable. They’ve always been so special to each other since they were little, and finally…”

Leila and Rosie laughed comfortably. It was something they had been prepared for for a very long time.

The two women, closer than sisters, had jokingly said since their youth that if they had children, they would create a connection between them.

And those words, spoken without much meaning, had become reality. Life really seemed interesting. Leila and Rosie looked at each other’s wrinkled eyes and smiled warmly.

“So since I’m the winner of the bet, the Heimdall family will prepare the wedding, right?”

“Yes, yes. Of course. But the reception will be held at Notrisha.”

“Of course. Ah, I’m already looking forward to it. Actually, I was quite worried because Catherine wouldn’t even look at any man other than Michael.”

“As if Michael was any different.”

The laughter of the two middle-aged ladies spread throughout the garden lush with greenery.

“But… shouldn’t Catherine and Michael be arriving by now?”

“You’re right. It’s about time they arrived… Are they going to be late?”

The midday sun was high overhead. Leila turned her head toward the direction where the carriage carrying Michael and Catherine should be coming.

But no matter how intently she looked, nothing could be seen on the golden sandy road.

⁕⁕⁕

“Hah, nngh! Ah, uh… we’re, l-late… Ah, hah!”

Eventually, Catherine couldn’t hold back her moans and raised her voice. Michael, who was chuckling, dove between her wet folds under her voluminous skirt and hushed her with a “Shh.”

“Are you planning to let, hoo… the coachman outside hear all those lewd sounds, Catherine?”

“Hng, ngh…! Th-then you should stop.”

“You were the one who started it. You said you’ve never, ha, nngh… done it in a carriage… That you were curious.”

“B-but I didn’t mean, ah, uh… right now… Hah! Aahn!”

Perhaps because she was conscious of keeping her voice down, her juices flowed freely even without much f*replay. She couldn’t control it, and she worried her skirt might get visibly wet.

With a flushed face, Catherine glared at Michael tearfully. He smiled and kissed her heated eyes.

“Don’t look at me like that. It makes me, hah, want to do more.”

“You really are, mmm, a lecher. You know that…?”

“Only with you… It’s because it’s you.”

She liked his answer. Catherine rested her forehead on his shoulder and couldn’t help but smile.

“From now on, will you do… mm, ah, mmm, everything I’m curious about, Michael?”

Michael answered while kissing her small face incessantly.

“Of course, Catherine.”

That low, whispering voice was wonderful. Catherine happily smiled and moved her hips lewdly.

My Michael, my dear lover.

Satisfy all my curiosity, Michael. I will drench you like an endless spring.

The carriage parked on the roadside swayed suspiciously. Catherine bit her lip to suppress her moans, unaware that the coachman who had driven the carriage had already moved far away and started taking a nap.

Tweet!

A small white bird flew over and perched briefly on the carriage roof, then flew far away, startled by the vibrations.

It was just one of many lovely days, no different from any other.