Chapter 48

Thinking that next time she would definitely come again with Gin, Ethea looked at Lyle and answered,

“Yes, just…… that next time I should come with Gin.”

“Ah. We’ll end up coming together.”

If she was the one going with the child, why was he saying it so definitively?

Ethea wanted to make it clear to him that she was Gin’s guardian. So she deliberately treated him like an outsider and asked,

“We’ll end up coming together? Why? Are you planning to come too?”

At that, Lyle put on an utterly pitiful expression.

“Ah. I can’t come?”

“No……. come. Together.”

“Thank you, Ethea.”

His unexpected gratitude made Ethea feel terribly awkward. The sincerity in his trembling voice was so transparent that she could feel it clearly. For no reason, heat flared across her face, and she looked ahead.

But what was this? She ought to have been seeing the river, yet there was nothing. Truly nothing at all. All that could be seen was a pure white sky. In that brief instant of 0.001 seconds, what she realized was that this was the cliff at the end of the river.

‘Are we falling like this, or…… we’re falling!’

“Gin!”

Reflexively, Ethea clung to Lyle’s body and shut her eyes.

＊  ＊  ＊

‘I don’t want to die. I can’t die in such an absurd way. After going to another region for the first time in my life and having fun, what kind of bolt from the blue is this……’

Ethea felt as though her heart would shatter.

And yet, what was this? Her body, which she had thought would be crushed by a violent impact, felt no shock at all.

“Ah…… what is this?”

Waiting for Ethea was not a hard riverbed, but soft pale-pink blades of grass. The grass moved like living creatures, securely supporting both her and Lyle.

And Lyle, who had fallen with her, showed not the slightest sign of surprise, only gazing at her calmly.

“You were very startled, weren’t you?”

“If it were you, wouldn’t you be startled? I thought my heart would burst!”

“Sorry. I didn’t tell you beforehand. The magicians here changed most of the dangerous parts into fun ones. Since it’s a resort where people are supposed to enjoy themselves, there shouldn’t be dangerous places.”

“Ah……”

Why was the way he said that so casually so irritating? Instead of hitting him, Ethea bit down hard on her lower lip.

‘This fool Lyle. What is with that expression? I really don’t like how he seems to be looking at me like some country bumpkin for being startled by a magical contraption like thi……’

“But is this really all right?”

“What is?”

“This position.”

Only then did Ethea realize that their current position was rather embarrassing.

When they had fallen off the cliff, she had been so startled and frightened that she had clung tightly to Lyle’s body and hugged him. They had fallen in exactly that state. And now, having landed on the grass, somehow both her hands were braced against Lyle’s chest as he lay there. She was draped over his body.

Of all things, he had removed his top for swimming. She too was dressed very lightly, and since her clothes were wet, it was rather embarrassing.

“Ah, sorry!”

Ethea quickly pulled away from him while apologizing.

‘Come to think of it, maybe I shouldn’t have apologized.’

She regretted it almost at once. It was Lyle’s fault for startling her by not explaining beforehand, and it was not her fault either that they had ended up collapsed in such an awkward position. Out of awkwardness, Ethea fiddled pointlessly with her hair.

Lyle pushed himself up on one arm and looked at her, then suddenly took her hand.

“Etty.”

Caught off guard by her hand being taken, Ethea answered in surprise.

“Yes?”

“I liked it.”

What on earth did he mean he liked? Surely he was not about to say something perverse, like that he had liked the way she had touched his bare body?

“You per……!”

Lyle’s words came faster than Ethea’s outburst.

“The way you grabbed me and hugged me when you thought it was dangerous.”

“Ah……”

“Of course, you called Gin’s name and not mine.”

Ahh. So that was what he had liked. Fortunately, she heard the rest before she managed to fully say the word pervert.

‘If I had accidentally blurted out what was in my heart, I would have been the only one looking strange.’

And so Ethea quietly let out a sigh of relief where Lyle could not notice.

Lyle held Ethea’s hand more tightly and looked into her eyes. Ethea did not dislike this act of holding hands either. More than forcefulness, there was a stronger sense of tenderness in it, and she could feel that in his gaze as well.

Those golden eyes carrying seriousness. When they had first reunited, she had felt those eyes had become terribly cold, but now they seemed different. Why, why…… did one part of her heart ache whenever she looked into his eyes?

“Can I think a little selfishly?”

“Hm?…… About what?”

“That I can think of myself as someone you want to find in a crisis. A friend you can rely on. Can I think that I’ve become that kind of person to you, Etty?”

Was he not becoming strangely too serious? Ethea answered Lyle as indifferently as she could.

“What are you talking about? What just happened was only a reflexive reaction.”

“……”

“You suddenly get serious like this, and it’s scary.”

“I’m always serious.”

“……”

“Whenever I meet you.”

The hand holding hers began to feel hotter and hotter. Without thinking, she slipped free from his grasp. At that, he lowered his gaze, as if embarrassed.

“Ah, it’s hot here.”

“It is.”

Trading such trivial words, the two sat on the grass for a while. Then Lyle suggested,

“Shall we go back up?”

“Yes. Let’s. It’s amazing that even if you fall with a thud, it doesn’t hurt. I want to try it again!”

“All right, then.”

Readily answering, Lyle suddenly whistled toward the distance. At once, the big jelly goose flew back toward them.

Ethea stared at the jelly goose in wonder. Where had it even been all this time? It was amazing enough that it came flying with just one whistle. Had Lyle trained it? Or did it simply react to the sound of a whistle?

“Let’s go.”

“All right.”

The two of them climbed onto the goose again and rose back upward.

The human heart really was strange. Earlier, when she had known nothing, falling had seemed dreadful and terrifying. But after hearing that magical safety measures were in place, that dread had turned into exhilaration.

“Lyle. When falling down from the river-is it all right even if you’re not riding the goose? It would be fine to jump down like diving, right?”

“Of course. The whole falling space has magic cast over it, so you can jump off however you like. It’s safe.”

At those words, reassured, she headed for the cliff again the moment the jelly goose set them down by the river. To think she had learned how to float in the water for swimming, only to get excited over falling play instead. Even she found it ridiculous, but still, the feeling that it would be amazing and thrilling would not let her stop.

“It really is fine if I just drop down from here?”

“I said it is. You experienced it just now. Don’t worry.”

Even while nodding, Ethea still could not quite bring herself to jump. Instead she only looked down at the dizzying drop below. Even while wishing to land pleasantly on that soft pink grass, she was still somewhat scared.

At that, Lyle held out his hand to her.

“If you’re really scared, should I hold your hand?”

“No.”

“Ah.”

At the immediate refusal, Lyle scratched his forehead, looking embarrassed. Ethea caught hold of his arm.

“Just holding hands won’t do.”

“Hm?”

“At least linking arms. Lyle.”

“Ah…… oh!”

Led by Ethea, their bodies linked arm in arm and fell endlessly down below. She had already heard it was safe, but even so, linking arms with Lyle as they fell made her feel more secure. Somewhere deep in her heart seemed to be a groundless belief that if it was the Emperor, then whatever he did would be safe. Lyle seemed a little startled, but even in the middle of falling he pulled her body closer to his.

It really was safe. Once again, the pink grass cradled both their bodies gently.

“Waaah! This is really so much fun!”

“If so, then that’s a reli……”

“Fweeeet!”

Instead of waiting for Lyle, Ethea whistled. Just as before, the jelly goose flew toward them again. What an obedient little thing. Sitting on the jelly goose’s basket-like back first, Ethea looked at Lyle.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you getting on?”

“I’m getting on right now.”

Prompted by her, Lyle quickly climbed onto the jelly goose’s back.

“Fweeeet! Fweet!”

At two strong whistles, the goose took flight again and safely carried them back up to the river atop the cliff.