Chapter 24: The Day Before Departure

“Grandma! Ready? Make sure you lock it this time, okay? Right after I get on, okay? Yes, Grandma!"
Grunting, I kneel on the huge leather trunk that was once used by grandma back when she traveled abroad.

Under my weight, grandma yelps as her dead-branch finger gets caught on the clasp of the trunk that finally manages to close with a squeak.
"I can't do it, dear! You have to reduce the number of books by 10 or this will never close!!!"
"I can't do that, I already did my best to reduce it to what it is now!!"

"Please show them to your grandmother, she has to reduce it by 20.”
Mother came into the room while grandma and I were arguing. I hold up my accessories and other dresses.
"Hey, Tia. I still think you should take at least three more summer dresses with you."

"It's okay, mom and grandma !! I'm going to study medicine !!!"


Ten days have passed since that evening party.
Tomorrow, I will finally leave home to attend the School of Medicine at Luton Imperial University, a full day's train ride north of this region.
Now my house was in a fuss to prepare.

"Hey … don’t you think it's okay to delay enrollment for another year …”
Mother casually brings up a topic that has been discussed at length with both father and mother already.
"No, if I do that, I'll have to take the exam again."
"Because you see … what about your wonderful pair …”
"Adele has already accepted this."
Just then, the doorbell rang and my grandmother, who had gone to check for me, came back with a beaming smile.

"You are here every day, truly … it’s so nice to be young …!”


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Every day, Adele rides on a horse and takes me around the Principality.
Because of that, my preparations for going on to higher education are terribly delayed …

Today, we head to a hill overlooking the academy.
The wind feels good, and when I get off the horse, I stretch.
I have loved this place since I was a child, with its short, light green meadows spreading out under the blue sky, dotted with yellow dandelions.

"Are you ready to leave?"
Adele doesn’t answer as he ties his horse to a tree.

Adele, along with Julius and the others, will be entering the Imperial Knight Order in Heilban, one of the largest cities in the Empire, which is considered the best way to advance in the Imperial Academy's knight course.

"You and your friends will leave the day after tomorrow, right? I know you're busy, so don't worry about seeing me off."
At that, Adele looks at me in amazement.
What I told my mother earlier was a lie.
Adele did not want to accept that we would be separated, not even a little bit.

"It's okay, I'll be back here during the summer vacation. It's not just four months ..."
He grabs my hips in an embrace, kissing my forehead, then presses our foreheads together and pouts.
“……… Too long. Four days is already too long, but four months is absolutely impossible.”
"Time will pass in the blink of an eye, Adele"

" … Hah …”
Adele caressed his lips from my cheeks to my chin and neck,
"Why … can't we …”
Yes, we've been intimate every day … many times a day since that evening, but … I still don't see any signs of pregnancy.

"I don’t get it. It's unreasonable that they accomplished it and we haven't."
He mumbles in contempt.
"You don't think they're ……”

"Cornelia-sama and Julius-sama, right?"
"You shouldn't talk about them like that!"
Yes, it seems that the two of them had their first official relationship the day after the evening party (Cornelia shyly told me) ... and the other day, they found out she was pregnant.

"Julius-sama and Cornelia-sama were too close to understand each other well. They realized their mistake and what matters most to each other ……”
I can't help but murmur in enrapture. The two of them cuddling together, informing me of her pregnancy, and the cheerful Cornelia was just divine!.
"Julius dared to play a villain for the three of us who weren’t being honest."

"No, it's all because he delayed his decision-"
Adele states with a stern look.
"-And Julius was always looking at you in a lewd way. All the time. You didn't know it, but he was famous in the Knight course for always saying how cute and pretty you were.”
"That's not what I meant. Julius told you the other day, didn't he?"
A few days after the evening party, I remember Julius, who came to apologize to me and Adele again, told me.

--- You know, I've always admired you, Tiana. You could find things to make your life easier. As a knight, I wondered what I should do, what I should believe in from now on? In the midst of all that, you were different.

--- I didn't care if the duchy fell or if House Arita lost its power. I just loved Cornelia, protected her, and carried on for her. I think you were the last knight of the Principality of Arita. That's what I admired about you, I guess.

When Adele saw me starting to grin, he grumbled... and touched my breasts, over my clothes.
"Kya ..."
"You always look at Julius with enchanted eyes, and Julius says you're cute, really …”
"Are you jealous?"
I teased, but Adele's touching stops for a moment … and I thought he was going to get mad at me!

"Amazing, I’ve been jealous every day."
He stops me from speaking with a nibble at my lips, and my heart goes weak.
Adele looks at me, kisses me gently … and sighs.
"...… We were supposed to have a healthy date this evening, but I can't hold back."

I speak with a quivering voice.
"Yes, you promised ..."
"We can go if you don't mind doing it on the horse for the rest of the trip." (yes that)
It's an outrageous suggestion, and my head boggles at just imagining it.

"What are you talking about, you idiot? Everyone's going to be so shocked, mothers are going to faint!"
"We can hide it with our clothes so that it won’t show."
Adele says as he presses his body against me with a giggle.

What I found out again was that Adele was very … bold. He was originally the type of guy who didn't care what people thought, but he started to be more and more direct about his feelings. I'm very happy that he wants me like that … but sometimes he'll say something that surprises me.

"You idiot! You … animal! I hate …”
"Is that so? But I love you."
He responds with a straight face immediately.

"Wow, I love you too …”
When I accidentally replied, I turned away and, "Ahhhhh"
“I'm going to hold you now until the last second before we have to leave. We don't have a lot of time."
He picks me up and takes me towards the horse. Mounting his horse, he then flings himself on the back, turns me around, and kisses me again. (I was relieved he didn't try penetrating here).

Whenever we’re together, Adele kisses me constantly.
I didn't know that Adele was such a sweetheart … it’s somehow cute. Yes, I already love him, stupid suggestions and all.
From now on, I will be held to my limits again in the privacy of Adele's mansion.
I wonder if I'm really prepared for tomorrow's departure … By now, grandma must have pulled out all my books from the trunk …

Adele, I'm sad to be away from you too, but I have to go to school so that we can be together in every way in the future.

As I listened to Adele's heart beating in his chest, I felt the breeze of the Principality of Arita on my cheeks.

 

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