Chapter 5 A Gift from You to Me
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
October 21st
When I visited her room this morning, I really felt like time had stopped within me.
The bed sheets hugged her shape, the pillow falling to the floor.
The only remnants of her being in this room were those.
It’s not like I was sad or anything like that.
Rather, I felt a sense of losing everything.
While my mind was completely blank, a sense of impatience welled up within my chest, and even though I wanted to move my body, I couldn’t even breathe properly.
Finally, the only thing that came out of my mouth was her name.
However, no matter how much I called, there was no response from anywhere.
The confusion and despair at that time, I could never express it with my limited vocabulary.
I ran all around the house.
Over and over again.
I went to the garden, and then returned to the room, calling her name.
Even though I knew that such actions were meaningless, at that moment, I couldn’t accept the idea that she had left the house.
How much time did I spend meaninglessly inside the house?
Before I knew it, the sun was high, and only then did I realize it, and I finally rushed out of the house.
I ran around the streets, shouting her name continuously.
I’m sure many people thought I had gone crazy.
But I didn’t care about people’s gaze.
I wanted her to be safe.
I wanted her to come back.
I wanted her to forgive me.
But I was powerless.
I couldn’t do anything on my own.
I couldn’t achieve anything.
I couldn’t find her, I didn’t even have a clue where to search.
My chest tightened, blood seeped into my mouth, and my body stopped obeying my heart, contrary to my intentions. At that moment, Beth came running to me.
Kanon had heard about me in the town and sent Beth to me.
”Kanon-sama has already found her. Viola-sama is heading to her homeland.”
When I heard those words, I truly felt lucky that my legs had moved on their own. But…
’I still hate it. I wanted to go back. I didn’t want to stay in that house.’
Those thoughts flooded my mind for a moment, but they didn’t hold any meaning against my selfish desires.
”It seems like she has caught the attention of some troublesome people. And Kanon-sama said… ‘I could help you, but what will you do?’…”
Now, Beth’s line she spoke a while ago came back to me. At that time, it seems Beth’s words didn’t even register in my mind. Rather, I reached out and grabbed the sword Beth had offered, then ran with all my might.
I couldn’t catch my breath, stumbled repeatedly, but still couldn’t stop. Later, Kanon pointed out, ‘Calm down. With a magic tool, you could have rescued that girl before she went through so much fear,’ which I completely agree with.
”Besides, Beth ended up showing a side she didn’t want you to see ever again. It’s all your fault,” she sighed, but I had no words to return.
I know problems won’t be solved with just feelings. I should have already learned that lesson deep down.
And yet, I haven’t applied that lesson at all. Kanon, who repeatedly speaks for my state of mind, must be utterly exasperated, saying, ‘You really are hopeless.’
After running for several hours and being guided by the light trail left by Kanon, when I found Viola, I felt too powerless.
Even when I saw Viola about to be r*ped in front of me, I had no power to save her.
I’m truly a useless man.
A disgraceful man.
Without strength, courage, or cleverness.
Thinking I can save Viola is a bit too sure of myself.
…
However, even so, I clung to her.
I knelt down without shame, honor, or pride, and begged for forgiveness.
It must have been unsightly.
It must have been ugly.
I have no reason to believe she forgave me, but still, she…
Came back to my house.
Viola…
Ah…
Why can you live so nobly?
The purity of your soul and mine is far apart.
* * *
”Nice to meet you! Well, not really, but… hello?”
”H-Hello…!”
Beth, who had visited Lute’s house after a long time, smiled at me with her usual cheerful voice.
”Even though we just met the other day, I didn’t properly greet you…and I apologize for showing you an unsightly appearance.”
”Oh, please don’t apologize! On the contrary, I should be the one thanking you…”
”No, no, I haven’t done anything to deserve thanks.”
”N-No, that’s not true!! I’m really grateful!”
As I hurriedly bowed my head, Beth smiled wryly and shrugged her shoulders.
Her light purple twin tails swayed beside her head. Her eyes were big and slightly upturned, giving off a lively vibe just by looking at them.
She wore a white brim and a pure white apron, and her figure wrapped in what seemed to be a modified maid outfit was truly lovely.
While I was captivated by her, she somehow laughed amusingly and folded her knees in front of me, peering into my face.
”You really are as beautiful as a goddess. The goddess of the moon~♡”
”Wha-?! N-No, that’s not true!!”
”It’s understandable that Lute is so obsessed with Viola-sama.”
”W-What…!! Th-That’s…!!”
”Hehe♡ Your blushing face looks beautiful too♡”
”W-What… W-What are you doing…!!”
I mean, I still have the compress Lute mixed on my face. The wounds from when I was attacked by that animal haven’t fully healed. How can anyone say that this face is beautiful?
And… Lute is so obsessed with me… Th-That’s impossible…
I wonder… Does Beth see it that way?
I might want to hear more details about it.
”Viola also likes Lute, right? How wonderful~♡ Mutual love~♡”
”~~~~~!?!”
I-If Beth sees it that way… That, that could be bad… Because if it’s true, then Lute…
No, wait… Is it not bad? Which one is it?
Seeing me open and close my mouth, Beth chuckled and laughed.
On a warm afternoon, only she and I are in the room.
I’m glad that Lute isn’t here.
By the way, Lute is currently cooking in the kitchen for the three of us.
”Well, let’s save the talk for later! Viola-sama, more importantly, please stop using honorific language. I appreciate your feelings, but Viola-sama, who is under Lute-sama’s protection, has a higher position than me. Lute-sama may be a commoner, but he is a treasure of this country. He holds a position that is esteemed by Her Majesty the Queen Serenade.”
”H-higher position… But I am Lute’s…”
As I was about to say the word “slave,” Beth gently placed her hand on my lips and smiled.
”Sorry, I misspoke. You are Lute-sama’s… lover, Viola-sama.”
”~~~~~!?”
Being told that, I realized that my resistance towards her was meaningless.
* * *
Since the day Beth came to Lute’s house after a long time, she began visiting our house almost every day.
Up until now, she has been teaching Lute only about cooking, but now she’s teaching him a wide range of things, and she is teaching Lute with great enthusiasm especially about taking care of my personal belongings.
So, the clothes and underwear I wear have upgraded to a higher grade fabric. There is a stationary perfume placed in the room, and the beddings are colored. Simple but tasteful furnishings are brought into the room almost every day.
Plants, which used to be only in a vase, have increased in greenery. Shelves to display the small items that Lute prepared for me have also been installed.
What makes me most happy is the toilet-related improvements. Lute improved it so that I can flush the toilet by biting a lever with my mouth. Moreover, if I pull another lever, warm and clean water sprays out from under the toilet seat, cleaning my lower body.
The only drawback is that the water pressure is a bit too strong, and in the end, I still need Lute to wipe me, but I am really happy that I no longer have to worry about being smelled or seen with dirt.
After all, I don’t want to show Lute my dirty appearance as much as possible.
I want Lute to see me as clean as possible. And it seems that my feelings are completely transparent to Beth…
”Aaaahh!! So cute!! You’re truly like a goddess!!♡”
”I… Is that so? It’s not like that…”
Currently, Beth has braided my hair into three sections and applied makeup to me, which I haven’t done in a long time.
By the way, Lute was kicked out of the room and for some reason, he was forced to drink alone according to Beth’s instructions.
Apparently, she said, “Taking breaks is part of the job, so please relax once in a while!!”
”What are you saying?! Have confidence in yourself! If you had that beauty and didn’t think like that, what would that make me?!”
”B-Beth is cute, you know!”
”It’s not even comparable to just a maid and the goddess of moon… Look.”
I let out a sigh and as a mirror was pushed in front of me, I groaned and my face turned red.
Pink lipstick applied.
Curled eyelashes.
Subtle eyeliner.
Lightly applied blush.
”See? You look so beautiful, right? Like a princess that came out of a fairy tale~♡”
”…..! B-but… I have a bad look in my eyes…”
”That’s called bewitching.”
”B-but…”
”Don’t you want to show it to Lute-sama?~♡”
”…..!”
”Ahaha~♡ You’re so cute~♡ Your face is all red~♡ You want to show it, right?~♡ Because I’m sure you’ll think it’s absolutely cute~♡ There’s no way you wouldn’t want to show it~♡”
”~~~~~~!”
In an instant, I was grabbed by the handles of the wheelchair, unable to resist, and forced to enter the room while feeling uneasy.
Inside the room, Lute’s back was turned towards me as he looked out the window.
The moonlight illuminated his back, making my heart beat faster than usual.
”…..”
”See, don’t be nervous. Relax, relax.”
Beth’s whispered voice tickled my ear.
But it’s impossible not to be nervous, Beth.
My heart is racing, my face is hot, and it’s hard to breathe.
If things continue like this, my face will burn.
”Lute-sama~♡”
”Hm?”
”Ta-da~♡”
Lute looked over his shoulder and his eyes met mine,
”Huh!?”
”~~~~~”
Then, he opened his eyes in shock,
”How do you like it?~♡ Isn’t it beautiful?~♡”
As I watched myself turn bright red rapidly, I couldn’t bear the embarrassment and looked down.
”Lute, come over here, please~♡”
”Oh, uh…”
”Sit, sit~♡ Come closer and take a better look~♡”
”……”
As I looked down, Lute’s legs appeared in my field of vision, and I could tell he knelt to align himself with my face.
Is he a bit bolder than usual, or is it because of the alcohol?
”Come on…♡ Viola-sama…♡ Lute-sama is watching, you know?~♡”
”Uh…”
When I tried to hold back my embarrassment and looked up at Lute with a shy look,
”…”
”Huh…!!!!!”
His deep black eyes stared at me intensely, like the night’s curtain.
”Hehe~♡ I’m just going over there for a bit~♡”
Beth, who had pushed us into this situation, laughs and disappears somewhere,
”…”
”…”
Lute, who usually quickly averts his gaze, doesn’t try to avoid it at all.
”Hmm, isn’t it strange…?”
”…”
His gently extended hand is about to touch my cheek.
”…”
”…”
But it quickly startles and returns to its original position.
”You… you’re really beautiful…”
”…”
Saying such lines, he turns his ear-turning red and looks away.
”Ah, thank you…”
My mind was already in a mess.
…
…
…
That evening, Lute, who always comes to my bed, goes to the edge of the bed and tries to separate our bodies, but I ignore it and stick closely to his back.
”…Vi… viola.”
…
Both of us couldn’t sleep, and in the end, we overslept the next morning.
It was a surprisingly happy night.
* * *
Recently, I have started going for a walk after Lute finishes his morning chores.
Although it’s called a walk, I’m still in a wheelchair.
”So cute!”
”I-is that so…”
”It is~♡ I recommend it~♡”
I went around the town, took a little walk to the nearby forest, and even went to the lake with Lute.
Lute always silently follows me as I slowly move forward.
On that day, Lute, who listened to my wishes, had come to visit a variety store where he always buys things for me. Walking beside Lute was Beth, dressed in casual clothes.
Her simple outfit, consisting of a plain blouse, a short jacket, and a navy blue skirt, suited her well and looked incredibly cute.
Then, as soon as I stepped into the store, I couldn’t help but look around and exclaim in excitement. There were cute accessories, stuffed animals, and colorful perfume bottles.
When I was in the knight order, I couldn’t visit shops like this due to the rules. The hometown where I lived before joining the knight order was in the countryside, and there were no stores like this for women… This is my first time experiencing something like this.
”Do you see anything you like?”
”Everything!”
”I see…”
”This! We have it at home!”
”Y-yes…”
There were only cute things no matter where I looked. Good-smelling soap, lovely hair accessories, beautiful necklace. Each one of them elicits a reaction, causing Lute to look up and smile, then quickly return to an expressionless face, repeating this cycle in a short span of time, appearing busy.
To be honest, his inability to maintain a completely expressionless face is quite cute.
”Ah…”
”…”
”Howaaaa…”
”…”
So this is where women in the world come to shop. No wonder they all wear cute things. Unlike me, who has never worn anything fancier than a golden armor.
”Lute, were you alone in this shop?”
”Uh… y-yes…”
”I see…”
Even though there were girls all around. I’m sure they were staring at him, it must have been so embarrassing.
”…Is there something you want?”
”Huh…?”
Is he going to buy it for me?
That would be a gift, right?
”Um, well…”
Wh-what should I do?
I’m so happy.
”But…”
”Don’t hold back, tell me.”
A gift…a gift from Lute…!
Is it better to wear it or leave it in the room?”
”Viola-sama~♡ What is this?~♡”
”Huh!?”
”What… What is…!!”
With a smile, Beth holds up a black negligee that seems almost see-through on the other side. Where did she find something like that?
”Viola-sama has fair skin and silver hair, so I think darker colors would suit you, don’t you think?~♡”
It’s not really a matter of whether it suits me or not. It’s practically see-through, to begin with. Look, Lute’s face is turning bright red over there…
Turning bright red…
Blushing…
”…Lute… What do you think?”
”Huh!?”
”Lute-sama♡?”
Could it be that he likes this kind of thing? If he does… Well, it’s embarrassing, but…
”Hey, hey, Lute-sama♡ Are you listening to me?♡”
”E-even if you ask me that! Beth! Don’t pull my clothes…!”
I wonder… If I were to wear this, how would Lute react? Honestly, I’m very interested.
”Oh, this one looks good too~♡”
”Ugh!?”
”……!?”
So where did you find something like that, Beth? The underwear has almost no fabric, and the parts that should be covered are open.
”B-Be, Beth!! Stop it! I can’t wear something like that!!”
”Aww~♡ But it’s cute~♡”
I feel like it’s dangerous to rely on Beth any longer.
I need to think for myself quickly…
I would be happy to receive anything, but I think it’s not good to have too much ulterior motive.
Lute also can’t stand it and just keeps looking at stuffed animals.
”……”
And so, I see a set of cat stuffed animals.
”Lute”
The black cat has a bad look in its eyes, it kind of looks like me.
”This one is good.”
The white cat next to it also has a bad look in its eyes.
”Is this one?”
And it kind of looks like me.
”Ahaha~♡ Isn’t it good?~♡ It’s cute~♡”
”Are you sure this is good? Is there anything else?”
”This one is good.”
The stuffed animals of two cats that are made to stand close together. If there was only one, it would fall over.
”I see.”
”Yeah.”
Let’s decorate it right next to the bed.
Will there be a cute basket to put these kids in at Lute’s house?
”Lute-sama, won’t you buy a basket too? Look, this one is cute~♡”
”Well, I guess…”
A vine basket adorned with small heart cushions.
The basket completely encloses the bodies of the two cats, as if it was made just for them.
”Oh, it’s like…♡ Lute-sama and Viola-sama, isn’t it?~♡”
”What…!?”
”~~~~~~!!”
While the black cat and the white cat stand cheek to cheek,
”Look, the eye color and the hair color…♡ Both of you look a bit cat-like~♡”
Lute and I both turned our faces away from each other.
…
…
…
”I’m satisfied~♡ It was fun…”
In the evening, after being scratched by Beth for a while, I placed the stuffed animal basket on my lap, and Lute, with a bag containing the negligee he was forced to buy by Beth at the first store, awkwardly held it in his hand and both of us blushed and looked down.
”Well, I’m really full~♡ I might get heartburn~♡”
Even though she hasn’t had a meal, Beth pretends to rub her stomach while saying such things.
”Anyway, are we going shopping again tomorrow? We couldn’t finish going to the places we wanted to today.”
Give me a break. I can’t afford this kind of thing.
”…If Viola wants to go, I don’t mind.”
Don’t say things like that, Lute. It’s embarrassing and makes my head go crazy.
”Oh, tomorrow… I’ll be at home with Lute.”
See, I suddenly blurt out something weird.
”!!?”
”I see?~♡ Just the two of you at home, huh…♡”
”~~~~!! Hey, wait, Beth!!”
”Hmm?~♡ Huh?~♡”
”Beth!!”
Beth laughs and spins around dramatically on the spot. How cute.
”Well then, please take it easy at home tomorrow. It’s strange for me to say this, but can we make a promise for the day after tomorrow?”
Beth, who fluttered her skirt and stopped moving, says,
”Kanon-sama is calling for you. She wants to talk about the two of you.”
She points her index finger and smiles after saying so. And she continued.
”If the circuits of mana are barely alive in your arm, there is a high chance it will be able to move again, you know?~♡”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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