When I woke up the next morning, Solstice was not in my room.

(Huh?)

　I scowl, and Illtimina tells me.

'Good morning, Merle. Sol would have gone outside to the watering hole to wash his face, wouldn't he?
Oh, really?

　I nodded.

Good morning, Miss Illtimina.

　I smiled.

　She smiled softly, "Hmph," and combed my hair with her white fingers.

'You're getting into a sleeping habit here,'

　Oops?

　When I touched it with my fingers, the tips of my hair were bouncing around.

(Hmm~?)

I'm gonna go to the watering hole and try to fix it.
Yes, sir.

　I was a little embarrassed, and Iltimina-san nodded with a smile.

''Speaking of which, where's Kilt-san?''
I'm at Arnold's.
What?

　This early in the morning?

She was called away on some sort of errand. She just left the room.
Yes.

　What's going on?

(Well, okay.)

　Those two seem to be a good match for each other, and the discussions are always the same.

　I nodded.

I'll be back in a minute.
Yes, Merle. Have a good day.

　I left the guest room while Illtimina-san, who smiled kindly, saw me off.


　◇ ◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇


　There are several water fountains in the Royal Palace that always have a stream of water running through them.

　I went to one of them.

　Maybe it was because it was early in the morning, but there was no one else in sight.

　Splash.

(Ugh, that's cold.)

　I wet my bouncy hair and dried it with a towel.

　I washed my face while I fixed my sleeping habits and cleared my eyes and head.

'Phew.'

　I use the towel to absorb the water.

　Then, when the towel is out of sight, I suddenly see a girl walking down the same corridor from the other side.

(Oh, it's Solstice.)

Oh.

　He knows it's us.

"Morning, Solstice.

　I laugh and call out to him.

　Solstice, for some reason, looks surprised.

Hey, Morning, Merle.

　He responds, shifting his gaze a bit.

(?)

　I feel like my cheeks are red...?　Is it my imagination?

　Well, okay.

'Is Solstice going back to her room?　Then come with me.
Uh-huh.

　She nodded awkwardly.

　Then we walked down the hallway together.

　Chirping.

　If you look, Solstice's thin and beautiful purple hair is adorned with a 'butterfly hair ornament' made by Orihalcon above her left ear.

　............

　I'm a little happy.

''Thanks, Solstice.
'What?　What?

　Solstice is surprised.

'My gift, I thought you'd be using it.
..........
It makes me happy.

　I told him honestly, embarrassed.

　Solstice stared at my face with a pout.

''~~~''

　Then his face turns bright red.

　Huh?

　ghetto

Aitha!

　Suddenly, I was kicked in the leg.

'Ugh, shut up, shut up, you stupid Marl!

　He turns bright red and yells at me.

(What?　(Huh?)

'Wow, I'm not fooled!　You unaware man!

　What are you talking about?

'What?　Um...Solstice, Mr.?
'Oh my God!　You should only be friends with your sister Irna!　Stupid, dumb, unworthy!

　Oh, yeah, yeah~?

　Mr. Soltis is angry for some reason.

'Really, you're Merle!

　Puh-leeze, ta-tah-tah-tah.

　He turned his bright red face away and went running down the hallway.

　I, who was left behind, am stunned.

(Ehh...?)

　I told him about the gift and he got mad at me.　

　Why?

　With a pout, I stare at the hallway where the girl disappeared.

　And.

Hahaha, you two are so close this morning.

　I was approached from behind.

　When I turned around, I saw the lion beastman's figure there.

''Mr. Arnold,''
Morning, Merle.

　He raised one hair-covered hand and smiled, showing his white fangs.

　I ask.

'Um ... were you watching that, by any chance?'
Yeah.

　Wow, that's embarrassing.

　I blush.

　As it is, I drop my shoulders and confide in him.

''I'm kind of pissed off........''
Yeah.
'Present ... maybe you didn't like it?
Yeah?

　He looks surprised.

'No, you're not. Rather the opposite.

　Huh?

A woman never wears anything she doesn't like.
..........
'She was simply embarrassed that you knew how much she liked her gift.

　...Really?

'Ah. I'm sorry if you misunderstand me, so I'll tell you, that boy was grinning at his face and hairpiece in the water's surface earlier, too.

　...........

(Yeah, right.)

　Once I was informed of this, I felt somewhat embarrassed for myself.

　I'm happy, but I'm embarrassed.

　What's this?

　Mr. Arnold rolls his eyes at me, which makes me blush.

　Then he laughs, exposing his throat.

'Haha!　You guys are so new.
..........
'Watching you guys reminds me of something I've missed.

　Oh, really?

　I was a bit confused, but then I suddenly remembered.

''Ah........speaking of which.
Hmm?
'Mr. Arnold, weren't you with Mr. Kilt?　I heard you called out this morning.

　At my question, he narrowed his lion's eye at my question.

'Oh, I've already told you what I need to tell you,'
..........
The rest is up to her to decide.

　Decision...?

　snappingly

　I looked up, and a large lion's hand was placed on my head.

"See you later, Merle.
Oh, yes.

　Showing his white fangs and smiling, he walked away down the corridor.

　...........

　I somehow touch the head that was stroked.

　Then I pulled myself together and walked down the corridor alone to the guest room where Illtimina-san was waiting for me.


　◇ ◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇


　When I returned to my room, Solstice didn't say much.

'Hmmm,'

Okay.

"Hm.

　The only response I got was something like this.

　...........

'Don't worry. You'll be back to normal in a while.

　The girl's sister will tell you that.

　Yeah.

　I want to believe it too.

　We spent time in this way, and then it was afternoon of that day.

　We always have practice time in the afternoon with Quilt-san.

"Let's practice, Quilt-san.
...Uh-huh.

　I invited the silver-haired sister to join me and we headed to the training area inside the royal palace.

　It was a space built of pure white marble.

　The white stone is smooth and makes a squeaking sound when you touch it with your fingers.

　It was about the size of a gymnasium.

　In the midst of all this, we faced each other alone with our wooden swords in our hands.

''Then let's go.''
..........

　No reply.

(?)

　Mr. Kilt doesn't even have his wooden sword at the ready, but looks blankly at the air.

''?　Mr. Kilt?
'Oh....'

　I called out to her again, and she huffed to herself.

'Ummm, come on over any time.'

　Hold the wooden sword.

''................. Yeah.

　I nodded and slashed at the silver-haired beauty.

　Huh, kang.

　The strike is easily played.

(Still)

　Hee hee hee hee hee. Kang Kang. Kang Kang.

　A series of blows are easily blocked.

　I'm proud of you.

　You know, normally I'd say.

..........
..........

　There's something wrong with Kirt's sword.

　It's hard to put it well, but there's no dominance, or perhaps no will from the sword that clashes with it.

　Kung Kung.

　Normally, I can sense the intent.

"You don't have the heart for it.

"Faster.

That was a good one.

　I haven't put it into words, but the sword tells me that's what her voice tells me.

　That's what.

..........

　Nothing happened today, it was blank.

(????)

　Is it my imagination?

　No, but ... it was still strange.

　It felt as if he was just mechanically receiving my sword while it was on top of him.

'...................'

　Somehow, I stopped typing.

　Mr. Kilt was in a daze.

　After about five seconds, "! And that's when I got the look on my face.

What's up, Merle?

　He finally asked.

　I said.

'What's going on, Mr. Kilt?'
...What?

　Mr. Kilt rolls his golden eyes.

　I pile on the words.

'Isn't there something wrong with your sword today, Kirt-san?　I don't hear anything from the sword. ...Do you want to train with me, perhaps?
..........
..........
'Well..... Was Marle able to hear the sword's voice, too?

　Mr. Kilt laughed with a kind face.

　Then.

I'm sorry.

　He shakes his rich silver hair and bows his head deeply.

　Huh?

　I panicked a bit.

　She apologized to me.

She said she was going to practice, but she didn't practice and didn't do it. I'm really sorry, Marle.
Uh-uh.

　I shake my head, burbling in a hurry.

'More importantly, what's going on, Mr. Kilt?'
..........
'Worried?　If it's okay with you, we can talk about it, okay?　...Well, I don't know if it will help.

　Finally, I add without confidence.

'Phew.'

　Mr. Kilt laughed.

　He leaned on his wooden sword as a staff and exhaled heavily.　

'Has your apprentice started to worry about you too, Warawa?
..........
But yes. Some things might be easier if you talked to me. Will you listen to me for a moment?
Yes.

(Of course.)

　I nodded loudly.

　Once the practice was interrupted, we sat down on the pure white marble floor.　

"...........
..........

　We sat side by side and looked up at the ceiling in a daze.

　I said I would talk to him, but Mr. Kirt didn't say anything for a while.

　I decide to wait patiently, too.

　After about five minutes, I think I've finally found my bearings and he opens his mouth.

'Arnold called me this morning,'
Yes.

　I know.

　He was gone when I woke up.

'It was early in the day, but I thought they were going to discuss the future of the country with me, as they always do.
Yes.
But not this morning.
..........

　At that moment, the light of many emotions flowed in Mr. Kilt's eyes.

　And.

"--Warawa has been courted by Arnold this morning.

　And I dropped a bombshell.