Chapter 2048: At the New Stores ㉕
Leaving the office and moving to Lilia’s room…… the trip ended quickly.
[Lilia-san’s room is just one room over from the office, right?]
[Yes, this room is for storing documents and such, and my room is right next to it. There's actually a door that connects my room to the archives, but I’ve placed a special Restriction Magic on it so that only I can pass through. With Kaito-san's blessing from Shallow Vernal-sama, you could likely bypass it, but if your passage breaks the magical structure itself…… it would be a hassle to repair, so we’re using the external route.]
When she explains it like that, that's certainly reasonable. The first time I touched Alice’s costume, the enchantments were forcibly lifted. With Sechs-san's Barrier Magic, me and anyone I was touching could exit without breaking the barrier.
Since it's unclear how the Restriction Magic on the door might be neutralized, moving from outside is quite practical. It's not that far anyway……
And so, upon arriving at Lilia-san’s room and entering at her invitation…… the interior is very spacious, with expensive-looking furniture, giving off a noble-like atmosphere…… though……
[H- How should I say this…… It might sound rude to say this…… but it doesn't feel like anyone's living here.]
[That's because I have never used this room. I think you'd feel that beyond that door, my bedroom, feels a bit more lived-in, but this room…… I used to store miniature models here instead of the archive, but I've since moved everything to the world Eden-sama gifted me…… Honestly, even I question this room’s purpose.]
[Don't you ever use it to take breaks or something?]
[All my breaks and reading happen in the office. There’s a sofa and everything for guests too, so the office practically feels like my room.][I see……]
There really is no sense of habitation in this room at all. The furniture feels like it was just placed when the room was set up and hasn’t been used since.
As Lilia-san said, she handles all activities that would typically occur here in the office, making the office effectively her personal space. In fact, whenever I look for her, the office is my first stop……
Just like that, we passed through the largely unused room and finally headed toward the bedroom. Even though we’re lovers, entering a woman’s bedroom strangely makes me nervous.
No, well, although it’s daytime and I have no questionable intentions, I rarely get the chance to enter a woman’s bedroom.
Since many of my acquaintances don’t need sleep, like when I stayed over at Isis-san’s house, the room felt more like it was prepared specifically for me, who actually needed sleep, rather than being a room she regularly used.
Or perhaps, it might be like Sieg-san’s family home, where the room is a single space with a bed…… And so, entering Lilia-san’s bedroom makes me a bit nervous.
Lilia-san, on the other hand, doesn’t seem fazed; either she isn’t consciously aware, or, despite her bashful nature, she can be remarkably bold. She may feel that since I’m her lover, there’s no problem with inviting me into her bedroom.
[This is the bedroom. I use this room for changing and sleeping, so I think it feels more lived-in.]
[Ohh, indeed, there are quite a few personal items in here.]
Just as Lilia-san said, the bedroom had a well-used feel to it, with various small items and what appeared to be magic tools arranged for her convenience.
Despite being a bedroom, it was quite spacious———- almost like a room in a high-end hotel. With a space this large, it made sense why she didn’t feel the need to use the other room.
As I looked around with such a thought in mind, my eyes landed on a familiar item on the small table by the bed.
[……Ah, is that……]
[Yes, it’s the music box you gave me. I often wind it up to listen a little before I go to sleep.]
[Really? That makes me happy, but hearing you say that kinda feels embarrassing.]
Knowing she cherished the music box I’d given her fills me with a warm, oddly ticklish sense of happiness.
<Afterword>
Serius-senpai : […….Arehh? Eh? Wait right there…… Is it just me…… or things are heading in a sweet direction? Umm…… With Lilia around…… Aren't things supposed to lead to stomachaches?]