Volume 7 Chapter 7: Words of True Feelings that Must Be Spoken
(Walson)
By the time I returned to the mushroom house, it was already very late.
Everyone had gone to bed long ago. Barella, who had already showered before leaving, gave me a hug after the date and happily went back to her room.
After I finished wrapping up my potion brewing tasks alone, the sky was completely dark, and the once lively outside had become eerily quiet.
Just as I was putting away the items like the [Brewing Stand], which couldn't be left out in plain sight, and getting ready for bed, I suddenly heard a voice from behind me.
"Eh? Why are you still awake so late?"
"Ah, Derisha. I was just finishing up my work. I'll head to bed in a bit," I said, turning around, only to be momentarily stunned at the sight of Derisha.
She was wearing a loose-fitting white bathrobe, her white hair still damp and steaming, casually draped over her back.
It looked like she had just finished bathing.
Although her behavior was usually silly and a bit scatterbrained, this didn't diminish the fact that she was a total beauty.
Even in a simple bathrobe, her stunning figure and healthy tan skin... Well, I worked hard to control my gaze from drifting toward the robe's neckline.
"Why don't you dry your hair? It's autumn already, aren't you cold?" I asked.
Derisha's hair was dripping onto the floor, leaving a trail of water droplets leading back to the bathroom—It's very much in her carefree style.
"Eh, I don't feel too cold," Derisha replied.
"You're going to catch a cold like that."
Come to think of it, Derisha never seemed to mind dressing casually.
Back in the Labyrinth of Water, when we had just met, she ran around in front of me wearing only her underwear, totally unbothered.
"Hmph, I'm not so weak that a little cold could knock me down."
"You know there's a saying that only fools don't catch colds, right?"
"Hmph." Derisha proudly puffed out her chest.
"Hey, that wasn't a compliment, you know?" I teased.
We stared at each other for a while before we both broke into laughter.
...
...
...
The room was bathed in moonlight that streamed through the window, casting a glow on the pristine white bed.
Derisha sat at the edge of the bed, her hands on her lap, looking a bit nervous with her upright posture. I was kneeling on the bed behind her, holding a towel, gently drying her hair.
"So-sorry... for troubling you like this..."
"It's no trouble, really. It's nothing." I said, "Unless... you don't like it?"
"No, I like it a lot, but... but..."
"Then it's fine. See, your hair is dry now. I'll go ahead and brush it for you."
I put away the towel, and with a flick of my wrist, a simple wooden comb appeared in my hand.
Derisha's hair was long, and now that it was not tied into a ponytail, it flowed down like a white waterfall, spreading across the bed.
Maybe because it had been tied up for so long, her loose hair had a slight wave to it, swaying gently with her movements.
I lifted the warm, white locks with my left hand and, holding the comb in my right, gently began combing it down, slowly and carefully untangling her silky hair.
It was like I was weaving white satin in my hands, and I could faintly catch a delicate fragrance in the air.
When was the last time I brushed a girl's hair like this?
I used to do this a few times when Grace and Melon were younger, but after they no longer needed my care, I hadn't done it since.
To think, so many years have passed...
"Sorry, Derisha," I couldn't help but say.
"Eh? Why? What's wrong?"
"I feel like... I owe you an apology," I said. "I've been accepting your feelings all this time, but I haven't really treated you properly."
Yes, I really should apologize.
All this time, even though I had accepted her feelings, wore the matching bracelets, and even told her I liked her... deep down, there was always this feeling of distance, like I hadn't really followed through.
She's my fiancée, yet I feel like I haven't shown her enough care.
And here I am, finally realizing this as we approach the most terrifying enemy.
What a terrible person I am.
"Eh? But you've been really nice to me," Derisha said.
"That's not what I mean." I said, "Derisha, do you remember our conversation not long ago?"
"You mean about whether we should run away?"
"Yeah, even though we talked about it... I still don't want you all to be involved." I paused, continuing to brush her hair. "Even though you're one of the [Vassal of The Water]."
"You're worried we'll be in danger, right?"
"It's not just about worrying whether I'll lose you all... Derisha, I'm really scared of losing you. You're someone very important to me."
She's silly, always forgetting names, not at all like a princess, and so scatterbrained... but at some point, those goofy flaws became so endearing to me.
She had long since become an indispensable part of my life.
"Are you... confessing to me?"
"Uh... well, telling my wife that I love her isn't a strange thing, is it?" Feeling embarrassed by her question, I brushed it off with a playful tone.
At my words, Derisha fell silent.
I gave her hair one final stroke with the wooden comb, finishing it with a neat touch.
"There, all done. Let me see." As I put away the comb, I turned around and sat beside her on the bed.
Derisha's cheeks were flushed, but the corners of her mouth were lifted in a soft smile. There was a hint of shyness mixed with her usual lazy air, but she looked genuinely happy.
Hmm, sitting at the edge of the bed in that loose bathrobe that couldn't conceal her figure, with that rare adorable expression and her long white hair...
"Derisha, you're really beautiful," I couldn't help but compliment her.
"Thank you," Derisha replied, narrowing her eyes as her lips curled into a pretty smile.
Ah, how cute.
Eh? Wait a second, I lost track of time. It's already past midnight.
"Alright, it's late. I should say goodnight to you now."
"W-wait a minute..." Just as I stood up to leave the room, Derisha suddenly grabbed my hand, stopping me in my tracks.
"What is it?"
"Hey, Walson... are you planning to sleep in the living room tonight?"
"I don't really have a choice. There are only four rooms, so..." Before I could finish, I felt a powerful force push me.
By the time I realized what had happened, my back was pressed against the cold wall, and Derisha's delicate face was incredibly close to mine.
With her left hand on the wall, she had me cornered in the room.
Eh? Eh? Eh?! What just happened???
"In that case... why don't we... spend the night together?" Derisha smiled mischievously, her face as red as an apple.
...
...
…
I couldn't find any reason to refuse.
"Well, I'll do my best to take responsibility."
<+>
Tn: If you want to see more chapter of this story, please join my Patreon, for $5, you can read all of the available chapter.
Patreon account: https://www.patreon.com/c/u93287265/posts[1]
Latest Chapter In Patreon: Volume 8 Chapter 3: Preparatory Measures[2]
Link to the latest chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/128440712?collection=1416594[3]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/c/u93287265/posts
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/128440712?collection=1416594
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/128440712?collection=1416594