"You're here! Chris!"
Edric welcomed Chris, who had come to his family estate, with open arms.
Chris didn't answer, walking past him and entering the mansion.
The people of the mansion welcomed her.
After all, Chris was in the position of Edric's fiancée.
Thud….
Chris lay down on the bed.
It was the room she habitually used when visiting Edric's family mansion.
'Right, I just need to get through summer vacation….'
The reason she came to Edric's family estate.
It was because of Edric's sudden confession and threats.
If she stayed here during the summer vacation and her heart wasn't swayed by Edric.
Then he said he would no longer threaten her about the engagement.
Of course, such a promise could be dismissed as a lie once it was over.
Chris trusted Edric one last time.
Because she believed that, having known him for a long time, he wasn't someone completely devoid of conscience.
"It's nostalgic, isn't it? Nothing's changed here."
"Well, I guess so."
Edric certainly didn't do anything suspicious as he had promised.
His actions were simple.
He simply spent time with her from morning until before she went to sleep.
Recalling childhood memories of playing together.
They went on picnics together, walked under the moon at night, and cooled off by playing in the stream.
Of course, she could have refused all of it.
But as his fiancée, she couldn't coldly refuse Edric when he invited her in front of the mansion staff.
And.
'Is he really not going to do anything…?'
Chris harbored doubts as she watched Edric, who seemed no different than usual.
On a green hill somewhere on his family's estate.
The two of them sat beneath a large tree at its summit.
"Hey, Chris."
"..."
At that moment, Edric, who had been looking at the sky, suddenly spoke to her.
"What is it?"
Chris replied curtly.
"As I thought, I like you."
"..."
Edric suddenly confessed to her again, despite her brusque tone.
"A soft sound of discomfort."
Chris's face instantly turned red.
"What? Are you embarrassed? Haha, you haven't changed one bit from when you were little."
"Shut up."
Why was her face turning red?
Because she felt embarrassed?
If so, why did she feel embarrassed?
"..."
Chris also recalled what Edric had said on the rooftop before.
'I like you too, Chris. This is sincere.'
As if to prove those words, he poured all his effort into Chris every moment since she arrived here.
He tried to make her happy somehow.
He did his best to win her over.
His feelings were conveyed through his gaze.
"A soft sound of discomfort…"
Perhaps that was why.
Because she felt sincerity from Edric, Chris felt embarrassed.
However.
"Dream on… I… I'm Emil's lover."
"..."
Chris tried her best to refuse him.
There was no one here.
Neither the mansion staff nor their parents.
So she could refuse him comfortably.
"Right…"
"..."
In response to Chris's cold refusal, Edric simply looked up at the sky.
Chris looked at Edric's profile.
He was smiling, but…
He looked somewhat lonely.
"..."
Chris felt strangely bothered by his profile.
'...It's fine.'
Watching the two of them,
the translucent Chris muttered with a worried expression.
'It'll be fine, I'm okay.'
The translucent Chris believed in her dream self.
Chris would definitely choose Emil.
No matter if her mother's life was at stake.
She clearly loved Emil with all her heart.
Her dream self would undoubtedly do the same.
Thus,
Chris firmly believed.
Creak….
"Chris…"
"Edric! What are you doing here at this hour?!"
"It's nothing. Don't worry. More importantly, do you know what day it is today?"
"..."
"It's my birthday."
"..."
However.
Chris's firm belief…
began to crumble with a single mistake.
"…You're really just going to drink a celebratory toast, right?"
Edric came to Chris's room, holding a bottle of wine and two small slices of cake.
It was already dawn, the next day.
Today was his birthday.
"I told you. Stop being so suspicious."
"..."
At this moment, Chris felt a slight sense of guilt towards Edric.
There were two types of guilt.
…The guilt of coldly refusing someone who genuinely liked her.
And the guilt of not remembering his birthday.
These two types.
These two guilts complemented each other, making them surge even more fiercely.
A soft trickle….
So Chris accepted Edric's suggestion.
As Edric wished.
They poured celebratory wine in her room, bathed in moonlight.
This much she could do as a friend.
And then.
A mistake.
Would it be better to call it that?
It began with guilt.
And the crossing of the line began when…
"Chris…"
…her heart was swayed by Edric's sincerity.
"I'll say this one last time: I truly, genuinely want you."
"...Edric."
Her sharp resolve crumbled.
That opening…
gave Edric his chance.
Clank!
A firm grip!
"E-Edric! What are you doing?!"
"Chris, think carefully. We were engaged, even if it was just a formality, weren't we?"
"..."
"If we're together, your family and my family will both have a happy ending."
"..."
"I'll cherish you. And that… that won't lose to Emil."
"…Stop it, Edric. …Please."
"No, tell me honestly."
Edric quietly whispered in a captivating voice to Chris, who was blushing and avoiding his gaze.
"You don't particularly dislike me, do you?"
"..."
For a moment,
Chris's reply stopped.
At this point, she should have clearly denied it.
She should have said no.
But Chris couldn't answer.
"A soft hum…!"
Realizing her heart was wavering, Edric kissed her.
"Muffled sounds! Muffled sounds!"
Chris struggled.
But was it due to the alcohol?
Or the influence of something else in the alcohol?
She felt a hazy sensation, and her instincts overtook her reason.
Slowly…
She released the strength from Edric's arm, which she had been tightly grasping.
And then.
'...Ah, no.'
Creak, creak, creak.
'...It can't be… it can't be…'
Creak, creak, creak.
'It can't be━!!!'
"Gasps, moans… no…!"
"Heavy breaths, Chris… heavy breaths…"
The translucent Chris doubted her ears at the sounds coming from inside her room.
'You… how could you… why on earth….'
This was a betrayal that began with a small mistake.
Chris couldn't refuse Edric.
Recalling Emil, who was waiting and trusting her in the academy dormitory,
Chris embraced him.
—
After being embraced once, Chris blamed Edric.
"Sob, you━!! Because of you━!!"
"..."
The next day, Chris, regaining her senses, saw that she and Edric were naked in her bed.
And the events of last night came flooding back.
Chris wept and chased Edric out of the room.
"Wh-What do I do… Sob, Emil…"
She had betrayed him.
She was Emil's woman, and yet.
She had embraced another man.
She resented herself for showing him an opening last night.
At that time, she shouldn't have felt guilty towards Edric and allowed him to enter.
"..."
To Chris, who was sitting on the bed, weeping.
A bad idea suddenly came to mind.
━What if I keep it a secret?
"..."
If she didn't say anything, Emil wouldn't know.
Edric, too, since he was guilty of assaulting her, would keep it a secret.
"..."
Chris concluded her thoughts with trembling eyes.
Yes, it was a mistake.
She had merely made a big mistake.
So now, she just needed to pull herself together and become a devoted lover to Emil.
That's what she thought.
But.
"L-Let go of me! You really…!"
"Tell me honestly, Chris. …When you see me, don't you remember that moment? I really liked it."
"A soft gasp!"
Edric continued to visit her afterward.
Touching Chris's body, which had already experienced a man and realized that sensation.
He gently caressed the pleasurable spots they both knew.
"Mmmmmm…!"
Then, instinctively, she recalled.
The first night, which began with her mistake.
The intense pleasure that made her head spin for a moment.
"You've already done it once. …So just let your guard down, Chris."
"..."
"Let's just bury this summer vacation in our memories. For this period only, let's be honest with each other."
"..."
And so, once.
"It seems like you're starting to want it. Aren't you?"
"…Don't talk nonsense."
"...Right, hmm, I see, I'm sorry for bothering you."
"A soft gasp!"
And then, a second time.
"What's wrong? You came to me first."
"..."
"Tell me properly."
Hypnotized by something, a third time.
Chris eventually even went to find Edric herself.
She was captivated by magical words.
━You've already done it.
━Let's just get through this time and bury this moment.
━Yes, summer vacation. …Just this moment.
Edric was certainly an outstanding person.
At the academy, he was popular among female students for his handsome looks and excellent grades.
He was also exceptionally skilled in bed.
On top of that, he knew how to make a woman yearn for him.
Like a snake's tongue, he would make Chris hot and expectant, then carelessly release her.
So much so that she would eventually come to him herself.
Having made Chris fall once, Edric played with her in the palm of his hand.
That's how the two of them…
spent a very passionate summer vacation.
So passionately that conscience and reason melted away, leaving only instinct.
Therefore, after the summer vacation ended.
"Hmph… Be quiet, I'm just not sincere about you anymore."
"...Ch-Chris."
Chris broke up with Emil.