"Elysia..."
Durandal wore an expression of restless discomfort.
To prevent things from spiraling into even more unpredictable territory, she cupped the mischievous little face that had been teasing her shoulder and lifted it up.
Only when their eyes met did Durandal realize that Elysia's cheeks were already flushed crimson.
"So you can get shy too?"
Durandal was utterly astonished.
After all, even disregarding the scenes she knew about before her transmigration, ever since arriving in the Previous Era, Elysia hadn't exactly held back on trying to seduce her.
Elysia: "..."
Could she even speak?
What did she mean, "So you can get shy too?"
Even someone like her had moments of shyness, okay...
Elysia realized that even though this clueless goose in front of her had finally become aware of her own feelings, she still possessed the ability to drive Elysia to the brink of fury at any moment.
And not wanting to actually faint from anger, Elysia simply turned her back, refusing to engage further.
Seeing Elysia sulk, Durandal knew she had probably said the wrong thing.
How to comfort a girl—this was completely outside Durandal's area of expertise.
Then again, those overly calculated ways of interacting didn't really suit her anyway.
Besides, Elysia probably wouldn't fall for a 'smooth operator' either.
The thing about her that had moved Elysia...
Though it felt shameless to admit, as Durandal carefully recalled their time together, it was likely her unintentionally displayed sincerity that had been the key to touching the other's heart.
So, what was her sincere feeling right now?
Looking at Elysia's back, slightly reddened from the hot spring water, Durandal moved closer and wrapped her arms around her from behind, pulling her into an embrace.
Elysia didn't even put up a token struggle, instead leaning her full weight against Durandal.
"Elysia..."
Durandal nuzzled Elysia's cheek like a cat, then spoke the words the other had been waiting for.
"I like you."
"I like you too~ By the time I realized it, it was already that kind of 'really, really like'~"
Elysia's voice was laced with laughter and honey, as if she were the happiest person in the world at that moment.
Hearing this, Durandal gently tightened her arms, holding her even closer.
"I love you."
Faced with this deeper confession, Elysia's breath hitched slightly.
She turned her body gently, and despite her intense shyness, forced herself to meet those clear blue eyes.
Reaching up, she traced the taut lines of Durandal's face, stiffened by her serious expression, and whispered with a soft laugh, "I love you too~ Mwah~"
Elysia kissed her again.
Maybe Durandal was usually a bit dense, always finding ways to annoy her from every angle, but there was no denying that when someone like her spoke the simplest, most heartfelt words of affection, they were the most moving.
At least, Elysia found it impossible to resist.
This kiss was different from before. After confessing their feelings, and after barely mastering a bit of technique, it carried not just overflowing emotion, but also a hint of desire.
Durandal's hands were no longer just politely resting on Elysia's lower back; they began to explore, roaming over the other's smooth skin.
"Mmm~"
Durandal's movements drew a soft, melodious moan from Elysia's lips.
The sound was so unmistakable that both Elysia and Durandal froze for a moment.
Durandal quickly pulled back from the kiss.
She looked down at her own restless hands, like a child who'd done something wrong. "Elysia... I... I'm sorry."
Elysia also couldn't bring herself to look directly at Durandal now. The blush on her cheeks deepened, and her eyes seemed veiled in a thin mist, like pools of autumn water shimmering.
She lightly brushed aside the damp strands of hair clinging to her cheek and whispered, "It's okay, you don't need to apologize. I don't mind."
Biting her lip slightly, Elysia reached over and picked up the nearby phone, which had long since stopped playing music. She woke the screen to see it was almost eleven.
"It's getting late. Time to rest."
Elysia waved the phone screen showing the time in front of Durandal as she said this.
"Right, we should rest."
Durandal nodded eagerly and was the first to step out of the hot spring.
Elysia followed closely, and the two returned to the room.
Durandal picked up the yukata from the tatami, draped it over Elysia, covering the alluring figure that made it hard for her to keep control, then casually put on her own yukata as well.
Finally, Durandal let out a long sigh of relief.
Seeing this, Elysia couldn't help but feel amused.
Yep, this was Durandal through and through.
Since they needed to rinse off with plain water after the hot spring but shouldn't do so immediately, the two simply sat side-by-side on the tatami.
While waiting, Elysia turned sideways, placed her hands on Durandal's shoulders, rested her chin on them, and gazed at her with eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Durandal, can I ask you a question?"
Durandal was still haunted by her earlier wandering hands, so after sitting down, she maintained perfect posture, sitting upright and staring straight ahead.
As Elysia leaned closer, she straightened her spine even more, her whole body slightly tense.
"What is it?"
Durandal didn't know what Elysia wanted to ask.
But she had already resolved that even if Elysia asked about her origins now, she would explain everything truthfully.
"I want to know, back when I used to get all close and intimate with you, what were you thinking?"
Elysia asked.
Durandal: "..."
She felt that if she honestly answered that she wasn't thinking anything—or more accurately, didn't dare to think anything—she would definitely upset Elysia again.
But she couldn't just not answer.
Suddenly, Durandal remembered what Elysia had said during her self-introduction on the first day of school; and that day, after Durandal had defeated the kendo club president who came to challenge her, how Elysia had kissed her cheek in front of everyone as a reward.
"I thought you were just teasing me."
That was the answer Durandal gave.
"So... aren't you afraid I might be teasing you now?~"
Elysia said with a hint of playful teasing in her tone.
"No."
Durandal shook her head decisively.
"Why?"
Elysia pressed.
She was genuinely curious.
"Because whether you're teasing me or not, as long as I take it seriously, then I'll do everything I can to make it real."
"No matter what it takes, no matter how long, one day I'll truly move you, make you fall in love with me from the bottom of your heart."
As she spoke, Durandal suddenly smiled too.
Yes, the question she had been subconsciously wrestling with all along—the answer had been right there the whole time.
--+--
A/N: Actually, in my outline, their relationship development was roughly like this—
Durandal gradually realizes she's fallen for Elysia, but she still views Elysia through her old lens (the player's perspective from before transmigration), believing Elysia could never fall for any single individual, so she suppresses her feelings.
Meanwhile, Elysia notices that no matter how hard she tries, even though the other is clearly affected, she never takes the next step. Elysia doesn't understand why and secretly feels hurt.
What breaks this stalemate is an accident that leads Durandal to discover Elysia's notebook.
When she sees that from a certain page onward, every entry is filled with her name, she finally understands—it was mutual all along.
Then Durandal embarks on a journey to win her back (or something like that, lol).
However! Yesterday, while writing about the two dancing together in the hot spring, the atmosphere was just perfect, so I ended up scrapping the original outline that involved more angst (turns out I'm just not cut out for writing sad stories, after all...).
But writing up to this point today, I suddenly realized—if Durandal truly became aware of her own feelings, she probably wouldn't run away.
Just like Durandal's final answer suggests, she would definitely put in the effort to make Elysia fall in love with her.
--+--