Ch. 6: What I Want to Protect
Tiga suddenly grabbed Luca…-
OO: “Tiga!!”
I jumped out without thinking, but I didn’t make it in time.
Tiga raised his fist and struck Luca down to the ground.
OO: “Tiga!!”
Tiga: “OO, you heard…-“
OO: “…”
Tiga’s face looked pained, then he turned to face Luca.
Tiga: “Luca, do you realize what you said just now?”
Luca: “…of course.”
Luca looked at me for a little while before saying so very bluntly.
(Everything was because I’m the Princess of Träumere.)
Tiga: “…get up!”
Tiga grabbed the downed Luca’s collar and raised his fist again.
(Tiga…!)
In an instant, I moved to stand in front of Tiga, and spread my hands out to shield Luca.
OO: “Tiga, please stop.”
Tiga: “Do you know what you’re doing!?”
OO: “I do.”
Luca: “The Princess of Träumere is so imposing~”
Luca spoke as if he was making fun, and Tiga’s face twisted in rage.
Tiga: “OO, move away!”
OO: “…”
Tiga’s right hand, still in a fist, had become slightly red, and that more than anything else made my heart ache.
Ch. 7: True Feelings
In an instant I spread my arms out to protect Luca, but Tiga didn’t lower his fist.
Tiga: “Are you gonna protect this guy!?”
Tiga seemed to give in to his anger as he yelled at me.
Under that angry gaze, I did my best to be brave and hold my ground.
OO: “That’s not it exactly, but please stop this.”
I looked at Tiga’s red, swollen fist.
As if noticing my gaze, Tiga suddenly lowered his right hand and hid it behind his back.
(Tiga…)
I turned to Luca and returned the borrowed jacket.
OO: “Thanks, it helped.”
Luca: “…what the hell?”
Tiga: “OO! We’re leaving!”
OO: “Alright.”
As Tiga and I returned to the castle, we didn’t say anything to each other along the way.
(I’m sure he’s angry.)
In the end, we arrived at the castle without exchanging a single word, and Tiga went into his room.
(I wonder if his hand is alright…)
I chased after him and knocked on the door to his room, but there was no answer.
OO: “Tiga please…open the door.”
The door opened slowly and Tiga appeared.
Tiga: “What do you want?”
I took Tiga’s right hand and looked at the back.
(Like I thought, it’s swollen.)
Tiga: “…”
Tiga awkwardly averted his gaze.
OO: “Let me treat your hand.”
I sat on the bed with Tiga and iced the injury on his right hand.
As I treated it, Luca’s words came back to my me.
——————–
Luca: “I mean, OO is the Princess of Träumere after all. What’s the harm in wanting to get along with her, you know? Well, that’s why I don’t have any interest in that girl other than that. She’s so unsophisticated, definitely not my type.”
——————–
(He’s right… I’ve always been indifferent to castles and the extravagant parties because I had a normal life, but looking at it from Tiga and Luca’s perspective, it’s natural they’d think that way…even so, Tiga went so far as to get injured because of me…)
Those feelings filled my heart and became unbearable.
Tiga: “Don’t let it get to you.”
Tiga spoke to me bluntly as I had my eyes downcast.
OO: “…eh?”
Tiga: “Don’t worry about what Luca said. You’re not a bad person.”
(…Tiga…)
OO: “Yeah…thanks.”
Tiga: “You didn’t actually like that guy did you?”
OO: “Eh!? No, that’s not it.”
Tiga: “Then what is it?”
OO: “…I’m sorry, you got hurt because of me.”
Tiga: “I did what I wanted to do. Besides, Luca was using you to get ahead of me. I caused trouble for you too.”
OO: “…it wasn’t a problem.”
Tiga’s expression was a little pained, different from his usual smiling face, and that made me feel even more sad.
Feeling that, my eyes fell to the ground when…
Tiga: “…oh come on!”
As if in irritation, Tiga grabbed my shoulders as I continued to look at the ground.
OO: “T…Tiga?”
Tiga: “Tell me everything you’re thinking! I’ll hear you out! So, don’t make that face.”
(Tiga…)
OO: “I don’t…want you to make that face either.”
As I felt as if I would be sucked into his red eyes, I spoke from my heart.
Tiga: “OO…”
Saying as much, Tiga’s face turned slightly red.
OO: “Also…I was sad, wondering if the only worth I had was as the Princess of Träumere. You see, before I came to this world I was a completely ordinary, regular girl, and seeing me the way you and Luca do…I really am just…”
Tiga listened to what I had to say and for an instant, his eyes went wide, but…
Tiga: “That’s it?”
Finally he let out a big sigh.
(Tiga?)
Tiga: “That’s what it was…”
Tiga looked straight into my eyes and smiled.
Tiga: “Listen, leave everything to me.”
(…Tiga?)
My heart started pounding as I looked at Tiga, brimming with confidence.
Ch. 8: True Love
After that…-
Tiga had suddenly announced they were going to host another party.
——————–
Tiga: “Listen, leave everything to me.”
——————–
(This is for the party?)
Taking the dress that had been chosen for me, I attended the party with Tiga.
(It’s a beautiful dress…)
The dress Tiga had chosen for me was red with a lovely ribbon affixed to the back.
Tiga: “Oh right.”
Tiga went around to my back and put a necklace with a beautiful jewel that matched the color of the dress on me.
OO: “…!”
His hand brushed the nape of my neck and my heart started pounding.
Tiga: “This jewel will give you confidence.”
OO: “Eh?”
Tiga: “Alright, let’s go!”
Tiga fastened the necklace, then took my hand and escorted me.
Tiga: “This is your seat.”
OO: “…eh!?”
(This is…)
The place Tiga had guided me to was a chair up on a platform, next to his.
OO: “Tiga, this is…-“
Tiga: “Listen up, just stick out your chest.”
OO: “B-but…”
Tiga: “First up, let’s dance.”
OO: “Wait, I…-“
Tiga pulled me along without letting me finish, and took me as far as the center of the party hall.
(I can’t possible dance in the middle of everyone.)
All of the guests fixed their eyes on Tiga and me.
Tiga: “It’ll be fine, just leave it to me.”
OO: “Even if you say that, what on earth…”
Surrounded by all those people…suddenly, Tiga embraced me.
OO: “…!”
Wrapped up in Tiga’s arms, I could sense the people talking.
(What…what’s going on?)
Tiga: “Alright, everyone listen up! Anyone who wants to use OO or get close to her is gonna pay.”
OO: “…!”
Tiga: “Got it!?”
In Tiga’s strong embrace, my heart started beating so fast that it hurt…-
…
……
After the party, I returned to my room.
(Tiga…he was encouraging me because I was feeling so depressed.)
I took up the red jewel on the necklace Tiga had put on me and gazed at its brilliance when…
Tiga: “I’m coming in.”
I heard Tiga’s voice and the door opened.
I went to meet Tiga at the door, and he put his hand on my head.
Tiga: “And with that, you won’t get any insects attaching themselves to you.”
(Tiga…)
OO: “Thank you, for encouraging me. You did all that for someone like me…”
Tiga: “You…”
And then, Tiga’s kind smile that he’d had for some time now vanished.
(I wonder what’s wrong.)
Tiga: “You don’t get it at all.”
OO: “…eh?”
Tiga: “Don’t go saying things like that.”
Tiga’s red eyes flickered as if they burned with flames.
OO: “Tiga…?”
Tiga: “Since you don’t get it, I’ll tell you.”
Saying so, Tiga suddenly pressed me against the wall.
OO: “Ah…”
Tiga: “Why do you think I did that especially for you?”
His fingers gently stroked my cheek.
Tiga: “Isn’t it obvious? It’s because I like you.”
OO: “…”
My mind went completely blank, and it was as if time had stopped.
Tiga: “It has nothing to do with you being the Princess of Träumere. Do you not believe me?”
His eyes that looked straight at me were quite beautiful and…
OO: “That’s not it.”
I shook my head.
Tiga: “I like you…not as the Princess of Träumere, but as you, as OO.”
OO: “Tiga…”
My heart beat loud in my chest.
And then his eyes drew closer…-
OO: “Nn…”
He kissed me, hard…-
I could think of nothing else other than the feeling of warmth from his lips.
(Tiga…)
Before long, his lips pulled away, and I realized I hadn’t been breathing.
Tiga: “Just believe what I said.”
His voice seemed far away as my mind was still in a haze.
OO: “I do…!”
Tiga looked into my face and smiled at me with a gentle expression I hadn’t seen before.
That expression made my heart feel incredibly light…
OO: “I do too…”
In my heart, that was the one conclusion I came to.
OO: “I like you too Tiga. …Thank you.”
His feelings made me happy, and I smiled at him with as much confidence as I possibly could.
Tiga: “Silly. I already knew that.”
Tiga’s expression seemed to be satisfied.
The light of the evening sun shone through the window, illuminating Tiga, and I could feel that warmth.
END