Ch. 4: Tension
That night…-
Under Antares’ guiding hand, I had become a completely different person, and then been invited to attend dinner with Antares, his father, and brothers.
Antares: “I’ve come to get you.”
Antares had knocked on the door, and looked down at my face.
OO: “U-um…”
Antares: “? What’s wrong? You’ve only just become so beautiful.”
OO: “I’m kind of nervous, and I can’t seem to calm myself down. I’m really happy you made me beautiful though.”
Antares: “…”
Antares looked at me with a puzzled expression.
Antares: “Well, I guess it’s true that you might be a little too much to my liking.”
OO: “Eh?”
Antares: “It’s fine…come on, let’s go.”
I took his offered arm, and we walked off to the dinner hall.
However, for some reason, that night I couldn’t seem to relax.
Ch. 5: Naturally
The next day…-
I was enjoying myself in a flower garden near Antares’ castle.
Antares: “So you were out here.”
OO: “Antares.”
He looked at my face and frowned.
Antares: “…hey. Didn’t I tell you how to properly apply make-up yesterday?”
OO: “Yes, but yesterday wearing all that stuff made me really nervous, or something like that… I’m fine the way I am.”
I said it with a smile, and Antares placed his hand under his chin in thought.
Antares: “…I see.”
OO: “Eh?”
He said it quietly, and walked through the flower garden…-
Antares: “Here.”
From behind his back, he pulled out a small bouquet of white flowers. The flowers were cute, all bundled together.
OO: “Thank you, they’re very pretty.”
I took them and put them to my nose, smelling a lightly sweet scent that tickled my nose.
Antares: “You look happier than you did yesterday.”
OO: “R-really…”
Antares: “You’re pretty strange, even though you’re a princess.”
He spoke mixed with a sigh, and gazed at me with his almond-shaped eyes.
Antares: “And I wonder why…you seem even more beautiful than yesterday.”
At his words, I felt my cheeks flush.
Antares: “I had thought it was better for women to dress up, but there are women who are beautiful just the way they are. I had forgotten that. Clothes and make-up are only for drawing out a person’s true virtues. I’m sorry.”
OO: “It’s fine…”
Antares: “Those flowers suit you.”
Saying so, he slowly sat down next to me.
The wind blew, ruffling his sleek red hair.
END