Chapter 17
Harvest Festival (6)
Tiria studied Elric’s expression.
It was an unbelievable suggestion, capping off an unbelievable day.
His behavior throughout the entire day had been so warm that she found herself wondering what his true feelings were.
The words he spoke felt like a language that only existed in dreams.
The blazing firelight illuminated his face.
Between strands of brown hair, his languid eyes held her gaze. Beneath the bridge of his high nose, his lips were set in a firm line. The scar below his ear flickered along with the dancing red shadows.
As she took in every detail, her chest suddenly tightened, and she bit her lip.
She wanted to ask.
Why was he giving her such openings? Why was he making her hope, making her want to be greedy?
A surge of emotion, akin to resentment, welled up inside her.
Hiding those feelings as best she could, she let out a worry that she didn’t truly feel.
“I wonder if it might be too much of a strain. I am concerned for your knees. Dancing is…”
In that moment,
“It is fine. I can manage a slow walk to the beat of the drums.”
He smiled.
Tiria felt a lump form in her throat.
A relaxed, gentle smile she had never seen before seemed to seize her very heart.
“Would it be an imposition?”
Tiria shook her head.
The movement was hurried.
Her resolve was firm—so firm it had to be hurried.
Even though it would clearly have a negative impact on his body, what she desired was far too distinct.
“I am glad, then.”
Elric held out his hand. Tiria placed hers over it.
Their fingers curled slightly, hooking into one another.
The warmth that had been with her all day seeped into her body once more.
Tiria’s head naturally bowed, and Elric leaned on his cane.
Thump—
They took a step.
Elric moved closer, and Tiria took a step back.
A whimsical thought suddenly crossed her mind: perhaps because their hearts were facing opposite directions, their bodies moved like this to find a balance.
Boom— Boom—
The sound of the drums vibrated through her body.
No, was it the sound of her heart?
If so, it was a relief. The drums would mask the sound of her racing heart.
“I am sorry I can only manage such a pace.”
At his words, she shook her head again.
“Your health comes first, so it is only natural.”
She continued to speak words she didn’t mean.
It was a selfish heart. Wishing that this moment, walking together hand in hand, would last forever was certainly that.
And yet, she couldn’t stop.
She had to struggle to suppress the smile that threatened to break out.
Her brow furrowed, and fearing it might look like a frown, she lowered her head further.
As they continued their steps, which could hardly be called a dance, everything else in the world began to fade away.
The drums, the laughter of the people, the crackling of the logs, and even the sound of the wind from somewhere far off.
As if to fill the void, the sound of his cane grew louder.
His breathing became distinct. The rough sensation of his hand registered at her fingertips.
His voice struck her ears clearly.
“I am sorry.”
“…For what?”
“For leaving.”
“You have already apologized for that.”
“And yet, I feel I must do so again.”
She didn’t want that kind of apology.
That wasn’t what Tiria wanted.
“It is truly alright.”
The fact that he had been gone for ten years wasn’t important.
She was simply so grateful for the fact that he had returned and was sharing this moment with her.
She was thankful for the smile he showed her, and thankful for the steps they took together; it was enough to take her breath away.
The moment felt like a mirage, and she was suddenly afraid.
That was why she tightened her grip.
Tiria’s fingers interlaced with Elric’s.
The strength of her hold increased, yet it was light enough that he could easily pull away if he chose.
But as long as he didn’t pull away, she could hold on forever.
And Elric did not pull away.
As she slowly calmed down, she let out a long breath.
Only then could Tiria lift her head.
He was looking down at his feet.
Just as she was about to say something, feeling strangely conscious of his gaze—
“Kiss her!!!”
Startled—
Both of them flinched at the same time.
Their gazes simultaneously turned toward the direction of the voice.
“I said, give her a kiss—!”
“…It is Bart.”
The owner of the restaurant and Elric’s old friend was pointing at them, swaying in a drunken stupor.
His laughing face looked happier than anyone else in the world.
Tiria checked Elric’s reaction.
Seeing his troubled expression, her chest felt tight for some reason.
“That fellow has terrible drinking habits.”
She couldn’t help but feel a sudden resentment toward Bart.
A moment that felt like a dream had been dragged back to reality in an instant.
People’s eyes began to gather.
They chuckled and smiled as if they had found a fun toy.
“Woooah!”
They cheered as if to egg them on.
Bart’s drunken antics had become an irreversible tide.
Assent was a ridiculous notion.
Nobles had their dignity to maintain; they must not show a clumsy side before the commoners.
That would be a disgrace beyond comparison to something like dancing.
In the first place, they shouldn’t be acting this way, but the fact that things had come to this was likely due to the festive atmosphere.
Since this was all just an accident, they should simply ignore it and head back.
Even though that was the right thing to do,
“…”
The moment she tried to voice a rejection, she hesitated.
No, she was suddenly terrified that he would tell her to ignore it.
Even though she knew he wouldn’t mean it that way, his rejection was frightening.
“I…”
Just as she was about to say something.
“Forgive me.”
Something unbelievable happened.
Pull!
Elric pulled Tiria toward him.
He leaned down, bringing his face so close that the tips of their noses almost touched.
And then, he stopped.
An agonizingly close gap was created between them, where their lips would touch if he moved just a fraction more.
Tiria’s eyes widened as if they might tear.
“Woooooooah!!!”
“Elric! You’re actually doing it!!!”
“Troublemaker Elric has become a man!!!”
Her mind, unable to process what had happened, froze up and ceased to function.
Tiria stared at Elric’s face, which filled her entire vision.
His face was flushed.
Whether it was because of the firelight or for some other reason.
“I did it because I didn’t think they would stop until I did something. They are all drunk, aren’t they?”
Tiria felt a tingling sensation as his breath brushed against her face.
Ah, he’s pretending to kiss me.
From this angle, it certainly wouldn’t be visible to them.
She knew that, and she understood his words, but her body wouldn’t obey her.
Her mind was on the verge of going blank again.
“Please understand.”
However, his breath and his smile were etched into her five senses.
“…Because today is the festival.”
With a suitable excuse finally provided, Tiria began to erase her doubts one by one.
First, the dignity she had to show as a noble was erased.
Second, their disrespectful behavior was erased.
Third, the fact that all of this was an act was erased.
She left only one thing.
The fact that he was sharing his breath with her at a distance where the tips of their noses brushed.
“…Yes.”
That would be enough.
Because today was the festival.
It was the next morning.
“You crazy bastard.”
Elric lay in bed and covered his face.
His exposed earlobes were burning red.
Now that he was awake, he had finally come to his senses.
What kind of insane thing had he done?
It felt as though he had been possessed by something.
All day long, his attention had been focused solely on Tiria, and he hadn’t been able to think rationally.
That was his excuse, but… it was clearly an offensive act.
Was she not a noble by birth?
She must have felt some aversion to wandering around the festival.
Holding hands… fine, let’s say that was okay, but asking her to dance was truly crossing the line.
To exaggerate slightly, it was an act of harassment against a lady.
That was bad enough! He should have stopped there!
‘Because today is the festival.’
He had finally gone and done it.
He had pulled her close and almost kissed her.
Did she know that even the part about it being an act was a makeshift excuse?
Caught up in the atmosphere, he had actually been about to press his lips to hers, only for his head to cool down at the last second, stopping him just in time.
If he had been just a moment later, he wouldn’t have been able to look her in the face for the rest of his life.
‘Bart…!’
It was all because of that guy.
If he hadn’t made that drunken scene, none of this would have happened!
He shuddered as he regretted the past, but it was already too late.
The festival, where he had been dazed as if enchanted, had passed, and what now loomed was reality.
“Young Master, are you awake?”
When he heard Aldio’s voice, Elric replied.
“…Could I stay in bed a little longer?”
He didn’t have the confidence to face Tiria.
His heart was full of the desire to have breakfast alone this morning.
“You mustn’t dawdle. You are an adult now, after all.”
But the heartless butler had no intention of letting him off, speaking firmly as he opened the door.
For Elric, it was a moment where he could deeply empathize with the feelings of a pig being led to the slaughterhouse.
After washing his face and changing his clothes, the path down to the dining room felt so incredibly long.
Creak—!
The moment the dining room door opened, Elric had to hold his breath for a brief second.
“…Are you awake?”
Tiria bowed her head slightly.
She looked the same as always. At least on the surface.
That fact only served to increase his embarrassment.
The events of the previous day felt vividly clear all over again.
Not just the incident itself, but her features seen from up close, her touch, her scent, and the sound of her breathing—it all seemed to wash over his body.
“Uhm…”
Elric’s gaze drifted toward the window for no reason.
His voice trembled slightly.
“…Good morning.”
Though winter had arrived, his body alone stood in the middle of summer, complaining of the heat.
The Lady Waited in the Wheat Field (Serial)
