The 7th of the Month of Wood arrived, marking the day after my date with Shiro-san.
She had left me with a parting remark that had been weighing on my mind: "I don't mind what number I am in your heart." Despite the cryptic nature of her words, there was no doubt that she had enjoyed herself.
As it happened, events seemed to be piling up. Tomorrow, I was scheduled to accompany Lilia-san to the Royal Palace. Apparently, it was to receive a formal apology for the mistake that had caused my invitation to be missed previously.
Personally, I didn't mind the oversight at all, but national prestige and various other factors were at play, necessitating a formal apology in a public setting.
"You really do have a knack for getting caught up in all sorts of situations, don't you, Miyama-san?"
"...Honestly, you’re right."
Kusunoki-san, whom I happened to run into and walk with in the hallway, spoke with a sigh. I could only offer a wry smile in response.
"Are you off to the Magic Academy today as well, Kusunoki-san?"
"Yes. Everything there is so new and interesting. I’m really having fun learning."
"I see... Well, you’re reliable, so I’m sure you’ll be fine, but please be careful on the way."
"I will. Thank you very much."
After exchanging a few words and seeing Kusunoki-san off near the entrance, I decided to head to Lilia-san's room to ask about the details for tomorrow.
When I arrived, however, she was nowhere to be found. A servant informed me that she had headed out to the warehouse. Since I wasn't in any particular hurry—and I was a bit curious about what the warehouse looked like—I decided to follow her.
The warehouse stood just outside the mansion. True to the prestige of a Ducal House, it was massive and incredibly spacious inside.
I knocked on the thick door just in case, but when no response came, I let myself in. The interior was brightly lit by magic tools, and the sight of the towering shelves lined up in rows was quite a spectacle.
My eyes wandered curiously over the various items—swords, armor, carriage wheels, and various magic tools—as I searched for Lilia-san. Despite the size of the place, it was still smaller than the mansion, so I found her fairly quickly.
Lilia-san was standing at a shelf, her hands busy. She didn't seem to be organizing so much as searching for something.
"Lilia-san, good morning."
"Kaito-san? Good morning. Do you need something from me?"
"Ah, no, I just wanted to ask about the schedule for tomorrow... Are you looking for something?"
"Yes, some letters from my older brother..."
"Letters?"
Lilia-san greeted me with a gentle smile, but when I tilted my head in confusion at her search, her expression shifted to one of exasperation.
"My brother still sends me over twenty letters a month... Every single one of them is utterly meaningless. However, even if he is a fool, he is still the King. I simply told the servants to toss them into the warehouse."
"I-I see."
"I thought there might be something regarding tomorrow’s matter written in one of them, so I decided to check just in case. I wonder where they are? Since they're essentially junk, they should be over here with the items slated for disposal..."
I’d suspected this for a while, but Lilia-san was truly merciless when it came to her biological brother. She had flatly called his letters junk and, based on her tone, hadn't even bothered to read them. I could practically feel the weight of all the trouble he must have caused her in the past.
The shelves in this area were indeed filled with things that looked like oversized trash, stacked without much order. As I watched, Lilia-san stepped up onto a tall pedestal and reached for a box on a high shelf, but it seemed to be just out of her reach.
"Lilia-san, shall I get that for you?"
"Eh? Ah, yes... I’m sorry, but could I ask you to?"
"Of course."
Since I was taller than her, I figured I could reach it easily. Lilia-san looked a bit apologetic as she stepped aside.
I took her place on the pedestal and reached for the box.
"...Hm? That’s strange."
"Is it stuck?"
"Yeah, it feels caught on something... If I give it a good tug, it should..."
The items were packed in so tightly that the box barely budged at first. However, it moved slightly when I pulled harder, so I gripped it with both hands and gave it a firm yank.
Being on the high pedestal made it difficult to get proper leverage. I felt it start to give, but the items to the left and right seemed to be sliding out along with it. This was looking bad.
Just as I moved to relax my grip, the box suddenly slid out with unexpected ease. Standing on my tiptoes and pulling with all my might, I completely lost my balance.
"Whoa—! Wait, this box is heavy!"
"Kaito-san!?"
I tried to regain my footing, but the box was far heavier than I had anticipated. My feet slipped right off the edge of the pedestal.
Lilia-san rushed over to catch me, and for a moment, everything seemed to move in slow motion until we both hit the floor with a loud thud.
"Ow... Kaito-san!? Are you all right?"
"...Ah, yes, I'm fi—"
We both froze.
I had expected a hard impact, but thanks to Lilia-san catching me, I wasn't hurt. However, as I started to reply to her worried voice, I realized our situation.
In the confusion of the fall, Lilia-san hadn't been able to stay upright. She was lying flat on her back, and I was pinned directly on top of her. Her face was inches from mine.
"..."
"..."
Her hair was a refined, gorgeous gold, and her eyes were as stunning as sapphires. She truly was the quintessential blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty.
"...A-Ah, um!? K-K-Kaito-san!?"
"!? S-Sorry! I'll get off right—huh?"
Entranced by her beauty, I only snapped out of it when she spoke, her face turning a brilliant shade of crimson. I hurriedly tried to push myself up, but my body wouldn't move.
A cold dread washed over me. I turned my head to look back and saw that several items had fallen from the shelf, piling up right on top of my legs.
"...Lilia-san... um... I'm stuck."
"Eeehhh!?"
"I think something fell on my legs..."
"Eh? ...Y-You’re right. Wait, my legs are trapped too..."
Fortunately, there seemed to be enough of a gap that our legs weren't being crushed, but a series of heavy objects were pinned across our lower halves. I couldn't move my body at all, and no matter how I tried to wiggle my legs out, they were caught.
Lilia-san’s face went pale as she realized the same.
"...Lilia-san, what is this thing? It’s incredibly heavy, I can’t move at all."
"It’s a Large Bathtub Magic Tool. It’s quite old, so it was likely meant to be scrapped..."
"Why would they store something that heavy on a high shelf?"
"They likely just shoved it in there carelessly... I'll have a stern word with them later."
Right. I wasn't good at Physical Enhancement Magic, so I didn't have a good grasp of weight, but to someone who could use it properly, this was probably light enough to lift easily. Wait, if that was the case...
"Lilia-san, couldn't you lift it with your legs?"
"...It might be possible, but in this position, I would end up kicking your legs upward. You would likely be injured."
"I don't mind that."
"No! I won't do it!"
Our legs were tangled together under the weight. If Lilia-san used her strength now, I would definitely get hurt. I was willing to take the risk to get us out, but she shook her head firmly.
Given her kind nature, she would never choose a solution that might harm me. But then, what were we supposed to do?
"...Um, Lilia-san. That fall made a lot of noise, right?"
"...This warehouse is protected by a powerful Barrier Magic. No sound leaks outside."
"...Then, how do we get out?"
"...In about an hour, Luna should come looking for me. We’ll just have to wait until then."
"An hour!?"
An hour in this position? That was bad. Very bad.
Currently, I was supporting my upper body with my arms to avoid putting my weight on Lilia-san. It was essentially the starting position of a push-up. Because my lower half was pinned, the strain was even worse. Holding this for an hour was more than just "tough"—it was impossible.
To be honest, my physical strength was below average for my age. My arms were already beginning to tremble. Trying to hold this pose for an hour was a direct challenge to my physical limits. I probably wouldn't be able to lift my arms tomorrow.
"...Kaito-san. Please, relax."
"...Eh?"
"That position must be painful, isn't it? Just... lean on me."
"E-Eh? But..."
Seeing my struggle, Lilia-san made the suggestion with a flushed face.
"It’s all right. I’m quite sturdy, so the weight of one person is nothing to me."
"No, but we’ll be in total contact..."
"Don't say it! I'm trying very hard not to think about it!"
"I-I'm sorry."
She shouted her reply, her face turning even redder. Her reaction only made me more self-conscious, and my heart began to race with nerves.
"...Um, are you sure?"
"...Yes."
I cursed my own lack of strength, but my arms were reaching their limit. When I checked with her one last time, Lilia-san gave a small nod, keeping her face averted.
I slowly let the strength leave my arms and lowered myself onto her.
My chest brushed against her soft curves, and my heart hammered against my ribs. I caught the faint, comforting scent of her perfume. As I settled against her slender frame, our bodies were pressed almost perfectly together. I felt her body heat through my arms and chest, and I felt as though my own face was about to boil over.
Lilia-san looked just as embarrassed, keeping her eyes turned away, but her ears were glowing a vivid red.
Dear Mother, Father—I went to have a simple meeting with Lilia-san about tomorrow, but through a series of unfortunate accidents, an outrageous incident occurred.