"Now then, today you're spending the day with me!"
It was the third day of his scheduled dates.
Having survived his outings with Viola and Primula, Rest's next partner was Yuri Catreia.
Standing before him was Yuri, dressed in a practical-looking pantsuit and wearing a sunflower-bright smile as she made her grand declaration. She had a backpack slung over her shoulders, looking for all the world like she was about to head off on a picnic.
Faced with her boundless energy, Rest could only let out a weary sigh.
"Yuri..."
"Hm? What is it?"
"No... nothing..."
To be perfectly honest, his dates over the last two days had left him utterly drained. While he could use magic to mend physical exhaustion, there was no spell to soothe a tired soul.
(Dealing with those thugs during the date with Viola was one thing, but that bizarre monster at the museum was a whole different ordeal...)
Thanks to that supernatural experience, he had been too terrified to even close his eyes last night. He felt bad for Yuri, but he simply wasn't in the mood for a fun, lighthearted date.
"Oh, I've heard the stories. Sounds like you’ve had a rough go of it!" Yuri folded her arms and nodded sagely. "I knew you’d be tired, so I came up with a plan to let you relax today! I’m going to provide you with total service, so please, enjoy yourself to the fullest!"
"I appreciate the thought... but is 'service' really the right word for it?"
So far, the only thing he was feeling was more fatigue. He wondered where on earth she was planning to take him.
"Right then, this way!"
"Whoa!"
Before he could react, Yuri grabbed his arm and scooped him up in one fluid motion.
"Since you’re so worn out, I’ll carry you to our destination. Just relax and leave the rest to me!"
"Wait, what!? How am I supposed to relax like this!?"
How was any man supposed to feel at ease while being carried through the streets in a princess carry?
Ignoring his frantic protests, Yuri began to sprint through the capital. Since it was still early morning, there weren't many people around, but those they did pass all wore expressions of sheer, slack-jawed bewilderment.
"If you're really that tired, you can just sleep, you know?"
"...I can't sleep like this," Rest groaned.
In truth, the "ride"—or rather, the experience of being carried—wasn't actually that bad. Despite her incredible speed, he barely felt any vibration. He had no idea how she managed to run like that, but the warmth and softness of being pressed against Yuri felt strangely pleasant.
(This is bad... the warmth, the rhythmic swaying. I really feel like I might drift off...)
It felt remarkably like being cradled by a mother. She radiated a warm, soft, and secure sense of maternity. Between the exhaustion of the previous days and his lack of sleep, he felt his consciousness beginning to slip.
(But I can’t! I absolutely cannot fall asleep! How embarrassing would it be to be caught napping while a girl carries me around like a bride!?)
Then again, the mere act of being carried this way was already humiliating enough. He decided it was best not to dwell on it and tried to put it out of his mind.
"Hm? Not going to sleep, Rest?"
"............I'm staying awake."
"I see... In that case, I’ll sing you a lullaby. Slee~p, oh slee~p. Rest~ peace~fully~, for~ever~?"
"...Thanks. I'm wide awake now."
Her phenomenally tone-deaf singing successfully chased away the last vestiges of his drowsiness. He had been on the verge of losing the battle against his sleepiness, but her "lullaby" was enough to snap anyone back to reality.
"How do I put this... that's quite a unique voice you have..."
Her voice itself was clear and actually quite beautiful, but her sense of pitch was exquisitely off. It had an uncanny quality to it, sounding like a professional singer trying their absolute hardest to sing badly, which made it incredibly grating on the ears.
"Like a ba~by, slee~p. Come now, go~ to~ slee~p~."
"Hey, what is... that?"
"Is that... a kidnapping? A remarkably cheerful abduction?"
"I'm not sure... should we call the Military Police?"
While the off-key singing had certainly done away with his sleepiness, her booming voice was drawing stares from everyone in the vicinity.
"Please, just stop..."
Having been witnessed by half the capital being carried like a princess, Rest's mental fatigue had officially evolved into a throbbing headache.