The goal of stopping Olivia-san—who had been stuck in a loop of praise like a broken record—had certainly been achieved.
Her mouth, which had been churning out endless words of admiration as if they knew no limit, clamped shut instantly. However, as the price for that success, Olivia-san had come to a complete standstill, without even blinking.
"Um, Kaori-san? I mean, she did stop... but she’s so stopped that she’s literally frozen."
"Maybe the stimulation was too strong... Eh? Is a hug really that powerful? I just said it on a whim because I was still hyped up from the play..."
"..."
Olivia-san was as rigid as if time itself had stopped. Even when I waved my hand in front of her face, there was no response. What should I do? We were in the middle of a street... Fortunately, perhaps thanks to the Recognition Inhibition glasses, the people around us didn’t seem to care about our bizarre situation, but I had to snap her out of it somehow.
"Olivia-san? I'm sorry to do that so suddenly... A-Are you okay?"
"...I see a beautiful field of flowers. This place, wrapped in such comfortable warmth, is truly a Land of Blessing... I have never seen the real thing, but yes, this must be my Sanctuary."
"Olivia-san!? Pull yourself together! There aren’t any flower fields here!"
It seemed the sudden hug had delivered such a shock to her system that her mind had been blown all the way to an Imaginary Sanctuary.
What should I do? It didn't look like she was coming back anytime soon...
The voices of Kaito and Kaori desperately calling her name failed to reach her. Olivia’s spirit drifted within a fluffy, pleasant warmth. And in that moment, she reached a firm conviction: "This is a dream."
(Yes, there is no way Miyama Kaito-sama would suddenly embrace me. Such a thing is merely a stray, base thought that surfaced in my mind after watching the play... a shameful fantasy that could only exist in my imagination. Yes, this must be what people call a dream. I likely lost consciousness, unable to withstand the overwhelming happiness of interlacing my fingers with Miyama Kaito-sama’s while we watched the performance together.)
The sudden hug had easily exceeded Olivia’s capacity. She had concluded that the current sequence of events was a dream tailored to her own convenience.
Although Olivia did not require sleep and never slept, she knew from literature that such things as dreams existed, and so she judged this situation to be exactly that.
(I am utterly ashamed of my own immaturity. Once I awaken, I must apologize to Miyama Kaito-sama with all my heart. However, if this is a dream like the ones I have read about, then nothing that happens here will ever be known. I won't actually be causing Miyama Kaito-sama any trouble... In that case... would it be... acceptable... to follow my base desires, just a little?)
Amidst thoughts floating in a feverish haze, Olivia made her decision. She softly clung to the Kaito before her, rubbing her cheek against him as if to spoil herself against his body.
"Olivia-san!?"
She heard Kaito’s startled voice, but believing this was strictly occurring within a dream, she didn't react. Instead, she closed her eyes and relaxed her expression into one of pure bliss.
(...Miyama Kaito-sama’s scent, his warmth... I am so happy. Truly, how foolish and base I am. Yes, ever since he took me to the Hero's Hill, these hopelessly foolish thoughts have refused to fade. Even though it is my duty to serve and devote myself—even though that is how things ought to be—I have foolishly harbored a desire to be spoiled by him like this. It is a desire far beyond my station.)
She had focused on her prayers and tried to overwrite those feelings with religious devotion, yet she could never truly forget them. She remembered how warm and protective he had felt when he carried her on his back toward the Hero's Hill. She had felt such an all-encompassing security that she had even wished the moment would never end—a desire that the usual Olivia would have reflected upon and disciplined herself for.
(This is truly an extreme act of lèse-majesté, a shameless act without a shred of dignity... something impossible outside of a dream... But... wait? Can a dream... really feel this real? Can warmth and sensation be this vivid? And besides, did I really lose consciousness during the play? I’m sure I watched it until the very end... Wh-at...?)
Unfortunately for her, she had merely been confused by the impact of the hug. As more time passed, her dream-like haze began to clear.
"Olivia-san? Please, pull yourself together!"
"...Eh? Ah... Miyama Kaito-sama?"
Her thoughts finally began to turn normally again. When she saw Kaito looking at her with a worried expression, her consciousness returned completely.
(...I... see... So everything until now wasn't a dream... and right now, I'm... suddenly clinging to Miyama Kaito-sama...)
By the time she slid her arms back and took a step away, her previous euphoria had vanished. Her mind and body cooled instantly, making her feel as though every drop of blood had been drained from her.
While her consciousness threatened to fly away again in a completely different sense, Olivia looked at Kaito with an expression of pure despair.
(...This... even if I were to undergo every existing method of execution one after another, is this not an act of lèse-majesté that could never be atoned for?)
Serious-senpai: "W-What!? She actually did it... Flirting while half-delirious..."