Since we had already cleared two-thirds of the ascent, it didn't take us long to reach the park atop the hill. The park was designed primarily as an overlook for the city, so there was no playground equipment to be found; instead, benches were scattered here and there across the grounds.
"Our timing is absolutely perfect."
"You're right. The sunset should be beautiful in just a few minutes. As expected of a prime spot, it looks like the sun is going to drop right behind the city skyline."
"Exactly. It should look amazing once it gets a little lower... Olivia-san, we've arrived."
"..."
I spoke to her with the intention of ending the princess carry and putting her down, but Olivia-san remained leaning against me with her eyes closed. There was no response... Wait, is she asleep?
"Olivia-san? Um, are you sleeping by any chance?"
"...Does Olivia-sama even sleep? I thought she didn't need rest."
"Well, I know someone who says that even if she doesn't need sleep, she can still do it if she wants to. So there's at least a possibility..."
Among my acquaintances, Kuromueina, Isis, and Alice didn't actually require sleep, yet they all slept quite regularly. However, because someone like Kuromueina wasn't particularly used to it, she was usually in a total daze whenever she woke up... I wondered if Olivia was in a similar state, but she opened her eyes immediately after I spoke.
"...I hear Kaito-sama's voice."
"Ah, Olivia-san, you're awake? We reached our destination."
"...Yes... All that I am belongs entirely to Kaito-sama."
"...Olivia-san?"
Olivia hadn't been sleeping at all. Once she had decided to accept the princess carry from me, the sheer comfort of it had caused her mind to melt, leaving her in a blissful, dreamlike state. In a sense, it wasn't much different from being half-asleep, which was why she couldn't answer my questions properly.
"Hehe... to be touched by Kaito-sama like this... a happiness more than I deserve... such happiness... happi..."
Alas, that mental meltdown couldn't last forever. As she gradually regained her composure, Olivia's face turned so red I thought her blood might actually be boiling.
"—!?!?!?!?!?!?"
She had been so completely immersed in the bliss of being held by me that she hadn't even noticed us calling out to her. On top of that, realizing she had just responded to me in a sweet, pampered voice sent her mind into an unprecedented panic.
"M-m-m-m-my deepest apologies! Ah, d-d-d-disre... no, lèse-majesté! I mean, I have caused such trouble... and so, um..."
"P-please, calm down, Olivia-san. It's okay. Anyway, it's dangerous if you squirm, so I'm going to put you down now."
"Hahih!..."
For the moment, I set the flustered Olivia on her feet, speaking to her with a smile to reassure her as best I could.
"There was no disrespect or lèse-majesté at all, so don't worry. You weren't a burden, and you certainly didn't commit any kind of sin. So please, just take a deep breath, okay?"
"...Y-yes. I have shown you a truly unbecoming sight."
Hearing my gentle words, Olivia nodded, her face still a vivid crimson. In her heart, she swore to subject herself to a regimen of self-reflection and punishment through ascetic training later.
As a result, rumors would later circulate within Shenism of a Hidden Hellish Ascetic Training so grueling that even the Pope would emerge from it covered in wounds—but that is a story for another time.
"For now, let's find a bench and watch the sunset. The sun is just starting to dip below the horizon, and the atmosphere is perfect..."
"Yes. How about that bench over there? I believe it sits in a position that offers the clearest view of the city..."
"That looks good. Let's go there, then. Kaori-san, is that alright with you?"
"Eh? Oh, yeah. That's fine. The sense of youth was so overwhelming I felt like a spectator at a movie."
While Kaori wanted to experience romance and youth for herself, she also enjoyed watching it play out for others. Her reason for suggesting the princess carry had partly been to support Olivia’s efforts to make this feel like a real date, but she also simply wanted to see a romantic gesture like that up close.
...Of course, she didn't dream for a moment that a suggestion born of such idle curiosity would end up coming back to haunt her later.
Serious-senpai: "This is a bad flow. A very, very bad flow... This is exactly the kind of setup where he ends up carrying Kaori next, isn't it..."