#ralida

(Although I’m sure we’ve walked together like this countless times in the past. …..Should I have held her hand…..?)

—I had never thought that going “back to normal” would be this difficult.

Our relationship was now that of “lovers”.

But at the same time we were also “family”, just as we had always been—

‘Ralida, you’ve been staring at my hand for a while now…..is something the matter?’

‘Oh, ah…it’s nothing.’

‘..........’

I felt my heart skip a beat as Tifalia peered in at my face. Even though I must have seen her with a pouty look on her face many times before now—

(Why is everything about her just so damn cute…..?)

Maybe it was because I was in human form right now, making Tifalia seem smaller in comparison?

No…..during our journey, I had stood at her side in human form plenty of times.

I knew something like that wasn’t the reason I felt this way.

‘.....Don’t act weird and hide things from me anymore.’

Looking dejected, Tifalia averted her gaze from me.

I had intended to protect her with the things I hadn’t said, but in the end all I had done was hurt her. Even though I had always acted so that nobody would ever hurt her again, I had been the one that had caused her the most pain.

‘.....I’ll never hide anything from you again. So don’t make that face.’

No matter how much I did to make up for it, it would never be enough.

Wanting to reassure her, even if just a little, I patted her head.

(.....Hm?)

And, in that instant-

Lightly travelling on the wind, an unfamiliar scent tickled my nose.

‘—H-Hey, Ralida, you’re going to mess up my hair.’

‘Ah, my bad. You just happened to be in the right spot.’

‘Aw, come on…..!’

When I removed my hand from ruffling her hair, the sorrowful expression on her face from a moment ago was gone, replaced with a seemingly happy anger.

(.....Heh, she’s an easy read)

Somehow or other repressing my sudden desire to hold her tight, I made myself look nonchalant and began to walk forward once more.

‘Oh hey, they’ve got some pretty tasty looking stuff over there. Looks like it might go well with the booze I bought not too long ago, maybe I’ll go check it out.’

‘Don’t tell me you plan on drinking more again?’

‘Nothing wrong with a little every now and then. I’m sure Spirea will be pleased too if I share some with her.’

‘.....In that case, let’s go take a look.’

‘So it’s alright for Spirea but not me, huh…..’

‘I wouldn’t have anything to complain about if you just knew how to take it easy!’

We exchanged the same kind of conversation that we always had. I completely forgot about the scent I had momentarily caught a whiff of until a few days later.

* * *

—And then, on a different day-

Today, Ribelle was temporarily closed as Spirea had gone out on a rare overnight errand. The two of us were enjoying our first day off in a while.

‘You sure about this? You could have gone with her.’

‘It’s fine. Although it’s not often, Father and Mother do come to visit the shop sometimes. And, I was also thinking Spirea might be able to kick back and and relax more if she didn't have me to worry about too.’

A few days ago a message from Meria and Lyzel in Kalida had arrived. They had written that they were worried for Spirea since it had been so long since she’d taken a break, so she had given in and taken time off to go stay with them.

‘Well, if you’re alright with it then.’

I was making sensible sounding replies, but-

‘............’

I couldn’t help but give a quiet sigh, but not so loud that Tifalia would be able to hear me.

(.....So it’s just the two of us, huh)

Truth be told…..I was feeling conflicted.

(I do get that they’re trying to be considerate…..)

‘.....Ralida, you know you didn’t really have to stay behind here on my account too, right?’

Apparently taking my silence as discontent, she spoke, this time with that adorably pouty look on her face.

‘Idiot. There’s no way I’d ever leave you on your own. Have you already forgotten that I said I’d never be apart from you again? C’mon, let’s go.’

So saying, when I held my hand out to her-

‘Okay!’

-She took it, her face lighting up.

Her smile was unreserved and from the heart.

Surely from now on too, she would react to each and every single one of my actions, and show me all kinds of expressions.

Thinking about the fact that I would be shown such things any number of times until tomorrow…..and that I would have to “hold back” the desires that seemed to overflow each time, I couldn’t help but feel even more conflicted.

(Dammit….Looking all happy like that….-Hm? What is this scent….?)

‘—And so, from what everyone was saying, that cafe’s cheesecake is supposed to be super delicious.’

It was then, on the path to our destination-

(.....Just as I thought, I smell something sweet…..)

‘Ralida? What is it?’

(I feel like….I’ve smelt it somewhere before recently…..)

‘Hey, are you listening to me?’

‘Huh? Oh…..You wouldn’t happen to smell something sweet too, would you?’

‘Something sweet? Maybe the crepes they’re selling over there?’

‘.....I see…..’

(No…..I feel like it’s different from the sweetness of a crepe…..)

‘Let’s go quickly, before it gets too crowded!’

As she spoke, Tifalia took firm hold of my arm, pulling me forwards.

It was at that moment that the scent brushed against my nose once more.

‘Alright I get it, quit yanking so hard already.’

(This scent…..is from Tifalia….?)

—A scent different from the one Tifalia normally had.

(.....Perfume? When did she start wearing something like that…..)

Until now, she had never once shown an interest in perfume, saying it would only get in the way of cooking and working in a place that served food and drink.

To be sure, in the royal capital, wearing perfume was popular enough with men that it wasn’t seen as anything unusual, there were a wide range of varieties available. For a girl of Tifalia’s age, to have an interest in such things was something “normal.”

(She’s done nothing for me to criticize her for)

I knew that. I should know that, but-

(Why now, after all this time……)

Tifalia and I were family. We had always lived together in the same house since she was little, always using the exact same shampoo.

It was the reason why, whenever I held her, she smelled of the same scent of soap as I did—along with her own individual scent.

But that scent had now suddenly become something different, and that nagged at me somehow. I couldn’t accept that she had changed in a place that I didn’t know about.

And once that murky feeling started, it continued to build within me undissipating, even after we returned home.

* * *

After that, soon after we had returned to a completely silent house.

‘Hey, Ralida. Are you mad about something?’

Watching my facial expression, Tifalia asked me.

(Crap….did it come out on my face….?)

I hadn’t intended to let what I was thinking show, but it appeared I hadn’t done nearly a good enough job of it.

‘.....You told me you wouldn’t hide anything from me anymore.’

Giving it up when I saw Tifalia speaking as if angry, I brought up the topic of the perfume.

About how I had been puzzled as to why she had suddenly started wearing it. And when I asked, I was unprepared for her reaction.

‘.....Do I need to say it…..?’

‘Is it the kind of thing you can’t talk about?’

‘.....Not, necessarily…..’

I felt another wave of negative emotion at this vague manner of speaking.

(—So that means there’s something she can’t tell me?)

I knew that it wasn’t possible to talk about absolutely everything together, whether we were family or lovers. I didn’t want to place restrictions on her.

Still…I hadn’t expected to feel so irritated just because there was one small thing that I didn’t know.

(Talk about hypocritical…..)

This was nothing at all compared to the things I had once hidden from her.

Confronted with my own small-mindedness once more, I was again full of self-loathing.

‘.....Tch-’

‘! ….That’s-…..’

Her shoulders jolted slightly at my unthinking tongue click.

‘! I’m sorry, just now- that wasn’t directed towards you…..!!’

Cutting across my flustered explanation, Tifalia took a deep breath and spoke.

‘—It was because I wanted you to be more conscious of me, Ralida.’

‘............Huh?’

‘I thought of it when I overheard some of the regular female customers at the restaurant talking about perfume. That maybe if I did something different…..it might make you feel more conscious of me, Ralida.’

Her cheeks were red, yet she spoke seriously, without averting her eyes from me.

‘.....Even though we’re l-lovers now, nothing has really changed much from before. That’s why I thought that I had to do something, that if something about me changed you might…see me as…more womanly….’

Getting redder and redder the longer she spoke, I listened as her words gradually tapered off, still slack jawed.

‘B-But, I had it all wrong! I’m sorry, I’m sure you have a much stronger sense of smell than I do, so it must have been uncomfortable being next to me, right?’

‘.............’

(....She wanted me to see her as more womanly? It was for me?)

And the instant I thought that, there was no way I could hold back anymore.

‘I won’t wear it anymore, so….. …..Wha-!?’

I gave into my impulse to embrace the adorable and lovely creature before my eyes, pulling her close to me.

‘U-Um, Ralida…..? Don’t you hate this scent…..?’

‘.....When did I ever say that?’

‘But….H-Hey, wait a moment, don't sniff my neck-…..!? That tickles….!’

Ignoring her flailing around in my arms, I continued to breathe it in. The delicious smell that was like sugar candy, a blend of Tifalia’s scent along with a soft sweetness.

(.....It was created for me….)

Desire was whispering within me, saying, “Since this candy was prepared for me, shouldn’t I just go ahead and eat it right up?”

‘............’

‘.....Ralida?’

(.....No, what the hell am I thinking? Of course I can’t.....)

Coming back to myself at Tifalia’s voice, I loosened my hold on her and looked her in the face.

‘Um.....?’

And then I pressed a light kiss.....to Tifalia’s forehead.

‘-!’

‘.....I really like this scent on you too. But when Spirea gets back tomorrow evening, you’ll be going to help Lian again, right? Magical beast children have strong senses of smell, so it’s probably best you don’t wear any perfume so they don't get overwhelmed. They might think you’re candy and end up licking you.’

‘.....Alright, I understand. But.....I am glad you didn’t dislike it.’

The shy look on her face as she spoke had to be against the rules, I thought to myself.

‘Right then, time for a bath, and then let’s eat dinner. I’m starving.’

‘Okay!’

—At the same time that I thought that I wanted to treasure the scent she had put so much thought into choosing for me, I also felt an urge to overwrite it with my own as soon as possible.

Expressing such a mixed up bunch of emotions to her straight up was something I must not do.

While feeling a sense of relief that she had answered me as she normally would when I spoke to her in my usual tone, we returned to our “normal” life.

(.....Emotions really are so difficult, Serius.)

Knowing there was no possibility of my words reaching him, I spoke to myself inside my mind.