She smiled broadly, looked around the carriage, and met my eyes.
Stella, reluctant to let her know about me, began to push her mother away.
“…Go talk to father.”
“Are you kicking me out without introducing me?”
“…This is my mother, and these are my friends.”
“Hello, cadets. This is Selene Rudolph Eritz. How are you all?”
Selene said so and fixed her gaze on me. She looked between Stella and me, licked her lips once as if she had figured something out, and gave Stella a knowing look.
“Lover?”
“…No.”
“Uh-huh, don’t hold back. If you have children while you’re young, you’ll end up just like your mother… …”
“Ah, seriously—!”
Stella, blushing furiously, shoved Selene out with all her strength.
After being pushed away by her daughter, Selene eventually climbed back into her carriage.
Looking disappointed, Selene glanced out the window and asked as if she had just remembered something.
“Oh, is your father inside?”
“…Yes.”
“Okay? Be prepared; you might have a younger sibling this time.”
“…What is that supposed to—?”
Without waiting for Stella’s response, Selene’s carriage moved on toward the estate.
In the distance, the duke stood, greeting Selene.
Even from afar, I could see his awkward expression. The duke, who was usually as unyielding as steel, looked like a helpless man in front of his wife.
“…He’s going to have a tough time.”
“…Will you just keep quiet?”
“Yes.”
Seeing Stella already exhausted after just a few minutes, I kept my mouth shut.
After a while, our own carriage departed for the academy.
***
The carriage rode on for several hours.
The soft moonlight from the early dawn filtered through the window, illuminating the carriage’s interior.
All the cadets were asleep, likely worn out from the long journey. Carefully waking up, I glanced out the window, realizing we still had a few hours left to go.
‘…The scenery is beautiful.’
Since arriving in this world, the only thing I appreciated was the untouched nature and the brilliant starry skies.
Unlike Earth in the 21st century, where the environment was ruined, the nature of this world, untouched by chemical fuels, showcased the Earth’s original beauty.
By chance, the moonlight fell upon Stella.
“…She’s stunning.”
Even under the dim glow of the moon, without a trace of makeup, she looked like a sleeping princess, beautiful beyond words.
Perhaps because she was a character from a game, there were no blemishes, acne, or imperfections—things that ordinary people would have.
As I admired her quietly, a voice whispered in my ear.
[Master, are you in love?]
It was Theresia’s voice. I frowned slightly at her playful tone. Normally, when I experienced favorable emotions, she adopted the demeanor of a serious knight. But at other times, she became more mischievous.
Thinking about Anna for a moment, I brought the back of my hand to my lips.
“…Noisy.”
[You think I have a bigger che*st? Would you like to touch it once?]
“Why would I touch your che*st?”
[Hm, no reason. But I think my face is prettier, too.]
“No, Stella has a prettier face.”
[…Master, are you sure you’re not in love?]
“Absolutely not.”
[In that case, I see no issues with making do with me.]
As we continued chatting in the quiet of the night, the carriage suddenly jolted. Even with its magical suspension, the impact was harsh, as if it were about to flip over.
Stella, who had unbuckled her seatbelt earlier, flew toward me.
I instinctively caught her, then checked on the other cadets. The other two were safely buckled in and unharmed.
However, Stella, having taken off her seatbelt earlier when dealing with her mother, had ended up in my arms.
She stirred slightly but remained asleep, exhaling softly.
Honestly, she was heavy.
[Oh, Master. Are you getting excited?]
“…I am not.”
Carefully, I slid my hands under her waist and legs, lifting her gently. She twitched a bit in her sleep, but I figured it was just a reflex.
I managed to return her to her seat and secured her seatbelt.
With that done, I quietly returned to my seat and resumed gazing out the window.
In the distance, the academy began to appear.
***
[Stella’s POV]
Stella Eritz woke up in the middle of the night, stirred by the moonlight filtering through the window.
Sensitive to light, she opened her eyes slightly and looked across the carriage.
Ian sat there, gazing out the window, lost in thought. His silhouette under the moonlight was almost like a painting, and Stella found herself unable to look away.
Then, by chance, the light shifted, casting its glow upon her.
Sensing the change, Ian turned toward her. Stella quickly shut her eyes tight.
‘Did he… notice?’
She tried her best to feign sleep, hoping he wouldn’t catch on.
Thankfully, Ian didn’t seem to realize that she was awake and watching him.
Just then, Ian began to murmur to himself.
“…Whoa.”
Unable to hear clearly, she perked up her ears, straining to catch his words. After a moment, she heard something that startled her.
“… chest… touch…”
‘Touch my chest?!’
She flinched involuntarily.
Unless she had misheard, Ian had just mentioned touching her chest.
“…She’s stunning.”
‘W-what?! You idiot—! There are others here!’
Feeling overwhelmed by his sudden remark, Stella panicked internally.
Then, the carriage bounced again.
Knock!
The sudden jolt threw Stella’s body toward Ian. That’s when she realized that she had never re-fastened her seatbelt after removing it earlier.
‘Oh no, Mom!’
She mentally kicked herself for forgetting.
Fortunately, she wasn’t hurt because Ian caught her just in time.
But—
Thump-thump-thump!
Her heart pounded wildly, threatening to burst out of her chest.
Ian’s soft voice reached her ears.
“…I will not.”
‘I will not? … Sorry? W-why are you apologizing?!’
At that moment, Ian’s arms wrapped securely around her waist.
She tried to squirm free, but his grip held firm. His hands slid under her thighs as he repositioned her carefully.
She had no choice but to let him hold her in such an intimate position.
Thump-thump-thump!
Her heartbeat thundered so loudly, she feared Ian might hear it.
After a moment, Ian calmly placed her back in her seat and fastened her seatbelt.
‘…Huh?’
Nothing else happened.
‘Why not?’
‘Why?!’
No one answered her unspoken questions, and before long, the carriage rolled into the academy grounds.
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Why I feel that Duchees had a lover or lovers in capital got pregnant and returned to have sex few times with Duke so that she could insist that the child was Duke’s own?
Phoenix girl is the most interesting one so far
Thanks for chapter