TIRS 65

CHAPTER 65………………

A Kiss Filled with True Love♡

“What’s wrong, Sir Ruivel?”

Maria asked with concern.

“Ah, nothing. Ahaha…”

Ruivel replied with an awkward laugh.

“Well, it’s about time now. Shall we head out to enjoy the festival?”

Maria checked the wall clock, then smiled brightly as she began to rise.

“W-w-w-wait!”

Ruivel shot up from his seat and shouted.

“Festivals are always more fun with more people, right? So let’s all go together!”

From the start, the plan had simply been to enjoy the festival together, but nowhere had it been promised that it would be just the two of them.

“All together…?”

Maria’s voice trailed off, her disappointment plain as she had secretly hoped for a date with just the two of them.

Did he mean to bring along Ancelot and that pig bird too?

‘It’s fine. If it’s only those two, I can manage to shake them off and end up alone with Sir Ruivel.’

But before long, she heard the sound of that plan crashing down in pieces.

Maria, Ancelot, Klaus, Elei, the now-human Pia, and I.

A carriage carrying six of us rolled smoothly through the streets of the capital, Luenhart.

It was the last day of the festival honoring Amor, the goddess of love and truth.

We were on our way to watch the temple ceremony, considered the highlight of the festival.

I sat there, slightly pale, staring at the quest window flickering before my eyes.

It was a quest Pia had just brought me.

‘Lulu, the final quest has arrived! The difficulty isn’t high, but since Pia’s in this form, I won’t be able to stick close and help you… what should we do?’

‘You said it wasn’t hard. I’ll manage somehow.’

At that moment, I hadn’t known.

That the very last quest in Luenhart would be…

[Main Quest: Love and Duel! (3/3)]

Having won the duel, you’ve finally seized love! Now only a vow of true love remains! Seal it with a kiss filled with genuine love♡

▷ Clear Condition: A kiss of love
▶ Reward upon success: EXP +31,300, Skill Points +30

…that it would be something like this!

‘No way! Absolutely impossible!’

I screamed inwardly.

In the original story, Hezen and Maria realized their love here in Luenhart and sealed it with a sweet kiss.

Reading it on the page, it had been the perfect, most beautiful scene.

But faced with doing it myself, it had become a full-blown emergency.

‘My first kiss, just because of a quest?!’

No wonder—I had never done anything like that, neither in my previous life nor in this one.

Even after nearly three years of being in a half-romantic relationship with Hezen, we had never gone further than a hug.

It wasn’t that I was especially conservative.

When I first met Hezen, I had been only seventeen, and after turning twenty and receiving his proposal, I had been too busy preparing for the engagement to have time for romance.

Of course, while I was busy, Hezen had been sneaking around meeting other women to satisfy his desires.

‘And that completely shattered any romantic notions I had about love.’

I shook my head at the unpleasant memory.

But my past with Hezen wasn’t the important matter right now.

That damned quest was threatening my lips.

‘Even if the system tries to force me, as long as we’re all moving around together like this, there’s no way the atmosphere will shift that way… right?’

That was why I had brought everyone along.

Just then—

Clunk!

The carriage stopped abruptly, and a cheer rose from outside.

‘What is it?’

I opened the carriage window to look out, and Maria chuckled beside me.

“Oh my, a new couple has just been born.”

A young man and woman were kissing, while people around them showered them with flowers and cheered.

“Eek! W-what’s that?!”

“Ah, Sir Ruivel, you must not know.”

Startled by the public display of passionate affection in broad daylight, my eyes went wide. Maria kindly explained.

“During the festival of Lady Amor, new lovers kiss before the people to swear their true love.”

“In front of so many people, like that?”

“Spectators shower them with flowers to bless them. There’s a legend that such love will last forever.”

‘That’s just superstition.’

I grumbled inwardly.

If love could last forever just because of that, then why were there breakups in this world? Why did married couples end up divorcing?

But I couldn’t say such things aloud in front of Maria, a priestess of the goddess of love.

“Isn’t it romantic?”

“Mm…”

I looked back out the window.

The two lovers, lips parted and cheeks flushed, gazing into each other’s eyes, looked truly happy. The blessing faces of the crowd carried genuine joy too.

It was a culture absent in Azester, and it felt unfamiliar…

“Yes. I suppose it is romantic.”

I answered with a faint smile.

In fact, it reminded me a little of the romantic love my seventeen-year-old self had once dreamed of.

“…Public displays of affection, before everyone.”

At that moment, a sighing voice came from Klaus beside me.

“Disgraceful. So this is Luenhart’s festival.”

Klaus muttered with a disgusted expression.

‘Ah, right. Klaus hates things like this.’

Remembering his trait of “Chastity,” I felt a twinge of pity for him.

“To be unable to understand the beauty of love… poor Klaus.”

“Truly pitiful, Sir Knight.”

Maria echoed my words, then turned to me with shining eyes.

“Sir Ruivel. Between those of us who understand the beauty of love…”

“N-no! I don’t really know much about the beauty of love either!”

Flustered by her intent gaze, I raised my voice, and Maria looked dejected.

By then, the carriage had reached the temple.

The temple, specially opened for the occasion, was packed with people eager to see the so-called flower of the festival—the temple ceremony.

Inside, the vast courtyard leading up to the main hall was lined with colorful tents and stalls.

As expected of a festival for the goddess of love, everything was themed around love.

“Lulu! Something smells sweet over there!”

Drawn by the sugary aroma, Pia tugged my hand and led me over.

There, they were selling “magical cookies” said to grant true love.

“They look just like the ones that pig bird ate.”

“Eek!”

At Ancelot’s muttering, Pia lost her appetite instantly and hid behind me.

“Thump-Thump Magical Cookies?”

“They’re cookies made with holy power at the temple.”

“Do they really work?”

“Would you like to try one yourself?”

Maria’s eyes sparkled as she offered.

But I had a strong feeling it would be dangerous to eat one, so I smiled awkwardly and declined.

“No, it’s fine, Maria.”

“Oh, that’s too bad.”

Maria looked openly disappointed.

I avoided her gaze and pointed at the longest line of people nearby.

“What’s that place?”

“Ah, that’s the spring that reveals one’s ideal type.”

“Ideal type?”

Just then, a couple walked away from it—only for the woman to turn angrily away from the man, her cheeks flushed.

“Oh dear, looks like the man’s ideal type wasn’t her.”

Watching the man flusteredly try to calm his sulking lover, Maria sighed sympathetically.

“It’s a little risky for couples to try, but… what do you think, Sir Ruivel? Don’t you want to know Prince Ancelot’s ideal type?”

Maria lowered her voice, whispering into my ear.

For a second, her gaze toward Ancelot felt almost ominous… but surely I was imagining it.

“Well… I guess…”

Since Ancelot and I weren’t really lovers, even if someone else appeared as his type, there would be no reason for conflict.

‘Still, I am a little curious…’

Feigning reluctance, I let Maria lead me toward the spring of ideals.

After waiting in line, it was our turn.

A large golden basin shimmered with clear spring water.

“Sir Klaus. You try first.”

“M-me?”

Klaus stammered—unusual for him.

“You’re my guard knight. You should test whether it’s safe.”

“Well… I suppose…”

Pressed by my reasoning, Klaus leaned over the basin.

The water rippled lightly, and the face of a woman appeared on its surface.

Light pink hair. Amber eyes…

“Ugh!”

A strangled sound escaped Klaus’s usually composed lips.

[SYSTEM] has entered the state [Flustered].
[SYSTEM] ’s Language Ability has decreased.

“T-this must be broken, Your Highness!”

No wonder—because the face reflected in the basin was none other than mine.

‘That’s right. Klaus’s ideal type… was .’

I had seen it long ago in his information window, but I had forgotten, since I had never once thought of him as a man.

Before me, he had always remained impeccably proper.

“I swear! I have never once harbored such shameful thoughts toward Your Highness…!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine, Klaus.”

I worked hard to console him as his eyes reddened as if he might cry.

“Strange, is it?”

Maria leaned forward to look into the basin herself.

The water rippled again, and once more, my face appeared.

“Eh?”

This time, it was my turn to be flustered.

“It really must be broken. Why is my face…?”

“No, I think it’s showing quite clearly.”

The first comment was mine. The second, Maria’s.

As I blinked in confusion, Maria smiled sweetly at me.