Chapter 41: It was a joke, teehee

It was a joke, teehee

Wh-what should I do no……?
This is not the mood to just say ‘it was a joke, teehee’ after all this time.
No matter how I think, it’s become a worse state that before though……

“……uu…………!”

Even now, she had her face pressed to my back and continued to cry.
I want to remove the sword and heal myself some time soon but……

“……I’m sorry……!!……I’m sorry……!!…..It……It was my fault so……!!”

I don’t understand what Aura was thinking and why she was apologising to me.
But I do know that if I didn’t tell her it was a joke soon, it would get seriously bad later.
……Alright, I should say it now!

“………uu… Nestt……!!”

I was about to say it was a joke, but she called my name at that moment and in the end I wasn’t able to say it.

“……I’ve……!! …been so…… mean…… until now……!!

Really. Is she talking about the day I brought Tré home?

“……I’ll apologise so…… …….I…. I was wrong.. so…….so……..come backkkk……. …..!!”

Returning or whatever, I never went anywhere from the start though.
Ah, this is also really bad. It may be as bad as her possibly killing me later if I don’t tell her soon.
However, that I didn’t know when I should make my move was also a fact.

“……Even today…… when I heard you would release us from slavery…… I …….be abandoned…….”

……I never thought it’d be like that……
I just thought it would be inconvenient to be a slave so I said such a thing……
Huh, but thinking about it clearly, if it was Aura, I feel like she would be fine even without me though.

“……I just…. wanted to… stay by your side…….!!”

……Why [Me], I wonder.
I really had no intention of doing anything, and only thought to do normal things.
To want to be with someone like me, I wanted to know why.

“………Even after this…… ……together……wanted…….Nesttt…..!!”

Aura continued to nuzzle her head against my back.
I couldn’t even say that the sword stabbed in me was dangerous , and could only continue to play dead.

“……Don’t leave me…… I’ll say anything……………..even the things I never said until now…… I’ll say them all so……!!”

……The things Aura was unable to say to me, I wonder what the heck they were.
I-it couldn’t possibly be that my nostril hairs were coming out, right……? Eh, it’s different, right!?”

“……I……. …..you……”

H-huh? This, something okay to hear just as I am? I-it’s not something bad, by any chance, right……?

 

“―――――――I like you…… Never…… I was ever able to say it but…… I…… like…… You!!”

――――Aura.. likes.. me……?
I was Aura’s master, and Aura was my slave. What reason would she have to like me……
Or rather, this was the first time a girl told me they liked me――

“……I like you….. …….I like you I like you I like you I like you I like you I like you I like you I like you I like you I like you I like you I like you I like you I like you I like you !!”

I-it’s the first time someone told me they like me――.
After that, as if calming down a little, I felt her weaken the strength with which she clung to my back.

“……I said I like you so many times so…… wake up already……!!”

So I had thought, but the power increased again.
But if I get up now, I will be scolded by Aura when I’m awake……
However, even if I continue playing dead for longer, I might be unable to catch up to Weiss.
In addition, I also want to heal myself soon.
I should just resign myself to be scolded already.
Just when I made that decision, Aura extracts the sword stuck in my chest for some reason.

“…… …If this is the end then……just once…… Let me indulge in this bit of selfishness, okay……”

I didn’t know what Aura was thinking but she started to turn my body face up. By the way, my eyes were closed.
……What was this final bit of selfishness――?

“Nest……”

……She called my name but there was no sign of anything happening in particular.
If I’m to get up then it should be now, huh……
And then, the moment I quietly opened my eyes――――――

 

 

―――――――I was kissed by Aura.
It wasn’t on the cheek like with Asha-san, but the lips.
Aura had her eyes shut, and didn’t realise I was awake.
……The kiss lasted tens of seconds and still continued without end even now.
I didn’t understand how or why it turned out like this, only felt confusion.
And then another tens of seconds.
At last, I saw a sign of the kiss ending.
……Aura opens her eyes.
Naturally, our gazes cross――

“Eh………?”

Aura was froze up noticeably. Similar to me, she was making a face like she didn’t understand what was happening.

“M-morning?”

We couldn’t stay like this forever so I timidly call out.

“Eh……EH!?

Aura’s face flushed red and she separates from me.

“W-why!? I-I did say to wake up but……eh, wh-what does this mean!?”

It seems she didn’t know what she should do in regards to my being alive.

“Calm down, Aura. This was……”
“Th-this was……?”

I decided to say the words I needed to now, to calm Aura down.

“――A joke, teehee.”