As I chatted with Alice, our meal progressed and we continued to eat very tasty dishes with names that are hard to remember when I first heard it, such as food that was apparently “~~garnished with the scent of summer breeze” or “prepared with some sort of sauce”.
In Lilia-san’s mansion, there were some extravagant dishes as well that was to be expected from a Duchess, but due to Lilia-san’s character, extravagant dishes aren’t so common, and this is the first time I had such high-class dishes.
Each and every one of them was very complex, yet delicious, and at the same time, they were fresh experiences for me, so I enjoyed them to the fullest with my eyes and tongue.
[Mmmm. That was delicious.]
[Fufufu, if you say so, then it’s worth recommending it to you.]
While drinking tea after dinner and having a leisurely conversation…… What I’m particularly concerned about is the price of our meal.
As expected, there’s no way that I can’t pay for it with the current amount of money I have, but I’ve never been to a high-class restaurant before, so I’m curious to know how much it costs.
As I was thinking about this, Alice, who had finished her tea, asked me if we should leave, I nodded in agreement and stood up to talk to the waiting waitress.
[Excuse me, can I have the bill……]
[We have already received payment from No Face-sama. You’re welcome to leave as is.]
[……Eh? Ah, no……]
[Thank you for the meal. Please tell the chef it was delicious~~]
[Wait, Alice!?]
When I was puzzled by the waitress who told me that she had already received the payment, Alice didn’t seem to be bothered at all as she proceeded towards the exit.
As if she intended to do this right from the start…… Hurriedly chasing after Alice, she turns towards me with a grin on her lips.
[Well, that’s how it is…… Please let me treat you this time.]
[……Could it be that, Alice, from the start……]
[……W- Well, ummm…… Asking you to treat me dinner, errr, was just an excuse to ask you on a date anyway……T- That’s why, please let me thank you for at least this much.]
[……Thank you, you say, for what exactly?]
[You definitely know about it, and yet you’re still asking!?]
What a shame. I was going to tease her in return for slightly catching me off guard, but it seems like she easily spotted it.
Alice complains with a blush on her face, but her expression quickly turns into a wry smile as we begin walking, standing side by side holding each other’s hand.
We could have gone straight back to Alice’s home like this, but the atmosphere feels kinda pleasant…… and I want to soak in the aftertaste of our meal a bit longer.
[……Now then, Kaito-san…… Since we’re here, how about we have a stroll in the beach before we go home?]
[I guess so, it would also be a good after-meal exercise too.]
It seems that Alice thought the same thing, as she suggested that we take a walk on the nearby beach, which I accepted and we walked out of the restaurant.
In the night beach that was filled with the sound of waves pushing in and out, the sound out of our footsteps on the sandy beach resonated.
The moon is out beautifully today, and the light reflected in the ocean gives us a reasonable amount of brightness.
[……Hey, Kaito-san?]
[Unnn?]
[……It somehow feels like time had passed in the blink of an eye, doesn’t it?]
[Yeah, today was really fun.]
Our fingers interlocking with each other……. The so-called lovers’ holding hands, we gently talked with each other.
I could feel the warmth of Alice’s body through her hand and her gentle voice feels comfortable in my ears, and coupled with the situation of how we’re walking on the beach under the moonlight, it somehow makes me feel very happy.
[……Yes. It was really, really fun. I can’t remember the last time…… I had this much fun.]
[If Alice is having fun, then I’m glad.]
[……Kaito-san.]
[Unnn?]
[……Could we go out together like this again?]
[Of course, we could go out as much as you want.]
Ahh, the sea breeze caressing my cheek, the sound of waves that I heard, the definite warmth in my hand……. All of them feel really pleasant.
This date I have with Alice…… A lot of things had happened within the course of the day.
I saw a surprising side of Megiddo-san in the Arts Plaza and saw the cute, flustered Alice. We fed each other lunch with embarrassment, and fought a match through gambling…… And even now, Alice is next to me.
It really was a lot of fun, so much that I’m feeling sad to see that our date has ended.
[……Kaito-san.]
[Unnn?]
[……I love you.]
[……I love you too, Alice.]
Conveying our love for each other…… the both of us stopped almost simultaneously, me looking at Alice and her looking at me.
[……Kaito-san. Errr, you see, I did say that it was too early for that kind of thing but……]
[Unnn.]
[H- However, ummm, I- I think that a k- k- k- kiss…… would be good.]
[……Is it alright?]
[Yes…… Ummm, we have a great atmosphere now…… and I’m feeling really happy…… and I wanted to…… kiss Kaito-san.]
[……Alice.]
As if drawn to her, I placed my left hand on Alice’s shoulder and unmasked her with my right.
I could see my reflection in her beautiful sapphire blue eyes, and her golden hair, illuminated by the moonlight, looks so beautiful that it feels like it was straight out of fantasy.
Staring at each other for a second, for ten seconds…… and then, Alice gently closed her eyes, and I crouched down, bringing my face closer to hers.
Slowly, as I move closer to sear her into my brain at this moment, the distance between us drops to zero.
[……Hnnn.]
I relished her plump and soft lips…… the sensation that could be described as luscious and the warmth, without leaving a single trace.
Alice’s hand goes around the back of my neck, while I placed my arms around her back.
Feeling as if only the two of us exist in the world right now…… Forgetting about time, we only kept our thoughts unto each other.
After a walk on the beach, we returned to Alice’s home in silence.
It isn’t like I was feeling something unpleasant like being so embarrassed that I felt like my body was on fire. As I was experiencing that ticklish feeling, at Alice’s suggestion, I decided to go ahead and take a bath.
While the warmth of the hot water soothes the fatigue on my body after a day of walking, the image of Alice, the image of Alice that I had seen earlier came to my mind.
Recalling that, which was firmly burned into my memory, even though I was feeling some embarrassment, it still made me feel happy again.
My relationship with Alice, who was something like a partner-in-crime for me before, has thus changed drastically…… And now, being my girlfriend, my beloved lover, her presence has thoroughly grown in my heart.
As I was thinking that tomorrow is somehow going to be fun again…… I heard the sound of a discreet knock from the door.
[……Kaito-san, how’s the hot water?]
[Eh? U- Unnn, it’s just the right temperature.]
[I- Is that so…… W- Well then…… E- E- E- Excuse me for entering!]
[Eh? Whaa!?]
When I responded to her while soaking in the bathtub, immediately afterwards, the door was opened with a somewhat determined call…… and Alice came in, shyly wrapped in a towel around her body.
Eh? Wait a moment!? What the heck is with this situation!?
[A- A- A- Alice!? W- What in the world are you……]
[U- U- U- Ummm…… A- As I said before…… T- This is my “reward”…… to Kaito-san……]
[R- Reward?]
[Y- Yes. T- T- T- This b- beautiful Alice-chan will w- wash your back…… T- That’s my reward for you!!!]
[……Ehh?]
Dear Mom, Dad———- Feeling a sense of regret, I returned to Alice’s home after my date with Alice ended. However, it was naive of me to think that it was the end of it———– as it seems like this day hasn’t ended yet.
<Afterword>
The overwhelming heroine power……
No way! It’s trying to break the Nocturne walls!
Serious-senpai: [Stop it alreadyyy!? My life points are zero already!!!]