NOVGO.NET Chapter 2429: Stargazing Wine ④
<Author’s Notes>
I’m going on a business trip tomorrow, so the next update will be posted on the day after tomorrow.
I held up the wine Alice had given me, poured into a wine glass, toward the night sky where a dazzling meteor shower streamed overhead. The meteors reflected in the wine, and somehow, it looked incredibly fantastical and beautiful.
[It’s sparkling so much that it feels like I’m indulging in something unbelievably luxurious.]
[That’s true. Alice-sama’s wine is very fine wine, and we’re watching a meteor shower from a place most people would never be able to visit, so in reality, this is certainly luxury.]
[And we’ve also got the delicious snacks you made, Sieg-san. It really is luxury.]
[N- No, if you compare my cooking to high-class wine and a meteor shower, it’ll look shabby in comparison, so it’s a bit embarrassing……]
[If anything, for me, between the wine, the meteor shower, and Sieg-san’s cooking, Sieg-san’s cooking makes me the happiest.]
[Y- You’re exaggerating…… though I’m happy to hear it.]
To be honest, out of those three, Sieg-san’s homemade cooking was the one I appreciated the most. Sieg-san was good at cooking, but opportunities to actually eat her cooking were surprisingly rare.Since I usually ate meals in Lilia-san’s mansion’s dining hall, the head chef and the other cooks she employed prepared the food. And because Sieg-san’s work with the security force often caused her mealtimes to shift, she tended to cook and eat on her own as needed……
Well, Sieg-san is kind, so if I said I wanted to eat her cooking, she’d probably make it for me whenever I asked. But even so, it’s hard to say it’s something I could casually request.
When we had tea together, she often served handmade sweets, so I had plenty of chances to eat those. But when it came to actual meals, the opportunities were truly few and therefore precious.
[Like I said earlier, Sieg-san’s cooking has this gentle, comforting taste…… I personally like it a lot, so being able to eat it like this really makes me happy.]
[……If you’re going to say that much, then I’ll make you another packed lunch next time. How about we take a little trip somewhere?]
[Oh, that sounds great. A picnic is nice, but going sightseeing in some town and eating in a park sounds good too. Lately, I’ve been getting more chances to visit places outside the capital, and each town has its own character…… it’s really fun.]
[I’d like to hear more about that. I haven’t traveled much outside Symphonia Kingdom myself, so I’m curious what the towns in Archlesia Empire or Hydra Kingdom are like.]
[For example, if you’re looking for something peaceful…… when I participated in that flying board tournament……]
I snacked on the delicious appetizers, sipping wine while chatting idly with Sieg-san. She listened to my stories, nodding along with a gentle smile, and now and then she offered a bit of her own experiences too.
As we talked, our conversation naturally shifted into ideas about going somewhere together again next time, and my list of things to look forward to grew longer. I had said earlier that this felt incredibly luxurious, but at the same time, it also felt like I was spending an impossibly happy moment with her, my heart felt warm in a way that was hard to describe.
[……Come to think of it, Sieg-san……]
[Yes?]
I was about to ask her something, but the moment I looked at her face, my mind went completely blank. Sieg-san had always been a stunning beauty, an elegant, kind-looking elf onee-san, her features refined and serene. Her visual charm alone was overwhelming from the start.
And now, probably because I was her lover, she leaned against me with an expression that felt just a little unguarded. The starlight cast a soft glow over her face, faintly flushed with alcohol…… and, well, it hit me again just how unbelievably cute she was. It was a shock that somehow brought a sudden reaffirmation.
[Ah, sorry. I completely forgot what I was about to ask.]
[Fufu, that happens sometimes. If you remember, tell me, okay?]
[Yes.]
Chuckling softly, Sieg-san rubbed her cheek against my chest. It was too cute. Tonight, she seemed even more relaxed and affectionate than usual, she felt more open, more willing to show her softness. Because of that contrast with her usual demeanor, every gesture she made felt extra adorable.
[Hm?]
[Ah, errr……]
Apparently I had been staring at her too intently, lost in admiration, and Sieg-san tilted her head with a slightly puzzled look.
While I hesitated over how to answer, Sieg-san smiled gently and spoke.
[……How about…… a kiss?]
[Eh? Ah, yes. Then, excuse me……]
That actually wasn’t what I’d meant at all, but because I had been staring at her face, Sieg-san seemed to think I wanted to kiss her, and that I had been waiting for the right moment since she had been drinking.
And well…… when the person you adore, someone so beautiful that you can’t help but stare, asks you something like that, of course you get in the mood. I nodded to her suggestion, leaned in, and pressed my lips to hers.
[Nn……]
Maybe it was because we were both drinking, or because she was feeling a little shy…… but compared to the kiss from before, Sieg-san’s lips felt warmer tonight. That warmth was impossibly pleasant, and before I knew it, I was completely absorbed in the moment.
<Afterword>
Serious-senpai (full body konpeito) : [……….…]
Makina : [munch munch…… fumu… hmm…… mun!]
Serious-senpai : [Hah!? M- My body is back to normal…… Makina, did you turn me back? I appreciate it, but with this sugar level, I’ll probably turn into konpeito again any moment……]
Makina : [It’s fine. I adjusted it so you won’t turn into konpeito anymore before restoring you.]
Serious-senpai : [Oh right… you are a god huh. Huh. I thought you were just a totally insane, unhinged weirdo, but I guess you actually have some—————]
Makina : [I’m getting tired of konpeito, so I adjusted you so that next time, you’ll turn into a star-shaped milky cookie.]
Serious-senpai : [………You were the same insane, unhinged weirdo as always……… I was a fool to think better of you even for a second.]