Chapter 5: Even if this Love was Prearranged(4)

MISTERLP

I was speechless. If everything she'd just said was true, not one of

Souma's fiancées had met and fallen in love with him under ordinary

circumstances. No, I'd been reading romance novels, so I knew that the

restrictions placed on people by their families could get involved in their

love lives. And the view that dragons took on love, with their marriage to a

knight practically already decided, wasn't much better... But still!

"And... none of you are dissatisfied?" I asked hesitantly.

Liscia grinned. "You were the one who said a love prearranged by

someone else can still be real love, Naden. I think that no matter what

brought us together, what's really important is the time you spend together

after that."

Liscia moved over next to me. Right now, she and I were sitting so

close our shoulders were almost touching.

With a gleeful look in her eye, Liscia said, "To tell you the truth, I was

a little worried."

"Worried?"

"We've all overcome a lot of things together with Souma. Like getting

this country back on its feet, the war with Amidonia, and the negotiations

that came after. It was coming through all of that together that's forged the

tight bond we have between us. We're like a family."

Family...

Liscia continued to speak. "That's why I was concerned... about

whether you'd join us in that, and whether you could get used to that

family atmosphere. Souma places great importance on how much we feel

like a family. That's because we're the family that Souma finally found

after his sole remaining relatives in his original world, his grandmother

and grandfather, passed away."

I couldn't say a word. I'd been thinking of my own feelings first, but

Liscia had been thinking about Souma and their family. I could see why

Souma trusted her.

This is... the kind of resolve it takes to be the first primary queen, I

realized.

In a show of concern for me, who had lost the ability to speak, Liscia

continued in a peaceful tone. "If it seemed like you wouldn't be able to fit

in to this atmosphere, I intended to oppose your contract. If you couldn't

become a member of the family, I don't think that Souma or I, or even you

yourself, Naden, would be happy with that. I wanted to see for myself

whether you could or not, and that's why I arranged for us to be alone

together."

Liscia turned and looked me straight in the eyes.

"So, Naden, do you think you can fit in? Do you think you can think,

not just of Souma, but the rest of us as family, too? If you can... we'll

welcome you."

I looked at my own feelings. I didn't have Liscia's resolve yet. But...

that was only true for now.

"I don't really understand this 'family' stuff," I admitted. "We dragons

will protect the blood relatives of our contractors to the death, but we

aren't really a race with a strong concept of family."

"I see..."

"Still, that's all the more reason why I know the loneliness of solitude.

I'm a ryuu, and was even more isolated compared to the other dragons, so

I understand how gratifying it is to have friends, the glee of finding

someone who understands you, and Souma's desire to have someone at his

side. So..." I stood up, turned to Liscia, and bowed my head to her.

"Please, make me a member of your family."

While my eyes were shut tight, and I was waiting for Liscia's response,

something touched my hands, which were resting on my lap. I opened my

eyes to find that Liscia had taken my hand. Then, hand in hand with me,

Liscia stood up, too, turning to me with a grin.

"Naden Delal, as the candidate to be Souma's first primary queen, I

welcome you. Thank you for coming to this country, coming to be with

Souma."

"Liscia..."

"Hee hee! The way we are now, you'd think it was the two of us who

were getting married."

"Ahaha, you might be right."

We were holding hands, bare naked. What was with this arrangement?

"Oh, but you have to get permission from Aisha, who isn't here now,

okay?" Liscia added.

"Urkh... I-I'll try my best."

"Well, if Souma asks her, I'm sure Aisha will be okay with it." With

that said, "Mmm..." Liscia stretched herself wide. "Now, I'm feeling a

little lightheaded, so maybe it's time we got out."

"Sure."

"Oh, right, Naden. If you'll come to my room, there was something I

wanted you to help me with."

"Something you want me to help you with?"

What could that mean?

Liscia had a mischievous smile on her face.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Phew..."

It was the next day. I was in the governmental affairs office, looking

through the pile of papers Hakuya had handed me, saying, "Since you're

here anyway, please look through these important documents." But... I was

super sleepy.

Roroa and Juna put me through the wringer last night, asking me all

sorts of questions about what had happened with Naden, so I was a little

sleep deprived. But, well, maybe it was best to do what I could now.

It had been decided that Naden and I would return to the Star Dragon

Mountain Range within the day.

I already reported back to Liscia and the others about Naden, and what

Madam Tiamat had been saying about the storm bothered me, too. The

plan was to pick up Aisha and the rest on our way there.

While I was working, there was a knock at the door and Liscia and

Naden came in.

Seeing how Naden looked when she entered the room, I let out an

impressed "Wow..."

When she noticed me staring at her, Naden glared back at me, blushing,

and said, "Wh-What...?"

"Nah, I was just thinking you look real pretty now."

"P-Pretty?!"

I thought Naden had good material to work with, but she had been

unconcerned with her appearance, and her hair had been full of kinks, so it

was hard to be sure of her full potential. But now that Naden was wearing

her straight, long, smooth, black hair down, she had a neat and tidy beauty,

like a yamato nadeshiko, the hypothetical ideal Japanese woman. It

seemed she'd gone for a bath with Liscia after what had happened, so

Liscia must have given her a good washing then.

"Yeah, I think you're real cute."

"Aww... Um... Thanks." Naden managed to force out just that much as

a reply. The way she was acting was so innocent and cute, too.

...Yeah, Naden looked fine. Naden did.

Pressing my fingers against my temples, I looked at the other one, who

was an actual problem.

"Liscia... What do you think you're doing dressed like that?"

"This doesn't look good on me?" Liscia turned around slowly, giving

me a good look at her outfit.

"If you're asking how that looks on you, of course you look amazing in

it! But what I'm asking is why you're wearing that sort of outfit."

Right now, Liscia was wearing a chest plate, among other things, over

the top of a shirt and pants. It was what you might call the adventurer look.

In that getup, she wouldn't have looked out of place in Juno and Dece's

party. Behind her, I could see what looked like luggage.

No matter how I looked at her, she was ready to travel. She was

blatantly planning to tag along with me.

"...Liscia, I asked you to stay behind in the castle, didn't I?"

"'We can't have the top guy and his number two both away for that

long.' That was your reasoning, right? I heard from Naden that you made

it from the Star Dragon Mountain Range to here in about two hours, right?

If we can come right back in the event of an emergency, there's no reason

I should have to hold down the fort, now is there?"

"That... might be true, yes..."

"Ahhhhh!" Roroa entered the room and shouted out loud when she saw

how Liscia was dressed. "Big Sis Cia, that's no fair! You're clearly

plannin' to go with him!"

"I can't condone you trying to steal a march on the rest of us, Lady

Liscia." Juna was the next to raise a complaint.

Liscia put her hands together, as if pleading for forgiveness. "Someone

needs to persuade Aisha, so let me go. Naden says she'll make trips back

and forth between our destination and here, so the two of you can come

later, okay?"

"Hrmph... Well, if that's how ya say it is," Roroa said grudgingly.

"We'll just have to accept it..." Juna murmured.

The two of them accepted it?! Huh? She was really coming with me?

"Okay, Souma. Let's go to the Star Dragon Mountain Range and lay

our claim to Naden!"

"..."

Having gained the permission of the other two, Liscia said that to me

with a broad grin.

Was this really okay? While I was still holding my head in my hands,

Naden patted me on the shoulder to comfort me.