~Special Side Story 8~
‘First, let’s try doing again the things we did together in the North.’
Luckily, Khalid did not seem uncomfortable being with her now.
It felt like she could try many things.
The meal continued peacefully.
While Ruby was making various plans in her head, Khalid kept stealing glances at her the whole time.
‘Is the stew hot?’
Her cheeks were slightly red.
“……”
Her lips gently blowing on the stew.
Small and delicate.
Her cheeks as she chewed potatoes looked soft, and her eyes seriously examining the stew were so earnest that it was cute.
When she slurped a small piece of meat, a tiny wrinkle formed between her brows.
She must like it. That’s a relief.
“You know, you probably heard this too, but they say giving the brain proper stimulation helps with amnesia?”
Khalid quickly turned his gaze away.
“Ah, I see.”
Did she notice me staring…?
Cold sweat ran down his back.
Ruby, not caring at all, spoke excitedly.
“So I was thinking we could try doing various things together from now on. What do you think?”
It sounded similar to what those Zevert people had done earlier.
“Well… sure, I guess.”
“Then after we eat, want to go look around the shopping district? You actually liked shopping a lot!”
Me?
That was news to him.
“But that doesn’t really—”
“Going out after so long! It’ll be fun, right!”
“…I want to go. Let’s go.”
“Great! Not just the shopping district—we can go to the magic stone shop, the city walls, and even the blacksmith.”
“…….”
“Of course, we’ll stop by the knight order too!”
It sounded like a very busy day.
“Oh! And at the end, how about horseback riding? Did you know? You actually won first place in the Green Festival children’s riding competition.”
Khalid stirred his fork and said,
“……We’re doing that too?”
Ruby’s eyebrows drooped.
“Ah, sorry. Horseback riding might be hard. I mean, today I’m not prepared, so maybe Void oppa would—”
“Oh. Then let’s not do it.”
“Huh?”
“My legs hurt, so I don’t think I can ride a horse.”
“What? Are you okay?! Why do they hurt? Did you maybe get injured in the accident?”
“Maybe.”
Ruby frowned seriously.
“That won’t do. Then let’s just do the shopping another time—”
“Rehabilitation is necessary.”
“……?”
“Shopping should be fine.”
Ruby narrowed her eyes. Somehow, it felt like his thoughts were leaking out.
‘Is that logic or nonsense?’
Just then—
Hazel approached with a bright face.
“Miss, the veterinarian just contacted us. They said your horse’s health check finished earlier than expected.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. Completely healthy. Um, Ar— what was it? Three years old.”
“That’s a relief. Then… we can ride this afternoon!”
Ruby exclaimed brightly, but soon became gloomy again.
“But never mind. Khal said his legs hurt, so I don’t think we can ride today.”
“I’m completely better now.”
“……? You said they hurt?”
Khalid rolled his eyes slightly and chewed the meat on his plate.
“I ate well, so I’m better.”
“……?”
“Hmm~”
Hazel chuckled quietly and left.
Ruby folded her hands seriously on the table and stared at Khalid.
“Khal… I know you’re a bit inconsistent, but you shouldn’t endure pain. Okay?”
“Okay.”
Khalid looked away and squeezed out his voice.
“……Then this afternoon too… you’ll stay with me, right?”
“Well, yeah.”
The corners of her lips almost lifted, but she hid them behind her water glass.
Ruby dabbed her mouth with a napkin, as if finishing her meal.
“Maybe it’s actually good! Meeting Arherkalberrominia the Third after so long might stimulate your memory—”
“Pfft!”
“Khal, thanks for helping me stay hydrated.”
“N-no—!”
Khalid shouted with a red face.
“Why would you give your own horse someone else’s name?!”
—— ‘Khal’ —— the Third.
‘Hmm…’
I’ve seen this pattern before.
Ruby held back her laughter and thought,
‘Even after losing his memory, some parts are exactly the same…’
I stood in front of the mirror.
I had come up to the bedroom to change clothes before going out with Khalid.
‘At least he seems to have lowered his guard around me.’
But it was unclear how to make him develop a strong desire to recover his memory.
Honestly…
Right now, Khalid seemed like he didn’t really care whether he regained his memory or not.
‘It’s like he thinks there’s nothing good waiting for him even if he remembers… so he doesn’t wish for it.’
It was a thought a boy who had never experienced anything good in life might have.
‘Of course… current Khalid is cute too…’
“Khal, we need to greet our parents before going out, so finish getting ready and meet me at Dad’s office!”
“Yes.”
“……Why aren’t you leaving?”
“I’ll wait here.”
“No… it takes time for me to get ready.”
“It’s fine.”
“No! Go back to your room! You need to change too!”
“Noona.”
“Hic— y-yes?”
“You’re sending me away so you can call that blond man again, right?”
“……Nooo, that’s not it! D-do you not trust Noona?”
“No.”
“Ah.”
He was a bit cheeky, but…
‘How should I put this.’
The stubborn 23-year-old Khalid and the unstable 15-year-old boy Khalid felt strangely mixed together…
Like a jealous, noona-obsessed Khalid had been born.
“I really have to do well…!”
If Mom was right, and I was the key to his memory recovery, then he’d need a strong trigger—
Something that made him think, ‘I want to recover my memories with that woman.’
‘Like… falling hard for me romantically?’
Right now, he felt more like an imprinted baby bird.
Hmm, then…
“Ah, this feels too plain.”
I frowned at my reflection.
My drooping eyes and painfully plain face felt especially unsatisfying today.
Even though Hazel had dressed me carefully, it felt lacking.
‘This won’t be a strong enough stimulus.’
I hurried to the dressing room.
Then, with trembling hands, I picked up a brush.
“Let’s just put it on.”
About 30 minutes later—
I tilted my head.
“……Is this right?”
“My goodness. You’re going out like that?”
Snap.
When I glared at him, Dad flinched.
Mom, who had been reading beside him, frowned deeply.
“Ruby? Are you having a hard time? My daughter… want to sleep with Mom tonight? Your eye area is so dark.”
“I dressed up.”
“……!”
“……?”
Dad rubbed his eyes with a suddenly exhausted expression.
“Don’t tell me this is to look good for Khalid?”
“Of course!”
“Haah… what should we do with this.”
I had felt unsure even while looking in the mirror.
“Was it too much? But I only picked pretty things!”
Dad let out a deep sigh and removed the diamond necklace from my neck.
“Ruby, even if every ingredient is good for the body, mixing them all together creates a disaster dish…”
“Are you calling me a disaster dish?”
Mom burst into laughter and fell backward.
“Oh, I thought you robbed a royal tomb or something…”
She wiped her tears and plucked three hairpins from my head.
“Ruby? To Mom, everything looks pretty, but it doesn’t quite suit an outing. I think it’s better to redo it.”
“Wah… okay…”
“Where’s Hazel? I think my daughter needs to be washed and redressed.”
“Ah, I’m here— my goodness. Miss, did you make a punishment bet with the young masters or something?”
So it really was bad.
“Ah… I can just wipe it off.”
I gloomily rubbed my lips with a tissue.
‘I was trying to copy Sebellena.’
Sebellena looked good in everything!
Catching up to Princess Sebellena, the sexiest woman in the world…
…felt like something only possible in my next life.
“At least it’s good Khalid didn’t see me like this—”
“Oh, Khal’s here?”
“Eeeek!”
Why is life like this?
“…….”
Khalid stood at the doorway, staring straight at me. His eyes were wide in shock.
His lips moved slightly, then closed again.
Anyone could tell—he swallowed words he should not say.
“I’ll— I’ll go wash up again!”
Whoooosh.
I ran away.
Khalid froze stiff.
‘……What was that?’
Thump.
Thump thump.
‘What was that?’
For a moment, his heart nearly stopped.
“I’m not going around like that all the time, okay? You know that, right?”
“…….”
Ruby chatted, now back to her usual bare face.
“I just kept adding things one by one…”
Yeah.
She shouldn’t go around like that.
‘That dress was clinging too much.’
And that wasn’t all.
‘Her lips were too… red.’
Her eyes were seductive, and the jewelry that clinked as she moved felt enchanting just by sound alone.
‘I thought she was just cute and pure.’
‘She even has a sexy charm…?’
Blood rushed to his face in an instant.
