"It's been a while."
It was time to leave for Cillian's estate. As the carriage pulled up in front of Annie's estate, Cilly stepped out and greeted us. I had known a carriage would be sent for me, but I didn't expect Cilly to personally come.
"Cilly!"
Annie, seemingly just as surprised, greeted her warmly. After exchanging a few light pleasantries, Cilly walked back to the carriage, preparing to leave.
Before stepping inside, I turned to say goodbye to Annie.
"Annie, I'll see you after the break. I had a great time this past week."
"Y-yeah…"
Since the labyrinth incident, Annie's demeanor had noticeably changed. She seemed calmer—more subdued, even. Of course, there were still flashes of her usual self—loud, lively, and brash—but something about her felt different.
"Well, I'll be off now. Annie, enjoy the rest of your vacation."
Cilly climbed into the carriage first, and I followed closely behind, just about to step inside—
Clap clap
The sudden sound made me pause and turn around. Annie was standing there, pressing her hands against her cheeks, hard enough to leave red marks. It seemed she had been slapping her own face. Before I could ask why, Annie suddenly lifted her head and met my eyes.
"It's not like me to look all sullen when we're saying goodbye, is it? Sorry, I've just had a lot on my mind lately. I had fun too! Let's go out together again once vacation's over!"
Seeing Annie's bright, energetic side one last time before parting made me smile. I nodded and responded with a grin.
"Yeah, let's make up for all the fun we missed this vacation once the semester starts. Take care."
"Okay!"
Her loud, cheerful voice rang out behind me as I finally climbed into the carriage. Inside, I noticed Cilly watching me silently. She didn't say a word but continued to stare at me with an unreadable expression.
"Something wrong? Did you want to say something?"
"No, it's nothing. Never mind. After all, it's my turn now."
Cilly's words were cryptic, her tone subtle and calm. I opened my mouth to ask her what she meant, but before I could, she beat me to it.
"Well, we'll have plenty of time on the road. Shall we have some tea?"
"It's a little early, but since there's nothing else to do… sure, why not?"
Her previous comment was strange, but I decided not to dwell on it. Instead, I let Cilly take the lead as she began preparing tea.
Aside from the coachman handling the reins outside, it was just the two of us in the carriage. Naturally, Cilly took it upon herself to prepare the tea. Like Annie's and Yuri's carriages, Cilly's was also luxuriously enchanted with various magic. It was so comfortable that sitting inside felt like lounging in a perfectly stable room rather than riding a carriage.
Our tea time wasn't particularly formal. Instead, it was a relaxed, casual affair. We chatted endlessly, sipping tea when we were thirsty and snacking whenever we felt like it. This continued for hours.
Considering we had left Annie's estate in the morning, we wouldn't reach Cilly's estate until late in the evening. The journey would take at least ten hours, meaning we were in for a long ride. In such a confined space, there were only so many things one could do—take a nap or chat the day away with Cilly.
"Yawn…"
After an extended lunch filled with snacks and non-stop conversation, I couldn't hold back a yawn. It was so sudden and unrestrained that it completely caught me off guard. I managed to cover my mouth just in time, but it was hardly a graceful yawn.
"You must be tired."
"Maybe it's because I just ate… I feel a little drowsy."
Worried Cilly might think I was bored of her chatter, I quickly added an excuse. Thankfully, she didn't seem bothered by it.
"If you're tired, you should take a nap. I'll wake you if anything happens."
"But… I'd feel bad sleeping while you're sitting right there…"
"Don't worry about me. Just rest if you need to."
Now that I thought about it, if Yuri had been here, she would have scolded me for even thinking about sleeping right after a meal. But Cilly? She was actively encouraging it.
A wry smile crossed my lips as I hesitated. That's when Cilly suddenly stood up and moved closer, sitting right next to me.
"Here. You can use my lap."
"What..?"
Cilly patted her thighs, gesturing for me to lie down.
"There's no need for that. It'll just make you uncomfortable."
"It won't. I'm perfectly fine."
"My head's heavy. Your legs will go numb."
"Your head isn't heavy at all. If it were, no one in the world could lift their own head. Besides, I'm strong, remember?"
I sighed. She wasn't wrong. My head wasn't that heavy, and Cilly's body—honed through years of training as a swordswoman—could easily handle it. But despite her reassurances, I still couldn't bring myself to accept.
"…It's just too embarrassing."
I admitted the truth. It was awkward to say it out loud, but if I didn't, Cilly would keep insisting.
But my honesty didn't dissuade her in the slightest.
"We've already slept together, haven't we? There's no need to feel shy."
Wait—was she seriously bringing that up now? Sure, lying on someone's lap was less intimate than sharing a bed, but still! Before I could protest, Cilly reached out, gently cradling my head with both hands, and guided me down onto her lap.
"Just relax and sleep."
I could feel the warmth of her thighs beneath me, the soft texture of her skin brushing against mine. She was wearing a short skirt, and the hem had ridden up slightly, exposing more skin than usual. It was impossible not to feel flustered.
And yet, as Cilly's hand began to gently stroke my hair, all the tension drained from my body. Her soft, rhythmic touch was soothing beyond words. Gradually, the embarrassment and awkwardness gave way to an overwhelming sense of calm.
Before I knew it, my eyelids grew heavy, and sleep overtook me.
* * * *
Rattle.
"Hmm…?"
I woke up to the sensation of the carriage shaking. Or rather, it felt like the entire carriage had jolted. Still half-asleep, I sat up slowly, trying to get my bearings.
Had I drooled in my sleep? Worried, I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, but thankfully, there was no sign of it.
Now fully awake, I realized I was still lying on Cilly's lap. Feeling guilty for dozing off for so long, I quickly lifted myself.
"Ah!"
As I sat up, Cilly let out a small gasp, almost like a child whose favorite toy had been taken away. She reached out instinctively, as if trying to stop me from leaving.
"Cilly?"
"Y-yes!" she stammered, her face flushed and her breathing uneven.
Her reaction was so uncharacteristic that I couldn't help but stare. Even her cheeks were slightly red, and for some reason, the carriage felt warmer than it should have, despite the enchantments maintaining a comfortable temperature inside.
Peering out the window, I noticed that the sky outside had already turned a deep crimson. The sun was setting.
…How long was I asleep?
"Are you alright?"
I couldn't help but feel guilty. Even with her trained body, having my head on her lap for hours couldn't have been easy.
"Yes, I'm fine. Really, I am. In fact…"
"In fact?"
"I-it's nothing! Never mind!"
Her flustered demeanor reminded me of the time she'd accidentally spilled tea on one of her favorite books. But before I could dwell on it further, the carriage door swung open.
"Apologies, milady. Are you both alright?"
"We're fine. What's going on?"
"You'll need to step out for a moment."
Cilly and I exited the carriage to assess the situation. It didn't take long to figure out the problem.
"One of the wheels has come loose," the coachman explained, clearly frustrated. "I checked everything before we left, but…"
The coachman seemed genuinely baffled. It was likely the loose wheel that had caused the jolt that woke me.
"Phew, lucky that everything worked out…"
"Hmm?"
"N-nothing! I just meant it's lucky the enchantments held up."
Cilly's muttered comment caught my attention, but she quickly dismissed it. She approached the wheel, examining it carefully. However, when she tested its sturdiness, she accidentally applied too much force—
Snap.
The wheel spoke broke under her hand.
"Ah… sorry."
The coachman froze, staring in disbelief at the broken wheel. He looked as though he might cry.
* * * *
Fixing the wheel ended up taking far longer than expected, and by the time we finished, night had fallen. Traveling in the dark was too dangerous, so we decided to camp for the night.
Cilly suggested that the coachman sleep in the carriage while we kept watch outside. Though he protested at first, she ultimately convinced him, citing safety concerns. Reluctantly, he agreed.
Now, only Cilly and I remained outside by the campfire.
"We should get some rest too," Cilly said, wrapping a blanket around herself and sitting down. Unfortunately, there was only one blanket.
Noticing my hesitation, Cilly scooted closer—so close that she was practically leaning against me.
"Cilly?"
"There's only one blanket, and I get cold easily. Can we… stay close?"
"…Alright."
Though I hesitated briefly, I ultimately nodded. By now, I was somewhat used to these situations. But even then, I wasn't prepared for how close Cilly got, practically curling up against me under the shared blanket.
"This feels nostalgic," Cilly murmured softly.
"Nostalgic? You don't strike me as the type to enjoy camping."
"…There was a time when I had to camp like this often. Just the two of us…"
I could sense the wistfulness in her voice. It seemed Cilly, like me, had her fair share of memories from times like these.
We spent the rest of the night talking quietly by the fire. Eventually, with our heads leaning against one another, we both drifted off to sleep.