"And? Why did Lidi realize Sion is the tactician?"

"Uegh?"

While finally eating a meal after the excessively pa.s.sionate intercourse, those words caused a sandwich to get stuck in my throat .

"Cough…"

"Ah jeez, don't stuff it all at once… Here, turn this way"

"Nnu"

As I, who sat on Freed's lap, was coughing from having it stuck in my throat, he patted my back while wiping my mouth with a handkerchief.

What, why did he do this.

"F, Freed… Never mind, I can do it myself…"

I tried s.n.a.t.c.hing the handkerchief in embarra.s.sment, but he suddenly avoided it.

His face was extremely sweet.

"No-pe. It's my privilege as your lover to take care of Lidi. Lidi, don't worry and be obedient"

"Uu, uuu… What's with that"

Apparently, Freed likes the phrase lover.

No, I'm also happy, but I feel like he's using this word as an excuse to do as he pleases.

While I was groaning, with a smile Freed told me. My cheek was softly pinched.

"Such a sulking face only looks cute as well… I love you"

"Umyu… Me too… I love you"

When I looked up, he dropped a kiss.

"Yup, I know. Our feelings are mutual"

"… Yup"

Because Freed looked excessively happy, I became bashful.

"Lidi's being bashful. Really, how cute… After all, we should've done it a little more. It wasn't enough at all"

"Eh? You, you can't, okay?"

"Fufu…"

Freed said something outrageous. And then I felt like the movement of his hands become a little suspicious. Or rather, without hesitation a hand slipped inside the blanket covering me. Even though under the blanket is my bare skin not clad in anything. With the creeping hand gently tracing it, my body trembled.

The movement directly over my skin that roused my senses changed little by little.

I twisted my body to escape from his lap.

"Freed, don't, I told you that you can't"

"… Yup. I know that"

Truly?

Although he nodded, his voiced grew even sweeter. It terrifically resounded through my body. Dropping a kiss near my ear, he whispered like a sigh, and I couldn't help wanting to cry out Nuoo!

"How cute, Lidi. I love you"

"…"

Uwaan! What should I do, really, what should I do!

Freed, Freed became even sweeter.

I thought he was considerably sweet until now, but perhaps because I confessed that I love him, Freed's pampering further increased, I really have no idea how to deal with it anymore.

After the act finished, he first wrapped me in a blanket, and then in a princess carry he brought me to the table. Putting on only his robe, he placed me on his lap and began feeding me just like I was a wild animal… In spare moments with the words "I love you" he touches  me and continues gazing at me with moist eyes.

Huh? Perhaps we'll resume after the meal is over? When I thought so, I felt heat fill me. Even though we did it so much… Yup, it was absolutely two days' worth.

I thought that would be enough, and yet apparently for him it's just the beginning.

His firm att.i.tude that I should go along with him as much as he wants now that we became lovers is frightening.

No, it's impossible! I'm glad to do it, but not so many times!

For today I want to be excused with this.

My body isn't really in pain. It's strange, but despite doing it so much, I'm still lively.

I'm sleepy, tired, and hungry, but that's all, really. There's no pain from overdoing it. So if I'm told to go along I can go along… but I think it's too much for today.

I firmly informed Freed.

"Nope. We won't do it any more today"

"Don't say that. I've been considerably enduring until now, right? Okay?"

While saying that, the hand touching my skin slid up. As it grazed the tip of my breast, I unconsciously leaked a voice.

"ah… Ah"

"Feels good? I'll touch you more"

"No, wrong… I said nope"

Even if I twist my body in unwillingness, his movements don't stop. Holding my waist with one arm, while rubbingly stimulating the tip of my breast, this time he firmly crumpled up my breast.

"Yaa… Aah…"

"Nice voice…"

While I s.h.i.+vered, Freed happily laughed from the back of his throat.

I complained while glaring at him with teary eyes.

"Jeez, let go. Wasn't it enough for today. I don't want anymore"

"If you love me, go along with it"

"I love you, but nope. In the first place, you have work in the morning, right. Let's eat, and go to sleep in a bit…"

It's already the dead of night.

The day is changing. And yet to have another battle from now on (I'm sure it won't end with one)… Won't it cause problems the next day.

But Freed declared with a refres.h.i.+ng smile.

"Thanks to Alex I have time off in the morning. That's why you don't have to worry about it"

"Eh… Time off?"

That Brother gave Freed time off?

I couldn't believe my ears, if I had to say, Brother would want to take time off instead.

"I really wasn't doing well yesterday. So today I can start from the afternoon"

"… Come to think of it, do you feel alright?"

Various things happened, but surely there was that at first.

I moved aside Freed's mischievous hand, and with a serious face asked.

I wonder if there's a point in asking "do you feel alright" after all of that, but after all I was worried.

With a nonchalant face, Freed said.

"Yeah, that was just me thinking Lidi would leave me. Now that I understand it was a needless fear, there's no problem"

"You had such a pale face from something like that?"

"It's not something like that. It's what's most important for me. Because, Lidi is my only one"

"…"

Corrected like that, I sunk into silence again. It's amazing how embarra.s.sed yet happy I am that he declared that. Freed kept talking.

"That's what Lidi is for me. Lidi who's so important to me moved in secret from me. It's natural I would worry, right? Now, don't gloss over it. Could you tell me why you knew Sion was the tactician? And then, why did you move alone"

"Ugh…"

… We're back to that.

Feeling bitter about being asked in his usual perfectly composed voice, I looked up at him with upturned eyes.

"… Freed too. Why did you know Sion was the tactician?"

"If I speak, will Lidi say it too?"

"… I can, but don't make light of it?"

Honestly, I still have a considerable resistance against talking about my previous life. Still, for the first time I thought I might as well talk to Freed, since he has such strong feelings for me.

Correcting my position on top of his lap with his arm, Freed nodded with a calm face.

"There's no way I'd make light of what Lidi says, right? Of course, I'll believe you. That's why, please tell me?"

When I fixed my eyes on him, Freed showed a sweet smile.

Seeing that face, I finally resolved myself.

"… Yup. Got it"

―――― It can't be helped.

There's no point in running away forever. I breathed out with a sense of resignation. Perhaps my determination was conveyed, as Freed stroked my hair as if he was praising me.

As I accepted that feeling, Freed slowly started with "Then as for me". I obediently listened from the top of his lap.

"A little while ago a report came… There had been a foreign tactician in Tarim. However, that tactician absconded and is missing now"

"Hee…"

I wonder if he was investigated by our agency. Or was it the dark side of the Royal Palace.

In either case, good job on grasping the latest information about the distant Tarim.

Hearing that, I asked Freed the question I had.

"But, that alone is not enough to be convinced, right? Certainly, Éventail is a surname unique to Tarim, however you shouldn't understand the singer is the tactician with just that… Or had you already known his name?"

Freed shook his head to my question.

"No. As expected, it was impossible to find out his name. It came up by accident that Sion might be the tactician. It's as Lidi says. It wasn't enough to be convinced. The conclusive evidence couldn't be found. I became convinced when I saw him outside. Together with that beastman girl, Rena was it. That child"

"What about Rena?"

Recalling the cute cat beastman, I tilted my head.

Now then, what about her could've been a hint.

Oh? Freed looked at me and wryly smiled.

"How unusual. Lidi hasn't noticed? She's a former Tarim slave. But, there's no emanc.i.p.ation of slaves in Tarim. For that Tarim to think of releasing a slave, just how indispensable must he have been?"

"Ah…"

As Freed dropped the hint, I finally realized.

That's right, I totally forgot, but Tarim is a country without emanc.i.p.ation of slaves.

And yet, Rena was released. Why didn't I notice such a strange event.

I could only laugh at how full my hands were back then.

"Aa, I see… That's right. Sion is a foreigner. It would be impossible if he wasn't the tactician"

"Huh, how unusual. You didn't notice?"

"Yup… I knew there's no emanc.i.p.ation of slaves in Tarim. However, as shameful as it is, I completely forgot"

When I hung my head in embarra.s.sment, Freed kindly stroked it.

"I see. Anyway, from then I guessed he's the tactician. The time the tactician absconded and the trace of the ankle ring on Rena also fit. All of that was enough to convince me"

"Way to go…"

What an incredible insight. He's not rumored to be the perfect Crown Prince just for show.

Listening to him, I groaned, but Freed laughed that it's not a big deal.

And, tightening his expression, he said to me.

"Now, with this I explained the reason I knew. Next is Lidi's turn. Lidi didn't notice the slavery matter, right? Then how did you understand Sion is the tactician?"

"Err… Umm, see…"

I hesitated about what I should say… And in the end decided to shoot straight.