The Reincarnated Villainous Noble Still Won't Try His Best!

Chapter 22 : The Beginning of New Love?

Marius quickly left the courtyard as if escaping.

Watching him go, Flora brought her hands to her cheeks.

“Uh, uh… He saw me, I’ve been found out…”

Recalling the scene from just moments ago, her face flushed in a deep red hue.

It was a two-toned feeling: embarrassment that he’d seen through her feelings, and happiness that such a thing had happened.

However, Flora didn’t know.

She didn’t realize that Marius was oblivious to the fact that she thought he’d figured her out.

“What do I do…? I hope he doesn’t think I’m strange. I’m going to be so nervous the next time we see each other!”

She shook her head, troubled.

Perhaps people tend to fidget when they’re intensely agitated.

For a while, Flora continued to move her body in unusual, erratic ways.

After about five minutes, Flora was soon out of breath.

“Haah… Haah… Haah… Wh-what am I doing…?”

The exercise had actually calmed her mind.

She took a deep breath and thought things over.

“But… it was nice… To be able to call Marius, ‘Marius’ again. Maybe we’ve gone back to how things were, a little? In that sense, maybe it was good that he saw a glimpse of my true feelings?”

Until she met with Marius again, and even after, Flora had kept him at arm’s length. It was due to the fact they were both nobles.

She was a count’s daughter, even if they were cousins. She couldn’t speak informally to Marius, the son of one of the four grand dukes, whose family status was overwhelmingly higher. But this caused a definite stress that weighed on her.

When they spoke, she found Marius had changed considerably from how he used to be, and that further amplified her loneliness.

She had been thinking they would grow into adults who didn’t know each other at all… and then this happened.

A sleepy Marius had somehow reconnected their past and present selves.

Even now, after a little time had passed, she could vividly recall it.

From beginning to the end…

◇◇◇◇◇◇

“Good night.”

Marius and Flora lay down next to each other on the grass.

After a while, she heard Marius calmly breathing beside her.

Hearing this, Flora sat up.

“You fell asleep so quickly…”

She hadn’t expected to be able to sleep herself.

So she had planned to stay awake until Marius fell asleep, then get up.

It was a miscalculation that he fell asleep so quickly, but as planned, after confirming he was asleep, she sat up.

“Your sleeping face hasn’t changed much from before. Though ‘before’ was only a few years ago.”

She glanced down at the sleeping Marius, feeling a little guilty. His unguarded face warmed her heart.

“Could I… just touch him a little…? I don’t think he’ll notice… He won’t wake up, right?”

Asking who knows what, Flora repeatedly questioned if it was alright. She was completely acting on impulse, but after a moment, she made up her mind and extended her arm.

Flora’s hand touched Marius’s head.

“…Soft. His hair is so smooth and nice…”

She stroked, stroked, and stroked.

[TL/N : *Extreme Side Eye*]

Her hand wouldn’t stop caressing his hair.

Flora found it really strange.

Just stroking Marius’s head made her happy.

The loneliness she had felt until now seemed to melt away.

“Is this what I wanted to do with you all along? Maybe I’ve always, always wanted to be closer to you.”

She murmured, smiling involuntarily.

It was an emotion and action she would be embarrassed for anyone to see.

But right now, there was no one around.

Since the person being stroked was also fast asleep, Flora continued to caress his head without restraint.

But then, a problem arose.

“—Ah!? Wait, Marius? There…”

Marius groaned, sounding a little uncomfortable in his sleep.

Then, he slowly moved his hand and touched Flora’s knee.

After a movement as if checking something, he rested his head there.

The problem was that she had her legs stretched out.

In another position, the height to her knees might have made him hesitate to rest his head there, but because her legs were outstretched, there was hardly any height difference.

They were now in a more intimate position, and Flora couldn’t help but blush.

“Wh-what do I do!? What do I do… It’s like he’s acting spoiled and it makes me happy — No, I have to put him back…”

Flora, who was about to give in to her joy, somehow managed to resist and tried to move Marius’s head.

But his head was heavy, like a paperweight. As if resisting, he clung to Flora’s leg.

“Eek!?”

A small sudden scream escaped her.

Even at a time like this, she was considerate enough to keep her voice down for Marius’s sake.

She was acting kind, but… because of that, the situation didn’t improve at all.

Rather…

“Mmm…? Flo…ra?”

“M-Marius? Are you awake? I’m sorry, could you move your head?”

“…No. Flora… sis… Please bear with me? Please…”