Chapter 303

After we finished our breakfast, I’m off on my date with Alice .

The pretense of this date was that I was going to treat her to that sumptuous meal I promised her before, but there’s still some time before lunch, and since this is a good opportunity, I decided to take a look around with Alice .

[Kaito-san, the food stalls are over there, you know?]

[……We just ate breakfast……]

[If it’s with other people’s money, I can eat as much as I want!!!]

[………………… . . ]

Alice, dressed in her usual outfit and her mask on, puffs out her small chest with the best smug face I had ever seen .

Unnn, it looks like she’s totally back to how she usually acts, and it’s like it was the same Alice like usual .

[W- Well, that was just a joke…… What should we do? Should we go watch a puppet show?]

[Puppet show? Is there something like a playhouse around here?]

[Ahh~ no, there’s a plaza just a short walk away where minstrels and the like often gather, and there would usually be two or three of them in there . They’re using donations as a means to earn a living . ]

[Heehhh…… I thought I’ve gone all around the city already, but I didn’t know there was such a thing . ]

Did she mean there was something like an Arts Plaza around here? I’ve been living in the royal capital of Symphonia Kingdom for almost half a year now, and I thought I had been to a lot of places but…… as expected, I can’t see everything in this wide royal city, and the areas I’ve been to may be quite limited .

[It’s far away from the area where the shops and stalls are located . From Duchess Lilia’s mansion, you have to go beyond the residential areas, so you may not have much opportunity to go there . ]

[Fumu…… Wait, beyond the residential areas? If I’m not mistaken, taking in consideration where the center of the royal capital is, that should be “opposite” of this location……]

[Yes, that’s right?]

If the royal palace is in the center of Symphonia Kingdom, then, the place Alice is talking about seems to be located in the opposite direction of Lilia-san’s mansion .

That’s strange…… Didn’t Alice just say it was a short walk away from here? I’m sure she definitely said that .

However, no matter how I think about it, the distance from here to there isn’t short at all…… Does that mean Alice was talking here based on her sense of distance!?

The royal capital is a pretty big city, and I think it’s a bit too far for the human me to walk but……

[Hey, Alice…… How are we going to get there?]

[Ahhh, I’ll take care of that!]

Ohhh, she’s feeling pretty confident . Ahh, speaking of which, even if I’ve never been there before, Alice knows where it is, and we can just go there with Teleportation Magic .

The Teleportation Magic used by the Six Kings seems to be the type that directly specifies coordinates, unlike magic tools, so there shouldn’t be a problem at all .

[……I see, so we’ll be tele—— Unnn?]

[Oopsy daisy . ]

[……Eh?]

However, my expectations were shattered when I felt like my feet weren’t touching the ground .

As if my weight doesn’t matter to her, Alice lifts up my body…… in that so-called princess carry . Unnn, I know that how I think may have already been strange, but I wonder why do I get a bad feeling before feeling embarrassed in this position?

[Well then, letttssss~~gooo~~!]

[Wait!? Hey!?]

Hearing her idiotic shout, Alice kicked off the ground and leaps to the stepping stone on the roof of a nearby building…… geh, this is high! This is high!

Then, as we were being pulled down by gravity…… she created a magical foothold glowing in the air, stepped on it, and leaped again .

Eh? The heck is this? What the heck is this!? We’re going there in this way!? You’re going to leap like a certain black rabbit over there!? Ahh, I think we just jumped over the royal castle……

[No, no, why are we moving there in this way!? There’s another method other than this, right!?]

[I meant, this looked more intere…… Ah, no, it’s just a thoughtful way for Kaito-san to enjoy the view of the royal city to the fullest . ]

[……You freaking as*hole……]

[Whoa there, I mistook my moderation of strength~~ We’re going to jump over the clouds like this~~]

[Oii!? There’s still a large gap before the next jump——— Uwwooohhh!?]

While spouting such a joke that she made a mistake with her jump “right after jumping again”, Alice leaps high enough to break through the clouds .

[Ahh, I’ve properly enclosed you in a barrier, so it’s alright!]

[Aren’t you concerned about the completely wrong thing!? I’ll get you for this after we got down! You better remember that!]

[Whoa there~~ I lost my balance and ended up spinning around!]

[Uwaaahhh!?]

Like a roller coaster, Alice carried through many leaps and bounds, spinning around the air .

[W- Well~~ It was just that, you know…… I got really excited…… Ehe—— Fugyaaahhh!?]

[You really are~~]

[Ginyaaahhhhh!? Y- You’ww teaw my chweeks owff…… Eh? Why are you touching my ear…… Higyaaahhh!?]

Screaming as I was being moved around like I was riding one of the attractions of an amusement park, we managed to get to the place we’re heading to .

And for the time being, while Alice was sitting in a seiza, I decided to pull her cheeks and ears as much as possible .

[……Ouch…… Isn’t that just something to spice up and make our date more enjoyable……]

[I didn’t ask for that spice!]

Good grief, rather than being the same as usual, she’s messing around more than usual .

Well, I don’t want to waste any more time scolding her, so I think I’ll end it here and go see the puppet show .

However, I don’t really like how Alice went with her pace earlier, so I should think of some way to counterattack .

Thinking about this, as I was about to head to the square with Alice, who got up from the ground…… I suddenly thought of a good way .

[Now then, let’s get back on track…… Ehh?]

[Well, we don’t really have to be in a rush . Why don’t we take our time?]

[Eh? A- Arehh? Kaito-san? Why are you “holding my hand”?]

As a counterattack to Alice, who was about to walk away, I took her hand and quickly intertwined my fingers with hers, making them into a lover’s knot .

[Unnn? Look, we’re lovers, so isn’t this normal?]

[Guhhh!? Y- You’re going with that huh…… H- However, you’re way too naive! I’m thousands of times older than Kaito-san…… . so unfortunately for you, I won’t be embarrassed by something like this!]

[……”Your right hand and right foot were perfectly in sync” though?]

[……I was just feeling like doing that today . ]

I’m not sure if Alice also sensed that it was my counterattack or not, but she’s trying to pass it off with an air of calmness around her…… but I could instantly find her faults .

Alice, who was walking around like a poorly-oiled tin doll, no matter how I look at her, was very nervous .

[……F- Fufufu, what’s wrong? Have you already ran out of ideas?]

[Hey, Alice……]

[W- What is it!?]

[You’re trying to act cool…… but your face is all red, you know?]

[Nyyaaaahhh!?]

Yes, she may be trying to appear calm, but the blush on Alice’s face was reaching up to her ears .

When I pointed that out, Alice squealed out like a cat and flusteredly turned her face away .

[W- W- What are you talking about…… I- It’s just because of that! It just looks red because of the sunset!]

[……Isn’t sunrise a better excuse here? No, well, it’s already 10 am, so it will never be sunset or sunrise……]

[Ahh~~ Ahh~~ Alice-chan has just become deaf~~ Alice-chan can’t hear you at all~~!]

[You’re really cute, Alice . ]

[Auuuu…… Auuuu……]

I already grasped that Alice has a weakness for straightforward compliments .

In fact, if I tell her that she’s cute, she would already be blushing so much that I feel like steam would spout out her ears, and her eyes would start hurriedly swimming around .

Seeing Alice like that, I wanted to make her more embarrassed, so I said various compliments, and by the time we got to the plaza, Alice’s eyes were rolled back, looking as if she was about to overheat .

Dear Mom, Dad———– Alice is already back to how she usually is…… No, it feels like she’s messing around more than before . But maybe, or rather, I’m sure…… because she was being so aware of our date———– that she’s feeling embarrassed .