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ED: LonelyMatter
Side Story – [Manga Adaptation Commemoration Side Story] After the Sea Dragon Incident, with Her…
The next morning, clear blue skies blanketed the Academy District.
Since it was the weekend, the streets were less crowded than usual.
Yet, as he headed toward a bustling corner of the otherwise lively town, Ain walked with a light step.
“Once you’ve met up with Krone-sama, I’ll provide an escort from a distance,”
Dill said, his former iron mask and rigid tone now subdued.
“Huh… That’s unusual. My escort staying at a distance?”
“Rest assured. Actually, Chris-sama is also nearby, so there’s no need to worry.”
“I see. So that’s why she’s been missing since this morning.”
“Just between us, Chris-sama was opposed until the very end. But Olivia-sama convinced her, and she finally agreed just before departure…”
Lately, Chris had seemingly become overly protective, staying close to Ain.
This closeness was physical, but it also seemed to extend to their emotional bond.
She refused to let Dill take over as Ain’s escort and openly declared her firm resolve to protect him herself to everyone around her.
Upon hearing the reason she hadn’t been seen since morning, Ain gave a small, wry smile.
“Actually, now that I think about it, is today really okay?”
“Wh-what do you mean?”
“Me walking outside with a specific member of the opposite sex.”
If Olivia and the others were present, it would be different. Today, however, that wasn’t the case.
The other party was just Krone.
“Since Warren-sama has given his permission, surely there’s no problem. Unless Ain-sama is feeling shy, of course…”
“I see. Dill has really changed, hasn’t he?”
“I’m honored by your praise.”
“I’m not praising you, though. But if Warren-san said it’s fine, then I guess it is.”
Ain, who had been exchanging lighthearted words with his escort, looked ahead and saw Krone, the person he was supposed to meet.
But it seemed she was being accosted by a man in uniform. She was dealing with him, looking troubled and annoyed.
The man showed no sign of giving up, pressing closer to her.
“Ain-sama, let me—”
“No, I’ll handle this. Dill, just watch nearby.”
“Huh—A-Ain-sama!?”
As the Crown Prince, relying on his guards would be the correct choice. However, if the woman being harassed weren’t Krone, Ain might have done just that. That was why he stepped forward himself.
Deep down, he probably didn’t want to hand over the role of saving her to anyone else.
“It’s perfectly acceptable. My family is of noble lineage—”
“…Like I said—”
Krone probably didn’t avoid him forcefully because he was a noble.
Feeling that the situation was becoming troublesome, Ain quickened his pace and drew nearer. Soon, he seized the hand of the man who was about to grab her arm forcefully.
“Wh-what?! Who do you think I am?!”
“Using your status as a shield is a bit much, don’t you think? She made a promise to me.”
“I don’t know anything about that! Who are you? I don’t know… ah…”
Compared to Ain, the man in uniform looked about three years older.
This wasn’t the first time this had happened; Krone stood out.
She hadn’t brought her knight escort today either, so it seemed she’d attracted unwanted attention.
Krone saw Ain approaching and flashed a smile that outshone any flower. The man realized that the person grabbing his arm was Ain and panicked.
“B-but…”
“There’s no ‘but’ about it. Krone made a promise with me. Got it?”
Though Ain’s tone remained calm, his aura felt oppressively heavy to the man.
Beyond his status as Crown Prince, the man in uniform was intimidated by his powerful gaze and imposing presence. Was this the hero who defeated the Sea Dragon? He swallowed hard and took a step back.
Overwhelmed by intimidation far beyond what a mere student could handle, he fled the scene, his departure bordering on rudeness.
“Rude man. Even knowing he was facing Ain, he just ran off without so much as an apology.”
Though she spoke with displeasure, Krone couldn’t quite hide her delight.
Tap, tap—her light footsteps echoed as she stood beside Ain, as if drawn to him.
“Sigh… I knew this would happen. I told you we should have met at the academy.”
This was the reason Ain had come here.
Before he headed to Euro as an envoy, Krone had requested to go shopping with him.
Ain felt that he had caused her a great deal of worry during the Sea Dragon incident and readily agreed. However, she attached several conditions to the shopping trip. One was that they would head to the Academy District.
Another was that they both should wear their uniforms.
“Because… I was jealous of the other academy students.”
Whispering so he would understand, she slowly pushed his back with both hands.
“Ah, whoa…whoa!?”
“Fufu, let’s hurry. We’re wasting time.”
Walking together in their uniforms through the Academy District felt refreshing. Krone, who had pushed him, also seemed different from usual, showing a pleasant, age-appropriate girlishness.
Still, when Ain glanced back at her cheerful face, he asked her why.
“Hey! Why are you so happy all of a sudden?”
“That’s just how it is. I’m a girl, too, you know.”
She evaded the question, perhaps due to that secretive female heart, but it was because he’d come to rescue her when she was being harassed. Eventually, Krone moved from behind Ain to walk beside him.
She folded her arms over her hips and swayed her long hair as she hummed softly.
“I just thought… Ain would definitely come save me if I was in danger, you know?”
“What’s this now? That’s obvious.”
“Hmm, maybe you’re right. On the day of my first party here in Ishtalika, Ain protected me and gave a great speech.”
Saying this, she took Ain’s hand.
You’d think his face would turn bright red at such bold behavior, but he was simply swept along by the momentum.
“Eh—eeeh!?”
The smooth feel of her hand brought them closer together.
Dill and Chris watched them from a distance and smiled as if to say, “Well, what can you do?”
“Where should we start? Ain, is there anywhere you want to go?”
“I can’t think of anywhere off the top of my head. Wait, Krone! I told you about your hand—”
“But we don’t have much time, so we can’t visit too many shops. What should we do?”
Ain realized he wouldn’t get an answer. This always happened when Krone pretended not to hear him.
In the end, he stopped thinking deeply about it and just focused on enjoying her company.
“How about we start with wherever you want to go, Krone?”
“Wh-what…? But Ain, this is your precious day off, too, right?”
“Well, yeah, but…”
Ain decided to tell Krone just one thing.
“We can always come together again. We have countless times ahead of us.”
The words left Krone momentarily dumbfounded, and then suddenly, a lovely smile blossomed on her face. She quickly let go of his hand, only to interlace her fingers with his again.
“Really? You’re always so sneaky.”
Despite her words, her entire expression relaxed happily: her gaze, her tone.
The two spent the day in the Academy District until sunset, enjoying their special time together—their first time alone together—to the fullest.
Needless to say, Ain couldn’t take his eyes off Krone walking beside him.
The official visit to Euro was scheduled for the following week.
His time with her had been so meaningful that the upcoming task seemed trivial by comparison.
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