Nurturing the Hero to Avoid Death

Ch 23.3

I look up and notice his smiling face slowly approaching mine. Before I can react, he already manages to plant kisses on my right and left cheeks.

“Y-you idi—what are you doing?! You’re supposed to only give blessings to people who are about to set off on a journey!”

“Is that so?”

“Y-yeah! You should carefully listen to Marie’s teachings—nngh!”

Alfred pecks me on the lips this time.

He does it so suddenly that it leaves me stunned. For a moment, I stiffen.

Alfred seems to interpret it as me giving consent, and presses his lips onto mine once again.

He tilts his face, deepening the kiss, then licks my lips and tongue in a caressing manner.

As he steepens the angle even more, a shiver runs through my back.

“Nghh, mm…”

I pound and push against his chest but the longer the kiss continues, the more strength that is sapped out of me. I scold my weakening body. Eventually, I somehow manage to put a gap between us, and our lips finally separate.

“…Fwah, s-stop it! Stupid! Idiot! W-why did you kiss me so suddenly?!”

I shoot Alfred the sharpest glare I can muster, but he doesn’t look intimidated at all. On the contrary, he only smiles. He isn’t reflecting over his actions at all.

Actually, don’t even mention reflecting. He’s already closing in on me for another kiss.

Aware of his intentions, I turn my face to the side and avoid his approach. I can feel his dissatisfaction, but I pretend not to notice it. Seriously, what’s with the sudden kisses? Did I provoke him!?

“I said stop it already! Lowendal will be arriving soon—” Something soft touches my earlobe, causing me to tremble. “Ah…”

They’re his lips, I realize. Then his lips slide down to my neck.

I was too hasty. After succeeding on protecting my lips once, I lowered my guard, so he caught me unprepared.

Ahh, seriously!

I feel like the frequency of Alfred’s bold touches has been increasing a lot… This is very bad for my heart.

I know that I’m partially responsible, but still!

On that day Alfred asked me to stay by his side for the rest of our lives, I… I couldn’t bring myself to refuse him.

So I just… h-hugged him back.

Whenever I remember what happened at that time, I get the urge to hit my head and give up on myself.

He definitely thinks that that was an ‘OK.’ I’m sure of it.

His words sound like a proposal to me, but maybe I misunderstood his intentions?

I don’t know the answer to that. In any case, my response back then… wasn’t very appropriate. That’s for certain.

Because in the future, there’s that person.

The ‘Holy Maiden,’ who will appear before Alfred in the future.

A part of me is saying  there’s no way I can win against the heroine, and that I should give up while the resulting pain is still going to be shallow.

After all, my love rival is someone who will constantly be by the protagonist’s side until the very end… You can even call her Alfred’s ‘fated companion.’