"Come on, let's go out with me today!"
Third day of dates.
After his outings with Viola and Primula, his partner this time was Yuri Cattleya.
Before Rest stood Yuri, dressed in what looked like comfortable pants, and she declared with a sunflower-bright smile.
Yuri had a backpack slung over her shoulders, dressed as if she were heading out on a picnic.
Facing the boundlessly energetic Yuri, Rest let out a somewhat weary sigh.
"Yuri..."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"No... it's nothing."
Yesterday's and the day before's dates had left Rest thoroughly exhausted.
While physical fatigue could be healed with magic, mental exhaustion was another matter entirely.
(Encountering that thug during my date with Viola was one thing, but that weird monster that attacked us at the museum was really something...)
That bizarre encounter had made him too afraid to sleep last night.
He felt sorry for Yuri, but honestly, he just wasn't in the mood for a fun date today.
"Ah, I heard about it. Sounds like you went through a lot!"
Yuri crossed her arms and nodded with a "Yep, yep."
"You look pretty worn out, Rest, so I put together a plan for you to relax today! I'm going to serve you to the fullest, so be sure to enjoy it!"
"I appreciate the thought, but... maybe 'serve you' isn't quite the right way to put it?"
Right now, he was only expecting to get more tired... Where on earth was she planning to take him?
"Come on, this way!"
"Wah!"
Yuri grabbed Rest's arm, then scooped him up into a princess carry.
"You look pretty beat, so I'll carry you to the destination myself. Just relax and enjoy the ride!"
"Wait, what!? How am I supposed to relax!?"
What exactly was he supposed to do to "relax" while being carried in a princess carry by a girl?
Ignoring Rest's protests, Yuri dashed off through the streets of the royal capital.
It was still early in the morning, so there weren't many people around... but even so, every person they passed wore the same dumbfounded expression.
"If you're really that tired, it's okay to just fall asleep, you know?"
"...I can't fall asleep."
Rest mumbled softly while being carried by Yuri.
To tell the truth... the ride was surprisingly comfortable. The carrying comfort wasn't bad at all.
Despite her breakneck speed, for some reason he barely felt any shaking.
He had no idea how she managed to run like that, but Yuri's warmth and softness pressed against him felt oddly pleasant.
(No good... this perfect balance of body heat and gentle swaying. I really might drift off to sleep...)
The sensation was similar to being held in a mother's embrace.
Warm, soft, and filled with a soothing maternal comfort...
Combined with yesterday's exhaustion and sleep deprivation, he knew that if he let his guard down for even a moment, he'd be asleep in no time.
(But still... I absolutely cannot fall asleep! Falling soundly asleep while being carried in a princess carry by a girl would be way too embarrassing!)
And if he wanted to talk about embarrassing... the mere fact that he was being princess-carried by a girl was already embarrassing enough.
That said, there was nothing he could do about it even if he complained, so he decided not to dwell on it.
"Hm? You're not going to sleep, Rest?"
"………No, I'm not."
"Is that so……then let me sing you a lullaby. Lull-a-by, lull-a-by. Sweet dreams for-ev-er?"
"……Thanks. I'm wide awake now."
Thanks to a lullaby so tone-deaf it was almost weaponized, the drowsiness was chased away in an instant.
He'd been on the verge of losing to sleep just a moment ago……but with this, he felt he could somehow hold on.
"How should I put this……what an incredible singing voice……"
Her voice was light and could even be called beautiful, yet the pitch was off by just the right amount.
It gave off the uncanny impression of a skilled singer deliberately singing badly, which paradoxically made it even more grating on the ears.
"A ba-by, in the cradle, la-la-la. Yes, la-la-la."
"Hey, what is that……over there."
K-Kidnapping? An awfully bright and cheerful abduction incident?"
"I'm not really sure……should we call the military police?"
Thanks to the lullaby with its exquisitely misplayed notes, the sleepiness had been blown away—however, the absurdly loud singing voice attracted a massive crowd of onlookers.
"Give me a break……"
Having been spotted by a large number of people while being carried princess-style by a girl, Rest felt not only spiritual exhaustion but an actual headache setting in.