On the street.
Gray leaned against a lamppost, watching two figures in the distance.
'So they still came... big brother and Miss Riddel's date.'
Although she thought about not disturbing the two of them, because she really couldn't suppress the curiosity in her heart, Gray finally followed her heart's desire and came along.
Of course, she didn't come alone; with her was another instigator.
"Hold hands, come on, Riddel, hold hands. Why are you still so shy like a high school girl at 28?"
Seeing Merlin beside her with a disappointed expression, Gray couldn't help but advise, "That... Sister Mary, that would attract other people's attention. Please calm down a little."
"It's fine; I'm using illusion to completely hide both of us. In outsiders' eyes, we're just casually leaning against a lamppost."
Merlin waved her hand dismissively, her gaze fixed on Naoki and Riddel walking in the middle of the crowd.
Inviting Naoki on a date.
Although in the end, under the guise of taking Riddel to see the surroundings, she dragged Naoki out of the room, seeing the two people in front maintaining a certain distance, Merlin really wanted to push Riddel away and show her an example of what a real date was like.
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And at the same time, on Naoki and Riddel's side.
'I have absolutely no idea what to say, it's a bit awkward...'
At this moment, Naoki's mind was full of Riddel's sleeping position that he had just accidentally seen. Although rationally he wanted to forget it, his brain honestly stored the scene well and kept replaying it over and over.
This caused him, even without looking at Riddel, to constantly glance at her nervously from the corner of his eye.
"Have you looked enough?"
Suddenly, Riddel moved a little closer to Naoki and whispered in his ear.
Caught.
"Eh... that... I..."
"If it's not enough, is this distance okay? You should be able to see more clearly?" Riddel said with a small laugh, "You've been looking at me from the corner of your eye since earlier. This isn't like you. How many times have we walked together like this? Only now are you fascinated by me? Are you a bit slow?"
"Not really, it's just because of my personal matters. I had a slightly inappropriate dream for children last night."
With Riddel's teasing, Naoki also unconsciously became more relaxed and made a small joke.
"But what surprised me quite a bit is that you actually told me to take you to see the surroundings. I thought you would have been familiar with this place after all these years."
Because every time she returned, she always went out with Naoki, so Riddel often came to the vicinity of this apartment.
Stopping for a moment in front of a shop, Riddel bent down to look at a necklace displayed as an exhibit.
"Not really familiar, just remember how to get to your place. But for a long time to come, I'll be living there, so just knowing how to get there isn't enough. What do you think if I wear this necklace?"
Looking at the necklace adorned with a pink heart, Naoki frankly said, "Forgive me, but you're almost 30, don't act like a little girl anymore."
"How rude. Even though I will indeed become an aunt, I still think I'm a young girl."
"If you only look at appearance and personality."
Because of her good maintenance, plus she herself was quite skilled in making potions, Riddel now looked no different from a girl in her early twenties. Even if she wore a school uniform, probably no one would suspect anything.
"By the way, I think you're clearly taking advantage of the excuse of wanting to get to know the surroundings to ask me to go for a walk, right?"
"Just realized?"
"Didn't we just go for a walk in Carnaby Street yesterday? Why do you women like going for walks so much?"
In any world, Naoki always felt that women had a strange obsession with walking. Even weak women who usually couldn't run two laps seemed to have endless stamina once they started walking.
It was truly excessive.
After a moment of silence, Riddel came in front of Naoki, tilted her head with a characteristic Shaft angle, and smiled, "Well, rather than saying I like walking, it's more accurate to say I like the atmosphere of doing something together with someone else. With a good friend, or with a man I like. If I walk alone, even I will quickly get bored."
"Then why don't you look for your good friend? Isn't Mary not busy? If not, don't you have many friends at the Clock Tower?"
'Is this guy really stupid or pretending to be stupid?'
'Method of elimination! Even with the method of elimination, you should know why I asked you! Why can you still ask such a question! Where is that usually very smart brain of yours? Why is it useless at a time like this!'
Seeing Naoki's face full of reluctance, Riddel felt a little disheartened.
"Mary said she has to clean the house. As for the people at the Clock Tower... rather than going for a walk with them, it's more like elbowing each other. I want to avoid bringing political matters into daily life as much as possible."
After telling a half-truth, Riddel looked at Naoki, "By the way, do you have any places you want to visit?"
"No. Besides, weren't you the one who wanted to go out?"
"That's true, but I also want to know which places you usually visit. Come to think of it, even though we've known each other for a long time, I don't know you very well. I'm a little curious."
From the places someone often goes, one can roughly guess their tastes. Besides the daily 'service' operation, a gift operation at a specific time is also necessary—this was Merlin's secret plan!
Naoki racked his brain, trying to remember which places he usually went, "As for me, basically I just go back and forth between the apartment—supermarket—Clock Tower. Only when my hair gets long do I go to the barber. Occasionally, I also go to the bookstore and arcade."
"You really don't have many interests..."
"After all, there are a lot of things to do every day, plus preparations for the 'Festival' ceremony, where would I have the time—ah, that's right, come to think of it, it's been a long time since I went there. Riddel, do you have anything to do after this?"
"Nothing. Why, do you have a place you want to visit?"
"Hmm, the place is a bit far. If we go now, we probably won't be back until night. Besides, I also need to buy something before going."
Need to buy something?
Visiting a friend?
With hesitation, Riddel laughed, "It's okay; today we'll just accompany each other. Wherever you want to go, I'll accompany you; wherever I want to go, you accompany me too."
"Why do your words sound strange?"
"Really?"