Chapter 19: This Is The Lady I Want To See As A ‘Bride’

After watching the floating mana for a long time, we held hands and came home.

It was a really good experience.

“Thank you, Young Lady.”

“I showed Mana what Mana showed me! I wanted to show it to you!”

“I’m happy that you said that.”

Sigh…

I might have a hard time sleeping tonight.

You might think I’m like a child, but what’s wrong with that? I’m 8 years old now!

…I, I’m not really 8 years old, though.

Anyway.

I come home and wash my body.

“I’ll scrub your back!”

“Ah, thank you, Young Lady.”

Now I’m used to washing together and soaking in the bathtub together.

“Today was fun too, Mana!”

“Yes, I was very happy too.”

If it wasn’t for the young lady, it’s an experience I wouldn’t have had in my lifetime.

A magic that shows mana to other people.. Ordinary mages can’t do that, you know?

As expected, the young lady will become a very wonderful mage.

“Ma, Mana, you know…”

“Yes, Young Lady?”

“…Ah, never mind..!”

…Hmm~

Just like before, and now too.

I feel like you have something you want to say to me.

“Young Lady, you have something you want to say to me, right! Tell me honestly!”

“Ah, no..! No! No! There’s really nothing!”

“Strong denial is strong affirmation, you know!”

“Th, that’s..!”

Your face is turning red..?

I wonder what you want to say.

I won’t be able to sleep tonight until I hear it, Young Lady.

“Don’t be like that, just tell me, okay? I’m your maid, you know?”

“Bu, but… It, it’s against etiquette..”

“It’s okay. Even if it’s somewhat against etiquette. If you know it’s wrong.”

“…Th, then…”

The young lady hesitates for a long time… and finally opens her mouth.

“Ma, Mana!”

“Yes?”

“Be my bride!”

?

“Huh?”

“..Be my bride!!”

“…Just a moment, Young Lady.”

I quickly search through my head and pick out the books that included the word bride among the books I read with the young lady.

– My dear, please become my bride and be with me for the rest of our lives.

– Father. I have something to confess. Actually, when I see only you…

– Bride training is no easy task…

– The bride and groom lived happily ever after.

Ah, this is it.

Surely now the young lady..

“Are you going to live happily with me?”

“Ye, yes..! I want to live happily with Mana! I, I will definitely make Mana happy!”

…Wow.

This is very touching, Young Lady.

Where did you see such a line?

“Young Lady, we don’t have to be brides to be happy, you know?”

“Bu, but in the book… it said that if two people become brides, they can sleep together.. and be together forever! I.. I want to be with Mana forever!”

Power and execution that is unbelievable for an 8-year-old.

Hmm hmm.. I can definitely feel that the young lady is growing up well since I came.

Of course, I’m not ungrateful for the young lady’s confession, but…

“You can live happily even if you’re not married.”

“Bu, but… getting married means living happily ever after!”

…Okay. It seems that our young lady is really into that.

“And Young Lady. Remember the storybooks well, okay?”

“Huh? Why?”

“In the first place, marriage is between a man and a woman, you know?”

“Huh???”

“In the storybooks, the princess and the prince always get married, right?”

“Yes…”

“There’s no story where a young lady and a maid get married, you know? And only a man and a woman can get married to live happily ever after!”

“!!!!!”

The young lady’s eyes widen.

“Th, then… I, I can’t marry Mana?”

“Yes! You can’t!”

“No, no way…”

I catch the young lady who is about to fall backwards.

“Marriage between the same s*x doesn’t exist, Young Lady.”

“Really?”

“…Yes.”

That day, the young lady’s world collapsed.

“I hate the world…”

The young lady hates the world.

“Why..? Why..? I want to marry Mana and live happily as a bride…”

“Now, now, Young Lady? Let’s go to sleep now, okay? Okay?”

“No. I won’t sleep. I’ll become a witch who curses the world.”

You don’t become a witch just by covering yourself with a blanket, you know?

It seems that the young lady was shocked by the red truth.

She has a sullen, almost tearful face.

“Young Lady, you have to sleep quickly so that you can eat breakfast and play with me tomorrow, right?”

“…But.”

Our young lady… the shock seems to be more severe than I thought.

“I wanted to marry Mana.. and live happily…”

“You don’t have to get married, you know? Wouldn’t it be okay to just live happily?”

“…What if someone marries Mana…”

Aha?

I’m sorry, Young Lady.. but I look like this, but my mind is that of a man…

Should I say that I’m a man who just knows women well now..?

So my motto is to just die rather than marry a man…

“..Mana is 16 years old… I know! You can get married from 16 years old!”

“Th..that’s right?”

“Then.. then.. Mana will get married and..”

I have to stop our young lady before she expands her imagination further.

“Young Lady, Young Lady.”

“..I don’t know. Go away. I hate Mana.”

Ah… I’m hated…

But I know that those words aren’t sincere, you know?

I go up next to the young lady and hug her tightly.

“Heeeeng…”

“Young Lady, I’m your exclusive maid, where would I go? I’ll never leave this castle until you become an adult, you know?”

“Really…?”

“Yes, and I won’t get married either.”

“You won’t get married?”

“Of course~ I wouldn’t get married and leave you behind, Young Lady~?”

“..Bu, but what if a prince appears and takes Mana away…”

“I’ll cut off that prince’s head, Young Lady.”

“Don’t worry, okay? I promise. I promise. I won’t get married until you’re 16 years old!”

“…You really won’t?”

“Yes! Absolutely!”

I’m a solo (voluntary) in the first place!

“Promise…”

“Promise~~ I will never get married until you’re 16 years old~”

“…Mmm.”

Our young lady is really…

“Don’t cry. You’ll get tear marks on your pretty face.”

“I’m not crying..!”

“Okay~ Good girl~”

I pat the young lady who is covered with a blanket.

“It’s okay, Young Lady~ I’ll always be by your side~ I won’t go anywhere~”

“Ugh…!”

…The young lady crying might be a little cute.

I feel a little cute and want to tease her because she’s holding back her tears.

Of course, that won’t happen.

“…If I were a man, I would have married Mana.”

“Um… that…”

If the young lady.. were a man?

I simulate it in my head for a moment.

“If you were a man, I wouldn’t have come here in the first place, Young Lady? You know, I’m pretty among maids, you know?”

…Yes, it’s impossible!

“…Ara.”

“Is that so?”

“That’s right!”

“Why would the madam send me here if she knew her son would fall head over heels for me if she sent me~ Don’t you think so?”

Pat pat~ Stroking~

Our young lady is good~

“Don’t be too disappointed, okay? Even if you get married, it doesn’t mean you’ll live happily ever after.”

“..? Why can’t you live happily even if you get married?”

Arranged marriage is a typical example.

Most nobles have arranged marriages.

Marrying knights who have stolen the young lady’s heart.

You can also find a partner you like while participating in various banquets after the debutante, or you can accidentally catch the eye of a prince.

But most people who can’t do that get married within the interests of their families.

It’s also important to continue the lineage of mages or knights.

Of course, there are also cases where they fall in love after getting married.

..These are still too difficult stories to tell the young lady.

“Well, even if you get married, at some point you might start to hate your partner, you know?”

“I don’t know. Then why get married?”

…You’re still very young.

Even if you get married because you love each other, you still fight, Young Lady.

.Of course, I don’t have any practical experience, but everyone says so.

“So it seems like it would be good for me and the Young Lady to live happily without getting married, right?”

“…Yes. It’s okay.”

Oh, she’s so cute.

I keep patting, hugging, and cherishing the young lady to dispel the gloomy mood.

Our young lady should be loved the most in the world!

.Of course, I can’t hug you all right now because I’m small.

“…But.”

“But?”

“..I want to see Mana in a wedding dress…”

…You mean that long, flowing wedding dress.

“…I’ll wear it later. A wedding dress for the current body type.. shouldn’t exist.”

“Really? Will you wear it later?”

“Yes, yes~ I’ll wear it~”

“Hooray..!”

“Now sleep, Young Lady?”

“Yes!”

The young lady pops out! from the blanket and lies down properly.

…Oh, she’s so well-behaved.

I cover her with the blanket and lie down.

“But later, you have to show me the  sight of you wearing a wedding dress too, okay?”

“Yes!”

I don’t know who will take her, but…

If it’s a prince of some country with a good personality..

Then I’ll hold the hem of the wedding dress that the young lady will wear and walk with her.

“Kiss! Kiss!”

“Yes, yes~ It’s a goodnight kiss~”

Smooch..

I gently brush my lips against the young lady’s lips…

Today, she’s well-behaved and I’m thankful.

Smooch..!

I kiss her on the cheek too.

“Kyaaaaa!! What! Why did you kiss me twice!!”

“The cheek is okay, right?”

“Th, then kiss me three times!”

Then on the forehead too.

“Kyaaaaa!!!”

“Young Lady, are all the blankets flying off?”

“Mana Mana is the best! I love you!!!”

“Yes, yes, hurry up and sleep, okay?”

“Yes!! Good night, Mana!!”

…Anyway, our young lady is really.. unique.