Finally got around to uploading cover illustrations (including color pages). Iâll be keeping them up to date with the light novel volume the web novel translation is covering, so please do .
She and the Date
Authorâs note: â» From now on date chapters will continue, but they proceed on the premise of familiarity with âHer Secretâ extras.
In case you havenât, I recommend reading them first.
âUfufu, Iâm looking forward to itâ
âPrincess Consort, I understand you are in a good mood, but please stay still a little longerâ
âAh, Iâm sorryâ
When I held still in a fluster, with a bitter smile Clara who was working on my hair shook her head in denial.
Today is the day of Freedâs town inspection that we agreed on before⊠Itâs a date under such a pretext.
From the morning I set up in a room in the general area and have been preparing here.
âProperly speaking, Princess Consort, you shouldnât be preparing in such a place. However, today you will be inspecting incognito. Itâs better to prepare here. We will be awaiting your return, so please come back without committing any blundersâ
âYeah, I understandâ
Having received Claraâs advice, I nodded.
Because Iâll be going out incognito, the usual dresses and makeup are impossible.
I asked Brother to bring me the dresses and all sorts of things I need for going to town.
âCertainly, if you wear this dress, your status wonât be exposed. All thatâs left is makeupâŠâ
âSunscreen is enough. If I have full makeup, Iâll look out of place. It would run contrary to the purpose, so please keep it as simple as possibleâ
âItâs regrettable, but it canât be helped, I understandâ
After nodding, Carla applied simple makeup, and saying âThere we goâ set aside the makeup kit.
I was relieved by the result I saw in the mirror. To finish as I requested, as expected of Claraâs skills.
Right now, Clara is preparing me for going out per my wishes like this, but actually we had a quarrel earlier.
When I claimed I could prepare myself for going to town alone, Clara who heard that vehemently protested. âPrincess Consort preparing herself alone is unthinkable!â she said.
It was yesterday evening when I gave in to Claraâs firm insistence.
I donât know how I should answer Freed who smoothly says things like a pair of lovers. Thereâs just one thing I can say, recently the times Freed has been treating us like lovers in love with each other rather than betrothed have been increasing. Moreover, heâs profusely sweetâŠ
If I disliked it Iâd shake it off, but naturally as I am now I couldnât do such a profane thingâŠ
I absolutely feel like Iâm digging my own grave.
⊠Uu, my feelings havenât been exposed, have they.
I had an unpleasant premonition, but I decided to ignore it.
The moment I ask questions, I feel like heâll bite into it.
As the image of a wolf lying in wait with its jaw wide open crossed my mind, my body shuddered.
Itâs just my imagination⊠Itâs okay, itâs just my imagination.
I desperately shook off the unpleasant delusion and breathed out. Rather than that, Freedâs appearance is a bigger problem.
â⊠Freed, youâre going looking like that?â
âNn? I wonder if it doesnât suit meâ
âNo, thatâs not it, but the hairâŠâ
âAah⊠this?â
When I verbalized my bewilderment about the black hair that feels out of place, Freed held up his hair with his free hand.
âItâs how it was when we first met. It feels like a lie that itâs only been several months since thenâ
Itâs the same appearance as I saw at the masquerade ball. But, since itâs naturally the first time I see him with black hair without a mask on, Iâm strangely flustered.
Or rather, my heart races at his extremely lustrous black hair.
But â observing Freed from head to toe once again, I scratched my cheek.
What should I do with it.
For the time being I pondered. Freed is dressed like a son of a lower class noble, but the aura he unconsciously emits can only be thought of that of an heir of an important noble, or a young head of a family.
Truly the Crown Prince! Heâs far above what clothes make him, but the moment I thought of him going to town like this until now, a dry laughter escaped me.
While suspicious of whether itâd really be fine, I made prediction that probably everybody would keep distance.
â⊠Stay still for a momentâ
âLidi?â
I donât want to walk around with such a conspicuous man.
Thinking that I need to do something, I reached my hand to his hair and messed it up.
Afterwards, I did some fixes that came to my mind. The mental image is of Brother going to town.
I asked for Clara, who was standing by, for cooperation, and arranged a thin coat with casual design.
â⊠For natural feeling itâs better if youâre a little more disarranged. Also, loosen your collar. Like this it looks quite out of placeâ
âDoes it? Until now Iâve been inspecting looking like thisâ
â⊠In that case, I think everybody probably kept distance, seeing an important person cameâ
âThat wouldnât have much meaning⊠I understand, is this fine?â
Freed loosened his collar obediently.
Coupled with the fixes that I and Clara added, Freedâs appearance became slightly casual.
Well, with this much itâll work out somehowâŠ
â⊠Yup, I think itâs fine like thisâ
âLidi is going like this? Should I use magic?â
As Freed asked, I shook my head.
Nobody will say anything this late if I walk through town looking like this. I have many acquaintances, and am well-known in places Iâve been going to for years, so itâs something Iâm used to.
âIn my case, I think Iâll be suspicious if I disguise myself⊠As a matter of fact, I have many acquaintancesâ
âAh, youâve been going to town often, havenât youâ
â⊠I guess soâ
As we joined hands once again, I was urged to walk.
Iâm relieved I wasnât questioned. Itâs painful being suspected despite my innocence.
With my hand joined with Freedâs, we went through the general area.
Surprisingly, just by blackening his hair he isnât recognized as the Crown Prince of his own country by anyone.
As we naturally walked through restlessly working court ladies and royal guards, I took a sidelong glance at him. After all, I think his hair is his distinguishing feature. Because Wilhelm royalty is famous for blond hair and blue eyes, theyâd surely attract attention.
Come to think of it, I was also deceived at the masquerade ball.
But, the fact that his beautiful looks naturally attract attention doesnât change. With his status of the Crown Prince hidden, heâs now showered in unreserved passionate gazes.
â⊠Hey, those are incredible looksâ
âWhy are happy about themâ
The gazes are excessively unabashed, but that makes them all the more fun. As I told him, whoâs walking by my side, he returned a short reply that heâs aware.
âThe eyes are directed at Lidi. Have you noticed?â
âNn? Itâs jealousy, right? I donât care about that this lateâ
Iâm afraid to say I got used to the piercing looks of young ladies thanks to many times Iâve been with Will or Brother. If I minded every single one, my health wouldnât last.
Thatâs why I unconsciously filter them out, but I wonder if itâs a mistake.
When I tilted my head not understanding what heâs getting at, Freed made a strangely hopeless face.
âHmm, thatâs not it. Well, if you donât notice, thatâs fine. Come closer. Lidi, wonât you be my insect repellentâ
âYou want to show off? Well, fineâ
The end of my sentence was mixed with laughter. Getting caught in the moment, I got closer to Freed as he pulled my hand.
I felt the young ladiesâ gazes grew fiercer, but I only shrugged my shoulders. Itâs so expected it made me laugh.
Leaving that aside, as he let go of my hand, and this time wrapped his arms around my waist to show off intimacy, I looked at him astounded.
âWait, weâre going that far?â
As I send him a reproachful look, Freed said casually.
âThis isnât much different from usual, right?â
The envious looks donât matter, but as a matter of fact, itâs being looked at with lukewarm eyes thatâs the most embarrassing.
That is to say, thatâs how the royal guards and court ladies are looking at us.
Whatâs with those eyes.
I only feel like running away.
âYouâre fine being glared at by young ladies, and yet thatâs what embarrasses you. I understand. Then, letâs hurry up and leave this place. The carriage is waitingâ
When I lightly pinched his hand embracing my waist, Freed let go surprisingly easily.
But, as if in exchange, he again joined our hands intertwining our fingers.
Since it just canât be helped, I resigned myself.
As he led the way, we boarded the prepared carriage. Inside was warm, the temperature seemed to be controlled with magical art. I took off my coat and sat on the seat.
At the same time, the carriage began slowly moving.
âWe donât have guards today?â
Inside the carriage filled with the noise of wheels, I casually tried asking Freed sitting next to me.
Itâs strangely embarrassing sitting close while holding our hands.
Inside the carriage feels like a narrow secret room, itâs too much.
I desperately suppressed my face from reddening, and repeatedly breathed to calm myself.
Seeing such me, Freedâs mouth slackened.
âI wouldnât take guards to a date with Lidi. Theyâd be in the way. Although I say that, the town garrison has been informed about me and Lidi coming in disguise, so naturally theyâll deploy soldiers within their capacity. But we donât have exclusive guards todayâ
âI see⊠Hey, wait⊠whatâs this so suddenlyâ
As I nodded, Freed silently drew his face near.
Realizing he was about to kiss me, in a fluster I pushed him away.
As soon as weâre alone he does this.
âMu⊠Why do you refuseâ
Freed made a disagreeing face as I refused him.
But thatâs my line. With a snap I thrust my finger before him.
âThink about the time and place! Weâre in a carriage, weâll be going out, and itâs still daytime!â
I meant to state a sound argument, but it didnât get through to Freed. With both hands he slowly enclosed me to the wall of the carriage, and again drew his face near⊠I canât escape this.
â⊠I know that. But, itâs fresh seeing Lidi as a town girlâŠ. Youâre very cute. I absolutely want to take you home like this. Hey⊠please, just a littleâ
âThatâs not the problem, in the first place you said that yesterday too⊠Nnâ
That you wonât overdo it last night, is what I tried to say, but in the blink of an eye my lips were sealed by Freed who closed the distance. Resistance was futile.
Still, I tried my best for a while, but realizing its futility, I gave up on resisting.
Even though I should hate it, I felt like I was only delighted.
âNn⊠Nnnnâ
The instant I opened my mouth to gasp for air, as if he was waiting, he thrust his tongue in. With teary eyes I glared at Freed who began a passionate kiss. Of course, heâs unperturbed. Rather, he looks delighted.
âFufu, dressed like this you donât wear a corset⊠Lidi is soft and feels good⊠I wish youâd always be like thisâ
âAh, hyahâŠâ
Freedâs hand caressed my body.
When I reacted with a twitch, Freed, who slipped his hand under the hem of my dress before I noticed, laughed a little. The laughter that reminded me of a ferocious carnivore made my body shudder.
When he looked at me again, I realized.
No good. He wonât stop.
Rather, itâs easiest to let him do as he likes.
I sensed from my experience so far, that I didnât want to acquire, that resistance is futile and embraced his back with the hand that had been trying to push him back.
Of course, thereâs no way he wouldnât notice. The smile he directed me intensified.
âIâm happy you accepted me, Lidiâ
âAh!!
âShh⊠Make as little noise as you canâ
At his unreasonable request, albeit weakly I shook my head.
âYa, impossibleâ
âCuteâŠâ
Thatâs why stop, is what I meant to say, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.
Freed, who only became more excited, nibbled on my earlobe.
âHiinâ
âYup, Iâll make you feel better. Itâs alright. I wonât go all the wayâŠâ
âAh⊠NnnâŠâ
âŠ
⊠In the end.
By the time we arrived in town, Freed had done various things to me.
Before we even walked a little, I was already extremely tired, but what the hell does this mean.
Itâs truly frightening that I canât refuse.
And I feel we arrived in town behind the schedule, but I wonder if itâs my imagination.
⊠No, letâs stop thinking about it deeply. Itâs surely just my imagination.
I took a sidelong glance at Freed in great humor next to me and breathed out.
Well, canât be helped.
To forgive that, even if I say so myself, I was the most amazed by myself.