ICM Chapter 104

Splash, splash.

The waves pushed by the small ferry boat hit the lakeside. In truth, it was such a small boat that it was almost embarrassing to call it a ferry.

A pale face that suddenly popped out from under a parasol carefully examined the ferry boat.

“What’s this? Where did you steal this from?”

“Steal? I borrowed it.”

His thin summer shirt was soaked with water from wherever he had dragged the boat. His short hair, which had delicately fluttered like sunlight, was also damp with sweat and stuck to his forehead. Drushia pushed back his hair and grinned.

Ashika narrowed her eyes and glared at the ferry boat. Her jet-black pupils were full of distrust. She knew Drushia’s restless nature well—someone who couldn’t sit still for even a day because he was always itching for something to do.

“Does it even float? It won’t sink in the middle of the lake, will it?”

It was so old that black stains were visible here and there, and so small that it would be packed tight with just two people sitting in it. From a distance, one might mistake it for a large leaf floating around—such was this clumsy contraption.

“Why don’t you trust me? Keep that up and the captain of the guards will catch you. Well, if you want to be dragged back to the estate right away, I won’t stop you.”

“Gasp. He came all the way here?”

“He was looking for you near the villa. I’m sure he’ll find this place soon enough too.”

“No way. I went through so much trouble to get here.”

Her hesitation vanished. Ashika quickly climbed into the boat. The small boat swayed even under Ashika’s light weight, making her body sway.

“Hurry and sit down.”

At Drushia’s gesture, Ashika folded her parasol and took her seat. Seeing her struggle to lift the oar that was lying on the bottom, Drushia clicked his tongue.

“What are you trying to do with those twig-like arms? Give it here.”

“Two is faster than one, isn’t it?”

“Only when they’re evenly matched. You just sit quietly and block the sunlight. If you go back tanned, you’ll get scolded again for not taking proper care of yourself.”

Drushia spoke grumpily and began to row.

“Oh, we’re moving.”

The ferry boat, which had looked unreliable, surprisingly glided smoothly and steadily across the water. Perhaps because the boat was small and thin, the sensation of floating on the calm water surface felt vivid.

“If we go to the other side of the lake, we won’t return until evening. You know that, right?”

“Yeah, yeah. If I get caught this time, I won’t be able to come for a month. I have to go to the capital for etiquette education.”

“Do you really have to go to the capital for that? Couldn’t they just bring a tutor here?”

“I have to go to the capital for my debut anyway, so they say I need to get familiar with the atmosphere beforehand. If I go there after being cooped up only in the estate, they say people will ostracize me for coming from the countryside.”

“Who would dare do such childish things to Igraine and Talion?”

“You won’t be in the capital.”

“Igraine and Talion are one. Just as you and I are one. So ostracizing you would be the same as ignoring me.”

Ashika seemed at a loss for words and quietly averted her gaze. The blue eyes that had been looking at her curved pleasantly. Drushia held back his laughter and said bluntly,

“Are you blushing?”

“It’s, it’s because it’s hot.”

“Your ears are getting red too, and your neck?”

“The sunlight is strong.”

Drushia smiled, lifting the corners of his mouth. He wanted to tease her more, but he was also worried that her face might get burned.

He put down the oar and dipped his handkerchief in the water. When he brought the wet handkerchief over, Ashika’s face flinched in surprise and pulled back.

“What are you trying to do?”

“Stay still. I’ll cool you down.”

“Give it here. I’ll do it myself.”

“No. It’s my handkerchief.”

“Who’s trying to steal it?”

“Anyway, this is mine so I’m going to do it.”

While they were bickering, the cool handkerchief touched Ashika’s cheek. Unlike his gruff tone, the hand that wiped her face was careful.

Ashika quietly closed her eyes and entrusted her face to the gentle touch. Drushia’s touch seemed to slow down a bit.

“Does it feel good?”

“Mm-hmm. It feels good.”

“So do you like me too?”

Perhaps flustered, Ashika’s lips pressed tightly shut.

The gentle lapping of water tickled her ears, and the summer breeze softly caressed her cheeks as it passed by.

The moment she thought Drushia’s touch had stopped, a sensation hotter than the warm summer breeze touched her lips. The moist, soft feeling covered her lips and fit together perfectly as if they were one.

Time seemed to have stopped. The lapping water could no longer be heard, and the breeze that had been wrapping around her head was no longer felt. Only the sweet and gentle sensation sliding between her lips was vivid.

A voice, lower than before, flowed from the lips that separated with a soft sound.

“I like you too, Ashika.”

At the sweet voice, Ashika’s eyelids slowly rose.

“I didn’t give any answer though.”

“I still know. Your heart is my heart.”

Drushia, with his youthful face, smiled freshly.

It was their first kiss. The emotion that tickled her heart was unfamiliar, and the heat that burned as much as the hot summer sun was unfamiliar.

The face of Ashika, who had been smiling shyly, suddenly hardened.

“Rushia.”

“Why? Did I… do something wrong?”

Drushia’s face also hardened. She worried that Ashika might be angry about his unexpected action. However, unexpected words flowed from her mouth.

“My bottom is wet.”

Drushia’s eyes widened in surprise. Both of their gazes dropped downward in unison.

“Oh no.”

“Oh dear, the boat must be leaking.”

While they had been distracted, enough water had leaked in to thoroughly soak the hem of her dress.

Ashika couldn’t even stand up and looked around anxiously. Because the boat was small, if she stood up hastily, it might sink even faster.

“What should we do? Is there nothing to bail out the water? Should I bail it out with my hands?”

Drushia measured the distance between the bottom where water was rising and the edge of the lake.

“Hmm, I think it’ll sink before that?”

“Then what are we supposed to do!”

While Drushia answered matter-of-factly, Ashika alone was fretting. Drushia scratched his cheek as if troubled, then came up with a simple and realistic answer.

“Ashika, I’m sorry but… let’s swim back.”

“What?”

She should have known. She should have realized it from the moment he brought this useless boat from who knows where.

“You might be fine with it, but I’m wearing a dress.”

Ashika’s gaze turned toward the lakeshore where the boat had departed from. Swimming all the way there in a dress that would wrap around her legs? Ashika shook her head vigorously.

“It’s impossible, impossible.”

But it was too far to ask Drushia to swim while dragging her along.

“What are you hesitating for? You can just take off the dress.”

“H-here?”

“Well, you can’t drown like this… I could drag you along, but the distance is quite far. We might both drown. What do you want to do?”

Ashika bit her lower lip and glared at Drushia. While her heart was urgent, Drushia’s gaze wouldn’t leave her lips. Soon his fingertip touched her lips and slid gently.

“Beautiful.”

The red lips against her pale face were beautiful no matter how stubbornly she pressed them together.

“Are you really saying that right now…”

They were crouched awkwardly, and already the water had reached their ankles. In this situation, he was admiring her face and saying she was beautiful!

“Wouldn’t it be better to take off your clothes before the boat sinks?”

Drushia’s attitude was completely unpredictable. Just moments ago, he had stirred her heart with tickling glances, and now he was immediately bringing her back to reality.

“Um, could you move back a bit?”

Ashika gestured for Drushia to move away.

Her face was hot, her heart was beating frantically, and her whole body felt ticklish as if covered with feathers. But the immediate reality was being on the verge of falling into the water.

No matter how close they were, Ashika was a lady who had grown up receiving thorough etiquette education. When she hesitated, Drushia, standing a step away, crossed his arms and clicked his tongue.

“Are we going to drown while being polite to each other?”

“You, really.”

“At this rate, we’ll sink. Should I go alone first?”

“Rushia!”

“Hurry up and take it off.”

Now the bottom of the boat was half submerged in water. It was sinking slowly because both of them were staying still, but that wouldn’t last long either.

“I’m going to stand up. Keep your balance well.”

“Got it.”

“Don’t look. Close your eyes.”

“I got it, so hurry up.”

Even while closing his eyes, Drushia’s lips curved up significantly. She wanted to hit him once for being so annoying, but there wasn’t time for that right now.

Ashika squeezed her eyes shut and began to undress. She untied the strings wrapped around her chest and pulled off the dress that she had lifted from below.

Fortunately, the clothes were simple because it was summer. Below, only underwear that barely covered her thighs remained, and above, only undergarments that covered her chest.

“Give me the dress.”

“You come and get it.”

Ashika covered her chest with both arms and pushed the dress with her foot. The dress floated on the sinking boat.

“If I move, the boat will sink quickly. Just swim to shore like that. Got it?”

Drushia spoke with his head half turned. It was an outfit that left nowhere to look, so Ashika was equally embarrassed.

“I’ll grab the dress and follow right behind you. Don’t look back.”

Ashika also nodded quietly.

The moment Drushia got up and moved, the boat lost its balance. Ashika looked back at Drushia once and jumped straight into the water.

It was fortunate that both of them knew how to swim. The two, who had no siblings, had received heir education together. It was no exaggeration to say they had done almost everything together, except for the education Drushia received as a knight.

Drushia, who had started later, arrived at the lakeshore first and waited for Ashika.

“Hand, give me your hand.”

“Ugh, whoa.”

Ashika, who had swum frantically, grasped the hand extended before her. Drushia pulled her out of the water in one motion.

“Ugh.”

“Ashika, get yourself together.”

“Whew, the water…”

Water streamed down her face and around her eyes. Her long black hair was soaked and wrapped around her entire body like seaweed. The sight was so bizarre that Drushia held back the laughter that kept bubbling up.

“We need to put on clothes quickly.”

Drushia unwrapped the dress that had been tied around his waist and roughly wrung out the water. Ashika wrung the water from her hair, pushed it back, and tried to put on the dress. However, it wasn’t as easy as expected.

The light, airy summer dress was soaked and stuck together, and when she tried to just push her body into it, it clung so much that she couldn’t put it on at all.

Drushia took the dress away from Ashika, who was struggling alone, and held it in her hands. However, Drushia was just as confused.

“Spread out the dress. You need to make space for the legs to go in.”

“This is sticking too much. If I pull it forcefully, it might tear, right?”

The material was so thin that it felt unsafe to even touch. Drushia turned the dress this way and that, then folded the top and bottom to roughly make a shape.

“It would be better to put it on from the top. Just stand still.”

“Like this?”

Ashika quietly held her arms to her chest and looked up at Drushia.

“You need to raise your arms. How can you put the dress back on while covering yourself like that?”

Ashika squeezed her eyes shut and removed her arms from her chest. Drushia barely managed to spread the wet dress and place it over Ashika’s head.

“Ah, it’s cold.”

She could feel the wet dress sliding down past her head and arms. The hurried touch was somewhat rougher than before.

“Don’t pull it so roughly like that. It really might tear…”

Ashika, who had gotten her head out of the dress, and Drushia’s eyes met.

Deep blue eyes and a face flushed red. When their eyes met, Drushia quickly turned his head away.

“So you do get embarrassed sometimes?”

Ashika held back her laughter, forgetting that her own face was also flushed.

“This… it’s not like that.”

Drushia spread the sleeve opening with one hand and grabbed Ashika’s hand with the other, pushing it through. Thanks to both of them working together like this, both arms found their proper places and they were able to pull down the dress hem.

After barely managing to put on the dress, Drushia let go of his hands and quietly stepped back.

“What do you mean it’s not like that? Your face is telling me everything.”

“This isn’t embarrassment.”

Drushia found the dress strings at chest level and began tying knots behind her back.

“Then what is it?”

“It’s because I like you too much.”

Hot body temperature wrapped around the damp dress. Pulled by the arms embracing her waist, a firm chest touched behind her back.

Ashika lost her words. It was such hot heat that she could no longer feel the moisture that had soaked her entire body.

“Because I like you too much…”

Sweet whispers tickling her ears. A small voice answered, “Me too.”

A day when she was so happy that she desperately wished time would stop like this. A memory that had now disappeared, so that no one could know about it anymore.