Despite having one or two more drinks, Nox showed no significant changes in his behavior. Nana, understanding that he had quite a high resistance, decided on the strategy to compete until someone gave in. While thinking about when to pose the challenge, unexpectedly, an individual sat down beside him.
“Hey there, gorgeous, where are you from?” expressed a young man from the city, who although it wasn’t late yet, seemed quite drunk.
Although he may have been confident in his appearance, Nana saw him as just another individual. Nana chose to ignore the drunk young man.
“You’re a traveler, right? How long will you stay here?” the insistent young man continued.
Although the bartender on the other side of the counter would intervene if necessary, Nana did not move unless it was physically necessary to intervene.
Deciding to postpone the idea of competing with Nox until he was drunk, Nana considered the possibility of returning to the accommodation that night.
At that moment, the drunken young man finally noticed Nox.
“Is this your brother? Are you traveling together as siblings?”
This question irritated Nana, but before she could respond, Nox took the lead.
“You’ve been persistent since before. Can’t you see she’s not interested?” he stood up, gently wrapped his arm around Nana’s waist, and declared, “She’s my fiancée.”
“I-I can’t believe it,” she responded, surprised.
With a possessive look and a defiant tone, Nox made his statement.
“How dare you think a beauty like her would be interested in someone like you? Know your place.”
The atmosphere in the bar suddenly became tense and silent. It seemed like the regulars were paying close attention to how this situation would unfold.
After a brief moment of silence, the bar erupted into applause, laughter, and cheers.
“What a brave man! Well said!”
“Exactly! You’re not worthy of her!”
“If you look closely, the guy is handsome too!”
“Be happy!”
Amidst the lively atmosphere, the drunk individual was dragged to a corner with a completely red face, not just from the alcohol but also from embarrassment.
Nana noticed that he truly enjoyed alcohol because despite the embarrassment, he did not leave.
“Master, a round of drinks for that guy!”
“I’ll also toast! To apologize for this peasant’s intrusion.”
“Huh? But…”
“Take it. It seems the lady has good taste too.”
Amidst Nox’s confusion, Nana seized the opportunity.
“Then, serve him the same as before.”
The bar owner nodded understandingly and placed glasses of the same sweet and strong liquor in front of each of them.
After finishing the drink they were invited to, both were warmly bid farewell by the cheerful drunk patrons as they left the bar.
“Nox-sama, thank you very much for earlier.”
“Hm? Why?”
Seeing him beside her, Nana realized that Nox was a bit unsteady. Thinking that the alcohol was finally affecting him, Nana hurried to support him to prevent him from stumbling.
“Thank you for helping me when I was being bothered.”
“That was because it was irritating me,” Nox responded.
“Eh…?”
Nana wasn’t the only one who was annoyed by being mistaken for Nox’s sister.
“But if that guy mistook me for your brother, it means we’re still not on the same level,” Nox reflected.
Then, Nox drew Nana closer to him, resting his head on her shoulder.
“Wait a bit longer for me. I will strive to become a fiancé who is up to Nana’s standards.”
“What?!”
Upon hearing the soft and seductive voice in her ear, slightly lower than usual, Nana instinctively covered her ears and stepped back.
“What’s wrong, Nana?”
While Nox, gently laughing, illuminated by the moon’s white light, tilted his head with curiosity. On this occasion, Nana’s heart was beating rapidly.
Back at the lodging, Nox took a quick shower and quickly fell asleep. After making sure he was sleeping peacefully, Nana turned off the light and got into bed. She remembered the image of a drunk Nox from that night and began to restless think over it in her mind.
And then,
“…Did you say I was pretty?”
Nana recalled the words she replied to the drunk individual.
“… Do you think I’m… pretty?”
Was the flush on her cheeks merely from having had a little too much to drink? She touched her cheek, suddenly worried about the dryness of her skin due to sun exposure during the journey. She thought that maybe the words were just a tactic to counter the individual. She shouldn’t let herself be swayed by emotion. However…
“…It’s my turn to try to measure up… for him…”
Determined to make an effort to continue to match the future husband who will undoubtedly succeed, Nana reaffirmed her determination.
***
Nox used to wake up early in the morning. Even if he wasn’t awakened, he always somehow woke up at the same time, whether after drinking or not.
“Good morning, Nox-sama,” greeted Nana, who had decided to get up a bit earlier than usual to meticulously care for her skin and was already ready.
“Good morning, Nana,” Nox responded, noticing her radiant skin and thinking to himself, before returning the greeting as usual.
Then, recalling the events of the previous day, he tilted his head.
“…Did I do anything strange when I was drunk yesterday? From the second drink, my memories are a bit hazy…”
“Eh?”
Although Nox seemed sober, he was actually quite drunk.
In short, both the handsome Nox who praised her and the seductive Nox who whispered under the moonlight were all an illusion created by the magic called alcohol.
“…”
“Surely I did something, right?”
“….No, you didn’t do anything.”
Seeing the sudden seriousness in Nana, Nox began to panic thinking about what he might have done, but his reserved future wife did not reveal anything.
