Last night, after returning to my room, Lili thoroughly lectured me on the bed.

Of course, it wasn’t anything suggestive. She simply scolded me in chronological order.

First, she reprimanded me for secretly meeting with His Majesty without informing her.

She told me that since I wasn’t too stubborn, I should consult her first from now on. After all, she was no longer a general but an instructor.

I wanted to, but there were too many things I couldn't say if I wanted to gain their trust. If I could have put it that way, maybe she would have understood a little.

The second issue was breaking His Majesty’s forehead.

After I left to search for Riona, she was apparently dizzy from seeing the bleeding His Majesty. It was an act worthy of being charged with lèse-majesté, no complaints there. Even if it hadn’t been Kilpus, it would still have been a straightforward assault. Well, I got my head cracked too, though.

On this matter, I was actually the victim, having taken Kilpus’ headbutt. But even when I told Lili that, she refused to believe me. She said that while I seemed like someone who would do such a thing, His Majesty appeared to be a dignified adult who wouldn’t.

Oi, you damn disciple...

Next was my decision to search for Riona alone.

Facing an assassin dangerous enough to target His Majesty was far too reckless. No matter how skilled I was, I shouldn’t forget that my body was still that of a ten-year-old. She told me this very strongly, yet gently, persistently, endlessly—she just kept explaining.

No matter how long a lecture lasted, I was never the type to care much. But I was made painfully aware of just how much I had worried Lili.

Honestly, that was the hardest part of the night. So I nodded honestly and swore not to do it again.

Perhaps Lili had been reminded of when she lost Blythe.

And there was more. I had smacked Lili’s butt with the flat of my Gladius.

Apparently, it had hurt quite a lot. Of course, it did—it was a chunk of iron.

She said that even Blythe’s bare-handed spankings were far better. Also, she gave me a brief sex education lesson, reminding me that a woman’s butt and chest were not to be touched so easily. A lesson I had to endure in my second life.

Spare me. I may be a child, but I’m not a child. To be lectured about such obvious things, and by a former disciple of the opposite sex, no less... It was just an unbearably awkward experience.

Besides, that spanking was because you weren’t listening and tried to cut down Riona.

There was still more. Putting His Majesty in danger.

No matter the reason, I should never have let the assassin come into contact with His Majesty. She was right—I had no argument. If it had been Blythe, he would have stopped Eremi even if he had to punch him, regardless of Kilpus’ permission.

But in this ten-year-old body dwelled a young mind. Even if I had knowledge, my heart couldn’t keep up.

I just wanted to save her.

No matter what. That pitiful girl.

Sitting face-to-face on the bed, the long, long lecture finally came to an end.

“I’m sorry. I regret it. From now on, I’ll consult you as much as possible. But, Lili, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t treat me too much like a child and actually listened to me.”

“Instructor Ituka.”

“Instructor Ituka as well, then.”

Lili sighed and finally relaxed her expression.

“Alright. Let’s both be more careful from now on. —Well then, that’s it for tonight. I’m turning off the lights.”

“Yeah.”

Lili twisted the knob of the large magical lamp attached to the ceiling. The room dimmed. Using the moonlight streaming through the window, we both slid into bed.

Lili turned toward me.

“Oh, right, Eremia. Your bed is arriving tomorrow. The room will be a bit cramped, but you’ll finally be able to stretch out and sleep properly.”

“Mm, ah. I see.”

Somehow, it felt a little too late.

Resting my arm under my head, I stared at the ceiling. Lili only turned her face toward me.

It was the usual. I had already gotten used to it. Or rather, I quickly adapted, remembering my past life. We had always lived like this. Thinking about it, sharing a bed with Lili wasn’t particularly unusual.

The roles had reversed, though.

“...My arms and legs aren’t that long.”

Lili narrowed her eyes.

“Oh? Do you perhaps want to keep sleeping with me?”

“That’s not what I meant. Do I look like someone that sentimental?”

“Fufu...”

She chuckled and turned to face the ceiling.

“You may not be sentimental, but I do think you’re cute.”

“Cut it out. That’s not a compliment for a man. If I’m next to you, you won’t have space to stretch out.”

“I don’t usually stretch out when I sleep. A long time ago, when I was about your current age, I used to sleep next to someone big. That’s why I got into the habit of curling up.”

I laughed.

Well, sorry about that.

Under the quilt, the backs of our hands touched. Lili’s fingers moved, enclosing mine.

—Blythe, can I hold your hand while I sleep?

—Stop asking and just grab whatever part you like.

In that instant, a memory from my past life resurfaced.

I laughed again.

The way Blythe used to talk back then was awful.

“So it was you who felt lonely, huh?”

“...Seems so.”

“Getting attached to a stray dog?”

“Yeah, seems that way. Being with you, Eremia, somehow reminds me of the past. Are you really not Blythe’s secret child?”

“Yeah. No relation. Disappointed?”

“Not at all. You’re Eremia. ...But, maybe just a little...”

So honest. Just like a child.

The night breeze gently rattled the window.

“When His Majesty told me you had gone alone to search for Orunkaim—Belzhein, I was beside myself. If I hadn’t been on guard duty, I would have rushed out immediately.”

“So that’s why you tried to cut me down?”

Really, what a cute disciple.

But our roles had reversed. It was strangely fitting. It had been the same back when I was Blythe. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have lived together for so long.

Even after I earned the title of Sword Saint and amassed more money than I could ever spend, I never kicked her out. By then, Lili had become a fairly successful swordswoman herself, yet she never left that rough group of men.

She must have had plenty of inconveniences being the only woman there.

Were we... family?

I cleared my throat once and turned toward Lili. Her well-formed profile looked more serene than it did back then.

“Ahh... Should I return the bed?”

“Fufu, you idiot. If that’s what you want, I’ll let you.”

“Keep dreaming.”

We laughed together and closed our eyes.

After searching for Riona in the rain, exhaustion pulled me into the warmth of sleep like sinking into tepid mud.

Honestly, the warmth of her hand was comforting.