The Reincarnated Count's Daughter Is the Strongest as She Is Loved by the Spirits, Though She Is Only Wishing for Regular Romance!

Fortunately, as a marquess, there are residential areas within the castle grounds for emergencies, so my maids and butlers live inside the castle. My siblings and family all reside within the castle, so it should be safe. But what about my friends? …No, it’s alright. They are all high-ranking noble ladies with proper guards assigned to them.

"That includes Camille, too," I said, trying to reassure him.

"That's why there’s no one around me who can’t defend themselves."

"And what about their families? Their children? Even if there aren’t any now, they’ll eventually get married, right? If they associate with me, this concern will never end," I expressed my worries.

“Dia.”

He suddenly took my hand with a serious gaze, causing me to flinch.

"They'll notice, so act normal. If it’s just our hands, the backrest of the sofa will hide it from view."

"R-right."

Did he just smile a little? I’m not used to this, okay?

I fought the urge to turn and look at Brad’s face. I didn’t want to stare at my held left hand either, but I couldn’t help being aware of it. Camille’s hand felt rougher than I remembered, and it was so warm, almost hot, completely engulfing mine.

“I think it’d be fine even if they notice. If we sat by the window, it would be separate, single seats with a distance between us. I’m sure Brad guided us here for that reason,” Camille explained.

I hadn’t thought about it that way. A man with a wife really does think differently.

"I’m working to ensure that I and those around me can defend themselves. That’s why I haven’t been able to find time to meet you recently, but I’ll make more time from now on. No matter what danger may come, being apart from you is not an option."

"Still…"

As happy as that made me, I was still worried. Was it alright to let a fourteen-year-old boy bear such a heavy burden?

“No ‘still.’ Or… have you grown to dislike me?”

His dark eyes were clear and beautiful, staring at me from close up. Because of his serious expression, his gaze seemed sharper than usual, but that face was quite attractive too. Camille always brought tales of foreign lands whenever he visited, and even though the time we spent together was short, I always enjoyed it.

And… I still like him.

"I don't dislike you," I admitted quietly.

“Then, please talk to me properly. I will also do the same.”

"But… you said you wanted me to wait, didn’t you? My father is fully on board now, saying there’s no one else he can entrust his daughter to among foreign dignitaries, so even though the engagement is to be at fifteen, he wants to at least get greetings over with.”

“That would be better for me, too.”

“Eh?”

“I never expected you to be so passive only when it came to romance. Instead of making you anxious or thinking I’d walk away, I’d rather solidify things.”

Oh no… I’m just adding to his worries, aren’t I? Sorry… My past life’s memories are absolutely useless in the realm of love.

"Hey, stop stroking my hand!" I protested.

“Oh, sorry. It felt so smooth I did it without thinking.”

He continued stroking even as he apologized, making me squirm from the ticklish sensation. This secret hand-holding situation and the way he was stroking my fingers and hand, hidden from others… This feels like something right out of a romantic light novel, doesn’t it? Ugh, stop it, brain! Thinking about that is just making my face heat up.

"Dia, do you not want to take things that far yet?" Camille asked hesitantly.

“Eh? No, it’s not that…” I clenched my hand into a fist to stop the restless stroking, and he looked a little displeased.

“It may be a bit early, but in Luftanen, there are some who marry at around fourteen.”

“In the empire, unless there’s a special reason, you can’t marry until eighteen. We still have six years to go.”

“And in those six years, are you worried I’ll change my mind?”

"It’s not me, but you that I’m worried about!"

"That’s not going to happen. There’s no one like you, Dia.”

What is he talking about? There are lots of cute and nice girls in Luftanen.

“No one who’s close to spirit kings and actively involved in managing a trading company.”

“That’s what you like about me?” I asked, puzzled.

“I’m looking forward to running the company with you. And didn’t we just talk about going on trips together? Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten.”

I haven’t forgotten. But that doesn’t mean my worries aren’t real. Every time we meet, I feel silly for being anxious. Romance is so much harder than I thought.

“Besides, if there were more people like you, this world would be chaotic,” he laughed.

“What do you mean by that?” I demanded, pouting.

Camille laughed softly and seemed in a good mood as he gently held my hands, as if they were delicate objects that might break. His touch was light and cautious, as if he was still unsure about his strength with a girl’s hands. 

At some point, both of us had been staring at our hands, only to be snapped out of it by Brad’s deliberate clearing of his throat. We instinctively separated a bit, but kept our hands intertwined.

“So, can I move forward with this?” he asked.

“Yes. Shiro is here too, so it’s okay, right?”

『You called?!』 

Suddenly, Camille’s bangle disappeared, and the familiar fluff of Shiro appeared in the air.

『So mean! You called me too late!』 

"No one called you!" I exclaimed.

『Diaaa! Camille was so mean to me!』 Shiro complained, leaping towards me.

I instinctively caught Shiro with my free hand.

『Dia smells so nice!』

"Why are you hugging Dia like that?" Camille grumbled.

I couldn’t help but let out a sigh. Here I was, anxiously fretting, but seeing this made it all seem so trivial. What if Camille did change his mind? There’s no way I could live peacefully in either the empire or Luftanen. Even Ruri wouldn’t forgive that.

『Hehe, jealous?』 Shiro teased.

“Ugh… back to the bangle!” Camille ordered.

『But you’ll need to greet Ruri-sama and the other spirit kings before you proceed, right? They’ll definitely show up!』 

Of course! I totally forgot!

“Oh, right. My father and family are waiting in another room for a talk.”

“O-okay. Understood,” Camille replied, visibly straightening up and adjusting his collar nervously.

"Please follow me," Brad said, guiding us to a room our family often used. This was the very room where, when I was four, we discussed raising spirits. Back then, my feet wouldn’t even touch the floor from the chairs, but now they did firmly.

Seated comfortably were my parents and two elder brothers. And once again, I was reminded just how intimidating a family of beautiful people could be.