I should probably warn Aria about this person. He knows that I’m a slave - my biggest guarded secret! But he’s also Miss Bella’s friend, so he shouldn’t be a bad guy. If I tell Aria about him, she’ll likely freak out and do something unlike her. I should have a little chat with Miss Bel first, just to be safe, and then tell Aria about him later.

I’ve got to admit that he is blessed with useful skills like Appraisal and Lie Detector. Since they are adventurers, these skills must be really helpful. Nobles would be willing to pay a large sum of money to get him under control. I can’t say much about the other members of his party, as I’ve only talked to them from afar, but the boy’s presence felt pretty powerful. That also makes me wonder, why is his entire party made up of females except himself? Is it just a coincidence? If so, it’s a pretty huge coincidence considering the small population of female adventurers in our kingdom.

Ah, whatever, I just hope he keeps his mouth shut and doesn’t pester me again.

Carrying my new pre-release copy of Ms. Bella’s book on my way home, I called her to ask about that boy. I asked her but didn’t specify what he did.

“... I see. I’m sorry he made you uncomfortable. I’ll scold him thoroughly. He’s such a good-hearted person in general, he tremendously helped my baby sister too. I don’t know what he did to make you angry, but rest assured, he won’t do it again. You have my word. Again, I’m really sorry on his behalf”, she said, through the Mana-Comm.

“No need to apologize, it’s no big deal. Good Night”

“Good Night”, she replied, ending the call. Well, she says he’s a good guy generally and that I have no need to worry. But I’ll stay vigilant if I see him next time.

***

I made my way to the dinner hall, 

“You are back! You made me wait so long, now let’s hurry up with dinner already”, Aria said, over enthusiastically.

She’s awfully cheerful for someone who’s hungry. I wonder what’s up…

“I’m sorry”, I apologized, then looked at the maid who was trying to hide in the corner and harshly said, “Didn’t I warn you that I might be late? Why didn’t you serve Lady Aria’s dinner until now?”. Before leaving, I had told her that I might not be back in time for dinner, so there was no need to make Aria wait for me.

“Now-now, don’t scold her just yet. I was the one who decided to wait for you. Come on, I have something planned after dinner, so get your butt on this seat”, she said, patting the chair beside her.

I don’t have a good feeling about her ‘plan’.

As I took my seat, she came closer and whispered, “Your harsh tone is kind of sexy, but tonight I’m going to show you my strong spirit and willpower. You should look forward to it. Hehe”, she giggled.

“What are you up to?”, I asked.

“You’ll know soon enough”, she kept giggling to herself.

We had our dinner, and she dragged me to one of the balconies. The weather and temperature are perfect- not too windy nor too cold. This balcony gave us a beautiful view of the crescent moon over the horizon of the vast sea. The sound of waves in the background, coupled with the occasional low breeze hitting our faces, created the perfect ambience for a relaxing evening.

Aria walked us towards the table that she prepared, and I finally understood what her ‘plan’ was about. She had prepared a lovely round table and two chairs facing the sea, along with an incense stick burning in the corner, which exuded a subtle scent of sandalwood. 

“Since Mom isn’t here, I thought we could finally drink these!”, she said, holding a bottle of… some kind of alcohol from the table.

I’ve never really tried any drinks before, and I know for a fact that Aria hasn’t either. So I don’t really know the ‘know-hows’ of drinking. But I guess that’s fine. I was expecting something crazier, but knowing how her so-called ‘plan’ just ended up being drinking some alcohol behind her mother’s back made me chuckle.

How cute!

“Haha, this is so ‘you’”.

“Wha- Don’t laugh, I’ll let you know I’ve prepared all sorts of stuff for tonight. And at the end of the night, you’ll have to see me in a different light. Now have a seat”, she pouted.

“As you say, my strong and mature Lady”, I pulled her leg, and we both took our seats.

“Hmph”

“Anyway, do you know anything about these things, or should I call some experienced maid over?”, I asked.

“No need, I’ve researched plenty. Now tell me, what do you want to start with? Err, how about some red wine?”, she asked.

“Sure”, I smiled.

She poured us two glasses of wine, and we held them up, “Cheers”. We clicked our glasses lightly, and as I lifted mine, I saw her looking at me expectantly, so I brought the glass to my lips.

The heady scent of dark berries hit my nose. The first sip tasted like a mix of berries and spices. I savored the taste slowly, letting it linger, and looked at Aria. She smiled proudly and followed my lead. As she took her first sip, I saw her eyebrows flinch.

I was expecting her to stop, but instead she shut her eyes and took a large gulp. 

“Aria, wait. I’m pretty sure that’s not how you-”, but I was too late, as she downed the entire glass in one go and slammed it onto the table.

Did she just?

“Hah, cough cough, that tasted - great”, she said, but her voice betrayed her as she coughed and stammered.

I was both amused and shocked to see her do that. 

“I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure you are supposed to ‘sip it slowly’ and not ‘chug-a-chug’. Hahaha, you can be so cute sometimes”, I laughed merrily.

The realization just hit her as I saw her face flush. Her confident facade had crumbled, replaced by a charming vulnerability that I hadn't seen before. “Cough, No shut up, you know, cough, nothing”. She still tried to maintain her demeanor but failed spectacularly.

“Haha, alright. Smooth move, Miss Aria”, I teased her and took a napkin to help wipe her face.

“Stop it, I didn’t know, okay. Let’s try something else instead. Hmm, how about I make you some cocktails? I read a book about cocktails, and I’m confident that I can win my honor back”, she said, recovering from her embarrassment.

“Sure”

Aria, determined to redeem herself, glanced over the array of bottles on the table, her eyes settling on a selection of spirits and mixers.

"Alright, watch and learn", she declared with a hint of mischief in her eyes.

She grabbed a shaker and began assembling her ingredients with newfound confidence. Ice clinked melodically as it met the metal shaker. She added some of this and some of that and shook the metal shaker.

"There! The perfect cocktail for this perfect night", she proclaimed, presenting her concoction.

I raised an eyebrow, amused by her enthusiasm. "What's it called?"

"The Aria Special", she declared proudly, her smile radiant.

As I took a cautious sip, I couldn't help but be pleasantly surprised. The blend was surprisingly not bad. It tasted like a mix of sweet and tangy notes that harmonized remarkably well.

"You know, this isn't half bad", I remarked.

Aria beamed with pride, but her bravado was beginning to betray her. With each passing moment, her cheeks took on a gentle flush, a clear sign that the cocktail's effects were starting to work their magic.

"See? I told you, I've got this. Now let’s drink", she grinned, though her words were beginning to slur slightly.

As the evening unfolded, Aria's initial confidence slowly gave way to a charming and endearing tipsiness. Her laughter became more carefree, and her movements were getting a little unsteady but still full of infectious energy.

“Hehe, you must be drunk now, right, Letty?” she asked in a carefree tone.

Not yet, but I have a feeling that’s not what she wants to hear.

“I guess I am”, I said, copying her tipsy hand movements.

“Yess! It’s a success! You see how well your girlfriend can hold her booze. Do you think I’m cool?”, she asked, smiling ear to ear.

“Yeah, you are very cool, Aria. The coolest girlfriend ever”

“Hehe, I like drunk Letty a lot… Say, are you feeling a little cold? If so, you can join me here, the seat is big enough for both of us. And I’ve got one last surprise for you”, she parted her legs, gesturing to me to sit in between.

Damn! She's such a temptress without even realizing it...

“Okay”, I complied, and made myself comfortable in her embrace. She held my waist with one arm while holding her glass with the other. 

She asked me to put my glass down for a moment and clap. I excitedly clapped my hands and waited.

Suddenly, a single large flare popped in from a distance. It looked like some sort of fire-based spell. Unable to figure out what it meant, I looked at her from the side.

“These are called fireworks. I made them a while ago but didn’t get a suitable chance to use them. They are being set off from the beach. Don’t worry about anything, and just enjoy it. And also, don’t forget to praise me later”, she said.

“Okay”, I said. Slowly, a few more flares popped up, and then a large ‘bang’ startled me.

Aria rubbed my stomach, “Don’t be scared, I’m right here”.

The flare erupted mid-air and scattered all over the place, making a beautiful display of colors that painted the night sky.

“Wow, so pretty”, I said.

“Wait until a bunch of them are set off together”, she said.

Soon, a few more flares illuminated the sky, painting it with a myriad of colors. Each explosion created a mesmerizing display, a splash of sparkly lights illuminating the dark sky.

Aria giggled, holding me tighter. "See, aren't they breathtaking?" she exclaimed.

I nodded in awe, enchanted by the spectacle. It felt like witnessing some grandiose celebration. As the bursts of light continued, Aria's infectious laughter filled the air, each explosion seemingly adding more magic to the night.

"Thank you for this, Aria. For everything. It's amazing", I said, unable to hide my admiration for her care and breathtaking display.

Her eyes sparkled with joy. "I'm glad you like it, Letty. You can repay me with lots of kisses and compliments”, she said.

I couldn't help but smile at her adorable state and child-like honesty. I pressed my lips gently on hers. 

As we relaxed and settled down again, I began thinking. If I let things go like this, it can easily escalate into one of my many fantasies coming true. But it feels like I would be taking advantage of her vulnerable state. Besides, she always subtly puts a stop to my advances after a certain point, which tells me that I should probably wait for her to make the move.

And I have this feeling that it’s going to happen soon, so I’ll wait a little more. Anyway, tonight was easily one of my best experiences ever. So I should cherish every last moment of this night, I thought, snuggling against her warm body.

ThinkOfSomeCoolName

So sorry for the lack of updates... All kinds of things kept popping up, some competitions, then exams, then other stuff. Here's the next chapter, hope you all like it!