How to Survive as a Princess in a Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 86
Startled, I reflexively questioned Isaac.
“Wouldn’t it be better to sleep here? It’s already late anyway.”
“That is not possible.”
His firm tone carried a trace of self-reproach, as if chastising himself for even considering such a thing.
I knew that if I ordered him to stay, he would obey, but I didn’t want to force him. In the end, I sent Isaac away.
Left alone, I lay back on the bed. The desire to wash up warred with the laziness urging me to simply stretch out and fall asleep again. Ultimately, laziness won.
The thought that asking to bathe would require the maids to move about at this late hour also played a part in my decision.
As soon as I lay down, my eyelids began to droop. Drifting in and out of sleep, Isaac’s words from earlier came to mind.
‘He said I kissed Reno…….’
The faintest fragment of memory seemed to surface, but it was hazy at best, leaving me unsure. The vague sense of uncertainty loomed larger than any clarity.
It must have been due to the mana surge, causing me to act instinctively without realizing it…….
‘Did he feel uncomfortable?’
This was the same man who, after pressing his face against the nape of my neck in the morning, had quickly pulled away and apologized in embarrassment. I might have had my reasons, but if the other person felt uncomfortable, would my reasons matter?
Especially since Reno was the warmest and most affectionate person around me. Setting aside the matter of affection, it would be disheartening if he suddenly became distant or cold toward me.
Feeling a bit uneasy, I checked his affection on a whim.
[<Character> Reno Harsen
― Affection: 75 / 100 (Interest)]
‘Huh?’
The affection level has changed……?
And not just by a little. The digit in the tens place had changed entirely.
“It doesn’t seem like he was upset…….”
It was a relief, but somehow, it left me feeling unsettled in its own way. I couldn’t quite explain why.
I dismissed the system window and closed my eyes as sleep gradually overtook me.
* * *
After the mana surge was contained, life returned to its usual peaceful rhythm, as if the danger had never occurred. Once my body recovered, I resumed the horseback riding and archery lessons I had briefly put on hold.
With Isaac successfully completing his escort duty and returning, it was Reno’s turn to guard me once more. When I mounted the horse without his assistance, Reno let out a small murmur of admiration.
“You’re riding well, even after a break.”
“It’s been less than a week.”
I wasn’t so absent-minded as to forget how to ride in such a short time. Gripping the reins tightly, I steadied myself. While galloping was still too much for me, I was confident enough to take a slow ride around the area without anyone’s help.
After leisurely circling the forest path to allow Reno to follow comfortably, I dismounted.
Though I had retained my riding skills, my muscles apparently had not—my thighs and the area beneath my hips tingled with a dull ache.
“Aren’t you going to ride more?”
“My legs hurt a bit.”
“Hurt? Where exactly? Don’t tell me it’s happening again…….”
Reno stepped closer and placed a hand on my forehead. I flinched as he moved in even closer, subtly sniffing near me.
“You don’t have a fever, and there’s no particular scent.”
“It’s not that…… My leg muscles are sore.”
Realizing what I meant, Reno let out a small sigh of understanding.
“Ah I see. My apologies. I must’ve been too alarmed after what happened last time.”
“No, I’m the one who should apologize for startling you.”
“There’s no need for you to feel sorry, Your Highness. It’s something beyond your control.”
“It’s not just that…….”
“……?”
I hesitated, debating whether to bring it up. Considering Reno’s increased affection score, it seemed unnecessary to explain. Yet leaving it unaddressed left a nagging feeling.
In the end, I decided to speak up.
“You…… helped me, right? Thank you for that.”
“There’s no need, Your Highness. It’s what a Guardian does.”
Reno smiled gently. It was clearly a different face, a different tone, yet his words somehow reminded me of Isaac. Perhaps it was the long years they had spent together that made them similar.
“Hey.”
“……?”
“What you said before—did you mean it?”
“What do you mean?”
“You said it would be fine if it was me. Afterward, Isaac told me what you said. That you wouldn’t mind receiving mana from me…… Is it true?”
“It’s true.”
“Was it out of duty for you, too?”
“What exactly do you mean by that?”
“Because you’re my Guardian…… I wondered if you only said it because it’s something a Guardian is supposed to do, not because you genuinely wanted to.”
“Is that how it seems to you? That I’m just doing it out of obligation, pretending I want to?”
“I’m not sure.”
Unlike Isaac, Reno didn’t seem bound by duty from what I had observed so far.
Still, you could never be certain just by appearances. Even with a high affection, it was only at the familiar level, after all.
As I mulled over this seriously, it suddenly hit me—I didn’t need to be worrying about this. The question itself was wrong.
This wasn’t what I’d meant to ask in the first place. What I should’ve asked from the start was whether he had been uncomfortable with me kissing him.
