I've had a fever again.
This is the first fever I've had since Gino-sama started coming to our house.
I was looking forward to greeting Lady Gino in the entrance hall every morning and accompanying her to her office, but the servants stopped me because of her high fever.
I had no choice but to sleep well today and get well as soon as possible.
I would like to greet Mr. Gino tomorrow.
I felt someone changing the watery cloth on my forehead, and that woke me up.
"Anna!"
It seemed to be Gino who called out to me.
How are you feeling?
How are you feeling? Is there anything wrong?
Gino said, looking at me with concern.
I looked at Gino's face as if I were having a dream, but when I felt the heat of his gaze, I rapidly awoke.
Don't worry so much, it happens all the time.
It's no big deal.
I smiled, hoping to reassure Gino, who was looking at me anxiously.
"You must be thirsty.
Would you like some cold fruit water?
Gino-sama said and put his arm around my back to help me up.
I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.
Oh my god!
Is this really a dream sequence?
Now, I'm being hugged by Gino-sama.
I can feel Gino-sama's warmth radiating from his arms as he embraces my shoulders.
Gino-sama's face is very close to mine, but if I were to see his face up close here, I might faint.
I can't look at her.
I haven't even changed my clothes on the bed yet. ......
What?
That's right!
It's on the bed now!
A man and a woman out of wedlock should not be touching each other in bed!
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!
"Can you drink?"
Gino offered me a cup, but now was not the time.
"Come on, my dear.
I've put in some cushions so you can recline here.
As Brigitte prepared a cushion for me to recline on, I hurriedly moved away from Gino-sama.
My heart is pounding like it's about to burst.
My heart is pounding so hard it feels like it's going to burst. I've just imagined something unladylike and shameful, but I hope Gino-sama didn't notice.
I know there is no way to know what is in a person's heart.
I know that I can't know what's going on in people's minds, but when Gino-sama held me by the shoulders, I couldn't help but feel that my heart would leak out from where we touched.
If she noticed, I would have no choice but to slurp down a cup of poison as a lady.
As Brigitte wipes my face, I sip some fruit water to calm down.
The warmth of Gino's arms and the feel of his strong masculine arms come back to me again and again, but I do my best to dismiss the recollection.
If I continued to indulge in my fantasy, I would have fainted.
I was too embarrassed to look at Gino's face properly.
I'm not sure if you're hungry or not.
I heard you didn't eat lunch."
I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not, but it's a good idea.
A little ......"
I was worried that I wouldn't be able to speak because of my nervousness, but I managed to answer that.
Taking a deep breath and drinking some fruit water, I managed to regain my composure.
My heart was still pounding, though.
"How long have you been there, Gino-sama?"
To change the mood, I asked Gino-sama.
"About three hours ago, I guess.
"Three hours?
That must have bored you.
I was surprised.
I am surprised that you have been with me for three hours without being a servant.
You don't seem to have any books with you, and I feel bad about that.
I'm sure you must have been bored.
I wasn't bored at all.
"I was never bored, because I could watch her sleeping face, and I was too worried to be bored.
"...... sleeping face"?
Is that ......
I'm sure you've been watching me sleep for the past three hours, Gino?
I'm sure you'll agree that it's a great idea to take a look at your face. ......
Oh.
If Gino-sama was here, I should have at least put on makeup before going to bed.
I wonder if the drooling was okay.
I'm curious about a lot of things, but I don't have the courage to ask Gino-sama about it.
A different kind of embarrassment came over me with a fierce intensity. ......
Afterwards, Gino-san told us about what happened today.
I was distracted at first, but before I knew it, I was engrossed in the conversation with Gino-sama and had a great time.
"Yes. Auntie."
Gino-sama said as he took the plate handed to him by the servant and scooped up the ochre with a spoon.
"Ahn?"
I couldn't understand the meaning of this unfamiliar word, so I asked Gino-sama.
"That's right.
Open your mouth so I can feed you.
Gino-sama said, and held out a spoon to my mouth.
"Uh, sir?"
I said in confusion.
I wondered if Gino-sama was planning to bring the food to my mouth himself.
No servant would go this far to help me.
I could feel Gino-sama's love for me, and it made my face hot.
I couldn't keep her waiting forever, so I took the spoon that Gino-sama had offered me and put it in my mouth.
I wondered if she was eating gracefully.
It's quite embarrassing to eat while Gino-sama is staring at me.
When I glanced at Gino-sama, she had a gentle smile on her face.
I wondered if there was something wrong with the way I was eating.
Should I have opened my mouth a little smaller?
By the way, she has a very picturesque smile.
Just looking at it makes my heart beat faster.
"Master Gino?"
Unable to endure Gino-sama's unintelligible smile, I asked her.
"Hmm?
No, I just thought it was cute and fell in love with it.
"Oh, no!
What, me?
What are you talking about?
What is so cute about this ugly woman?
Not a single man has ever looked at me and said I was cute.
The only man who has ever called me cute was my father, but that was nothing more than a fatherly feeling, so I'll leave him out of it.
I was very surprised to hear such a thing out of the blue.
There must be some mistake.
Who else could it be?
The only person my eyes are seeing right now is you."
It wasn't a mistake, was it?
Is it possible that Gino thinks I'm cute?
I thought, "That's absurd," but I couldn't get rid of the thought, "Maybe.
I don't think he's lying or joking when I look into his eyes.
But if Gino-sama thinks I'm cute, then ......
"Ah. You're so cute!
I want to hug you!"
What are you talking about?
What are you talking about, Gino-sama?
I'm in bed right now, you know.
I imagined myself on the bed being hugged by Gino-sama, and I felt so embarrassed that I wanted to scream.
You can't do this!
You can't have this kind of fantasy!
It's too humiliating!
Brigitte coughed so hard that it seemed like she was doing it on purpose, which seemed to calm Gino down.
But I couldn't calm down for a while, and I was struggling to keep my composure.
If I let my guard down, Gino-sama's passionate words from earlier would come back to my mind, and I would get so upset that I wouldn't know what to do.
But still, "cute"?
It's the first time I've received such a word from a man, so it's also the first time I've felt this way.
It's such a joy to be called cute by a person in love, isn't it?
It makes my heart flutter.
I am an ugly woman with a face full of bumps and bruises.
If my appearance were to catch the eye of someone, it would even make them uncomfortable.
That is why I have always tried to dress and wear my hair as inconspicuously as possible.
However, if Gino-sama says that I'm cute, then I'll go to ......
I think I'll be brave and try to dress up a little.
It was probably just a casual comment to Gino-sama.
But for me, it was a big word that gave me the greatest courage.
◆◆◆◆◆
Today, I was a little late due to a long day of practice.
Whenever she comes home, Gino always talks with me.
Today, Gino-sama seemed to have finished her work a little early, but I had to wait for her because of my prolonged practice.
The servants tell me that Lady Gino is already waiting in the parlor.
We have to hurry.
When I went to the reception room, I found Gino-sama sitting on the sofa, resting.
He must be very tired.
He learned about higher noble education in the Barbarie family, ducal administration in our family, and even ran his own business.
I'll have the servants bring the blankets and I'll put them on Lady Gino.
I ask the servant to prepare a cup of tea and wait for Gino-sama to wake up while drinking the tea.
Gino-sama reclines on the sofa and folds her arms as she sleeps.
I watch her slowly as she sips her tea.
Normally, I would be too embarrassed to stare at her, but I don't mind if she is resting.
I take a closer look at Gino-sama's figure.
What a surprise!
This is unexpected luck.
I never thought I'd be able to take such a long, leisurely look at Gino-sama.
Your legs are long and slender, and your body is well-proportioned.
Your shoulders are broad, too.
You look very masculine.
A well-tailored black nobleman's dress suits her well.
You have a beautiful small face, by the way.
Gino-sama and I were sitting across the table from each other, but we were a little far apart.
I'd like to see her more closely.
I'd like to see you more closely. ...... You don't mind a little bit, do you?
I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who's not afraid to ask questions.
Oh, my.
You have very long eyelashes.
Her long, slit eyes are beautiful even when they are closed.
Your nose is also very well defined.
Your lips are not too big or too small, but they are well balanced and fit your face well.
Her lips are not too big or too small, but they are well balanced and fit her face well.
Her skin is white and fine, and I envy her.
You are the "Lord of the Black Ice".
Her overall appearance is perfectly balanced.
Her mouth is slightly open, and she looks so cute.
Normally you are very mature and talk with your father as an equal, but when you look at your face like this, you look your age.
Oh.
I've seen a good thing.
And so I continued to look at Gino-sama.
"Hmm? Ah. Anna.
I'm sorry. I fell asleep."
（What?)
Suddenly, Gino-sama woke up, and our eyes met.
What should I do?
I'm sitting on the same sofa as Gino-sama.
If there were other people here, it would be just me and Gino-sama in this room.
There are servants, but they don't use the sofa.
As a noblewoman, it would be a shame for me to sit on the same sofa as a man when there are only two people who use the sofa.
How can I deceive them?
"Ah. You put the blanket back on.
Thank you."
"What? ...... Ah, ...... no."
I smiled and gracefully returned to my original seat, but inwardly I was breaking out in a cold sweat.
I've been in this room for some time now, and I've never been able to get out.
How long have you been in this room waiting for me to wake up?
Since about half past three.
I'm sorry you had to wait so long.
I'm sorry.
You should have woken me.
What?
I looked at the water clock in the room.
The time shown by the blue liquid in the glass tube was 5:30.
What a surprise.
It seems that I have been watching Gino-sama's sleeping face for two hours.
If I had been sitting next to Gino-sama for that long, I'm sure she would have woken up.
"I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, I must have bored you.
I'll make it up to you."
"Oh, no. You don't need to worry about it.
I wasn't bored at all.
You can look at Gino's figure for two hours straight and not get bored at all.
On the contrary, it was a very fulfilling and meaningful time for me to be able to see you slowly like this.
Yes, I know.
As an apology, would you like to go for a walk around the lake with me sometime?
You said before that you wanted to go boating, didn't you?
I'll bring a boat for you to ride in.
I'll row the boat to make up for today."
"Well. I'm so glad.
I'm glad you remembered the story about the boat.
Even though it was just a small story, Gino-sama remembered it.
I was so happy to hear that, and a warm feeling filled my heart.
This is the first fever I've had since Gino-sama started coming to our house.
I was looking forward to greeting Lady Gino in the entrance hall every morning and accompanying her to her office, but the servants stopped me because of her high fever.
I had no choice but to sleep well today and get well as soon as possible.
I would like to greet Mr. Gino tomorrow.
I felt someone changing the watery cloth on my forehead, and that woke me up.
"Anna!"
It seemed to be Gino who called out to me.
How are you feeling?
How are you feeling? Is there anything wrong?
Gino said, looking at me with concern.
I looked at Gino's face as if I were having a dream, but when I felt the heat of his gaze, I rapidly awoke.
Don't worry so much, it happens all the time.
It's no big deal.
I smiled, hoping to reassure Gino, who was looking at me anxiously.
"You must be thirsty.
Would you like some cold fruit water?
Gino-sama said and put his arm around my back to help me up.
I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.
Oh my god!
Is this really a dream sequence?
Now, I'm being hugged by Gino-sama.
I can feel Gino-sama's warmth radiating from his arms as he embraces my shoulders.
Gino-sama's face is very close to mine, but if I were to see his face up close here, I might faint.
I can't look at her.
I haven't even changed my clothes on the bed yet. ......
What?
That's right!
It's on the bed now!
A man and a woman out of wedlock should not be touching each other in bed!
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!
"Can you drink?"
Gino offered me a cup, but now was not the time.
"Come on, my dear.
I've put in some cushions so you can recline here.
As Brigitte prepared a cushion for me to recline on, I hurriedly moved away from Gino-sama.
My heart is pounding like it's about to burst.
My heart is pounding so hard it feels like it's going to burst. I've just imagined something unladylike and shameful, but I hope Gino-sama didn't notice.
I know there is no way to know what is in a person's heart.
I know that I can't know what's going on in people's minds, but when Gino-sama held me by the shoulders, I couldn't help but feel that my heart would leak out from where we touched.
If she noticed, I would have no choice but to slurp down a cup of poison as a lady.
As Brigitte wipes my face, I sip some fruit water to calm down.
The warmth of Gino's arms and the feel of his strong masculine arms come back to me again and again, but I do my best to dismiss the recollection.
If I continued to indulge in my fantasy, I would have fainted.
I was too embarrassed to look at Gino's face properly.
I'm not sure if you're hungry or not.
I heard you didn't eat lunch."
I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not, but it's a good idea.
A little ......"
I was worried that I wouldn't be able to speak because of my nervousness, but I managed to answer that.
Taking a deep breath and drinking some fruit water, I managed to regain my composure.
My heart was still pounding, though.
"How long have you been there, Gino-sama?"
To change the mood, I asked Gino-sama.
"About three hours ago, I guess.
"Three hours?
That must have bored you.
I was surprised.
I am surprised that you have been with me for three hours without being a servant.
You don't seem to have any books with you, and I feel bad about that.
I'm sure you must have been bored.
I wasn't bored at all.
"I was never bored, because I could watch her sleeping face, and I was too worried to be bored.
"...... sleeping face"?
Is that ......
I'm sure you've been watching me sleep for the past three hours, Gino?
I'm sure you'll agree that it's a great idea to take a look at your face. ......
Oh.
If Gino-sama was here, I should have at least put on makeup before going to bed.
I wonder if the drooling was okay.
I'm curious about a lot of things, but I don't have the courage to ask Gino-sama about it.
A different kind of embarrassment came over me with a fierce intensity. ......
Afterwards, Gino-san told us about what happened today.
I was distracted at first, but before I knew it, I was engrossed in the conversation with Gino-sama and had a great time.
"Yes. Auntie."
Gino-sama said as he took the plate handed to him by the servant and scooped up the ochre with a spoon.
"Ahn?"
I couldn't understand the meaning of this unfamiliar word, so I asked Gino-sama.
"That's right.
Open your mouth so I can feed you.
Gino-sama said, and held out a spoon to my mouth.
"Uh, sir?"
I said in confusion.
I wondered if Gino-sama was planning to bring the food to my mouth himself.
No servant would go this far to help me.
I could feel Gino-sama's love for me, and it made my face hot.
I couldn't keep her waiting forever, so I took the spoon that Gino-sama had offered me and put it in my mouth.
I wondered if she was eating gracefully.
It's quite embarrassing to eat while Gino-sama is staring at me.
When I glanced at Gino-sama, she had a gentle smile on her face.
I wondered if there was something wrong with the way I was eating.
Should I have opened my mouth a little smaller?
By the way, she has a very picturesque smile.
Just looking at it makes my heart beat faster.
"Master Gino?"
Unable to endure Gino-sama's unintelligible smile, I asked her.
"Hmm?
No, I just thought it was cute and fell in love with it.
"Oh, no!
What, me?
What are you talking about?
What is so cute about this ugly woman?
Not a single man has ever looked at me and said I was cute.
The only man who has ever called me cute was my father, but that was nothing more than a fatherly feeling, so I'll leave him out of it.
I was very surprised to hear such a thing out of the blue.
There must be some mistake.
Who else could it be?
The only person my eyes are seeing right now is you."
It wasn't a mistake, was it?
Is it possible that Gino thinks I'm cute?
I thought, "That's absurd," but I couldn't get rid of the thought, "Maybe.
I don't think he's lying or joking when I look into his eyes.
But if Gino-sama thinks I'm cute, then ......
"Ah. You're so cute!
I want to hug you!"
What are you talking about?
What are you talking about, Gino-sama?
I'm in bed right now, you know.
I imagined myself on the bed being hugged by Gino-sama, and I felt so embarrassed that I wanted to scream.
You can't do this!
You can't have this kind of fantasy!
It's too humiliating!
Brigitte coughed so hard that it seemed like she was doing it on purpose, which seemed to calm Gino down.
But I couldn't calm down for a while, and I was struggling to keep my composure.
If I let my guard down, Gino-sama's passionate words from earlier would come back to my mind, and I would get so upset that I wouldn't know what to do.
But still, "cute"?
It's the first time I've received such a word from a man, so it's also the first time I've felt this way.
It's such a joy to be called cute by a person in love, isn't it?
It makes my heart flutter.
I am an ugly woman with a face full of bumps and bruises.
If my appearance were to catch the eye of someone, it would even make them uncomfortable.
That is why I have always tried to dress and wear my hair as inconspicuously as possible.
However, if Gino-sama says that I'm cute, then I'll go to ......
I think I'll be brave and try to dress up a little.
It was probably just a casual comment to Gino-sama.
But for me, it was a big word that gave me the greatest courage.
◆◆◆◆◆
Today, I was a little late due to a long day of practice.
Whenever she comes home, Gino always talks with me.
Today, Gino-sama seemed to have finished her work a little early, but I had to wait for her because of my prolonged practice.
The servants tell me that Lady Gino is already waiting in the parlor.
We have to hurry.
When I went to the reception room, I found Gino-sama sitting on the sofa, resting.
He must be very tired.
He learned about higher noble education in the Barbarie family, ducal administration in our family, and even ran his own business.
I'll have the servants bring the blankets and I'll put them on Lady Gino.
I ask the servant to prepare a cup of tea and wait for Gino-sama to wake up while drinking the tea.
Gino-sama reclines on the sofa and folds her arms as she sleeps.
I watch her slowly as she sips her tea.
Normally, I would be too embarrassed to stare at her, but I don't mind if she is resting.
I take a closer look at Gino-sama's figure.
What a surprise!
This is unexpected luck.
I never thought I'd be able to take such a long, leisurely look at Gino-sama.
Your legs are long and slender, and your body is well-proportioned.
Your shoulders are broad, too.
You look very masculine.
A well-tailored black nobleman's dress suits her well.
You have a beautiful small face, by the way.
Gino-sama and I were sitting across the table from each other, but we were a little far apart.
I'd like to see her more closely.
I'd like to see you more closely. ...... You don't mind a little bit, do you?
I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who's not afraid to ask questions.
Oh, my.
You have very long eyelashes.
Her long, slit eyes are beautiful even when they are closed.
Your nose is also very well defined.
Your lips are not too big or too small, but they are well balanced and fit your face well.
Her lips are not too big or too small, but they are well balanced and fit her face well.
Her skin is white and fine, and I envy her.
You are the "Lord of the Black Ice".
Her overall appearance is perfectly balanced.
Her mouth is slightly open, and she looks so cute.
Normally you are very mature and talk with your father as an equal, but when you look at your face like this, you look your age.
Oh.
I've seen a good thing.
And so I continued to look at Gino-sama.
"Hmm? Ah. Anna.
I'm sorry. I fell asleep."
（What?)
Suddenly, Gino-sama woke up, and our eyes met.
What should I do?
I'm sitting on the same sofa as Gino-sama.
If there were other people here, it would be just me and Gino-sama in this room.
There are servants, but they don't use the sofa.
As a noblewoman, it would be a shame for me to sit on the same sofa as a man when there are only two people who use the sofa.
How can I deceive them?
"Ah. You put the blanket back on.
Thank you."
"What? ...... Ah, ...... no."
I smiled and gracefully returned to my original seat, but inwardly I was breaking out in a cold sweat.
I've been in this room for some time now, and I've never been able to get out.
How long have you been in this room waiting for me to wake up?
Since about half past three.
I'm sorry you had to wait so long.
I'm sorry.
You should have woken me.
What?
I looked at the water clock in the room.
The time shown by the blue liquid in the glass tube was 5:30.
What a surprise.
It seems that I have been watching Gino-sama's sleeping face for two hours.
If I had been sitting next to Gino-sama for that long, I'm sure she would have woken up.
"I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, I must have bored you.
I'll make it up to you."
"Oh, no. You don't need to worry about it.
I wasn't bored at all.
You can look at Gino's figure for two hours straight and not get bored at all.
On the contrary, it was a very fulfilling and meaningful time for me to be able to see you slowly like this.
Yes, I know.
As an apology, would you like to go for a walk around the lake with me sometime?
You said before that you wanted to go boating, didn't you?
I'll bring a boat for you to ride in.
I'll row the boat to make up for today."
"Well. I'm so glad.
I'm glad you remembered the story about the boat.
Even though it was just a small story, Gino-sama remembered it.
I was so happy to hear that, and a warm feeling filled my heart.