Let’s Go To A Summer Retreat

“Bored…”

“Me too… Should we go shopping in town again and stop by the orphanage?”

With the Founding Festival over and political events settled, not only Arthur but the entire castle exuded a calm atmosphere.

The only busy ones were the merchants intrigued by rice and Golden Wheat, and Hervé, who oversaw food supplies. Amidst this calm, Arthur recalled what he had done before his return by death.

“That’s it… the summer retreat.”

In his previous life, Greed had taken him to a seaside domain ruled by some baron. Back then it had just been a formal duty, but this time was different.

Now Arthur knew the joy of traveling with someone he trusted—after all, he had already gone to Glastonbury with Kei.

“Kei, would you like to travel with me? There’s a seaside spot, and the climate is perfect this time of year.”

“The sea… You mean leaving the capital?”

Arthur caught the flicker of hesitation on Kei’s face. But recently, he had grown more attuned to people’s feelings, and already had his next move ready.

“Yeah. The fish there are fresh and delicious. They have dishes you can’t eat anywhere else. I wanted to share them with you.”

“Fresh fish and unique local dishes… really!?”

Her eyes sparkled, her face lighting up with joy—only to puff her cheeks in mock annoyance a moment later.

“Honestly!! Lord Arthur, do you think I’ll follow you anywhere just because you mention good food?”

“Eh, isn’t that the case?”

“It isn’t. I’ll follow you wherever you command. Because I’m your personal maid (and big sister).”

She puffed her chest proudly, and Arthur felt warmth flood his heart…

“But didn’t you look uneasy just now?”

“Ah… well, the truth is… I’ve never been to the sea. I can’t swim.”

She admitted it awkwardly. For a commoner like her, never leaving the city was normal. Only merchants or adventurers tended to travel.

Arthur smiled, a bit pleased.

“Then I’ll teach you. You’re always teaching me things—so this time, I’ll return the favor.”

“But…”

“You’re my big sister, aren’t you? If we’re family, it wouldn’t be right if I always leaned on you. Sometimes, lean on me too.”

“Lord Arthur…”

Blushing at his sweet words, Kei couldn’t resist hugging him. She was delighted that he acknowledged her as his sister (though she wasn’t), and even more so that he wanted to do something for her.

Arthur, too, was excited to show a cooler side of himself to the woman he admired.

“Did you say… you want to go to a summer retreat?”

When Arthur went to Avalon to request permission from Morgan—since sneaking away would be improper—he was met with a glare.

So scary!! he thought, but pressed on.

“Y-yeah… things are calm now, so it should be fine, right?”

“Yes, thanks to your efforts at the Founding Festival, one of Britannia’s great problems—food—has seen real progress. There are still issues like class divisions and certain nobles’ arrogance, but those won’t be solved quickly anyway. Still… your destination, the Isle region, is half a day from the capital, under a baron’s rule, and aside from the sea it has nothing. What are you going there for?”

“To cool off. What else do you do at a summer retreat?”

Arthur chuckled bitterly at her suspicion. But she stared intently, as if searching for something.

“W-what?”

Arthur’s only guilty thought was maybe seeing Kei in a swimsuit. But he had nothing truly shameful to hide, so he stared back. For some reason, Morgan looked away, her cheeks faintly red.

“…Very well. The Isle region will take half a day’s journey. I need to arrange my workload, so wait until I can set the schedule.”

As she organized her neatly stacked papers, Arthur asked in surprise:

“Wait—you’re coming too?”

“Of course. We’re engaged. If we traveled separately, people would assume discord, giving our rivals an opening. Unless… is my presence inconvenient?”

Her sharp glare dropped the room’s temperature—literally.

“N-no, not at all. Just let me know once the date is fixed.”

With that, Arthur fled Avalon.

‘Damn it, she’s clearly coming just to keep an eye on me… I only wanted to enjoy good food and lazy days with Kei…’

He grumbled inwardly.

“Make sure to move this along while I’m away. This one isn’t urgent, so it can wait.”

Within five minutes of Arthur’s visit, Morgan had already prepared flawless handovers. As always her face was stoic, but her longtime retainers could tell she was in a very good mood.

“I heard Lord Arthur was here. Did something happen?”

“Yes… we’ll be going to a summer retreat together.”

“Oh, so it was a date invitation.”

“A… date? Is that what it is?”

Morgan blushed slightly, smiling in a way that would terrify children but which her seasoned retainers recognized as genuine happiness.

“Well, that aside, I have two requests. First, investigate the Isle region thoroughly. For Prince Arthur to go so far, he must have a reason.”

“Understood. And the second?”

“…It’s…”

Her unusual hesitation made her retainer frown. But then, hearing the words from her elegant lips, they understood.

“…What kind of swimsuits do men find appealing?”

Morgan’s very human worry made the retainer smile. Then, thinking about her utter lack of experience in love, they resolved to advise her carefully and ensure she chose guards who would prevent any… major mistakes.