Chapter 63
Fortunately, the roses that had sprouted from the floor disappeared quickly.
Thanks to that, they avoided having to pay an enormous repair fee for ruining the luxury hotel's flooring.
In any case, Reina and Clael, now changed into swimsuits, headed out to the beach.
The summer beach was crowded with many beachgoers, but the moment Reina appeared on the sand, the atmosphere shifted.
"Wha...!?"
"She's insanely beautiful... Who is she!?"
"She looks just like an angel..."
The eyes of the men on the beach were glued to Reina.
And it wasn't just the men. Even the female beachgoers turned their eyes toward Reina, as if drawn by something.
It was no wonder.
Reina in a swimsuit looked exactly like a goddess from a religious painting. It almost seemed strange that she wasn't standing on a giant seashell.
"Clael-sama, over here! The sand is super hot!"
Reina stepped on the beach sand, letting out cheerful squeals.
Clael gave a wry smile and stepped onto the beach cautiously, staying alert to his surroundings.
(We're definitely standing out... I hope this doesn't turn into weird trouble.)
Seeing Reina, many men swallowed hard.
There was no telling when some sleazy guy with indecent intentions might appear.
Clael kept a close eye on Reina as he walked toward her.
"Reina, you've never swum before, right?"
"No, I haven't."
This world had a culture of sea bathing and even swimming pools.
That said, only in places that weren't rural towns like Eggbell.
Reina, born and raised in Eggbell and only recently arrived in the royal capital, had no experience with swimming.
"Then I'll teach you. First, let's do some light stretching to warm up."
"Yes, please!"
Clael did some light exercises with Reina to get ready for swimming.
Even while doing that, men continued to stare rudely at Reina.
"Hey... let's go for it. We'll never meet a babe like that again."
"But she's with a guy. They look pretty far apart in age, though..."
"Who cares? We'll just casually separate the guy and snatch the girl. Once we drag her into that shadow over there, she's ours..."
There were some sleazy guys having a shady conversation... but it seemed this beach had lifeguards too.
A shirtless lifeguard blew a whistle—"Pii!"—and approached.
"Kumaaa!"
"Nyaa!"
"Wh-what the hell is that!?"
What appeared were plushies of a bear and a cat with muscular bodies.
Though only their heads were plushies—their bodies were muscular men in swim trunks.
"Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
The plushie musclemen grabbed the sleazy guys and, just as they wished, dragged them into the shadows.
Strangely, only those sleazy guys reacted to the bizarre lifeguards.
It was as if the regular beachgoers couldn't even see the strange figures—no one else reacted.
"...Let's pretend we didn't see that."
Clael, the only one who noticed the anomaly, quietly looked away from the sleazy guys being dragged off.
"...That's enough warming up. Shall we go into the sea?"
"Yes!"
Reina cheerfully replied... and clung to Clael's arm.
"...Reina?"
"It's my first time going into the sea, and I'm scared. Can I hold onto your arm?"
"...I don't mind."
She was already holding on.
It felt like her chest was pressing against his upper arm... but that was probably just Clael overthinking it.
"...Alright, let's go in."
Clael gently entered the sea with Reina by his side.
"Kyah!"
Reina let out a surprised yelp as the waves washed over her feet.
"I-it's colder than I expected... It's nothing like a bath..."
"Well, it is seawater. You'll get used to it soon."
To keep Reina from getting scared, he slowly led her into the sea until the water reached their waists.
"Now, let's try putting your face in the water."
"R-right now...?"
Reina, who had been so lively earlier, now looked slightly nervous.
The first hurdle for any swimming beginner was putting their face in the water.
"If you can't do this, you won't be able to swim. It's okay—just think of it like a bath."
"O-okay... Can I hold your hand?"
"...If that helps you feel safe."
Reina tightly gripped Clael's hand and nervously brought her face closer to the water's surface.
The next moment, a big wave came and splashed over her head.
"Hyauhn!"
"Hahaha, are you okay?"
"Auu... Laughing is mean. And it's salty..."
"It's the sea, after all. Be careful not to swallow the water."
Clael gave Reina a simple swimming lesson.
Although Reina looked slender, fair-skinned, and like a sheltered noble lady... she was actually quite athletic and picked it up quickly.
Soon, she could swim on her own without Clael holding her hand.
"Kyah! A big wave just came!"
"Kyah! I stepped on something squishy!"
"Kyah! I don't know why, but the sun is so bright!"
However... even after learning to swim, she kept clinging to Clael every few minutes for some reason.
Her bikini-covered chest pressed against Clael's arm and back, bringing a blissful sensation.
(Well, being able to swim and being afraid of the sea are two different things... Yeah, it can't be helped, it can't be helped.)
"Kyaa! There was a jellyfish!"
(It can't be helped... Even if she keeps stroking my chest when she clings to me. Yeah, I'll just stop thinking about it...)
"M-maybe it's time to get out of the water..."
"Eh... Are we leaving already?"
When Clael suggested it, Reina's expression clearly darkened.
"The sun will set in about an hour. There's a great spot nearby to watch the sunset. Want to go together?"
"Yes! Please take me there!"
Reina shouted joyfully and clung to him again.
Clael did his best to clear his mind and distract himself from the intense pressure of her chest, as if she were saying 'This is the last time.'