episode_0171

“So… there’s someone I’m interested in, but I’m too worried about intruding and keep avoiding them, right?”

“Yeah. I don’t know what they’re thinking… especially since I took a long break and came back, I haven’t even had a proper conversation.”

Even so, mentioning Eve’s name or Academy-related gossip would be awkward, so I just vaguely said she was one of the maids I liked.

Still, the story largely fits.

I showed that I prefer this informal, comfortable atmosphere, and with my friendship with Yuri, having a relationship with a maid isn’t out of the ordinary.

“What do you think Amelia would have done? For example, with a noticeable student… I wonder if she had such experiences.”

“My promotions were so fast that I have less experience than other instructors, but I’ve met many students. But… it’s a bit difficult.”

I skillfully mixed metaphors and symbols, subtly altering the details of what happened with Eve.

For example, our first meeting involved a slight misunderstanding and a bit of a scuffle, and after that, we slowly started meeting.

We had many conversations because we shared similar interests, and after building a relationship over a considerable time, I confessed… and was rejected.

After that, I added, we’ve been in a cold war like this.

“From what I see, it seems like you’re carrying a big problem. It could be debt, or a poorly negotiated contract.”

“That means Her Highness is prepared to take full responsibility for those things, right?”

“That’s right.”

Whatever problems she has, however strongly they bind Eve,

If she confesses everything to me and asks for help, I will help her no matter what.

However, the problem is that the door to her heart is so firmly shut that she can’t even begin to talk.

It was a door that had slightly opened once, so now that it’s closed again, it’s even more firmly shut and hopeless than before.

“From what I hear… it seems like you’ve done everything you possibly could.”

“That’s right. I believe I’ve tried almost everything. We’ve talked a lot, and I think I conveyed my feelings fully.”

I’ve laid all my cards on the table.

The most direct method is physical strength.

Magic, swordsmanship, strategy—I’ve honed every skill to the peak.

Now, I can confidently say that I will win if I go all the way against any opponent.

Eve probably knows this better than I do.

As someone who has clashed swords with me and tested my strength without reservation, she must have a thorough understanding of my abilities.

Besides strength, I have a lot.

The prestige and wealth gained through my adventurer activities, as well as the knowledge I’ve accumulated through years of reading and studying at the Academy.

If necessary, I can use my royal status as a cheat code, summoning the Knights or the Mage Corps.

With the power I’ve accumulated, I can easily suppress the royal siblings and other noble factions.

But setting all that aside, what I’ve expressed most earnestly is… my heart.

Although my words were a little harsh, the purpose of revealing everything is ultimately one.

“I want her to trust me more… I want her to see me as a partner who can be together through anything. I’ve used every means at my disposal to convey this.”

And that’s me. Unreservedly confronting the other person with everything I am—that is the unique form of my soul and my way of life.

“Then… there’s only one answer.”

The conversation went smoothly as I expected, and once again, I poured out my worries to Lia.

She listened carefully, pondering for a long time, then looked at me with serious eyes.

And that answer was completely different from what I expected.

“Don’t do anything.”

. . .

Silence hung in the air.

My first reaction was confusion, thinking I might have misheard her.

Second, Lia’s unwavering gaze confirmed that I had heard correctly, and I started to ponder what it meant.

“What… what do you…”

“Exactly what I said. Her Highness should do nothing from now on.”

I was dumbfounded.

Do nothing? How do you even do that?

I want Eve to trust me, and for that, she needs to know my feelings, which means I need to show her those feelings completely through words and actions…

My mind seems to have frozen.

Like bubbling boiling water, questions kept rising incessantly, turning my heart into chaos.

“Uh… huh? No, I mean… uh, I don’t know…”

“I’ll explain slowly.”

Lia picked up two differently shaped cookies from a plate piled high with cookies.

“Have you ever seen stray cats in the royal alleyways?”

“Yeah. Sometimes when I go shopping with Yuri, there are always cats near the fishmonger.”

In one hand, a light-colored cookie, in the other, a dark-colored one.

Lia slowly moved the light one towards the dark one.

“What happens when you try to touch a cat?”

“Wouldn’t it just run away? I don’t think I’ve ever properly touched one.”

“That’s right. Cats are wary, and stray cats especially so.”

Before the light cookie could even touch it, the dark cookie quickly retreated.

It was so captivating, like watching a puppet show.

“I think that maid is like a stray cat. The more you try to approach her, the further she runs away.”

“Then… what should I do?”

This time, Lia put down the light cookie for a moment and picked up another dark cookie.

“Then, do you know what happens when a cat meets another cat?”

“…I think they’ll just stay wary and move away.”

“Heehee— Not necessarily.”

This time, a dark cookie met another dark cookie. Both hesitated, maintaining a certain distance, just like before.

“Naturally, if they’re both strays, they’ll never meet, but if one is an ordinary house cat… it’ll just flop down on the ground.”

One of the cookies promptly flipped over onto Lia’s palm.

“Pfft—”

Completely absorbed in the story, I couldn’t help but laugh. One corner of the cookie was slightly broken, subtly resembling a cat’s ear, making it even more realistic.

“Then, what will the stray cat do?”

“What do you mean…?”

“It’ll just flop down too.”

The other “cat” also plopped onto Lia’s palm, instantly bringing to mind stray cats rolling around on the ground.

“Puhahaha— What, seriously…”

“Really! That’s the only way to win over a stray cat.”

She brought the light cookie back and placed it next to the dark cookies.

“It’s not about approaching… it’s about simply flopping down in place.”

“A push-and-pull strategy…? I think I understand.”

Hearing this, I kind of understood.

Perhaps all my actions up to now were burdensome to Eve.

Whether it was joining unwanted adventures or just endlessly talking about my own things, she’s always been caught up in my wave.

Even if it’s not entirely true… I prioritized my feelings and tried to solve problems only from my perspective.

“There’s an old saying, you know? That after doing everything a person can do, you wait for Heaven’s will.”

Jininsa Daecheonmyeong (盡人事待天命).

I don’t know how Lia knows this saying, but perhaps a similar story was told by the ancient sages of this world.

“At first glance, it sounds like an irresponsible statement that relies on God or fate, that everything depends on Heaven.”

“But… that’s not it, is it?”

“No, the real meaning is different. Because there’s a limit to what a person can do…”

I’ve done everything I can.

But the problem remains unsolved.

Then… time is the answer.

“After doing your best, you shouldn’t be too impatient and wait,”

“Right… I think I’ve heard something like that.”

“I don’t know much, but aren’t there many ways to love?”

The essence of this whole conversation was ultimately relationship advice.

I always had a fiery love, charging ahead without hesitation whenever I met someone I felt was destined for me. It always worked, and that’s how I achieved the happy relationships I’ve had, so far.

But there’s no such thing as absolute certainty in the world.

My sword is very sharp, but ultimately it can’t pierce all shields.

“If giving everything you have is one form of love, like Her Highness, letting go and giving space is another.”

“I don’t plan to let go, but… I think it’s time to let go for a moment.”

Watching from afar patiently.

Not approaching rashly and waiting calmly—that might be the ‘way of loving’ I need right now.

“Really… thank you. I feel a little brighter now.”

“No, it’s nothing… it just so happens that I held a key close to the answer.”

Saying that, Lia smirked again, her smile reaching her ears.

“You’re a real love expert? If you opened a counseling center, you’d surely be successful.”

“Hehehe, no… hehehe…”

I did have half a mind to exaggerate a bit, but the other half was genuine.

As always, to express my true feelings, I took her hand and looked into her eyes.

“Thank you, truly.”

“Princess…nim… this, I mean…”

Her face turned crimson like a beet, and she struggled to pull away, but my hold prevented her.

After a moment of struggling, Lia smiled happily and replied:

“It was… a really wonderful day for me today…!!”

“Will you come again next time? I want to have tea with Lia whenever I have time.”

“Li- Lia…?!”

Oops.

In conveying my true feelings, my filter malfunctioned and I called her by her nickname.

But it wasn’t a problem.

“Hehehe… anytime… whenever you call, hehehe…”

Lia was simply delightful.

. . .

After my tea party with Lia, a small yet significant change occurred in me.

My straight-forward, charge-stop-charge mindset was finally updated with a brand new mechanism: ‘delay.’

“Hee hee— Good morning.”

When I met Eve in the hallway this time, I was no longer impatient.

I had learned patience, so I simply greeted her and continued on my way.

We were in the same class so we ended up working together everyday as usual. since my mind was at ease, the atmosphere became noticeably comfortable.

I no longer approached her, instead watching her quietly from my spot. I Spent my days near her, allowing her to see me.

“Can she really ignore this…? Let’s see about that.”

It was a small change in attitude.

But I was certain.

A butterfly’s wings can create a hurricane.

Our story unfolded peacefully. After the midterm exams, just like the first semester…

Another chance to finish what we started.

It began in the spring, then the opportunity arrived for what we couldn’t finish. The pinnacle of the end-of-semester exams…

The class competition was just a month away.