episode_0043

“If it’s something you want to ask, maybe… I think it’s a story related to Count Vladimir.”

Ceria trembled at my words.

It’s probably correct.

That’s the only reason I could come here despite the opposition of the elders.

Considering that he has had a strong tendency to be obsessed with me since ancient times, the reason he came all the way to the Blood Tower was to ask me about Count Vladimir’s current situation.

Because of recent news…

‘The fact that I’m here right now is just recent news.’

I muttered that with a bitter smile on my mind.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t talk about this right away.

“That’s right. That’s what I want to ask.”

“I had some expectations. Because your relationship with Count Vladimir is famous.”

Ceria’s eyes widened at my words.

For a moment,

“U, I don’t know what you mean by being famous?! This is my first time hearing such a story?!”

He blushed profusely and started gibbering.

What is the first time you hear it?

This is a story that everyone knows, so much so that it is even circulated as an open secret on bulletin boards.

“Really? I definitely saw it, and I think I heard it… The story goes that Noktapju was a member of a warrior party in the past and is in love with Count Vladimir.”

“Eh, uh… Uh… Um, that kind of story? Back and forth?”

When I said this with a grin, Seria looked confused, clutching her cheek with both hands.

To be honest, I didn’t believe it at first either.

Of course, I vaguely knew it.

However, I didn’t even think that he liked me, and I only knew that he was following me a lot.

If it weren’t for Irina’s testimony and the post about Seria liking me, I probably wouldn’t have believed it yet.

If the person he liked wasn’t me in the first place, there would be no reason for me to react this way.

To be honest, it’s none of my business who Seria likes, right?

I don’t know if I liked Seria or not, but I just looked at her like a younger sister.

But wouldn’t the story be a little different if I were to say that the person my sister likes is me?

It gets a little too serious…

‘I don’t like Seria.’

This is absolutely not to say that Seria lacks feminine charm.

All I could say was that it looked young and wasn’t my taste.

Actually, as I say that, I look much younger than Seria.

‘The day you find out about my identity, you will have to give me an answer… ‘

I can’t even imagine how heavy Seria’s feelings must be for me if she still has those feelings even after a thousand years have passed.

Perhaps, as soon as he sees me, he will cling to me for an answer.

I was very embarrassed to reveal my identity for fear of that happening.

Originally, I was planning to play around a bit and then naturally reveal my identity, but if things turn out this way, I’ll be in a lot of trouble.

‘Who would have ever thought that there would be someone who loves one person for a thousand years…? ‘

Actually, it’s not that I didn’t notice.

Of course, at that time, I mostly saw it as the first love of a childish child who was wary of a woman clinging to me.

I thought he was just thinking of me as a colleague he liked now, but if he was talking like that while blushing so much…

‘I’m in big trouble… ‘

I just looked at it once, just in case, and I knew it right away.

It seems like you still like me… ?

It almost makes me think that I must have done something for him to make him like me this much.

‘what… He was a great companion and saved my life several times… ‘

While there was no one to talk to among fellow colleagues, Seria especially had no one to talk to like a friend since she was an elf kid.

I didn’t really have anyone I could talk to comfortably, so I started talking to Seria first, and that just continued.

Saving one’s life is something only a colleague would do, so it is even more absurd to me.

What should I do…

‘I guess I’ll have to refuse as expected.’

Unlike me, who was internally thinking about how to refuse, Seria’s face was filled with heat, as if she was so embarrassed that I knew that she liked Count Vladimir.

I wonder if something like that could catch fire.

I struggled for a moment out of shame, but I guess I thought it was too embarrassing to show in front of me, so I stopped struggling and cleared my throat.

“Hehehe… Vladimir… Did you tell me directly… ?”

It’s so…

For some reason, I feel pity.

‘The man you like is no longer there… ‘

If I were a man right now, I would have revealed my identity and asked if it was okay for me to look like this.

Unlike now that I am a woman, if I were a man, even if my appearance would have changed more dramatically, it would not have been a problem to prove to Seria that I was Count Vladimir.

The memories of our adventures back then were never in vain, so it wasn’t that difficult to let people know that it was me even if I just made up memories that only we could know.

In the first place, I was confident that I would be able to tell her about my identity, even considering my changed appearance, because I expected that just explaining the adventures I had back then would be enough for Seria to understand.

but…

‘How would you react if the man you loved for a thousand years came back as a woman? !’

Thinking about that makes me already feel out of breath.

Even though I am not the person involved, if I were to say that the person I loved changed like that, I might be so shocked that I would faint on the spot…

driving me crazy.

‘When I make you a real man, I’ll just make you a man… ‘

It was even more unfair because I didn’t become a woman because I wanted to.

Why on earth did his gender change when he became Jinjo?

“… Blood tower lord? What’s going on?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

Oh my, was I too lost in my thoughts?

When Ceria asked me with a worried expression, I smiled naturally and answered that it was nothing.

Actually, it’s nothing.

Rather…

‘It’s very awkward to talk to him in a respectful way… ‘

Since we first met, he started speaking informally to me, so I started speaking informally as well, so we spoke informally from beginning to end.

therefore…

“Noktapju.”

“Yes?”

“Shall I let go?”

Let’s get the word out of the way first.

Ceria blinked at my words.

He looked like he couldn’t believe what I just said.

‘hmm… Did I go too far? ?’

It may seem strange to suddenly ask to talk to someone even though you’ve only just met.

For me, I did it out of frustration, but from Seria’s perspective, she may have wanted to slowly become friends, or she may have wanted to maintain the relationship between the magic tower owners.

This was the moment when I thought I had been too hasty and was about to open my mouth to apologize.

“Can I really speak informally?”

Surprisingly, a positive response came from Seria.

“Yes what… ”

“Really? Then I’ll put it right away! ha… I honestly thought he was crazy because he wanted to become close to Vlady’s successor.”

“… ”

Are you saying you should let go and let go right away?

They say human nature doesn’t go anywhere…

On the one hand, I sighed deeply, and on the other hand, seeing Seria smiling and chatting cheerfully, I felt reassured that not much had changed from the past.

We became close friends and chatted about various things.

“I think the story has gone too far. Shall we go back to the original story?”

When I started talking and subtly teasing him, he just cut me off.

It has finally come…

“This is the story we were talking about originally… You mean the story about you whining about wanting to see Vlady?”

“Yeah, that’s it… No, not that one!!”

I laughed out loud as I saw Seria shouting loudly.

Still, it was fun.

He was a guy who had a taste for making fun of him for a long time, but nothing has changed since the old days.

“Okay… Is this a story about being the successor to Count Vladimir?”

“Yes. If we’ve gotten this far, you know how much I want to know about Vlady, right?”

I know.

As if she took my silence as an affirmation, Ceria let out a trembling sigh and faced me head on.

A faint anticipation bloomed beyond the pure and innocent eyes.

Will he be able to respond to that pure affection?

Have I changed into this now?

“Vladi is… What happens now?”

Seria’s question comes through a direct ball.

I was silent.

I don’t know how to answer, so I wonder if it’s right to tell the truth.

The silence that seemed like it would last for such a long time… It soon broke.

“Count Vladimir… ”

“… ”

My tightly closed lips opened slightly.

“Alive.”

I won’t cheat.

At least this much.