episode_0027

Late in the evening, after the sun had set, Zeros, still held captive in the library, began to feel a little tired.

Katlena’s onslaught of tutoring continued all day long, except for meal times, along with the words that she would absolutely not let her go until she had finished all of her studying for the day.

The result was that, as it is now, Zeros ended up winning.

It wasn’t that Katlena gave up halfway through.

At this very moment, there was only Katlena, exhausted and asleep next to Zeros.

“Well… In the end, it’ll end up like this.”

From the beginning, in a situation where the student had no intention of learning and something was pushed forward, the result could be said to have already been decided.

‘Still, for a child, you have incredible endurance. I didn’t know you could endure this much.’

However, Zeros was honestly a little surprised that she had stuck with him until now and hadn’t given up.

I thought that if I continued to show my stuffy side, he would hit me right away, but my expectations in that regard were pleasantly wrong.

‘Anyway, since things have come to this, should we start sorting things out?’

With that thought in mind, Zeros calls a servant nearby and tries to move Katlena to the bedroom.

at that time..

-Squeak-

“Huh?”

The next moment, the door to the library slowly opens.

At this, Zeros looked in that direction, wondering if the servants had come in.

and..

“Ouch!”

“Somehow… I thought you weren’t coming, and now you’re here.”

A woman appeared before my eyes, holding a lantern and speaking in a quiet voice.

Zeros knew who she was at a glance.

A kind and beautiful appearance with red hair and hazel eyes.

At the same time, it feels like there is something there that has unknown depth.

Zeros could immediately tell that she was none other than Mina Rosebetta Dragona, Elios’ mother and the Duchess of this country.

‘This… This person is the Duchess from the original work. The force she gives off is on a whole other level, isn’t it?’

An appearance that exudes majesty and elegance that is considered superior to that of Elios.

Above all, it was inevitable that it would hit Zeros harder, knowing what kind of being she was.

‘Although there may not be any particular problems right now, we still need to be careful. If we accidentally touch this person’s sensitive spot…’

at that time,

Zeros, who had been looking at her in front of him in tension for a moment, began to realize his situation a little late.

‘Huh!.. That. Now that I think about it, I shouldn’t be doing this in front of the Duchess. I should at least be polite..’

With that thought in mind, Zeros quickly got up from his seat and bowed his head to greet the Duchess.

at that time.

“Shhh!”

The next moment, Duchess Rosetta put her finger in front of her lips, indicating for silence.

At this, Zeros stopped talking and just bowed his head to show his respect.

Immediately after that, two servants enter the room.

They carefully carried Katlena’s still-slumbering body out of the library, leaving only the Duchess and Zeros behind.

“You’re Zero, right? You must be working hard until late.”

Rosebetta speaks with a detailed smile.

At this, Zeros nodded his head in deep tension and said.

“Ah.. No. The princess had a harder time than me. She taught me, a slow learner, and that’s how I ended up like that.”

“Hehehe, you think so? They say that a person is very considerate of his master, and I guess that was true.”

“..Huh?”

The first words of praise coming from the mouth of Duchess Rosetta, whom I met for the first time.

At this, Zeros began to show a slight sense of bewilderment, and looking at him, Rosebeta continued speaking in a quiet tone.

“There’s no need to be so surprised. I already heard about you through Katlena. That girl… She brags about you every chance she gets…”

“Go.. Your Highness.. Me?”

Zeros looks even more bewildered by Rosebeta’s unexpected story.

And, looking at the young boy’s bewildered appearance, Rosebetta spoke to him with a caring expression.

“Yes, honestly, when that kid first brought you in, I was a little worried, but after hearing your story, it seems like you’ve been doing pretty well. Especially, you even threw yourself at that kid to save him a while ago, right? As that kid’s mother, I’d like to personally thank you.”

“Ah.. No, thank you.. I was just doing what I had to do as a servant.”

Zeros began to feel a bit bitter at the fact that he was being praised for something he had done to ultimately cut off his hand.

At that time, looking at such a Zero, Rosebeta spoke to him in a still calm voice.

“I see? But I don’t think Katlena thinks so. I don’t know about you, but it seems like that kid likes you quite a bit.”

“… Yes? Is that so?”

“Then, if not, why would that kid go to such lengths to get you into the academy?”

“Um..”

Zeros had also noticed to some extent that Katlena had some interest in him.

However, hearing the story that proved this fact directly from the Duchess gave him a strange feeling more than he had expected.

‘That princess… Well… I guess it’s just a passing affection between girls. But still, how should I put it, I have a feeling that it’s a little strange…’

Zeros starts to blush slightly without wanting to.

And, seeing him like this, the Duchess spoke to him in a voice full of affection.

“For that reason, I hope you will continue to take good care of our Katlena. She is already in a complicated position, so I was always worried. But I feel a little relieved because she has such a good friend like you.”

“Ah.. N.. Yes. Of course. I will continue to do my best like I have been doing now.”

“Yes, please.”

Zeros answers with a trembling voice, and the Duchess smiles with joy at this.

After that conversation, Rosebeta left the library, and Zeros, who was left alone, began to feel his heart suddenly become heavy as he thought back on the conversation from just now.

‘A good friend… That’s what Princess Katlena thinks of me.’

The Duchess who asked her a favor from her mother’s perspective, and Princess Catlena who sends her trust and affection.

However, this fact began to give Zeros, the person involved, an unexpectedly unpleasant feeling.

‘You shouldn’t do things like that. Things like trusting a guy like me too much.’

The pure faith that Princess Katlena is sending to herself.

However, in this regard, there was one thing that Zeros knew all too well.

Someone like you doesn’t deserve that kind of trust and affection.

His ultimate goal is betrayal and survival.

It was clear that having such feelings for someone like herself would cause even greater harm to Princess Katlena in the future.

And, even if he was someone who had decided to throw it away, the fact itself made Zeros feel quite guilty.

‘I’m sorry, Your Majesty…’

However, despite such feelings, Zeros did not change his mind.

No matter how much sincere affection and trust he received, Zeros had no intention of dying by being entangled with her.

What needed to be cut had to be cut out, and the choices had to be made firmly.

Zeros firmly decided once again, straightening his wavering mind, as he would not be able to survive in this world without it.

‘No matter how well things go, I can’t be with that kid. I think it’s right to draw a clear line and go my own way on this occasion.’

As he shook off the conflict in his heart, Zeros closed the book he had opened with a slight nervousness.

I decided to continue to show my shortcomings as a student tomorrow and the days after that.