Ch.149149. Festival Date (4)

Even as the festival was coming to an end in the dark evening, bright lights still burned throughout the Academy. The large campfire, embodying everyone’s desire not to end the day just yet, now illuminated the dark sky.

“Haah.”

“……”

And beside me stood Erika. The sigh that escaped her lips was quite heavy.

“I’m worried about you. Strange rumors might start circulating about you.”

Erika was sensitive to rumors, having directly confronted those that once surrounded me. I certainly felt I had been too careless, so I had nothing to counter with.

“In the morning, a secret meeting with Princess Elenoa, in the afternoon, an outdoor date with a scantily-clad maid, and after that, another date with a female student.”

“…It wasn’t a date.”

Though I tried to protest, Erika continued as if she hadn’t heard me.

“And I heard you even took Aria to your laboratory later?”

Looking at the results, she wasn’t wrong. Having nothing to say, I turned my gaze toward the campfire where I could see the Dark Spiritmaster circling around it excitedly.

I’d noticed before that she seemed to like large fires.

“I didn’t do anything inappropriate.”

As my continued silence only earned me Erika’s piercing gaze digging into my side, I finally answered, and she let out a deep sigh.

“Of course not. I don’t think you acted with ulterior motives. You probably gave her some kind of counseling.”

Erika’s guess was surprisingly accurate. It could be considered counseling since Aria had shared personal feelings she couldn’t tell others.

“But the problem is that others don’t see it that way. There’s already talk about you, especially among the visitors from outside.”

“Someone told you about this.”

“……”

Erika confirmed with silence. Even she couldn’t have gathered rumors this quickly. Someone must have informed her out of concern because she was my fiancée.

‘Your fiancé is spending time with other women.’

Somehow, I felt like the protagonist of a morning drama with people around us stealing glances.

If this continued, not only would there be strange misunderstandings, but Erika’s image might also be tarnished.

“Well, I don’t really care what others think of me. But you’re different. You’re the first Black Mage recognized by the kingdom and a royal Spiritmaster.”

Erika’s voice was filled with genuine concern for me.

“Be careful, as such a prestigious position attracts many jealous people.”

Her sincere response that she personally didn’t care made me realize once again how much she had changed.

The woman who used to be manipulated by riffraff like Gideon Zeronia was gone. The fragile Erika who had her future forcibly taken away due to family pressure had disappeared.

Her attitude of not being intimidated by others’ gazes because she was confident in herself.

Her firmly established beliefs made the term “heroine” perfectly fitting.

Perhaps that’s why.

I didn’t want to leave her alone.

“You misunderstand.”

“Huh?”

Erika tilted her head at my sudden remark. I continued speaking while still looking at the blazing bonfire.

“If my image as a Spiritmaster is important, then you, as my fiancée, naturally shouldn’t be caught up in gossip either.”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

“It seems there’s talk about our relationship.”

I slowly extended my hand toward Erika.

“If you don’t mind, let’s spend some time together.”

“……”

Erika, who had been staring blankly at my hand, smiled slightly and carefully took it.

“Is that how you seduced women in Norsweden?”

“I’d rather not talk about that time.”

“Right, I never imagined my fiancé would be a womanizer. When they were trying to marry me off to Zeronia, our family investigated your past.”

“That could be useful ammunition when we visit for the formal meeting.”

Now that I knew they had been investigating me, I could gain more control when visiting the Bright family.

“That’s why I told you.”

Erika smiled gently as if it were obvious. Her fingers naturally interlocked with mine.

Then she lowered her head with a reddened face. As I stared at her after this bold action, she covered her mouth with her other hand and glanced at me.

“Don’t look.”

“The fire is fierce.”

Erika spoke curtly, perhaps embarrassed by her flushed face. Following her wish, I gently turned my head away.

As I slowly walked toward the bonfire, her footsteps naturally followed mine.

“Ooh.”

“E-Erika Professor and Deus Verdi Professor!”

“Wow, what a handsome couple.”

“They look good together.”

Voices came from around us. This was perfectly suitable as a performance to quell rumors about me and our relationship.

“Let’s stay like this for a while.”

At my words, Erika nodded without saying anything and subtly moved her arm to press against mine.

Though her cheeks were still flushed, she seemed to have calmed down a bit as she looked at the bonfire and said:

“Just a few months ago, I never thought we’d have a time like this.”

“…I feel the same.”

“Um, you know.”

Erika’s lips trembled hesitantly. She looked like she had something to say but wasn’t sure if she should.

I gently squeezed her hand to encourage her, and she slowly met my eyes and spoke.

“When you first came to the Academy, we spent about a month and a half together, right?”

We spent half of those three months together.

After that, our relationship soured and we barely spoke, and eventually, after three months, I was dismissed from my professorship.

“During that time, did you ever feel your heart flutter?”

“……”

The question was so unexpected that my brow furrowed slightly. Seeing this, Erika hurriedly continued.

“Ah, no! I’ve never dated a man before! I’ve never been on a date either…”

“Did we ever go on a date?”

“…We used to drink coffee on the rooftop at night.”

Erika swung our interlocked hands and lightly hit my thigh. Well, we did spend quite a bit of time alone together.

“You said you didn’t like me, but… I wondered if I was the only one whose heart was racing.”

“Hmm.”

I can’t really say for certain about feelings like “heart racing.” At that time, I didn’t properly understand what love was, and I don’t remember clearly either.

But.

“During those three months. I was quite busy, comforting the residents of Setima and the angel.”

“That’s right.”

Thanks to that, I was even called a devil worshipper.

Anyway.

“But even so, I always made time for you.”

“……”

“I don’t know about my heart racing. But it was enjoyable.”

As I honestly shared this, Erika’s gaze remained fixed on me.

Then she carefully asked, as if leaving something behind:

“What about now?”

“……”

“Right now, my heart is racing like crazy.”

The usually cool professor’s expression had already melted away in the warmth of the bonfire, revealing a face full of desperation that she showed only to me.

“Your hands are bigger than I thought, you should eat more since you’re so thin, your scent is sweeter than I expected, what if you can hear my heart pounding?”

“……”

“All these emotions and thoughts are making my head complicated.”

Erika exhaled deeply and continued.

“What about you, Deus? Is this time with me, even though I’m just a fake fiancée… enjoyable?”

Her question gave me an opportunity to ask myself.

Am I, this time.

“Yes.”

It was enjoyable.

“It is enjoyable.”

The time spent with this woman, Erika Bright, wasn’t bad at all.

There was no pressure, we were both adults, and she didn’t push herself on me.

There was no need to worry about others’ gazes, yet the time with her was quite special.

“I’m glad.”

Erika slowly bowed her head, and a faint sigh of relief flowed with her voice.

Plop.

Our interlocked hands came apart.

When the warmth and weight I felt in my left hand disappeared, only an empty feeling remained in its place.

The night breeze naturally took its place, but it couldn’t fill the void.

Erika pulled out a piece of paper from the inside pocket of her jacket.

That rolled-up document sealed with a red thread was a familiar item.

The annulment document.

“Here you go.”

As I slowly unfolded the annulment document Erika handed me, I saw her signature next to mine, where it had originally been blank.

“……”

I deliberately didn’t say anything else. I just calmly looked at her, waiting for her to speak.

“You said to bring it when I became the brilliant and beautiful Erika Bright again.”

“Yes, I did.”

“How do I look now?”

Standing proudly with her shoulders straight, tears slightly welling in her eyes, yet maintaining an unwavering demeanor.

Seeing that, I answered:

“Brilliant and beautiful.”

Because it was truly so.

I could only answer honestly.

And Erika said with a smile:

“You know you’ve changed a lot?”

I didn’t deny it.

Certainly, looking at myself objectively, the person I am now is very different from who I was when I first came to the Academy.

“To you, who feels emotions more faintly than others, who is indifferent and blunt.”

“……”

“This is the only apology that I, Erika Bright, can offer. So that the woman who betrayed you can be of some help to you.”

As I slowly lowered the annulment document, I saw her tearful face.

Despite looking distressed, she continued to speak.

“Just as you gave this to me for my sake, this time I’m giving it to you for yours.”

What I had said to her when giving her this annulment document.

– Not for a single moment. I have never felt the emotion of love for you.

“Not for a single moment. I have never not loved you.”

And now, the opposite.

– However, you were a woman worthy of love. Deserving to be loved.

“Just as much as you are a man worthy of love. Deserving to be loved.”

– That’s why I spent time with you, and hoped to see you smile. And I wished that I could love you.

“So I’ll give you time. Time to meet someone you can truly love, someone who can make you smile.”

It comes back to me.

Taking a deep breath without wiping away her flowing tears, Erika said:

“Have confidence. You are an incredibly wonderful man.”

“……”

“That annulment document, when you find a woman you truly adore.”

Erika slowly closed her eyes.

She looked as if seeing me was painful.

“When you find someone who awakens your emotions.”

“……”

“Bring it to me then. Let’s finalize our separation.”

“Erika.”

Just as Erika had used our engagement to push away Gideon.

She was also telling me to freely use her as a shield to push away other women I didn’t love.

It would be a painful time.

Sacrificing her youthful years for my sake, waiting endlessly until I provide an answer, but with nothing left at the end of that wait.

If we maintain our engagement, Erika won’t be able to meet anyone else.

She won’t be able to love anyone.

“Until now, I’ve been speaking as your benefactor.”

Plop.

The annulment document fell to the floor, pushed by her hand. Erika, who had taken my hand again, buried her tear-stained face against my chest as if trying to hide it.

Around us, people who didn’t understand the situation were saying things like “don’t rub it in” or expressing envy at how passionate we were, but.

We simply ignored them and focused on each other.

“But if I speak as your fiancée, selfishly.”

Just that one sentence.

Right after saying that.

“Don’t leave me.”

Erika cried endlessly in my arms. She just cried, trembling with the fear of being able to part.

To prevent anyone from seeing that.

I carefully embraced her.