Ch.224224. Two-Way Traffic (6)

BANG.

CLICK.

‘Haaah…! That was really dangerous…!’

For Renias, the situation ironically turned into something of a relief.

Though she had barely managed to cover her face with her hands and blanket, her face was still flushed red, and if she were to massage her legs, she might recall the sensation of where those hands had touched.

It was incredibly fortunate that Senia appeared and practically chased Junon outside.

But that didn’t mean she felt completely at ease.

The warmth of Junon’s touch still seemed to linger on her skin.

The sensation of gently holding her neck and legs, carrying her like a princess while she hiccupped, wasn’t going to fade away easily.

The girl’s face, which had been on the verge of exploding, peeked out from under the blanket.

She was barely coming back to her senses after making sure Junon had left, but…

“…”

“Hey~ Don’t be so scared. Anyone watching would think I’m going to eat you up.”

There was still… one more hurdle to overcome.

Senia, who had approached right beside her, spoke as if she had noticed something.

“You don’t need a leg massage anyway since it doesn’t hurt, right? And let’s get rid of this blanket. I’ve worn that before, so I know. It’s quite warm, so you’re probably running a different kind of fever than what Junon was thinking about.”

She says she knows because she’s worn it.

It’s quite warm, causing a different kind of fever than what Junon was thinking.

Why does she speak as if she knows everything!

The silver rabbit’s hiccups started again.

“Hic.”

“Ah, but I should get you some sugar water. Your hiccups aren’t stopping.”

Senia went to prepare some sugar water.

‘Se-Senia senior…’

The silver rabbit on the bed retrieved the blanket that had been casually removed.

It certainly wasn’t because she was cold.

As Senia had definitively stated, not just hinted at, the long sweater was densely knit enough to trap body heat.

Then why?

Renias had been severely teased at the hospital before.

She had been swayed by Senia’s rhetoric to the point of screaming, so she was already intimidated.

This blanket was to ease the pressure.

It was a blanket pulled by a rabbit sensing a predator’s presence, seeking something to hold onto for refuge.

“What, when did you pull up the blanket again?”

But hopelessly, it was immediately removed.

“Here, drink this to stop your hiccups. I’ve cooled it to the right temperature, so you can gulp it down right away.”

Renias remained silent, thoroughly intimidated.

Senia placed one hand on her hip and suggested:

“If you keep hiccupping, Junon might find it strange.”

“…!”

Renias’s eyes immediately changed at the mention that Junon might find it strange.

‘Senior might really see it that way!’

This silver rabbit’s ears were completely attuned to Junon.

In truth, there was no way Renias could prevent Senia from saying anything to Junon right now.

“I told you, I’m not here to eat you up, right? It’s just sugar water, so drink it comfortably. Or should I take the first sip for you?”

“No… I’ll drink it right away.”

Sweet. It was sweet enough to stop the hiccups.

The temperature had been properly cooled, so as Senia advised, it seemed fine to gulp it down right away.

Gulp, gulp.

“You like Junon, don’t you?”

“Puhwap! Keck, cough, cough!”

At those words, Renias seemed to lose the rhythm between exhaling and inhaling, as if the order of her peristaltic movements had been reversed.

The girl’s emotions were still far from honesty, and excuses came first.

“Wha-wha-wha-what are you saying…!”

But what could she do?

Even Junon couldn’t match Senia in insight, and as she looked on with a pleased smile, there was no way to hide it.

The silver rabbit thus became the plaything of the cunning fox.

“What’s wrong with liking someone? People can like other people. You could become close like me and Charlotte, like siblings.”

“Ah, yes! Th-that’s right! Ahahaha!”

“Of course, your face wouldn’t be that flushed for that kind of feeling. That’s clearly a different emotion.”

“Hiiik…!”

She tried to quickly cover her face, but the blanket was gone.

She tried to cover it with her hands, but Senia gently smiled and grabbed both her hands.

Renias pleaded tearfully to let go, but of course that wouldn’t happen.

Senia just grinned, saying she was adorably cute.

But the teasing ended there.

Now she had something to tell her.

“Charlotte and I don’t see Junon romantically. So don’t worry.”

“What? Ah, that’s…”

“Don’t try to deny it either. It’s fine to try to reduce competition, but you should know how to say you like someone. What if someone else confesses first?”

“…”

Normally, her face would have turned red again, but now her ears perked up attentively.

Renias, who had been trying to bow her head and hide behind her hair, looked straight into Senia’s eyes.

But.

For a brief moment, Senia’s face somehow looked sad.

Very sad.

***

‘Senia senior… what was that expression just now?’

It was brief, but she thought she saw her expression change when she suddenly looked up.

But she wasn’t given time to think about it.

“Are you ready to talk now?”

“Ah, yes.”

Her hands were released, regaining their freedom.

A moment ago, she would have quickly grabbed the blanket to cover her face, but there was no need for that now.

Given Senia’s serious demeanor, there was no way the previous situation would repeat itself.

“Charlotte and I owe Junon a huge debt. Aris too, and perhaps the entire Tembris party.”

“A debt?”

“Yes. You understand it’s not a material debt, right?”

Of course, with Charlotte being the head of the Eshelet merchant guild. Renias nodded slightly.

“Junon has been criticized and condemned a lot recently. It was the same when we were around. But we… couldn’t help him.”

“Were you in the same party?”

“You know we weren’t part of Tembris.”

“Ah. That’s right. Junon senior was always alone until he met me… So were you teammates or colleagues from before?”

This time she affirmed, saying it was something similar.

However… it wasn’t a story one could simply nod at and move past.

“But Renias. He wasn’t only alone before meeting you.”

“What?”

“Even when he was with us… he was always alone.”

What does that mean?

She had just said they were colleagues.

She thought they might have been on the same team or group, living together, or perhaps classmates in the same year.

But she couldn’t understand what it meant that he was always alone even before.

“Even though we were right beside him, we couldn’t do anything. Every time… we just received help, and we only caused him trouble, being nothing but burdens.”

Then she continued talking about Junon senior.

They were people who couldn’t help him.

To him, they weren’t colleagues but always obstacles.

Just being beside him caused harm.

They were nuisances who only added to the heavy burden on his shoulders rather than lightening it.

Senior Senia spoke without reservation, as if blaming herself.

“Why are you saying such things…”

“Because it’s the truth. We’re not the kind of people who can face Junon with dignity. So… we need to distance ourselves from him.”

These were words she couldn’t comprehend at all.

Renias carefully suggested resolving things through conversation.

“Wouldn’t it be better to talk honestly with senior?”

But Senia firmly shook her head, saying it wouldn’t work.

“We need to gradually distance ourselves from Junon. Ironically, though we were colleagues, we can’t remain colleagues until the end. However.”

Thump.

Renias’s hands were taken again by Senia, who had paused mid-sentence.

“You’re different. You can help Junon as much as you want, and you can lighten his burden as much as possible.”

“M-me? I’m just a junior who’s close to Junon senior…”

“You taught Junon how to dance, didn’t you?”

“How did you know that…”

“That’s not the important part, Renias. None of us ever taught Junon to dance, nor did he ever share his worries with us. We never even lent him a shoulder or a knee!”

The force of her emotions transferred to Renias through her ten fingers, which gripped tightly.

And Senia said:

“Only you could do it. It was possible because it was you.”

Only one person, Renias, had brought about change in Junon.

***

Few people know that Junon defeated Shanberesh alone.

At most, Cain, Professor Muniher and his closest aides, Grand Duke Ardelion, and the Sirens.

And herself.

However, in the recent subjugation of Defornice III and the distorted Pimpert, everyone credits him as the primary contributor.

Everyone knows about it. Exactly the opposite of what he wanted.

Therefore, she also had to ask Renias, who didn’t want this fact to be known.

“I want you to stay by Junon’s side. Anytime, anywhere.”

She doesn’t know the true nature of the power Junon used.

But instinctively, she realizes it’s a power that consumes the body.

How could Shanberesh, who remained intact despite having parts of his magic circuit cut by a sword swung dozens of times, be reduced to mere flesh and blood?

How could he directly pierce through and defeat the vast power of the Sacred Emperor that consumed magic without pause?

Junon must have pushed himself too hard. He must have been bedridden for days as a result.

So they must no longer rely on Junon.

To prevent Junon from overexerting himself again.

To avoid repeating the past.

And to allow him to live a happy present.

Someone who enables two-way communication, not just one-way.

In other words, someone he can lean on must be by his side.

‘That’s you, Renias.’