Ch.320Education (4)

There’s a word called “dark history.” It refers to a past so embarrassing you can’t bear to speak of it, or experiences you’re reluctant to even acknowledge.

“Dark history” was a term I used quite freely in my previous life because there’s no better way to describe a past you desperately want to erase.

I’m mentioning this because our adorable Elf Queen has just added another entry to her own dark history.

It was supposed to be education, but it was education thoroughly mixed with her personal desires. Her true feelings were revealed without her realizing it.

Where she’d like the World Tree’s dew applied, how she’d prefer to spend the wedding night, and so on.

Compared to her previous “Elven communism” remarks, this was equally if not more embarrassing. If there had been a mouse hole nearby, she would have crawled into it.

Honestly, she essentially revealed her desired first night in front of me—who wouldn’t be embarrassed? Moreover, Arwen has romantic feelings for me.

If it were me, I’d not only hide but run away. And I’d probably never be able to face that person again.

“Excuse me.”

“… …”

“Arwen?”

Currently, Arwen is doing exactly that. After Cecilly’s heavy dose of facts, she’s not just sunk but melted into a puddle.

Fortunately, she didn’t escape via teleport, but she did squeeze herself into the small space under the desk.

As you know, this is the desk I use to write the Biography of Xenon. She looked around for a hiding place and chose this one.

The space itself is quite large, and since Arwen has a small frame, she fits comfortably rather than tightly. It’s a bit large to be called a mouse hole, but it’s sufficient.

“Hmm……”

I scratched my head as I looked at Arwen, who, like during her “Elven communism” remarks, refused to show me her face.

She’s not a child, but seeing only her back was both cute and very much like her.

Especially her backline, which could be considered Arwen’s greatest asset, was pleasing to my eyes. From her slender waist down to her attractive hip line.

Plus, the dress she’s wearing today has openings along the sides, fully showcasing her charm.

But that’s beside the point. I called out to Arwen again as she buried her face between her knees.

“Arwen? Will you please answer me?”

“… …”

Despite my gentle voice, Arwen remained unmoved. If anything, her face burrowed deeper between her legs.

I smiled bitterly, raised my head, and looked around. Marie, Cecilly, and Adelia each wore different expressions.

Marie had her arms crossed with one corner of her mouth raised in amusement, Cecilly looked somewhat exasperated, and Adelia wore a bitter smile.

With their varied reactions, I let out another awkward laugh and turned my attention back to Arwen.

Leaving her alone like this didn’t feel right, and now that I knew her true feelings, there was no need to back off.

Poke- Poke-

“Eek…!”

So I poked her exposed side with my finger. It was direct contact, not through clothing, causing Arwen to flinch dramatically.

Bang!

“Ow!”

And she even hit her head on the desk. I looked with pity at Arwen as she clutched her head and wailed.

Publicly, she’s clearly a wise and charismatic queen, but right now there’s quite the goofball showing.

That could be considered part of her charm, but first we need to clear up this misunderstanding before we can continue our conversation.

“Ugh……”

“Don’t be like that. Let’s talk face to face. I understand it’s embarrassing, so stop showing me only your back.”

Perhaps because these words were spoken in a moment of clarity, Arwen began to slowly turn around while gently rubbing her head.

I don’t understand why she doesn’t just come out from under the desk. It seems she lacks the courage after updating her dark history.

It’s something I always think about—how position shapes a person.

“Are you feeling calmer now?”

“…A little.”

Arwen answered while turning her head, still not planning to come out from under the desk. Her reddened face and twitching ears conveyed her emotions perfectly.

She occasionally glanced in my direction but seemed to lack the courage to look me directly in the eyes.

I wondered if we could continue our conversation like this, but decided it wouldn’t work, so I extended my hand.

“Don’t stay there. Come out quickly. We have a lot to talk about.”

“… …”

Arwen looked back and forth between my outstretched hand and my face, then carefully reached out.

After hesitating a few times, she gently placed her hand on mine.

I just realized that Arwen’s hands are small, like her frame. However, her hands themselves are delicate and beautiful.

I hadn’t noticed until now because I’d never held her hand before.

“…I showed you something shameful. I’m truly sorry.”

Arwen, who had emerged from under the desk following my lead, quietly apologized. However, she still couldn’t meet my gaze.

“No, it’s… understandable.”

“That answer seemed a bit delayed, didn’t it?”

Marie, who had been watching, called me out when she noticed my insincere words. She can perceive the true intentions behind people’s words, so I couldn’t even make an excuse. She was right.

The good news is that Arwen didn’t crawl back under the desk. I glared once at the tactless Marie before turning my attention back to Arwen.

Regardless of age or gender, people deeply in love sometimes malfunction. They fumble or make verbal blunders when standing before the object of their affection.

There’s a reason lovesickness exists, and why some people die from it. Love is an emotion that easily breaks people’s hearts.

Just like Arwen right now. I stared at her as she clutched her collar shyly.

Silver-gray hair and eyes like the Milky Way in the night sky. Beautiful appearance befitting an elf, often called the embodiment of beauty.

The complete opposite of Cecilly’s mature image with her youthful appearance and small stature. But with a figure that suggests otherwise.

“Arwen.”

“…Speak.”

“Can we talk for a moment? Not about education, but something else.”

I think I should hear Arwen’s true feelings at least once. At my suggestion, Arwen raised her gaze and looked not at me but at the other women.

Everyone would understand what that look meant. So I followed Arwen’s gaze and turned my head.

“Cecilly, you expected this too, right?”

“It would be strange if I didn’t. What about you, Adel?”

“I will follow whatever the young master chooses.”

“You heard them?”

After hearing everyone’s opinions, Marie handed the authority over to me. I don’t know if she’s given up, or if she started to accept things after I revealed I was Xenon.

But it was their consideration and concession that allowed me to make a choice. I turned my head again to look at Arwen.

Arwen also noticed the reaction and seemed to catch on, facing me directly. Her tightly closed lips and sparkling silver-gray eyes couldn’t be more adorable.

I smiled gently at her and then spoke in a somewhat careful voice.

“Arwen.”

“S-speak.”

“As you probably heard during the presentation, I’m not as great as you think. Even if your hypothesis is correct, it doesn’t change the fact that I’m an ordinary person.”

It feels like deception, but it’s absolutely not a lie. I am indeed a person from another world, as Arwen suspects.

However, in that world, I was just like a common pebble. An author who endlessly wrote novels after the shock of losing my parents in an accident.

Of course, it’s highly unlikely that my past life will ever be revealed, but what if by some chance it did? What kind of reaction would there be?

This applies not just to me but to others as well. Misunderstandings are already piling up, and they could come back as karma.

“T-then what I’m thinking is correct? Really?”

“Uh……”

But contrary to my expectations, Arwen seems fixated on a strange part. As soon as she heard my words, her silver-gray eyes began to sparkle.

I pondered what answer I should give here, and reluctantly nodded. With Cecilly present, I couldn’t lie anyway.

While I would never reveal the details, it feels like one layer of my protective shell has been peeled away.

“Right? But that’s all I can say.”

“I see… Then it’s closer to ‘recoil’ than ‘restriction’ as an aftereffect. Even simple teleportation causes recoil depending on distance, so at that level…”

Perhaps because she’s an elf well-versed in magic, Arwen fell into imagination after hearing my ambiguous answer.

That damned restriction follows me to the end, and now I’m afraid the recoil will catch up too.

“What’s she talking about? Recoil? I thought elves and demons could use magic freely?”

“That’s true, but it doesn’t mean there’s no recoil at all. For example, if you push a rock with your bare hands, your muscles will strain, right? It’s similar to that.”

“Ah~ I understand now.”

Marie and Cecilly were chattering beside me, but I let it go in one ear and out the other. Right now, Arwen was far more important than them.

I cleared my throat to change the atmosphere. This snapped Arwen out of her theory-induced trance with a “Hup!”

“Ahem. Ahem. I’ve shown something shameful again. I’m sorry.”

“It’s nothing. Anyway, Arwen.”

Now for the main point. I looked directly at Arwen and asked in a gentle voice.

“Why do you like me?”

To that question, she smiled brightly and answered cheerfully.

“There are too many reasons to choose from.”

“… …”

Her answer left me speechless. I’ve never seen Arwen smile so innocently before.

I gently rubbed the back of my neck in embarrassment, then composed myself. If that’s the case, there’s only one thing left to do.

“Then……”

“You don’t have to say it. No, I’d prefer if you didn’t.”

Just as I was about to accept her, Arwen shook her head and stopped my words.

She had been showing all her feelings until just now, but suddenly telling me not to speak—I raised an eyebrow, wondering what kind of attitude this was.

Meanwhile, Arwen slowly extended both hands and gently grasped mine. She even kneaded them subtly.

Then, with a bright smile, she shyly confessed her feelings.

“Could you wait just a little until I gather my courage? I’ll bring the gift I mentioned before too.”

“Is that really necessary?”

“At least for me, it is. I’ve only been receiving from you until now, so please let me give something meaningful too.”

Her face was on the verge of melting, but her voice was firm. I think I should take a step back here.

I nodded in agreement, and Arwen’s smile grew even brighter. I wonder what kind of event requires such preparation.

“Ah. Do you have a preferred time? I’ll make sure to match your schedule.”

“Hmm… Can you give me about a month? There’s someone else I need to resolve a situation with.”

“Is it a woman?”

“… …”

Her intuition is very good. As she said, I plan to have a confrontation with Leona, or more precisely, her mother.

According to Marie, Leona has been urgently looking for me. Her mother is likely at the academy as well.

“I see it is. Well, it’s natural for a hero who saved the world like you to have many women. Have you heard of the term ‘heroic womanizer’?”

“I know it, but the title that suits me is……”

“You lie so shamelessly, Lord Xenon! Look at us!”

Just as I was about to reject the unsuitable title, Cecilly, in a playful mood, shouted loud enough for everyone to hear.

…I feel too guilty to speak. I froze at her outcry.

In contrast, Arwen let out a faint laugh as if amused, seemingly unbothered by the increase of women around me.

“It’s alright. Just being with you is enough for me. Anyway, I’ve talked too long. You surely called me for help, but I don’t think I’ve been of any assistance. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about that. Thanks to you, I’ve realized what I need to do going forward. Even without the Biography of Xenon.”

“…Your mischievous side remains unchanged.”

Arwen seems to have realized who my words were targeting. Her face instantly turned red, looking so cute I wanted to bite her.

“Then I’ll be going now. I’ll see you exactly one month and a half from today. You can look forward to the gift prepared in Alfheim.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

“Wait a moment, Issac.”

Just as the situation was about to conclude, Marie slowly walked toward us. Come to think of it, there was still an obstacle remaining.

Arwen looked at her with a puzzled expression, and Marie stared back at her.

The two women gazed at each other for a while. In this unusual atmosphere, Marie was the first to speak.

“Your conversation with Issac may be over, but our conversation isn’t finished, is it? Right? Don’t think you can slip away.”

“Ah… T-that’s right.”

“Come on! Let’s go. Cecilly and Adel, you come too.”

And so Arwen was dragged to another room. I have no idea what they’re going to discuss, but I hope they won’t be too harsh with their rivalry.

How much time passed after that?

“I-I’ll be going now!”

Arwen left the mansion as if fleeing. As a bonus, she kept alternating glances between my face and lower body before leaving.

Curious about her urgency, I asked Marie what they had discussed…

“We just gave her some ‘preview.’ Really, that’s all it was.”

“…?”

“We were fine with it, but I think it was quite difficult for Her Majesty.”

All I got was an answer that was both clear and unclear.

*****

Time passed, and when volumes 24 and 24.5 were released.

[The identity of the book released alongside Volume 24 is… none other than “Beautiful Night of Love.”]

[It explicitly yet sensitively depicts the psychology between the partners.]

[It must be Xenon’s personal experience. But isn’t the content too explicit…]

“Ah, right.”

I forgot to bribe the press.