Ch.40Duel #3

Knowing something and experiencing it firsthand reveals a great difference in vividness.

Ellen had never felt that saying as deeply as she did today.

The woman who had been kind without showing any displeasure now had a chill across her face, displaying a sharp intensity that seemed capable of cutting anyone who touched her.

It was no exaggeration to call it a threat.

Jion. Jion Altram.

Thinking carefully, Helena was a madwoman who would try to take someone’s life over something as minor as a man being slapped.

She knew that the rumors were so terrible and absurd that they had reached even the battlegrounds of Blue Nail.

It was just that her first impression had been so good that she had momentarily forgotten about it.

“Nothing happened.”

Indeed, with those looks and a generous heart to match, he was quite a man.

Moreover, despite being described as low, he held a position of some significance. So it was perfectly understandable why the duchess had fallen for him.

Ellen came to this conclusion internally before stating the plain facts.

“Really? Was there truly nothing at all?”

“That’s right. If treating a Dark Elf like me normally counts as something significant, then perhaps it was. But aside from that, it was an utterly ordinary journey.”

At Ellen’s firm answer, Helena’s eyes gleamed with a sinister light.

Helena was a woman who could calculate what kind of looks she would receive when removing the perception of Dark Elves as filth, and because of this, she tried even harder to observe her counterpart closely.

To Helena, a Dark Elf was still an Elf after all.

An Elf who lives much longer than humans and spends most of that time young and beautiful.

If such an Elf showed interest in Jion, there was no guarantee that her kind-hearted boy wouldn’t waver.

Even if she trusted and relied on him, and knew there wasn’t a speck of dust in the affection he poured out to her.

“…Very well. I’ll believe you.”

Ellen’s expression was resolute, and there was no hint of deception in her voice. It carried the distinct air of someone speaking the truth. So while Helena was inclined to believe her for now, she felt the need to issue a warning.

“But… please be careful. Don’t approach that boy too frequently or show signs of becoming overly friendly with him. If I see or hear of such behavior…”

The rest was left to imagination. With those final words, Helena pressed her lips firmly shut.

◎◎◎

Even when told to rest, lying still felt uncomfortable.

I felt like I might be suffering from workaholism for thinking this way, but it was simply because it wasn’t time to rest yet.

Perhaps after the duel ended and things stabilized, I would once again spend time letting my imagination run wild.

Therefore, I changed into a neat tailcoat and made my way to Helena’s office.

I guessed that their private conversation would have ended during my brief respite, and she might have moved elsewhere.

“I told you to rest, but you’re already here?”

Fortunately, as I had expected, Helena was in her office.

“What I’ve caused is too significant. I felt uneasy just sitting around.”

“I’ve told you it’s not your fault. But I suppose there’s no point in discussing it further…?”

“Right. So if there’s anything I can help with, I’m here.”

I approached Helena, who looked displeased, and helped her organize documents.

Most of the work was handled by Eas, but Helena still had her share of responsibilities. It had always been that way.

Moreover, there were signs that Helena’s workload was gradually increasing since she became a duchess.

The speed of the handover had accelerated because her handling of affairs was improving better than expected.

That meant, of course, that my workload would increase as well.

“By the way, come to think of it…”

In the midst of gaining momentum with the paperwork, Helena addressed me.

Seeing her face flush as if shy, it seemed she had something important to say.

So I kept my mouth shut and waited for her to continue.

“We haven’t had an engagement ceremony yet, have we…?”

“Ah. That’s right.”

Come to think of it, the fact that I was Helena’s fiancé was already well-known through her own words.

Yet we hadn’t gone through an engagement ceremony, which seemed to make her quite regretful of the situation.

“That’s true, but when I think about it, you inherited the title of duchess without a succession ceremony, Helena. In such circumstances, I wonder if an engagement ceremony is really necessary.”

To this, I mentioned Helena becoming a duchess without a succession ceremony, suggesting it wasn’t a big deal.

I questioned whether an engagement ceremony was truly necessary, thinking that since we were already deeply connected, we might as well proceed directly to marriage.

“Ah… yes. That makes sense.”

“Of course, it’s important as an event to announce who will be the duchess’s partner. But since there’s a precedent of transferring the title of duchess without a succession ceremony, skipping the engagement ceremony might be similar.”

“I suppose… that’s true. It’s funny to bring up an engagement ceremony in this situation. Everyone already knows what kind of person Jion is, given how widely rumors have spread.”

Helena nodded with a bitter smile at my response.

It was obvious she was forcing herself to smile brightly, and I could tell how important the engagement ceremony was to her.

She seemed hurt that I had spoken of it so dismissively.

Moreover, it was quite pitiful to see her trying to hide her feelings and pretend to be bold. Her timidity without makeup was still evident.

As I watched Helena’s dejected appearance, I thought it would be good to offer a word that might cheer her up.

“Right. So after this matter is resolved and some time passes, wouldn’t it be much better to go straight to the wedding? Even if we skip the engagement ceremony, we’ll still need to have a wedding.”

“…Huh?”

While I thought an engagement ceremony was unnecessary, I didn’t think the same about a wedding ceremony.

Unless one had little property or wasn’t a noble, it would be a significant problem if a duchess welcomed a partner without holding a wedding ceremony.

Besides, not having a ceremony would be unfair to Helena.

Though it was merely an emotional conclusion without clear basis, it felt uncomfortable to skip over it when there was no reason we couldn’t hold a ceremony.

However, I knew that if Helena insisted strongly, I would have no choice but to go through with an engagement ceremony as well.

“What? Is that not okay?”

I smiled wryly at Helena, who was surprised by the word “marriage.”

Her disappointed expression had completely vanished, and her face was gradually brightening.

It was such a dramatic change that I could hardly believe this was the same dejected woman from moments ago.

“N-No! Since I said Jion is mine… marriage is natural, right?!”

“And Helena is mine too.”

Helena beamed with a broad smile, seemingly recalling the promise from that night.

Moreover, having finished the paperwork, she was in a very relaxed state. Thanks to that, we could leisurely chat.

And in the midst of this, I casually changed the subject. It was about the upcoming duel.

“By the way, what are you going to do about the remaining person?”

“Ah, the duel? Well, I think we could just pick someone suitable from within the duchy. I think just having me and Redhood would be enough anyway.”

Despite being fundamentally timid and not one to highly evaluate her own capabilities, this time she answered calmly and confidently.

For someone facing an Expert-level fighter like Baek without killing him, she showed remarkably little burden.

And if she wasn’t particularly concerned about the remaining match… it seemed more likely she would listen to my request.

“Then, include me in that spot.”

“What…?”

I’m not sure if I should say it was as expected or if my expectations were off.

What was certain was that Helena’s joy, which had been bubbling up, had cooled.

“If you didn’t hear me, I’ll say it again. Include me in the empty spot.”

“No.”

Helena answered without hesitation, as if refusing was the obvious choice.

But I had no intention of backing down, so I planned to persist.

“Please. Include me.”

“Absolutely not. It’s dangerous. It’s a life-threatening situation with a high chance of death, and you want me to push you into it? With my own hands?”

“I won’t die. No, I’m not going to die.”

I probably wouldn’t die unless my heart was completely ripped out or my head was shattered into pieces.

Moreover, given the time I’d spent honing my mana and body, I didn’t think my survival rate was low.

But Helena seemed different. She looked at me like a child left by the water’s edge, her lips trembling with anxiety.

“Just bringing the mercenary is enough to fulfill your role. So I can’t allow it.”

“Helena.”

“Anyway, my resolve is firm that it’s absolutely not allowed. So stop wasting time and…”

I firmly grabbed Helena’s shoulders as she was about to turn away, forcing her to meet my gaze.

If she had truly intended to reject me, my strength wouldn’t have been enough, but she seemed willing to listen since she complied so readily.

“Helena, I want to stand proudly by your side. I don’t want to hide behind others and gain victory for free.”

“As I said before, bringing the mercenary is enough…”

“It’s not enough for me. With just that, I might be labeled as a youngster who’s only good at seduction for the rest of my life. I don’t want to hear such things, and I don’t want to think of myself as someone who’s just lucky to receive Helena’s favor.”

As I clung to my own self-esteem, Helena’s eyes began to waver.

My words were similar to when I persuaded her to let me bring the mercenary, but they seemed quite effective.

Of course, that was only in comparison to before; it was still not enough to change Helena’s mind. She was still expressing her refusal.

“Still…”

“It’s not just empty words; I want to show that I have the skills to stand beside a Krauser. If that happens, unnecessary noise will be reduced significantly.”

While I’m throwing out childish words about wanting to raise my reputation, in truth, I had no such desire whatsoever.

I was just saying it on the off chance that youthful impetuosity might work.

I carefully pretended to be impetuous while looking Helena directly in the eyes and speaking calmly.

“Besides, I’ve been receiving Helena’s training every day. You know well that there’s no more luxurious environment for building skills, right?”

“That’s true, but…”

“Right? A Sword Master trains me daily and helps me overcome my shortcomings. I’ve been in this situation for years. It might not be something to boast about… but I could probably face even a decent Expert.”

I’ve continued to enjoy the blessing of sparring with a Sword Master daily and addressing my weaknesses.

It’s a luxury that anyone who lives by the sword would desire, and I plan to continue doing so.

Perhaps because of this, Helena seemed to understand that my words weren’t completely baseless impetuosity.

“Helena, please. As I said before, I want to be united with you proudly, without any reservations.”

“Even so…”

Seeing her strong hesitation, it seemed I still needed a decisive blow.

So I brought my face close enough that our noses almost touched, and spoke in the lowest, most solemn voice I could muster.

“Uh, umm…”

“Please. I want to be someone who won’t be ashamed in front of our children who will be born in the future.”

“Ch-Children…!”

Though becoming a father wasn’t in my plans, it was a half-determined future since I became Helena’s fiancé.

It wasn’t something I could avoid now, nor should I.

Helena hadn’t thought about it at all, it seemed, as she showed signs of fluster. It felt more like she was overwhelmed with joy rather than surprised.

“Yes. I don’t want to give the impression to our future children that I’m a father who runs away from responsibility.”

I emphasized the word “children” particularly strongly, trying to overcome Helena’s half-yielded stubbornness. The goal was in sight.

“So Helena, please…”

Just a little more persuasion and she would fall. With that hope, I continuously spoke in a whisper-like manner.

It was to take some responsibility for the trouble I had caused, and also to stabilize Helena.

Additionally, to drive the point home, I endured the rising nausea and forced out some domineering lines.

It was a desperate measure to touch on Helena’s timidity.

“Y-Yes…”

As a result, Helena surrendered, yielding to my persistence.