Ch.42A Moment of Leisure (4)

The streets of the Royal Capital began to bustle with activity as closed shops opened one by one.

Rather than it being because of the weekend, this was the normal appearance of the Royal Capital.

They didn’t have the concept of weekends anyway.

‘No, it’s the professor who’s unusual.’

Most occupations required working every day, and people rested when they weren’t feeling well or had personal matters.

That was common sense in this world.

In that respect, being a professor was a profession that defied common sense.

That was one of the reasons I couldn’t give up being a professor—I didn’t dislike it, rather I quite liked it.

“Crow, do you mind if I step away for a moment?”

“Oh, sure.”

Derin, who had been walking with me, asked for my understanding and headed toward a street vendor.

‘What’s that smell?’

Rich, sweet…

As the mouth-watering aroma wafted through the air, I looked around to find its source, and there was Derin at the end of my search.

I wondered what she suddenly went to buy, but it seemed to be food.

Sure enough, she returned holding two delicious-looking skewers and held one out to me.

“Want one?”

“Yes, thank you.”

It would be impolite to refuse since she probably bought one specifically for me.

Besides, I was hungry since I hadn’t eaten breakfast.

As I took the skewer, Derin smiled happily.

I was clearly the one being treated, yet why did Derin look so pleased?

…Well, I suppose that’s fine.

“Derin, it’s a bit awkward to eat while standing. Should we sit over there?”

I pointed to a nearby bench, and Derin nodded.

“That would be good.”

We made our way to the bench.

The bench was wide—spacious enough to comfortably seat four people if they sat close together.

But why…

Why were our hips touching when there were only two of us?

To be precise, we weren’t quite touching, but the gap between us was so small that not even a finger would fit.

When I subtly moved to the side, Derin followed, maintaining the same distance between us.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, I carefully spoke up.

“Derin, could you sit a little further away?”

“You don’t like it…?”

“It’s not that I don’t like it… it’s uncomfortable.”

Given human anatomy, shoulders naturally extend outward beyond the hips, so our shoulders were not just touching but overlapping.

Derin pouted with disappointment but complied with my request.

She only moved about a hand’s width away, but that was enough to make my shoulders much more comfortable.

‘Now I can eat comfortably.’

…Or so I thought, but perhaps because of what I’d just said, an awkward atmosphere hung between us.

My body might be more comfortable, but my mind was now uncomfortable.

After a long silence, when the skewers that had been full of meat and vegetables had turned into empty wooden sticks, Derin quietly spoke.

“Crow, why are you so nice to me? It’s strange. I hurt you. I made things difficult for you. I wouldn’t blame you if you hated me.”

I kept my mouth shut and stared at her blankly.

Even if she asked why, I didn’t have an answer to give.

After hearing the full circumstances of what happened, I simply didn’t feel much dislike toward her.

Besides, it’s natural to want to be nice to someone who likes you.

Whether that would develop into romantic feelings was uncertain.

So my answer was…

“I just want to be nice to you. There’s no particular reason.”

“…I see.”

Perhaps because I couldn’t give her a clear answer, the anxiety didn’t disappear from Derin’s expression.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. If someone’s nice to me, I should just be grateful…”

“It’s okay. It’s natural to be curious.”

It’s not easy to convince your heart with just your head.

Derin turned her gaze away from me, looking into the distance as she spoke.

“I was actually anxious. No, I still am. I’m afraid that after being so nice to me, just when I feel like I can’t live without you… you’ll abandon me and disappear somewhere. Honestly, I couldn’t complain if you did that to me.”

“So you think I might use your feelings to get revenge. Something like that?”

“…Something like that. I’m sorry for doubting you. I keep doing things I need to apologize for… I’m pathetic, aren’t I?”

As they say, a guilty conscience needs no accuser.

She must be anxious because she knows she’s done something wrong to me.

As a result, she doubted me, but I didn’t particularly mind.

Rather, I was concerned that if I left things as they were, her mental state would continue to deteriorate, and I wondered how I could help resolve that.

Well, all I could really offer were words, but I hoped they would help.

“Don’t worry about that. I don’t know what answer I can give to your feelings. But if you want me to, I’ll stay by your side. I’ve never broken a promise I made to you.”

The promise I made when we met again, at the restaurant.

The promise not to cut ties.

This should be enough to bring some peace to Derin’s mind…

“No, you have. What are you talking about?”

Derin looked surprised, as if questioning my sincerity.

Huh?

“When did I? I’ve kept every promise I remember making.”

I’m not the type of person who breaks promises once made.

My master always emphasized the importance of trust in my education, and that became one of my core values.

Derin must be misunderstanding something.

“You promised to go with me to choose a new dagger, but you didn’t show up because you were drunk the night before. And you said you’d show me where to find paralyzing herbs, but the next day you claimed you didn’t remember. Also, last time…”

“I’m sorry.”

I bowed my head in apology.

It seems I was the cause of her anxiety.

But did I really live so irresponsibly?

As I searched through my memories of when we were in a party together, I recalled my poor anger management.

…And I did like to drink.

I think I heard somewhere that drinking a lot impairs memory, and I guess that was true.

“Anyway, don’t worry. I’m definitely not going anywhere.”

I’m reaching the age where I should settle down and get married anyway.

“Really? You promise I can believe you this time?”

“Yes, believe me. Besides, even if I disappeared, you’d come looking for me, right?”

“That’s true.”

Though she smiled broadly, there still seemed to be some anxiety remaining on her face. But it had clearly diminished compared to before, which was a satisfactory outcome.

Thump.

Derin’s head rested on my shoulder.

As a gentle breeze blew, her hair swayed, releasing a subtle floral scent.

‘This is so different from back then.’

There had been a time before when her head rested on my shoulder like this.

When we had to take a short nap inside the Labyrinth during an exploration.

Of course, back then we were four people together, and I had lent my other shoulder to Lael and my thigh to Elin, but…

Anyway, both the atmosphere and the scent were completely different from then.

‘How strange…’

It’s fascinating how the same person can feel so completely different.

“Crow, is this uncomfortable?”

“No, it’s fine.”

Rather, I should say it’s comfortable.

The sunshine was warm, my stomach was pleasantly full, and with Derin’s floral scent enveloping me, my body began to feel drowsy.

I was already aching all over from muscle pain, which probably made it worse.

Just as my eyes were drooping and I was about to fall asleep, I suddenly felt something touch my other shoulder.

Wondering what it was, I opened my eyes and turned my head to find Lael resting her head on my shoulder.

I was about to scold her, worried about what others might think, but…

‘Let it go.’

It felt like I had gone back to the past.

It felt like I had returned to those happy times when I was with them.

For now, I decided to savor this memory.

Though it did feel a bit empty without Elin.

These two had come to find me, apologized, and our relationship was growing stronger, but I wondered where she was and what she was doing…

Since she definitely liked me, she would surely come looking for me… Or had she already forgotten?

Given how foolish she could be sometimes, that was entirely possible.

* * * * *

In the Great Forest, the dwelling place of the elves, enormous trees stretched high toward the sky.

In one particularly massive tree stood a house.

From inside came the voice of a mother scolding her daughter.

“Elin, pull yourself together. Do you not understand what I’m saying?”

“M-Mother, that’s not it.”

Elin hung her head low at her mother’s scolding.

“Can you cook? Or are you good at sewing? How do you plan to go after that man when you’re not good at anything? And didn’t you say there are already two rivals?”

“That’s…”

Whenever she saw her mother like this, Elin wondered if she was still angry.

When she returned to the Great Forest, her family’s reaction was naturally cold. Given that she had violated elven rules by leaving on her own, that was inevitable.

Nevertheless, it only took three days to beg forgiveness from her mother and father because she was their daughter, but…

It took more than a week to explain her desire to spend her life with Crow, a human, and to ask for their help.

Even then, her father turned away, but fortunately, her mother said she understood and would actively help her…

‘I never dreamed it would be like this.’

Starting with basic household chores like sewing and cooking, she was learning everything about becoming an attractive woman, including a woman’s mindset and the virtues she should possess.

Honestly, it was taking so long that she was going crazy with longing for Crow.

‘The Royal Capital…’

Knowing where it was only intensified those feelings.

“Anyway, try harder. Even to my eyes as your mother, you’re lacking, so it must be even more apparent to others.”

“…Yes.”

This is too strict…!