Ch.47Chapter 47: This Isn’t What You Think It Is

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When you see a child crying alone on the street, human nature compels you to turn your head and look, even if you initially intended to pass by.

And if the person crying before your eyes is your fiancée, for whom you would gladly sacrifice everything, you certainly wouldn’t stop at just looking.

Without even thinking, my body moved to comfort Shizu, who had burst into tears.

Having known her since childhood—when her crying could fill an entire room—I quickly pulled her into my arms before her sobbing could reach its full volume.

Though I hurried, I was more careful pulling her into my embrace than I would be handling a fragile object.

“…!!”

Her crying paused momentarily.

Her slender, trembling body quickly found stability in my arms. Her sobs ceased, and she quietly buried her beautiful face against my chest.

I was relieved to have avoided the worst-case scenario of waking all my classmates and juniors sleeping in the dormitory, but I couldn’t let my guard down.

It would be equally troublesome if any early-rising student wandering the hallway were to witness this scene.

“…Let’s go inside.”

“…Okay.”

With Shizu still in my arms, her face buried against me, I carefully moved into my room.

Though brief, her movements as she matched my steps showed no sign of reluctance.

*Creeak*

I turned the doorknob carefully and slipped into the room, which still held the warmth I had filled it with throughout the night.

“…Hehe.”

As if she hadn’t been sobbing just moments ago, Shizu pressed her face firmly against my chest and let out a bright laugh.

…At first, I had embraced her without calculation, worried about how to comfort her tears. But seeing how quickly her crying subsided in my arms, I felt more bewildered than relieved.

Testing a suspicion, I tightened my arms slightly, pulling Shizu even closer.

“…So cozy.”

With her face against my chest, she expressed pure contentment.

Hmm, this is working too well.

On the first evening after my regression, when she cried after hearing my insensitive remarks, I had comforted her by gently stroking her head. Now, I’d succeeded by pulling her into my arms.

To.comfort…crying…Shizu…either.stroke.her.head…or…pull.her.into.my.arms.

I couldn’t help but smile wryly at the thought that I should write this down somewhere so I wouldn’t forget, but that could wait.

There was something more important I needed to do for Shizu first.

Her crying had completely subsided, and she was now making pleased sounds while embracing me with both arms around my back. I opened my mouth to apologize first.

“I’m sorry… Did I startle you?”

I deliberately avoided mentioning what exactly I had done wrong.

She carefully lifted her face from my chest, looked up to meet my eyes, and spoke softly.

“…No. I’m fine.”

She accepted my apology with a slightly flushed voice, continuing the pleasant tone from before.

“You were more startled because of me, weren’t you? …I’m sorry.”

I was grateful enough that she accepted my apology, but she went further and expressed her own regret for startling me with her sudden outburst.

Feeling both grateful and endeared by her response, I was about to offer a deeper apology when she slowly began to speak first.

“I’ve never seen you wear a ring during sword practice, except for our engagement ring… When I suddenly saw you wearing a different ring, I just…”

If I hadn’t been holding her with both arms, I would have instinctively raised a hand to my forehead at her words.

Oh, good heavens.

Though I tried to maintain my composure, it was clear that Shizu had been shocked, to some degree, upon seeing the Ring of Nibelung on my right index finger.

At this time in our relationship, she had never spoken negatively to me, yet now there was a hint of dejection in her voice, however slight.

I understood perfectly why Shizu spoke with such disappointment.

She knew better than anyone that I disliked wearing jewelry and accessories.

Except for my mother’s pendant, which I wore around my neck hidden from others’ view, I didn’t enjoy wearing any accessories.

I particularly disliked accessories worn on the arms and hands, like rings and bracelets.

This aversion developed naturally from my habit of training with the sword even during hours I should have been sleeping. The discomfort of wearing accessories while gripping a sword led me to avoid them, even when occasions called for them.

This aversion peaked earlier this year at my engagement ceremony with Shizu.

When we finally held our engagement ceremony—somewhat late compared to other noble families—we had agreed that I would only wear the engagement ring at official events where our engagement needed to be displayed, keeping it stored away while at the academy.

For such a fiancé to suddenly appear at a dawn training session wearing a suspicious-looking ring—not on the left ring finger, but still on a finger—I couldn’t even imagine how disappointed Shizu must have felt.

Though it had happened just earlier this year, the memory felt distant due to my regression. I gradually recalled that time.

The image of Shizu lovingly gazing at the ring on her finger after our engagement ceremony.

And the image of a foolish young man who, consumed by an inferiority complex that had been growing since she awakened her special ability, couldn’t properly recall her bright smile and only lamented his own situation.

It was truly a pathetic time filled with nothing but regrettable foolishness.

As these memories surfaced, a heavy, resentful sigh nearly escaped my lips, but I desperately held it back, releasing only a light breath through my nose. Then I looked at Shizu with an expression full of regret.

Her beautiful face, now showing a complex expression, was made even more beautiful by her blue eyes, which reflected me with a sparkle before displaying a sequence of varied emotions.

Embarrassment at having shed tears without realizing it.

Regret for troubling me because of it.

Gratitude toward me for apologizing.

And finally, though very faint, not quite resentment but something closer to hurt feelings about me wearing a suspicious ring other than our engagement ring.

“It’s not… something you received as a gift from someone, is it?”

After showing slight hesitation, she asked about the ring’s origin in a careful tone.

The anxiety in her voice was so clear that I felt the need to provide a thorough explanation about the ring’s origin before apologizing further.

To do that, I first needed to create some distance between us, as we were too close for a proper conversation.

I carefully loosened my hold on Shizu, removing her from my embrace with even more care than when I had first pulled her in.

I couldn’t risk hurting her with my touch.

Following my lead, our bodies gradually separated until we reached an appropriate distance for conversation.

But just as when I had stopped stroking her head days ago, and now as she left my embrace, the comfort she had felt from our closeness disappeared.

“Ah…”

A sigh of deep disappointment escaped her lips.

Though her expression didn’t turn into a pout, seeing her disappointment made me think I should stroke her head again later, but right now, there was something more important to show her.

“Shizu.”

I cleared my throat and called her name, infusing as much warmth as I could into my voice.

“Yes?”

Noticing the warmth in my voice, Shizu set aside her disappointment and fixed her eyes completely on me.

Meeting her gaze, I raised my right hand to show her the back of it.

The Ring of Nibelung, completely plain without any craftsmanship, was clearly visible.

Her expression became slightly dejected when the ring entered her view, but only momentarily.

“Watch carefully.”

After focusing her attention, I channeled my battle aura into the ring.

“Wow…”

A soft exclamation escaped Shizu’s lips.

The plain Ring of Nibelung transformed before her eyes, changing from its unadorned form into the shape of a snake biting its own tail as it accepted my battle aura.

The transformed ring continued to emit a gentle flame around my index finger, though it gave off no heat.

The flames looked as if they might engulf everything around them with their intensity, but strangely, they transmitted no heat to either me or Shizu, who was watching.

“How fascinating.”

The dejection in Shizu’s eyes had been replaced by a sparkle of curiosity.

“Ahem.”

By now, I felt I could properly explain.

About the origin and identity of this ring.

First, I had no intention of lying to her, so I opened my mouth to honestly reveal who had given me this ring.

“This ring… or rather, artifact. Anyway, it is true that I received it as a gift.”

I was going to follow up by saying it was from a dragon, not a person, but…

“…”

The curious gaze that had been observing the ring’s transformation quickly darkened, casting an even deeper shadow than when she first discovered the Ring of Nibelung on my finger.

“…I received it from a dragon, not a person.”

I hastily completed my explanation.

Though the shadow lifted from her expression, doubt remained.

She believed my words but wanted a more complete explanation. Seeing this, I gestured toward the dragon sword hanging on my room’s wall.

“It’s a gift from the spirit residing in that sword.”

“Is it female?”

Without even taking a breath, Shizu immediately asked this question.

Before even questioning whether such a mysterious entity as a sword spirit actually existed, she first asked about its gender.

At any other time, I might have teased her lightly, but the tone in which she asked about the spirit’s gender naturally reminded me of the chill that emanated from her body when I first faced her after becoming the Demon God’s agent in the time before my regression.

“It’s male.”

I answered her question seriously, removing any trace of playfulness from my voice.

“Phew…”

Only then did a sigh of deep relief escape Shizu’s lips, and the strange sharpness I had felt gradually receded.

Her complete trust in my brief answer made my nose tingle with emotion. I was about to wipe the tip of my nose with the back of my hand, but Shizu didn’t give me time.

She spread her arms wide, approached me, and embraced me tightly.

It felt different from when I had initiated the embrace—a strange comfort washed over me.

It was truly amazing how such great warmth could flow from her smaller body, making my heart so at ease.

“Then it’s fine. As long as it’s not a woman.”

…However, I could tell that her voice didn’t carry the same level of warmth I felt from her body.

Cal Ranos, be careful. Remember to live with the thought that the holy sword is always ready to stab you.

As Shizu’s hands gently patted my back while embracing me, I kept reminding myself of this thought until morning silence gave way to breakfast time.

For the past few days, I had felt like each day truly began from early evening before bed, but today felt like a day where I had been drained since dawn. Yet I still didn’t realize what was coming.

“If you succeeded in awakening, you should have immediately informed your family! Do you think it’s acceptable for this big sister to find out only after arriving here? Is it? It’s not!”

I had no idea that with the end of morning classes, an unexpected visitor would arrive, bringing major trouble.