Ch.6969. What is Trust.

“Blanc, may I step outside for a moment?”

“Where to?”

“Just outside to Ellie’s office. I suddenly can’t hear the crybaby shouting anymore.”

“Huh? You’re right. I wonder if she went in?”

“Maybe not. Who knows, the crybaby might have given up and is sitting in front of the door, sobbing quietly.”

“Hyewon crying… hmm, that’s nonsense.”

“Ha, anyway, I’ll go check.”

“Ah, before you go, shouldn’t you tell me what I need to prepare?”

“Oh, just prepare two of each, except for that line. I’ve taken care of everything else.”

“Sigh… still so many. Why is there so much stuff?”

“Because these are all the weapons you’ve been hit with until now.”

“True, there were times when I couldn’t respond properly because the weapon changed every time I saw it. I got caught off guard many times.”

“Honestly, I ended up like this because I was trying to figure out how you adapt and respond to weapons with completely different velocities and weights. Consider it your fault for being too exceptional.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“It’s an insult. An insult. Do you have any idea how frustrated I was? Do you know how difficult it is to completely change response methods?”

“I know very well, since I’m the one who has to adapt to your changes.”

“Sigh… it’s hard to even argue with you. You never give an inch.”

“I don’t want to lose to you in anything. Besides, if I let you win, you wouldn’t like it either, would you?”

“That’s right. You understand that much at least.”

“Just go check already. If Ellie isn’t opening the door, go convince her to open it.”

“I’ll handle that myself. Well then.”

I feel like talking with Blanc any longer will just give me a headache.

My head feels strangely refreshed right now.

When will I feel this refreshed again?

For the sake of this rare refreshing feeling, I’ll avoid Blanc for a while.

Coming out of the storage room, I found the crybaby sitting in front of the door, just as I expected.

Well, she wasn’t sobbing, so I was only half right.

“Hey, crybaby. What are you doing?”

“Oh, waiting for Ellie.”

“You’re waiting?”

“Why?”

“Nothing, I just thought someone like you would have broken down the door to get into Ellie’s room…”

“Break down this door? These walls? That’s impossible even for me.”

“I see you know your limits. You’re right. These walls are so well-protected that even if Blanc hit them, they might barely crack. It’s excessive protection, but still. I thought you’d be wailing while banging on the door. But you’re not.”

“Come on, I’m not some tantrum-throwing child. Haah…”

“Well, judging by your appearance, you must have tried.”

“Yeah. Well, when Ellie begs like that, what can I do?”

“Oh? You trust Ellie?”

“Huh…? Why?”

“Nothing, I just thought you’d feel utterly betrayed if Ellie lied about her room being messy and was actually just lounging around in a clean office without tidying anything.”

“Hmm… I don’t think Ellie would do that.”

“I can confidently say I’ve met Ellie far more times than you have, but you’re ignoring my advice?”

Ellie’s room really is messy.

I don’t know why, but her office is filled with all kinds of documents and clothes… If the saying “geniuses have messy desks” is true, then Ellie would be the second smartest person in the world.

Considering how neat the Boss’s desk was, that proposition must be false to begin with.

But why am I testing the crybaby with these words?

Is it because I can’t believe she trusts Ellie so much?

Is it because I can’t understand why she places such trust in Ellie, who is still a villain?

“Do you really trust Ellie?”

“Well, why wouldn’t I?”

“She surely hasn’t done anything to earn your trust, has she?”

“If she’s deceiving me, I can just teach her a lesson. I’m definitely stronger than her, you know?”

“Ah, confidence from physical superiority? But you must remember that Ellie fights with her brain, not her physical abilities.”

“Even considering that, I think I’d win. That’s just how it is.”

“Still, that doesn’t seem like a reason to trust Ellie.”

“Geez. Do you need a reason to trust someone? It’s hard to explain even if I tried to make something up.”

“I’m curious about your true feelings. Do you trust villains?”

“I don’t trust villains.”

“Then, are you saying you trust Ellie and me?”

But there’s a contradiction in your words.

Are you aware of that contradiction?

Or do you have a reason to trust us despite ignoring and rejecting that contradiction?

“What? Why are you glaring at me like that?”

Seeing the crybaby’s surprised expression.

Normally, I would have teased her saying it was amusing, but now it feels different.

Oh, did the crybaby notice I was glaring?

But my expression hasn’t changed…?

“We are villains. Don’t you find your own words strange?”

“Strange? Did I misspeak?”

“We are villains. You said you don’t trust villains. Yet you trust us? Isn’t there a contradiction in your words?”

“I really don’t see what’s strange. No.”

“You really…”

“Let’s think simply. Why live so complicatedly? Hmm?”

Hearing the crybaby’s dismissive words, was I dumbfounded?

I didn’t have the energy to ask more, but I still asked one last question.

“Sigh… I don’t want to waste time on this. You say think simply? Aren’t we villains? Then why, why…”

“I just trust you because it’s you. Oh right, Bine, can you open Ellie’s door? Wouldn’t it be better if you opened it rather than wasting time?”

“What is… sigh…”

When asked ‘why,’

If the answer is ‘just because’… what am I supposed to do…

“Yes, I can open it… but I can’t guarantee whether Ellie will reward your trust or deeply betray it. You’ll have to deal with the consequences yourself.”

“Why make such a big deal out of it…”

The crybaby sighed and knocked on the door she was leaning against, calling for Ellie.

“Ellie, are you done cleaning?”

Judging by the clattering sounds still coming from inside, it seems she’s still in the middle of cleaning.

“Oh right. What was I saying about trust earlier? There’s nothing to deal with. Everything is just as it appears, isn’t it?”

“Even if you heard everything, my question about trust wasn’t limited to just this situation.”

“My answer wasn’t limited to just this situation either.”

“Judging people may be simple, but it’s not easy.”

“I know, I know all that. Bine, what’s wrong with you today? Did someone betray you? Did you get into an internet fight? Did Ellie say something to you?”

“No, isn’t it strange?”

“Now is not the time for such talk.”

“Sigh… fine. Let’s open it first.”

There’s something unsettling, but I need to open the door first.

I knock on the door and call Ellie again.

“Ellie. I’m coming in.”

“Bine! Ah, no! Wait a moment!”

“No time. You wouldn’t let the crybaby in, but what kind of cleaning is this? You’re not even coming back anyway.”

“It’s important! Really, just a moment!! Just a little more time!”

“You should have used that ‘little time’ while Blanc and I were cleaning. Everyone already knows how… serious it is in there.”

“No, you can’t! I really mean it!”

“I’m coming in.”

I place my fingerprint on the lock of Ellie’s room.

The sound of the lock opening and the motor of the automatic door moving…

“Eek?! That’s right! No! I, I have to block it. Ugh!!”

Ah, she’s blocking it with force.

“Ellie, you’ll get hurt.”

“No, I really mean it! This really can’t happen, please, just a little more, okay?”

“Ellie, let go. You can’t block it with your strength anyway.”

“No, uh, aack?!”

The door was trembling as it tried to open, so I helped it with my hand.

She must have been holding the door really tightly, because as it opened, Ellie fell on top of me.

While Ellie isn’t that heavy so it didn’t hurt, but that… how should I put it…

It’s an embarrassing position…

“Ellie…”

“Bine… um, uh… w-well…”

“How long… are you going to… get off… this is uncomfortable…”

“U-um… y-yes…”

“I told you not to resist and just let me open it…”

“S-sorry… b-but…”

I look around her room visible behind Ellie.

It seems she did clean up to some extent, as the areas within her reach are organized…

But places she couldn’t reach like the top of the bookshelf… or the storage area…

Those places were still a mess…

Consistently, only the paths she walks through are clear of objects.

Actually, the items along those paths used to pile up to half my height…

But now they’ve been reduced quite a bit.

“Ellie, get off.”

“Ah, u-um, okay…”

“Crybaby, let’s go in. It’s relatively clean in here. She must have thrown everything into a storage room somewhere.”

“Yeah… I see…”

I can’t help the crybaby with her shocked expression.

This is entirely your fault, isn’t it, Ellie…

You should have kept things tidy in the first place.

Don’t look at the crybaby with that world-ending expression as if being caught like this is the end.

“Ah, no… Citrus, th-that’s…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Ugh…”

“What’s the problem now? Sigh… what’s with you and Bine today?”

“Ah, uuu…”

“Hey, why is your face turning red? Are you embarrassed about the mess?”

Ellie just buried her face in my chest.

Her cheeks are warm. Even warmer than usual.