episode_0043

What on earth is going on?

Seldianne, who I thought had clearly retreated from the square, is standing in front of our house.

The story is that she, who had been far behind, overtook me on an unnoticeable route and was waiting for me at the destination first.

“… How are you?”

On top of that, he greeted me with a face full of iron as if we were meeting for the first time today.

“… Wow.”

Although it was very unexpected, I approached her with an indifferent expression.

Step, step―

For a moment, the words Lucica had said before we parted ways flashed through my mind.

‘That girl may not be a harbinger, but she’s incredibly stubborn. She can be annoying in strange ways, not to mention harassing you.’

Sure, this was a weird way to do it.

What does it mean that he came after me alone, outside of the branch where he could not fully wield his authority at the academy, and even sent away the subordinates he always carried with him?

Is it that you want to talk to me as a simple person-to-person, not as the great noble Elkonza, but as Seldianne?

‘… And then, this was it.’

Before we parted ways, Heidiera seemed to be staring somewhere, and I thought maybe she sensed Seldianne’s presence.

If my guess is correct, she went back without saying anything so as not to interrupt my private conversation with Seldiane.

Anyway, since she was standing there like that in front of the house, it was something I couldn’t just ignore and pass by like I did in the square.

I guess I have no choice but to send you back after fully listening to what you want to say.

I approached the girl with the golden bun hair standing outside the front door with her arms crossed and asked her the question I was most curious about.

“How did you find out about my house? Miss Elconza.”

Seldianne avoided eye contact, resting her chin on her fan, perhaps because she felt it was too embarrassing to say it herself.

“Huh, hmm… Is there something wrong with this Elconja knowing the information of the Academy students? It’s nothing to a smart lady!”

“… No, even if we are students in the same academy, I don’t think there is any reason for me to know your home address. Could you be honest with me? It would be a bit scary if you were stalked by a noble.”

When I asked with a shrug, Celdianne blushed and snapped.

“What the…! What on earth makes you say such nonsense about a lady…!”

“If not, just tell me why.”

“읏… ”

Speechless, Celdianne spread out her fan and covered her mouth.

“… is coming.”

He mumbled something in an inaudible voice.

“Huh? What did you say?”

When I asked with a frown, she took a deep breath and confessed the real reason why she knew my home address.

“Ha, I’ve been here once so I know! Eeeeek!”

“… Yes?”

But my frown only grew deeper.

You came? When?

When I looked at her face with that meaning, Seldianne explained the whole story with an expression that seemed to be enduring humiliation.

“A few months ago… When you collapsed and took a break from the academy, you came to this place.”

“Ah… Is that so? But why don’t I remember Miss Elconza ever visiting?”

“Well, since you turned back at the door, it’s natural that you don’t know.”

“Um, did you not respond when I called you while you were inside?”

“That’s not it. The lady just went back without calling you.”

“Yes… ? What do you mean… ”

The more I listened to Seldiane, the more incomprehensible her actions became.

Of course, I was probably passed out at that time, so I might not have woken up even if you knocked on the door, but on top of that, I just turned around in front of the house in the first place?

Why would I do something so unproductive? It was a mystery.

As I stared at her with eyes full of doubt and suspicion, Celdianne blushed in shame and turned her head away.

“Look, it is the duty of a nobleman to look after the commoners! Since he was absent from the academy for not one day, but three days, it was only natural that even those who had no close relationship with the lady would check on his well-being, even if it was only for formality!”

“Ah… I know what you mean.”

“So, the lady checked the student records and came to your house in person! She also intended to give you the medicine she gave you!”

Well, considering Celdiane’s personality of occasionally showing hypocritical favors to commoners, talking about generosity and morality, I could understand why she came to our house.

But there were still some facts that were unclear.

“But why did you just go back? I don’t know if I didn’t hear it because I was sleeping, but you said you left without even knocking on the door. Why did you do that?”

“That’s right… ”

Seldianne twisted the wrist holding the fan and pointed at me.

“Because there was a passenger. Unlike you, there was someone who had a clear reason to come looking for you.”

“Tirisia… Is that what you mean?”

“… Huh.”

She crossed her arms again with a disgruntled expression.

The words that came out in a loud voice were expressing doubts that even he himself could not understand.

“That woman… She didn’t even care about meeting you and headed to your house’s door. She had a complicated expression on her face that I can’t describe… ”

“That must be it, at that time… ”

“After looking into the whole story, I think it was right after you were betrayed. Is that right, Lady?”

“… That’s right.”

Seldianne let out a deep breath as if she had expected this and shook her head.

“When I saw that Miss Brewery was in a strange state, I had no choice but to retreat… In the first place, I had only come to see you for the sake of formality, so there was no reason to interrupt a meeting with someone close to me. That’s why I immediately returned.”

“I understand, you weren’t stalking me. That’s good.”

“The very fact that you looked at me like that, even for a moment, is offensive! Please don’t ever bring up the words “stalker” and “lady” together in your mouth again!?”

“Oh, sorry. I’m sorry.”

As she nodded, Seldianne finally felt a little more at ease, as if she was finally able to get back to the main point.

“Anyway, I didn’t come here to have this kind of trivial conversation. Could you spare me a moment?”

In response to his unusual attitude of asking for my permission, I shrugged and nodded.

“Even if you say no, I don’t think you’ll go back, so I’ll listen. If you have anything to say, feel free to say it and then go back. I think it’d be better to put an end to it now rather than making room for it later. Miss Elconza.”

He’s a guy who came all the way to my house by himself. To put it nicely, there’s no way he’d go back.

In the square, the other students’ gazes and even the subordinates right next to me may have noticed to some extent, so they probably just let me go.

But seeing as he followed me like this, it seemed like he had something he absolutely had to tell me.

If you expressed such a strong will, there was no reason for me to avoid it.

Because I too am one of those people who wants a clean ending to our relationship.

I’m not sure what she’s trying to say, but let’s just listen.

“Good.”

Seldianne took a deep breath and looked at my face with trembling crimson eyes.

I went back over the premise I had set in the square before she started talking.

“You probably remember the parts I mentioned earlier, right? Please keep those in mind when you speak.”

“읏.”

Seldianne, who was about to open her mouth, moved her lips for a moment as if something was bothering her mind.

“Ahem,”

After a long pause, she cleared her throat and the words that came out of her mouth were,

“Well, isn’t that a good thing?! Breaking up with that dirty woman who covets other men’s arms!”

“Huh?”

Unthinkable,

“You guys weren’t even meant to be together in the first place!”

Really, I couldn’t even imagine it,

“As the lady always said, it was meant to be this way! This was the ending you were destined for!”

It was such an outrageous outburst.

“There is a saying that a phone call is a blessing! After breaking up with that dirty woman, wasn’t it rather lucky for you to be able to receive training in the open magic circuit from this Elconja?! Commoners must live up to their titles to see the light! Your lady’s insight was not wrong at all! Oh-hohohoho! ”

Seldianne, who spread out her fan and burst into the laughter of a noble young lady.

No… Elconza.

You… really…

“… … ”

“Hoho… Ho… ”

As I looked at her with a face that had been terribly devoid of emotion, Celdianne’s laughter gradually died down.

Soon silence descended in front of the front door,

“… That’s,”

I asked her for confirmation in a nonchalant manner.

“Is that all you have to say?”

Something inside me felt like it was going to explode, and I was struggling to suppress it, so my words trailed off.

But I still had at least a little bit of faith in her.

Seldiane Elconza is a strange guy, but he’s not the worst.

As a representative of the nobility, she tried to erase me from the Academy, but that was just her own choice and did not mean that she had fallen to the lowest point of humanity.

So, I chose to end the relationship without holding a grudge against her, leaving behind at least the bare minimum of affection and consideration.

But it seems that I was mistaken.

Even at this point, Celdiane Elconza is still talking nonsense.

He was boasting that his prophecy had come true, saying that it was only natural that I had to break up with Tirisia.

There was only one thought running through my mind right now.

This guy,

Are you crazy?

No matter what, right now, in front of me, it seems like you’re not in your right mind.

There was a limit to the inability to distinguish between what should and should not be said.

But he came all the way to my house and acted so serious that I thought he might want to apologize to me, so I tried to listen to his story.

I absolutely could not stand this sight of him only preaching his own justification until the end and trampling on what was truly important.

“What are those eyes?! This Elconza is comforting you for your broken heart right now! There’s no need to be attached to a relationship that won’t work in the first place! So there’s no reason for you to be sad, right?! I understand your anger at being betrayed by that dirty woman. If you need more strength in the future, I’ll personally―”

“Please stop it, Miss Elconza.”

I raised my palm and interrupted Elconza’s rapid-fire speech.

I couldn’t listen to anything more.

What’s the point of such nonsense?

I just wanted her to get out of my sight right now.

“The training will be done by you now. As I said, we will live as perfect strangers from now on. So, I appreciate your offer, but I will decline. Please go back now, Miss Elconza.”

“You…!”

Then Elkonja, enraged at his kindness being rejected, clutched his debt tightly.

A truly absurd resentment is directed at me from the sharpened crimson eyes.

“Are you going to maintain that indifferent attitude until the end…?!”

“Well, you and I are strangers now. It really doesn’t matter. Is there something wrong with my attitude?”

Snap!

The fan Elkonja was holding was bent in the wrong direction by her strong grip.

“Erto, Erto… You… !”

Elconza, who had come running towards me, grabbed me by the collar.

I didn’t stop her in any way.

Because I don’t even want to touch it.

The crimson eyes in front of my nose glared with blazing anger.

“Stop fooling around with me and treat me right! At least in the end, answer me like you usually do!”

“Stop… ”

“I absolutely cannot accept ending my relationship with Elkonza like this! Show me your true feelings, Erto!”

“―Hey.”

At those cold words, Elconza’s words were cut off.

“Stop it.”

Her face became filled with endless bewilderment, and her grip on his collar loosened.

“Shall I tell you what I really want to say?”

“ to… ”

I finally revealed my feelings that I couldn’t hold back to Seldianne, who took a step back and turned pale.

“You’re so fucking annoying.”

“Ah,”

“Get out of here, I don’t want to see you.”

“That, is that true…?”

I frowned, turned away from her, and opened the front door.

and,

“How dare you act friendly with me when you were going to expel me?”

bang!

He left her at the front door and closed it.

There was no sound of retreating footsteps outside.

There was no knock on the door either.

It felt like time had stopped outside, but I paid it no mind and walked inside the house.

I think it was kind to this extent.