episode_0100

A sparkling green light flashes once again before my eyes.

Along with the information flowing into my mind in an instant, like a passing lantern, my consciousness returns to the present time.

“Ah… that’s… how it was…”

The countless memories that came to mind upon seeing that ring.

They are memories of my first meeting with Meiru and the beginning of our serious connection.

Yes, that’s how I handed her the ring and hugged her to comfort her.

Although I didn’t know the detailed circumstances well, I first accepted and embraced her feelings.

Since then, her attitude returned to what it was before, no, even brighter and friendlier.

“…Do you need more explanation?”

Meiru, who had held out her hand with the ring on it towards me, said.

“…No, I understand enough now.”

At that time, the words I said were intended to help her overcome the trauma caused by bad memories from the dungeon.

But it seems I ended up causing a result I hadn’t expected.

Anyway, this alone was enough to know how Meiru’s love for me had begun.

Thinking about it now, I really was slow-witted.

I thought to myself how I could have so easily blurted out such things with my own mouth.

…I think I understand a little why my family told me not to talk deeply with women if possible.

Is that why my sister was so disgusted with me?

Anyway, for now, I need to refocus on Meiru in front of me.

“Right, honestly, I thought you’d secretly noticed it all along, without even knowing it, but I never imagined you really didn’t know and would only find out now.”

“That’s… I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay, apologizing now won’t change anything. Besides, you didn’t do anything wrong in the first place.”

Saying that, she pressed herself close to my side again and leaned on me.

Though she was still smiling, her face looked somewhat bitter.

“Thinking about it, we’ve been through so much together since freshman year, including the entrance ceremony and the dungeon rampage incident.”

“Right… And at the end of the semester, because I tried to help Seraphina on my own, I ended up dragging you into helping too.”

“It’s okay because I was the one who tried to help first back then. I couldn’t just leave you being dragged here and there because of that weird meddling. But I was always worried. Every time you got caught up in something, you always came back covered in wounds. Especially last year, I was worried you might actually die!”

“When you say last year… Ah, you’re talking about when the black magic organizations started their full-scale invasion. Indeed, that was a big deal back then. It was enough to paralyze the entire area around the academy, even if only temporarily. Because of that, the end of the semester was moved up a lot.”

“That’s not a problem you can just gloss over, Ropel. At that time, everyone who knew you was just worried about you. Speaking of which, thinking about it now is a bit funny. If you think about the people who were by your side then, they were all women. Sometimes, I even suspected you were deliberately poking around among the famous female students.”

“Th… That much?”

“Of course. Lilith Tistina, Seraphina Serion, Isabella Kshatri are so famous that all the male students at the academy dream of having just one conversation with them. I hear Isabella Kshatri is also quite popular… and uhm, though she wasn’t there, the Princess was also very worried about you.”

“Th… The Princess too?”

“Ah, anyway, do you know how much they cried their eyes out seeing you in such a battered state? I also held your hand tightly while you were lying there hovering between life and death, and I couldn’t even eat properly while I nursed you.”

“I see… I really did cause more trouble than I thought…”

“I wasn’t saying that for you to blame yourself. I just… I want you to know that you are loved by so many people and are a precious existence to them. And that much… please also cherish your own body and mind.”

“Haha… I’ll try.”

“That’s not all. Please be a little more careful and considerate when you act normally.”

“…Huh? What do you mean?”

“I mean, don’t say things that make others misunderstand or, or make them mistaken…! Although I didn’t mention it earlier, among the people who came to see you when you were sick, there was an unknown woman who said she had met you before and the landlady of the lodging you stayed at. Especially the landlady, you didn’t even meet her for very long, but what did you do in that short time to make her cry her eyes out for you? And what on earth happened during the roughly half year you were an exchange student in the first semester of 2nd year that made a female student from another academy you met then come looking for you?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry… I’m sincerely reflecting on that…! So I’ll be careful from now on…! Now I’m a man with a girlfriend, you know…”

“…Anyway, if you can’t answer…”

A brief silence followed.

For some reason, in that silence, Meiru fidgeted, seemingly hesitating to say something.

The word ‘girlfriend’ that I had said last seemed to bother her a lot.

“…Listen, Ropel, if… if I had been a little more proactive… would the situation have been a little different?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Just… instead of uselessly hoping you’d notice my feelings first… if I had directly confessed to you myself… wouldn’t I be able to be by your side as your lover?”

“Ah… that kind of thing…”

My mouth couldn’t easily open at her sudden question.

But knowing that an ambiguous answer would only make it harder for her.

I decided to answer firmly and honestly.

“Perhaps… I don’t think it would have changed…”

“I see… As expected… Am I still not enough for you…?”

“That’s not what I mean! It’s just… I… Honestly… I I just… cannot possibly accept the fact that someone would love a being like me. It’s not a matter of doubting others or anything like that, it’s just… I don’t have the confidence to make anyone who is with me… happy. No matter what I do… I can’t help but think that meeting someone else would be a happier choice for the other person…”

This is the truth.

It’s a stake in my heart that I’ve had since my previous life, perhaps hammered in by the experiences of my previous life.

In fact, my relationship with Lilith too… if there hadn’t been the means of a one-night stand, I wouldn’t have even dreamed of being in a relationship.

“…I see… Then Lady Tistina was really able to open your heart. I wonder what kind of romantic persuasion there was… I’m really curious… and… jealous…”

…For now, I must absolutely not tell Meiru about that night’s mistake.

Absolutely not.

“I’m… I’m sorry for rejecting your feelings, Meiru.”

“I told you, you don’t need to apologize… But thank you for answering, Ropel. Regardless of whether it was positive or negative, I really wanted to hear your answer. No, rather, it’s a relief that you rejected me. At least I no longer need to regret my actions so far. If you had given the opposite answer, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life, thinking about the past until I died. …And if that’s the case… then the answer to my current feelings would be the same…”

“Yes, I already have Lilith.”

“Yes… That’s right…”

She, who had been leaning on me all along, stood up.

And she bent down towards me, who was still sitting, meeting my eyes at the same level.

I don’t know exactly why, but talking and meeting with her gave me a little peace of mind.

Honestly, I was worried about how she would react if I rejected her feelings.

Without looking far, in Seraphina’s case… she couldn’t accept reality and created an unfavorable outcome.

Fortunately, things worked out with Elizion, but I didn’t know how it would turn out with Meiru.

As expected, I will probably need to talk to Isabella at length later and explain the situation.

Anyway, for now, it’s really fortunate that the strong Meiru accepted my answer well…

*Smooch*

..!?

*Churucheop Chup Chubeupe*

Just as I was starting to realize her face was getting closer to mine, her lips overlapped with mine just like that.

Before I even noticed what was happening, her tongue entered my mouth, and there was a deep contact for a moment.

The series of actions that occurred in an instant was enough to leave my mind in chaos.

Fortunately, before I could push her away with my hand in surprise, she was the first to pull her lips away, ending the short kiss.

“I’m sorry, Ropel, but… I guess this is the only way.”

“Me… Meiru, you… suddenly what…! Th… The answer I just gave…”

“I know. I confessed my feelings to you, and you rejected them. But… I won’t give up.”

She walks past my side.

For a moment, her hand stroked my body as if caressing it.

Her touch started from my lower body and gradually moved up to my neck.

“I won’t give up. No, to be precise, I should say I can’t give up. It’s too late to pull back now… I’ve already fallen too deeply for a being like you. To the point where the fact that you have someone else by your side doesn’t matter at all.”

Meiru’s hand, which had been moving along my body, grabbed my chin and lifted it up.

And soon it went up along my cheek, stroking my face as if lovingly.

Her passionately blazing gaze met mine.

“Wh… What…?”

“So… be nervous the next time we meet.

You, and your lover too.

I… have no intention of hiding these feelings any longer.

And someday I’ll tell you about the secret I still have left.

Only when this problem I’m holding is resolved… will you finally be able to know everything.”

Saying that, Meiru disappeared into the mist of the early dawn.

Her two eyes, like the green gem set in her finger, sparkled sharply.

…What just happened?