episode_0132

Adele looked quite perplexed.

That’s because even though Diane often quarreled with Adele, there was a certain line between her and Adele.

She often said very sharp things, and if she wasn’t someone with a big heart like Adele—that is, especially if she was a noble person—she would say things that would be enough to challenge her to a duel, but she never said anything that openly belittled honor itself. Diane herself. Since she was the daughter of a high-ranking noble family, she probably knew that was something she shouldn’t say.

Flirting with a man—it was something an aristocratic woman would do casually, but saying it out loud was purely to insult the other person. It was not something to say to a woman, especially in this world where overt sexual notions were conservative.

It’s fortunate that the only people who will hear those words are Adele, myself, and Amelia.

“Diane.”

“Have you just never had an opportunity? As soon as an opportunity appears in front of you—”

“Diane!”

Adele shouted, and only then did Diane stop speaking.

Diane’s face was pale as she closed her mouth. She was glaring at Adele as if she was angry about something, and the corners of her eyes were a little wet.

why?

I do not know the reason.

Feeling attracted to Harvey Brother? I can understand it. Even if you fell in love with him at first sight, I can understand it too. He is that handsome, tall, has a good body, and above all, is talented.

But even so, it is not something to be so emotional about.

It’s possible for two people to like the same person, but it’s strange to break up a relationship from that moment on. It’s understandable if their feelings continue to clash and eventually they turn around, but it’s understandable if a relationship that has been built with many meanings comes to naught in an instant. The thing is… … weird.

Plus, his facial expression was like that.

If you are angry, you are angry. You may glare, or you may be swayed by your emotions and have tears in your eyes.

But my face doesn’t turn red, it turns white… … What can I say, he looked like he was scared.

Maybe that’s why Amelia was looking at Diane as if something was strange ever since she tried to stop her a while ago.

“Diane, why are you doing this?”

Adele spoke calmly and took a step toward Diane.

Then Diane Dohwa was startled and took a step back.

He had his arms crossed under his chest, but when I looked again, it seemed like he was covering a cold body rather than simply showing that he was angry.

Diane’s lips were soft.

Was he shocked by what he said a moment ago? Or was it for some other reason?

“Diane.”

The person who spoke this time was Amelia.

“Let’s sit down for a moment.”

As Amelia approached her while saying that, Diane nodded slightly.

I carefully brought him to a chair and sat him down, and we sat across from him at the table.

“If,”

Amelia opened her mouth cautiously.

“If you showed that way for a reason that I can’t tell you right now, okay. I’ll forgive you. I won’t even ask you why. Of course, if you show that way again, it’ll be hard to forgive then.”

“… … I’m sorry.”

Diane said that in a hushed voice.

“Like.”

Amelia nodded and continued speaking.

“But there is one thing I have to do.”

Amelia looked at Adele, then looked at Diane again and said,

“Please apologize for what you said to Adele a little while ago.”

“… … .”

At Amelia’s words, Diane bit her lip.

“If you are a noble, you would know that you shouldn’t say things like that. There are only people here who won’t believe you. It wouldn’t have tarnished Adele’s honor, but if this was a place where people gathered, you would have tarnished Adele’s honor. Because it will become something.”

Amelia paused for a moment and looked at Diane’s expression.

Diane had her head slightly lowered and her shoulders were shaking.

“And the apology for those words should be from Adele, not me. The apology you gave me is an apology for ruining the atmosphere by saying such things at a place I invited.”

“… … .”

Diane glanced up and looked at Adele for a moment.

Adele did not show off, get angry, or look irritated like she usually did to Diane. Rather, she was just looking at her as if she was worried about Diane.

Diane looked down helplessly,

“Adele, I’m sorry.”

He said in a low voice.

“Could you please cancel that statement?”

“… … Yes, I will cancel.”

“Like.”

Amelia sent her gaze to Adele.

“Adele, what would you do?”

“I don’t think that’s a lie, so I’ll forgive you.”

Amelia nodded in response to Adele.

“Then, let’s pretend that what happened in this room a moment ago never happened.”

The four of us sitting around the table reached an agreement.

… … Things went by so quickly.

What on earth happened?

*

That was fear.

Diane was feeling a sense of fear.

When I met Elsie’s brother, I felt ecstatic for a moment. Among noble men, there were many who took care of their appearance, but few were so good-looking. Moreover, at least on the outside, a man named Havidel Kissi was a man who took great care of his appearance. It didn’t feel like that.

So, I was able to actually gauge how handsome he was.

but-

“You said you were in Delki City not long ago and then came back, right?”

When I saw Adele saying those words, her face slightly blushing and her eyes sparkling.

What was that feeling?

It’s not strange to feel good when you see a handsome and good-natured man.

Moreover, since he was a man from Delkisi who was known for his excellent swordsmanship, he could be said to be a perfect fit for Adele’s tastes.

So it’s not strange.

It wasn’t a strange thing… …

“Then, may I check your sword skills?”

“Can you do that!?”

In that way, the emotion Diane felt upon seeing Adele making an appointment with that man was jealousy.

… … But it was different from what you commonly think of as jealousy.

Not the jealousy you feel when you see a woman with a noble man, but the jealousy you feel at the thought that the person who should always be by your side might go somewhere else.

Yes.

Diane was feeling jealous of a man named Harvey Del Kish.

I was feeling jealous of the man who elicited such favor from Adele after only meeting him once.

And the feeling that followed was fear.

why me?

Why on earth to Adele?

After the fear, there was confusion, and after that there was fear again.

Probably not.

He must be mistaken, Diane thought.

“Diane.”

The voice she heard nearby brought Diane back to reality.

Adele was right nearby. She smelled of sweat very slightly. It was because we had been swinging swords together just a little while ago.

Of course, I wasn’t paying much attention. Adele probably noticed it right away. Elsie and Amelia were the same.

Namaelsi tilted her head for a long time as if she didn’t understand the situation, and Adele didn’t seem to have thought any further other than noticing that it was strange.

But Amelia. Amelia… … .I felt like I knew something.

I felt a certain emotion from the gaze that was looking directly at Diane.

Diane was scared of that too.

For nobles, even the slightest visible flaw can immediately become a life-threatening weakness.

However, of course, that feeling may have been Diane’s own illusion, and in reality, it is a temporary phenomenon that has nothing to do with it, so it cannot be a weakness, but if it is true, just in the unlikely event that it is true, then there is a situation where Diane has to hide this feeling for the rest of her life. If—

This means that everything about Diane was in Amelia’s hands.

Amelia has treated Diane and Adele well so far. Although she sometimes makes a bit of a scary face, she doesn’t really point things out or anything, as long as they keep the line.

However, originally, being an aristocrat had a way of hiding those thoughts and living for 10 or 20 years.

“Diane.”

Once again, I blinked at that voice.

Adel came back into view.

“Did something happen at home?”

Nothing happened.

“Or, did I do something wrong?”

Adele did nothing wrong.

Everything was Diane’s problem.

“… … If you’re having a hard time, it’s okay to tell me.”

It was a different reaction from Adele’s usual reaction, and it was even harder for Diane to bear it.

It would have been better if they had teased Diane, poked her, and touched her pride like usual. Then she would have responded by screaming and going wild.

… … It was my first time.

It was the first time for Diane to have a friend who cared about her in this way. She had only heard similar words from the maid who looked after her when she was a child.

Maybe, just because of something like this?

“… … .”

Diane felt like if she opened her mouth, she would say something unpleasant again, so she just nodded stiffly.