episode_0383

I ran away from my friends and looked at my face in the mirror in the corner of the hallway. And then I found out. The reason why everyone in the restaurant was looking at me with complicated expressions.

Anyone would feel the same way when they see a girl trying to smile while shedding tears.

After shaking off the stuff from around my eyes, I returned to my room and jumped on the bed.

As I was sobbing in a room filled with only the sound of the cold wind hitting the window, my depression became more severe. Emotions gradually eat away at reason.

‘Do you think I’m not doing it because I don’t know?’

If you roll around so hard that you can’t even think, the depression will naturally go away.

But to do that, I would have to go to the training ground, and when I go there, wouldn’t a lot of people be looking at me with complicated eyes?

It was obvious that it would make me and others very uncomfortable, so I stayed in my room instead of going outside.

‘What should I do? ‘This is the kind of person I am.’

The moment I buried my face in the pillow, ignoring my grandfather’s laughter, a voice I had forgotten for a while entered my ear.

“The melancholy appearance of a beautiful woman. This is also a gourmet dish.”

When I turned my head to follow the disgusting tone, I saw a goofy fox with drooping corners of his mouth.

Normally, he would have rushed at me to lick his tears, but now the idiot fox just made a perverted expression and did not move his feet. As winter approaches, fatigue encroaches.

I stood up while looking at the perverted fox lazily wagging its tail.

“Hmm? I like it when you look at me with crying eyes, but why are you coming towards me? Why are your hands shaking? sleep. Stop! you. You wouldn’t want to come into contact with an animal like me!”

Even if it is a spirit creature, its source is an animal. As long as there was fatigue caused by hibernation, one of the instincts of animals, the stupid fox’s resistance was unstoppable.

Ignoring the stupid fox that was caught in my hands so easily and talking nonsense, I embraced her strong fur and warmth.

“Haaa.”

In the end, the stupid fox gave up resistance and just surrendered to my touch.

“My wife likes you, so I will give you just one piece of advice.”

I didn’t respond and waited for her to continue speaking. Excluding the usual perversity, it is rare to find a being as wise as a stupid fox.

“Emotions do not go away if you ignore them. It just gradually gets bigger. So face it and accept it. Only then can we move forward.”

I burst out laughing at his tone, which contained the wisdom of a forest owner. Why does such a great guy usually only look like an animal?

If it continues to look like this during the winter, wouldn’t the stupid fox have to be left alone in the winter for the rest of its life?

“Ah. Of course, it would be nice if you could ignore the disgust towards the real woman as much as possible. Your disgusted expression makes my heart boil. Mandible. okay. That’s the expression right now. You’re the best. I feel like I’m going to die of happiness.”

Cancel what I just said. This guy needs to be sealed in winter for the rest of his life.

*

Arthur sat in the cafeteria blankly while the others prepared for training, recalling the scene just before. This is Lucy trying to smile even while shedding tears.

The vulnerable appearance of Lucy, who was always confident and arrogant, gave Arthur a lot to think about.

okay. That guy clearly has unbelievable talent. It is also reliable, as if it will never collapse even in the face of any disaster.

He is also a guy who can clearly be seen criticizing himself with a wicked smile even in the face of his own death.

But that guy is a human. No matter how strong you pretend to be, you are still human in the end.

“Joy.”

Joey, who was peeking out from behind a pillar, panicked when he heard Arthur’s voice and desperately tried to hide, but slipped and fell to the floor.

Twisted! Judging by the sound that filled the restaurant, it was clear that he was in quite a lot of pain, but Joy, who had hurriedly got up, only blushed and did her best to pretend that nothing had happened.

“Don’t worry. Because everyone else is busy preparing for training.”

“…Can’t you just pretend you don’t know?”

“If you pretend not to know, this guy will get angry and complain.”

“Ugh.”

Joey, who had been trudging along while listening to Arthur’s indifferent words, plopped down and settled down opposite him.

“It turned out well. I had something to ask.”

“What?”

“Do you know what Lucy Alln was looking for in the archipelago?”

The moment Joey heard Arthur’s question, his confusion was short-lived. He created the expression using his own magic.

“Is it related to him regaining his expression?”

However, the moment the next question was asked, Joy’s expression, which she had put together to great effect, collapsed again.

“…Did you know everything?”

“Of course I know.”

Arthur restricted sleep in the archipelago, just as he did when he was with the Knights of Arn. Desperate to win a bet with Lucy, I devoured her books.

How could Arthur not know that Lucy Aln was going out?

The same goes for facial expressions. Is it possible to not know that a guy who always makes an annoyed face suddenly smiles brightly?

“How much time did you spend with that guy?”

“Wow. That was a very romantic line just now.”

“Joy. Do you want me to use profanity?”

“Sorry.”

Who is this guy really trying to bury in the ground? If the knight from the family who had heard the story just now had heard, he would have really pushed for me to be killed.

Joey, who saw Arthur frowning, looked at his eyes and spoke carefully.

“But why did you pretend not to know until now?”

“Because he didn’t want to tell.”

I don’t know why, but Lucy Alln didn’t tell me that. So out of respect for her, I pretended not to notice. I was polite to her, my benefactor and teacher.

“But why now.”

“It’s the same reason you came to see me.”

“Yes?”

“Didn’t you think you couldn’t just leave it alone?”

“That. How do you do that?”

“It’s obvious. Are you a simpleton who looks harsh but is gentle on the inside?”

Arthur laughed as he watched Joey grumble, asking why he was being called stupid.

“We only received from her, so we should repay her even at times like this.”

“…That’s what I wanted to say first.”

“Haha. okay. That’s probably good. Rather, recite what you know.”

“Ha. First of all, I don’t know exactly what the young lady was looking for on the island.”

When I heard the stories of other knights, it is true that they searched for hidden dungeons.

However, there is only one person who knows what they are looking for, Lucy Alln. There is no way to know about it unless she tells him.

“But I think I understand why the lady is upset.”

“What is it?”

“The anniversary of Mrs. Aln’s death is just around the corner.”

loss of mother. Arthur bit his lip after hearing the words of sadness that he had personally experienced in the past and still could not shake off.

“You’re in trouble. It’s not for outsiders to intervene.”

I could be sure because Arthur still lives with his scars on him. Getting involved in this matter will only make Lucy more depressed.

“I thought so too, so I was looking for something that would make the lady happy enough to make her forget her gloom for a moment, right? But I couldn’t think of anything suitable.”

Arthur understood Joey’s concerns. Unless you can guess the extent of your sadness, you can’t shake off your melancholy with just about anything.

no. If that’s the case, definitely.

Arthur closed his eyes for a moment and continued to ponder.

The answer came quickly.

Now that the work on the archipelago is over, it is safe to say that the promise to that unknown being has been kept.

what. Even if I am mistaken, there will be no problem. If you don’t like it, I’ll know and intervene.

Arthur used his own modified sound blocking magic and opened his mouth.

“Joy. Listen carefully.”

“Yes.”

As Arthur lowers his voice, Joey’s eyes become more serious. I thought that if it was worth this much attention, it was probably an important story.

“It’s still just a guess, but it doesn’t seem like Lucy Alln is making harsh remarks out of sheer wish.”

After finishing speaking, Arthur waited for Joey’s reaction. What does that mean? Is it really true? This is the typical reaction of an idiot.

However, after hearing Arthur’s story, Joy was indifferent. no. Not only was he calm, but he even seemed somewhat pathetic.

“Why on earth is that reaction?”

“Hey. Prince.”

“Don’t you believe it? Of course, I understand that feeling.”

“No.”

“But listen carefully. There is a clear basis for this.”

“Hey. Arthur.”

Arthur’s eyes widen at the extremely rude tone of voice that Joe, who is obsessed with nobleness, would never use, and has never used except when he was very young.

Either way, Joy shook off all of her usual pretense and continued to say what she had to say.

“The time I was with you was longer than the time you were with Lady Aln.”

“Right…right?”

“I was saved by him first, I became his friend first, and I received training from him first.”

“That… is correct.”

“But you think I don’t know that?”

Only then did Arthur realize where Joey’s pathetic attitude was based.

It did. This guy is sloppy, but he’s not stupid.

He’s better than me in the field of interpersonal relationships. This is the guy who tried his best to hide his own laxity and become the center of the ladies.

There is no way Joy, who lives in the shadow of the social world, would not notice what I noticed while staying in my closet studying.

However.

However, there is one strange part.

If this guy had noticed Lucy Alln’s abnormality for a really long time, then why?

“Why did you pretend not to know?”

“I will return it to you exactly as you said it just now.”

“…Because I didn’t tell you.”

“Okay. Because the young lady didn’t tell me, I just stared at the young lady.”

There is a Lucy Aln whom Arthur does not know but who Joey knows.

This is the image of Lucy Alln, who created all kinds of trouble in the social world.

At the time, Joey thought that that behavior was just Lucy’s temper.

But what if that’s not Lucy’s nature?

What if she was just screaming at that time?

What if you tried to pretend to be strong amidst numerous criticisms?

Is it really right to take off the mask she desperately wore?

After Joy finished speaking, she wiped her face and her expression regained its usual calm.

“So let’s find another way. Prince.”

Joey won’t say anything until his suspicions are confirmed.

If anything, I will remain silent because I don’t want to damage the resolve Lucy had in the past.

“…Okay.”

Arthur nodded weakly.

“Then what should I do?”

As I was about to do this, I turned my head in surprise at the sudden appearance next to me.

Frey Kent was looking up at him with innocent eyes.

“When did you come?”

“Just now.”

“There must have been a barrier around.”

“cut it out. Was it sloppy?”

Arthur gritted his teeth at Frey’s words, which seemed to be insignificant.