episode_0052

That evening.

After finishing all my classes, I returned to the dormitory and rested. Hermel asked me to go to dinner, so I headed to the student cafeteria.

Well, I had to eat dinner, so I quietly followed along, but I had some things to think about, so I was walking quietly looking ahead when Hermel suddenly blocked my path.

“Charles, there is something I want to ask you.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“That guy named Sarah you mentioned. Is this the guy who was swearing at the commoner next to him during class today?”

Hermel’s words reminded me of Sera cursing me during class today, telling her not to come near, and I almost burst out laughing.

However, he suppressed his emotions with superhuman patience and smiled bitterly.

“Yes, that’s right. I wasn’t that kind of kid… … . I’m embarrassed.”

“It was always quiet, right? Why did it suddenly change like that?”

When I tilted my head as if I didn’t know why he was asking me that, Hermel pouted his lips.

“No, I asked because I thought you would know. It’s okay if you don’t know.”

“Umm… … . I had a conversation with Sarah at lunch today, and maybe that’s why I changed… … .”

“What did you talk about?”

“Hermel knows, but Serah goes around with commoners, right? So I asked. I was hoping that by being by my side as my attendant, he would have the same thoughts as me… … .”

When I said that and trailed off, Hermel shook his head.

“I guess you were wrong.”

“Yes… … . It’s not that Sarah had the same thoughts as me, but she wanted to be like me, so she brought a commoner with her. So, I told him to stop if he had that mindset, and that it wouldn’t help either you or Ceria, so I told him not to do it… … . Yes, well.”

Hermel frowned and clicked his tongue as he vaguely spoke.

“Ha, if I had known it would be like that, I would have stopped listening. Now that I know the whole story, I feel bad for no reason.”

As I smiled bitterly, Hermel opened his eyes and glared at me.

“Charles. I’m just asking just in case, but you still don’t plan on defending her, do you?”

Hermel just smiled slightly and shook his head.

“You mean… … . Even though she was your maid, aren’t you treating her like a brat? It’s going to hurt you. Strike it out. It would be easier to just abandon that guy and pretend not to notice.”

“… … There seems to be a misunderstanding, but I don’t accept Sarah simply because I like her.”

“Huh?”

“Of course, it is true that Sarah is my maid, so I care about her a little more than others. But the real reason I don’t push Sarah away is because I am the reason Sarah became obsessed with me.”

“I assume the minimum responsibility… … . What is that? Wow, you are really amazing too.”

Hermel, who was looking at me with a shocked face, sighed and clung to my arm.

“Still, it was cool. I didn’t even know you, who was always so soft, could make such a loud noise. ‘Shut up Sarah! ‘What kind of nuisance is this during class?’, ugh… … .”

“I’m embarrassed to hear it like that again… … .”

As my face felt itchy, I slowly averted my gaze and covered my mouth with a fan.

Then Hermel made a fuss, saying it was cute, and naturally the attention of those around him was drawn in this direction.

The corners of the mouth hidden under the fan trembled.

“It’s uncomfortable to walk, can you please step away?”

“I hate it!”

“People around me are looking at me… … .”

“Then I hate it even more!”

Hermel said that and clung to my arm even more.

also… … . Aside from being desirable, it’s really annoying. This princess.

Still, I like the soft chest.

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After finishing a light dinner, Hermel and I decided to walk along the trail for a while and talk rather than going straight to the dormitory.

Today there was an incredibly beautiful full moon in the clear sky.

“The moon is so pretty.”

When Hermel lowered his head to look at her, Hermel, who had been blinking, tilted his head.

“Did I say something strange?”

“… … It’s nothing.”

Yes, this is reality, not a game. There is no way Hermel would know about Japanese-style confession. Well, even if I knew and said it, I had no intention of accepting it.

He chuckled and shook his head.

“What was the first class tomorrow?”

“I know it as music.”

“Ugh… … . hate… … .”

“I guess you don’t like music that much?”

“Not really, rather than saying I don’t like it, I would say it’s difficult, or something like that.”

Hermel smiled bitterly and looked down at his hands.

“This is especially true when asked to play a stringed instrument such as the violin. How can I take advantage of the delicate sense of my fingertips? … . I understand what you are saying, but it is too difficult for me.”

“I like it. Hermel’s hand.”

“Huh? Yeah, really? Uhmmm, uhehe… … .”

Is it possible for someone to like me that much just because I praised them once?

As I watched Hermel smirking, unable to control the corners of his mouth rising, I burst out laughing without realizing it.

“Fuuhu.”

Hermel, whose face was stained red, must have finally come to his senses after hearing my laughter, and cleared his throat as he fell from next to me.

“Hmm! hmm… … . Ah, anyway. Doesn’t Charles have anything like that?”

“What is it?”

“Such as subjects you find difficult. Well――I guess you don’t have anything in particular?”

“No, it’s only been my second day at the academy. What made you think that there aren’t any subjects that I find difficult?”

“Atmosphere?”

Sounds that don’t even sound like words… … . He looked at Hermel with that look on his face for a moment and then crossed his arms.

It’s a difficult subject… … .

“… … There is just one subject that I find difficult.”

“What is it?”

“Dance. Especially social dancing.”

Dancing is basically done by a man and a woman as a pair, but I, who hates men so much that I get goosebumps just by making eye contact with a man, can’t believe I’m dancing while holding hands with a man. That’s nonsense.

Well, if I hadn’t been caught and raped by the mob that day, I would have been able to dance for a while, but… … .

I shook my head and sighed.

“I can do pretty well in other subjects, but I just can’t do it in dance.”

“What? Is it true?”

Hermel opened his eyes wide and looked at me with an expression of disbelief.

“What is that face.”

“No――Social dancing is usually the norm among nobles. Are you really bad at it?”

He avoided Hermel’s eyes and covered his mouth with his fan.

“Ha… … . Yes, I can’t. I have no intention of denying it, so could you please stop looking at me like that?”

“You’re not denying it.”

“It’s embarrassing, but it’s true.”

“Heehee, that’s right~”

Hermel took the lead and twirled as if dancing.

“Maybe it’s because I learned swordsmanship, but I’m good at dancing.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“No! Well, I’m not trying to make fun of you… … .”

Hermel rushed over and politely held out his left hand.

“I’ll teach you how to dance. that… … . Can you teach me how to play an instrument? Even though I couldn’t do it as well as others, my wish was to play a string instrument like everyone else… … . Hehe.”

After saying that, I looked at Hermel, who was humping his mouth as if he was embarrassed, for a moment, and then folded the fan.

“For your information, I’m really bad at dancing.”

“It’s okay. I’m not good at playing either. Even if you’re frustrated, don’t get angry?”

“I can’t guarantee. Because it was my first time teaching something.”

“I suddenly became scared… … . I guess it’s too late to cancel, right?”

Instead of answering, I smiled and placed my hand on top of Hermel’s hand.

Hermel grinned, pulled me in, wrapped his arms around my waist, and started spinning me around.

Dancing with Hermel, who was about a head shorter than me, felt more like playing with a child than dancing.

Hermel, who had been circling for a while, slowly slowed down and let go of his arm around my waist and laughed.

“Let’s go in. I’ll tell you how to dance properly later.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

I got into the mood and danced a dance that didn’t even feel like a dance.

Well, it didn’t feel that bad.

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Hermel, who returned to the room, yawned profusely and fell onto the bed.

Although he changed his clothes, I blinked at the sight of not even a drop of water on his body, let alone a bath.

“Are you not going to wash it?”

“Hwaam… … . I want to wake up at dawn and take a shower… … . Yesterday was so… … .”

Hermel said that and fell asleep.

“Was it not enough to sleep that much while taking class?”

After looking at Hermel, who was sleeping soundly, for a moment, I put a thick fur coat on my shoulders and headed out of the dormitory.

As I came out, the cool night wind passed by my cheek. As evening time passed, there was no one on the walkway passing in front of the women’s dormitory, perhaps because everyone had entered the dormitory.

After looking around the dark surroundings for a moment, I walked slowly along the path toward the garden. I didn’t know how long I had walked, but the sight of Mel standing alone in front of me caught my eye.

“Mel.”

“Lady.”

I don’t know how long she had been waiting, but Mel’s ears and cheeks were turning red.

“You made me wait for a long time.”

“It’s okay. This level of cold is nothing.”

It wasn’t anything but cold. The imprint on Mel’s stomach didn’t react either, as if she was truly thinking that way.

I laughed and grabbed Mel’s hand and pulled her towards me.

“Lady?”

“It’s because I’m cold.”

“… … Yes, I understand.”

I wrapped my arms around Mel’s waist as she quietly hugged me, and slowly moved my body as if dancing the blues.

“Mel, there is something I need you to do.”

“Anything you ask me to do.”

Take a step back and a light turn to the right. We danced leisurely using the moonlight as illumination.

“Spread bad rumors about Sarah. contents is… … . That’s right. I took a commoner with me to imitate me, but in the end, he revealed his true nature――that’s enough.”

“… … .”

I paused for a moment, pulling Mel towards me.

“Can you do it?”

“… … Can I ask one thing?”

“Good.”

Two steps forward, one step back. I took light steps using Mel’s sweet voice as music.

“Why are you treating Sarah so harshly?”

“It’s the same question as then. Why are you treating your younger brother so poorly? I’m the one who will be the head of the family anyway, so why am I so upset that I can’t get enough?――”

I tightened my arms around Mel’s waist and turned my body sharply to the left.

“At that time, I couldn’t give you a proper answer. Was it because he didn’t want to answer? well… … . That wasn’t it. It was just because I couldn’t find a good reason.”

My steps were light. I tried to make another turn, but Mel, who had been following me, suddenly stopped.

“Lady… … .”

“Don’t urge me like that. Because I don’t plan on equivocating like I did then.”

He grinned, unwrapped his arm around Mel’s waist, and stepped back.

“After I received that question from you, I thought about it slowly. Why do I hate my younger brother so much? Why are you treating Sarah so badly? Why are you trying to kill my father?”

If I hadn’t been asked that question at the time, I would have just bullied myself as I wanted. But after receiving that question from Mel, I really thought about it for a long time.

I can’t tell you about my memories from the previous episode. However, I can’t find a good reason. What kind of answer should I return? Where should I find the reason? … .

After thinking and agonizing over and over again, I remembered one thing.

“You hate someone, do you need a reason?”

There is nothing more foolish than dwelling on a problem that has no answer.

“And Mel. I think I forgot one thing about being nice to you these days… … .”

With a grin, he stretched out his hand into the air and slowly bent his fingers, as if holding something.

“Big… … ! Argh… … !!”

“You were the one who said you would stay by my side no matter what dirty things I did. It was you who said you wouldn’t betray me.”

As I bent my fingers a little more, Mel knelt in place, covering her stomach with both arms.

“No other than you, who swore with your own mouth that you risked your own life. Have you already forgotten?”

“Wow… … !!”

As I bent my fingers a little more, Mel bent over and sat there, vomiting.

“You seem to be under the illusion that I treated you a little kindly, but don’t mistake your position.”

“Baby… … . Seed… … !”

Mel looked up at me with tears in her eyes.

“After getting someone’s permission, I raise my head high without permission.”

I stomped on Mel’s head, and she buried her face in her own vomit.

“Don’t climb.”

Mel nodded slowly, and only then did I relax my hands and take my feet off Mel’s head.

I guess the story is over. When I lowered my head to think about going back, my vomit-covered shoes caught my eye.

“Your shoes are dirty.”

“Ha… … . ha… … .”

Oh yeah.

“Mel.”

“Yes… … ?”

“How long are you going to lie down?”

Mel trembled, but slowly got down on her knees.

“I am. When I’m angry, I’m usually a person who doesn’t forgive very well. A person with a very, very long back end.”

“… … ?”

When I saw Mel looking up at me blankly, I smiled and put my foot on Mel’s lap.

“Lick. Cleanly.”

Then I’ll pretend that nothing happened today.

As I said that, Mel quietly lifted my foot up and started licking it slowly.

“Wook… … . Ugh… … .”

Even though I was disgusted, I licked my shoes, which were soiled with my own vomit and dirt, with great care.

Very cleanly.