Winter of the Cold Rose (7)
"Rofel Teufel... is that you?"
"Ah, well, I just happened to be passing by... but I couldn't just ignore this after seeing what was happening."
"How long have you been watching?"
"To be honest, I've been here since the beginning... Sorry, there were so many people that it took me a while to squeeze through. I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner."
With those words, he stepped forward toward Marc and my father.
I grabbed his hand, stopping him in his tracks.
"Wait! I do not know what you are thinking, but stop! I say this out of concern for your abilities and your standing. There is no need for you to concern yourself with this matter!"
"I know that much. You're right, I don't need to get involved. Maybe I'm just sticking my nose where it doesn't belong. But..."
The warm smile he had given me vanished, his expression turning incredibly cold.
"...This situation, where everyone is just ganging up to torment a single person, is utterly disgusting. I cannot forgive it."
Had he experienced something similar in the past? His eyes looked more distant and sorrowful than ever before.
"Who are you? Who dares to interfere in this matter?" my father asked, his voice dripping with displeasure.
"It is an honor to meet you, Lord Regulus Serion, Commander of the Serion Knights and Head of the Serion Family. I am Rofel Teufel, merely a friend of Seraphina Serion."
"A friend... Then let me ask why someone who is merely a friend has chosen to interfere."
"I, too, would like to request a duel. Or to be more precise, a sparring match."
"A sparring match...? Did you say a sparring match?"
"Yes. In the sparring exams next month, a student can choose their first opponent, provided the other party accepts. I will select Marc Visus as my opponent. Surely, if the person chosen by the great Regulus Serion loses to someone like me, it would mean he does not yet possess the caliber for it, would it not? Therefore, I ask that you reconsider your decision regarding the next head of the family—both for Marc and Seraphina—based on the outcome of that match."
"...How utterly absurd. Not only does an outsider barge into a duel, but you make a preposterous proposal that offers us absolutely nothing. And from someone who is not even a student of the Knight Academy, no less. I have heard enough, Marc. Ignore him and finish your duel with Seraphina Serion, my daughter."
"You are correct, Master..."
Marc stopped mid-sentence as he looked at the man's face, reacting to the name Rofel. His brow furrowed slightly. Did he remember the incident from before, the one involving Lilit Tistina?
"...No, I will accept this challenge."
"Would you care to explain the meaning of this?"
"We have nothing to gain, but we also have nothing to lose. Since he went out of his way to challenge me, shouldn't I accept it with grace? Besides, I cannot even begin to imagine myself losing. And to be frank, I have personally wanted to spar with him for some time now."
"...If that is your wish, I have no reason to stop you."
My father looked slightly displeased.
"Rofel, was it? Rofel Teufel. I accept your challenge. Even if you lose, I won't demand any special price from you. However, I would like you to promise me one thing..."
Marc stepped closer to Rofel and whispered in a voice too quiet for others to hear. But with my keen hearing, I caught every word.
"Promise me that no matter what 'accident' occurs during the match, you will not hold me responsible."
"Fine. I accept."
At Rofel's confident reply, a faint smirk played on Marc's lips.
"Good. Then I will see you at the sparring exams in a month. I'll be looking forward to it."
After that, the training grounds erupted into even greater chaos, buzzing over this massive new development following the recent dungeon outbreak.
Having finished his business, Rofel helped me up from the ground and walked away, leaving the noisy training grounds behind.
"I brewed some tea, though I'm not sure if it'll be to your liking."
The place he had brought me to was none other than his dormitory. It was a single-occupancy room, the kind barely accessible to lower-ranking nobles. There, I was being served tea by him. He had also taken the time to tend to the wounds I received from Marc.
"Normally, I would have preferred to talk over drinks at a café... but I figured it would be better to speak somewhere quiet and private. Here, try some tea first. I paid quite a bit to get my hands on this."
I had wondered why he suddenly brought me to his room, but his reasoning made sense. Given my sensitive hearing, which often forced me to listen to things I had no wish to hear, a crowded café was the last place I wanted to be right now.
With that thought, I took a sip of the tea placed before me. As if to prove his words about its price, the aroma was wonderfully sweet and pleasant.
"...It is excellent tea."
"I knew you'd like it. I just had a feeling."
Drinking the tea helped calm my chaotic thoughts. But at the same time, the sheer gravity of what this man had just done struck me like a physical blow.
"It is not too late. You should withdraw the challenge you made earlier."
A match between him and Marc was out of the question. Even after the exams ended, Rofel would be subjected to endless humiliation, branded as a fool who didn't know his place. While I was grateful he had reached out to help me, the burden he was taking on was far too heavy.
"What on earth were you thinking when you did that?"
"I told you earlier..."
"This is not a simple matter of you merely disliking the situation! You have not only interfered in a duel of the Serion family, but you have also challenged Marc Visus, the rising star of Dandelion Academy! Do you truly not comprehend the gravity of this? Or did you hope to establish a connection with the Serion family through me? Did you wish to climb the social ladder in such a manner? If so, think again. My father has already all but abandoned me. Meanwhile, that man, Marc, not only enjoys the favor of Principal Rium Kitokal, but he also has the backing of my father, Regulus Serion—which means the entire Serion family is behind him! You have made an enemy of someone you cannot possibly hope to defeat!"
"I know that much."
"Then why did you do it?! There was no reason for you to do so! Why enter a reckless fight where you have absolutely nothing to gain and no hope of victory...!"
Before I could finish, Rofel Teufel reached out and firmly grasped both of my hands. Even though we were not particularly close, and a man had suddenly taken my hands, I could not bring myself to pull away. To be more precise, the desire to pull away did not even cross my mind. The warmth of his touch was simply too comforting.
"...In the end, this is... all my fault. It is because I am weak... because my talent is inferior to Marc's... because my skills are lacking. There was no need for you to interfere..."
"Seraphina..."
He looked at me with a soft, bittersweet smile. It was not a look of pity or condescending sympathy. His eyes held nothing but pure, genuine kindness, worrying for Seraphina Serion as a person.
"I know. Maybe I've only made things worse. And maybe we haven't known each other for very long. But even so, I don't regret stepping in. You were the one in trouble, after all. Who wouldn't face danger for a dear friend?"
As he finished speaking, he gently pulled me into an embrace. When was the last time I felt the warmth of another person? Just as I hadn't wanted to pull my hands away, I had no desire to break his embrace. Instead, I leaned into the hug, resting my hands against his back.
"...You are truly a fool."
"For a friend, and for you, I don't mind being a fool as many times as it takes."
"Rofel... I..."
I opened my mouth, but the words failed me. I couldn't even remember what I had intended to say. Yet, I knew there was at least one thing I had to voice.
"...Thank you."
*Crash!*
Just as a sudden commotion echoed from outside, the dormitory door was violently thrown open.
"Wait, Rofel! What is the meaning of this? You're going to spar with Marc?! The entire academy is in an uproar over the news! And who is this woman next to me? Who is she to know where your room is and hang around your door?!"
"Ro-Rofel...! I... I heard the rumors...! That you're taking the sparring exam... against M-Marc Visus...! The commotion was so loud it reached all the way to the Alchemy Department, which has nothing to do with this...! Ugh, w-wait, don't push me...! I-I'm Rofel's friend too...!"
The young lady of the Tistina family, whom I already knew, and a woman with messy black hair streaked with yellow highlights burst into the room, shoving past each other. Judging by the hostile atmosphere between them, they had likely already had a fierce argument outside.
However, the moment they saw Rofel and me embracing, they spoke simultaneously in voices that were terrifyingly cold.
"...What do you two think you're doing?"