The Cold Rose's Winter, Part 8
"Huh...? Lilit, Eli, what are you two doing here?"
Rofel asked, staring at the two women who had just burst through his door.
It seemed he was already acquainted with them.
He looked flustered by their sudden appearance, yet there was a hint of welcome in his eyes.
Lilit's face, on the other hand, was contorted in displeasure. The girl he called Eli also wore a dark expression, her face cast in shadow beneath her messy hair.
"Don't answer a question with another question! I asked what you two are doing!" Lilit snapped.
"And isn't that Seraphina Serion? Why are you two together right now? Why were you hugging her? What is going on between you two?!"
"Y-Yes, Rofel... Why are the t-two of you together...?" Eli stammered. "I-I knew you met every evening, but... w-what is your relationship...? Why... why were you h-holding her so tightly...!"
As the two women pressed him fiercely, Rofel released his hold on me.
His embrace had been so warm and comforting that I felt a slight pang of regret when he withdrew his hands from my waist.
Not that I harbored any special feelings for him, of course.
Truly, I did not.
Really...
"It's nothing like that," Rofel explained. "Seraphina was just going through a really hard time and felt anxious about what happened earlier, so I was only comforting her..."
"Still, does it make sense to bring another woman into your room and hug her like that when you're all alone?" Lilit argued.
"Rofel, knowing your personality, I know you didn't have any weird, ulterior motives. But you shouldn't make a habit of doing things like this. You're going to make people misunderstand!"
"S-She's right, Rofel...! No matter how kind you are, you c-can't just hug every girl you meet...!" Eli chimed in.
"Don't you r-remember the misunderstanding with that girl you took to the i-infirmary last time? And during the d-dungeon outbreak too... With a body and a f-face like yours, you shouldn't act so c-carelessly...!"
"...Putting Seraphina aside, who are you?" Lilit asked, narrowing her eyes at Eli. "It was suspicious enough that you knew where Rofel's room was, but you've been talking like you know him inside out."
"I-I am Rofel's f-friend...!" Eli stammered defensively. "We've b-been together ever since the entrance ceremony...!"
"Wait, why are you both so worked up...? Calm down first!"
Unable to watch any longer, Rofel stepped between Lilit and Elisio.
It took him quite some time to soothe the two highly agitated girls.
"...So, this girl, Elisio Gremlina, is the friend you made at the entrance ceremony? The one you said you meet every lunchtime?"
Lilit Tistina spoke first, taking a sip of the tea Rofel had brewed.
Her tone was laced with clear displeasure and dissatisfaction.
"Yeah. I told you about her a while ago, didn't I? That I had a friend I met during lunch."
"You did. But you never mentioned that this friend was a girl."
"Well, gender isn't really that important..."
"It is important! Especially for someone like you, Rofel!" Lilit snapped.
Elisio nodded in agreement with Lilit's words.
I had only recently gotten to know Rofel at the sparring grounds. Since our relationship was strictly limited to sparring, I knew little of his daily life.
Was there something about this man that I did not know?
Could he be leading a highly inappropriate lifestyle when it came to women?
...Admittedly, his appearance was exceptionally handsome, but considering his character, that seemed highly unlikely.
"...Setting aside the fact that she's a girl, I certainly didn't expect your friend to be Elisio Gremlina, the so-called genius of the Alchemy Department," Lilit muttered.
"I'm sorry for not introducing you properly beforehand," Rofel said apologetically.
After placating Lilit, he turned to Elisio.
"...Anyway, Eli, this is Lilit Tistina. I mentioned her to you before, right? The one I helped out with some relationship stuff. This is the first time you two are meeting face-to-face, right?"
"I-I've seen her face from a distance before... No, I mean, y-yes! This is the first time we've m-met in person...!" Eli stammered.
I thought they might let their guard down a bit now that they knew each other's identities, but the atmosphere only grew more hostile.
"Right. Lilit, Eli, you're both precious friends of mine, so I'd be really happy if you could get along without any friction," Rofel said.
Only after he spoke did the strange tension flowing between Lilit and Elisio begin to dissipate.
Yet, it did not seem they had completely given up.
Lilit linked her arm through Rofel's right in front of Elisio, while Elisio took Rofel's hand and laced her fingers with his.
They continued their silent war over the single man, one leaning against his chest and rubbing her face against him, the other resting her hand on his thigh.
...I began to worry that Rofel might actually end up stabbed over a woman one day.
Realizing the conversation would lead nowhere at this rate, I cleared my throat to draw their attention.
"Pardon me, but could we return to our previous discussion? I speak of the sparring exam you requested as a duel against Marc, Rofel."
"Right! That's why I rushed over here the moment I heard the news," Lilit said, suddenly serious.
"Rofel, what on earth happened? Not only did a student from the Magic Academy challenge a Knight Academy student to a duel under the guise of a sparring exam, but your opponent is Marc, who's been on a massive winning streak lately! The Magic Academy is in absolute chaos right now!"
"I-I was shocked too..." Eli whispered. "The Alchemy Department is p-pretty isolated compared to the others, so we're slow to get news, but the rumors have already c-caused a huge stir..."
Rofel explained the events of this afternoon at the sparring grounds in detail, recounting everything from his perspective.
He told them about the words my father had spoken, Marc's reaction, and how he had ultimately intervened.
"The Serion family... is just as s-strict as I've heard..." Eli murmured.
"I see... So that's what Marc did..." Lilit said quietly.
"...It is my fault, after all. I must apologize to you once again," I said.
"No, no, why would you apologize?" Rofel countered.
"No matter how I look at it, your father and Marc went too far. Challenge that bastard Marc to a sparring exam was entirely my own decision. If anyone is to blame for things turning out this way, it's me."
"Anyway, Rofel, what do you plan to do now?" Lilit asked, her brow furrowed.
"Ever since he resolved the dungeon outbreak, Marc has been growing stronger at a terrifying pace. On top of that, Regulus Serion himself is teaching him the Serion swordsmanship... He's bound to be the worst possible opponent!"
"A plan... Honestly, I don't really have one," Rofel admitted.
"My only option is to train as much as possible in the time I have left and do my best in the exam..."
"I-If you need it, should I try making a d-doping potion...?" Eli offered.
"There will be s-side effects, but it could multiply your strength by f-five times...!"
"No, I'll have to pass on that," Rofel chuckled weakly.
"They strictly inspect everything before the exam—not just the weapons, but also any items you bring in and your physical condition. It would be too risky."
"Then I suppose there is only one way..." I murmured.
"Hmm? Seraphina, do you have a good idea?" Rofel asked.
"I shall teach you about the Serion swordsmanship."
At my declaration, not only Lilit and Elisio, but Rofel himself looked utterly astonished.
"Ah, I spoke too briefly. I do not mean I will teach you the Serion swordsmanship itself," I corrected quickly.
"By its very nature, our family's swordsmanship is incompatible with your style. Therefore, would it not be best if I sparred with you using the Serion techniques so you can devise countermeasures? Since time is short, let us meet and spar every day."
"Haha, I see. That makes sense." Rofel smiled. "In our current situation, that really is the only way."
We exchanged various other ideas after that, but none yielded any practical results.
As time ticked by, the sun dipped below the horizon, and the moon rose to take its place.
It was getting late. I could not remain in his dormitory any longer, so I had to take my leave.
Since I could not return to the estate, my only option was to find a nearby inn.
Rofel offered to accompany me since the streets were dark, but I declined.
I could not bring myself to impose on him any further.
Walking down the dark street, it did not take long before I sensed someone following me.
The presence maintained a constant distance, neither drawing closer nor falling behind.
A strange, awkward silence lingered in the air. I decided to speak first.
Since I had already realized who was tailing me, I felt it was only right that I initiate the conversation.
"...I apologize," I said.
"Huh? For what?"
The person following me was Lilit Tistina—the woman who had once loved Marc Visus.
"I speak of the time I mocked you in front of Marc," I explained.
"I still feel sincere regret for it. I was not in my right mind then. To be frank... I acted out of jealousy toward you. I apologize for my insolent remarks, comparing you, a noble of a ducal house, to a servant."
"...Hmm, so you were aware of what you did," Lilit murmured.
"Well, it doesn't matter anymore. I've completely lost all feelings for Marc anyway. Especially after what happened today. Honestly, looking back, I'm embarrassed that I was ever infatuated with a guy like him. Besides, the person I'm interested in now is someone else."
"Do you refer to Rofel?" I asked.
"Exactly. You catch on quick," Lilit replied.
"Actually, the reason I followed you was to say a few words regarding him."
With those words, she stepped right up to me.
"Rofel is... really kind, gentle... and a complete fool who only thinks of others," she said.
"He's the kind of pushover who reaches out to help even when he knows he'll only get hurt. I already know he brought this incident upon himself. I'm not in a position to tell him what to do, so I don't intend to interfere with whatever choices he makes. Who he meets, which woman he helps—none of that is my business. But..."
She grabbed my collar and pulled me close.
Her expression turned ice-cold.
Her eyes were so sharp and piercing that it was impossible to associate her with the girl who used to follow Marc around like a puppy, or the one who always showed a foolishly bright smile to the other students.
"I may not look it, but as a Tistina, I have ears everywhere," she whispered.
"I'm well aware of the dirty methods your family employs behind the scenes. I know this situation arose from a conflict between you and your family. But whether this ends well or not, don't you dare dream of using his goodwill to turn Rofel into your pawn later. If you do, I won't let you get away with it."
Only after delivering that venomous warning did she loosen her grip and release me.
In truth, her physical strength was not particularly formidable, but the sheer pressure radiating from her voice and demeanor made me flinch slightly.
"...That's all I wanted to say," Lilit said. "Well? Your answer?"
"...I shall engrave your words upon my heart," I replied.
Only after our brief exchange did Lilit sigh as if relieved, turning on her heel to vanish into the darkness.