His Responsibility
Unfolding the letter, his familiar handwriting caught this lady's eye.
Rofel Teufel. When this lady first met him at the academy, he was, for some reason, terribly clumsy at writing.
It was not a matter of intelligence, for he was by no means foolish. How should one describe it? It was as if he simply found the act of writing itself unfamiliar...
...as if he had spent a long time using a completely different system of words.
To my knowledge, he was born on this continent and had never once crossed the sea, making it truly strange.
Back then, we often communicated through letters. But because his handwriting was so dreadfully atrocious, this lady, unable to bear the irritation, dragged him over and forced him to practice.
Once, this lady even modified a magic formula to lock him in a room that would not open until he produced a beautifully flowing, elegant cursive script.
I recall that, due to a mistake, this lady was trapped inside with him. We spent a rather long time alone together in that sealed room.
Thanks to that, both he and this lady had to sweat blood just to escape.
Thinking back on it now, this lady cannot help but feel a deep sense of regret.
If only this lady had cast aside her useless pride and realized the fluttering of her heart sooner, he might already be this lady's companion by now...
Ah, my mind is wandering.
For now, my priority should be to savor this letter he sent and sweep away my gloomy mood.
To my proud friend, the magic genius Isabella Kshatri,
"Heh, heh, heh. Yes, yes. You know me well, Rofel."
"It is the absolute truth. And it sounds quite pleasant to the ear."
"...Hmm, but I am also a little disappointed."
"If possible, it would have been much better if you had used a pet name, or perhaps some other expression for this lady."
Hello, Isabella. I read the letter you sent. The wrapping was so extravagant that I knew exactly who it was from the moment I saw it. You embroidered it yourself with magic again, didn't you?
"Of course. Such extravagance and sophistication could never be replicated by an ordinary shop or a common mage."
"It was only possible because of this lady's vast knowledge and elegant touch."
First of all, I'm glad to hear you're doing well. To be honest, when I last saw you at the academy before the semester ended, you looked a bit down, so I was worried. Even when I asked, you just said you were fine and wouldn't tell me why, which left me feeling quite helpless. But since you reached out first, I can finally put my mind at ease.
"...Sigh, you really are something."
I think this every time, but he is a man deserving of divine punishment.
He is so dense that he reacts like a block of wood, whether one expresses affection or love to him subtly or directly.
Yet, conversely, if someone around him has a worry and tries to hide it, he notices it with uncanny precision.
No matter how tightly one locks the doors to their heart, he squeezes his way inside, filling the emptiness, loneliness, and futility entirely with himself—with the existence known as Rofel.
While rejecting all the affection directed at him, he unstintingly showers everyone else with his own...
At first, in my foolishness, this lady thought his attitude was incredibly frustrating and pushover-like.
But now, that side of him seems so noble, so lovely, and at times, so teasing and exasperating...
Ugh... suddenly, this lady feels quite annoyed!
"...Well, I suppose even that is part of your charm."
In any case, he was indeed worrying about me even then.
Admittedly, on the day the third year of the academy ended and the break began, this lady... having witnessed something she wished to disbelieve, might have shown a rather unsightly side to others.
Uncharacteristically shaken by my emotions, this lady threw a tantrum and even took out her anger on him...
And yet, you did not give up on me, wrapping me in your warmth...
Really... this lady should not have dabbled in that kind of magic back then.
There was a reason why forgotten and obsolete magic was discarded.
Well, none of that matters now.
Most importantly, now that this lady has received a letter like this from him, everything is as good as resolved.
By the way, I couldn't help but be surprised when I first read your letter. To think that the great Isabella Kshatri returned to the Magic Tower. Haha, now that I think about it, you solemnly swore to me that you would never return to 'such a dreadful place.' Ah, of course, I don't mean to criticize your actions at all. Since it was your decision, I'm sure you had a good reason and justification. It doesn't look like you've reconciled with your adoptive father, though. Well, still, if you ever need help, just let me know.
"Hmm... This lady is not particularly pleased with this choice either, but..."
This lady's return to the Magic Tower was solely for your sake, Rofel Teufel...
...Though it would be a lie to say that not even a shred of this lady's own petty desires was mixed in...
This lady is different from those other wenches who hover around him, driven by nothing but their own filthy lust!
For you, who has stolen this lady's heart, there is nothing I would not do!
...Even if accepting the help of that imperial princess leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, it cannot be helped.
At the very least, her love for you must be as deep as mine...
Now, shall we get to the main point? First, Isabella, thank you for worrying about my marriage and my future. Actually, I've been thinking a lot about my future lately, and it felt quite overwhelming. While it was great to enter the academy and learn and experience so many things, I couldn't help but feel disappointed in myself. Despite so many incidents happening over the past three years, I failed to achieve any noteworthy accomplishments. Unlike Marc Visus, whose fame constantly rings in everyone's ears. Oh dear, I said I'd get to the point, but I got sidetracked.
First of all, you don't need to worry about my marriage talks anymore. I've already decided on my life partner. So, there's no need to worry about that anymore.
This is the important part, and I hope you take it to heart. To be honest, I've felt a deep sense of responsibility for my actions toward you. I've been thinking lately: perhaps you had a different path in life, but I feel as though I forced you onto a different one. I don't know which path would make you happier, but the fact remains that I must take responsibility.
So look forward to it, Isabella. It might sound irresponsible, but I will absolutely take responsibility for the rest of your life. Your joy, your happiness, your pleasure, and even your tragedies—throw them all at me with everything you've got!
Ah, it seems there's barely any space left on the paper. I'll have to end it here.
Your friend who will take responsibility for you,
Rofel Teufel
"Hoho... Hohoho... Hahaha...!!!"
Ah, indeed. No matter how many times this lady reads it, she cannot hold back her laughter at this part.
Take responsibility? You, for me? For my entire life?
To use such a bold expression, so unlike his usual self...! Fufu...
Truly, this lady feels so foolish for having worried about her relationship with him all this time...
At the same time, his answer brings such joy... My heart flutters even more than when this lady first delved into the mysteries of ancient magic...!
"Ah... Ah...! Rofel, my dear. My lovely beloved... ♥"
"Sigh... This lady wishes to fly into your embrace this very instant..."
Though she pressed the letter, which held a trace of his warmth, to her chest time and time again, it was far from enough.
But it matters not. For soon, this lady might receive all of your warmth... and your... affection... ♥
I-It is not as if this lady is particularly interested, but would it not be inevitable once we become lovers?
Married life. That is to say, the act of stripping naked and intertwining our bodies night after night.
Him shedding his clothes, laying bare, approaching me, and wrapping this lady in his broad embrace...
Gulp.
While this lady was confident she had monopolized a certain part of him, to think she would possess all of him.
It might be a bit vulgar, but just imagining it makes a sharp, tingling sensation throb in her lower abdomen...
"Just wait a little longer, Rofel... Soon, this lady will come to claim every single inch of your body... ♥"
"Achoo!"
"Oh? What's wrong, Rofel? Did you catch a cold?"
"No, it's not that... I wonder if someone is talking about me?"
Lilit and I were naked together in the bathroom, preparing to head to the academy.
We had to wash each other's bodies to erase the traces of the previous night.
In any case, my mind was currently consumed with thoughts of Isabella.
After all, I needed her help to counter Seraphina's schemes.
Come to think of it, I had sent letters to Elisio and Isabella a while ago.
For some reason, they both seemed highly interested in my marriage prospects, so I had written back to them with care.
The contents were generally similar, but I had added a little extra to the letter meant for Isabella.
It was a promise that I would take responsibility for her life.
Ah, it might sound a bit strange phrased that way, but I hoped she wouldn't misunderstand.
I hadn't realized it at the time, but unlike the other heroines, the reason she didn't end up with the original protagonist was largely due to my interference.
I had approached her before the original events could unfold, effectively severing her path to Marc Visus.
I mean, sure, Marc is an obnoxious, irritating jerk who does a lot of detestable things.
But his ability, strength, achievements, and reputation are the real deal.
After all, he is the one destined to defeat the Demon King during the academy invasion—the grand showdown of the game.
In the future, he will hold a high status not only in the academy but also across this continent and the kingdom.
Considering one of the original endings, he might even become the next emperor...
In any case, becoming his lover would have carried immense benefits.
And in Isabella's case, I was the one who shattered that possibility.
That was why I wrote what I did in the letter to her.
That I would make sure to take responsibility for the life I had disrupted.
Aside from the simple message telling her not to worry about my marriage talks since I had already found my partner.
...Hm? Why the sudden feeling?
I feel like... I might have made another colossal blunder in that letter to her...
The part about not worrying about my marriage, and the part about taking responsibility for her life...
Did I write something she could misunderstand again?
...
Nah, the letter was perfectly normal, and she doesn't view me as anyone particularly special anyway.
It's just useless worrying.