Rising Once More
I heard a voice and snapped my head up, but all I saw was the sky.
Ah, right.
No matter the circumstances, he never looked down on me.
No matter how much I stammered or how insecure I acted, he always respected and trusted me.
Lowering my gaze slightly, my eyes met his. He had crouched down to match my eye level.
He was panting slightly and drenched in sweat, as if he had run all the way here.
Beneath his damp, rain-slicked hair, his dark eyes stared back at me.
Though he looked a bit tired and hollow, he was still remarkably handsome.
And now, he was looking at me with that same warm smile he always had.
Rofel Teufel.
The man I had given my heart to.
And the love I had just lost.
"H-how did you get here...?"
I had hoped it would be him, and in a way, I had expected it, but I couldn't help but be startled.
Of course, he had always had an uncanny knack for finding me wherever I was, but those had always been places I frequented.
But this place was nothing special.
It was merely a damp, gloomy corner I had run to blindly, desperate to escape a reality I couldn't bear to face.
...No, perhaps none of that actually mattered.
The only thing that truly mattered was that he was here. That was all.
"Does that really matter right now? What are you doing here, Elie?"
His dreamlike figure spoke, his eyes filled with deep concern.
The touch of his hand as he gently stroked my rain-soaked hair proved he was no illusion.
I was in no state to be seen by Rofel right now.
The dress I had prepared so carefully was ruined, drenched in sweat, rain, and muddy water.
Even the makeup I had painstakingly applied since morning had been smeared and washed away by my tears, leaving my face a hideous mess.
I had to hide my face and run away from him.
I had to.
I knew I should, but...
Instead of turning away, I found myself wanting to imprint every detail of his face beside me into my memory.
Just having him right in front of me made me feel like I was going to burst into tears all over again.
Not out of sadness, but from sheer relief and joy.
Struggling to compose myself, I managed to speak.
"...Y-you're not... going to ask... w-why I'm crying...?"
"Haha... Even I'm not dense enough to miss what's going on here."
"...Is that so?"
"More importantly, you dropped this."
Only then did I notice the small ceramic piece cradled carefully in Rofel's hands.
It was the pottery he and I had made together—the very one I had dropped and shattered moments ago.
It was still covered in cracks and looked incredibly fragile, suggesting he had gathered the broken shards and crudely pieced them back together using basic magic.
...It was only possible because he was the type to learn all sorts of niche, otherwise useless spells, despite having no real talent for magic.
"It's the precious, one-of-a-kind thing we made together, right? It's just a temporary fix, but I did my best. Um... I wish I had some adhesive, but I didn't have any on hand. Still, we should be able to restore it perfectly later, so don't worry."
Saying so, he gently pressed the pottery back into my hands.
Then, he clasped his hands over my ice-cold fingers, wrapping them in his warmth.
He moved from in front of me to sit by my side.
Positioning his body against the wind, he shielded me, taking the brunt of the driving rain himself.
For a moment, silence fell between us.
Rofel was waiting for me to speak first.
He could have pressed me for answers, but he chose not to rush me.
It was the kind of quiet consideration I had come to experience so often whenever I was with him.
"...W-we've known each other... for a p-pretty long time, haven't we?"
Summoning my courage, I finally spoke in a trembling, tearful voice.
"Of course. Come to think of it, you were my very first friend after entering the academy. And today actually marks the third anniversary of the day we met. Wow, time really flies."
"...Y-yeah. When we f-first met... everything was so c-chaotic..."
"Haha, seriously. A terrorist attack right after admission—both of us were just scrambling to run away."
"...I was r-really grateful back then."
"What are you talking about? I'm the one who should be grateful. If it weren't for your potions, I might not even be standing here today."
"I-it's not just that... I've always been grateful to you. For my academy life... for being my f-friend... I'm grateful for all of it..."
Perhaps because we were sharing such trivial banter, my emotions began to settle, and my tears finally stopped.
I took a deep breath.
"...Rofel, you've noticed, haven't you?"
When I looked at him, his smile seemed a bit bitter, yet tinged with a faint sadness.
"...I-I'm ready to hear it now."
"...Elie? You saw me and Lilit earlier, didn't you?"
I nodded silently, confirming his suspicion.
"Thanks for telling me. And after seeing that, you ran away and ended up crying in a place like this. Um... this might be a misunderstanding, and it might sound strange, but... Elie, do you perhaps...?"
For once, he had actually read the room correctly.
Even though he was the type who would normally never, in a million years, entertain the thought that someone might actually like him.
More importantly, how should I answer?
Should I deny it, or should I admit it?
To anyone else, the situation was clear as day, but Rofel was different.
Even if I gave the most far-fetched excuse, if I denied it, he would believe me.
He wouldn't just pretend to believe me out of politeness; he would genuinely, wholeheartedly believe it.
He would probably just scratch his head awkwardly, his face turning red.
But.
...I had to say it.
I already knew how Rofel would respond and what he would do.
But... even so, I had to make my feelings clear right here, right now.
"Yes, that's right. I like you, Rofel."
There was not a single shred of hesitation or falsehood in my voice.
I wasn't so weak that I would stammer at a moment like this.
"I've liked you ever since our first year at the academy. When you ate meals with me. When you went on dates with Lilit. When you were busy training with Seraphina. Whenever you hung out with other girls for whatever reason. Even when you recklessly threw yourself into danger. I've loved you, and only you, this entire time."
This time, I straightened my back and looked him dead in the eye.
Rofel didn't look away either, meeting my gaze head-on.
"I love you, Rofel. Please go out with me."
Before I even realized it, the dark, damp sky had cleared, shining bright and sunny.
What followed went exactly as expected.
Rofel politely rejected my confession and apologized for his past actions.
He apologized for acting in ways that could easily be misunderstood and for failing to notice my feelings until now.
It was a reaction that was classic Rofel.
Shortly after, his girlfriend, Lilit Tistina, appeared, and they left together.
Of course, there was a bit of a scene first.
Lilit smacked Rofel on the back, scolding him for running off so suddenly and giving her a scare. She nagged him again for not taking the umbrella she had, warning him that he was going to catch a cold.
He could only flail and beg for her forgiveness.
After turning back to apologize and say goodbye to me one last time, he walked away, holding Lilit's hand tightly.
Watching them leave felt incredibly bittersweet, and I couldn't help but feel envious.
Yeah... but how should I put it? Was it just my imagination?
The look Lilit gave me as she glanced back felt a bit unpleasant.
Her narrowed eyes were so sharp that they sent a small shiver of fear down my spine.
But I didn't let it bother me too much.
I had no right to interfere in their relationship anymore.
I had confessed to him properly, and I had been rejected properly.
Considering his personality and the circumstances of my confession, the outcome had been as clear as day.
Yet, it would be a lie to say I hadn't hoped for a miracle, even for a split second.
Still, my chest felt strangely light.
I had laid bare my true feelings to the man I had loved for so long, and I had heard his answer directly from his own lips.
With this, I felt like I could finally face him without any lingering regrets.
At the very least, we could continue to remain friends.
But what should I do now?
I had chosen the absolute worst person to fall in love with for the first time.
Having loved someone so charming, kind, and incomparable, how could anyone else ever compare?
No one else would ever measure up.
I might end up single for the rest of my life.
Haha.
I felt pathetic yet amused at my own dramatic thoughts.
But I had to pull myself together.
That was the right thing to do—both for myself and for him.
Rofel was the one who had first reached out to me, trusted me, and helped me move forward.
It was only natural that I shouldn't do anything to get in the way of his love and happiness.
...Still, I couldn't shake the hollow feeling left in a corner of my heart.
For the time being... I should probably bury myself in my research.
While I was at it, I should also dispose of the numerous, rather questionable potions I had brewed with the intention of using on him.
...Though I would still send the nutritional supplements mixed with the 'special herbs' I had promised to send him regularly, after adjusting the ingredients a bit.
From now on, it would be better to focus on more constructive, productive endeavors.
With those thoughts in mind, I stepped into the Gremlina family villa—the mansion where I was currently staying—only to find an unexpected guest waiting for me.
Sitting regally amidst the anxious, hovering servants in the drawing room was a woman.
Someone I had never, in my wildest dreams, expected to see here.
The daughter of Duke Tistina.
Lilit Tistina.