Chapter 88
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Midterms
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"I just like Evan. That's all."
A single sentence tossed out lightly.
But the weight carried by those words was anything but light.
'Like me.'
The moment that straightforward confession burrowed into my ears, it felt like my heart plummeted.
Something surged up from deep within my chest, leaving me speechless for a moment.
'...She likes me?'
It was so direct.
And because it was such unadorned sincerity.
Directed at me, cloaked in the shell of Evan Dreadnote.
I'd never even imagined someone would say something like this to me.
A mix of bewilderment and a strange sense of emotion washed over me.
But it was fleeting.
I forced my expression to harden, regaining my composure before opening my mouth.
"...That's a bit too much of a joke."
"Evan, really."
Elysia stared straight into my eyes, her face serious.
Her gaze, filled with warmth, held not a shred of deceit.
No hint of playfulness either, I knew that much.
"Do I seem like the type to joke about something like this?"
Her eyes were as clear as crystal.
'...I know.'
I already knew she wasn't the kind of woman to toy with others' feelings.
She was honest to a fault, almost foolishly kind and stubbornly good-hearted.
"I didn't realize it at first. I just thought you were intriguing and fun."
"But spending time with you, I came to see it. That you're warm and considerate, unlike how you seem on the outside."
She continued shyly, lowering her head.
"And... more than anything, being with you puts me at ease. In a way that's different from Leon oraboni."
"...You're too kind."
I rubbed the tip of my nose awkwardly and averted my gaze.
Her earnest words tickled a corner of my heart, but at the same time, a heavy stone settled in another part of my mind.
'...I'm not the good person you think I am.'
What if she learned I'm not the real Evan?
What if she found out I'm not even from this world?
Would she still like me then?
I shook my head with a bitter smile.
Enough with the useless thoughts.
Right now, we're in the middle of the practical exam, and there's someone I need to protect by my side.
That's all I should focus on.
"It's getting late. We should sleep."
"...Mm."
I changed the subject and stood up.
I didn't trust myself to keep talking without things spiraling out of control.
"...Yeah. Good night, Evan."
As if she wanted to say more, she bit her lip several times.
But eventually, she nodded with a hint of regret.
Her drooping ears seemed to mirror her melancholic mood, tugging at my heart, but I pretended not to notice.
'...This is enough for now.'
She must have been tired too, as her eyes closed almost immediately after lying down.
I carefully draped a blanket over her and settled a short distance away.
But sleep didn't come easily.
'I like you.'
Her voice echoed in my ears like an auditory hallucination.
I apologized inwardly and forced my eyes shut.
Wondering what tomorrow would bring.
With unease clutched to my chest.
How much time had passed?
In the deep night when even the magic stone's glow had dimmed.
Apart from the chirping crickets outside the cave, the interior was suffocatingly silent.
In the flickering firelight.
Elysia cautiously opened her eyes.
Her gaze naturally drifted to the side.
There, Evan's back faced her as he slept.
His steady breathing suggested he was deep in slumber.
"..."
She gripped the edge of the blanket covering her tightly.
Two blankets were draped over her.
'What an idiot.'
What was this thin blanket supposed to do?
Yet it felt so warm.
And so heavy.
She slowly sat up.
Her movements were careful, holding even her breath lest she wake him.
The magic stone's light had faded, leaving the cave dim, but.
Thanks to her elven eyesight, Evan's back was crystal clear.
'...Is he really asleep?'
Elysia approached him as if drawn by a spell.
Steady breaths, shoulders unmoving.
He looked completely defenseless, lost in deep sleep.
"..."
After a moment's hesitation, she reached out toward his back.
But at the cusp of contact, her fingertips hovered lost in the air.
Thump! Thump!
Her heart pounded wildly, breath quickening.
It was just a simple act of stroking his back.
Why did it make her heart race like this?
"I like you..."
Her voice was lighter than a breeze.
But the sincerity within weighed more than stone.
"It's not just fondness. More than you think... I like you so much."
Evan didn't stir.
Just even breaths.
'...He really is asleep.'
Elysia let out a sigh laced with relief and bitterness.
Maybe it was for the best that he hadn't heard.
If he had, what expression would he have made?
Embarrassed?
Or... just a little happy?
'What a fool I am.'
She smiled self-deprecatingly and withdrew her hand.
The confession she'd made to him.
Impulsive words, but they were her unvarnished truth.
After the incident with Leon oraboni, she'd been confused.
Leon’s obsessive grip, and Evan's casual kindness that had saved her from it.
Their attitudes were polar opposites.
'Just listen to me! That's the safest path!'
'So choose. Stay and nurse that trash, or come with me.'
In Leon's world, she was just a fragile glass doll to be protected.
But Evan was different.
He'd pull her from danger without ever breaking her will or caging her.
He simply stood by silently, letting her choose for herself.
She hadn't realized it until now, but that had shown her.
What she truly wanted wasn't a protective cage.
But a companion to stand and walk beside her on her own feet.
And the one standing there was him.
'Does Evan... know?'
How specially she thought of him.
Not just gratitude or curiosity, but feelings beyond that.
"..."
She drew close and knelt before him, resting her chin on her pulled-up knees.
In the faint light, his face looked serene.
No trace of his usual sharpness; his defenseless sleeping form seemed boyish.
Reliable, yet somehow lonely.
As if standing alone where no one could reach.
The more she learned, the less she understood him.
Which only made it harder to look away.
"Evan..."
Once more.
Knowing he couldn't hear, she called his name again.
Only silence answered, filling the cave.
"...I like you. A lot."
As she brushed back his hair, she whispered.
A small, fragile confession to be buried in the darkness.
"It doesn't matter who you are. Just... stay by my side."
That's all I need.
"..."
Plop.
Elysia leaned forward carefully, resting her head on his chest.
Her golden hair cascaded down, hiding her flushed face.
Thump. Thump.
His body heat, the quiet beat of his heart, transmitted through his shirt.
Warm, reassuring warmth.
"...Will the day come when you understand my feelings?"
As if she sought no more than camaraderie or friendship.
His attitude drew lines there.
His kind words, small considerations—they made her heart flutter.
Knowing she was the only one who felt that way was heartbreaking.
'Someday... will I reach you?'
She closed her eyes, repeating inwardly.
Someday, may this feeling reach him.
Until then, being by his side would have to suffice.
Though she had no intention of just staying put obediently.
'Just a little... just for a moment, let me stay like this.'
Was she swept up in the mood?
Or because moments like this, just the two of them, were rare?
Feeling especially emotional tonight, she gently closed her eyes.
Tomorrow, she'd face him brightly as usual.
But for this moment, she wanted to be honest with her feelings.
The next morning.
As faint dawn light filtered through the thick fog.
The morning glow seeping into the cave entrance tickled his eyelids.
"Mm..."
Evan opened his eyes with a furrowed brow.
Days of sleeping on the hard ground had left his body stiff and sore.
As he tried to stretch, he realized something heavy was pinning him down.
'...What the?'
Slowly turning his head revealed the culprit.
Elysia was asleep beside him.
Pressed right up against him.
She'd burrowed into his arms, wrapping her arms and thighs around him completely.
"Mm..."
Curled up in a single blanket like a rolled cocoon, she resembled a butterfly in a chrysalis.
Where her breath touched his chest was warm. No, hot.
"..."
'...Should I wake her?'
It'd be right to wake her if he wanted to move...
But he couldn't bring himself to disturb her peaceful sleep.
Gazing at her tranquil face stirred an inexplicable guilt.
Should he get up?
'What to do.'
While he pondered, he realized staying like this would leave him stuck for hours, so he cleared his throat quietly.
"...Huh?"
She must have been in deep sleep; she lifted her head dazedly, smiling faintly at him upon seeing him.
"...Good morning, Evan."
"...Good morning."
Though it'd be great if you could move away now. I can't budge.
"...Eh?"
Only then did she seem to realize she was clinging to him in her sleep.
Her dazed expression flushed crimson in an instant.
"...O-oh! S-sorry! I meant to share the blanket so you wouldn't get cold, but I must've ended up stuck to you...!"
She jolted away in panic.
"I'm fine."
Indeed, far from cold, he'd even worked up a sweat overnight thanks to her embrace.
"...Um."
"..."
"...Still, thanks to you, I slept warm. Right?"
Elysia smiled awkwardly while straightening her clothes.
Her reddened ear tips peeking through her tousled golden hair betrayed her embarrassment.
"A-anyway, let's get ready and head out quickly? It's the last day, so we need to hustle!"
She hurriedly packed to hide her fluster.
I silently prepared to leave as well.
'Finally, today.'
Day three.
The last day in this exasperating fog forest—and the day the practical exam would be decided.