Chapter 42
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Being Secret Friends is Enough (4)
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Time flowed on and on until, before I knew it, the day arrived that was written as "holiday" but read as "unpaid labor."
Even if it was a holiday, the start of the day was no different from usual. I slipped out of the dormitory before dawn had even broken.
"Luke, good morning."
"Yeah, good morning."
The greeting naturally came from Evi. Dressed in her training clothes, she stretched her limbs as she approached me.
It was too early to call it a good morning, but there was no need to nitpick.
It was just the usual exchange anyway, and saying "good pre-dawn" or something would feel awkward.
After that, Evi and I did our physical training. Her stamina had improved dramatically lately, so she kept up without me needing to hold back at all.
Sip... whoosh.
The sound of us breathing in and out through the cool dawn air echoed around us.
A bit more time passed after that, and we'd finished our run, returning to the front of the dormitory.
"Evi."
"Uh, yeah?"
Evi panted in response. Her hands were placed behind her waist, which made her chest stand out in a strangely pronounced way.
Probably because the clothes were made for men, so there wasn't much she could do about it.
I deliberately kept my eyes elsewhere as I continued.
"I'm going out to the city with the Grand Duchess today. Want to come along if you're free?"
The last time we'd gone out together, Elena had seemed to really enjoy it. Evi had been a bit stiff at first, but she'd warmed up to it eventually.
In a way, they were each other's only same-sex friends. Elena was like a flower on a cliff in the Magic Department, and aside from Evi, there weren't even any women in the Swordsmanship Department.
Of course, there was Erze too, but...
'No matter what, you can't treat a princess like a friend.'
They lived in completely different worlds, so it was a relationship that felt awkward no matter how much you wanted otherwise.
"Going out..."
Evi furrowed her brow in thought, then gave an awkward smile.
"Sorry, I want to focus on training today."
"Got it. Can't be helped, then."
"Thanks for asking. But... hey, next time, just the two of us..."
Evi trailed off slowly. She fidgeted with her hands for no reason too.
What was this about just the two of us...?
"...Ah, never mind. Good work today. I'll head out first."
Evi spun around abruptly and started walking away, like she was fleeing.
I stared blankly at her retreating back for a moment before quickening my pace to catch up.
Soon, I stepped in front of her, and Evi looked up at me with wide eyes.
"Wh-what is it?"
"I was curious what you were about to say."
There are many ways to annoy someone, and one of the most classic is not finishing your sentence.
No intention of following through? Then don't bring it up in the first place. Leaving me hanging and running off—what's the point?
"You were about to say something about just the two of us earlier."
"Th-that's... The Grand Duchess...! I was going to say I wanted to go out just with her...!"
What a thoughtful idea...
I'd been worried about Elena's social circle anyway, so this put my mind at ease. Evi was someone I could trust completely.
If there were such a thing as an honorary exclusive attendant position, I'd hand it to her in a heartbeat.
Tap.
I placed a hand on Evi's shoulder.
"I'll mention it to the Grand Duchess. Don't worry about a thing."
"Y-yeah...! Thanks...!"
"Alright. Good work with training today. Let me know anytime if you need help with anything."
"You too..."
Her voice deflated like air leaking from a balloon.
Probably just the tension releasing. She was especially intimidated by Elena, so it made sense.
I patted her shoulder comfortingly a couple of times before leaving her side.
I met up with Elena a little while later.
I was waiting at the academy's main gate when she soon appeared.
A sky-blue dress with a thin cardigan. And a wide-brimmed hat to block the sun. Her outfit suited the increasingly warm weather perfectly.
"Good to see you, Your Ladyship."
"Sorry. Did I keep you waiting long?"
"Not at all. I just got here myself."
In truth, I'd been waiting quite a while, but I couldn't exactly say that. There was no gain in embarrassing my lady.
"By the way, how do I look today? Decent?"
"Beautiful as always."
"No polite flattery. Give me your honest opinion."
Elena crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.
I'd known this moment would come someday. It was the kind of question any woman would ask.
I pulled a thick book from a mental drawer and recited entry number 159.
"Your hair gleams like the eternal snows of the North, and your eyes are like gazing into a blue lake. Your movements exude grace and elegance, and that sky-blue dress makes you look just like..."
"St-stop...! That's enough...!"
Elena waved her hands frantically. The tips of her ears were red, so she must have been embarrassed.
I'd only said what she asked, so why the fuss? She was impossible to read sometimes.
After fanning her flushed face for a bit to cool down, Elena regained her composure and glanced around.
"You came alone today?"
"Miss Evi said she wanted to focus solely on training today."
"From the way you say it, you must have done morning conditioning together."
A hint of dissatisfaction flickered across Elena's face.
As I pondered what could be bothering her, a sudden thought struck me.
'Does she want to do conditioning with Evi...?'
Wasn't Elena in the Magic Department? Even if she felt that way, she probably couldn't bring it up easily. She might have thought it would be intrusive.
Besides, she wasn't used to hanging out with peers her age, which only made it more suspicious.
"Your Ladyship, if you'd like, how about joining conditioning starting tomorrow?"
"No, not really. It'd be good for my health to move around, but somehow I feel like I'd shrink."
Elena's gaze drifted downward—specifically to her chest. "Shrinking" clearly referred to a certain body part.
For a moment, the image of Evi from that morning flashed in my mind. Her arms stretched back behind her.
"Doesn't seem like it'd shrink much..."
"What did you just say...?"
"Ah, nothing. Slip of the tongue."
"You have three seconds. Spill everything."
Killing intent radiated from Elena. It was strong enough to make the hairs on my body stand on end.
Separate from that, as her exclusive attendant, I had no choice but to confess everything. There'd never really been options to begin with.
Listening with an incredulous expression, Elena grabbed both my cheeks and stretched them out.
"Is that why you came to the academy?"
"N-no, it isn't..."
"I might actually bury you in the garden. Get your head straight."
"Y-yes..."
Fortunately, it ended in a slap on the wrist this time. My cheeks stung, but it was lenient compared to what I'd done.
I'd have to be more careful from now on. I didn't want to end up as fertilizer for the plants I'd planted myself.
"Then let's head out."
"Yes, Your Ladyship."
Elena and I stepped off together without needing to decide who went first.
It hit me belatedly, but I wasn't following behind—I was walking beside her.
I must have gotten used to academy life without realizing it.
Still, better late than never—I tried to fall back to my proper position...
"Luke, walk beside me."
"As an attendant, I couldn't..."
"Don't be stubborn."
"My apologies, Your Ladyship."
I knew it was above my station, but I had no other choice.
What could I do? If the lady says stay, I stay.
How much time passed after that?
It was after we'd had the academy's famous breakfast in place of a proper meal.
As we walked the streets, a flower shop suddenly caught my eye. The colorful blooms planted in pots made for a lovely sight.
Maybe spending time in the gardening club had sparked an interest without me noticing.
'Would the professor hate a gift like this...?'
Shabel's office had felt so empty and barren. I'd been thinking of gifting her a potted plant, and here was a flower shop right on cue.
That said, I didn't stop walking. I could always come back anytime, so no big deal.
And so we arrived at today's actual destination: the blacksmith.
As we stepped inside, hit by the thick smell of iron, there stood a blacksmith with his face smudged black with soot.
"The master of my masterpiece has finally arrived!"
The blacksmith let out a hearty hahaha!
It seemed his pride and joy was complete.