Chapter 40
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Friend (2)
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The central plaza primarily doubled as a commercial hub. With the highest foot traffic in the entire headquarters, it was lined with all sorts of shops.
Holding a glass of fresh fruit juice I'd grabbed from a nearby teahouse, I glanced around and spotted a lone purple-haired woman sitting dejectedly not too far off.
"Here, drink this."
"……."
I approached Eliya with casual ease and handed her the juice. According to the menu, it was a mix made from apples, oranges, and a few other light-colored fruits.
I hadn't tasted it myself, but anyway, Eliya sniffled as she obediently took the glass.
And watching her pop the straw in her mouth and suck it down with eager slurps, it seemed pretty decent. Though her eyes were still red-rimmed.
Wondering if I'd gone too far, I scratched my cheek and cautiously sat on the bench beside her. But Eliya shot me a flat, fish-eyed glare and scooted away with a sharp rustle.
We ended up perched at opposite ends of the bench, like strangers sharing space.
"Ahem……."
I cleared my throat awkwardly and shifted my position again. Moving as carefully as one might approach a skittish wild cat, gauging her mood and inching closer bit by bit.
"……S-stay away."
"……."
And got rejected. Eliya glared at me with uncharacteristically fierce eyes, and that low growl pinned me in place—I couldn't budge.
With no choice, I sighed in place and haltingly opened my mouth.
"S-sorry, okay? It was just a joke. A bit over the line, sure."
"……Evan, do you even realize that a frog by the riverbank could die from a stone you toss without thinking?"
"……No, come on, it's not that serious."
My half-hearted rebuttal faltered under Eliya's prickly stare, leaving me sheepish.
I cleared my throat again, and Eliya irritably chewed on her straw. Turning straight ahead, she sulked and muttered under her breath.
"You're awful, really…… How could you? You knew I was still hung up on that, and you brought it up on purpose."
"Sorry. Your reaction was just too funny—I couldn't help it."
"That's exactly what makes you so thoughtless……!"
Eliya let out a sudden "Kyaa!" mid-sip, her face flushing beet red. Was it anger or embarrassment?
Either way, it was probably a mix of both, I figured inwardly.
I gave an awkward smile and raised my hand slightly to her head level.
"……What?"
"……."
At the unexpected gesture, Eliya furrowed her brows slightly but got no answer from me.
I just hovered there ambiguously, fingers twitching, without pushing further.
A brief silence passed. Catching on, Eliya jolted, her face reddening for an entirely different reason than before.
I'd half-worried she'd snap at me more, but—
"……Hmph……."
Luckily, my guess was right. Eliya primly averted her gaze but subtly shifted closer, resting her head against my hand.
Thud. It touched lightly, and nothing more happened—but now it was my turn.
Chuckling softly, I gently stroked her hair. Like soothing a child.
She was petite, so it really felt just like that—
"Don't…… treat me like a kid. I'm not one."
"……."
Her sharp jab made my eyes flicker. Eliya shot me a fresh glare with haughty eyes.
A beat late, I realized my mistake and replied.
"I wasn't treating you like a kid. Why assume that?"
"……Your face said exactly that."
"Mm……."
With a small hum, I invoked my right to silence. How did she read me like that?
She was sharper than I'd thought.
"Stroke more……."
And when my hand paused briefly, she even nudged her head closer. Bursting into dry laughter, I resumed aimlessly. She was asking for it—what could I do?
And so we passed the time with me petting Eliya. I noticed the juice in her glass wasn't going down anymore, but I didn't call her out on it.
'Hm.'
Occasionally, our eyes met with passing candidates, who shot us looks like they'd seen the weirdest combo imaginable.
Eliya, lost in a dreamy melt, didn't even register them, and I wasn't one to care much about stares anyway.
"What're you looking at?"
"……Nothing."
A cocky chin jerk sent them scurrying off.
I didn't bother holding them back. Honestly, even I knew sitting this close to Eliya looked pretty out of place.
If last year's me had seen this scene, I'd have shuddered like I'd spotted an outer god.
But thinking seriously about it now, it wasn't that shocking. After all, my feelings toward Eliya Ruben weren't hatred.
'More like…… an instinctive discomfort? It always bugged me how she latched on purely for my divine traits.'
Setting that aside, Eliya was one of the few among the dozen-plus candidates—along with Lete—that I didn't find grating.
Her consistent personality, inside and out…… was far friendlier than those who sneered at me as a commoner, at least.
Plus, she'd given me some solid advice last time, right?
Now, my impression of her leaned toward affection. She had these pointless cute moments sometimes.
You could even say I'd warmed up to her.
"……Eliya."
Thinking that far, I realized inwardly how long we'd known each other.
Who'd have thought I'd ever find this girl genuinely cute?
Unbelievable, but true. As I softly brushed her bangs, her lashes trembled, and she turned to me.
"Why call……?"
"……."
Her questioning gaze met mine, and I fell silent. Instead, I stared straight into her clear eyes. Intensely enough to make her squirm.
Sure enough, as my gaze didn't waver, Eliya's pupils shook on their own.
Maybe because my hand always went for her cheeks in moments like this? She tensed, arms half-raised to block, but—
"You."
What I wanted to say was simple.
Just a confirmation.
"Like me."
"……."
Not even a question. It came out like a firm declaration of fact, freezing Eliya's expression as if her breath had stopped.
I wasn't expecting an honest answer anyway, but this made denial impossible.
Eliya just quivered, lips parting and closing faintly over and over.
Like someone caught in a truth they desperately wanted hidden. Though, over these past months, hadn't she been blatantly obvious?
"You dodged me so obviously, after all."
I smirked and continued.
"Blushing every time we crossed paths, bolting if I even tried to talk. Even when I chased you down, we couldn't have a proper chat……."
"……Ah, uh. That."
"Your attitude shifted right after that day, so I figured that was the cause. Looks like I nailed it."
I tapped her burning forehead, and she turned to stone, mumbling incoherently. Her juice nearly slipped, so I snatched it quick.
Still more than half full.
Swirling the glass, I glanced at Eliya.
"Not drinking?"
"……."
"I'll have it then?"
Without waiting for a reply, I slurped the straw to taste it.
"Mm."
Definitely a mishmash of fruits. Apple, orange…… banana? It had a tangy hint of pineapple too.
Not bad, so I kept sucking it down. Figured Eliya needed time to sort her thoughts anyway.
Thud!
"Huh……?"
Bad call. My body stiffened at the sudden sound of someone dropping to their knees.
A chill prickled my neck as I stiffly turned downward.
There…… Eliya had slid off the bench, clutching my pant leg.
'What the.'
The abrupt turn left my brain lagging. Mouth agape around the straw, I stared dumbly as Eliya blanched amid the shattered mood.
"S-sorry, so sorry…… I was wrong."
"?"
And those were her first words.
My mind flatlined.
Apologizing? Suddenly? Why? What for?
Whether I panicked or not, Eliya babbled on in full meltdown, oblivious to my feelings.
"D-don't worry. I won't overstep. I, I have no intention of getting between you and Lete. I won't be a homewrecker."
"……Wait, what? Hold on."
"Please don't hate me. I know my place. I won't cause the worries you have. I won't, really, promise."
No chance to stop her. Eliya gripped me with trembling hands that seemed ready to give out, her face on the verge of tears.
If I shook her off even slightly, she'd probably faint on the spot.
Tears welled in her eyes. Her gaze pleaded desperately.
"Call me a slut if you want…… I'll be the slut. I'll sort out these feelings quick. Ah, no more head pats either—that's fine. I won't even wish for it. So, so……."
"……."
"So please, don't push me away, Evan……."
And thud. Eliya's weak hand finally slipped from my leg.
Her eyes shook perilously, as if the light might fade any second.
Rustle—
The sound that followed wasn't from us. Suddenly, a twig snapped behind…….
"……Evan? What on earth is this."
Whipping around urgently, I saw a woman with radiant golden hair shimmering there.
Her sunset-hued eyes stared at me in shock and disbelief.
Isabel Sedent. My benefactor's closest friend—and by extension, someone I'd known since childhood—the Sun Church's one and only Special Inquisitor.
I had no idea why she'd shown up on the path behind us right now, or why we always bumped into each other like this, but.
From her view in that moment, how did I look?
Like some thug lounging crookedly on a bench, casually sipping juice while forcing a young-looking girl to kneel and grovel?
"……."
"……."
A dozen seconds of silence dragged. Cold sweat beaded as I frantically shook my head.
"N-no, it's not! Isabel, this isn't what it looks like. Really."
"……Evan……."
My best excuse fell flat. She looked at me with eyes full of contempt.