Lingering Awkwardness and Spreading Rumors
Ever since that day I went out with Lana, I had been secretly tormented by worry. It wasn’t intentional, but I had committed an act of great disrespect. Of course, Lana herself had brushed it off without making a big deal out of it, yet I still couldn’t feel completely at ease. There was always the chance her feelings might change. At the time, she had been so flustered that she simply let it pass, but once that shock faded and reason returned, her thoughts could easily shift. The Lana I knew wasn’t the type to bring up something she had already overlooked just because her mind changed later, but still, I couldn’t be sure. Eight years had passed, and more than anything, I had no idea how the current Lana treated people she wasn’t close to.
That was why I worried. Even at this very moment, I half-expected the door to burst open and for the Church’s holy knights or the Empire’s soldiers to storm in. But in the end, nothing of the sort happened. One day passed. Two days. Three. As time went on, my anxiety gradually faded. Just when I was about to let go of my worries completely—
“Um… hello?”
Lana came to see me again.
This time, I wasn’t flustered. After all, we had made a sort of promise. She would continue treating my body. While I felt like I hadn’t done anything for her in return, the conversation had gone that way, so I had expected her to come find me again.
Only… something about the atmosphere felt off.
“…….”
“…….”
A heavy silence settled between Lana and me.
I had never been the type to speak warmly or casually. If I were still Gunter, I would have tried to say something, anything. But right now, I had no clear idea how I should even approach Lana. Still, I had always been a man of few words, so that was nothing new. The real problem was Lana.
For some reason, she barely spoke at all. It didn’t seem like simple exhaustion. There was just… an odd tension in the air. It was hard to put into words, but it felt like she was being awkward around me. Whatever the reason, the silence between us refused to lift.
…Should I say something?
The thought crossed my mind, but nothing appropriate came to me. That was usually the case, but it felt even more true now.
Why did I have to do that…
The incident where I had unconsciously stroked Lana’s hair. That event made it even harder to open my mouth. Even though we had safely moved past it, the sin I committed hadn’t disappeared. Moreover, though it was nothing more than a baseless guess, I couldn’t help but wonder if Lana was still bothered by what happened that day.
…No. The chances were probably quite high. Otherwise, there would be no explaining why she was acting like this today.
…I should apologize properly.
In the midst of that silence, I made up my mind. I would apologize sincerely.
Having decided, I opened my mouth.
“Um……”
“Y-yes?!”
Lana’s reaction was far from normal. I couldn’t help but be taken aback. Had that moment left such a strong impression on her? Or was I about to dig my own grave right now?
Even as those thoughts ran through my head, I didn’t close my mouth. Once I had resolved to do this, I needed to see it through.
“I… I’m sorry.”
I lowered my head toward Lana as I apologized.
But then—
“Huh…? Sorry for what, all of a sudden…?”
Lana’s eyes widened in genuine confusion.
What? She wasn’t bothered by it after all?
It was a reaction I hadn’t expected at all. I had assumed she was still thinking about what happened last time. Yet her current response was that of someone who had no idea what I was talking about.
For a moment, I wondered if I had stirred up trouble for no reason. But still—
“I mean… when I committed an impropriety toward you, Saintess.”
I finished my apology anyway.
“Ah…!”
Lana’s eyes grew even wider. Then—
“Th-that… Yeah. Right.”
Her response sounded incredibly awkward and forced.
…I was right.
I nodded inwardly. It seemed my guess had been correct. Anyone looking at Lana’s reaction could tell she was still bothered by that incident.
“I-it’s fine. That sort of thing can happen. You really don’t need to worry about it…”
Lana smiled as she said so, but I could tell. Her smile was strangely unnatural compared to her usual ones.
Still—
“…Thank you.”
I didn’t point it out. Since she had said that herself, I couldn’t very well force the issue. Setting aside morals or etiquette, doing so would have been suicidal. If I pushed her and she suddenly said, “You know what? Now that I think about it, that wasn’t something I should just let slide!” then that would be the end of me. I would be captured by the Church or the Empire and burned at the stake in front of a crowd. I wanted to avoid that at all costs, so I swallowed the guilt gnawing at my conscience and simply bowed my head.
Thus, the unexpected little commotion came to an end.
“All done.”
Time passed, and the treatment finally finished.
“Thank you.”
Since today’s treatment was over, there was no reason for us to stay together any longer. Lana stood up right away. I felt a pang of regret, but at the same time, I was inwardly relieved. The awkward atmosphere between us showed no signs of lifting anytime soon.
After saying she would come again tomorrow, Lana left. I returned straight to the dormitory.
And so time flowed on, and the next day arrived.
As promised, Lana came to see me again. In that still-awkward atmosphere, she treated me once more. Another day passed like that. And the day after. And the day after that. Lana kept coming to find me.
Around that time, I began to feel something was strange.
…Didn’t she say that two more treatments would be enough?
I clearly remembered her saying that during the first treatment. Could my memory be wrong?
…No, that couldn’t be. While I didn’t have exceptional confidence in my memory, it wasn’t particularly bad either. Something like that, I would definitely remember.
With the intention of checking, I looked at Lana, who was pouring her holy power into me, and carefully spoke up.
“Now that I think about it, I remember you saying at the beginning that two more treatments would be enough to fully heal me……”
The moment I said it—
She flinched.
Lana’s body visibly jolted. Then—
“Y-yes, that’s right… But… the traces aren’t disappearing as easily as I thought. It seems we’ll need to do this a few more times than expected.”
“Ah, I see.”
I nodded at her explanation. It was a convincing enough reason. Since Lana was only human, it was perfectly possible for her to misjudge the number of treatments needed.
“S-still, please don’t worry too much. If we take enough time, I can erase them completely.”
“That’s a relief. Thank you.”
I had no complaints even if the treatment was taking longer than planned. From the start, the very fact that I could receive this treatment was a blessing and a stroke of incredible luck for me. And no matter how awkward things felt, there was no way I would dislike spending time with Lana.
Anyway, time continued to pass like that.
Just as before, Lana came to see me every time, and the awkward air that had lingered between us gradually began to fade. Before long, Lana’s visits had become part of my daily routine.
However.
Our secret meetings didn’t stay hidden forever.
“Hmm……”
When I went to meet Lana as usual that day, Priestess Anne was standing there with her arms crossed. Beside her stood Lana, who looked somewhat apologetic.
“I’m sorry. We got caught.”
Lana smiled awkwardly when she saw me.
“It’s fine. This isn’t something the Saintess needs to apologize for.”
I answered casually. I wasn’t particularly surprised. I had known this would happen eventually.
When I glanced at the priestess—
“Hmm……”
Priestess Anne stood with her arms crossed, staring at me intently. I couldn’t read all of her thoughts. But—
She probably doesn’t think well of me.
I was certain that from her perspective, I couldn’t possibly look good. It was only natural. Even if it wasn’t quite a secret rendezvous, the fact that the Saintess was secretly meeting with a man would surely displease her. And if that man happened to be an infamous scoundrel with few equals? There was no way she would view me favorably. In fact, if I were in her position, I would want to drive him away by force if necessary.
So I braced myself. Given the situation and the way this priestess had acted before, I wouldn’t have been surprised to hear all kinds of harsh words. I had no intention of talking back. Since she was doing this for Lana’s sake, I planned to simply listen quietly.
As I steeled myself—
“…Please refrain from any rude behavior toward the Saintess.”
…An unexpectedly mild statement came from her lips.
…What?
Greatly taken aback, I reflexively answered.
“I will keep that in mind.”
With that, the conversation ended.
“Then I’ll be going. Please don’t stay out too late, alright?”
“Yes. I understand.”
After those words, Priestess Anne really did leave.
Still somewhat dazed by the unexpected turn of events, I stood there blankly until—
“Anne is very understanding.”
Perhaps sensing how I felt, Lana added an explanation.
“She probably did this out of consideration for me again this time.”
Consideration, huh. I didn’t fully understand what she meant, but it wasn’t a bad thing. In fact, it left me feeling rather relieved. It almost felt like I had received approval from someone who was practically Lana’s guardian.
Of course, what she had approved of wasn’t me personally, but rather these treatment meetings. Still, I felt reassured. It was as if one weight had been lifted from my chest. Now I could meet with Lana with a much lighter heart.
I felt glad about that, but… unfortunately, the world had no intention of letting me rest easy.
Suddenly, rumors began to spread throughout the Academy. Rumors that Lana was having personal meetings with me.