Chapter 295: Between Lover and Pet Dog (1)
Chapter 295: Between Lover and Pet Dog (1)
The Percus Mansion, having weathered a major crisis, was now steeped in silence.
It was a brief peace.
Soon, agents from the Imperial Intelligence Agency would be dispatched, and the entire estate would fall under their watchful eyes. Many of the servants felt an unspoken pressure regarding this.
My parents were no exception.
My mother, who was particularly faint-hearted, seemed to grow more anxious by the day.
Her worries mostly centered on one thing.
"I'm so sorry, Ian... I've caused you nothing but trouble."
Her son had nearly died.
Furthermore, even though things had turned out well, the Imperial Intelligence Agency was being sent because a crime had been committed.
Even if their purpose was partly for protection, it wasn't easy to feel at ease while being monitored. Moreover, my mother was quite sheltered and unfamiliar with the ways of the world.
It was a rare case for someone of noble birth, who usually receives rigorous education from infancy.
Come to think of it, I had never heard anything about my parents' childhoods.
Whenever I asked how the two of them met, married, and started a family, they would only offer a bittersweet smile.
My older brother never mentioned it either.
I had simply assumed there were circumstances I wasn't privy to.
The history of the Percus family was relatively short, but it possessed traditions spanning several generations. That meant, naturally, my parents' origins were supposed to be clear.
So, I had never harbored any doubts until now.
At least, that would have been the case if Ria's secret hadn't been revealed recently.
I was seized by a strange sense of unease I hadn't felt before.
It was an inexplicable intuition that mysteries still remained within the Percus family.
Fortunately, I was no longer a powerless, innocent boy.
I had a connection with the Imperial Intelligence Agency. If I set my mind to it, I could investigate this as much as I wanted.
However, I couldn't bring myself to show any sign of doubting my mother.
It was out of filial duty.
No matter what my parents were hiding from me, the grace of them loving and raising me all this time didn't just vanish.
In the end, I had to soothe my mother with a faint smile.
"Don't worry too much, Mother... You know I have a lot of friends."
And many of them were powerful.
The Emperor and the Sword Duke also seemed to have decided to take my side for the time being.
My mother didn't seem entirely convinced despite my repeated reassurances. Nevertheless, she didn't offer any more apologies.
She only gazed at me occasionally with sorrowful eyes.
It was heartbreaking. But I had other matters that required my attention.
First of all, the end of the break was drawing near.
The reason the group staying at the mansion seemed exceptionally busy lately was closely related to this.
Everyone was preparing to return to their daily lives in their own way. Before I knew it, the day to return to the Academy was right before our eyes.
The time they had spent at the Percus Mansion was about two months.
A time that could be considered long or short.
However, the density of the events we experienced during that time was incomparable to others.
It had always been like this since the love letter from the future arrived.
Meeting a powerful demonic beast out of nowhere during the Hunting Festival, defeating a Fiend at the orphanage, and having to face a dark priest to save the Princess during the Homecoming Festival.
And finally, even taking down a subordinate of the Evil God in my own hometown.
I was getting curious about what the next letter would contain.
How many more powerful enemies would I have to face, and how much more cruel a fate would I have to encounter?
A slight sense of dread rose within me, but I composed myself, forcing a bittersweet smile.
Even then, there was only one conclusion I could reach.
I do what must be done.
Just as I always have.
With that, I steeled my resolve and looked toward the future.
But that wasn't the only worry weighing on my mind.
In fact, there was someone else who had been dominating my thoughts lately.
It was Senior Elsie.
A woman famous for her cruel temperament and foul mouth, which stood in stark contrast to her lovely appearance.
As a lady of the prestigious magic house, the Lainella family, she wasn't someone I would have had any point of contact with until just a few months ago.
In fact, even if we had crossed paths, I probably would have been the first to avoid her.
That was how poor the public perception of Senior Elsie was.
However, after crossing numerous lines between life and death with her and sharing long conversations, I ended up understanding her.
It wouldn't be strange to say I'd grown fond of her.
Nevertheless, a certain line existed between Senior Elsie and me.
Senior Elsie was the child of high-ranking nobility. Naturally, she had an obligation to follow her family's orders.
Therefore, her accompanying me could only be temporary. Even if Senior Elsie considered this a good memory later on, it was only right that she choose someone else to spend her life with.
Even if Senior Elsie and I were engaged, I still had an excuse.
That it was merely the will of the family, not Senior Elsie's true intention.
If so, it was a matter of letting her go someday.
But all those excuses and justifications were shattered all at once not long ago.
Senior Elsie confessed to me.
It was only a single sentence, but it was an event that caused a greater ripple in my heart than anything else.
That day, too, I was packing my things while thinking of Senior Elsie.
It had been like this ever since I received that confession from her.
If I let my guard down even a little, she would pop into my mind.
Thinking about it, I realized I was quite the novice in romance.
To be dazed all day just because of one confession—it was a pathetic sight.
I felt like it would be mentally more comfortable to face a Corpse Giant instead.
It was then that a knock sounded on my bedroom door.
My body stiffened instantly.
"……Ian, can I come in?"
Only after hearing the voice that followed did I breathe a sigh of relief, clutching my chest.
It was Celine's voice.
Inwardly, I had been worried that Senior Elsie might have come to find me.
If it was just Celine, I was confident I could face her happily.
I replied with a voice dripping with relief.
"Yeah, come in."
With my permission, Celine opened the door slightly and peeked her head in.
Then, narrowing her eyes, she scanned the room before quickly closing the door and standing beside me.
I could only look at her with a puzzled expression.
It was quite a cautious move, which was unlike her.
"……What are you doing?"
"Shh, shh!"
Despite my bewildered reaction, Celine lowered her voice even further.
The way she pressed her index finger to her lips made it seem like she had come to deliver a secret.
I had no choice but to stay quiet and stare at her.
Even if I wanted to ask, I had no idea what this was about.
There was only one way to confirm the business of someone who barged in so suddenly.
Waiting until the other person brought up the main point first.
Fortunately, Celine got straight to the point.
"Ian, did something happen between you and Senior Lainella lately?"
I couldn't give her an answer for a moment.
I just took a breath and silently averted my gaze.
Celine wasn't one to miss such suspicious behavior.
As if she had expected it, she frowned slightly and pressed me.
"Aah, seriously! I knew it... Do you know how strange Senior Lainella has been lately? Her room is right next to mine, and I can't stand it because she's like that every night!"
Even while stomping her feet in complaint, Celine couldn't raise her voice.
She seemed to already know that an important conversation had taken place between Senior Elsie and me.
Celine had been able to read people's hearts like a ghost since we were children.
There was no way she wouldn't have figured this out after several days.
In the end, I let out a long sigh of surrender.
"……Nothing happened."
"Don't lie!"
Celine pointed her finger at me as if telling me not to talk nonsense.
Judging by her low growl, she had no intention of letting this slide.
"The two of you have been so conscious of each other lately! You get flustered just by making eye contact!"
"Hey, that's……."
"Do you think I'm the only one who noticed? Even the Saintess is looking at you two very suspiciously! So just spill it now and find peace... What did you do to Senior Lainella?"
It was a storm of interrogation.
Once caught by Celine, there was no escape for me.
Just as I knew Celine well, she knew me just as well.
And I tended to be weak against 'younger sisters' like Ria and Celine.
A groan escaped my lips involuntarily.
Celine knew that was the precursor to my surrender.
She crossed her arms in silence and stared at me with the eyes of an inquisitor.
I blurted out a word as if making an excuse.
"……It wasn't me."
"Then what is it? What did Senior Lainella do!"
Another sigh. Celine was now tapping her chest, unable to contain her frustration.
It meant she couldn't wait any longer.
In the end, I had no choice but to confess everything.
"What happened that's making you hesitate so much? Did Senior Lainella confess or someth—!"
"Yeah, she did."
At that, all of Celine's movements and her voice came to a dead stop.
It was such a dramatic change that for a moment, I thought she had turned into a statue.
Only after a few seconds did Celine shake her head and snap out of it.
She interrogated me with an even more urgent tone.
"She, she confessed? When?!"
"A few days ago."
At my blunt statement, Celine's expression became even more dazed.
Her lips opened and closed.
After hesitating for a long time, she finally asked cautiously.
"……S-so, what did you say in response?"
I turned my gaze to the side to recall the memory of that day.
The longer my answer was delayed, the more anxious Celine looked.
Eventually, she even swallowed hard, her face turning pale.
Unable to watch her like that, a short conclusion slipped from my mouth first.
"……I rejected her."
"What?! Why, why?!"
Celine asked back, unable to hide her bewilderment.
It was a reasonable reaction.
Senior Elsie was beautiful, talented, and had an excellent background.
Common sense-wise, it wouldn't be easy to think of a reason to reject her.
I felt the same way.
Inwardly, I also had a desire to be with her.
However, more than that, I couldn't find my bearings.
What was my true feeling?
Why was I afraid of being with Senior Elsie?
It was a problem I had agonized over for days without reaching a conclusion.
As my contemplation deepened, my memories sank further.
Before I knew it, I had returned to the scene of that day.
Upon hearing my rejection, Senior Elsie froze on the spot.
Her wide eyes bore witness to her shock.
Right, that's how it was.
At that time, Senior Elsie had asked me the same question.
With tears welling in her eyes, on the verge of crying.
"Why, why……?"
Even if she asked, I didn't know my own heart either.
I just thought I couldn't reject her feelings for no reason at all. That would be too cruel an ending.
So, I inadvertently blurted those words out to her.
"Well, Senior Elsie... you were a school bully, after all."
I heard an auditory hallucination of Senior Elsie's body cracking from the top of her head.
"……That's a bit much, I think."
It was true.
I empathized with Senior Elsie's circumstances, and I was willing to be on her side anytime.
But separate from that, she still had sins she hadn't yet erased.
A past where she bullied innocent students and left deep scars.
I regretted it the moment I said it.
I was afraid this would remain a scar for her for a long time.
Some might say she was just paying for her crimes, but seeing how she was the first thing on my mind, it seemed I had grown quite fond of her in the meantime.
However, it was before I could even retract that statement.
Senior Elsie clenched her fists and trembled.
And she glared at me with a look of anger I hadn't seen in a very long time.
"……J-just you wait."
With teary eyes, the girl shouted with rising fury.
"Just you wait! I—I won't give up just because of that!"
With those final words, Senior Elsie wiped her tears with her sleeve and turned away.
Her back looked so lonely that I almost reached out to stop her, but I didn't.
Instead, I let out a deep, deep sigh.
Even after washing my face with my hands several times, my heart wouldn't settle.
You pathetic idiot, what the hell are you trying to do?
I just sat there, cursing myself.
At the time, I considered Senior Elsie's "just you wait" to be a common figure of speech.
Of course, that was the result of overlooking the fact that she wasn't such an easy person to deal with.
I realized its true meaning immediately after we arrived at the Academy.