Chapter 105
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: Girlfriend's Friend and Girlfriend's Little Sister -3-
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Chloe couldn't sum up what an 'adventurer' was in a single word.
She wasn't the type to roam the world outside, and until enrolling in the academy, she'd stayed cooped up in her family's estate, training to become a knight while learning the basics of noble etiquette in a perfectly ordinary way. She had little interest in anything beyond that or the wider world.
Her instructor, who was a former adventurer, just struck her as one of countless strong and remarkable people out there in the world.
The first time she took an interest in the adventurer profession was because one of her friends from the academy, Seria, dreamed of becoming one in the future. That's when Chloe first perked up her ears and listened.
An adventurer staked their life every day to forge tales of their exploits, honing their body and senses to a razor's edge. They were like knights in some ways, but with the freedom of a bird on the wing. That allure was undeniable.
The more she heard, the more amazing it seemed—but the first thought that came to her was that someone as fragile-hearted as herself could never pull it off.
And that was the end of her initial curiosity. It felt like a world utterly disconnected from her own, so her interest faded just as quickly.
But then her sister started dating a man who was at the pinnacle of adventurers—a 'Platinum' rank—and that reignited her spark of interest.
Conveniently, she had Seria, who seemed to know all about adventurers, right there to ask. No need to go hunting far for info, and she could trust it too.
"Instructor... I heard you're a Platinum adventurer. What kind of standing do you have among them? I know it's the highest rank, but..."
It was a question probing the status of Platinum, which she couldn't quite gauge herself.
Seria, thrilled that Chloe was showing interest in adventurers, exploded with her usual boundless energy and spilled everything she'd heard from her own adventurer sister.
To sum up her long-winded explanation simply: If her sister, Eclair Dreitna, represented knights, then the instructor represented adventurers on the other side of the coin.
Chloe didn't quite grasp the part about how the instructor's sense of justice—or whatever—kept him from cozying up to the bards, so his fame hadn't spread properly. She just nodded along as Seria ranted with a hint of mania in her eyes.
"If you dig into the instructor, even a lowly cadet like me can find info easily enough, but it's all baseless slander. Probably bluff planted by the bards' guild on purpose?"
It did seem odd that anyone could stumble upon vicious rumors about such a great figure. Good call asking Seria, Chloe thought.
"R-right!"
Seria, who knew the adventurer world inside out thanks to her sister and her own proactive digging, sat cross-legged on her chair with a serious face and continued.
"On par with the legendary adventurer Urus's party... and the youngest, solo at that. Once the bad blood with the bards clears up and word spreads, it's only a matter of time before he takes Urus's place as the idol and legend of adventurers."
Seria's green eyes shone with conviction, painting an unmistakable future.
...
...
That conversation flashed through her mind at the speed of light.
Legend, youngest, Platinum, powerhouse... titles with zero connection to her. And here she was, sitting in a dessert cafe with someone who held them all.
She could relax around such an extraordinary person as her sister because of their family bond, but this situation offered no such crutch. She had to mind every word and gesture with perfect etiquette.
G-get it together...!
One slip could tarnish the Dreitna name and her sister's hard-earned legacy, so she needed to think twice about every move.
She'd already embarrassed herself once choking on her drink. No room for a second blunder.
"No need to hold back. Eat up. If it's not enough, just say so."
Even his unexpectedly gentle smile, a gap from what she'd imagined, couldn't make her drop her noble guard.
It might resemble the smile her sister gave her, but that didn't mean she could act childish. It wasn't permission or justification.
"...Thank you."
To the outside world, Chloe Dreitna was Eclair Dreitna's own little sister. She had to craft the right image from this first meeting.
She'd already said the black tea was fine, so reaching greedily for more now would be mortifying. She contented herself with eyeing the desserts while sipping from her teacup.
...Is this what a miser looks like?
She recalled a novel where someone pictured tantalizing food in their mind while choking down plain water and bread. Her situation felt eerily similar.
Tearing up inwardly over her empty plate as she buried her nose in her tea, the instructor chuckled and broke the ice first.
"The place has a name for a reason—the stuff tastes good. Might be too sweet for Eclair, though... Not sure myself. Could you check it out for me?"
Grateful for the elder's gracious offer, she lowered her gaze demurely and reached out.
"Y-yes! If you'll excuse me."
As she transferred a dessert from the tray to her plate, excitement bubbled up alongside the thrill of solving a little mystery. Chloe's lips twitched upward.
He calls Sis 'Eclair'...
They might have even sweeter pet names in private, but just this sparked her imagination wildly.
...
...
Clink.
Surprisingly, it was a relaxed spot where she didn't need to fuss much over etiquette. Almost like teatime with friends...
Maybe because her instructor was such a free-spirited adventurer.
"I'll need to pay more attention to that side next time."
"Yes..."
He brought up the practical combat class—the whole point of this meeting—but his questions were simple yes-or-no affairs, no need for elaboration. No pressure there.
Normally, with no one around to cover her gaffes and alone with a man, she'd be prone to dropping her fork or spilling her tea. But not today.
The biggest reason Chloe stayed mistake-free and relaxed? She could sense a faint tension in Roman's face too.
She could speak up now! Her gut told her if not this moment, who knew when the next chance would come.
"Um..."
"Yeah?"
Her fingers fidgeted naturally toward the brooch pinned to her chest.
"Th-this... I feel like it's too generous a gift... Thank you so much..."
"Haha! No need to thank me for that. It's not too much at all. Glad it found the right owner."
With her immediate goal—thanking him for the brooch—achieved, some tension eased from her chest.
Bowing her head without decorum was one thing, but eye contact in conversation with a man... especially such a great one... felt like scaling a sheer cliff for her.
So many scars...
With her gaze downcast, they caught her eye. From the backs of his hands to between his fingers. Nowhere exposed beyond his shirt was unscathed.
She'd heard that wounds with special properties, or those not treated with potions or by the Church within a certain time, left scars even after healing.
That snippet alone let her glimpse the tip of the iceberg: the weight of his life's battles. A life so heavy and vast it stirred guilt in someone like her, who'd lived so comfortably.
Eclair had told her to live as she pleased, but Chloe always wondered:
Being one of the Empire's Five Knights' sister—didn't that mean she had to do something? Could she just lean on her sister's goodwill and live carefree, ordinarily?
"Instructor..."
"That title suit you best, huh? What's up?"
"If it's not too rude, could I ask one thing...?"
"Go ahead."
For someone so extraordinary, like her sister, even a vague question might yield a crisp answer. A small hope.
She refined her query, adding the gist, and he nodded as if understanding to her core.
"If you hate that kind of life, nothing to be done. But that's not it, right?"
"...No one hates a life where they do what they want..."
Twirling his fork idly in one hand, he continued right away.
"You stay up all night hanging with friends, doze off in class the next day because of it. Spend ages standing in the square, debating where to go and what to eat with no real conclusion... Isn't that enough? No need to map out the distant future right now."
"Th-that sounds blissful, but... wouldn't Sis want that too?"
"No."
His curt, knowing reply startled Chloe into looking up. His dark eyes, faintly rimmed in red, burned with utter seriousness.
"Then..."
"Eclair doesn't want that life for herself—she wants to see her little sister living happily, doing what she wants."
"..."
"One thing's certain: Eclair's not forcing a plain life on you. What people want to do varies wildly... but a smooth, untroubled path? That's the dream for the vast majority."
She nodded in agreement.
"She just wants no hardships for the people she cherishes. That's the wish, the thought."
"..."
Instead of a spoon, he stirred his remaining coffee vigorously with his fork and downed it in one go. He crossed his arms, bit his lower lip, and stared into space.
Whatever he was pondering deeply, he finally relaxed his clenched lips and spoke slowly.
"...I think my life's had its twists and turns, but for my woman, I hope for none. It won't always go my way, but if I can make it so, I will."
"I-I see..."
Whoa... He just called Sis 'my woman'? His natural authority made it feel right, not awkward at all.
"Forget wealth or gains—if it brings my lover peace of mind and comfort, I'll do whatever I can. That includes watching over her sister in the academy while she's away."
"M-me?"
It came out of nowhere.
He and Eclair weren't married yet, so to him, she was barely a step above a total stranger.
In other noble houses, once a daughter married, she might as well belong to her husband's family. Siblings might know names but see faces once every few years, memories fading.
Which made it all the more baffling.
A Platinum adventurer treating her with such kindness and gentleness? Despite his overwhelming status, he never acted superior toward her.
"If something happened to her sister, Eclair would be sad. Right?"
He wrapped it up with a playfully mischievous smile.
—
Ting-a-ling.
She stepped out first and waited by the door. Soon, the instructor emerged.
"Th-thank you for the meal!"
He stuffed the crumpled receipt into his pocket and grinned broadly.
"If it was good, that's plenty. Next time you crave it, just say so—I can book it so you and your friends can come."
"N-no, how could I...!"
He chuckled at her head and hands waving frantically, then softened his brows with an apologetic tone.
"Sorry to bother you, but... before heading back to the academy after classes, could you swing by and pick up the pecan pie I recommended earlier? Have it packaged for Eclair. If you're busy, delivery's fine—no pressure."
A dessert from her lover... What face would Sis make? Her heart already fluttered at the sweet thought.
"Yes! I'll... I'll make sure she gets it!"
"Reliable as ever. Listen hard in your remaining classes~ Gotta run."
"Um!"
"Yeah?"
She knew it was overstepping. Still, she had to ask.
Seeing her sister lately, Chloe wanted moments like this to last forever more than anyone.
"Please... take good care of my sister...!"
She bowed deeply, waiting for his reply. He slowly dropped to one knee, matching her eye level, his smile replaced by solemn resolve.
"That's my line... But I swear and promise to cherish Eclair more than my own life. Take care of me too."
His knightlier-than-knights aura rang with unshakeable sincerity. It eased her heart more than any words could.
"Truly... thank you."
—
That day, Chloe grinned ear to ear through the end of classes, buzzing with anticipation for her sister's reaction. The moment the bell rang, she bolted to the dessert shop.