Chapter 185
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 185
Chapter Title: The Outcome is Already Decided
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The outcome is already decided.
Once I actually started thinking about the trip, I felt a bit of excitement, but the first things that came to mind were my women.
'We should all go out together sometime.'
Trips to proper cities for leisure rather than requests were rare in my life.
In reality, there were times when Rike, Eclair, and I spent time together.
But we'd never gone on a trip all together.
We were all busy, and since Chloe was left alone at the mansion, Eclair tended to spend her days off with her.
More often than not, it was just two of us at a time.
And naturally, the one who took up the most time was Rike, living under the same roof.
When Eclair had some free time—which was rare—Rike would seek out Chloe and yield her spot.
'Still, both of them have gone out beyond the capital with me plenty of times.'
Dates with Rike meant avoiding crowds, enjoying nature, or observing plants and animals amid the sound of flowing water and birdsong.
Dates alone with Eclair often turned into playful spy games, given how many people recognized her face.
With our skills at suppressing our presence, age and social status meant nothing—we'd goof around like kids, and our speed made venturing outside the capital a regular thing.
Both kinds of time were pure paradise, incomparable in happiness.
Now, what feeling would time with Chloe—who hadn't yet established a clear relationship with me—bring?
'Livrosia...'
She'd lived a rough, rugged life, but books weren't something she ignored entirely.
Didn't lines that stirred the imagination or invigorated mind and body serve as motivation in themselves?
'I'll get my fill of that book smell.'
I loved the unique scent found only in bookstores and libraries.
And if a intriguing title caught my eye in passing, I'd read a bit.
I'd glimpsed plays performed on the street now and then, but never sat through one properly.
This would be a good chance to enjoy one.
If it was fun, I could recommend it to Rike or Eclair.
Clack.
The clack of my shoes—dusty from storage—sounded different from usual as I walked.
I was fiddling with the shirt Rike had so carefully prepared when I neared the plaza by the gate.
'Already?!'
I'd figured Chloe would arrive early, so I'd left even earlier to beat her there.
I was certain I'd arrive first.
But there she was, standing blankly in front of our meeting spot, lugging a heavy bag. I quickened my pace.
"Brother...!"
Her smile brimmed with joy, but shadows lingered under her eyes.
"Didn't sleep? Your eyes look exhausted."
"Ahhh... I'm fine! Really, no problem...!"
Seeing her sheepishly hoist the bag to half-hide her face made me chuckle.
"How long have you been waiting?"
"J-just got here! You're early too, Brother...?"
Anyone could tell it was a lie.
'...How early did she get here?'
Her blue eyes sparkled with excitement as they gazed at me—I'd come early too, after all.
"I was excited, so I left early."
"...!"
One word, and her lips twitched upward before she clamped them down with an "ang!"
Thud.
I snatched the bulky bag, revealing her face in full—much better.
"Ah, aaa... I can carry it!"
I considered stashing her bag in my inventory.
But this was part of the travel experience, so I slung it over one shoulder.
"Tell me if you need anything back—anytime."
"...Thank you."
"And drink this. You'd collapse midway otherwise."
I pulled a potion—ornate markings etched on it—from my inventory-linked pocket.
She waved both hands and shook her head in fierce refusal.
"R-really, I'm fine! Something this precious...!"
"No leaving till you drink it?"
I felt like a jerk manipulating her feelings, but it couldn't be helped.
"!!!"
Her eyes went wide as saucers before she gulped it down in a panic.
The amusing sight had me laughing right along with her.
····
The gate fare to Livrosia was too steep for most commoners in the empire.
The biggest issue: you couldn't go in one shot.
It took three gate jumps from the capital.
Whether it was a tech limitation or deliberate for profit, who knew.
But to anyone with real wealth, it was irrelevant.
Just a convenient time-saver.
Clunk!
Stepping out of the building drew an involuntary gasp.
"Ooh~! So many wonders at first glance?"
Livrosia's first impression.
No massive rides, but the whole city reeked of an otherworldly amusement park.
"Wow...!"
Chloe moved cautiously in the new surroundings, hesitating at first.
Yet honest gasps escaped her as her mouth hung slightly open, eyes darting everywhere.
Street performers dotted the roads just steps from the gate.
Let your guard down, and they'd steal your attention in seconds.
-I'll run to you anytime—for you! I'll set my heart ablaze!
-We can never meet again...! Fate has decreed it so!
··
With so much to see on the streets, street food had naturally evolved here.
Simple eats were everywhere: hot dogs, sandwiches, colorful drinks, mysterious mage-crafted foods.
I pushed ahead through the saliva-tantalizing aromas, clearing a path.
"Let's book a room first, then head out."
"L-lodging! Right...! Y-yes...!"
She startled at the obvious suggestion, blushing alone, then nodded to herself and matched my stride.
The inn was clean and close to the bustling district.
Two rooms, naturally.
Right next to each other.
Brother's vast knowledge isn't just from experience, is it.
Books must play a part too.
That thought hit me as we chatted so easily about them.
Not mere agreement—real depth.
Facing a topic I loved and felt confident in...
I'd suddenly snap to, realizing I'd been mumbling too much.
Yet he listened with a warm smile, even asking questions.
Romance novels had men like this in real life too.
My heart pounded like it might burst free.
'So fun... I'm going crazy!'
If time were ice, this scorching flow would melt it away.
The joy and happiness trailing it were indescribable.
But...
A speck of dissatisfaction lingered.
I knew exactly why.
Sister and Rike knew, and Brother probably did too.
For Chloe, Livrosia wasn't about the trip first.
I'd come to settle our relationship.
Just the first day of travel.
No telling how long we'd stay, but if the rest could be spent with a deepened bond...
I could enjoy it purely, without worry.
And it'd become a cherished memory for decades.
'...Brother knew from the start, didn't he?'
No need to think—he did.
A thorny guilt pricked me for burdening him.
I'd thought I'd hidden it well.
Didn't realize my feelings were so transparent from the beginning to Sister and Rike.
"... ."
Anyone involved would notice for sure.
Then from when he agreed to the trip...
Didn't the outcome already exist in his heart?
If so, dragging it out in fear wouldn't change a thing.
And if he had no feelings, just indulging me for the trip...
That'd be torture beyond words.
"Hoo... hoo..."
Tension disordered my breath.
Good or bad after I spoke...
Tears would flow either way, for many reasons.
Even a bad outcome—I'd have to accept it somehow.
That was best.
For Brother who'd accompanied me.
And for Sister and my friends who'd worry—better to get the result and return quickly than drag it out.
····
"This is pretty good too. Weird flavor."
"Hehe..."
Thoughts were thoughts; actions were actions.
At Roman's urging, Chloe was trying street food for the first time—eating on the go.
Unthinkable for a second daughter of a knightly house, but it was simply fun.
The thrill came from pausing amid sights, chatting with Brother about this and that.
Dodging growing crowds as time passed, we ended up in a corner alley lined with bookstores.
"Chloe. Nice vibe here, right?"
The shop interior pierced her tastes perfectly; her voice rose with excitement.
"Whoa...! Sh-should we go in?!"
Brother had stopped at a tucked-away store—no customers, but surprisingly spacious inside.
A massive wooden bookshelf dominated the center.
Seating for reading flanked it.
A uniquely designed clock on the wall ticked softly, enjoyable even in silence.
"Oh! Old adventurer's book here."
The rustle of turning pages mingled with the clock's ticks.
Together, they whisked time away.
'Eyes hurt...'
Browsing books, harsh sunlight from the window stung; she turned away—and froze, mouth agape.
"...!"
Romance novels say emotions blind the eyes.
Is this what it feels like when love clouds judgment?
No—any woman would feel the same.
First meeting him as academy instructor, I'd seen only a rough, fierce impression.
But now...
His concentrated side profile while reading was so handsome, she couldn't look away.
Lost in staring...
Sensing it? He turned, lips curving in a smile.
"What's up?"
"Ah... hup...! N-nothing!"
Having lived the same life forever, she knew now.
If she chickened out and delayed like always...
No resolution by trip's end.
The man changing her thought that again.
'Our bond's less than a year...'
Not a long connection.
More unknowns than knowns.
His past life, why adventurer, family, real hobbies beyond reading, tastes in women—nothing detailed.
Yet these feelings...
Beyond any self-justifying theories.
'Do it.'
Confess now.
Only way.
To justify this runaway emotion, these dazed impulses.
Her mind was full of it.
"Chloe?"
Her odd reaction turned his smile worried.
She knew she was rushing.
'But it's my first time...'
This clumsiness would prove the depth of her feelings.
"...Brother."
"You okay?"
Her heart raced like a sprint.
Ears rang; time seemed to halt.
"I... —"
Even she couldn't tell what her voice would say.
Her eyes on him must scream anxiety.
Lips and throat dried in moments.
In this dingy bookstore corner, fatefully...
No one else was there.