Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Estelle's Visitation
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Estelle, who had dressed up to the nines, possessed a bewitching allure that drew everyone's gazes.
An overwhelming elegance that made even Beryl, who had come with her, look like a mere maid.
It was a presence so commanding that even Erina widened her eyes in astonishment.
“Who the hell is that? Was there a lady like her around?”
“No way. Absolutely not. If there was, there's no way I wouldn't remember!”
Even so, with Rainpole cadets present, her identity was quickly revealed.
“D-Diantee! Long time no see!”
Banningss waved awkwardly with an embarrassed expression. Estelle seized the moment perfectly and asked him.
“Nice to see you. Sorry to bother you, but do you know where Als is?”
“Als? He's right over there.”
“Thank you.”
Having spotted me, Estelle hurried over with quick, light steps.
“Als! Thank goodness you're safe. You have no idea how worried I was.”
“Jeez. Why'd you come all the way out here?”
“What do you mean? Of course I had to!”
Estelle took a seat alongside Beryl and, noticing my combat uniform, her eyes sparkled with fresh curiosity.
“It's different from the cadet uniform you usually wear. It feels... kind of rugged.”
“It's for better practicality in the field. And you look pretty flashy yourself. Didn't you say you hated dresses like that?”
“Well... I still don't like them much. But I made the effort for the sake of the person I'm with.”
“Lutger—no, your father—actually let you come? Is he here with you?”
“Yes, Father's waiting outside.”
“Then we should wrap up the visit quickly. Can't keep him waiting too long.”
But Estelle shook her head firmly.
“I told Father it might run late into the night.”
“Late into the night? Visits are only allowed before sunset.”
“I just said that. So don't worry about him. More importantly, tell me about you, Als.”
Estelle took the lead, asking about my time on the battlefield.
“You got injured in the leg and had to fall back? Are you okay?”
“I'm fine. The treatment worked wonders.”
“Still... can I take a look?”
Estelle stood up to check my injury, but I managed to dissuade her somehow. It hadn't really been an injury, after all.
“I see...”
Estelle's expression clouded with disappointment. Then, with a plop, she didn't return to her own seat—instead, she settled right next to me.
She sipped her tea to hide her embarrassment.
That's when Beryl let out an “oh” and spoke to Mother.
“By the way, Aunt. Have you seen Uncle yet?”
“Not yet.”
“Then shall we go together? Father should be arriving soon.”
“My brother? Hmm, sure. Let's do that. Als, Estelle—mind if we step away for a bit?”
I shot a look signaling no, but it apparently didn't get through.
Left alone with Estelle, an awkward silence fell—but only briefly.
She seized the moment and brought it up.
“Um... Als, what do you think of Wade?”
“Why bring him up out of nowhere?”
“W-well, just curious. You served under his command in this war, after all.”
“I wasn't under his direct command.”
It wasn't a lie. I couldn't very well command myself.
“But you're under his command now, right?”
“Technically, yeah, but...”
“So? What do you think?”
“No particular thoughts?”
Estelle pouted, as if getting nowhere, then cut straight to the chase.
“Have you ever thought about serving under Wade?”
“Under Wade? Haha, never crossed my mind.”
Me working under Wade? Well, if I made a big enough contribution, it wasn't impossible—but I had no intention of doing so now.
“What if Wade himself offered to bring you under his wing?”
“That won't happen. But even if it did, I'd turn it down.”
“Why? He's so impressive, people say he's Ten Heroes material! Is it his show-off attitude that bugs you? Or maybe the childish helmet he wears everywhere? Oh, probably both. Strutting around pretending to be cool in that helmet is pathetic no matter how you look at it. Sure, it's childish and stupid, but there must be a good reason he's hiding his face.”
“Cough!?”
Her unexpected attack caught me off guard, and I choked.
“Y-yeah. That arrogant attitude... doesn't sit right.”
I forced some agreement, and Estelle lit up.
“Exactly! Sometimes you just want to smack him, but he does have the skills to back it up. Oh dear, what's wrong? You look pale.”
“It's nothing...”
The mental blow left me dizzy for a moment.
*‘Did I really come off that arrogant?’*
Reflecting on it, I'd always acted high-handed in front of Estelle. Not just with her—with Wade's persona, I'd played the part of someone older, so my demeanor toward people was completely different from when I was Als.
“So please, rethink your feelings about Wade. With your talents, he could recruit you anytime.”
Estelle was working hard to plant a fondness for Wade in me when.
Uninvited guests approached.
*
*
*
Two men with neat, slicked-back hair.
“Mind if we join you? Ilrain.”
“Looks like a nice atmosphere—let's chat together.”
They were cadets from the Salleon faction. They eyed Estelle hungrily as they requested to sit. Estelle frowned but gave a silent nod of approval.
Refusing to join without good reason in a setting like this would be rude.
As the son of a minor baron's house, it was even harder for me to refuse. Estelle had taken that into account.
“I'll pass.”
Still, I had zero desire to talk with these guys.
“What?”
Their faces crumpled.
“Didn't you hear? I said no. I want to talk one-on-one.”
“Do you... have any idea who we are?”
“Nope. Do you even know who I am?”
“What?”
“I'm a mid-level officer. Your superior.”
“You think flaunting that fluke promotion makes you something? And you didn't even fight in the last battle, did you? You chickened out to the rear—don't wave around a meaningless rank!”
“Think what you want; I don't care. But that's no way to act toward a superior. Should I call another officer to knock some sense into you?”
“Grr!”
I'd figured they'd back off by now, but the guy was seething with venom. He wanted to put on a strong front to win Estelle's favor.
If they kept clinging, it'd get annoying, so I planned to shut it down harshly—but someone else intervened first.
“You little nobody! If we tell our father about you...”
“Shut your mouth! This place is getting filthy!”
“Eek, E-Erina!?”
Erina, arriving with Dorothy, glared at them fiercely.
“How shameful—trying to use your family's prestige over something this trivial!”
“B-but he started it...”
“I can't stand the sight of you. Get out of my sight right now.”
“S-such...”
“I won't say it twice.”
“Yes, ma'am!”
They scampered off.
*‘As expected of a great noble.’*
Her very aura was on another level.
With the situation sorted, Erina lifted her skirt slightly and bowed politely.
“I sincerely apologize for my associates' rudeness. With that in mind, may we join you briefly?”
“What do you mean by that?”
Estelle spoke up in my stead. Erina's eyes twitched.
“To convey our apologies.”
“Then leave us be. That's the most sincere apology.”
Estelle's words rang true, but rejecting their apology outright would tank my image.
The previous guys had obvious ulterior motives, so rudeness was forgivable—but not this.
“Als?”
Erina turned to me instead. I nodded.
“Have a seat.”
“Very well.”
Erina sat as if it were only natural, then shot Estelle a glance.
Estelle met her gaze unflinchingly.
Erina shuddered at the intensity, then murmured softly as something occurred to her.
“Have we met before?”
“Yes.”
“When? I'd never forget someone like you...”
“We met in Gransel. To forget even that—your memory isn't as good as I thought.”
“In Gransel...? W-wait. Don't tell me—you're that girl who was suffering from that awful illness back then?”
“That's right.”
“But how did you...”
“I recovered.”
“Just like that!?”
Erina trembled in shock.
Dorothy, sitting beside her, nodded in understanding.
“I see. So you were Estelle. Oh, mind if I drop the formalities?”
“Are you a classmate of Als's? Of course. And you?”
“I heard from Banningss. He said there's this amazing girl at Rainpole who's involved in all sorts of things.”
Dorothy spoke animatedly. She seemed to be forcing cheer to shake off her father's death.
“Banningss said she's Als's lover. Is it true?”
“Something like that.”
“Wow, it really is.”
Erina jumped in urgently.
“Lover? You joke well. Als, you're kidding, right? Definitely kidding?”
“My classmates seem to think so. Though we're not actually dating.”
“Phew! As expected. I'll have to correct that rumor thoroughly later.”
Estelle narrowed her eyes in displeasure.
“What's that supposed to mean? Why do you care?”
“Because baseless rumors aren't good.”
“So why? Why are you, of all people, getting involved?”
“W-well...”
Erina bit her lip hard.
“Because Als is my benefactor.”
“Benefactor...?”
“You wouldn't know, but Als and I go way back. He came to our mansion for butler training once.”
“Butler training!?”
“He saved my life back then. Of course I'd want to stop harmful rumors about my benefactor. So I'm not unrelated. Got it?”
“Grr!”
I checked for eavesdroppers, but with the outdoor visitation and ambient noise, no one seemed to have overheard.
“More importantly, Miss Estelle—isn't that a bit too close? It's improper for non-lovers to act that way. Your behavior is why these ridiculous rumors spread.”
“You wouldn't understand. Als injured his leg. I'm just supporting him.”
“An injury? Really?”
“You don't seem very interested. Als had to leave the battlefield for the rear due to his wound.”
“Als left the field for the rear? No way... ah, I get it.”
Erina smirked knowingly.
“Looks like you don't know much about Als, Miss Estelle. Well, that secret isn't something shared lightly.”
“What secret?”
“Oh dear, my slip. It's nothing. Please forget I said it.”
“Tell me right now.”
“Sorry, it's hard for me to say.”
“Grr!”
Estelle looked to me, but I couldn't reveal Wade's identity here.
With that one blow, the momentum fully shifted to Erina. Estelle fidgeted, desperate to know the secret.
The two engaged in a battle of wits.
Dorothy swallowed hard and whispered to me.
“Als, you need to handle this somehow.”
“Yeah.”
My indecisiveness with relationships had led to this mess. If I'd visited my birth mother's grave sooner, this might not have happened.
It was my seed sown, so I wanted to resolve it—but facing their growling standoff, I was at a loss.
*‘I need to wrap this up somehow.’*
Dragging it out might land me in hot water, as Yulia warned—like getting stabbed.
As I thought that, Mother and Beryl returned from their visit.
Mother's eyes widened at Erina, then she smiled knowingly.
“Miss Erina, if that's the case, I'm sorry.”
“W-what do you mean? What are you referring to...?”
“About Als.”
“Ugh.”
Erina fanned her flushed face.
“And Estelle, sorry for not mentioning it sooner.”
“For what?”
Then Mother dropped a bombshell I'd never heard before.
“Sorry, but this child's first match is already decided.”
A new storm brewed. I realized too late that this was far more tangled than I'd thought.