Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Unexpected (4)
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Namei quietly closed the door to the sorority. Since it was a place where activities took place after classes ended, it was usually kept open until late at night, but today had been unusually empty, allowing her to wrap things up as quickly as possible.
Ever since she'd taken Ermina down to the southern district a while back, she hadn't been in a great mood.
Truth be told, she didn't lack anything compared to that girl. Namei didn't even think there was any reason to pay attention to someone like Ermina.
But for some reason, seeing Ermina get recognition from others and succeed made her blood boil.
Sure, she was called the Saintess of Light, but wasn't that just something she was born with? She got praise from everyone around her without any real effort, received special treatment despite not being able to do much on her own...
Namei knew full well that Julius had paid some attention to her too—not as much as other nobles, of course.
Unlike those idiots, it wasn't mere physical attraction, that much was certain. But when Namei thought about how she'd gotten close to Julius through shared hobbies, conversations that clicked, and ultimately cutting ties with her family over her skills...
"Damn it. It's just inferiority complex."
She knew it herself. What she felt was nothing more than envy and jealousy, no matter how she dressed it up. Just seeing Ermina draw Julius's interest without trying, putting herself in a position to pick and choose from all the guys who wanted her affection—it pissed her off.
And on top of that, the way she'd clung to Julius, who had always kept his distance from her? That was disgusting to watch.
It had been a little better when she'd been moping around all gloomy for a while, but now that she was smiling brightly again—probably after hearing some story or another—it twisted Namei's guts.
She'd mocked all those girls who went chasing after Julius like fools, but seeing herself in a similar state now felt utterly hollow.
Could I even act calm if I went to see Julius right now? Probably not.
"Thinking like this just makes me feel pathetic for no reason."
She clicked her tongue at herself, inwardly cursed out the worthless people around Julius, and finally concluded that no one was to blame for his departure.
Deciding that dwelling on it would only sour her mood further, Namei clamped her mouth shut and headed back to the dorms.
On the way to the dorms, she irritably kicked a stone that got in her path, watching it bounce along the ground.
And there, at the end of its path—unlike her usual poised and confident self, looking somehow desperate as she gritted her teeth and swung her sword—was Justina.
Ever since her encounter with the elf, something had seemed off with her.
Wondering what was going on, Namei paused to watch. Sensing her presence, Justina looked up toward Namei.
"...What do you want."
"You look like something's bothering you."
"Mind your own business."
What a brat.
Namei's eyebrow twitched slightly, but since they weren't on good terms anyway, she didn't bother getting mad. They'd never even exchanged friendly words.
She was the type who kept a low profile and stayed quiet, but it was well-known that she was rude to anyone trying to cozy up to Julius.
Wiping her sweat, Justina spat out with a displeased expression.
"Don't pretend you know what's inside me when you don't. Got nothing better to do?"
"Plenty of time to watch idiots who can't even measure up to my brother's toenail, whether it's personality or skill."
"Then hurry up and move along if that's all you have to say."
They glared at each other for a moment, but Namei was the first to look away.
Yeah. She was pitiful in her own way. Even looking at the whole Imir Kingdom, she had an outstanding family background, looks, and talent.
But she'd always grown up in her brother's shadow, and in the family, she was in that awkward position—too good to just marry off, but not quite ready to stand in Julius's place.
At least she had the decency not to try stealing her brother's position out of jealousy, but on the flip side, the way she hitched her entire identity to him was infuriating.
Everyone except her knew Julius didn't particularly like his sister—or rather, she probably knew but refused to admit it. That was the sad part.
"Hey."
"What."
"What's the point of us snapping at each other? Julius has no intention of coming back anyway."
"No way."
"Let's be honest since it's just us two. Do you really think that?"
"..."
No matter how deluded she was, she couldn't truly believe Julius would come back on his own. Namei beckoned Justina to follow, her expression shifting from unpleasant to utterly rotten, and led her to the garden behind the dorms.
Justina cleanly dispelled her sweat and watched silently as Namei prepared tea, her face still sour. Namei ignored her and set out scones she'd made earlier with some black tea.
"So. What do you want to say about my brother?"
"Did I ever tell you how I ended up getting acquainted with Karin?"
"Because of Rias."
"Right. But do you know why Karin came to me?"
"...Because brother asked her."
"Exactly. He specifically picked me—not Ermina, not you."
"If you're bragging, I'm leaving."
"It's not just bragging."
"Still sounds like bragging. I'm out."
"Have you ever wondered why me?"
Bringing this up here might be the first step in betraying Julius's trust. She knew that, but the growing sense of falling behind and the inferiority crawling up her spine were so unbearable that she couldn't hold back.
"...Julius entrusted it to someone he believed would find him even if he only dropped vague hints."
"So she knew his rough location but didn't go looking?"
"Broadly speaking, yeah. It's all sorted out—where he's roughly staying, and why no one's found him. If he'd left that much of a clue for you, you'd have gone straight there, no question."
"...So, where is he?"
"Why would I tell you for free?"
Justina's grip tightened on her teacup. Of course, if the roles were reversed and she knew where her brother was but some other girl asked, she'd react the same way.
Damn bitch.
Rude bitch.
Should chop her up and feed her to the pigs.
Swallowing her curses for a moment, Justina forced a smile as she looked at Namei.
"What do you want?"
"I don't need anything. But if someone from the academy goes looking for Julius, he's definitely going to get mad. Super annoyed, even. So we're sending someone who deserves to take the heat."
For a split second, Justina sensed a malice she'd never considered before. It was like setting a trap for someone she despised and shoving them into the pit while they were still naive.
Namei was usually cynical and aloof, so seeing her speak with trembling fingertips, a mix of laughter and self-mockery on her face—it convinced Justina this was meant to utterly screw someone over.
"So, who are you thinking of sending?"
"Truth is... I've agonized over this for a long time. Telling his location would betray the trust he placed in me. And taking the lead to get yelled at by Julius? Whoever goes must be desperate enough to track him down, so it'd be pretty cruel."
"And...?"
"The perfect candidate, in my opinion..."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"I wish the Cafe Manager were my dad."
"No, Lisa. I'm not quite dad-age yet."
"But you feel more like a dad than an older brother."
Considering the years from my past life, I could be a father figure. And later, once my orphanage complex eased up, I'd go back and play with the kids there.
In that sense, maybe I did give off a guardian vibe.
"Heh heh. Cafe Manager-dad."
"Mina Big Sis, even if I'm dad, mom's not decided yet, right?"
"Obviously me."
"Then is Lisa an elf?"
She fiddled with Lisa's ears for a bit, then scrunched them up and stood them on end.
That's an elf? Really?
Lisa looked utterly baffled too.
Anyway, after messing around like that for a while, Lisa asked me.
"Cafe Manager, how do you plan to get married?"
"I'm just taking it slow for now."
"Like, what about someone you promised to marry when you were kids?"
"W-Well... Adults have their circumstances, you know."
Would the day ever come when I introduced Rias to these kids?
If it did, it'd be after all our issues were resolved. If not, it meant Rias and I would never cross paths again—which would be for the best.
Either way, I figured it wouldn't be a bad thing for my future.