To make up for the mistake, he tried to go out together again and confess. But for some reason, the couple at the table right next to them started fighting. Eventually, seeing them pour a cup of tea on each other and then kiss, he even wondered what on earth was going on. For reference, right after the kiss, the man got beaten up and was carried away to a doctor. ...It wasn't an atmosphere suitable for a confession.
'The third and fourth were similar, and the fifth too.'
Around that time, Irenes also realized that the usual methods would absolutely not work. So he aimed for methods to confess to Laceil in the spare moments of daily life. Of course, they were all failures.
Failed because suddenly the wind blew incredibly strong and buried his voice, failed because it was buried by the sound of something falling nearby, failed because someone suddenly covered his mouth, failed because Laceil simply didn't hear, failed, failed, failed...
On days when the confession failed because he was interrupted by a ghost, not even a person, he was dumbfounded. He had even seriously contemplated whether he could cut a ghost with Aura. Regardless of such facts, the reasons for failure became more bizarre as days went by. Because the degree was so severe, people around him were now even betting on the reasons for Irenes's confession failures.
"It would be nice if Sir Jaen just said one word like 'Do you perhaps like me'..."
Irenes, who became lethargic again while looking back on past failures, mumbled.
"Why can't she notice when I make it this obvious?" "I know, right."
Riel answered roughly while flipping through documents. However, Riel also had the same question.
'Doesn't he like her no matter who looks at it?'
He snoops around whenever Laceil's name is mentioned, wears accessories similar to her eye color (it's a bit gross), gives flowers, jewels, or swords as gifts whenever they meet, exchanges letters... He even grew out his hair because of one word Laceil said in her childhood. Even if they became lovers just like this, it seemed there would be nothing strange at all.
'Um, no, wait a moment.'
Riel organized the thoughts again. There was information Riel had forgotten for a moment because of being too focused on work.
"It must be because you always talk only about the Young Duke of Resean when you have a conversation." "At first, that was the only common topic!"
So... it was a topic chosen with the best effort by Irenes, who wanted to start a conversation somehow but had no eloquence. Unless they met because the families set them up, there were rarely occasions to meet properly, so that was the only common topic. So throughout spring, summer, autumn, and winter, he talked about Yujire.
"Why did I do that?" "Did you really talk about her all year round?" "Because it was visible that Sir Jaen got excited when I talked about the Young Duke of Resean..." "Even so, that's too much."
In Riel's view, this was entirely Irenes's fault.
"Why did you say you fell for her in the first place?" "Are you finally going to listen properly?"
Riel, who threw the question without thinking, soon shut their mouth. Riel just realized they said the words that should never be said to Irenes. It was obvious that a story they weren't particularly curious about now would continue for a long time.
"That's a really good question. When that was..." "No, forget it." "It was when a ghost appeared..." "I won't listen." "...After getting slapped somehow, my heart pounded..."
The story, as always, was full of things that couldn't be understood. Riel didn't bother to question that fact further and turned their head back to the documents. Even if the trigger might be a bit strange, the current Irenes was definitely in love.
"So about that, I'll go down to the territory for a bit and come back." "Territory? Which terr..."
Riel stopped speaking at an ominous premonition. There was only one territory that would come up in this context. That place where Laceil went down with Yujire a while ago.
"Sir Jaen called me." "What?" "I have nothing to do anyway!" "That's not true..."
Irenes was taking a vacation right now, not that he was unemployed. Of course, his original job was also quite leisurely, though.
"What about the Knight Commander job?"
Because he was the Knight Commander of the Imperial 3rd Knights Order. It wasn't the 1st or 2nd, but the 3rd Knights Order, so there wasn't much work. If there was a problem, it was that Irenes's vacation ended right the week after next. It was time that would pass quickly just by making a round trip to the territory once.
"It's fine if I go using Aura." "...Will the horse endure it?" "No, I intend to run." "...."
Riel gave up thinking. Anyway, the Empire's Aura users were all like this. Although Riel had never seen it in person, Laceil was probably roughly similar since she was also an Aura user. Thinking like that, it seemed the two met each other very well. Although they weren't dating yet.
"Have a safe trip..."
Anyway, for Riel, there was no problem as long as Irenes returned on time.
"Ah, Lord Sieren!"
Irenes arrived much faster than Laceil had thought.
"Did you come by teleportation magic circle?" "I ran." "I suppose that is faster."
Unless it was a general swordsman, it was unconditionally better for a Sword Master to run. To exaggerate a little, they could move about five times faster than a carriage.
"It's been a while, Young Duke of Resean. It's been a long time since I saw you too, Lady Elian." "...."
As soon as the conversation partner changed to someone else, Irenes's attitude changed clearly. He was keeping basic manners, but comparing it to when he talked with Laceil earlier, the gaze was too severe. Because just a moment ago, he had a face like a puppy wagging its tail upon seeing its owner.
'How has she still not noticed that?'
Elian pushed aside the question that had been tormenting her mind all this time and fell into a new worry. The fact that Laceil still believed Irenes liked Yujire even after seeing that face was excessively dumbfounding.
'I don't think her self-esteem is lower than I thought... probably.'
Looking at Laceil when requesting a duel with someone else, that definitely wasn't it. Because she always started her words with 'I, the first sword of Resean, the one blessed by the sword'. Laceil was just... really oblivious...
'Oh dear.'
Looking at it, it seemed Yujire also hadn't been able to do anything about that obliviousness. Because she was looking at Laceil with a face that was somewhat complicated and had a lot to say. Anyway, this was a problem Laceil and Irenes had to solve, and Elian had a bigger problem.
"...Such a thing happened, what do you think?"
I mean the problem that they had to deal with the Marquis family people. Elian, who waited briefly until the greetings were over and started explaining immediately, finished speaking.
"Ah, the paper is here." "Hmm, then..."
Irenes, who looked at the paper, was convinced in less than a few seconds. This was definitely the handwriting of the Marquis family's second son. The handwriting with a peculiar question mark shape and indistinguishable vowels belonged only to that person. It was in a shape that would be difficult even if someone tried to imitate it because the handwriting was too peculiar.
"...It seems correct..."
After answering like that, he felt strange for some reason. Because it was a story that a person he used to know became a ghost. Furthermore, it meant they didn't even hold a proper funeral after he died.
"I'll boil some tea."
Luzea, unable to endure the heavy atmosphere, left the seat. Elian was lost in other thoughts in her own way. And Laceil was also lost in other thoughts just the same.
"It is a bit uncomfortable to say this, but."
Laceil, who hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth, mumbled quietly.
"I wonder how he died?" "...."
The gathered people quietly gauged Irenes's reaction. It was natural since among the people here now, Irenes was the only one who knew the Marquis's second son.
'There was no need to worry.'
But Elian soon realized that was a useless thought. Because Irenes, for some reason, was making a face as if he fell for Laceil once again. It was the same for Yujire realizing that fact too. Thanks to knowing him for a long time, she could now even know what Irenes was thinking right now. Probably he was thinking 'I love that sturdy personality that can bring up such words without hesitation in this atmosphere'. From the past, he was a person who couldn't distinguish right from wrong when it came to matters related to Laceil. It was really fortunate that Laceil had minimal morality. Because if the only two Aura users in the Empire were crazy side by side, there really would have been no answer.
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