Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Five: Those Who Change
“Your potion was effective. It definitely worked on Mother. Perhaps it worked on me, too. I thought so when I saw Mother growing weaker.”
Lyos said with a distant look in his eyes.
“If you knew that, then why didn’t you call for me?”
“You? After I dismissed your devotion as pointless and cast it aside?”
“Don’t tell me you sacrificed Ms. Frieda out of stubbornness?”
“Why should I have to be glared at by you over my own mother’s matter?”
Lyos didn’t get angry. If the usual Lyos had been asked whether he sacrificed his mother, he would have flown into a rage. Seeing this change, Karen closed her mouth that had been about to open.
Lyos sighed and said:
“…I even thought about bowing my head to you. But Mother refused. She swore she wouldn’t do anything more to wrong you. She had heard about your achievements all the way to where we were. So she said she absolutely didn’t want to get in your way… And that you were like a daughter to her.”
“Ms. Frieda…”
When Karen’s eyes filled with tears, Lyos sneered at her.
“You’re such a fool. ‘Like a daughter’ may sound nice, but to Mother, you were just someone who could be discarded for the sake of her real son’s—my—glory. Don’t cry for someone like that.”
“That may be true, but…”
“You must never blame yourself, Karen. Mother worried about that too, and I also think it’s foolish. Don’t worry about anything regarding her death. I told you this only to fulfill my duty as her son to honor her dying wish, but you don’t need to take any of it to heart. You’re not her daughter or anything—you’re a complete stranger.”
Though these were words of rejection, they carried a different tone from when he had broken off their engagement.
“Since you’re such a sentimental person, I’ll tell you this in advance.”
Seeing Karen’s eyes quickly fill with tears—perhaps because she even sensed a strange warmth in his words—Lyos furrowed his brow.
“Ah… well… sigh.”
After choosing his words with what seemed like great internal struggle, Lyos continued like a sigh:
“…It’s thanks to you that I was able to show Mother the sight of me becoming a knight. So I thank you.”
“Lyos, did you hit your head?”
When Karen stared blankly and said this, her tears retreating, Lyos’s eyes flew wide open.
“Don’t make fun of me when I’m seriously thanking you!”
“I’m not making fun of you! I’m seriously confused!”
Receiving Karen’s protest, Lyos showed a bitter smile:
“…Was I really the kind of person who’d make you this surprised just for saying these few words of gratitude?”
“Yes, you were. You’ve never thanked me before, have you?”
“You’re merciless sometimes.”
“…Hey, Lyos, are you really okay?”
Perhaps Frieda’s death had affected him greatly. Lyos had changed beyond recognition in the short time she hadn’t seen him.
“Ms. Frieda’s death was so painful that you’ve become a little strange, are you?”
Even though they had parted ways, they were childhood friends. Karen reached out her hand, wondering if it would be okay to leave him alone like this, but Lyos naturally distanced himself from her.
“I haven’t. I’ve also changed through my work… I know I’m not the same as before.”
“Your work? As a Royal Knight?”
“Yeah. You know that in winter, the Royal Knights go on expeditions to various dungeons and take part in clearing them, don’t you?”
“Yes. They also participate in unpopular hunting festivals.”
It was a world where monsters had to be continuously defeated. Even if a territorial lord lacked power, couldn’t train a local knight order, and couldn’t hire adventurers, the country would still dispatch knights upon request to at least thin out the dungeon monsters.
“Well, it’s difficult work. I’ve come to reflect on myself more often.”
“You are reflecting on yourself, huh? It must be really difficult work indeed.”
Lyos looked irritated at Karen’s heartfelt comment, and Karen felt secretly relieved. His fundamental personality hadn’t changed, it seemed. He wasn’t so wounded as to change that much.
“…Be careful, Karen.”
“Hm?”
“You’re such a soft-hearted woman that if Mother and I had begged you with our lives on the line, you wouldn’t have been able to refuse—you would’ve helped us no matter what, even without a reward. One day, the world will know that’s the kind of person you are. If you aim for the top, you’ll need to learn the coldness to shake off those who cling to you.”
“Th-that’s…”
“Though telling you this is probably useless. So you be her breakwater.”
Saying this, Lyos looked up over Karen’s shoulder behind her. At that moment, Karen was embraced by arms that extended from behind her.
“I intend to do so without you telling me.”
“Eek, M-Mr. Julius…!?”
Karen tried to escape instinctively, but Julius’s arms didn’t budge.
“I’m sure you have your opinions about me, Karen’s former fiancé, but as I’ll also be participating in the dungeon investigation as a member of the Royal Knight Order, I’d appreciate your cooperation in the dungeon, Sir Julius.”
“Thanks to you letting Karen go, I obtained everything. I was thinking I should thank you, Lyos. Just because you had a childish engagement like playing house in childhood doesn’t mean I have any particular thoughts about it.”
“…In truth, there was never anything between her and me.”
Lyos said with distaste and glared at Karen, who was struggling with a bright red face in Julius’s arms.
“Because of you, I’ve got this guy glaring at me—and it feels incredibly unfair!”
“I don’t intend to glare, but if you don’t want to incur my displeasure, I’d like you to improve your attitude toward my lover.”
“…I’ll make an effort. I take my leave now.”
Lyos said this through gritted teeth, then quickly turned and left. Karen also tried to leave in the confusion, but Julius held her firmly and wouldn’t let go.
“I’m the one who won’t let you escape, Karen.”
He was probably referring to what Karen had said while “drunk” earlier. Unfortunately, unlike with alcohol, memories during magic intoxication were vivid.
“I will never let you go, and I’ve decided to stop holding back for that purpose.”
“Eh, what do you mean by holding back?”
When Karen looked up at Julius and asked, he smiled brightly but didn’t answer.
“You’d better prepare yourself, Karen.”
Receiving what felt like some sort of declaration instead, Karen gulped.
No comments:
Post a Comment