Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Two: The Day After Tomorrow’s Dead End
“Lady Waltride, did you call for me?”
“You seemed troubled, Karen, so I simply called you over.”
“Thank you very much. I certainly was troubled.”
“It seems that person’s party will be serving as my guard from now on. Did something happen between you two? If you have a dispute with her, shall I have Brother Boromias replace her?”
Therese was an adventurer and a noble from Ehlertt’s territory.
The Ehlertt Earldom was originally a faction aligned with Waltride, making her one of the few allies Waltride could count on while under Boromias’ watchful eye.
As an adventurer, she could maintain distance from factional disputes and wouldn’t make Boromias wary. As a noble, she should know how to interact with a princess, and moreover, she was a woman. There couldn’t be a more suitable person to place at Waltride’s side.
Karen shook her head.
“There’s no dispute.”
“Hmm, is that so? …Someone is standing outside.”
Waltride peeked outside the tent and came back, saying:
“Julius is standing there. It seems he’s waiting for you.”
“May I stay here for a while?”
“Of course, take a seat. Did you have a fight?”
“No… I’m just irritated on my own.”
“Irritated, you say.”
Looking down at Karen, who sat on the sofa set up in the tent with her head in her hands, Waltride tilted her head and boiled water on a magical tool stove. She opened a jar of tea leaves, placed two cups’ worth into a pot, added hot water, and put the lid on. After steeping it sufficiently, she poured tea into two cups, then Waltride thrust a cup in front of Karen’s downturned nose.
“Have some tea.”
“Huh? What!? Lady Waltride, you made it!? If you’d told me, I would have made it!”
“I simply made it because I wanted to. Just drink it. Being able to do things for yourself is a blessed thing.”
Saying this, Waltride sipped the steaming tea and stuck out her tongue, saying, "Hot.”
In the past, Waltride’s body had swelled with excess magical power, leaving her barely able to move. Knowing what she had been through, perhaps, as she said, she was doing these things simply because she wanted to. If so, it would be boorish to interfere, so Karen gratefully accepted the tea.
“…It’s a bit weak.”
“Indeed. I can’t quite make it like Irmlinde or Dorotea. Hahaha.”
At Karen critiquing the taste to the princess, Waltride laughed without reserve and sat down beside Karen.
“So, why are you irritated?”
“…I don’t really understand it myself.”
Karen began to speak haltingly.
“Sometimes anger wells up at what Mr. Julius does. He’s a noble and I’m a commoner… I’m not even in a position to be angry about anything he does. Until now, there was no way for anger to even well up.”
“Isn’t it because you became a C-rank alchemist? You’re in a position worthy of respect even as a noble. Even I, as royalty, was taught to pay respect to C-rank or higher. Because they’re people who have set foot in the goddess’s domain. If you don’t feel that respect you deserve from Julius, I think it’s natural to feel anger.”
“…No, it might not be that kind of thing.”
The explanation didn’t quite sit right with her, and Karen tilted her head.
“Mr. Julius was kind from the start. Not just Mr. Julius, but everyone in the Ehlertt family was kind and has been showing me respect. From the very beginning.”
“So Julius has no fault, you mean?”
“Fault… I don’t think he has any. He hasn’t changed from before. He’s the same as ever, and yet… things that until now just made me happy, recently I can’t feel happy about them…”
Karen touched her earring. The magical tool to call for help. She had never used it even once yet. Even if she used it, she didn’t know if Julius would really come. Even if he came before, he might not come from now on. That possibility was scary, and she didn’t want to use it.
“Things like how Mr. Julius assumes that just showing me his face is enough for me to obey whatever he says… it used to be fine, but lately it just annoys me. I get stubborn and refuse to listen, even when I should. When I see him with another woman, I get jealous and try to make him feel the same way. He risked his own safety and even dueled a Royal Guard for my sake, but I can’t stop myself from asking about that woman whenever I open my mouth. I must be so annoying. I’ve been such a terrible person lately—always troubling Mr. Julius.”
“Then it isn’t Julius who’s changed, but you, right, Karen?”
“—Yes.”
At Waltride’s observation, Karen gasped and nodded.
Yes, it was Karen who had changed.
When was it? Thinking about it, what first came to mind was the kiss right after she had ascended a rank.
It wasn’t simply that the kiss had changed her. The kiss was proof that Julius had accepted Karen’s true feelings that gushed forth due to magical intoxication. From that time, something changed within Karen.
Waltride nodded deeply.
“Could it be your heart is being manipulated by one of those monsters rumored to dwell on the eighth floor? …Does its influence reach even this far!?”
Waltride seemed to have scared herself with her own suggestion, her face wilting as she shrank back slightly.
Karen said in exasperation:
“I don’t think that’s it.”
“It’s not? I see. That’s a relief.”
Karen pursed her lips at Waltride, who breathed a sigh of relief.
Waltride kept proposing implausible theories, cutting off all escape routes for Karen—cornering her into the dead end that was probably the correct answer.
“So, what is the cause?”
“…It’s because I love Mr. Julius!”
“But that’s been true for a while now. What’s the real reason? Karen, it really isn’t the monster’s fault, is it!?”
Waltride, who until now had no connection to romantic matters whatsoever, desperately insisted out of fear of monsters, completely oblivious to what was truly going on.
Eventually, Karen gave in and was made to explain in minute detail to Waltride the subtle workings of her heart that had now truly fallen in love with Julius in the real sense.
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