I often hear people say that I am cold-hearted. I agree with that to some extent. Recently, with all the incidents happening around me, or perhaps due to the influence of my past life, I have developed quite an indifferent personality.
However, lately, I have been filled with so much happiness that I find myself smiling more often. My mouth curls up slightly, and sometimes I burst into laughter like a crazy person.
Especially when I’m with Marie, I can’t keep the smile off my face. Just looking at her made my lips twitch uncontrollably.
“Hehehe.”
“Why are you laughing?”
“Isaac, why are you laughing?”
“I don’t know, it’s just coming out.”
Marie also didn’t try to hide her feelings, and we both giggled together. On the first day of our relationship, I was cautious and didn’t express my affection much, but as time passed, all those inhibitions disappeared.
Whether it was the complaints from those around us, the suspicious glances from Cecily and Rina, or the curious looks from others, we were too consumed with the sweetness of our first love to care about anything else.
We even got scolded by a professor once for not paying attention in class, but it was just a simple hiccup that we easily overlooked.
Anyway, Marie and I confessed our feelings to each other and some time had passed. All the exams and assignments were over, and we had relatively more free time, so we hung out together more often.
Perhaps because of this, people’s gaze towards us changed from suspicion to certainty. Even if you were not observant, others would predict, “Ah, those two are in a relationship,” just by looking at us.
And the result of this was revealed in none other than the dance hall we visited on the weekend. We had agreed to have our own personal time over the weekend.
“Hey, are you dating someone these days?”
“Yes?”
Adelia asked me directly as she returned as a spectator after taking a break.
I looked at her with a surprised expression. Adelia had seemed frustrated for a while, and she had even taken off her blouse.
Although she was wearing a tank top, I was almost caught off guard when my gaze turned to a risque place.
“Phew, it’s hot. So when will you answer?”
Adelia said to me in her husky voice, fluttering her tank top. I noticed her beauty, drenched in sweat.
In response, I hastily regained my composure and spoke up. I tried to suppress any strange thoughts by imagining Marie’s face as much as possible.
“How did you know?”
“I happened to see you hugging a white-haired girl. As if saying, ‘We’re in a relationship,’ openly.”
She giggled mischievously and poked my cheek with her index finger. Then, I gently grabbed Adelia’s finger and placed it on my palm.
“So? Is that all?”
“Is that all? Who wouldn’t be curious when their close friend’s little brother is dating someone? Who confessed first? Wait, what’s her name? I think I might know who she is from her white hair.”
Adelia asked a series of questions with her bright blue eyes sparkling. If it were someone else, I wouldn’t have bothered, but Adelia was different. She had a mischievous and curious side, but her nature was good.
If her nature wasn’t good, Nicole wouldn’t have taken care of her. Moreover, Adelia’s pranks had a strong feeling of seeking attention, so I couldn’t hate her.
“Well… Maybe noona knows who she is. Her name is Marie, and she’s from the Requilis Duke’s family.”
“Wow~, our cute little Isaac has quite good skills? And it’s the Requilis Duke’s family. Who confessed first?”
“Although Marie said something similar to confessing, we started dating because they both had feelings for each other.”
“Wow~”
After that, Adelia asked various questions with excitement. I didn’t know why she was so interested in other people’s love stories, but I couldn’t help but answer her as her eyes shone brightly.
“Youth, it’s all about youth. There’s nothing that can match the freshness of being in your teens. Are you thinking about marriage by any chance?”
“…That seems a bit extreme.”
In this world, once you turn 17, you are considered an adult and can get married. However, due to academic reasons, most people get married around the age of 22.
But because of the influence of my past life, even that time felt too soon for me. However, I couldn’t apply my past life’s common sense to this life, so I could only give a vague answer.
Adelia also seemed a bit uneasy despite what she said and scratched her head.
“…Yeah, I guess you’re right. Sorry. I’ve just seen a lot of people get into accidents while dating.”
“Getting into an accident means having a child, not just entering a relationship.”
“I know that well.”
“What happens if an accident does occur?”
There’s no such thing as nothing happening between a man and a woman. That’s the same for me and Marie. Of course, both Marie and I will be careful, but the future is unpredictable for anyone.
There may be a chance where coincidence after coincidence leads to just the two of us being left together. If that situation were to arise, I wonder if I would be able to resist.
I have no chance of resisting since I couldn’t even resist Cecily’s temptation. Or Marie might be the one to make the first move.
“Hmm, I don’t know.”
Adelia looked at me intently after hearing the question, then grinned with a smile full of coquettishness.
“I wonder how it will turn out~. I’m not from the Minerva Empire, so I don’t really know.”
“Then I’ll ask my sister.”
“It’s not fun. If it’s between nobles, there’s no problem. Even if there’s a rank difference, they’ll at least marry each other. The problem is between nobles and commoners. If the man is a noble, he can bring the woman in as a concubine or chase her away, but it’s different if it’s the other way around. Being expelled from the family is one thing, but what happens after is the real problem.”
“The aftermath is the problem?”
“Yes. Do you think you can live well as a commoner after living as a noble for so long like you? Like delicate flowers grown in a greenhouse?”
After listening to the explanation, I could only nod my head involuntarily. I’ve always said that there’s an enormous gap between nobles and commoners, whether it’s in power or wealth.
It may seem a little cynical, but it’s the reality.
“Of course, there are exceptions. It’s the kind of story you see in novels, where the man tries his best to get approval from his parents by shedding blood. In that case, he goes with the woman to ask for permission from their parents. Well, the reality may not be so easy.”
“You know a lot more than I thought.”
“I can’t help but know. I’ve seen many cases like that myself. So, if you really want to make your girlfriend happy, be careful.”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
In the unlikely event that an accident happens, I am confident that I can take responsibility for Marie. Of course, her parents may not look at me with kind eyes, but things will change once I reveal my identity.
It’s embarrassing to say it myself, but I have a status that goes far beyond being a mere cultural bomb. Marie may not be concerned about that, but her parents will be different.
“By the way, does Adelia have a boyfriend?”
As we talked about relationships, the topic naturally shifted in that direction. Adelia was focused on my love life, not mentioning anything related to herself.
And when she heard my question, she went from surprised to bewildered. It was an unexpected reaction for me.
“Oh… do I seem like I’ve had any experience with dating?”
“Yes. Adelia is objectively pretty, and she’s also talented in martial arts.”
Although Adelia’s personality is somewhat unique, her charm is outstanding. It’s not easy to say this as someone with a girlfriend, but it’s the truth.
With a sharp nose and bright sky-blue eyes that remind you of a clear sky, long eyelashes, and finally, short brown hair. Overall, Adelia’s image is closer to being handsome, but her red lips also exude feminine charm.
To be honest, Adelia’s beauty is considerable to the point that it’s hard to believe she’s a commoner and not an illegitimate child.
While I was lost in thought, Adelia lightly grabbed the back of her neck. She snickered and murmured with a bitter smile.
“Why are you talking about me… Isn’t it better to ask your sister? You may not know, but Nicole was quite popular…”
“What are you two talking about?”
As I was about to turn the topic to Nicole’s love life, a familiar voice suddenly caught my ear. When I turned my head, I saw Nicole approaching with a face drenched in sweat and wiping it with a towel.
Just as I thought the confrontation had ended, Adelia was startled by Nicole’s return and quickly got up from her seat, grabbing the top that she had taken off earlier.
“U-Uh, then I’ll be going now! Work hard!”
Is this the proverb that means the thief’s feet are numb? Adelia ran away to the training ground before Nicole could even ask a question.
As I stared blankly at her, Nicole approached me and asked with a suspicious voice.
“Why are you acting like that? Did she say something?”
“Uh… no? She didn’t say anything.”
“Hmm… really?”
His eyes were so incredulous. It’s a natural reaction considering how many sins Adelia has committed.
“Phew. It’s hot.”
Then, just like Adelia did earlier, Nicole took off her top to dry off her sweat. Although she was wearing a sleeveless top on the inside, as Nicole’s well-defined muscles caught my attention, I couldn’t help but think that maybe the saying that women have a hard time building muscles due to their nature was wrong.
“Oh, right. Isaac. Didn’t you say you were dating that girl? The white-haired one I saw last time. Was her name Marie?”
Nicole asked me as she fluttered her collar to cool off the sweat. She was the one I had told everything to last week.
So Nicole knew that Marie knew my secret, and there was no need to hide it. But I couldn’t help feeling anxious.
Marie might be a good person, but in Nicole’s eyes, everyone was the same.
“Yeah. Why do you ask?”
“Just wondering if everything’s going well. Anything happening?”
“I’m doing well.”
“Well, that’s good. Hmm.”
Nicole left it at that and plopped down next to me.
“Don’t you regret telling her?”
“What regret? Oh, I do regret it. Why didn’t I tell her earlier?”
“You’re really something else. Yeah, you’re at that age.”
Nicole smirked at my response, unable to contain her amusement. Then, as if she had thought of something, she spoke up in a slightly hopeful tone.
“By the way, how’s the writing going?”
“I’m doing well. I’ll probably be done in two weeks.”
“It’s fast. Well, since the exams are over, there should be plenty of free time. You said the 10th book includes the story of the Elf Queen and Xenon’s master?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh~ I’m looking forward to that. A love story between an elf and a human, it’ll be another hit, won’t it? The elves will surely talk about it too.”
Nicole giggled and joked around. I couldn’t help but smile inwardly as I watched her.
Yes. It could look like a touching love story between elves and humans on the surface. But as the story continues, people will feel that something is wrong.
Because the Elf Queen and Xenon’s master will not be able to continue their relationship. It won’t be a cheesy plot where one of them looks at someone else.
Both of them are confident in each other, but the Elf Queen seems unable to pursue it due to a lifespan issue.
‘It’ll have to end in tragedy to make an impression.’
Xenon’s master will die later. Even worse, it’ll be by the hand of “Envy”, who used to be their student.
And the Elf Queen will sob and burst into tears at the fact that her master has died. Originally, this scene was a device to awaken Xenon, but upon closer consideration, I plan to write it in detail because it seems interesting.
I glanced at Nicole, who had an expectant expression, and then looked ahead and spoke again.
“Yeah, it’s going to be really interesting.”
Only to me.
Translators note:
Adelia is us lmao
