“Hmm, junior… Were you that kind of person? The things you said to me… Were they really meant in that way…?”
Mariel’s eyes, which were staring at me with a look of shock, were shaking uncontrollably, as if unable to settle in one place.
“Though it is a bit frequent, isn’t this sort of thing normal?”
I wasn’t someone who avoided talking to other girls, and I had heard that it’s common for kids to sleepover at their friends’ houses.
So, this really wasn’t an odd thing to do, so why was Mariel reacting with such confusion?
However, as soon as I recalled Mariel’s position, I understood why she was reacting so sensitively.
Saint Mariel.
Unlike me, who had only recently become a hero, Mariel had been fulfilling her responsibilities and duties as a saint for several years already.
So, even though she probably had friends, she must have felt burdened about playing around like a regular child given her position as a saint.
Normally harmless actions could easily be misunderstood by others and given undue significance.
Of course, her interactions with her peers probably weren’t as completely cut off as mine were, but it was likely that she struggled to form casual friendships like those typical of other girls.
“Normal… normal…?”
“Yes, it’s normal. Senior, why don’t you stop letting your position as a saint control you and try to enjoy life a little? They say a person who is too rigid and inflexible can’t last long.”
My words stemmed from genuine concern for Mariel, but her face turned as red as a ripe tomato.
Perhaps she thought it was ridiculous for a young junior to be giving advice about life to someone who had lived as a saint for much longer.
However, I truly meant what I said.
I didn’t like seeing her repress her desires, as she did when we last met at the clothing shop.
Having already spent a few years dedicated to others as a saint and with her character, which is surely inclined to continue serving many people in the future, shouldn’t she be allowed to indulge in her own desires just a little bit?
And if anyone ever criticized Mariel, I intended to be the first to defend her.
“However… that kind of thing is something to do once you’re an adult… and with multiple people….”
“Huh? On the contrary, once you’re an adult, you’d be too self-conscious to do it. And why does it matter if there are multiple people? More people often mean more fun.”
Due to my circumstances, I had used a private room during the first semester and would have continued to do so if my finances allowed.
Yet, even I enjoyed the times when I could stay in a quad with close friends. It definitely made me smile more often compared to before.
Study sessions in the room were fun, sitting around the table drinking tea together felt good, and it was enjoyable to gossip before bed while lying on the bed.
I wanted Mariel to fill her student life with happy memories now, in this relatively pure period of her life.
After we graduate from the academy and enter society, it may be a time she can never return to, no matter how much she might want to. Especially if the Demon King becomes more active, it could become even shorter.
Though there are political games and issues of money and power even now, I hoped Mariel wouldn’t be caught up in them.
With that thought, I sincerely shared my feelings with Mariel while looking deeply into her eyes.
“Among the children of nobility, I hear this kind of thing happens often… but I didn’t expect you would be the type to do it…”
“As you can see, I lack the awareness that I am a noble.”
I shrugged as I spoke to Mariel.
Having grown up as an assassin, not a noble, and with a borrowed identity as “Elysia Frentz,” who lost her house at a young age, I experienced a great deal of hardship.
Anyway, why distinguish between nobles and commoners just because friends spend the night together?
“Of course, nobles would have larger beds, which would be more comfortable… but it doesn’t necessarily need to be a bed.”
It’s not like it happens every day. Friends visit occasionally and can sleep on the floor with a blanket for a night or two without issue.
“Wouldn’t a change from usual be an experience worth remembering?”
“Experience… Stimulus…”
The tremors that until now had only been in her eyes had spread throughout Mariel’s entire body.
Trembling, Mariel.
It wasn’t good. If she was trembling this much, and considering that Anne and Mariel were shivering as well, it was clear the café was getting cold.
The moment I was about to rise to ask the staff to raise the internal temperature, Mariel slammed the table and suddenly stood up.
“I’ll go first! See you later!”
As if she had remembered some urgent business, Mariel promptly rushed out of the café.
So shaken was she that she left the expensive beverage I had bought for her untouched on the table.
“… Lady Saint really is pure.”
Yuli’s comment about Mariel.
However, Mariel being so pure…
It seemed Yuli, who hasn’t had much conversation with Mariel, assumed this because she doesn’t know her hidden character.
When Yuli gets to know her better, she’ll likely be surprised by the side of the saint trying to trick others.
“She does have some rather misconceived notions, but that’s partly because of El.”
“Yeah… though El’s charm does play a part, too.”
“Huh? What does this have to do with me all of a sudden?”
The remarks from the two people were so random that it was hard to tell if they were compliments or insults.
But before I could ask what they meant, my inquiry was drowned out by the sudden return of Mariel.
“I’ll enjoy the coffee well! T-that thing we talked about… I’ll consider it further and give you an answer next time! See you later, junior!”
Grabbing the drink she had left behind, Mariel darted out again with a hurried farewell.
Thankfully, she recovered at least half of the beverage, preventing its waste.
If Mariel had left it untouched and it had gone to waste, my wallet would have mourned, and I would’ve mourned with it.
I waved goodbye to Mariel, who had already vanished out the café door.
On the other hand, Anne was still muttering faintly.
Probably because Anne enjoys sweets, it seemed that her blood sugar had dropped, leading to her current fidgety state.
I inserted the straw of the mostly untouched caramel macchiato into Anne’s mouth.
Without hesitation, Anne began to sip the coffee, her instincts at work.
As soon as a little sugar entered Anne’s mouth, her vitality returned to her eyes.
However, reclaiming the caramel macchiato from Anne proved futile.
Eventually, I gave up trying to recover my coffee and turned my attention to Selian and Yuli.
“Since we’re already at the café, would you two like to have anything? This round’s on me.”
Since I had barely taken one sip, this caramel macchiato would be plenty for Anne.
Nevertheless, neither of the two responded to my offer. Instead, they continued to gaze at the caramel macchiato Anne was drinking.
Apparently, both wanted caramel macchiato as much as Anne did, so without waiting, I stood up to head to the counter.
“Two caramel macchiatos and one iced Americano, please.”
Given the unexpected expense, I ordered just an iced Americano, the cheapest option.
Choosing to wait instead of returning to the table, I retrieved the drinks the store promptly prepared.
Balancing them in my hands, I returned to the table, only to find an unexpected scene awaiting me.
“Anne? Could you let go of the straw for a moment?”
“Anne, I’m thirsty too. Could I have just a sip?”
As expected, both were vying for Anne’s coffee.
Ignoring their pleas, Anne kept the straw firmly in her mouth, shaking her head repeatedly, unwilling to share even a sip.
Anne’s obsession with sweets was simply unmatched.
“Come on, stop picking on Anne. You two, try this.”
I placed a caramel macchiato each in front of both of them and took a sip from my own iced Americano.
However, despite having desired Anne’s drink earlier, neither Selian nor Yuli touched the macchiatos now sitting in front of them.
Instead, their eyes were fixed intently on me.
“No, I suddenly wanted something bitter. Feel free to drink it without feeling obligated.”
Had my frugal purchase of the cheapest drink been too obvious?
Their silent stares were making me uncomfortable.
Fortunately, Yuli soon broke the silence.
“El? I just need something to quench my thirst, so I won’t drink this instead. I’m not craving sweets right now, probably because I’m thirsty.”
With those words of consideration, she pushed her caramel macchiato towards me.
“Really, stop feeling obligated…”
“Wouldn’t you like a drink?”
At the sight of Yuli smiling at me and the fleeting illusion of an apple scent in my mouth, a sense of déjà vu washed over me.
“U-um… thanks.”
Under the pressure of some indescribable compulsion from both my instincts and reason, I took the caramel macchiato she offered me.
Satisfied, Yuli grabbed my iced Americano instead and began to sip it happily.
“Hey, Sel?”
In the meantime, Selian was alternatingly glancing between me and Yuli.
Even after I questioned her unusual behavior, Selian kept turning her head back and forth without answering.
The silence persisted, my voice alone drifting across the table as both Anne and Yuli were occupied with their drinks.
How long did the silence last? Finally, Selian stopped shaking her head and spoke.
“El, would you like to trade this with me too? I’m not really drawn to this…”
She slid her coffee towards me just like Yuli had.
But…
“That’s the exact same caramel macchiato I’m drinking now.”
After hearing my words, Selian suddenly looked like she had lost everything in the world.
So, that much she didn’t want to drink caramel macchiato?
