After that, Senior Elsi remained unresponsive for a few minutes.
It looked like she might freeze solid and collapse as she stared at me blankly. Her gaze was clouded with what seemed like misty droplets.
Perhaps, given some more time, she might start to whimper.
Apparently, my rejection had struck at Senior Elsi’s pride.
To be honest, I had trouble understanding Senior Elsi’s actions. Ever since witnessing the accidental incident involving the Lady Virgin Saint, she had been keeping to herself.
And yet, here she was, suddenly appearing dressed up more beautifully than ever before.
In fact, she had even proposed that we go out together, just the two of us. I could still clearly hear the word “date” she had murmured in my ear.
Could it be that Senior Elsi has romantic feelings for me?
It wasn’t entirely out of the question.
When young men and women in the prime of their lives gather together, love inevitably blossoms. All the more so when they’ve shared life-and-death situations while roughing it together.
Of course, romantic relationships between training partners were considered taboo.
We’ve been cooperating until now and will need to continue doing so in the future. Starting a romance would inevitably lead to favoritism.
It would be the perfect recipe for ruining our group dynamics.
Still, many couples existed within the Academy. Love is like a wild horse, impossible to control with the reins of reason alone.
Therefore, it wasn’t out of the question that Senior Elsi could have feelings for me.
No, looking at her recent behavior toward me, the likelihood was even higher. In retrospect, she had always been showing consistent signs of affection.
If she didn’t, it would be unthinkable for such a ruthless person as Senior Elsi to act so gentle only around me.
Objectively speaking, Senior Elsi would make an excellent bride.
Firstly, she’s beautiful.
Even during the time when her reputation within the Academy was at its worst, she remained popular. She received many confessions, and consequently, many men were left heartbroken.
According to rumors, she’s known for saying things cruel enough to leave no room for recovery.
Moreover, her family is illustrious.
The Rianella Duchy may not belong to the five great noble families of the Empire, but it has long been esteemed as a prestigious mage family. Their wealth and influence far surpassed that of the Percus Family.
So, there was no real reason for me to reject Senior Elsi’s kindness.
I, too, am a young man in my prime.
It’s only natural that I’d feel attraction toward beautiful women like Senior Elsi, Senior Delphine, Lady Virgin Saint, and Ceria. The same goes for Emma and Celin.
However, the sole reason I hadn’t yet dabbled in romance was one simple fact:
My sense of duty to save the world.
For an instant, my heart had wavered, but then it sank once again.
Yes, now isn’t the time to focus on romance. It’s a matter that can wait until after I’ve saved the world. Besides, my future is still uncertain.
Letters of love from the future haven’t been limited to just one.
More letters from future fiancées are bound to come my way.
Creating a relationship now could impact my future in ways no one can predict. For the sake of the continent, I must delay my romantic life further.
Still, as I faced Senior Elsi’s pitiful gaze, I couldn’t completely rid myself of that slight hesitation.
Would going on just a date be fine?
It’s not like we’d become a couple right away. Isn’t it only about getting to know each other?
Even if I’m ignorant of women’s feelings, I could guess how she might be feeling. Asking someone out on a date takes courage, so being rejected must have hurt her pride.
At that moment, my lips began to stammer out broken words.
“That, well….”
Senior Elsi wasn’t oblivious to how my determination seemed to waver.
Just moments ago, her face mirrored the collapse of the heavens, but now her eyes lit up with anticipation as she awaited my response.
If she had a tail, it would be moving back and forth excitedly by now.
My heart wasn’t yet strong enough to crush her hopes.
Just before I was about to say, “Maybe tomorrow would be fine?,”
A sudden thought crossed my mind.
Ru Pin from the Rianella family, come to think of it, hadn’t he said something like this to me?
He said he would exact “revenge.”
Before long, a terrifying conspiracy theory engulfed my thoughts.
What if this was all an act?
Senior Elsi could still be plotting her revenge on me, conspiring with Ru Pin to give me the most tragic memory possible.
The evil scheme of luring me in with a beauty trap, then dumping me.
Truly, it was a frightening thought. Even the callous words she used to reject men were infamous.
If fueled by malice, how cruel could her words be toward me?
A bead of cold sweat trickled down my spine.
I almost avoided disaster. To have fallen for the devilish manipulations of Ru Pin and his sibling from the Rianella family would have been dire.
In the end, the words flowing from my lips weren’t much different from what I had initially planned to say.
“…I’ll be heading back to my hometown soon, so I really don’t have the time, you know?”
It was as good as slamming the door shut.
It meant I wouldn’t have the time before the vacation ends.
Senior Elsi’s blue eyes misted over with tears. She hung her head in disappointment and muttered listlessly.
“Umm, yeah… that’s right. Sorry, I was too thoughtless…”
It was rare to hear her speak casually, but with the moisture in her voice, it weighed heavily on my heart.
What if she was being genuine?
It was a problem that I, who poorly understand women’s hearts, couldn’t discern. Ultimately, I couldn’t overcome the guilt and started making excuses.
“I’m serious, I really don’t have the time. I leave the day after tomorrow, and there are so many people I need to say goodbye to — the Lady Virgin Saint, Senior Delphine, Ceria, and Emma…”
“…Yeah, I know.”
That was Senior Elsi’s reply.
She was scratching the wooden floor with the tip of her shoe, looking disheartened. Her dejected figure, with her arms crossed behind her, appeared particularly pitiful.
The mood plummeted rapidly.
I had merely greeted her happily at first, yet it was inexplicable how this situation had arisen within only a matter of minutes.
Senior Elsi cautiously asked.
“W, what is your relationship with the Lady Virgin Saint?”
“There’s nothing between us.”
It was an urgent reply. It was something I had resolved long ago to clarify someday.
If unnecessary rumors spread, it would be fatal for the Lady Virgin Saint. Since the virginity of the Virgin Saint is inevitably linked to the symbol of the Heavenly Deity.
Of course, Senior Elsi didn’t seem to trust my words at all.
She only continued to lower her head, subtly revealing her melancholy.
“There was a misunderstanding… It should be regarded as a kind of treatment process…”
“Well then, what are we to each other?”
It was an unexpected question.
I stared blankly at Senior Elsi, at a loss for words. By now, she had lifted her head, and her sad blue eyes were fixed on mine.
As if her gaze was asking me,
If there’s nothing between you and the Virgin Saint, then what about me?
Am I lesser than nothing to you?
I let out an awkward groan.
“Well, we are colleagues.”
Precious colleagues who had solved countless cases together.
But it seemed that Senior Elsi was not the least bit satisfied with that description.
She offered a bitter smile and nodded as if to say, “I expected as much.”
She turned her body to examine herself from all angles. Though her movements looked endearing to me, the more she did so, the deeper the bitterness at the corner of her mouth grew.
As if to say that her appearance made it clear why anyone would react the way they did.
“Yes, colleagues… Hmm, that’s better than nothing, I guess.”
Before I could ask what exactly was better, Senior Elsi beamed with a smile that echoed the sorrow of the evening bell.
“I’ll stop being greedy, my lord.”
With a pouting expression like a whining puppy, Senior Elsi then turned and hurried away.
I couldn’t bring myself to stop her.
All I could do was watch her retreating figure with my eyes for a while, then let out an irritated sigh.
Frustrated, I ran my hands through my hair.
It seemed as if I had chosen the wrong option.
However, what I had told Senior Elsi was partially true.
I really didn’t have the time.
There were many people I needed to say farewell to before leaving the Academy.
Firstly, the Lady Virgin Saint, Senior Delphine, and Emma.
I owed them quite a lot during my time here. I had to bid them a proper farewell before departing.
As I organized my thoughts, my gaze casually fell to the window.
It was still afternoon, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to visit one or two people to say goodbye.
There was still just over half a day left before we would head toward the Perkus Manor.
