She already knows, huh…
… …
“Litte, are you causing trouble for others again?” After entering the room and taking a quick look around, Aistride, who had previously appeared somewhat nervous, said helplessly.
“Huh? Wha… Not at all! Why would you say that, Your Highness?”
Aistride silently glanced at the Elven longsword stuck in the wall.
“Uh…Uh…Uh………” Litte immediately lowered her head, looking like a child who had done something wrong and was waiting for punishment, her usually bouncy twin tails drooping as if in sync with her emotions.
“……At the time, I was in such a rush that I forgot to take the sword down…” Litte whispered, fidgeting her index fingers.
“I apologize, Litte has caused you trouble, and I’ll have someone repair this wall soon.” After making Litte take down the sword, Aistride said with a hint of apology.
“It’s fine, it’s just a wall, not a big deal.” Dillin waved his hand. “Is there anything you need, Aistride classmate?”
“Is Miss Tillysha not around?” When Dillin added the suffix ‘classmate’ after her name, Aistride felt a sudden pang of loss.
“Yes, I said she’s not here. What’s the matter?” Dillin couldn’t quite understand why Aistride was so specifically asking about Tillysha.
“I……” It seemed Aistride found it hard to speak further. “Are you currently the team captain?”
“Of course.” By default, every team’s divine son is the captain unless they personally transfer the position— nominally, at least. You don’t care about actual authority, whether team members follow the captain’s orders, but officially, that’s how it stands.
All team-related matters, such as approving new members, require the divine son to personally handle them at the academy’s counter.
“Then, can you conduct a teammate review for me?” Aistride said the words with a slight awkwardness.
“……Ah?” Dillin hadn’t yet understood what Aistride was suggesting, but Litte already caught on.
“Your Highness! Are you really thinking of…??” Litte’s face was one of extreme surprise, as if the sky had fallen down.
“After the Crown Cup, each team will be disbanded, and we’ll all have to re-form our groups,” Aistride continued and couldn’t help but glance towards Dillin. After this, everyone understood her implication.
“Yes, yes, but isn’t Aistride classmate already in a team?” Dillin of course understood what she was implying, he was just pretending to be clueless.
“All Elven combinations, isn’t that suited for you, avoiding disputes between different races and differences in values? It’s perfect.” Dillin wasn’t saying this just to say it.
After interacting with Elves for a while, Dillin’s impressions of them had greatly improved, and he also understood the differences between Elven values and human values. These actual existing differences are not easily ignored by a simple ‘inclusive understanding’, neither the cultural barriers nor the racial barriers. Moreover, purely considering Aistride, Dillin thought her current team was already very appropriate, and there was no need to change it.
On top of that, there was a severe issue.
What if Aistride moves in? What would Dillin do?
Aistride isn’t stupid; she’d eventually notice some connection between Dillin and Tillysha, right?
Even though Dillin trusted Aistride’s character, she’s still the eldest daughter of the Elven King, the Princess of the Elves, and the greatly expected holy maid of the Elf clan. No matter how you look at it, her joining his team could lead to quite a lot of trouble.
“I see………..” Seeing Dillin’s reaction, Aistride seemed to understand something, her beautiful face tinged with a trace of bitterness. “You… don’t welcome me, do you?”
“You and Miss Tillysha really……. It seems I am the unnecessary one.”
“Huh??” At this moment, Litte also caught on and looked at Dillin with suspicion, quickly narrowing her eyes.
The meaning was very clear: ‘Human, if you dare to make a move on Princess Tillysha, I’ll have to deal with you first before thinking.’
“Not, not at all. Me and Tillysha, we just have a very normal, pure relationship as teammates.” Dillin hurriedly waved his hands, not wanting Litte to misunderstand, nor the Elven race, and also not entirely wanting Aistride to misunderstand.
For some reason, while desperately explaining himself in front of Aistride, Dillin felt like a cheating husband who got caught sneaking around with a mistress.
“Tillysha? … Mr. Dillin, have you become familiar enough to call each other by first names?” Litte, who normally seems rather brash, now showed keen attention to detail, latching onto Dillin’s words like a stubborn turtle biting down hard.
“Don’t dig into such irrelevant details!”
“Dillin, would you mind telling me why you don’t welcome me? Is it because of something that happened before, or is it Miss Tillysha who……..”
“If you two have indeed achieved a successful relationship, then I’ll leave now…” Aistride straightened her posture.
“It’s been said over and over again, there’s absolutely no special relationship between us!” Now Dillin’s head was spinning. He couldn’t let Litte hear about anything else, or the Elf clan would surely not let it go easily.
“Alright, alright, no need to say anything more. Just like Litte said, Tillysha would rather scorn me anytime anyway. There’s no way I’d have that kind of relationship with her.”
“Really?” Aistride’s expression flickered.
“Is there something else? You know how I am—sloppy and messy sometimes, completely lost in books so I lose track of time and even forget to eat sometimes, you had to cook for me or bring food, everyday cleaning is done by you. Seriously, apart from you, who else could tolerate me?” Dillin bluntly confessed everything on his mind.
“Eh………” Aistride covered her face with her hands. “Do you really see yourself this way?”
“Then why would Miss Tillysha choose you as her divine son, and why would she be so resolute?” Litte still had a lingering question.
“Phew………” Dillin recounted the same lines he had told John before, but this time it was more vivid and exciting.
Aistride, though intelligent, elves are highly emotional. As long as he made it sound good, she would believe it.
Seeing how Aistride believed his words completely, almost on the verge of tearing up, Dillin felt a bit guilty.
With such trust in him, was it right to deceive her with such a lengthy tale?
But there was nothing else he could do. For the sake of safety, he had to conceal this secret.
“Turns out, Miss Tillysha has stayed by your side out of a sense of gratitude?” Litte seemed to believe Dillin’s story a lot more, which currently seemed like the highest possibility since she couldn’t imagine what special skill Dillin had that could keep Tillysha around.
“I know, right? With Miss Tillysha’s standards and taste, how could she ever look at… Sorry, I mean, it’s quite impossible for her to be satisfied with someone like this.”
Litte had a habit of talking, either subtly or explicitly stepping on Dillin, which Dillin was mostly used to by now.
“Of course, it’s not because of the previous matters.” Seeing the expression in Aistride’s eyes, Dillin added.
“Aistride classmate, could you explain why you want to join my team even when you have a more suitable one?”
“That day, Miss Tillysha told me a lot.” Aistride paused for a moment, her lips slightly parted, her face showing embarrassment. “In some ways, it felt like I had been reprimanded and had a moment of realization.”
“All of us were under your favor. During your hardest times, I didn’t extend a helping hand, but Miss Tillysha acted with such resolution……. I truly feel I don’t have the face to interfere any further.”
“But, if there’s even the tiniest chance, I wish to understand my feelings.” Aistride stared deeply into Dillin’s eyes, her gaze filled with sincerity. “Miss Tillysha’s criticism was right; as an elf, I indeed lack the courage needed in matters of love.”
“But this time, I also want to try without holding back.” As she said this, Aistride gracefully performed an Elven bow towards Dillin. “Would you, once again, please be so kind as to guide me?”
“Your Highness, please calm down!” Litte was beginning to panic.
Both major princesses of the Elf clan being lured away by the same human? This was unacceptable!
“Litte, I am calm, I’ve never been calmer than today.”
“No, no……… Ah! That’s right!” Suddenly remembering something, Litte hurriedly pulled out a golden butterfly hairpin from a box.
“What is this? …Belonging to Miss Tillysha?”
“Exactly, Your Highness! As you see, this is something I just found in Mr. Dillin’s room!”
“Mr. Dillin was just explaining earlier, claiming that Tillysha came last night and left this hairpin behind by accident. Hmm? Isn’t it odd for someone as careful as Tillysha to lose a personal accessory in a man’s room?” Litte felt she should do something about this.
After swallowing one, he’s aiming for the second—this human was truly insatiable!
No matter what, Litte realized it was necessary to dissuade Aistride from joining Dillin’s team!
“Miss Litte, how did you even come to own Miss Tillysha’s hairpin?” Aistride frowned.
“Well, that’s a given. How else would we know what this human… pardon me, Mr. Dillin might do something inappropriate. Mr. Dillin, no offense intended.” After explaining her position to Aistride, Litte proceeded formally to apologize to Dillin, making him somewhat speechless.
So it was because of Tillysha’s words. ……..
Dillin wore a displeased expression as if he had eaten a fly, feeling like he had hoisted himself with his own petard.
If only he hadn’t said so much nonsense earlier.
No, he hadn’t been able to hold back, given that Tillysha had been acting like her ‘passive skill’ was triggered, watching the hesitant Aistride with displeasure that day.
At that time, it wasn’t like he was in control of his body; instead, it felt as if his physical memories took over his actions.
Ah… why didn’t I say less that day?
“Litte, don’t make a fuss, how could Dillin possibly do such things?” Aistride knew that this full-bosomed young girl was prone to causing trouble.
“Miss Princess……. wu, wu…” Litte looked aggrieved. “You will trust a stranger over my words?”
“I’m not saying I don’t trust you, but you’re obviously making a fuss out of nothing.”
“Quickly return the hairpin; it belongs to Miss Tillysha.”
“And, Litte, did you say that you found this in Dillin’s room?”
“Eh? W, well… yes?” The presence of Aistride immediately turned the previously courageous Litte into a trembling, plush toy.
“Did you have permission to go into someone else’s room, Litte?”
“Uh, uhhh………”
“You…” Aistride observed Litte’s expression and realized everything, expressing her exasperation. “Barging into someone’s room early in the morning and then criticizing them for something is quite inappropriate, Litte, don’t you think?”
“I, I was just worried about Miss Tillysha’s… well, her safety,” Litte lowered her head, her fingers wriggling together, putting on an ‘I’ve learned my lesson, I’ll be good next time’ performance.
“Miss Tillysha hadn’t asked you to barge into her home and investigate her divine son, did she? On the contrary, if Miss Tillysha found out, how would she see you?” Aistride’s tone took on a more serious tone; she knew that Litte was concerned about whether Tillysha might be completely taken advantage of by Dillin, but this behavior was fundamentally wrong.
Aistride believed in Dillin’s character and didn’t think that Tillysha, who had strict requirements for love, would behave in such a casual manner.
“Miss Tillysha rarely gets angry but places great emphasis on decorum and principles. If she finds out that you entered her home and treated the divine son who has helped her in this manner…”
“I, I get it already!” Thinking that Tillysha might shun or even dislike her, Litte suddenly realized, immediately apologizing to Dillin. “I’m sorry! Mr. Dillin, please forgive my previous behavior. It was my overstepping, I disturbed you greatly, very sorry! I’m sorry, sorry…………. Please forgive me!”
“I’ve understood my mistake. Please, I beg you, don’t tell Miss Tillysha about this, pretend I wasn’t here, alright……….”
Litte looked with her teary, ruby eyes as if a sobbing kitten begging for forgiveness.
“I beg of you, if you need me to apologize with all due respect to you, will you forgive me?…”
“Alright, alright, I understand, there’s nothing really wrong here. Stop crying Litte, I won’t tell Miss Tillysha.” Watching the efforts Litte was making to keep this from Tillysha, Dillin couldn’t bring himself to use this to punish her.
But still, even if he didn’t tell, Tillysha already knows about this………
