Chapter 52

Huff—

Finally breathing in the outside air after a month.

It was a late afternoon, with the sun sinking below the horizon.

In that moment where the boundary between day and night spread wide across the sky,

Tirisia Bruerd finally stepped out of the mansion and felt the grass beneath her feet.

“Hehe.”

Without realizing it, a child-like smile broke out on her face.

The ground she hadn’t walked on in ages felt strangely new and exciting.

It was a space she had stepped on casually for over a decade.

Her one month of confinement had been tedious and painful but surprisingly made her miss and welcome the existence of everything in the outside world.

The cool evening air of a clear spring day brushed against her skin.

“Hng—”

Taking a deep breath, Tirisia stretched her stiff body, letting out a deep sigh toward the sky.

The suffocating ceiling above her head had vanished.

What filled her emerald eyes was an endless expanse of sky.

Feeling uplifted as if she were on a picnic, a gentle smile appeared on her lips.

“Miss, please be careful out there.”

The servants in the yard bowed their heads as they confirmed her departure.

“For heaven’s sake, you mustn’t be seen by the townsfolk. You understand the master’s wishes, right? Miss.”

The butler, who was seeing her off from the front door, spoke courteously with concern.

Tirisia nodded with a bitter smile at the elderly man in his tuxedo, a caretaker since her infancy.

“Of course. You don’t need to worry.”

Feeling a deep responsibility for alarming him, Tirisia wished to reassure him as much as she could.

“Understood, then please return before it gets too late.”

The butler bowed slightly and, after returning his gesture, Tirisia began to walk toward the mansion’s front gate.

Swish—

The concealment magic bent the flow of light and sound.

As her figure dissolved into mist, a heavy silence descended upon the Bruerd manor’s yard.

“…”

The servants stared at the spot where she disappeared, wishing she would return without incident.

*

The first place Tirisia Bruerd headed to after a month-long absence was the academy.

To be precise, it was the massive mountain behind the academy.

At the foot of that mountain was a little-known secret cave, which was Kerg Durakal’s favorite hideout.

It had also been the place he frequently summoned Tirisia during lunch breaks, after school, or on holidays until her confinement.

Since it was somewhere they could enjoy each other’s time away from the prying eyes of the academy, it was also a place where Tirisia, who couldn’t be seen externally, could escape without using concealment magic.

She had already sent a message with her servants to Kerg Durakal.

To meet at his hideout tonight.

Thinking about finally going on a date with her beloved after a month, Tirisia quickened her steps.

After stealthily exiting the house without being spotted and jumping through the air for ten minutes, she arrived at the mouth of the cave on the mountainside where Kerg Durakal was.

At the entrance, a magical door had been installed for security and to block outsiders, designed to open only to those who had been pre-verified.

“Senpai…”

When Tirisia pressed her palm against a specific part of the door, it slid open with a heavy grinding sound.

Ordinary caves tend to be damp and cramped, but the Durakal family had expanded it for their usage as a hideout over many years.

The hideout Kerg was currently using looked like a cave from the outside, but inside it was bright and spacious like a mansion.

In order to maintain the secrecy, no servants were allowed inside, and aside from meals, most daily needs were met by a variety of magic tools and artifacts arranged by the director.

“Senpai…!”

Tirisia, having lifted the concealment magic, entered the cave, her cheeks flushed and her heart racing.

Passing through a hallway decorated with brilliant artworks, she reached a large room inside the main hall where the man she had been waiting for so eagerly appeared.

A large, dark-skinned man with blonde hair sat on a sofa.

Kerg Durakal.

Seeing Tirisia arrive at his hideout, he greeted her with a grin.

“Hey, it’s been a while.”

“Senpai! How have you been?”

Tirisia beamed as she rushed to sit beside him on the sofa.

Upon being asked about her well-being, Kerg frowned deeply, raking his fingers through his hair.

“Not great. Our old man, the director, told me to watch my step and not to cause a fuss. I can’t even go to the academy or wander the streets, it’s so boring I could die.”

“I see… So you’ve been in a similar situation as me?”

Tirisia leaned against Kerg, feeling his warmth against her cheek after such a long time.

His being similarly restricted made her feel a sense of camaraderie with him.

Fortunately, it seemed Kerg hadn’t changed much during the month.

Tirisia felt relieved by this fact, enjoying the warmth of her beloved for a moment.

“Well, anywho, let’s skip that.”

“Ah.”

As Kerg wrapped his thick arm around her shoulder, Tirisia’s face turned startled as if she sensed something.

Kerg looked down at her with his dark eyes and declared as if giving an order,

“You know what you need to do since it’s been a while, right?”

“Ah… Yes…”

Tirisia hesitated briefly but, knowing what Kerg wanted, followed his command.

The bodies of the two sitting side by side on the sofa drew closer,

and the deep evening flowed by.

*

“Miss, welcome back.”

As Tirisia Bruerd returned to the mansion, the front door swung open, and the butler along with the servants bowed to greet her.

“I wasn’t seen by anyone. Don’t worry.”

Tirisia smiled faintly at them and headed back to her room to begin another month of hardship.

Thud—

Without changing her clothes, Tirisia threw herself onto the bed, closing her eyes to savor the fleeting memory of her brief outing.

In her long-awaited meeting, Kerg still loved her.

As she didn’t have much time, they couldn’t hang out leisurely like before.

She had predicted it would flow like this when she met him.

As long as she could confirm their love again, the outing would have sufficient meaning,

and she firmly believed that to be the case.

In reality, she had returned from her outing having relieved most of the stress she’d amassed during her confinement.

However,

something was amiss.

Even though she received Kerg’s love and also shared her love with him,

it was difficult to express exactly what was lacking, yet she didn’t feel completely fulfilled.

Was it really the best choice to jump straight into a physical relationship with her long-missed boyfriend and then come back without any meaningful actions?

A little more, something,

something that felt more “couple-like”—

“…No.”

Tirisia buried her face into the bed and shook off the fleeting anxiety.

“I just didn’t have enough time. I did what senpai wanted as best I could.”

The limited time she had for her outing was only from evening to night.

To expect extraordinary rewards from such a tight timeframe was simply misguided, Tirisia reassured herself.

Given the harsh conditions, it was only natural that the results would be unsatisfactory.

At least she confirmed that Kerg hadn’t drifted away from her at all, and that alone gave her the necessary answers from a monthly outing that was only permitted once.

So it was okay.

They still loved each other, and

as long as they could maintain that love until the day her confinement ended, it would suffice.

With that thought, Tirisia pressed her face into the pillow, steadying her gently swaying heart.

“Still…”

For the next time, how about doing something different from what they had done today.

After all, there are many ways to confirm love between lovers without physical acts.

Spending precious time wisely and trying various approaches before her confinement ends might be beneficial.

With those thoughts in mind,

Tirisia Bruerd began her second month back in her room.

*

However, a month later, during their second meeting.

“…Huh? What nonsense is that? Is that more important than releasing someone who’s waited a month?”

“Uh…”

At Tirisia’s suggestion for a more romantic date, Kerg frowned and rejected her idea.

Clearly, he prioritized their physical relationship over spending time on other activities.

“Sen-senpai… that’s how it ended last time… this time I wanted something different—”

“Well, whose fault is it that we meet so rarely? It’s because you can’t get proper permission from your parents, isn’t it? Huh?”

Under Kerg’s scolding, Tirisia lowered her head, unable to say anything.

His remarks were not something a boyfriend could say to his girlfriend, who bore all the blame for him, and his logic was a total mess, but Tirisia had no choice but to silently accept his unreasonable claims.

Because she loved him.

Now, the only person left for her was Kerg Durakal.

Fearful of him drifting away, Tirisia’s rationality was paralyzed.

“Hey… Tirisia. Do you not love me…?”

Kerg grinned menacingly, grabbing her shoulder.

Tirisia looked at his face, fear mingled with longing as she confessed her feelings.

“I love you… That’s why I’m here right now, senpai.”

“Then be a little more accommodating. I said I was sorry, didn’t I?”

“I understand… I’m sorry for arguing, senpai.”

Seeing Kerg smirking lightly and lightly apologizing, Tirisia resolved not to dwell on this behavior any longer.

After all, it didn’t seem like he would accept any further discussion.

“Alright, come here.”

“Yes…”

Thus, their third outing flowed just like the previous ones.

The joy and happiness began to fade away silently.

Even as they mingled their bodies and whispered their love into each other’s ears, there was no feeling to be had.

Now, each time she met Kerg, the feeling that weighed heavily in Tirisia’s heart was the thirst of not obtaining what she truly desired.

She couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was, but it was clear that even sharing love with Kerg was not satisfying her emotions.

“Hah…”

Thud—

Back at home, slumped on the bed, Tirisia pondered deeply.

During this newly begun month,

she agonized, worried, and struggled.

And the conclusion she reached was,

“This time…”

—she had to go visit Erto.

For some reason, she found herself turning her gaze back towards her former lover whom she had torn away from.

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