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Chapter 25
It was lunchtime, just the two of us: Haidiera and me.
She led me to a quiet flower garden tucked away on the academy grounds, not the main stage or the garden itself.
The flower garden had a pathway for visitors, and the bench in the middle became our dining spot today.
“Hehe, it’s so quiet; it feels peaceful,” Haidiera said with a shy smile as she walked beside me on the path.
As she mentioned, the view was only filled with colorful flowers, and not a single person was in sight.
Though there were quite a few noble young ladies who liked to come to see the flowers after school, this remote place wasn’t exactly a lunch hour hot spot.
“With it being so calm and serene, it feels like it’s just the two of us left in the world,” I said.
Haidiera walked with her arms wide open, as if embracing the scent of the flowers.
With no eyes upon her, she appeared more relaxed than usual, not even stuttering, standing tall and creating a comfortable atmosphere.
Seeing her like this eased my troubled heart a little, making me smile as we strolled together.
“Hmm, this spot looks great,” she declared, choosing the highest bench in the flower garden’s path.
“Please sit down, Erto.”
“Alright.”
We sat side by side on the ends of the bench, placing the lunchbox prepared by Haidiera between us and started our meal.
“I’m a bit nervous since it’s my first time serving food to someone else…” she confessed, opening the lunchbox with a bashful grin.
“Oh!”
The box was filled with lovingly made side dishes that looked impressive at first glance.
They had an exotic flair overall, probably reflecting the cuisine of her eastern homeland.
“This looks super delicious! You made all this for me?”
“Y-yes…”
“Wow… thank you so much, Haidiera.”
I expressed my gratitude with a light clap, and her lips twitched in a peculiar way.
“W-who, hehe… eat as much as you want, Erto.”
“I will. Thank you.”
With that, our meal officially began, and after a while, I couldn’t hold back any longer.
“What is this? It’s so good!”
“Is it to your taste?”
“It’s like a fresh flavor I’ve never had before, but it’s coming together perfectly in my mouth. I think anyone would say it’s delicious.”
“Hehe… that’s… a relief… hehe.”
While I was just giving an honest opinion, Haidiera couldn’t suppress her mischievous laughter, petting her bangs like a spoiled chinchilla.
“Haidiera, you told me you weren’t good at cooking. When did that change?”
“Cooking has been one of the essential skills pursued by my family, so I’ve been learning it since childhood. The reason I didn’t mention it is simply that I didn’t feel the need to flaunt it. I had no plans to serve food to anyone, nor did I have anyone I wanted to do it for.”
She smiled bitterly as if mockingly assessing her relationships.
“Oh, so why the sudden change with me?”
“Hmm… Let me ask you back. Why do you serve food to others, Erto?”
With that sudden philosophical question, I tilted my head.
“Uh, I guess I wanted to make someone feel good?”
“That’s exactly it.”
“…”
As I stared at her with a dazed expression, Haidiera turned her face toward the flower garden and spoke.
“Erto, aren’t you walking alone in the cold rain right now? That’s why I wanted to share a bit of warmth with you.”
“In the rain…?”
“I know you’ve been getting a lot of attention after parting ways with Bruerd. Among them, there are certainly misguided glances, so I figured your heart would be heavy.”
“Ah, no. We parted on good terms. I don’t care how others think.”
As I waved it off, Haidiera smiled softly, as if saying it was alright.
“Erto, at least in front of me, you don’t have to try too hard to be calm.”
“…”
“I will support you as a friend, no matter how you look.”
What kind of form is she seeing me in, I wondered.
I thought I was presenting myself without any issues in front of others, but Haidiera always seemed to see right through my worries and cares.
“So, was the reason you wanted to eat here?”
At my light question, Haidiera nodded as if it was obvious.
“I thought you might feel tired from all the staring you received in the morning, so I wanted to find a place to calm your mind. So, how about it? Do you feel a little better?”
“Ah… yeah, coming to such a quiet and peaceful place does make the annoying thoughts go away.”
“I’m relieved.”
As I focused back on eating, I couldn’t help but think of Rusika’s face and asked Haidiera.
“Haidiera, what do you think…?”
“What do you mean?”
“About my breakup with Tirisia… It seems like Rusika has a lot of complaints.”
Upon hearing this, Haidiera took a deep breath and nodded as if she understood.
“I believe Raphisl has shared fond memories with you. The depth of accumulated feelings varies, and I think the intensity of the reactions will be different.”
“Yeah, that’s true. What about you, Haidiera?”
“As for me…”
Haidiera looked at my face once, then bowed her head, seemingly deep in thought.
After a moment, she answered.
“What I personally harbor is very complex, but it’s my own trouble, nothing I want to share or complain about.”
“Oh…?”
In short, she had a lot to say but didn’t want to, implying I shouldn’t pry.
As I quietly closed my mouth, Haidiera looked back at me with a faint smile.
“What’s important is this, Erto. I respect your choices more than my own feelings. No matter what you say or think about Bruerd or Raphisl, it is your complete freedom.”
“Hmm… thanks for that.”
“I believe that’s what friends are for. While it’s important to discern right from wrong, what’s needed first is the judgment of whether to support a friend. I’ve decided to support you, Erto. So, I won’t say a word about your decision to part ways with Bruerd.”
“Yeah. I get what you mean.”
I didn’t know what thoughts were brewing in her mind, but at least Haidiera was saying she would stand by me without question.
That support felt like a tremendous comfort to me, especially now that I had become the target of public scrutiny at the Academy.
“I feel really at ease when I’m with you, Haidiera. Thank you.”
“I’m glad to hear that, but… I actually have a complaint too.”
“Huh? What is it?”
Startled, I asked, and she pointed toward the main stage with her finger.
“Many people in this academy… are looking down on you too much. That’s what is causing me the greatest anger right now.”
“Ah…”
I recalled the disdain I had been hearing from the crowd since morning.
A man unworthy of Bruerd.
A commoner who dares to cast a glance at a noble.
A pathetic being craving nobility.
That was the current evaluation of me, Erto, circulating in the academy.
Of course, it was true that I had directly stepped back from Tirisia’s side because it felt burdensome.
But I was ready to endure the ridicule and slander that followed, thinking about my own feelings alone.
I never expected Haidiera to be hurt by the arrows being shot at me.
Maybe I should have considered the surroundings a bit more…
“I’m fine, so don’t worry about it, Haidiera. And I’m sorry if you felt bad because of what others are saying. I think that’s my responsibility.”
As I forced a smile, Haidiera shook her head.
“No, I’m not trying to say that. And it’s not your fault either. There’s a fundamental distortion in this entire situation. So, Erto, listen well to what I’m saying.”
“Yeah, what is it?”
Just like when we had our meal together on stage earlier, Haidiera extended her hand.
I naturally placed my hand over hers.
There was a firm grip.
Her strong will seemed to inject determination into me through that connected hand.
“I don’t want you to apologize for how you’ve been until now. My wish is… for the future you to correct everyone’s misunderstandings.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Just as I said. You need to let the whole world know that you’re not the kind of waste of a man who can get tossed around by them.”
“Hmm… how? Is there any way?”
“Fortunately, a great stage is coming up soon.”
“Ah…”
The first thing that popped into my head was the academy’s biggest event and talent assessment: the duel tournament.
“During the martial stage, show everyone that you’re not someone who can be looked down on. This is not a demand, but a request from a friend.”
“W-wait a moment… even if I understand that, there’s another problem.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t have any remarkable abilities at the martial stage.”
“…?”
Haidiera tilted her head.
“It seems you still haven’t realized your potential.”
“What do you mean?”
I asked while nodding along, and she broke into a hearty laugh that I had never seen before.
“Hehe… hahaha!”
“W-what’s wrong? Why are you laughing?”
After quite a laugh, Haidiera swept her untidy bangs aside, revealing her rich, jewel-like eyes.
“Don’t worry, Erto. You are more than capable of doing it. And,”
With a whoosh—
A shadowy aura, similar to mine, enveloped her, infused with dark magic.
With a gloomy yet somewhat enchanting smile, the dark-haired girl said,
“I will lend you my strength.”