Chapter 48

Werner, aware that the two might fight, sat Glacia and Airi far apart. While that might prevent them from throwing punches, he wasn’t sure if it would stop them from exchanging sharp words.

Airi was the first to speak.

“Hey.”

But Glacia, with a look that said she didn’t want to get involved, turned her gaze to the wall. It was a clear act of dismissal, as if she’d rather stare at the wall than talk to someone like Airi.

Airi wanted to apologize. She knew what feelings Glacia had harbored for Werner before the regression. She even knew that after all the battles were over, Glacia had wasted away in front of Werner’s grave, refusing to eat or drink until she died of weakness.

She didn’t want to steal her master, but knowing how much Glacia loved Werner… she felt guilty for ruining the long-awaited engagement. And while Airi’s relationship with Glacia wasn’t great, she still considered her a comrade who had shared hardships.

“…Hey, can’t you hear me? Red Rabbit Eyes.”

“Red Rabbit Eyes” was a nickname Glacia’s comrades had given her because of her white hair and red eyes, which made her look like a rabbit. It was also the codename she used during missions, so Airi thought it was fitting.

“……”

“The noble lady whose fiancé ran away when she was nine.”

Glacia tried to ignore Airi, but the mention of her pretending to be Werner’s fiancée made her snap. After all, she was officially, and “physically,” Werner’s fiancée. It irked her that Airi, whom she saw as a disciple leeching off Werner’s life, would insult her like that.

“Such a lowly milk boy dares to flap his mouth.”

“Milk boy?”

“Lord Zick is a noble hero, and Lady Media is wise and kind… I wonder how such an ignorant milk cow like you popped out.”

“Don’t insult my mom and dad. I’ll kill you.”

“I insulted *you*. Are you so stupid you can’t even understand that? Did you inherit nothing from Lady Media but your oversized chest? Did you leave all the wisdom and character behind in her womb?”

Glacia’s sharp criticism implied, “Your parents are so great, so why are you like this? Did you leave all the good parts in your mother’s womb?” Of course, Airi understood the jab and was ready to fire back.

“Hey, want to hear a funny story?”

“……”

After her rant, Glacia turned back to staring at the wall, completely ignoring Airi. But Airi, smiling, began to tell her “funny story.”

“There was a famous dog in the city where Master and I lived. It was a beautiful white dog.”

“…And?”

“But it had no owner. It just stood in one spot, always looking in the same direction. When I asked a shopkeeper, she said the dog had been abandoned by its owner eight years ago.”

“How cruel of the owner to abandon such a loyal dog.”

“But the white dog kept waiting, wagging its tail for eight years, thinking its owner would return. Everyone thought it was abandoned, but the dog believed its owner had just left for a while.”

Glacia felt a sudden discomfort. Was it because the story felt oddly familiar? She stopped staring at the wall and looked straight at Airi.

“…Go on.”

“Then one day, the owner returned… with a younger, cuter brown puppy in his arms.”

“And what did the white dog do?”

“It still believed it was the owner’s dog and ran to him, wagging its tail. It didn’t realize it had been abandoned for eight years. It was pitiful.”

Airi smiled brightly as she told the story. Getting even was one of her principles, and she felt so satisfied she could dance.

“That’s… a sad story. But maybe the owner had a reason for not coming back. Maybe he took the white dog back.”

“No, it was just the white dog’s delusion. A stupid white bitch.”

The insult was clearly aimed at Glacia, who jumped up, ready to draw her sword.

“You damn milk boy…”

“Oh my, I was just telling a story about a famous dog from the city where I lived with our ‘Master’ for 15 years. Why are you so upset? Did you relate to the story or something…?”

Airi covered her mouth with her finger, giggling. It wasn’t really funny, but she laughed to provoke Glacia.

“Ah… now that I think about it, your situations are similar. That dog and you…”

“Lord Werner… who knows why he was hurt… and yet you dare flap your mouth like that…”

“Of course it’s your fault. Trying to force an engagement… How are you any different from the perverted nobles in romance novels who force themselves on powerless women? Oh, in those novels, those nobles usually get their heads chopped off, right?”

No one had told Airi why Werner lost his great magic before the regression. It was the last consideration for the girl who loved her master and a sign of respect for Werner, who wanted to keep his love intact.

Despite that, Airi had sacrificed much to turn back time for a reunion with her master. Even now, she was strong enough to take on Glacia, Melissa, and Melchior all at once.

Airi swallowed the metallic taste of blood in her mouth and thought.

‘Faking the adventurer guild’s weak measuring tools is one thing… but fighting her is such a hassle. And the side effects are still severe… If it were like before, I’d have broken her arm already.’

The god who appeared before Airi had asked if she really wanted to turn back time, warning that some only regret it. But Airi pressured the god into allowing it. The burden of turning back time still left her with aching pain every night, but thinking of her master’s face, voice, and scent made it bearable.

‘I have to act like the clumsy disciple so Master doesn’t suspect… I can’t let any guilt or regret show…’

Airi regretted not stopping Werner from being kidnapped that day, no matter what it took. But Glacia leaned in and whispered.

[You’re deliberately hiding your strength in front of Lord Werner… If you don’t want me to expose that, you’d better leave quietly.]

At the time, Airi’s mind went blank, and she had no choice but to comply with Glacia’s threat. But according to Camelian, Werner already knew about Airi’s strength. Seeing that he didn’t suspect her, she realized her worries were unnecessary.

Gritting her teeth, Airi had rushed to the north, leading to the current situation.

Glacia’s anger reached its peak, but she sighed and sat back down.

Airi had planned to let Glacia hit her a few times, then tell Werner she’d been beaten when he returned. But Glacia saw through the plan and backed off, much to Airi’s disappointment.

“My mistake was trying to converse with a lowly milk boy.”

“Whatever you say.”

Thinking Glacia’s nasty personality hadn’t changed, Airi turned her head toward the door, waiting for Werner to return.

When the door finally opened, the two women who had gone out to fight and the two men who had gone to stop them entered.

But Airi’s hopes were crushed. What appeared before her and Glacia was Werner, unconscious and bleeding from the mouth, carried by Melchior.