CH 63

Chapter 63 - Preparation

Count of Dumer’s Private Office

Wednesday morning, before work…

Tomorrow was the day Lou promised Nadia a date.

Last night…

Fran was worried when she heard from Lou that he had promised to meet Giselle and Nadia, respectively.

After pondering it over…

She had never had a proper date with Lou herself.

The last time they went out, they went shopping at Kingsley Company, and then Michelle and Olga joined them, so it was never just the two of them.　

Giselle was quite good.

She just felt it strange that a young lady of the duke’s family wanted to watch a mock game with Zeimon on the weekend.

The problem was Nadia.

When Fran asked for more details, she was told that they had an appointment to meet in the streets of the royal capital tomorrow after the spring semester classes were over in the morning.

Nadia, by the way, wouldn’t be attending the spring semester classes.

She would probably go ahead and wait for Lou.

With all this in mind, Fran lamented and smiled bitterly.

Oh, I knew it…

I’m a petty person, I guess.

After pondering it over…

Nadia, like herself, was saved from the brink of death by Lou.

How could I not be mindful of the person who risked his life to save me?

That’s why she asked him out on a date…

That’s right!

It might be unadvisable, but let me hear Nadia’s true intentions first.

In case she wasn’t ‘serious’ and was just trying to make fun of Lou…

From a teacher’s point of view, she could pay attention to her and stop her in time.

She shouldn’t play with people’s hearts.

If it was a game penalty, there were plenty of other ways to do it, right?

After some thought, Fran decided to talk to Nadia.

◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇

Same day afternoon

Principal’s Office, Girls Magical Academy…

A rhythmic knock sounded on the door.

“Yes!”

Fran’s cry was answered by…

“Headmistress! It”s Nadia Charlois.”

“Come in.”

It was Fran, of course, who had called Nadia.

As she had planned in the morning, she wanted to ask about Nadia’s true intentions…

“Have a seat.”

Fran asked Nadia to sit on a chair, made a cup of hot tea and served it with some baked goods.

“T-Thank you very much. By the way, what is it you want to ask me?”

Nadia looked at Fran straight in the eyes, timid and confused.

“Thanks for all your hard work the last time we played.

“No, I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”

Nadia bowed her head and apologized…

Seeing the serious expression on Fran’s face, she corrected her sitting posture.

“Today, Nadia, I asked you here to know what you really want.”

“What I really want?”

“Yeah, you have an appointment with him for tomorrow afternoon.”

Nadia frowned a little when Fran bluntly cut to the chase.

“Sure enough…He told you about it.”

Nadia sighed and looked at Fran again.

Her expression was somber, but her eyes were serious.

“Fine, I’ll answer that.”

“…”

“There’s absolutely nothing behind my intentions.”

“There’s no hidden agenda?”

“Yes! I dare say I’ve met the man of my dreams… I just want to get to know him better.”

“What?! Lou is the one?”

“Yes! Yours, too, Headmistress, right?… No, Francesca-sensei.”

Nadia smiled softly at Fran’s surprise.

“Even though we were both caught in different situations, we’ve been desperate to death.”

“…”

After Nadia spoke, Fran looked a little distant.

She called to mind the time Lou had saved her.

Nadia seemed to understand Fran’s feelings.

She smiled and continued.

“Both Francesca-sensei and I were saved by Lou-sensei. He risked his life to help us. If you don’t feel anything from this, you’re not a…’woman’, I think.”

Fran bit her lip involuntarily.

She was supposed to be questioning Nadia, but before she knew it, the other person had seen through her feelings.

But on the other hand, she found herself sympathizing with Nadia a lot.

Or she should say…

This girl must have felt exactly the same way as she did.

Nadia carried on.

It was a confession to Fran.

“I was crying out loud when his soul, his astral, wrapped around my soul and rescued me.”

“…”

“I felt saved, and at the same time I felt the reassurance of his soul, and the clumsy but foolish compassion of his heart.”

“…”

“I couldn’t help but feel that…it was fate that I was able to meet and receive the help of this person…”

“But!” Nadia cast her eyes down.

“I know very little about Lou-sensei. What does he usually think about? What kind of food does he like?”

Nadia slowly raised her head.

“I want to know more and more about him. So, Francesca-sensei, I did some investigating on you, too.”

“Did you check on me?”

“Yes! I must admit that I was relieved to find out that you’re not officially engaged.”

Nadia’s statement stunned Fran.

She certainly wasn’t Lou’s official fiancée or anything.

He merely rescued her, and she asked him to become a teacher at the school, and he was merely her follower…

But…

Nadia said to Fran, whose face had turned dark.

“Don’t give me that look. I understand, Francesca-sensei.”

“…”

“I know you love Lou-sensei very much…I’m with you, too!”

Nadia stared straight into Fran’s pained face.

Then she bowed deeply.

“Please pardon me, Sensei! I know I’m being presumptuous.”

“Huh?”

“The fact that Lou-sensei told you that he would be seeing me tomorrow is all I need to know about his feelings.”

“Nadia…you…”　

“Please! I don’t want to lose Lou-sensei!”

Nadia was no longer trying to disguise herself.

She had come to Fran with her honest feelings, devoid of any lies or deceit.

“I’ll come clean to you, Francesca-sensei, I have told him everything that is on my mind.”

“…”

“Lou-sensei wasn’t surprised to hear all of it. Instead, he took me in stride and helped me. He also made sure that my friendship with Giselle was not ruined.”

Nadia muttered, this time in a self-mocking tone.

“I-I’m a very cowardly person who has taken advantage of others for my own benefit, and I’ve even lied about it. But I had never exposed my mind like that before, and to be honest, it scared me…”

“Eh? Scared?”

“Yes. If people knew that I was such a cunning and terrible person… I might lose everything. But he… Lou-sensei understood me.”

Fran suddenly thought.

Nadia, who had been just a student until now, began to feel like a very close person…

“I respect you, Francesca-sensei, and I think I understand your position.”

Before Nadia knew it, large tears welled up in her eyes.

“That’s why I just want to be by Lou-sensei’s side.”

“…”

“If Francesca-sensei can’t marry him because of the gap in status, I’ll still marry him! I’m also ready to give up my noble status. If Sensei ties the knot with him, even a second wife…No, being a mere concubine is fine for me.”

Nadia said resolutely…

“Please, give me a chance,” she repeated.

When Fran heard Nadia’s thoughts, the words that someone had told her came flashing back.

『Thou shalt be prepared to suffer if thou wilt love Lou and be loved.』

I”ve already prepared for that.

But, I’m with you too!

I absolutely, positively don’t want to lose Lou!

“All right.”

“Huh?”

Nadia was puzzled by Fran’s abrupt statement.

But Fran repeated again.

“I understand!”

Fran told Nadia once and for all, and then she realized.　

What did ‘I understand’ mean?

It was an answer to Nadia’s acceptance, but at the same time, it was Fran’s unshakable feeling for Lou.