Chapter 295: Interlude: Between a Lover and a Pet (1)

Percus Manor, having just passed a significant hurdle, was now shrouded in silence.

It was a brief moment of peace.

Soon, the agents from the Imperial Intelligence Agency would be dispatched and the entire territory would be under their watchful eyes. Many servants were burdened by this reality, whether they admitted it or not.

Of course, my parents felt the same.

Especially my mother, whose worries seemed to grow by the day.

Her concern revolved around one thing.

“I’m sorry, Ian... for causing you so much trouble.”

Her son nearly died.

Although everything turned out well, it was still a situation where the Imperial Intelligence Agents were dispatched due to the crime committed.

Even though protection was part of their purpose, it was impossible to feel entirely at ease under surveillance. Besides, my mother was not well-versed in the ways of the world.

It was rare for someone of noble birth who received thorough education from a young age to be like that.

When I think back, I’ve never heard much about my parents’ childhood.

Whenever I asked how they met, got married and started a family, they would only give me a wry smile.

My brother also never mentioned it.

I always assumed they had their reasons.

The Percus family history was relatively short, but its traditions spanned several generations. That naturally meant my parents’ lineage was well-established.

So I never harboured any doubts.

That was the case until recently at least,when Ria’s secret was revealed.

Now, I was gripped by a strange unease, something I had never felt before.

It was an inexplicable intuition that there were still mysteries left within the Percus family.

Fortunately, I was no longer the powerless naive boy I once was.

I had connections within the Imperial Intelligence Agency. If I wished, I could investigate this matter as much as I wanted.

However, I couldn’t bring myself to show any hint of suspicion toward my mother.

It was simply my duty as a son.

No matter what my parents might be hiding from me, it didn’t erase the love and care they had shown me all these years.

In the end, I forced a faint smile and tried to reassure her.

“Don’t worry too much, Mother... You know I have plenty of friends.”

And they were powerful friends at that.

Even the Emperor and the Sword Duke seemed inclined to be on my side, at least for now.

Despite my repeated reassurances, my mother didn’t seem fully convinced. Even so, she no longer expressed any words of apology to me.

She only looked at me with sad eyes from time to time.

It was heartbreaking. But I had other matters that demanded my attention.

First and foremost, the end of the vacation was fast approaching.

The reason the guests staying at the manor had seemed particularly busy lately was closely related to this.

Everyone was preparing to return to their daily lives in their own way. The day we would return to the academy was just around the corner now.

They had stayed at the Percus Manor for a little over two months.

A period that, depending on how you looked at it, could feel either long or short.

However, the intensity of the events we experienced during that time was beyond comparison to others.

Ever since I received that love letter from the future, it had always been like this.

Unexpectedly encountering a powerful demonic beast at the Hunting Festival, defeating a demonic human at the orphanage, facing off against a dark priest to save the princess during the Homecoming Festival. R

And finally, vanquishing an Underling of the Evil God in my hometown.

I became curious about the contents of the next letter that would arrive.

How many more powerful foes would I have to face, and how much more cruel a fate awaited me?

A hint of fear crept into my heart, but I forced a wry smile and steadied myself.

Even then, there was only one conclusion I could come to.

I would do what needed to be done.

Just as I always had.

With that, I steeled myself and prepared for the future.

But that wasn’t the only thing troubling me.

In fact, on the contrary, there was a certain someone who had recently occupied the entirety of my thoughts.

It was none other than Senior Elsie.

Despite her lovely appearance, she was a woman known for her cruel nature and rough speech.

She was also the daughter of an Elite Mage Household, the Rinella Family—a person who, until a few months ago, I had no reason to interact with.

In fact, even if we had crossed paths, I likely would have avoided her.

That was how terrible Senior Elsie’s reputation was.

However, after crossing numerous life-and-death situations together and engaging in long conversations, I came to understand her.

It wouldn’t have been strange to say I grew fond of her.

However, there remained a certain boundary between us.

Senior Elsie was the daughter of a high-ranking noble family. She naturally had the obligation to follow her family’s commands.

As such, our time together could only be temporary. Even if Senior Elsie looked back on it as a fond memory, she would eventually have to choose someone else to spend her life with.

Even if Senior Elsie and I were to get engaged, I still had an excuse left.

That it was merely the will of the family and not truly Senior Elsie’s own desire.

In that case, it would simply be a matter of letting her go when the time came.

But all those excuses and justifications were instantly shattered not long ago.

At that, Celine’s movements and voice came to an abrupt halt.

For a moment, it was as if she had turned to stone, the change was so dramatic.

After a few seconds, she shook her head and came to her senses

Then, in a more frantic tone, she began to interrogate me.

“S-She confessed? When?!”

“A few days ago.”

My straightforward reply left her looking even more dumbfounded.

She opened her mouth, then closed it again.

After hesitating for a while, she cautiously asked,

“...S-So Oppa, what did you say?”

I turned my gaze to the side, trying to recall the memory of that day.

The longer I delayed my response, the more anxious Celine became.

By the end, her face had grown pale, and she even swallowed nervously.

Unable to bear watching her like that, I finally let out a brief conclusion.

“...I turned her down.”

“What?! Why, why?!”

Celine couldn’t hide her shock and immediately asked me back.

It was a natural reaction.

Senior Elsie was beautiful, incredibly talented, and came from a prestigious background.

Logically, it was hard to think of a reasonable excuse for rejecting someone like her.

I felt the same way.

Part of me wanted to be with Senior Elsie.

But even more than that, I was lost.

What are my true feelings?

Why am I so afraid of being with Senior Elsie?

These were the questions I had pondered for days without reaching any conclusion.

The deeper I delved into my thoughts, the more the memories resurfaced.

Before I knew it, I found myself reliving that day’s scene..

After hearing my rejection, Senior Elsie had frozen in place.

Her wide eyes spoke volumes of her shock.

Yes, that’s how it was.

Back then, Senior Elsie had asked me the same question.

With tears welling up in her eyes and her voice quivering.

“Why, why...?”

Even as she asked that, I still didn’t fully understand my own feelings.

I only knew that I couldn’t reject her feelings without a reason. That would have been too cruel an ending.

So, without thinking, I ended up blurting out those words to her.

“Uh, Senior Elsie... you used to be a school bully, weren’t you?”

I could almost hear an imaginary cracking sound, as if, from the top of her head, Senior Elsie’s body was splitting open.

“...That’s a bit much.”

That was true.

I understood her situation and was willing to be on her side at any time.

But aside from that, Senior Elsie still had an unforgiven sin.

The past where she had bullied innocent students and left them with deep scars.

The moment I said those words, I regretted it.

I was terrified that this would leave a lasting wound on Senior Elsie.

Some might say she deserved it as a consequence of her actions, but the fact that she was the first person I thought of showed just how much I had grown attached to her.

But before I could even take back what I said, it happened.

Senior Elsie clenched her fists tightly, her whole body trembling.

Then, with an expression of anger I hadn’t seen in a long time, she glared at me.

“...J-Just you wait.”

With tearful eyes, she shouted, brimming with fury.

“Just you wait! I-I won’t give up over something like this!”

With those words, Senior Elsie wiped her tears with her sleeve and turned to walk away.

Her retreating figure looked so lonely that I almost reached out to stop her.

Instead, I let out a deep, heavy sigh.

Even after rubbing my face several times, I couldn’t calm my mind.

You worthless moron, what the hell were you even trying to do?

And so, I could only curse myself as I sank to the ground.

At the time, I took Senior Elsie’s words, ‘Just you wait,’ as nothing more than an empty phrase.

Of course, that was the result of overlooking the fact that Senior Elsie was not someone to be taken lightly.

It wasn’t until we arrived at the Academy that I understood the true meaning behind her words.