Chapter 19
—
A sound came from Serupe’s room.
It was Deruna’s voice.
“Where are you, Serupe…? Your big sister is desperately looking for you. I promise I won’t hit you! Come out! Oh, mother? Hit him? How could I, when I’ve been taking care of him so much? I even saved him when he was about to get captured by bandits this time. Oh no, don’t worry—he’s alive and well, as you’ve seen.”
Deruna seemed to have left Serupe’s room and was searching for him elsewhere.
Once her footsteps passed, I cautiously opened the door.
“Hmm…”
No one was there!
I carefully walked to Serupe’s room and opened the door.
“Se-Serupe.”
I called out, but there was no answer.
Unlike Deruna, I’m not scary, so Serupe wouldn’t have hidden from me.
That’s… a relief!
Wow, so this is what Serupe’s room looks like.
What’s this?
It’s probably something he uses for his fertilizer research.
Serupe is truly amazing.
With his magic, he creates fertilizer, which the earth and plants seem to love.
Only someone with a kind and good nature could do such things, right?
“Hmm…”
Why is my face getting hot?
Come to think of it, I shouldn’t be in someone else’s room without permission!
“But still…”
I’m only pretending to be his girlfriend, after all.
It’s not strange for me to be in my partner’s room, is it?
If anything, Serupe will praise me for doing such a good job acting.
So… lying on his bed shouldn’t be a problem, right?
“Hmm…”
It smells like Serupe.
I… I must be a terrible Elf.
“Haa… Se-Serupe.”
I buried my face in Serupe’s pillow.
When I think of him running around crying while looking for me… guilt wells up in my heart, but at the same time, I feel so happy.
I guess I really am a terrible person.
* * *
Outside the village chief’s house, Deruna was searching for Serupe with a determined expression.
“Serupe, where are you?”
“Ah, Miss Deruna.”
She ran into Gawain.
“Oh, father-in-law.”
“Hahaha, you don’t need to work so hard at acting. My wife is probably in the kitchen by now.”
“Pardon?”
“I apologize if my wife or I have caused you any inconvenience. I hope we haven’t offended you… Please, I beg you, spare our lives.”
“Oh no, I’m not that kind of noble.”
“Haha, I could tell. From the moment I met you, I knew you were a kind and noble person. People like you are what hold the Empire together.”
As expected of Serupe’s father, his flattery was no ordinary skill.
“My wife can be a bit eccentric at times. It’s hard to tell what she’s thinking… though that’s part of her charm. That’s why I fell for her.”
“Your wife is indeed a charming person, haha.”
“Isn’t she? Oh, you don’t need to call her ‘mother’ if you find it uncomfortable.”
At this, Deruna flinched.
Piecing together what she’d heard, she realized Gawain and Rihana’s relationship mirrored that of Serupe and Elenien.
——Am I just trying to secure Serupe for selfish reasons?
Though she tried to convince herself otherwise, Deruna couldn’t suppress the bubbling turmoil in her heart.
She managed to keep her emotions in check and said to Gawain,
“Father-in-law, it’s not an act. Serupe and I really are in a relationship.”
“Eh? That boy doesn’t seem to think so… Hahaha, my son must have been a saint in his past life. As expected of my boy!”
“Haha, of course.”
“Elenien, was it? That child seems sincere, but I didn’t realize you were serious too, Miss Deruna.”
“Well, until last night, I didn’t realize it myself. But as I lay awake, thinking… I realized I do like Serupe.”
“Ah, my wife helped my son’s love life again, it seems. Haha, even if Rihana can be eccentric, she always achieves good results.”
Though Gawain’s doting on his wife could have been off-putting, Deruna found it endearing.
She glanced at the greatsword Gawain was holding.
“Are you a swordsman as well, father-in-law?”
“Hm? Haha, embarrassed as I am to admit it, yes.”
“Father-in-law, please speak casually with me. After all, I’m your future daughter-in-law.”
“Oh, would that be alright? Alright then, thank you, my dear.”
“That’s a fine sword you have there.”
Gawain nodded.
“This sword saved my life several times in my younger days. I heard you’re the lady of the Archil Count Family… Ah, right. You were a mercenary too, weren’t you? Before settling down, I was one myself. I received a lot of help from Archil’s mercenaries.”
“Oh, you were a mercenary too, father-in-law? And you built this village from scratch… That’s incredible!”
A mercenary and a pioneer.
Deruna’s admiration for the Gawain family skyrocketed.
“Hahaha, you flatter me too much. Still, I’m relieved to have someone like you as my daughter-in-law. My wife has a good eye for choosing brides. You’re perfect for Serupe.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Hmm, you have all the charms a man could hope for. It’s embarrassing to say aloud, but that’s probably why my wife thought of you as a bride for Serupe immediately. You can ask Rihana yourself.”
“Haha, alright.”
The sense of defeat Deruna had felt earlier dissipated, replaced with a sense of victory.
Feeling emboldened, Deruna offered,
“Is there anything you need, father-in-law? I haven’t inherited my family’s title yet, but I can help with anything within my power. After all, it’s a request from my future father-in-law.”
“Inherited…? Oh, ahem. Well, could you lend us 1,000,000 gold? With that, we could even aim for urbanization.”
He casually named an enormous sum, his shamelessly gleaming eyes betraying no sense of guilt.
Deruna barely suppressed a wry laugh.
Just like Serupe…
* * *
Serupe came face-to-face with Kals.
“Oh, Serupe, where are you off to?”
“Eek! P-Please! Don’t tell Deruna that I passed through here! I’ll really die if you do!”
Serupe, utterly terrified, left Kals breaking into a cold sweat. Surely he wouldn’t lose his mind again, right?
For a moment, Kals shared Serupe’s serious expression, but seeing the young man trembling and looking around nervously, he decided to calm him down.
“Haha, well, how about this—I’ll cover for you if you buy me a drink?”
“Really? You promise I can trust you?”
“Of course! And oh, the liquor in this village is truly the best. The chief himself is an expert brewer, you know?”
Serupe calculated that if he stayed hidden in a decent spot at the tavern with Kals’s help, he could survive until it was time to sleep.
After finishing his mental math, Serupe proposed,
“Ahaha… Then let’s head to Hanson’s tavern. He was one of my dad’s old friends.”
“Sounds good.”
Together, Serupe and Kals headed toward the tavern.
When they arrived and stepped inside, Hanson greeted them while polishing a cup.
“Oh, it’s the young master! Hahaha, you’ve really grown into a proper adult now. I still remember catching you sneaking into the liquor storage as a kid!”
“That was just hide-and-seek!”
“Well, you’re old enough to drink openly now.”
Hanson, who had already prepared a bottle for Serupe, asked,
“And who’s this beside you? A new friend?”
“Kals? He’s a mercenary who saved my life.”
“Me? Oh, right, hahaha!”
“A mercenary, huh? I used to be one myself. Nice to meet you.”
“Really? It’s a pleasure to meet you too.”
The two men shook hands after exchanging introductions.
As they took their seats, Hanson addressed Kals.
“So, as a mercenary, you must have some impressive exploits under your belt, eh?”
“Oh, absolutely. I once tore through thirty bandits at once… And then…”
“Haha, you know, back in my day, I once got drunk and cleared an entire dungeon with Gawain out of sheer impulse!”
“Pfft, it was probably just a goblin nest, wasn’t it?”
“What do you take me for? Do you even know what was inside there…?”
The two exchanged tall tales with no signs of stopping.
Serupe, realizing he didn’t need to participate in the conversation, felt a rare moment of peace.
Relaxing, he brewed himself some tea and, after calming down a bit, pulled out some money.
“I’ll pay ahead of time.”
“Got it.”
“Hahaha, thanks for the treat. The liquor is excellent.”
“Haha, of course! I brewed it myself.”
As the two continued to hit it off and drink together, other mercenaries entered the tavern.
“Oh, hey, Kals, you started without us?”
“Ah, Serupe, you’re here! Deruna was looking for you earlier.”
“Aaahhh! Please, please don’t tell her I’m here!”
“Hahaha, come on, we men have our code of honour. Don’t worry.”
“Phew…”
Serupe placed more money on the counter and quietly sneaked away.
The mercenaries, knowing full well what he was doing, decided to feign ignorance.
Serupe made his way deeper into the tavern.
He entered the liquor storage.
Inside one of the large oak barrels, he hid himself, confident that not even Deruna could find him there.
But, unfortunately, someone else was already there.
Dorothy, who worked at Hanson’s tavern as a barmaid, was startled.
“Oh, Serupe.”
“Huh? Hi, um…”
“What? You don’t remember me? It’s me, Dorothy.”
Serupe did recognize her immediately, but he was too preoccupied to properly engage in conversation.
Still, he couldn’t ignore his childhood friend who had always listened to him, so he played it cool.
“Haha, you’ve become so beautiful I didn’t recognize you. You were always pretty, but you’ve really outdone yourself.”
“Really?”
Dorothy clapped her hands, delighted by his compliment.
——Back when we were kids…
If it wasn’t too late, Dorothy thought, she would confess her feelings to Serupe.
She was often praised as the prettiest girl in the village, so maybe she had a chance.
Blushing, she lowered her gaze and began speaking according to the script she had prepared.
“Serupe, isn’t the Academy tough? It’s already been a year since you left.”
“Huh? Well, nothing in the world is easy.”
“Do the nobles bully you? You’re not just an ordinary commoner anymore. The chief has been recognized for lordship qualifications, and he might even receive a title soon.”
Serupe’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Really? Dad never mentioned that.”
“To stand tall in front of nobles, don’t you think you’d need maids… or servants?”
“Haha… me, with servants? Well, I do need people to help, but…”
Surprised that Serupe admitted needing assistance, Dorothy seized the opportunity.
“I’ve always wanted to go to the capital! Would you hire me?”
“Really? Well, let’s discuss a contract later…”
Dorothy felt hopeful, imagining a future where her presence would make Serupe notice her.
Struggling to hide her blush, she was suddenly interrupted.
“Shh!”
“Mmmph!”
Serupe covered her mouth and pushed her against the wall.
C-Could it be… already?
Dorothy’s heart pounded uncontrollably.
“S-Serupe… If you… do this here, I… I’ll…”
“Hmm. So this is where you were hiding, Serupe.”
Startled, Dorothy opened her eyes to see it wasn’t Serupe who had spoken but a woman’s voice.
Looking up, she saw Deruna, with her striking red hair and imposing yet beautiful presence, stepping into the storage room.
Knocking on each barrel as she passed, Deruna eventually opened the lid of one.
“Se. Ru. Pe?”
“Haha… haha… haha… W-Wait, it’s not what it looks like! I didn’t want this to happen!”
“If you don’t want to die, come quietly.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
There was no hiding from Deruna.
Serupe was utterly dejected.
* * *
What is going on here?
Dorothy glanced nervously between Serupe, crouched inside the oak barrel, and Deruna, whose face held a playful smirk.
The two of them seemed to get along well, as though it was second nature.
Dorothy, who had harboured feelings for Serupe ever since he saved her life as a child, couldn’t help but feel defeated.
——After all, her competition was just too strong!
Dorothy thought that she might be able to hold her ground defensively, but when it came to taking the offensive, she had no confidence.
Resigned to giving up, Dorothy decided she would let go of her feelings.
But the next day, when Serupe visited her just like in their childhood, pouring out his troubles, Dorothy changed her mind.
‘Idiot.’
Even the village’s most beautiful girl felt her confidence crumble in the face of two stunning rivals who made their feelings known so boldly, while Serupe remained utterly oblivious.
Perhaps, Dorothy mused, that was part of Serupe’s charm.
‘You still need me, don’t you…?’
Feeling a small sense of joy, Dorothy resolved to stay by Serupe’s side and support him.
Even if it was only for a brief moment, she hoped that one day he might turn his gaze toward her.
—
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