Episode 150
Asil pretended to trip over a stone and firmly covered the back of his hand with her handkerchief.
However, Reinhardt did not just stay still.
“Kyaang!”
Because Reinhardt quickly moved to avoid it, Asil ended up falling flat on the ground.
“What are you doing?”
A voice that sent chills down her spine dropped from above.
Ouch, that hurts. Tears welled up because she fell so hard, but Asil quickly brushed off her dress and stood up.
“I tripped over a stone.”
“Your handkerchief has become dirty as well.”
“I’m going to wash it when I get home.”
Asil quickly shoved the venom-stained handkerchief into her pocket before being caught.
Reinhardt had been wearing a smiling expression since a while ago, so she couldn’t tell whether he noticed or not.
“It seems to be quite dirty, so let me replace it with a new one.”
……It didn’t seem like he realized what was on the handkerchief, but he did seem to have sensed something strange.
She thought for a moment about whether she should just give him the handkerchief while pretending not to know and see if his skin changed…….
‘If I do that, it might become dangerous.’
It was forbidden to charge in blindly when she didn’t even know what the opponent’s ability was.
In the end, Asil straightened her back and shook her head side to side.
“No. It’s fine if I wash it at home.”
“Is there a reason you cannot give it to me?”
“I shouldn’t get Your Highness the Crown Prince’s hands dirty.”
“It is fine, so give it here.”
I’m not fine!
Asil swallowed hard and stared blankly at Reinhardt’s hand held out toward her.
No matter how she looked at it, it didn’t seem like he would back down. What should she do?
Just as she was slowly pulling her body back to run away using the excuse of being busy if necessary.
She heard the sound of someone coming this way.
Thinking it was just someone passing by, she was focusing only on Reinhardt’s hand, but that person came and stood tall behind her.
Only then did Asil glance back.
Edenber was standing there, though how he knew this location was a mystery.
Perhaps because they met in a touch-and-go situation, he looked much more sparkling than usual.
Reinhardt let out a voice mixed with annoyance.
“Did you attach a location-tracking magic tool to Lady Erzébet?”
“I simply heard the young ladies buzzing about.”
Unfortunately for him, taking Asil away when there were many eyes watching was his losing move.
Edenber naturally blocked the space in front of Asil and asked.
“Do you have some business with the young lady?”
“……Never mind. I intended to have a private conversation between the two of us, but I suppose it can’t be helped since the Duke is interfering again.”
As if his concern about the handkerchief was merely a suspicion, Reinhardt stepped back casually.
At that, Edenber bowed lightly and then moved his feet toward the entrance, leading Asil.
Asil quickly followed behind him with short, hurried steps.
“Did the other young ladies tell you I was here?”
“Yes. I went to the main palace for a moment on business, and people were making a fuss saying the Crown Prince had taken you away. Nothing happened, right?”
“Yeah. Something almost did, but Edenber helped me.”
If he hadn’t appeared at the right time, she would still be in a confrontation with the Crown Prince.
Asil held his hand tightly out of gratitude.
Edenber flinched for a moment at the unexpected contact. However, he soon regained his senses and held her hand even more firmly.
And he never let go until they returned to the Monlepe residence by carriage.
“I happen to have a newly obtained variety of strawberry; would you like to eat some before you go? I was actually planning to send some to the Erzébet residence anyway.”
“Yes! I want to eat some.”
New strawberries are always welcome.
Besides, she was hungry and drained of energy from the confrontation with Reinhardt.
Asil, who readily agreed, decided to look around the garden with Edenber until the meal was ready.
“By the way, when are you going to let go of my hand?”
“Eh? Oh, oh, is it uncomfortable?”
“No, my hand is getting sweaty.”
Even though the day was quite hot, Edenber continued to hold her hand.
No, it wasn’t just holding it; he was holding it tightly as if she might run away somewhere.
Edenber slightly loosened the strength in his hand.
“How is this?”
“It’s fine. Edenber, you really like holding hands.”
“It’s because it’s you.”
“Huh?”
“I only like holding hands with you.”
Startled by the sudden confession, Asil stopped walking and looked back at him.
Edenber was looking at Asil with his ears turned slightly red.
“I don’t hold hands like this with anyone else.”
“U-uh-huh. I hold hands with my brother, too.”
“…….”
This isn’t it.
Feeling awkward, Asil pulled him along, saying they should go now.
While doing so, she mentally thumped her own head.
Stupid, dummy! How could I say
something like that there!
Although Asil had zero dating experience, she knew at least that what she just said didn’t fit the current atmosphere.
Edenber, who had been silent for a long time, cleared his throat a few times.
“You seem to get along very well with Young Lord Erzébet.”
“Yes. But my heart doesn’t go thump-thump like this when I hold hands with him as it does when I hold hands with Edenber.”
It was a struggle to somehow cover up the mistake she made earlier.
Then Edenber, who was trying to change the subject, shut his mouth again. He was now flushed red beyond his ears and down to his neck.
In fact, after making Edenber’s heart flutter, Asil was thinking things like ‘So when should I request the duel?’
Because of that, she passed by a small state of the Rune that was on the path without noticing it.
The Rune bit the hem of Asil’s dress and pulled it.
“Kyang!”
“Oh? Rune!”
Since when have you been here!
Asil promptly lifted the Rune with both hands.
The Rune moved its front paws, back paws, and tail back and forth to signify it was glad to see her.
“But Rune, why don’t you humanize? You seem to stay in this form all the time.”
“Rune cannot humanize.”
Edenber answered instead.
“I was told he originally didn’t like humanizing and hadn’t done so since around the time I was born, but now he has forgotten how to humanize due to the shock when the oath was broken. To be precise, he doesn’t remember anything from before the oath was broken.”
“What? But Fear’s memory is perfectly fine……”
“That side stopped before completely going berserk. Rune went completely berserk.”
Amidst the darkened atmosphere, the Rune laughed brightly with a “kyang-kyang.”
“Kyang-kyang-kyang!” (I smell that black lizard I met a long time ago from you!)
“It’s a dragon, not a lizard!”
No wonder he felt like a child, unlike the other divine beasts; I guess that’s why.
Asil pulled both of the Rune’s cheeks wide.
The Rune, whose cheeks stretched out like steamed buns, flailed its front paws,
asking to be let down.
“Kyaa-ang! Kyaa-ang!” (Bad lizard dragon! Bad lizard dragon!)
“What are you doing here?”
Just then, Ikart appeared from behind a tree.
Asil quickly let go of the Rune’s cheeks. The Rune, now free, hid right behind Ikart and waved one of its front paws.
“Kyang! Kyaa-ang!” (She’s a bad dragon! Scold her!)
“The servants were looking for you, saying the meal is all ready.”
“We were just about to go.”
Edenber, hiding Asil behind him just as he did when dealing with Reinhardt earlier, was sharply wary of him.
“Then, we’ll be going.”
“Why, why! I want to talk more with the Duke!”
“No, come here.”
“Where did you learn the habit of forcibly stopping someone else’s actions?”
At the stinging remark, Edenber glared at Ikart. It was a gaze even more menacing than when he looked at Reinhardt.
Startled, Asil asked a question.
“Did you two perhaps have a fight?”
“No.”
“They just talk to each other even less than people who had a fight.”
“That’s because you are never at home anyway.”
“It was quite obvious that you feel uncomfortable whenever I am around.”
“Would it not naturally be uncomfortable? Don’t hang around near Asil. I won’t just stay still anymore, either.”
“I’m not taking her away.”
“Are you planning to jump in again at a crucial moment like last time?”
Somehow, it felt like he was talking about the time they parted seven years ago.
‘Has that still not been resolved?’
Come to think of it, they didn’t seem to be on very good terms even back then. Still, to think a grudge remained until now.
Asil swallowed hard.
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