Chapter 466. Love and agony


    (4)


    “No. I only applied for Iret to attend the academy.”


    In the first ce, Asha had nothing to do with it.


    I just naturally became like that because I met my eyes at the academy.


    hmm? If you think about it that way, I don''t think you were sent to the academy to date in the first ce? Didn''t I send you to study?


    something feels weird


    “I’ve heard about Asha from time to time.”


    “is that so?”


    “I hear you are escorting that Arel Ernesia-nim? I was surprised to hear something.”


    Apparently, her name seems to go up and down in the topic more than Asha herself thought.


    “Couldn’t it be that Areel Ernesia-sama… It


    sounds like she’s somehow envious, but is it an illusion?


    I long for something that can''t shine brightly.


    “If you could give me a seat, please.”


    this year?


    “No.”


    “Asha?”


    “So there is no such thing.”


    I was talking about trivial things with my childhood friend whom I hadn''t seen in a long time.


    There was anotherdy approaching.


    This is a somewhat familiar face.


    “You…


    you definitely have memories.


    This is the youngdy who persistently approached Arel during the victory banquet for the warlock subjugation.


    Come to think of it, I heard that they also came at the banquet to celebrate Arna''s birth.


    Why are you here again?


    “Oh, did you already know each other?”


    Estill was startled.


    “Yes, it is. I happened to see this person by chance when he was working as an escort.”


    “indeed! okay!”


    “Oh, sorry. Today, you are not an escort, but one of the protagonists of this auspicious event.”


    “Oh no. But... how about you?”


    “There was a deal in our family with the Karet family. And I''m somewhat friendly with Ms. Estill here. Thanks to that, I was invited to this ce by chance.”


    “....okay.”


    Asha treated Chesteel a little ufortable.


    It has to be.


    In the first ce, she...


    “Will my presence interfere with the conversation?”


    “No, it can''t be. However, since the story is going to be a bit long, if Ms. Esteel is bored, why don''t you talk to someone else first?”


    “okay.”


    Estill meekly withdrew.


    Apparently, she seemed to have deliberately moved to bring her to Asha.


    What everyone does not understand is


    “Then Ms. Asha? The story is going to be a bit long, so shall we move for a while?


    ”


    Did you read ‘that letter''?”


    “?...”


    The letter.”


    There is only one reason why Asha is wary of her.


    It was this youngdy who had personally sent a letter to her not too long ago.


    It was because the sender''s name was written as ‘Chestel Selfra Deal''.


    “You read! thank god. She was so busy escorting, so I wondered what if I hadn''t seen her yet.


    “Then we can talk directly.”


    Thinking that it would be impossible to openly talk in the hall because there are other people’s eyes and ears, Asha paused for a while and


    said, “You read! thank god. Since he is so busy with escort work, what if he hadn’t seen it yet?”


    She pretended to be relieved as if she was happy.


    “Then we can talk directly.”


    Thinking that it would be impossible to openly talk in the hall because I have eyes and ears for others, Asha suggested that we move for a while.


    Chestel readily agreed, and the two went out onto the balcony for a while.


    “You said you read the letter, so I''ll put the other story aside.”


    “....Previously.”


    Asha asked as she red at the youngdy in front of her with a firm expression on her face.


    There is one thing she doesn''t understand.


    Until I make sure of that, I have no intention of reaping my vignce.


    “Why did you suggest that to me?”


    “It’s nothing. Because I also have a purpose.”


    “purpose?”


    “Yeah… well, let me exin that as well. First of all, it''s rude to ask only by letter, so I''ll ask formally.”


    Chestel stared into Asha''s eyes without fear.


    “Are you willing to quit your current job and return to your home?”


    “???? I”


    “Ah, don’t get me wrong. This is just a proposal for Miss Asha''s family... I wrote that too.”


    Yes.


    She wrote a letter to Asha, inviting her to retire from escort work.


    If it was a trivial threat, Asha would have just been crushed and burned.


    Or did you go to the party and crumple it?


    Since it is an escort in the first ce, there are many envious eyes, so that is familiar.


    If it was just that kind of business, by now I would be holding thisdy upside down and shaking her from the balcony railing.


    But it''s not such a trivial matter.


    The contents of the letter were polite, and I couldn''t hear the contents in vain.


    Even so, I don''t have the heart to listen straight away.


    As if sensing Asha''s vignce, Chestel brought up the main topic first.


    “You''re not going to leave the rebuilding of the family to your younger brother alone, are you?”


    “???? that.”


    “Yeah, I don’t think so.


    Then, shouldn''t we go back since the current auspicious event happened?”


    What she offered was to help Asha rebuild the Pernil family.


    “My family too... Well, to put it a little vulgarly, they''re nothing but rich. But because of that, no one knows what to do better than we do.”


    “What are you trying to do?”


    Even in the letter, the specific method was not written.


    What are you trying to do in the first ce?


    I was suspicious, yet strangely anxious.


    “What is the easiest way to raise a family in the aristocracy?”


    Again, it was exactly as expected.


    “You know the Duchy of Elben, right?”


    “...well, roughly.”


    Even though it is just a duchy, it is ruled by a lord who has a sword master as his vassal.


    Recently, this ce has increased.


    The prevalence of the existing huge kingdom was weakening, and each lord''s authority was strengthened by taking advantage of the gap.


    “The eldest son of the lord of that ce. We will arrange a marriage talk with him.”


    “?...”


    Yes?”


    “Are you kidding me? My family and the Principality of Elben are friendly. Maybe if I bring up the story, they will review it very positively?”


    “No, I don’t mean that.”


    I''m not saying this simply because I don''t believe it.


    Asha continued to speak again, taking care of herself that she almost screamed without realizing it.


    “Why are you making such an offer to me?”


    Isn''t it suspicious enough?


    A way to rebuild the family? What a good marriage proposal.


    To say such a thing, there wasn''t much of a point of contact between Asha and this youngdy.


    “Did you tell me? I have my purpose too. And don''t you get nervous''?”


    “What is that… you aren’t even that old yet before that?”


    “...No, I don''t mean that.”


    “ah.”


    As if realizing that it was a mistake, Asha lowered her head.


    As the topic we shared recently was a hot topic, the ident naturally flowed that way.


    ‘It''s all Seina''s fault!''


    “....anyway.”


    She spoke again casually, as if trying to pretend she hadn''t heard Asha''s mistake.


    “I know the situation. Even I wouldn''t have been able to endure it if I was in the same situation.


    In that sense, you are a very good person. Even as a woman, I want to pay my respects.”


    Even apliment can be harsh when it''s so tant.


    “but. You don''t have to suffer anymore, right? My younger brother is sure to be self-reliant from now on. I also have eyes for people, so I guarantee that. But are you still going to live alone like that?”


    “...Those words are an insult to me.”


    “I apologize for that. But think about it. How long will your current lifest? Are you going to keep watching other people’s happiness from afar?”


    I''m angry... but on the other hand, this youngdy''s words are infinitely urate,


    “That doesn''t mean you''re greedy, are you?”


    So strangely, her words feel painful.


    “There is no other reason.”


    It''s not wrong.


    “Until now, you joined the Knights because of family circumstances and worked hard for that. But now that I don’t have to, isn’t it time to getfortable?”


    “That’s a leap forward.”


    “I admit that too. That''s why I''m suggesting it anyway. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were more roads?”


    The youngdy in front of me smiled and shrugged her shoulders as if there was no malice at all.


    “Then… the answer is.”


    “I will refuse.”


    “???? yes?”


    she blinked.


    Why are you surprised?


    Did you really think you would ept it now?


    Asha was also a little dumbfounded.


    “Hey?...”


    “I was going to refuse from the beginning.”


    Yes.


    What Asha was thinking about in the first ce was a separate issue from the proposal.


    The proposal in the letter had already been decided from the beginning.


    “Isn’t it a pretty good family? If it''s Miss Asha, you can use him moderately and eat it. There''s nothing wrong with being there.”


    “It''s not that kind of problem.”


    “Then what did you not like?”


    “Well…


    Asha gave a slightly subtle smile.


    “I just don’t like it.”


    “...Can it be tolerated that you are not willing to do that? It is nonsense.”


    What are you mumbling about?


    Asha was puzzled, but decided to cut it off once more.


    “Anyway, I have no intention of epting the offer.”


    Chestel was silent for a moment, then pped his hands as if he was embarrassed, and trembled as if he was trying to force himself to forget the previous conversation.


    “I see! I understand that it''s a sudden offer. So think carefully once more. Will the wind blow in soon? And today is a ce to celebrate, not a ce to ponder, right?”


    She went inside first, pretending to rub her arms as if they were cold.


    Yes, today is a ce to celebrate, not a ce to thinkplicated thoughts.


    Asha shook her head to clear her mind and entered the hall as if nothing had happened.


    ‘I didn''t intend to ept the youngdy''s proposal, though.''


    From the beginning, I tried to decline the offer.


    The reason I didn''t tell Arel about the letter in the first ce was because it was something I would refuse anyway.


    The answer was decided, but I thought it was not worth talking about.


    ‘If I make a proposal like that before then, I always seem like a person who is restless because I missed my wedding day, right?''


    In retrospect, I was a little stumped.


    What did you see yourself as?


    In any case, nothing will be epted.


    You can say your intention to refuse one more time or send an official letter.


    However, apart from that, the youngdy''s words strangely stabbed in the heart.


    “The reason… is greed.”


    As she points out, Asha may not have enough reasons to vaguely continue her escort work.


    Seinaya: Joining as a knight on her own was the path she chose from the beginning.


    Dia is... I don''t know.


    However, just because Asha made her own decision did not mean that it was her own will at all.


    Arel also said that before, that she could do other things if she wanted to.


    On the one hand, it''s something that doesn''t touch.


    I feel like it''s someone else''s business.


    ‘Shall I ask one more questionter?''


    I refuse that offer, but apart from that, it wouldn''t hurt to seriously think about it.