174 – Always
I thought I was quick-witted, but I couldn’t understand Bella’s arms crossed in front of me and sighing.
I’m targeting me, and Estelle is cooperating with me… ?
Perhaps reading my puzzled expression, Bella raises one corner of her mouth as if she has the obvious advantage.
“A man always changes the hand she holds according to his own interests.”
She was Bella, who spoke as if she were teaching her as a senior in life, but I felt like I was being told nonsense, so I couldn’t help but scratch my ear with a stupid expression.
“That… Who did you hear that from?”
“Who would kindly say he would betray you? It is my intuition and reasoning that survived the sharp politics of the imperial family for a long time.”
I glanced over at Bella’s face. Her cheeks were as white as usual, almost as pale as if they hadn’t received any sunlight.
Of course she’s never seen Bella drink her alcohol, but she can’t help but be suspicious.
Looking at her white cheeks and no smell of alcohol, it seems that she is not drunk.
“Haa, those eyes that say you won’t believe me?”
Bella, who interpreted my observing glance so wildly, began her explanation with her sigh.
“Lily, who appeared for the first time at the meeting, intentionally showed everyone that she was in control of space. At first, I was mistaken that it might be you, but the spatial magic that Lily used was on a different level from the fist-sized spatial magic that moved your spear.”
I wanted to refute that it was an effective use, but I kept my mouth shut because I thought it would be fun to listen to it for now.
“The identity of the lily is unknown. It’s a monster that suddenly popped out of the sky. However, I came to know that it is a monster with a belief close to madness to punish evil. You showed yourself who you are…. I can tell The madness was real.”
I felt like I was tricked properly. If Bella had been fooled, the attendees of the gathering would have been fooled by my performance. Bella, who even reads the truth of others, would have interpreted the sheer madness of my berserk powers as they were.
The feeling of hearing how well she had been duped by a scam victim tickled her back a bit. She resisted her urge to scratch her back coolly by pinching her thigh.
“Lily even knows the location of the undisclosed dungeon. It’s too exquisitely timed information to be a coincidence. If you think about it a little…. It is more convincing that the guild leader handed over my information to Lily in advance.”
From nob le mt l dot com
No, there is no convincing. Estelle had never given me any information about customers using Modest.
The reason I know the location of the dungeon is, of course, because it appears in a novel.
Suddenly, I asked a question.
“Is that why you thought that Modest’s guild leader joined hands with Lily?”
As far as Bella’s personality is concerned, I’m not sure about just one thing. It is a personality that tries to test and confirm the opponent many times. Because Roel suffered a lot in the beginning of the relationship.
Bella shook her head in a pitiful way.
“I’m not stupid enough to assume that there is a forest from a single twig.”
I bit my lip involuntarily at the serious voice. You shouldn’t laugh here.
“Lily sold a lot of information to take the initiative in the meeting. It was about a portal that was strictly managed by the imperial family. He said He is said to be the only successor to the space magic he has practiced.”
Bella came closer to me. She smelled the faint scent of flowers.
“The head of Modist’s guild knows that lily is not the only successor of space magic. But the guild leader let Lily say that. Being not unique is a law that reduces the value that much. I felt a sense of incongruity and kept thinking about it, so I figured out it belatedly. The fact that you must disappear in order for the lily to continue the value of uniqueness.”
I bowed my head at the sight of Bella smiling with an arrogant expression.
A faint, unbearable moan flowed from his teeth.
You got it all wrong… !!!
Bella raised her hand and placed her hand on my shoulder as if comforting her.
“I know. How difficult and upsetting it is to be betrayed by someone you trusted.”
Stop, please stop….
Even when I pinched it so hard that I bruised my thigh, I couldn’t hold back my laughter any longer.
“Keuk… Turn it off….”
“… You can cry. Because those whose faith has been betrayed deserve it.”
If I knew the truth, I would definitely lay down and kick the bed.
“Heungkwu… hehehe… Kuh….”
Remembering that you shouldn’t laugh desperately, your indomitable courage was finally activated. Barely holding back a laugh, I raised my bloodshot eyes and met Bella’s gaze.
I took a moment to catch my breath and then opened my mouth.
“Why did you tell me?”
Bella looked at me blankly. For some reason, she had a puzzled look on her face, and she frowned slightly.
“Because he is Roel’s younger brother.”
As expected, he is a disingenuous person. It’s obvious that he intends to repay the debt he owes me. Whatever the intention, it is true that it is an act to help me. You can earn about three compliment stickers. Even so, there are over 50 penalty points stickers.
But if Bella misunderstands Roel that I am dangerous, the meaning of Lily’s appearance disappears. Things get complicated if Roel becomes hostile to Modist as well. Misunderstandings should be misunderstood in a different direction.
“Thank you for your concern. But that’s okay. This has already been agreed upon with me. The guild leader didn’t betray me, he was trying to protect me.”
Bella’s golden eyes widened. She asked back as if she had heard something unexpected.
“Protection?”
I calmly retraced Bella’s words and pulled out the ingredients for a plausible lie. If you mix it with her original intentions, Bella won’t be able to tell her truth apart.
“I told you. The guild leader and I are said to have a common destiny. It’s a situation where you’re holding each other’s leash. I allowed the word ‘only’ to the lily because I thought that if the fact that I dealt with space magic was known, the church or the imperial family might target me. So that you can hide me in the lily’s shadow.”
Bella opened her mouth slightly, then she nodded her head in agreement.
“Come to think of it, you didn’t use space magic in the duel, did you?”
“The head of Modist’s guild advised me. There’s nothing nice about seeing it in the eyes of others.”
At that time, I couldn’t use it because there was an official of the church, but I had no intention of using space magic this time in the triathlon either. Like I said to Bella, I intended to hide myself behind the name Lily.
“As expected, it was true that I intentionally mentioned it at the meeting. If you knew… It’s not like the guild leader betrayed you.”
As she muttered to herself, organizing her thoughts, Bella looked at me with her suspicious eyes.
“I haven’t heard about how it became a joint destiny with the guild leader of Modist.”
“… Of course it’s a secret. But since we need each other, there is no possibility of betrayal in the future.”
Bella turned her head and looked back down her hallway and she somehow lowered her voice.
“Don’t trust others so easily. No matter how tight the leash is, it will eventually come loose.”
It was Bella who had lived a life full of doubts and betrayals. Trusting someone is unacceptable to Bella. That’s why she thinks that Roel, who always shows her sincerity, is special.
I bowed my head at Bella’s heartfelt advice.
“Thanks for the advice. And please keep this a secret from her brother.”
Bella nodded her head as if she understood what I meant even without an explanation.
As if she had finished what she had to say, Bella, who had turned her body and walked down her hallway without saying hello, took a few steps before stopping.
“… Is this your first triathlon?”
I answered yes to Bella’s voice that echoed through the hallway walls. Then came her gruff voice.
“You’d better be careful not to get pinned.”
Watching Bella leave after saying that, I scratched my forehead in a strange feeling. She warned me that Bella had been informed at her meeting that the academies were uniting.
“Worries between us….”
I went back to the club room, sweeping my face once to get rid of my strange feelings.
***
When the night falls and the members who spent a lazy day in the club room go back to the dormitory one by one. I sent a sneaky look and grabbed Luna.
I moistened my lips as I watched Luna naturally sitting on my lap in the club room where only the two of us were left. I didn’t intend to tell you the whole plan, but I did intend to warn you in advance.
Sitting on her lap, stroking her hair while looking into her gaze, Luna put her hand down and pressed her between my forehead with a pretty smile. I guess I was frowning because I was thinking about it without realizing it.
“What do you have to say?”
It was Luna who got to know me more and more. I was afraid of what kind of expression I would make if I knew my true self.
“… I don’t know how to get the word out. It might be better to talk.”
“Then shall we think about it together?”
It feels like the uneasiness that remained in my heart disappears from Luna’s soft smile. I felt like I wanted to cool off now. It’s such a strange ability.
“In triathlon, Luna might look a little different from the me she knew.”
Luna’s eyes lit up at my words.
“A different look? For example?”
“A bit worse, arrogant… ?”
“Aren’t you an arrogant beast who still doesn’t listen to people telling you to take nutritional supplements and smirkingly kisses them if you try to scold them?”
I laughed out loud at Luna’s playful voice. He knows how to lead the atmosphere without being heavy while listening to me seriously.
I asked in her serious voice as I held Luna’s hand.
“What if I do something stupid and ruin the triathlon? If everyone curses and blames me….”
Luna’s lips blocked my words. In fact, she already knew how Luna would react. Because when I was about to collapse, Luna was the one who would not avoid the danger and would reach out her hand and be swept away by me.
After removing her lips, Luna leaned over me and whispered.
“You already know my answer… Did you want to hear it again?”
“… It’s embarrassing.”
When I lowered my gaze after revealing her true feelings, Luna grabbed my face and met her gaze. Her lovely lover puffed out her cheeks a little, and she said in a firm voice.
“I don’t care what others think of Ross. She won’t be ashamed to be Ross’s girlfriend. Like Ross said, we’ll be together for all seasons to come.”
She must have been ashamed of what she had said, so Luna, her face flushed, hugged me to hide her face.
“Because Ross is shy. I will continue to believe that there is a good heart hidden in Ross’ actions.”
That’s what I wanted to hear. Words that give me the strength to move forward so that my faith will not be shaken. Powered by Luna’s warm warmth, I was able to take another strong step.
So I had no choice but to answer with sincerity. It was the feeling I always felt for this lovely lover. She speaks out of habit, but she’s never been sincere.
“… Thanks.”
For making me, who didn’t deserve to love anyone, feel this kind of comfort and happiness.