[CHAPTER 100]
I needed to go to the Mage Tower to obtain a treatment potion, but I did not want to go alone, so I had been looking for someone to accompany me.
I asked Ariana Granger yesterday, but she refused with an awkward expression.
…Since I was the one who caused that situation, it was even harder to explain.
It would have been even better if I could go with my lover, and Aizen readily agreed, saying he had no particular schedule.
The Mage Tower was built in a quiet area on the outskirts of the capital.
Its tall and magnificent appearance looked sacred at times, and at other times wicked, like a villain’s stronghold.
When I entered with Aizen, a mage in uniform greeted us.
“What brings you to the Mage Tower?”
“I am here to see Mage Joshua Green.”
“Yes, please wait over there and I will call him.”
I nodded and sat down in a space decorated like a café.
Aizen reacted belatedly to Joshua’s name.
“If it’s Young Master Green, then that guy from before…?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
It was our first meeting since I had stopped Aizen, who thought Joshua was doing something strange to me, and ended up exposing his unrequited love.
Of course, I had sent him a handwritten apology letter long enough to qualify as a written confession of remorse, and he had replied that it was fine.
Since he was the only person I knew in the Mage Tower, I had contacted him despite feeling shameless.
Before long, Joshua came wobbling toward us from afar like a withered bean sprout.
He had grown noticeably thinner since I last saw him and waved awkwardly with a pale face.
“Hahaha, I see you came together, Elder Sister and Duke Kalard. I read about the two of you in the newspaper. Congratulations.”
There was no life in Joshua’s voice as he spoke.
“Young Master Green, are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
He nodded with a forced smile, but it was so obviously a lie that I could not help but ask carefully.
“How are things between you and Ariana after what happened back then?”
“Ah, aside from things being kind of torn apart, it’s fine.”
“What? Things between you and Ariana are torn apart?”
Joshua lowered his head with a choked expression.
As expected…
Because I had anticipated this, I felt even more apologetic as I gently patted his shoulder.
After letting out several sighs in a row, Joshua began recounting everything that had happened.
After that day, since things had already turned out that way, he had gathered his courage and confessed his long-held feelings to Ariana.
Since she had broken up with the Crown Prince, he thought he might have a chance, but Ariana apologized profusely and rejected his confession.
She even delivered the line that mercilessly shreds the hearts of people with unrequited love, saying, “I have never thought of you as more than a friend.”
That alone was a devastating blow, but afterward things became awkward between him and Ariana, causing his mental state to completely collapse.
“I-I’m sorry. This all happened because of me…”
“No, it’s not. I told you not to apologize anymore. Thanks to you, at least I was able to confess and get rejected. It was bound to end up like this someday anyway.”
Joshua smiled with tears welling up in his eyes.
My sense of guilt only grew heavier.
As I stood there at a loss, Aizen, who had been quietly listening beside me, suddenly cut in.
“So, what did you say in response?”
“Y-Yes? What response are you referring to?”
“After Miss Granger rejected your confession, what did you say to that?”
“Uh… I said it was actually a joke.”
At Joshua’s shocking answer, dredged up from his memory, I slammed my hand on the table without realizing it.
“What did you just say?!”
How could you give such a terrible response!
Aizen frowned and let out a sigh as well.
Startled by our reactions, Joshua hurriedly explained himself.
“N-No, I just wanted to make Ariana feel more at ease. The atmosphere got strange, so I didn’t want her to feel sorry…”
“At that point, it doesn’t make someone feel less sorry. It makes them angry. They start thinking you’re treating their feelings lightly, and then they get tangled up wondering what would have happened if they had accepted the confession.”
“T-That…”
Only then did Joshua realize his mistake and lower his head.
He looked so pitiful that I calmed myself down as well.
“Apologize sincerely to Miss Granger, but keep it concise and plain, no more than five lines so it doesn’t burden her.”
“…Yes, I understand.”
“And don’t push yourself trying to restore the relationship right away. Give her time and wait for a natural opportunity.”
Aizen gave advice that was right on point.
Both Joshua and I looked at him with impressed expressions.
Having regained a bit of vitality, Joshua’s eyes sparkled as he leaned closer to Aizen.
“Would it be alright if I call you big brother?”
“I am not your brother.”
“But aren’t you the future husband of the sister of the woman I like?”
“Call me that.”
Permission was granted as swiftly as flipping one’s hand.
Different but equally satisfied smiles appeared on the two men’s lips.
“By the way, I made what you mentioned in your letter and brought it.”
Bringing the conversation back on track, Joshua handed me a paper bag.
Inside were several blue-glowing magic potion bottles.
The Black Lobelia flower, which I had chosen as the main ingredient for the treatment, possessed not only toxicity but demonic energy, so it required separation work.
Since demonic energy could not be handled with ordinary refinement methods, I had asked Joshua to make a potion that removed it.
“Thank you. I’m not sure how I should repay you…”
“N-No, it’s fine. I already received valuable advice from the two of you, so that’s enough for me.”
Joshua laughed heartily.
Having finished our business, we gathered the potion bottles and stood up.
As he saw us off all the way outside the Mage Tower, I hesitated before offering one last apology.
“I’m really sorry if it feels like I ruined your relationship with Ariana. I truly hope you make up and become close again.”
“Don’t worry. I will.”
Hearing his confident reply strangely put me at ease.
Unlike the Crown Prince, it felt like Ariana and Joshua’s relationship would not be easily severed.
For some reason, I had a baseless premonition that Joshua, once the secondary male lead, would take the place of the absent male protagonist.
* * *
I stubbornly refused Aizen’s offer to escort me and returned home alone.
To be honest, if he had walked me home, I would have wanted to walk him back again just to spend more time together.
But Aizen’s knight looked at him with such a desperate expression and said, “You really must go, Duke…”, so I gave up.
I had noticed that he had followed me despite having work to do.
We just parted, but I already miss him.
Cradling the potion bottles carefully in my arms and thinking of Aizen, I was just entering the mansion when—
“Miss Jenna! Please help! Lady A-Ariana…”
May, Ariana’s maid, came running toward me with a deathly pale face.
Startled, I handed the potion bottles to Greta and grabbed May.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen to Ariana?”
“T-The Crown Prince suddenly came about thirty minutes ago! He said he wanted to speak with Lady Ariana alone and drove us all out, and then we heard shouting from inside, and just now we even heard something breaking…”
The Crown Prince, that lunatic.
I roughly patted May’s trembling shoulder and strode straight toward the reception room where the Crown Prince and Ariana were.
Knock, knock!
After knocking out of courtesy, I flung the door open before anyone inside could respond.
In the middle of the reception room, with a shattered vase and overturned table, the Crown Prince and Ariana stood facing each other.
“Who gave you permission to come in?”
Breathing roughly in agitation, the Crown Prince barked sharply.
I stepped forward and bowed my head, positioning myself so Ariana was hidden from his view.
“I apologize, Your Highness. I was worried about my younger sister, who has been suffering from an illness these past few days, and failed to seek permission in advance. I ask for your understanding.”
“Ha! An illness?”
At my plausible excuse, the Crown Prince twisted his lips as if amused.
So what.
Ignoring him, I carefully checked Ariana’s condition.
Fortunately, there were no signs of physical injury, and although she was sweating coldly, her eyes were clear.
“Ariana, are you okay? You collapsed this morning too. Aren’t you dizzy right now?”
“…Yeah, I’m a bit dizzy.”
Catching on, Ariana played along with my lie.
As I held and rubbed her hand, which must have endured a lot facing the Crown Prince alone, I spoke again.
“As you can see, Ariana is not in good condition right now, so we will be taking our leave.”
“Wait.”
Of course, the Crown Prince did not let us go easily.
I looked at him, trying not to glare.
“I didn’t tell both of you to leave. One goes, and one stays.”
Running a hand through his hair, he jerked his chin, pointing Ariana for “go” and me for “stay.”
Me, stay?
Facing the Crown Prince alone should have been frightening, but strangely, I felt none of that as I met his gaze directly.
A vulgar curve formed on his lips.
“I had a lot to say anyway, so this works out well. You came on your own.”
What nonsense, when he was the one who barged into someone else’s house.
