「Now that we’re at it, I’ll tell you everything.」
——Thus, Tomoe-san begins to speak.
Her feelings, her relationship with Schnei-san, everything that has happened until now.
※※※
When she started to vent her frustrations, my feelings were along the lines of, ‘I didn’t think there was any brandy in the cake.’
In other words, despite being completely sober, she unabashedly confessed her feelings for Schnei-san.
However, that quickly shifted from, ‘Wait, is it okay to ask about this?’ to ‘I can’t believe it turned out like that.’ and after a moment of realizing, ‘I’m really glad the dragonlings were asleep.’ it finally settled into, ‘So what are we supposed to do about this?’
In short, well, you see…
It was a surprisingly—quite—adult conversation…
「…In the end, that man doesn’t give a sh*t about me, damn it.」
And so.
Tomoe-san concluded this way, bowing her head with a deep sigh.
「Ehto… well, this is…」
「Hmm. It’s a bit difficult for us.」
「It’s not that I want you to solve it. I just feel angry, like I wanted to spill everything out to anyone who would listen… No, of course, I revealed it because I trust you both.」
Honestly, both Karen and I weren’t accustomed to such topics.
So, our faces turned red.
——In any case, let’s sort this out.
First, Tomoe-san and Schnei-san are already in that kind of relationship.
I mean, I was shocked.
By our standards, it could be described as a ‘couple’, but there’s something about adult matters that makes it unclear whether they’re officially dating or not… No, at this point, it’s already out of my hands.
Karen and I couldn’t even compare it to our own situations. We had known from the start that our feelings were mutual, and we clearly expressed our emotions to each other.
In this world, the ethical standards dictate that for nobles, premarital sex are absolutely forbidden. However, among common citizens, it’s common to date, break up, and repeat the cycle while engaging in some activities, ultimately marrying someone they’ve chosen—similar to modern Japan.
So, relationships like that of Tomoe-san and Schnei-san likely exist here and there.
But, well…
For Tomoe-san, she wants clarity. This vague situation has persisted for years, and she dislikes feeling anxious like this, as she did this time.
Yet, Schnei-san remains unclear.
And Tomoe-san, for her part, can’t bring herself to say ‘be clear’.
As a result, Schnei-san maintains a calm facade (regardless of his true feelings), while Tomoe-san, although appearing composed in front of him, regularly ends up feeling frustrated—creating a bad cycle.
「Based on my impression, Schnei-san isn’t the type to be careless with women… More than that, I don’t think he would treat Tomoe-san disrespectfully. They’ve known each other for over ten years, right?」
The two met when they were both in their mid-teens.
Tomoe-san’s father, an adventurer, had to retire due to an injury, leaving the family in financial distress. It was Schnei-san who came to their aid.
He had received care from Tomoe-san’s father during his active years, and he supported the family as a way to repay that kindness.
In a sense, it’s like a family affair.
However, that’s precisely why Schnei-san’s ambiguous attitude is puzzling.
Though his expression may seem a bit twisted, his personality is diligent and sincere. After having such a relationship with the daughter of his mentor and maintaining a good relationship with the entire family—it’s bewildering.
「Do the others know about Tomoe and Schnei-san?」
When Karen asked, Tomoe-san smiled somewhat dismissively.
「Lila-san is aware. But I haven’t said anything to the others. That man might have mentioned it… but I’m not involved in that. Well, I haven’t encountered any strange behavior while drinking together.」
「I’m sorry, Tomoe-san. This is just… really difficult for us.」
「Hmm. Too much adult romance for me…」
「Kwuuun.」
Chocola isn’t asking for a response but still hasn’t given up on getting a refill of milk.
You know… there’s such a thing as reading the atmosphere…
「No. As I said earlier, I didn’t share this in hopes of a resolution. Please don’t let it become like this for you two.」
The phrase ‘become like this’ was tinged with self-deprecation, making it quite uncomfortable.
「I don’t really understand this world well since I’ve just returned, but does it mean… that there’s an expectation for the man to take responsibility?」
When I asked, Karen nodded.
「Yes. In the world of mages, that feeling is less pronounced, but at least among the commoners, it’s generally expected for the man to bear responsibility.」
「I see.」
「However, even setting that aside, Schnei-san is still at fault in this matter.」
「Uu, Karen-san… do you really understand?」
「There, there.」
Tomoe-san clung to Karen, who gently patted her head.
Wait, isn’t she older than Karen…?
「Hmm… if that’s the case, I feel like Berde-san would have something to say about this. That person wouldn’t allow their companions to behave like that, right?」
I want to believe that Schnei-san isn’t just toying with Tomoe-san. He might be involved, but I don’t think he’s the type to shirk responsibility or have someone else as his main interest—he’s not that kind of scoundrel.
But with Berde-san nearby, and Schnei-san not saying anything—at least not taking any concrete action—it seems there must be some kind of circumstances or reasons involved.
Something is preventing them from clarifying their relationship or moving it forward.
I glanced at Tomoe-san, who was playfully teasing Karen.
Then I stole a glance at the dragonlings peacefully sleeping, and I stroked Chocola, who was drooping in front of an empty plate, letting out a soft ‘kyuun…’
Well, it can’t be helped.
I’m not sure how it will turn out, and I feel anxious about it.
I clapped my hands together and said to Tomoe-san,
「Understood. Then, let me investigate this.」
「Eh… is that alright!?」
Tomoe-san lifted her face from Karen’s chest to look at me. By the way, she wasn’t crying at all—though she did seem a bit down, maintaining a facade of not crying in public during such times is one of Tomoe-san’s admirable traits.
「What are you going to do, Sui?」
Karen looked at me with concern. I understood her feelings since none of us had much romantic experience, and it was a matter that could easily become more complicated if we poked around too much.
But I believed there was a way to handle it precisely because it was beyond our capabilities.
I shared the plan with Karen and Tomoe-san.
「We don’t understand adult romance. They probably feel the same way about us. So, let’s turn that around… and ask the difficult questions directly.」
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