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Chapter 44
Kaltz furrowed his brow with evident displeasure at merely mentioning Igraine, Dias Hessen's sister.
"Your sister waits for you so desperately, yet you won't even bother to send word, whether you return or not?"
"Please pretend ‌‌‌‌you never saw me."
"And if I refuse?"
"How callous of you. Fellow traitors, and all that."
"Will you kill an old man if I don't comply?"
"If necessary."
Kaltz wore his characteristic leisurely smile, while Dias Hessen returned it with what appeared ‌‌‌‌to be a polite one, yet
the air between them was frigid beyond measure.
Kaltz clicked his tongue.
"That arrogant attitude of yours—a perfect copy of your sister's."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
At Dias Hessen's brazen response, Kaltz let out a hollow laugh before cutting straight to the point.
"So then, what's your reason ‌‌‌for meeting me, risking exposure of your identity?"
"I intend to leave this Village in a week. I was hoping you might arrange a farewell between ‌‌‌Vivian and Princess Isella."
"Because of this incident?"
"Of course, I understand it wasn't Princess Isella's fault. She did ‌‌her utmost to protect Vivian, and I'm grateful for that."
Kaltz pressed his lips firmly together.
Dias Hessen spoke with a certain courtesy, but his meaning was clear—he didn't ‌‌want Vivian near Rachel.
This incident was neither Rachel's fault nor Kaltz's own. ‌‌
Yet it was undeniably his choice to accept ‌‌Vivian as Rachel's friend.
As the one responsible for the child, Kaltz ‌‌‌‌felt the weight of responsibility in this matter and understood Dias Hessen's position.
However.
"Surely you understand what it means to be a father, Duke."
"I do. And I know the girl will come to resent you deeply because of this."
Separate from that, as a father with a daughter of his ‌‌‌own, he wanted to dissuade him from this ‌‌‌choice.
"You ‌‌came ‌‌to me in the first place because you lack confidence in convincing Vivian yourself, hoping I'd cut ties on your behalf."
"...."
"Unfortunately, I cannot grant your ‌‌‌request. I am Vivian's friend, so I stand with her."
Hoping he wouldn't repeat the mistakes of his younger self.
At Kaltz's words—spoken as a jest yet entirely serious—Dias Hessen's brow narrowed.
Kaltz, observing the composed Dias Hessen, opened his mouth once more.
"What about a fortnight instead?"
Dias Hessen raised an ‌‌eyebrow questioningly, ‌looking at Kaltz as if asking what he meant.
"Time for those children to say farewell. And time for Rachel and me to prepare to leave this Village."
Dias Hessen asked as if he couldn't believe it.
"...You're leaving?"
Kaltz's purpose in bringing ‌‌‌Rachel down to this quiet, ‌secluded Rural ‌‌‌Village was singular.
'It must have been to protect his granddaughter from the Emperor's ‌‌‌‌gaze.'
But going back to the Capital where the Emperor resides?
Kaltz responded as if he had read the doubt in Dias's brief question. ‌‌
"I've come to realize that merely hiding won't be enough to protect that child." ‌‌‌
And ‌that resolve was also a statement that struck at Dias's weakness.
* * *
At first, Curtis Rohan used to follow me whenever I went to the Villa, but at some point, he began letting me go alone.
'I guess Father feels reassured now.'
It seemed to be thanks to Kamang, who was always perched atop my head.
And fortunately, Rachel had recovered most of his strength before the Festival ended.
Rachel suggested we go to the Festival, but....
[Not yet. Let's ‌‌‌go next year.]
I adamantly refused to let him go out, judging that Rachel shouldn't overexert himself.
So in the end, we spent some time playing only in the Estate, but I didn't mind.
What mattered to me wasn't the ‌place, but being together with Rachel.
About half a month passed, and it was a late summer day.
"Vivian. Let's go to the Village. And to that Small Hill we visited first."
Rachel suggested going out first.
I, who had been itching to go out anyway, was delighted at the chance for an outing.
So we came down to the Village and explored every corner of it that we had wandered through together, and bought plenty ‌‌‌‌of delicious things to eat.
Throughout it all, Rachel smiled whenever our eyes met.
More often than usual.
I loved seeing Rachel smile like that, so I smiled back with delight.
After thoroughly exploring the Village, we finally climbed the Small Hill where we had our first outing together.
The late summer afternoon was ‌‌‌terribly hot, so ‌it wasn't ideal weather for climbing the Small Hill.
But once we reached the top, the sight of the ‌‌Village beginning ‌to shimmer with gold under the golden afternoon sunlight was so beautiful that it made us forget all the effort.
Rachel gazed at the ‌‌scenery quietly for a while, just as he had on the day he first saw it.
As I watched him, a pleasant thought suddenly occurred to me.
"Actually, there's a place with an even better view than here."
"Where?"
"There."
I pointed to the large, gnarled tree that created the shade we were standing in.
"Want to climb it?"
I asked, but honestly, I didn't have high expectations.
Our ‌‌‌‌Princess Isella was raised ‌‌delicately, so she would surely avoid such an undignified act as climbing a tree.
But....
"Yes. Let's climb it."
Rachel readily accepted my proposal!
Thrilled, I scurried down to the base of the tree and proclaimed proudly.
"Ahem! Watch closely, Rachel. When it comes to tree-climbing in this Village, that's me, Vivian, for you."
With the skill of an ‌‌Alley leader, I ‌‌‌climbed the tree nimbly.
I tried to offer Rachel my ‌hand to help him up the ‌‌tree since he was climbing for ‌‌the first time and would be clumsy, but....
Pop―!
In the blink of ‌‌‌‌an eye, Rachel used teleportation magic to leap onto the branch beside me in one smooth motion.
Perfectly clean and effortless.
Seeing Rachel like that, I was startled, but then I pouted my lips in mock indignation.
Rachel looked at me with a puzzled expression.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"That's cheating!"
Here I was, climbing up looking absolutely ridiculous ‌with bark all over my dress, while he ascended looking perfectly elegant!
Seeing ‌‌‌me like that, Rachel laughed and reached toward my ‌‌‌‌hair, pulling out a small leaf that had gotten caught there.
I found Rachel's laughing expression so beautiful that I decided to forgive his annoying trick.
"Rachel, did something good happen today?"
"Why?"
"Just... you're smiling more than usual."
Rachel, who had been quietly observing me as I answered, replied in an unusual tone.
"When I smile, you smile too."
Oh, is that so...?
Caught off guard by a side ‌‌of myself I didn't even know, I awkwardly scratched my cheek.
Rachel, looking at me, added:
"I want to remember you smiling."
Those words sounded like something someone leaving far away would say, and I blinked rapidly.
"What... do you mean by that?"
Rachel's next words made my heart drop.
"Vivian, I'm going back to the Capital tomorrow."
"What...?"
Emotions welled up in me at those ‌‌‌‌words.
Rachel, sensing my reaction, quickly grasped my hand and continued.
"Don't cry, crybaby. I'm not leaving because I dislike ‌‌‌‌you."
"...Then?"
"I want to learn swordsmanship and magic ‌‌‌more properly." ‌‌‌
Staring blankly at Rachel, I understood why he had made this decision.
'It's because of what happened this time.'
But if he returned to the ‌‌‌Capital, the Emperor would surely be watching for an opportunity to strike.
'And yet... Rachel has resolved to go.'
Just like the original story's progression.
"I didn't tell you because I thought I ‌‌‌‌wouldn't want to go if you asked me not to. I'm sorry."
In Rachel's eyes burned an unbreakable determination.
"When I become stronger, so that I can ‌‌‌‌protect you without you getting hurt even with me by your side..."
"...."
"Then I'll come back to see you."
Rachel gripped ‌‌my hand firmly, ‌‌‌as if to convey that his promise was sincere.
Then he offered his farewell.
"So, until then, goodbye."
Smiling brightly like that.
I squeezed his hand tightly, desperately holding back the tears that kept blurring my vision.
Because if I didn't, I ‌‌‌feared I would forget the warmth of his touch.
I ‌‌‌know the path ahead ‌‌‌‌of you will be thorny.
But if that is your wish....
"Yes, I'll wait."
I added, my voice trembling with barely suppressed tears.
"I'll send letters every day... and pray every single day that you won't ‌‌get hurt."
Just as the original story twisted and we met now, becoming friends.
I hoped your story would change too.
"Then... let's definitely meet again, Rachel."
In the end, tears I couldn't hold back spilled forth unbidden, but I forced myself to smile.
Because that's what Rachel wanted to see.
Rachel was surely nodding as he looked at me, crying in an absurd manner.
"Yes, without fail."
And so we parted.
Beneath that summer tree, smiling.

---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, ‌please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
---------------