LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 40 - String (5)
Chapter 40 – String (5)
When you think about it, it was not entirely unreasonable.
Drakton was a city adjacent to the academy territory, and it would be natural for Academy students to travel there for various purposes.
And such visits, unexpected incidents could occur, much like what happened with Ellie last time.
For a moment, I wondered if it was a mistake to offer help, but I quickly dismissed the thought.
If I saw someone in that situation, I’d help them, no matter who it was. Even if I’d known beforehand that Ellie was a student at the Academy, it wouldn’t have changed anything.
“…Wow…”
Taking Ellie with me, we entered a cafe near the Academy.
Initially, I contemplated feigning ignorance and making a quick escape, but Ellie clung to me, making it impossible to shake her off.
At first, I thought about taking her back to the mansion where I was staying, but I realized it seemed impractical, so this was my next best option. We couldn’t keep engaging in such conflicts on the streets.
The cafe had private rooms for discreet conversations, making it a suitable place to discuss matters without attracting gossip.
“I’m here for the first time… hehe…”
“…Now, let’s get to the reason you called me,” I spoke to Ellie, who was turning her head around, taking in her surroundings.
“Do I have to have a purpose? I can call someone I know if I happen to see them while walking by. And we’re not just strangers…”
In response to my question, she turned her head to the side and puffed her cheeks slightly, expressing displeasure. Considering the recent situation, it didn’t seem like a mere chance encounter.
“And you. I clearly asked for your name, but you just left. How could you leave so coldly? I’ve been looking for you since then. Ugh, no…”
“I’m sure I said it clearly then? That I didn’t do it because I was looking for help, so there’s no need to worry too much. If you’re here to talk about that, I have nothing more to say. Please leave first…”
“I get it! I get it, so don’t leave… Can’t friends even talk? You don’t know how happy I was when I saw you in class and found out your name. It makes no sense for someone who couldn’t be found even after searching to suddenly appear in the same class, right? Edwin… So, just sit down for a moment. There’s a lot to talk about…”
“Who said we’re friends? Don’t try to compete with me on the commoner subject. I’ll say it clearly, if I had known you were a commoner back then, I would never have helped you. So…”
The fact that the one I helped turned out to be a fellow academy student was absurd, and to top it off, we were in the same class.
This was truly an absurd situation. Just as I was about to pour out my frustration, Ellie abruptly interrupted me.
“…Lies.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t lie to me,” Ellie replied again to me, who asked in surprise.
“Edwin. I saw you that time. I saw you swinging your sword for me, I saw you taking off your robe to cover me, and I saw you leaving without revealing your name, even though you insisted on not repaying for all of that. But what, a commoner? Edwin, please don’t say things that you don’t mean. Please, I beg you…right…?”
“It’s not a lie. I really hate commoners. If you had heard my name, you would know why I was demoted to Class-D.”
“That’s what? I only believe what I see. And what I saw is that you didn’t hesitate to get hurt to save me.”
“I told you. If I had known you were a commoner, I would never have saved you…”
“Edwin. Why are you trying to push me away? Do you hate me so much that you would lie, even if it means saying that you hate commoners? I’m really happy to meet you again…There’s no need to reject me that much…hyuk…huk……”
Ellie, who had been listening to my continued denials, suddenly began to cry.
And for some reason, the image of Iris that day overlapped with her, and I couldn’t even finish my words and my breath caught in my throat.
Oh, really…this is becoming quite awkward. It seems like no matter what I say, she won’t give up.
If Ellie continues to treat me so warmly in class, other students will be influenced to approach me continuously. Even if I pretend, the emotional toll of responding coldly to all those people individually is too much.
It’s fine as long as I stay quiet until I climb to the upper class, but how do I handle this? …Wait a moment.
As I was groaning inwardly, a way that might be able to break through this situation suddenly flashed through my mind. I handed Ellie a handkerchief and asked her a question, “Ellie. I’ll ask you one thing. Why do you want to be close to me so much?”
“Hyuk…I told you…I want to be friends…Wouldn’t you be the same…? It’s only natural for anyone to want to be close to their savior. Especially since we’re classmates…hyuk…But if you say it so coldly…”
“…Okay. Let’s be friends.”
“…Huh? Really?”
At my answer to be friends, she stopped crying as if she had never cried before and looked up at me.
“But there’s a condition. It might be difficult for you, and I may ask something challenging. But if you help me with my request, I won’t refuse to associate with you any longer. So, are you willing to accept the condition?”
* * * * *
“Ellie, no matter what you think of me, I’m a person who hates commoners. I’ve always been like this, and I’ll continue to be like this in the future. So, it’s impossible for me to be personally close to a commoner.”
“…Then how can you say you’ll be my friend?”
After hearing my words, Ellie grumbled dissatisfied.
“I have a solution. Ellie, from tomorrow onwards, you will stick with me. During lectures, meals, breaks, within the academy, you must always stay close to me. You can’t be away from my side until the last bell of the final lecture rings.”
“Eh, eh…?”
After hearing my words, Ellie’s face suddenly turned red.
“However, it’s not because you want to be close to me. You’re being forced by me, compelled to follow me around. Do you understand what I mean?”
“Um…”
Ellie tilted her head as if she didn’t understand my words right away.
“But if someone asks, you must never say directly that you’re being forced to follow me around. That would obviously be a violation of the academy rules, and I already have a history, so if I get caught again, I could be expelled on the spot.
Ellie, you have to behave in a way that people can guess your situation based on your attitude, speech, and so on. You seem observant, so you should understand what I mean.”
“Ah…! I think I understand.”
After hearing my explanation, Ellie finally clapped her hands together and showed her approval.
“…Okay! Let’s do that. I don’t mind. In fact, it looks good…no, it looks fun. But Edwin, why are you going that far? You don’t really have those thoughts, do you?”
“…I’ll tell you another time. But Ellie, it might be tough. You’ll have to adjust your lifestyle according to mine, and it might be challenging to get close to friends if you have them. It’s not something I can easily answer…”
“No, it’s okay! I… actually don’t have many friends… hehe…”
“…No friends? What about the ones in Drakton back then?”
“Oh, um, they were friends… but not friends from the academy! I really don’t know many people here…”
Unexpectedly, Ellie readily agreed to my proposal, and this time, it was me who ended up in contemplation. Making friends was something I should welcome with open arms, even if I’m a bit awkward about it. Given my eccentric personality before recovering my memories, I didn’t have many close friends, even among noble students.
Having broken off the engagement with Iris, she was no longer part of my life, and besides her, the only two people I have met at the academy are the two who were punished with me the last time.
And even though I had given up halfway through, there was still a part of me that wanted to have a good time at the academy, so maybe I’m lucky to have found someone I don’t have to hide my true self from.
However, if I were to be seen openly socializing with a commoner student, all of my thoughts would be for naught, which is why I was in such a troubling situation earlier.
Stuck in thought, a sudden idea flashed in my mind.
First of all, if I force Ellie to follow me around, I can constantly prevent my bad image from being diluted from the other people, including the students in my class. Then, perhaps the students who annoyingly approach me will disappear.
And… truth be told, though it might sound selfish, there was a somewhat clandestine desire in me for a companion during my academy life to alleviate the loneliness.
So, I proposed this to Ellie, not expecting her to accept it so readily. But I guess it makes sense since she doesn’t have many friends. Despite her appearance and personality, it turns out she’s lacking in companions.
After a moment of thought, I gave Ellie a positive answer.
“…Okay, Ellie. Then I’ll take your offer. Then, starting tomorrow…”
“But Edwin, I’m helping you like this, and are you just going to take without giving back? Friends are supposed to help each other, right?”
I was momentarily taken aback by Ellie’s words, but on second thought, they seemed reasonable. I’m not really forcing her to tag along, and if I’m receiving help from her, it’s only fair that I give something in return.
I asked Ellie what she would like to receive, and after a moment of deliberation, the answer she gave me was surprisingly simple. She just wanted us to spend some time together near the academy whenever she felt like it. That’s the only thing she asked for. This girl really has no friends…
At first, I was worried that if other students saw Ellie and me being close outside the academy, but fortunately, I have a way to solve that.
I accepted Ellie’s request, and upon hearing my answer, she joyfully clasped my hand.
—— End of chapter —–
Translator’s Notes:-
You can read the story ahead on my ko-fi (10 chapter ahead so far). Read here :- https://ko-fi.com/sacredtexttl/tiers
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