Lots of confusing parts this chapter =u=; Please watch out for any mistakes.
Chapter 37: Girl TalkLilia had a coughing fit.
People were usually surprised whenever I say I longed for Wilhelm-sama, but Lilia’s reaction did not follow after the others. Was it really that surprising?
Kuu, kuu, while coughing hard, Lilia looked at me with slightly teary eyes.
「W-What is it really……? 」
「No, it is as I said」
「No, really! Er, by Captain Wilhelm, you mean the knight captain Wilhelm Aibringer, right!? 」
「Yes, that is correct」
Why was Lilia asking such an obvious question?
While there might be other people named Wilhelm-sama, there was only one Knight Captain Wilhelm-sama.
「E-Eh……um, is it just me? Um, but……C-Carol? Captain Wilhelm……is an old geezer……uhh, an old man……a really aged person, isn’t he!? 」
「You really cannot hide your true opinion, Lilia」
「But of course! Why!? Why are you in a courtship with such a person!? 」
「I have yearned for him since I was seven years old」
「More than half your life!? 」
Lilia’s surprise knew no bounds.
Although others had been surprised, I had never been asked about any particular reason until now.
However.
I must tell Lilia those words, even if remembering it would make me tear up.
「……But, I」
「Eh? 」
「I was rejected by Wilhelm-sama」
「No way!? 」
Recalling Wilhelm-sama’s strong words of rejection, I felt miserable. I nearly cried.
However, I would not shed tears.
Because a woman who cries is third-rate, but a woman who grits her teeth and endures even through pain is top-notch.
「E-ehh……Why was Carol rejected? 」
「I am still so much of a child. I could not distinguish a good thing to say from a bad one. Thus, what I said incurred Wilhelm-sama’s wrath」
「Hah? Eh, then he said he hated you? 」
「No……but, I was so coldly told……to go home」
—Go home.
Yes, Wilhelm-sama declared with a cold tone and turned his back.
Simply recalling that figure brought me close to tears.
At that moment, I had been completely rejected.
「……he said, go home? 」
「Yes……it was the first time I was treated so coldly」
「And then? He said to never come again? Never approach him again? 」
「No, he did not say anything like that」
If I had been told that, I might have chosen to die on the spot.
Just being told to go home had been enough to shatter my heart.
「……Eh, you’re just told to go home? 」
「That is correct……」
「……Eh, is it just me? I don’t see which part of it is rejection」
「Eh……」
I reflexively raised my face at Lilia’s words.
Indeed, I was told to go home. But, other than that, nothing else was said.
I was told not to come today because there was a patrol of the local Order of Knights. However, nothing was said about tomorrow onwards.
It was as Lilia said. I was not told something like, never come again.
How wonderful!
I…was not rejected!
「Lilia, thank you so much! 」
「Eh? Have I done something? 」
「You are right. I was not rejected after all. I was only told to go home. Which means, the agreement from tomorrow onwards is still valid! 」
「……I’m sorry, I don’t understand what Carol’s talking about」
Lilia was confused.
Well, it was no wonder. I had not explained anything.
I decided to first explain the circumstances to Lilia.
The conveying of my feelings to Wilhelm-sama during the evening party.
After that, my visit to the Order of Knights and our lunch together.
And then, Wilhelm-sama’s rejection.
I also talked about the matter about Zack and Robert at one point, so it had become quite a long one.
Looking back on the circumstances, it would seem like a long time . But it had only been four days since I had my engagement broken by His Highness.
It felt quite a lengthy four days. It was most likely because I had been consumed with the idea to study whenever I had the time before.
The time where I had nothing to do felt drawn out.
「Fu~un……Well, from what you’ve told me, it’s not a rejection at all」
「It is not……」
It seemed I had misunderstood and believed I was completely rejected.
Wilhelm-sama probably acted coldly that day to rebuke me for my presumptuous words.
What a kind person.
「Well, if you really like him, why don’t you bring him lunch starting tomorrow? Your agreement seems to still be valid」
「Yes, that is my intention」
「And……that, Zack, was it?」
「Yes」
「You don’t like that guy, Carol? 」
「Does it seem so? 」
I had not seen him since I was a child though.
And my memories with Zack were not very good. In the first place, he helped with kidnapping me.
But then, he told me he had reflected on it and became my knight.
「Hm……but you’ll be going to the Order many times from now on, won’t you be seeing that Zack again? 」
「I wonder about that. He is still a knight of first rank, not an officer」
「If the other person wants to see you, you’ll meet. Maybe」
I do not want to see him much.
I had cried in front of him, and made the mistake of thinking I was rejected by Wilhelm-sama.
It was all because I misunderstood in the first place.
「So, Carol, what do you plan to do now? 」
「My plan? 」
「You won’t come back to school? The matter regarding Lady Mary is quite famous, and her reputation is considerably bad. It may not be discussed around His Highness, but she’s thought to have likely set up the Duke’s daughter, Carol. Nobles other than His Highness avoid her as much as possible」
「I do not intend to go back to school」
「If it’s about your engagement with His Highness, then you’re thinking about this all wrong. Because I was told by some teachers, “Tell Ambrose to come back” and “Well, Carol was excellent in her studies” 」
「Is that so……」
I feel sorry towards the teachers.
I often had discussions about kinematics with the physics teacher, McDonald-sensei. I conducted a lot of experiments with the chemistry teacher, Normandy-sensei. Thinking about it, besides Lilia, the teachers were probably the only ones I got along with.
Especially the after school studies with the mathematics teacher, Golbezsensei, who often said, “The mathematics world would revolutionize if this theory is completed”. I had also tried my best to help.
Incidentally, McDonald-sensei, Normandy-sensei and Golbezsensei were all women. Golbezsensei often lamented that her family was ostentatious.
「So, if you have nothing to do, I’ll tell you something. It seems that your withdrawal report hasn’t been accepted yet. If you come back soon, it should still be fine」
「Is that so……」
I am troubled. I might be able to return to school.
I felt happy to be expected like this, but because I have once submitted a notice of withdrawal, I would feel thick-skinned coming back.
「This is troubling」
「You don’t have to go back. What? Do you have something to do? 」
「Yes, actually」
Perhaps I should not say anything so soon, given that it was yet to be decided whether I pass or fail.
But if I pass, I could not go back to school.
「I took the entry test for the Chivalric Order」
「Pu~u! 」
For the second time today.
Lilia spurted out the tea.