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Chapter 8
“That man… honestly!”
The man standing outside the door clearly remembered what had happened the night before.
And to him, it had obviously meant nothing.
The memory that had left Anette tossing and turning all night seemed, to him, no more significant than a casual joke.
Then again… what had really happened?
Nothing, really.
He was simply a foreign soldier, confined to bed all day, probably looking for a little amusement.
Soon, he would leave, just another stranger passing through.
So what if he’d held her for a moment?
So what if their lips had come close enough to almost touch?
She was the only one getting excited…
The only one searching for meaning in it.
Ashamed of herself, Anette bit her lip.
Don’t give special meaning to anything he says or does.
She firmly resolved not to.
***
The house remained peaceful throughout the afternoon.
After a light breakfast, Elliots returned to his room and fell asleep again.
He stirred from time to time, but nothing unusual happened.
Meanwhile, Anette cleaned the house and washed the dishes, leaving the bedroom door open.
Starting tomorrow, she would have to return to work, so she also prepared meals that Elliots could eat while she was away during the day.
After finishing all her chores, she sat down at the dining table and looked out the window.
Soft afternoon sunlight filtered through the faded pale-yellow linen curtains, casting long shadows across the living room.
Time drifted slowly in Iblen.
If she wanted to enroll in university next year, she would have to work even harder this year.
I should start looking for another evening job soon.
***
By the time complete darkness had fallen outside, Elliots finally opened his eyes.
It’s already night.
A day spent doing absolutely nothing had never existed in Elliots’ life before.
He had always been surrounded by people.
Always busy.
Every moment demanded another decision.
Another appointment.
Another responsibility.
But time flowed differently in this quiet rural village of Solenea.
So… it’s possible to spend an entire day doing nothing.
Having stayed in bed all day, his whole body felt stiff.
He slowly sat up.
The pain was noticeably lighter than it had been that morning.
Compared to yesterday, it was almost insignificant.
Is no one here?
He opened the bedroom door and walked into the living room.
Anette had fallen asleep with her head resting on the dining table.
He quietly pulled out the chair opposite her.
It creaked loudly.
Even so, she didn’t stir.
Sitting down, he studied her sleeping face.
Her thick hair, tied back with a red ribbon patterned with white polka dots, spilled over her shoulders, down her arms, and beneath the table.
Without warning, the previous night’s events resurfaced in his mind.
Her pale face.
Her jewel-like blue eyes.
The soft warmth of her body in his arms.
Even her scent.
“…Damn. I’m acting like some dog in heat.”
Elliots shook his head.
What had happened last night was simply an accident.
He was stuck in an unfamiliar place.
Bored.
And the only woman around happened to be her.
That was all.
He repeated those words to himself.
She was pretty…
But girls this innocent weren’t his type.
Which meant resisting the impulse to kiss her had been the right decision.
As he finished convincing himself, Anette slowly opened her eyes.
“Good evening, Anette.”
His gentle greeting startled her awake.
“Oh… I must have fallen asleep.”
“So this is how you take care of an injured patient? You abandon him until night?”
Trying to hide his own thoughts, Elliots joked.
Anette immediately caught the teasing tone.
“I haven’t exactly been sleeping well these past few nights.”
She smiled mischievously.
“And whose fault do you think that is?”
“Haha.”
“Interesting.”
“So are you suggesting that I, the injured patient, should sleep on the sofa?”
“I’m kidding.”
“But don’t you think you’re getting a little too comfortable using my bed?”
She narrowed her eyes at him.
“Then tonight…”
Elliots replied with exaggerated generosity,
“You should sleep in the bed.”
“Then… where will you sleep?”
Anette asked, blinking in surprise.
“Where else?”
“I’ll sleep in the bed too.”
Her face instantly turned bright red.
She’s so easy to tease.
Watching her react amused him far more than it should have.
“I-I should prepare dinner.”
She busied herself tidying the table to hide her embarrassment.
“You really need more rest if you’re saying things like that.”
As if.
He wasn’t ready to give up these small moments of amusement with her just yet.
Still smiling to himself, his eyes fell upon the book tucked under her arm.
“Advanced Mathematics?”
“Are you a university student?”
“Oh…”
“I will be.”
“Hopefully next year.”
Without a word, Elliots shifted his gaze from her eyes to the empty chair.
Understanding the silent command, Anette sat down.
“Why next year?”
Money, he guessed immediately.
As expected, she answered,
“Because of the tuition.”
Only then did Elliots truly look around the small house.
Someone living here could hardly afford university.
In truth, even nobles and ordinary citizens alike struggled unless they possessed considerable wealth.
A university education demanded money, status, and opportunities that weren’t available to everyone.
Anette clearly wasn’t from a noble family.
Solenea, the sister nation of the Bleit Empire, was unlikely to be any different.
Then how does she plan to pay?
Seeing the seriousness on his face, Anette hurried to explain.
“You remember Karl, don’t you?”
“We both passed the university entrance exam together.”
“But neither of us could afford to attend at the same time.”
“So Karl went first.”
Elliots frowned.
What kind of arrangement is that?
Just what exactly is their relationship?
“…That boy.”
“No… Karl.”
“Is he your boyfriend?”
Anette’s eyes widened.
She immediately waved both hands.
“No!”
“Karl and me?”
“Not at all.”
“We’re practically brother and sister.”
She smiled brightly.
For reasons he couldn’t explain, Elliots felt relieved.
That’s good…
…
Wait.
Why is that good?
What do the two of them have to do with me?
Suppressing the smile that almost escaped him, he changed the subject.
“So…”
“What are you planning to major in?”
“Judging from that book…”
“Are you trying to become a mathematics professor?”
Anette’s face lit up.
Just imagining it seemed to make her happy.
“Yes.”
“My dream is to teach mathematics.”
“If I were lucky enough to become a professor someday…”
“That would be wonderful.”
“Although I know it won’t be easy.”
Then she looked back at him.
“What about you?”
“Did you go to university?”
“Hahahaha!”
Elliots burst into laughter.
Did I go to university?
Not only had he attended—
He had graduated at the top of his class every year.
He had served as student council president throughout his time there.
More than that…
He was the chairman of the finest private university in the Bleit Empire.
Duke Elliots de Erminus himself.
Looking at Anette’s bewildered expression, he simply said,
“I double-majored in Industrial Engineering and Diplomacy.”
Her eyes sparkled.
“Wow!”
“So you studied both engineering and the humanities?”
“I knew it.”
“You never looked like just a soldier.”
“Oh?”
He grinned.
“And what exactly does ‘just a soldier’ look like?”
“I…”
“I can’t really explain it.”
“It’s just…”
“That’s the feeling I got.”
Touching her chin thoughtfully, she stared up at the ceiling.
Her dreamy expression was unexpectedly charming.
Before he realized it, Elliots had unconsciously reached out his hand toward her.
Startled by his own action, he quickly withdrew it and casually stroked his own chin instead.
“So…”
“I’m dealing with a young lady full of prejudice against soldiers.”
He teased.
Anette immediately looked horrified.
“N-No!”
“I would never look down on soldiers.”
“I’m in no position to do that.”
“I only meant…”
“You seemed like more than just a soldier.”
Her honesty was so transparent that it made him smile.
“Anyway…”
“If you ever get stuck on your math problems…”
“Ask me.”
“Anytime.”
Her face brightened once again.
She immediately began excitedly pointing out the questions she couldn’t solve and the formulas she didn’t understand.
Her cheerful chatter sounded almost like music.
Elliots simply nodded politely from time to time…
All the while quietly watching her smiling face.
