IBML 27

Chapter 27

Even though I wanted to read the book I’d been keeping hidden, I couldn’t focus, so I just went to bed early.

As a result, my mind felt clear in the morning, and the shock from last night had faded due to a good night’s sleep.

When I went down to the dining hall for breakfast, Emma and Leona were sitting together at one table.

I picked up a plate and went over to them. The three of us almost always had breakfast together.

Emma and Leona seemed to be in a cheerful, friendly mood.

Even when I sat directly across from them, they didn’t seem to notice and continued laughing happily. From what I overheard, their conversation went something like this:

“L-Leona seems really busy.”
“Well, I am the deputy commander, aren’t I? I have to train my subordinates diligently and turn them into proper sword users.”
“But… do you like exercise more than me?”
“Th-That’s not true. I swear I like Emma more.”

I decided to stop listening there. I lightly tapped my spoon against the plate to get their attention.

The clinking sound startled them, and they snapped out of their own little world.

“W-What a surprise! When did you get here, aide?”
“Haha, just now. But… are you two dating?”

After Emma’s identity was revealed, she and Leona had been meeting quite often.

They seemed to get along so well, chatting cheerfully. I hadn’t expected their relationship to develop this far.

At my comment, Emma slammed the table in reaction, drawing glances from the nearby servants.

“You can’t say that!”
“No, I was just asking if you’re dating.”

I waved my hand while picking up some bacon-wrapped potatoes from my breakfast plate.

Perhaps thinking she’d spoken too loudly, Emma looked around and continued speaking.

“We’re n-not dating yet.”
“I see… But is it even possible for men and women to date?”
“Isn’t that something the aide would know better?”
“Huh? Why me?”

Emma and Leona exchanged glances and looked at me with curious expressions.

“Wasn’t the aide dating the duke and the newly arrived gardener together?”

I finished my meal with a dazed expression.

By the end, I couldn’t even properly taste the mushroom cream soup and the bacon-wrapped potatoes.

Emma and Leona apologized, saying they were mistaken in thinking it was me.

I stepped outside, holding my dizzy head from the shock.

They thought I was dating Rekalin and Kalian together.

‘The aide meets with both of them often, the duke has been seeing the gardener a lot recently, and the pretty gardener meets with the aide… Was her name Kalian? They even exchange flowers.’
‘So the servants probably assumed the three of them are dating.’

It was a truly absurd misunderstanding. But if the three were actually dating, wouldn’t that be cheating?

‘Still… if they’re happy that way, maybe it’s a form of love too. Hmm, I might want to explore this in a novel.’

I was too stunned to respond.

At least I firmly clarified that I wasn’t dating any of the three, and even if someone was, the three of us definitely weren’t dating together.

Emma promised to correct any servants who spread the rumor. Leona agreed as well.

“Phew…”

As I let out a deep sigh, I remembered what Rekalin said before we parted yesterday.

“You’re more likely with the aide than with me.”

My face turned red just thinking about it. Rekalin had known all along that I’d been trying to set them up under the guise of the “Love Cupid Project”…

Of course, I tried to hide it by being subtle and controlling my expressions.

No matter the excuses I made, a person’s actions always show in the end. And now, rumors had even reached the duke’s residence.

[Lasha.]
“Hmm?”

Arhana poked my cheek with her snout.

[Is there a reason? Why are you trying to set up the duke and the gardener?]

Even Rekalin and the spirits were asking for an explanation now.

Soon Kalian would probably ask too.

I recalled my ambitions when I first entered the duke’s residence.

Back then, I had just transferred into this body and was quite confused.

I was determined not to experience another death.

It was the original final boss who triggered Rekalin’s dark turn, but the real cause was that Rekalin had been a supporting character—someone close to the main story.

They almost got together with the main character, but the main character rejected them.

Because it was a close friend, Rekalin couldn’t express their feelings and kept them bottled up.

So I thought that if I helped them get together before the main character appeared, nothing would fester in their heart.

Thus, the “Love Cupid Project” was born…

Looking back now, it hadn’t really gone anywhere.

Even if I had diligently saved money for old age, Kalian and Rekalin’s feelings barely went beyond being acquaintances.

The project drew attention anyway, creating bizarre rumors.

I wondered if I should end it early.

Lost in thought, I walked until I saw Kalian’s garden section.

Pana and Paul were playing with Kalian.

Pana’s hair was messy from playing ball.

“Pana, tie your hair so we can continue playing.”
“I’m lazy… Fine.”

Kalian skillfully tied Pana’s hair back.

Paul, who was reading a book, noticed me first.

“Lasha-nunada.”
“Hey~”

I high-fived Paul.

Pana ran over mid-hair-tie and high-fived my hand.

“Me too, me too!”
“Pana, hurry. I have to finish tying your hair.”

I met Kalian’s gaze as he grumbled at Pana.

A perfect blonde-haired, blue-eyed prince.

His eyes were especially clear, like a pristine lake—so tempting, you almost wanted to dive in.

I helped Kalian up from his knees, which he’d been on to meet Pana’s height, and called his name.

“Kalian.”

He smiled sweetly in response.

“Kalian, aren’t you getting dating advice from the duke?”
“Huh?”

The sweet smile vanished instantly, replaced by a pale expression.

I gave a bitter smile. I had expected to be the one giving the dating advice.

Rekalin had been the one advising Kalian?

Pana and Paul, observing our silence, looked puzzled.

“What are they doing? Are they fighting?”
“Or playing a silent game?”
“Sometimes you just don’t ask anything, Pana.”
“Well, I asked my sister and brother, didn’t I?”

Their little quarrel broke the tense atmosphere.

Kalian regained his composure and reassured them it was nothing.

I had to go to work, but Kalian stopped me.

“No, it’s not dating advice exactly—it’s more like a formal mentoring session. They said it’s good to learn noble etiquette in advance, so the dating advice is just a bonus… Uh, I mean, can I explain later?”
“Why bother explaining? You don’t have to.”

I didn’t wait for Kalian’s tangled explanation and left quickly.

Even without looking back, I knew he must have looked quite dejected.

But ever since hearing Rekalin’s words last night, I had been struggling to control my expression, so it balanced out.

Still, the fact that I had to respond to Kalian in some way weighed on me.

[See, I told you I really liked you.]
[Lasha is sensitive, but surprisingly clueless in this area.]

Should I have let myself be a little mesmerized by Kalian’s looks?

But even with that, it wouldn’t change the current situation.

Feeling like I might vomit from breakfast, I pounded my chest and entered my office.

Rekalin was the first thing I saw, always working with the sun at his back.

“You’re here, aide?”

For some reason, his expression looked troubled.

We each sat down, letting out soft sighs before meeting each other’s gaze.

“Are you troubled about something?”
“No, not at all. How about you, duke?”

Something told me his concern wasn’t about the letter or work from yesterday.

“Oh, the king wanted to attend the regular meeting, so the foreign minister asked to move the meeting time earlier. We compromised on 30 minutes instead of an hour.”

The crystal orb in front of him sparkled. So it was work-related.

But why was the foreign minister like that? Still, his expression seemed different from when he was working.

He seemed to avoid my suspicious gaze.

Even though he always buried his head in documents like this.

After a hearty dinner and a wash, I opened a book. The table of contents alone was long.

“Let’s see, one line, two lines, ten lines, twenty… okay, stop counting.”

It reminded me of Rekalin’s collection of papers.

A long table of contents meant it was meticulously organized.

I had planned to read the evolution section first, but the author’s writing was engaging, so I decided to start from the beginning.

The first section, covering the origin and history of spirits, was mostly review, so I skimmed it.

The next section was about fire spirits. This person, Tom En, apparently contracted first with the fire spirit.

If I were to contract one, I’d be the last.

The book was both informational and autobiographical, making it easy to read like a diary.

He described fire spirits as embodiments of destruction.

They were unpredictable, mischievous destructive spirits, and yet their evaluation was positive.

Fire spirits could manipulate destruction and use purification, exorcism, eruption, and radiant heat abilities.

Purification restores corrupted things to their original state, exorcism repels evil, eruption acts like a flamethrower, and radiant heat works like a flashlight.

The mention of corrupted things seemed useful for wars that would occur later in the original story.

Hopefully, no war breaks out—but who knows?

“I want to see one up close.”
[Did you call me?]
“Ahh!”

Suddenly, a red object slipped between my knees.

Startled, I let out a short scream. On closer inspection, it was a wolf pup—a wolf that looked like a dog.

[Call me Kahisa!]

It was a fire spirit.