No, look, Mr. Yenika (1)
As news of the Rosstaylor family spread, the Cloel imperial family was in an uproar.
Due to the tragedy caused by the head of the Rosstaylor family, Crepin Rosstaylor, several high-ranking nobles died, the Rosstaylor estate and mansion grounds were devastated, and if a mistake was made, the influence of the evil spirit would have spread to the imperial family.
The fall of the Rosstaylor family, which had been the closest confidant of the Cloel imperial family for a long time, and its matriarch Crepin.
Members of the Rosstaylor family were already occupying a place in various places in the Cloel imperial family.
Among them, they range from middle managers such as Templar officers and servant managers to senior positions such as the Chairman of the Imperial Advisory Council, Chief Protocol Officer, and Chief Judge… There were quite a few places where the Ross Taylor family took root.
They had been given positions through Crepin’s influence, but when Crepin Rosstaylor’s death and his evil deeds became known, they were all temporarily suspended from their duties.
As vacancies occurred simultaneously in various important positions in the imperial family, the administrative processes became creaky as the agents took charge of the work… Eventually, an emergency meeting was convened.
“There are a lot of empty seats.”
“All the talented people from Rosstaylor have been gathered in the imperial annex.”
An emergency meeting of the imperial family where key members of the imperial family gather to discuss the situation.
The conference seats were spread out in an arch shape in front of Emperor Cloel, who sat in the center, but there were quite a few empty seats.
The palace official, who was in charge of major and minor affairs within the imperial family, recited the names of the vacant seats to Emperor Cloel. Most of them had Ross Taylor’s name on them.
In front of Emperor Cloel, there was a seat prepared for the three princesses who would become the rightful successors to the imperial power, and behind them sat a number of people who were at the center of power, such as the head of the imperial knights, the head of the butler, the admiral, and the prime minister.
In fact, it was a meeting of those who decided the direction of the Cloel Empire.
“I’m sure you all know why we are gathered here today. “This is a place to discuss the tragedy that occurred at Ross Taylor’s estate and the aftermath.”
Emperor Cloel, who was presiding over the meeting, spoke in a polite tone.
“Everyone probably has a lot of things they want to report to me. We also need to discuss the future direction of the Ross Taylor family. “Those who deserve to be rewarded should be rewarded, and those who deserve to be punished should be punished.”
The three princesses sitting closest to Emperor Cloel.
Selaha, Persica, Fenia. They were sitting in the center of the conference room with different expressions on their faces, looking at each other.
Emperor Cloel already had a hunch. His own three daughters each have different views on the Ross Taylor family, which was at the center of power.
Centered around the three legitimate heirs of the imperial family, the sight of various imperial power figures lining up behind them… It seems to be showing a fragmentary picture of the power structure that is as tangled as a spider’s web.
This case will not be concluded easily.
With that in mind, Emperor Cloel announced the start of the meeting.
A meeting place so noble and important that ordinary people cannot even come near it.
In the back corner of the seat where the direction of the empire is decided, a girl sits wearing a witch’s hat. He was a witness that Selaha had secured at the scene, and he was the number one contributor to the subjugation of Mebula.
A girl with a small body, sitting with her legs crossed, almost lying down on a soft chair. The school uniform she is wearing is so baggy that it shows no trace of her dignity, and her hat is so big that it covers her entire face.
The girl, whose expression I couldn’t even tell, sat quietly in the corner of the conference room, listening to what was going on.
* * *
Aken Island dock is not very large.
This is because most traffic is concentrated on the Maxes Bridge.
Usually, people go back and forth by boat when talking about islands, but in the case of Aken Island, the structure of the traffic flow itself was unique.
There is not a population so large that sailing ships can come and go, and most supplies can be received through the bridge.
Since supplies are supplied from the nearby County of Zahoor or the small trading city of Velax, there is little incentive to use the sea route. Considering the scale, using the wagon at the top is cheaper for logistics.
Therefore, the Aken Island dock was not often used except by some students who used the sea route to return home or some merchants who received rare goods from distant lands.
―Squeak, squeal.
As the sea level rose and fell, the flat-bottomed barge also shook up and down.
Ziggs Eiffelstein, who had landed on top of him, turned back and accepted Elka’s body, which was standing on a small passenger ship.
“Uh, uhm… “I thought I was going to die from motion sickness.”
“As expected, it would be better to take a carriage next time. “The boat is faster, but it has a very negative effect on your condition, Elka.”
“I had a lot of luggage this time, so there was nothing I could do… .”
Elka Islan grabbed the hem of the semi-robe that covered her shoulders and shook out her hair. She still had some dizziness, but compared to her long journey, her aftereffects were minor.
A journey by carriage from the northern steppes to the western coast of the empire, and from there by boat directly to Aken Island. Certainly, the time was greatly shortened compared to coming by carriage alone.
“I’m going to get some luggage from the workers here, but first go to the Lorail Pavilion and rest.”
“No, that’s enough. “I’ll go up to the dock and rest, so let’s go together when work is done.”
Ziggs looked at Elka for a moment with a worried look on his face, but Elka encouraged him not to worry too much and then led his dizzy body towards the dock.
However, before she could take a few steps, Elka saw a familiar face and tilted her head.
“Oh my, Senior Yenika.”
Hearing those words, Ziggs, who was carrying a heavy baggage, also turned his head and looked that way.
On the other side of the barge where Elka and Ziggs landed, there was Yenika, who had come down from another boat carrying a simple luggage.
She was wearing a pure white blouse over a navy blue skirt, and appeared to be carrying luggage with her arms rolled up.
“what… Ziggs and… It’s Elka… .”
“You got home early from school. Senior Yenika. We always come a few weeks early to visit a conference before school starts… .”
Elka Islan was a scholar who worked as a librarian in charge of the student library and also conducted research at the Magic Book Society.
That’s why, to avoid the overwhelming demand for magic books at the beginning of the semester, I come a little early and finish my research preparations.
There was no need for Ziggs to come early, but he had a habit of returning home early anyway when Elka was coming.
“Didn’t senior Yenika always return home quickly to help with work in her hometown? And she seems to have been coming home from school as late as possible, so she’s having a blast this year.”
“Ah, that’s… .”
Yenica couldn’t bear to respond to Ziggs’ words and just froze.
Rumors about Ed had spread for no reason, and Yenika’s hometown was already filled with stories about her love story.
Yenika eventually spoke with tears in her eyes, a look of liberation on her face.
“Well, that’s how it happened… .”
“… “You have a story.”
Ziggs didn’t bother to ask. However, while receiving Elka’s luggage from her workers, Sri only glanced at Yenica’s notice.
“Well, when I heard about it, I heard that quite a few students have already returned to school. It is said that there are quite a few students who did not return home during vacation… . If you return to the Bachelor now, you will see quite a few familiar faces.”
“Okay… Ed will be back early too… .”
“You mean Senior Ed? I heard a rumor that she returned to her hometown this year… “Have you already returned from school?”
Yenika was speechless for a moment because she wasn’t sure what to say.
The news about the Ross Taylor family is not very pleasant. I was going to know everything anyway, but I didn’t want to spread it to those around me.
“hmm… .”
As Ziggs looked at Yenika like that, he felt something suspicious. After taking the last of her luggage, she sat down on one of them and wiped her sweat.
“Is your relationship with senior Ed not going well?”
“W-what do you mean… !”
“No, if you pretend, you pretend. Lately, when I talk about Senior Ed, Senior Yenika’s expression doesn’t look very good.”
Ziggs has a strangely good intuition. Even in this regard, it was strangely sharp, and Jenica broke into a cold sweat down the back of her neck.
“Ziggs, it might be rude to say something like that. “We must be considerate so that senior Yenika can handle her affairs on her own.”
“Uh, is that so? I don’t know how to behave in a polite way… .”
When Elka raised her index finger and pressed Ziggs’ forehead, Ziggs sighed.
“No, it’s not really lungs… but… Ed and I have been at odds a lot lately in one way or another… .”
Yenika put down her luggage and sighed.
“Actually, I’m a little worried… . I was wondering if I might be more of a burden to Ed than I thought… .”
An unexpected word came out. After hearing those words, Ziggs and Elka looked at each other’s faces, then tilted their heads for a moment to gather their thoughts.
“Are you saying it’s a burden? “Senior Ed or senior Yenika?”
“Yes… “I thought that might be the case.”
“well. I have a slightly different opinion. Think about Senior Ed’s personality. “If senior Yenika felt burdened, wouldn’t you have said it so bluntly?”
The top of the barge shaking as the sea water rises and falls. The three men and women sat quietly and gathered their thoughts, and eventually Elka broke the silence.
“Isn’t there a reason why Senior Yenika thinks so?”
“No, thinking about my actions so far… . This is completely… You’re a burdensome person. Above all, recently it has been a bit… There are a lot of things that don’t fit together… .”
Yenika Thane said she was considerate of Ed, but giving up her senior position seems to have been a huge blow to Ed’s pride. He wouldn’t have even realized it without Anise’s advice.
Not only that, they accompanied him at Ross Taylor Mansion under the pretext of protecting him, but they were unable to prevent him from getting seriously hurt.
After that, even on Yenika’s suggestion that they go to Pulan together to treat his wounds and observe political trends, Ed refused and returned to the Academy in Sylvania.
From Ed’s point of view, he was considerate of Yenika’s vacation plans, but Yenika was still very concerned about Ed’s rejection.
“We even went to camp and lived together… Maybe I… “Isn’t that too inconsiderate of Ed?”
“… To put it bluntly, there aren’t many people who care about senior Ed as much as senior Yenika.”
“still… The burden Ed feels is completely different… !”
Ziggs glanced at Elka’s gaze and sighed.
Yenika is very bad at self-objectification. Above all, there won’t be many men in the world who will dislike Yenika just because she is a Pale Rover kind of girl. She’s called Ed, so how different is she?
However, in front of his lover Elka, he praises Yenika’s appearance… She couldn’t do something so insensitive. It is one of the management skills that I learned after numerous failures and frustrations.
“I think I’m disparaging senior Ed too much, but… “All men are the same anyway, Senior Yenika.”
“… huh?”
“Well, there aren’t many men who push away just because a woman aggressively advances on them. He could push in with a little more confidence. “It’s just my opinion, though.”
After saying that and looking closely at Elka, I saw that she was looking at Ziggs with her eyes wide open. It feels strangely like walking on a tightrope, but it seems safe to this extent.
“In the first place, bearing a burden isn’t such a bad feeling. “There are many times when I feel happy that they are relying on me.”
“Ziggs… .”
Elka grinned as she called Ziggs’ name. However, even then, she looked sad for a moment and then sighed.
“I’m feeling very complicated… “Jiggs.”
“Don’t worry so much. “I was never suited for a luxurious life.”
As Yenika tilted her head while listening to the conversation between the two, Ziggs added, thinking that an explanation was needed.
“Starting next semester, I will also be moving out of Ofilis Hall. “The resignation application has already been received.”
“Okay? “You’re not lacking in grades.”
“That’s true, but Elka’s asthma has gotten worse this semester… Now I need someone to stay close to me and assist me. “If I wanted to stay close to Elka while also working on the student council, I had no choice but to move to a single room in the Lorail building.”
Elka belongs to Lorail Hall, an honor student dormitory. In order to live near her Elka and support her, she gave up her luxurious life at Ophilis House.
“Well, the facilities are a bit lacking compared to the Ofilis Hall, and since I can’t receive help from the employees, I’ll have to do even the little things myself… In the first place, that is natural. Just because it was there and gone, we shouldn’t take it for granted.”
“… “It must be hard for you too.”
“It’s not a difficult situation or anything. “Compared to the cruel wild life, everything is comfortable and good.”
Ziggs checked all the luggage he had received and unloaded, and when he confirmed that everything had been delivered without exception, he paid the laborer.
The impressive dock worker smiled, said hello to Ziggs, and left.
Just like that, Ziggs packed up his luggage one by one. He lifts all kinds of large wooden bags and clothes bags at once, but doesn’t seem to struggle.
His natural strength itself is at a remarkable level. He is a boy who would not have any problems even if he went to the Combat Club rather than the Magic Club.
“Anyway, I wouldn’t dare judge Senior Yenika’s concerns, but… “I think it’s a very worthless worry.”
“… okay?”
“yes. Isn’t it true that men naturally know better how men think? The reaction of men who truly feel burdened by women or want to keep their distance is a bit different. The real red flag is… “It is revealed more clearly.”
From Ziggs’ perspective, he gets to choose his words. In fact, he was not a person who knew enough to argue about other people’s romantic relationships.
However, isn’t it possible to provide at least a minimum guarantee?
“Well, not making eye contact or trying to break the flow of conversation with a forced answer… . They make an expression that is so blatantly burdened… . In any case, the red signals that the guy sends are clearly visible in that way. “It means that it is not expressed in such a subtle and difficult-to-understand way as Senior Yenica worries about.”
“Uhm… .”
“So, have some confidence. Senior Ed must be quite attracted to Senior Yenika.”
With that conclusion drawn out, Ziggs packed up all his luggage and set off on his way to the dock.
“Well, pushing and pulling and riding on ropes are important things, but… Surprisingly, there are many people who break down easier than you think if you push them ignorantly. “Isn’t it the law of everything that if this doesn’t work, you have to try that?”
“that… That’s right… .”
“So, cheer up, senior Yenika. There will be good results.”
With that said, Ziggs took his luggage and left for the dock. It was a bonus to show his strength by clenching his fists.
Elca, who was following behind her, glanced at Yenika, cutely clenched both fists, and shouted for her to fight.
Left alone on the barge, Yenika put down her luggage for a moment and took a deep breath.
Eventually, I clenched my fists, gathered strength into my body, and stood up. There was certainly nothing wrong with what Ziggs said.
Isn’t there nothing good about having low self-esteem? If Yenika was burdened by Ed’s personality, she would have told her so right away.
Encouraged by that fact, Yenika walked towards the northern forest camp at a lighter pace.
* * *
“Hi, Ed! “I came back a little early!”
This camp in the northern forest is now where Yenica feels at home.
In fact, no matter how comfortable it is, it feels like home… It couldn’t be more comfortable than the real home in Pulan.
However, I really couldn’t wait to come back to this camp during this vacation.
As Jenika runs away from her hometown in tears, her parents greet her with waving handkerchiefs, but it must be sad… It was an extremely harsh space for an adolescent girl who had just opened her eyes to the concept of love.
Anyway, I feel like I am becoming more emotionally stable when I camp with Ed.
Yenika hugged her luggage and greeted me cheerfully with a bright smile on her face.
At the fire, Ed Rosstaylor, whom I had not seen in a long time, was poking at the bonfire with a poker.
Since Belle took care of most of the basic tasks, Ed was able to focus solely on resting and recovering.
Therefore, when she saw Ed sitting there looking much improved, Yenika let out a huge sigh of relief.
However, after that, Lortel’s villa, which has now been completed, can be seen.
I am not very happy that a new building has been built in the camp that was entirely Ed and Yenika’s space. He grunted and made his lips stick out, but in any case, Lortel couldn’t return to Aken Island right now. Because she was so busy with her work at the top, she always had to rush through work at Alldeck when she wasn’t in school.
As of now, only Ed and Yenika remain in the camp. Feeling like that fact was being highlighted even more, Jenica walked over to the fire and sat down.
“Oh, you came early. Yenika… .”
Ed, who welcomes Yenika, certainly seems to be in better health.
Yenika said, ‘Yes, yes.’ She smiled and nodded her head. Just looking at her face made her so happy that I approached her like a puppy wagging its tail, and just sitting still across from her fire made me feel like her shoulders were shaking.
“Now that I think about it, it’s not long until the vacation ends… .”
“Yeah, how is Ed? I was very worried. “When I saw you at the Ross Taylor mansion, you were seriously injured.”
“okay… .”
Ed said that and was poking at the bonfire with his head down. Here, Yenica felt something strange about her.
“Still, I’m glad you had a good rest during the vacation! “Now that the vacation is over and the semester starts, I have a lot of schedule left to do, so I have to work hard again!”
“Yeah, right… .”
After talking up to that point, Yenica looked at Ed’s expression.
Strangely, he was not making eye contact with Yenika, but was looking at the campfire and Yenika alternately as if he was deep in thought.
Ed Rothtaylor often showed this side of himself when he was in deep trouble. While he responds appropriately to the situations around him, a part of his thinking is devoted to those concerns.
It wasn’t anything special, but it felt like beads of sweat were running down the back of Ed’s neck.
Yenika, who isn’t that perceptive, noticed it. Ed’s expression was clearly strange to anyone who saw it.
– ‘Well, not making eye contact or trying to break the flow of conversation with a forced short answer… . They make an expression that is so blatantly burdened… . Anyway, the red signal that the guy sends is clearly visible that way.’
Suddenly, the words Ziggs had spoken passed through Yenika’s mind.
Anyone can see that Ed Rosstaylor is clearly feeling the pressure right now.
In fact, isn’t it strange that he now feels burdened against Yenika? How much time have you lived with her unit so far?
However, changes in perception of people always happen in an instant.
Yenika swallowed dry saliva and opened her eyes.
‘I really… Are you a burdensome person? ?!’
In fact, it is not that there is no awareness.
Although he and Ed lived side by side for the sole reason of love, wasn’t he the one who used polite words for no reason or tried to increase the distance in the name of reestablishing the relationship?
From the objective perspective of a third party, she is just a girl of that age, stamping her feet and making a fuss due to useless worries. But when it comes to who she is, she is more serious than anyone else.
I wouldn’t be able to take the lead in a relationship for the rest of my life if I was this excited about Ed’s every little reaction.
However, there is no way. The girl named Yenica Palover was originally like this. Who is to blame for being born such a natural girl?
“Yenika. “I have something to tell you.”
“yes! what?!”
“… Why is this a polite word all of a sudden? ?”
“huh! What?!”
Yenika almost chewed her tongue at Ed’s words, which suddenly broke the silence, as if poking into her blind spot.
Ed’s expression, seen through the campfire, is quite serious. Yenika swallowed dry saliva and listened to Ed.
“that… This may seem a bit strange. Still, first of all… Because there is an inside story… . Please listen first… . Actually, it may not be a very difficult request… In some cases, it may be difficult… .”
“huh… ?”
“Well, I could explain the situation every detail, but that would be too… Should I say it’s cowardly… . Because it’s not polite to you in the first place… just… I’ll tell you without hesitation… .”
“W-what is it… ?”
Has Ed Rosstaylor ever laid the groundwork this far before saying something?
Feeling nervous for some reason, Yenika straightened her back and opened her eyes.
“Well, you know… .”
“Yes… .”
“… … .”
“… … .”
Then, Ed finally spoke while pressing the poker on the dirt floor.
“… no.”
“What! What!”
“No, that’s enough. Lately, I feel like I’ve been asking too many unreasonable favors from you, Yenika, and it’s really not polite to do this… Okay, I’ll look for another direction… . that… Forget it… .”
“No, just tell me! What! what!”
Yenika pressed her thighs and rubbed Ed. Ed spoke with a perplexed expression on his face and breaking into a cold sweat.
“No, it really happened. I also have a conscience, so I feel a bit uncomfortable when it feels like I’m taking advantage of you in this way… .”
“It’s not time for us to discuss things like manners. Ed said don’t worry, he’ll do anything you ask him to do. So, tell me what it is, okay?!”
“I don’t mean to say things like that, saying that I will grant any request you make… . Yenika… not good… . really… not good… .”
“What on earth is that?!”
After coming this far, Yenica couldn’t bear it anymore. Jenica made a fuss as she stomped on the dirt floor.
Then, suddenly, Ed’s expression caught my eye again. It looked like something was really embarrassing, something that was hard to explain.
It’s been quite a while since I’ve been close to Ed, but this was the first time I saw his expression.
At that moment, a drop of sweat flowed down Yenika’s spine.
“Ed.”
Ed Rothtaylor is quite close with Yenica Palover. The wall between the two collapsed, and they communicated to the point where they could freely exchange even somewhat unreasonable requests.
Yenica is probably not alone in thinking this way.
We both knew this fact well, but Ed was particularly embarrassed.
Ed relies a lot on Yenika, to the extent of accompanying her to the disaster that occurred at the Ross Taylor mansion.
If this is a concern that even Ed is reluctant to talk about, how much more serious and serious can it be?
Suddenly, it occurred to me that it might not be something to make a fuss about and laugh about.
Yenika has never seen Ed look so troubled and embarrassed. He is the kind of man who would calmly organize what needs to be done now even if the world were to end tomorrow. Even Ed couldn’t figure out what such an embarrassing problem could be.
In that case, isn’t what Yenika should do now be to instill confidence in Ed?
Confidence that no matter what trials come, I will be by your side. That’s why I say it’s okay to trust me and talk to me. That firm trust must be confirmed.
Suddenly, seriousness appeared on Yenika’s face. She expresses firm trust and firm determination, and seems to say that she will carry with her any heavy burden.
The serious expression reflected a strong will. It is an expression of the will to risk even one’s life.
It is like the spirit of a general who strengthens his determination to die before going to battle.
“I’m ready for anything, Ed. therefore… . It’s okay, you can ask me anything. “No matter how serious it is, I’m on Ed’s side.”
For Ed, it felt like death.
