EP.85
Claire Delphin Mascarena had not been feeling very well lately.
The reasons for her discomfort were numerous and varied.
For instance, even after putting in effort to prepare a meal, the one person she hoped would enjoy it lay in the hospital room, which meant that the lunch she prepared would inevitably end up in the trash.
During the last midterms, she was able to study with him – albeit with an unwelcome guest, Altina, in tow – and they could spend time together, but this time around, with Student Council activities and other commitments, there was simply no time to study together.
Another reason for her discontent was that a childhood friend, not very close but known since they were young, Erekaya del Pendragon, had received a necklace from him and was now wearing it as if to flaunt it.
When she dissected these matters one by one, it truly annoyed her, making her feel as if something was rising within her, so she didn’t want to think deeply about it. However, objectively speaking, these were all things that could be endured.
Firstly, not being able to have lunch with him was genuinely displeasing, but as he was a patient for the past week, it would not be appropriate for her to complain.
Well, truth be told, while she had a small desire to take care of him as he lay there unable to move like last time, no matter how she considered it, trying to gain from a sick person’s situation wasn’t something she could take lightly, so she only entertained those thoughts.
Also, not being able to study for the finals together was somewhat frustrating, but he was currently dedicated to his tasks in the Student Council, so that too could be understood.
Because, as Claire knew, the reason he joined the Student Council was precisely for the various benefits one could enjoy as an officer and the scholarship granted every quarter.
Thus, unlike others, Claire felt that she should understand and empathize with his circumstances better than anyone else.
Claire herself had a time when she used Great Magic to gain a good score in practicals and ended up injuring him.
Of course, she felt no regret or guilt about what she had done back then.
If time were to be reversed and she found herself in that situation again, she would shoot ‘Cocutos’s Spear’ at the Orc without hesitation.
Because, although the first step didn’t align perfectly, it was thanks to that incident that her relationship with him began.
So there was no regret. There was merely a sense of bitterness that if their first meeting had been slightly better, perhaps there wouldn’t be any other women around him now.
And then there was the issue of the necklace. The one he personally gifted Erekaya del Pendragon, who wore it constantly as if to boast to others that she had received a gift from him, was very much grating on Claire’s nerves.
Yet, she thought she could endure it reasonably well.
If he had given Erekaya a ring instead, she wouldn’t have been able to restrain herself at all. Luckily, it was just a necklace.
It wasn’t anything imbued with special meaning, nor was it a sign of a promise for any shared future – just an utterly ordinary piece of jewelry.
So, the conclusion drawn from this was only one.
He simply gave Erekaya the necklace as a ‘gift’ without any strange connotations as Claire feared.
Thus, it meant that an opportunity would come for her someday too.
If, as Claire speculated, he gifted Erekaya the necklace simply out of affection and friendship—
Then surely, one day, the chance would come for Claire, who could be considered his closest ‘friend.’
So, for now, she must endure. And practice patience.
After all, men typically feel sympathy for delicate women they can protect, while they struggle to put up with those who stand above them, acting as they please.
Erekaya and Altina, for now, should relish their joy in victory to their heart’s content.
The time spent by his side is lengthy, and although she has built many memories with him, ultimately securing all his attention and affection is a different matter entirely from merely having an affair and choosing a life partner to share her long life with.
Yes, in the end, it will be she who stands beside him, shoulder to shoulder, achieving the ultimate victory.
So, there’s no need to rush; for now, let’s calmly observe the situation from behind.
After all, whether she likes it or not, everything will unfold according to the natural order.
…However, there was indeed something unbearable for her. A part that she could not overlook.
For instance, just like at this very moment.
“By the way, I heard that the amusement park has not only rides but also a safari where you can see various animals. Is that true?”
“A safari? Oh, now that you mention it, I did see something about that in the catalog. There is indeed a facility that gathers relatively docile animals for children…”
“If you’re okay with it, can we stop by that place where the animals are gathered? I’ve seen magical beasts endlessly since I was young, but I’ve rarely had the chance to see actual animals…”
“…So you’ve seen many magical beasts but hardly any animals, huh?”
“Right. I’ve observed magical beasts during magical beast training or when visiting territories, but I’ve never been close to actual animals. Honestly, I want to get close to them, but they tend to avoid me…”
“Well, we have plenty of time, so let’s make a stop at the safari. It wouldn’t be too bad to cleanse the eyes by looking at cute creatures like rabbits or deer instead of brutish ones like orcs.”
That was merely a coincidence.
On the weekend, wanting to prepare a lunch box for him after a long while, Claire set out early from Nineveh and spotted Jin and Erekaya walking together from a distance.
Even if she wanted to dismiss it as a misunderstanding, there was no way to do so. After all, the two were wearing their uniforms, seemingly flaunting their identity as students of Nineveh, and Claire could never mistake Jin’s appearance, even if only from behind.
Moreover, even from this distance, the noble aura that could not be hidden and the unique atmosphere that drew everyone’s attention just by walking down the street undoubtedly emanated from Erekaya del Pendragon, Claire’s childhood friend.
Though she might not have reached the level of a master, she could easily amplify her hearing using her magical power.
It was precisely for this reason that she overheard it. The fact that those two were not just out for a stroll today but were planning to spend the entire day on a ‘date.’
Of course, they were publicly just ‘friends,’ so the outward pretense was that it wasn’t a date at all.
They were certainly preparing a plausible excuse to deceive themselves and others they might encounter. Yet, Claire’s instincts as a woman whispered in her ear.
Erekaya, walking alongside Jin right now, undoubtedly had the eyes of someone in love.
“…Kaya.”
What was she supposed to do? How should she behave? And in this moment, how was she to react to the sight of them together?
…I do not know. Her mind felt completely blank, as if bleached white, leaving her unable to think at all.
The only undeniable truth was that unless she intervened at this moment to somehow disrupt their relationship or separate them—
Claire Delphin Mascarena would curse this moment for eternity.
“…Jin.”
Just as Claire had firmed her resolve to intrude between them, taking a deep breath to move toward them—
“Stop it. Those two over there are not people you can stir up at your leisure.”
It was as if her actions had been ‘foreseen,’ for a certain woman appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her by the ankle.
“Serika, senpai?”
Claire knew her well. Serika von Valentine, the Vice President of the Student Council, and a noble little princess from the famous von Valentine family known for their lineage of seers.
In comparisons with Erekaya del Pendragon, she had a standing that could hardly be overshadowed, making her one of the brightest talents at Nineveh, and also someone Claire respected deeply.
Yet, to Claire at this moment, the woman before her was nothing more than an obstacle standing in her way.
“I apologize, but please move aside. I have something I must—”
“If by ‘something’ you mean disrupting that couple’s relationship?”
“What?”
In an instant, Claire stiffened and turned to Serika.
Did she just say what I thought she said? Disruption? Me? That couple’s relationship?
Such a claim was utterly ridiculous. Disruption?
From the very beginning, she hadn’t done anything worth being called a ‘disruption.’ In her view, that term was far more fitting for that thief-like girl who was currently strolling beside him, monopolizing his attention.
After all, while it might be a stretch to say this about Altina, she had met Jin and built a rapport with him much earlier, becoming friends before Erekaya did.
I was first. I was faster. It was Erekaya who cunningly exploited her position as Student Council President to snatch away my rightful place!
“Regardless, what you intend to do right now can’t change the fact that it’s an act of disruption. Desiring what you don’t possess, being envious of what others have, and ultimately seeking to shatter that relationship out of childish impulses—what would you call that if not disruption?”
…What a laughable statement. Envy? I’ve never felt jealous from the start.
I simply wish to reclaim what was mine from the beginning—
“Yet how peculiar, Claire Delphin Mascarena. Why are you losing your composure over their interactions?”
“…What?”
In that moment, Claire froze entirely.
“I can understand Altina’s feelings. They’ve trained together in the confined space of the sparring grounds, facing swords with one another, and it would be more surprising if affection didn’t bloom from such circumstances. That’s the way of nature, an inescapable fate.”
“But you? What do you have? To me, your feelings seem utterly staged and unnatural. No, it’s more accurate to say that the enormity of your outcome is overly disproportionate to what it stems from.”
Serika’s expression exuded only ‘perplexity.’ She truly could not grasp Claire’s emotions.
“Of course, human emotions cannot be measured with absolute precision. However, just as one doesn’t randomly fall in love with a passerby, a person needs at least minimal factors and motives to fall for another. But you lack those essential elements.”
Stumble.
Claire unconsciously took a step back at those words. Not wanting to hear any more of it straightforwardly, she turned her head in denial of Serika’s statements.
Yet Serika’s words did not end there, and ultimately, Claire had no choice but to listen.
“You’ve only been helping him while he was ill and shared a few meals, right? So why is the size of your feelings so immense in contrast? And why do you cling to him and gaze at him so fervently?”
“Claire, do you truly have feelings for him?”
“…No, are you sure the emotions you’re currently feeling are indeed yours?”
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