“Hey hey. Hertlocker. Look at this.”
“Don’t touch it······.”
“What? Schlus is scared and holed up in his room? Hahaha!”
“I don’t want to hear it······.”
“At that time, he was fighting the rebel army 1 to 2000 in the Great Forest? What happened? Huh? Huh?”
“······.”
Even when Eric poked him from the side, Hertlocker bit his lip and ignored it.
The headline in the newspaper he shoved into his hands was none other than an article about Schlus Hainkel.
It told the story of Schlus, who fought the rebels alone on his way back after negotiating with the Great Forest.
While Hertlocker had successfully defended the 4th Castle at the same time, he thought for sure Schlus was cowering in a hotel room, trembling, but the reality turned out to be different.
“I always thought it was strange. Does it make sense? That crazy guy hides behind a woman because he’s scared of assassins?”
“So, does that mean he’s someone who would sacrifice himself?”
“Of course.”
“······.”
Hertlocker was left speechless by Eric’s immediate response.
Excluding emotions about that guy and thinking objectively, Schlus wasn’t someone to put his comrades first.
If he leads the charge, he might as well die.
After pondering that, he felt a rising anger.
How can a person always show a brave face?
There are times when one has to run away and look ridiculous when faced with a strong enemy or in danger.
A person governed by superficiality, unable to recognize when to step up or when to hold back, will die quickly.
That’s the rule of this world, yet that crazy Schlus always stands out and never seems to die.
“In the end, Emilia was the prophet.”
Eric chuckled and set the newspaper down.
As soon as he heard that Schlus was holed up in a hotel room, Emilia immediately denied it.
Saying it was absolutely not possible.
Claiming there was surely some misunderstanding.
Even aggressively questioning if anyone had really seen Schlus hiding.
“Prophet, my foot. She just always denies anything bad said about Schlus Hainkel.”
“True.”
“Emilia, I think she’s in danger these days. Don’t you think she’s getting too emotional towards her surveillance target?”
“So what?”
“Huh?”
“Isn’t it good? The more Schlus falls for Emilia, the easier it is for surveillance and controlling him.”
“That’s true, but-”
“Why? Are you jealous as an older brother?”
“Forget it! What kind of conversation is this······. Tch.”
Frustrated, Hertlocker stood up abruptly.
Who would have thought he was a little sister’s boy like this?
Eric smirked and folded up the newspaper.
Just as Hertlocker was about to storm out, he suddenly paused and turned his head slightly.
“I’m only worried about one thing. Just one thing.”
“Huh······?”
“I can’t change Emilia’s heart. I know her stubbornness the best. So I can’t stop her, nor do I intend to. But when Emilia gets frustrated······ I’m worried that she might get hurt so badly she can never stand up again.”
“Why worry about that? First love usually fails. It’s how you grow up.”
“······.”
That’s not the conversation for now.
What if Schlus Hainkel is dead?
No, they were actually discussing what if he was already dead.
The circumstances had piled up to some degree.
Yet it felt like he was the only one doubting Schlus’ death, and Hertlocker let out a sigh.
“Forget it. I’m going now.”
“Be careful. Don’t show your face outside.”
“······.”
Emilia probably hasn’t noticed yet.
Feeling a slight unease, Hertlocker left the shop.
*Thud. Thud. Thud.*
Every time her little shoes hit the ground, a hollow sound echoed.
“He’s gone······.”
Searching through the newspaper, Emilia let out a sigh.
There was no news about Schlus.
Or rather, to be precise, there was plenty of news, but none about his return.
It was strange.
Today marked the seventh day since his departure.
This afternoon, she heard through the Intelligence Agency that Trie, Erica, Iris, and Aintz had all returned to the Duke’s house and the Imperial University dormitory.
Yet only Schlus had not returned.
Of all people, Schlus.
“What’s going on, really······.”
The news about Schlus was surprisingly slow to appear in the media.
Even accounting for time differences, it was late.
Was there a reporting guideline in place?
If that’s true, it could mean that an untimely report could cause significant social turmoil.
For example, the death of a hero supported by the entire nation…
“That doesn’t make sense.”
Emilia shook her head, dismissing the possibility.
There was no way.
Schlus wouldn’t die.
He was always one to devise meticulous plans and couldn’t possibly foresee his own death.
“Could it be······.”
A foreboding thought arose.
What if someone had to die in an unavoidable situation?
What if someone had to be sacrificed?
And if Schlus had anticipated this situation?
He would undoubtedly have sacrificed himself without hesitation.
To save everyone else, he would have planned his own death meticulously.
As she thought of this, everything seemed to fall into place, and Emilia found herself dazed.
“Handkerchief······ it should be around now······.”
The handkerchief she had given Schlus.
She had kept the other handkerchief she’d made that day in her drawer.
Emilia hurriedly dashed into her room and opened the drawer.
“Ah····· ahhh······.”
The mana-infused handkerchief was gradually fading.
The handkerchief, untouched by its owner’s mana for a week, was falling apart, disappearing.
On the same day, Schlus’ handkerchief, infused with the same amount of mana, must have been the same.
“He said he would be back. He said he would come back before the mana ran out······.”
The handkerchief had completely lost its shape.
Now it was just a tiny, invisible clump of mana, unrecognizable as a handkerchief.
Tears dripped from Emilia’s eyes onto it.
“Li— liar······.”
It was certainly a meaningless promise.
Just a joke urging him to come back quickly.
But why?
Why did she feel a betrayal deeper than ever before?
Yet that sense of betrayal transformed into anxiety first.
Perhaps it wasn’t that he failed to keep the promise, but that he could not keep it at all.
“Don’t joke around······. No, it can’t be. Please tell me it isn’t true······.”
Tears poured uncontrollably down her face.
Even trying to stop it was futile.
No matter how much she wiped them, it was as if a dam had burst, and the tears kept flowing.
It felt like her eyes were broken.
She hadn’t even heard the news of Schlus’ obituary yet.
She hasn’t even seen his corpse.
He had even been resurrected once.
Yet, how ridiculous it was to be in such an uproar just because he was late returning.
“Wah····· wahhh······ wahhh·····.”
Even when she tried to force a smile, it turned into an ugly sob.
This was the first time she cried since the war ended.
Even knowing how ugly it was, the tears kept flowing.
Even the kingdom’s best intelligence agent could not control her emotions and was in this state.
Anxiety, fear, and self-loathing smeared together, and Emilia felt her chest ache.
*Thud·····*
“Huh?”
At that moment, footsteps sounded from the entrance downstairs.
Heavy shoe sounds.
Reacting instinctively to the familiar sound, Emilia got ready to jump out.
She faintly heard the sound of the door opening.
Not every door opening sounds the same.
Schlus would initially yank the door open vigorously, then slowly pull it when the annoying creaking sound occurred.
Just like right now…
“No way.”
They say ‘suspense kills a person.’
Knowing how great the sense of betrayal would be when her hope soared high, Emilia pressed her hand on her chest, trying to steady her racing heart.
It might not be Schlus.
It could be someone else.
Telling herself this as she came down the stairs, a bright light poured through the open door.
“Ugh·····.”
Only then did Emilia realize that the mansion was completely dark, with not a single light on.
A black silhouette visible through the flood of light.
Emilia’s eyes widened as she followed the shadow in silhouette.
In an instant, as her eyes adjusted to the light, tears started to flow again.
“I’m back.”
“······!”
It truly was Schlus.
Assuming what she saw wasn’t an illusion.
Emilia smiled broadly as if she hadn’t been crying at all.
She dashed towards the figure she had longed for, rushing into the radiant light.
“Onii-chan!”
“Ugh!”
She hugged him tightly and called out.
It was Schlus’ waist.
He seemed to have lost some weight, but it was definitely Schlus’ voice.
He sounded a bit tired, slightly gasping for breath.
And the gentle hand patting my head…
It was definitely his.
“Why are you so late! You said you’d come back within a week! You said you’d come back before the handkerchief disappeared! It’s been seven days and an hour now!”
“Emilia.”
“You liar! Bad guy! Why did you break your promise! I was anxious! I missed you so much I thought I was going crazy! Just now, I was so scared that this was all a dream, or an illusion······.”
“Emilia, could you please let go for a moment?”
“······?”
Schlus’ voice trembled.
As if he was confused.
Only then did Emilia realize that Schlus was speaking formally, not in the casual tone she was used to during their alone time.
“Um, uh! Attendant? Hello······?”
“······.”
A woman with green hair peeked out from behind Schlus.
Emilia blinked rapidly as she grasped the situation and froze.
“Ah! A guest was here?”
Quickly pulling away from Schlus, she stood up straight.
“I’ve been practicing acting lately. How was it?”
“Ah, it was wonderful. It felt just like lovers reuniting after years······.”
“Really? The practice paid off!”
“Emilia.”
“I’ll go bring some tea!”
Ignoring Schlus’ call, Emilia hurriedly vanished into the inner hall.
Her ears were burning red.
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