Lobelia had recently been feeling unsettled.
It wasn’t that she felt good or that she felt bad.
“Why did I do that?”
It’s not like she lied.
Those were things that had actually happened that night.
However, Lobelia could have pushed Johan away.
Even if he was injured, she could have easily shaken him off without hurting him.
But she didn’t.
She couldn’t just stand by and watch a man, more vulnerable than she had ever seen him, shrinking in on himself.
“The man who even gave up half his lifespan for me… seeing him tremble in fear like that.”
She had truly gone mad.
She must have been completely blinded by love.
“But still…”
Lobelia let out a deep sigh as she wiped her face dry.
She knew she had done something wrong.
“Isn’t Johan also at fault for leaving room for this?”
Lobelia was shameless.
The self-centered mindset unique to imperial members naturally led her to a way of avoiding the issue.
Yes, she was at fault for not pushing him away—
But Johan was also at fault for pulling her into his arms, even if he had lost consciousness.
He had left an opening.
Thinking that way made her feel a little better.
“Hmm…”
Of course, even that shamelessness couldn’t completely erase her guilt.
The image of a white-haired girl flickered before her eyes.
Ariel Ether—
Her closest and most trusted friend.
Every time her face came to mind, Lobelia flinched.
Because it felt like she was committing a sin.
“No, no… not yet.”
Johan had left an opening.
Lobelia seized the opportunity.
She could move the relationship forward at any time, but she could also choose not to.
If they simply dismissed it as a one-time mistake and never spoke of it again, there would be no reason to cross that line.
“Maybe I should get some fresh air.”
Lobelia decided to leave her room. Ever since Johan left, she had been spending most of her time there.
“Yeah… that would be better.”
Staying in a room still filled with Johan’s scent was the problem to begin with.
She shook her head vigorously, trying to drive away the improper thoughts filling her mind.
“Remember this, Lobelia. If you’re human, you must not cross the line.”
She repeated the resolve to herself again and again.
She couldn’t become someone shameless.
With that firm determination, Lobelia left her room—
And within 30 minutes, she heard a certain rumor.
“Huh?”
It was a scandal involving Alice and Johan.
It had spread so widely that it sounded as if everyone in the Empire already knew.
Her blood ran cold. She couldn’t possibly forgive it.
“How dare he?”
Lobelia felt hurt.
Even though he wasn’t her man to begin with, it felt like hearing a rumor that her lover had cheated on her—
A deep sense of betrayal.
Johan Damus… does he leave openings for just anyone?
A bitter sense of betrayal.
Clenching her fist, Lobelia set out to find Johan Damus.
***
Anything related to Alice is my sore spot.
In the past, I pretended otherwise and tried to defend myself, but in the end, Mephistopheles’ cunning schemes completely shattered that self-defense.
I could no longer say that I didn’t even remember Alice’s face.
Nor could I claim I didn’t know because I was young.
So much time had passed that I couldn’t even tell myself I was okay anymore.
“You bastard!”
“Wh-What?! Why are you hitting me? Huh…?”
I smacked Mephi on the head while she was sprawled out on my bed taking a nap.
This one is the root of all evil.
She’s the one who made my mental state so fragile.
Sure, because of that I made various resolutions and grew, but still…
“If you really thought that, you should’ve just made a contract!”
“How dare you not reflect on what you’ve done?”
Who told you to read my thoughts however you like? You should be apologizing!
“Stop hitting me! That hurts!”
As Mephi curled up and tried to protect her head, I kept finding openings and smacking her over and over again.
Acting pitiful won’t work! You wicked little demon!
“Phew…”
After venting my anger like that for a while, I felt a bit better.
I had some room to breathe again.
“Just go bring about the end of the world yourself.”
“I won’t.”
Mephi slumped over, sniffling.
This girl’s still pretending to be pitiful?
No matter how much she acts like that, it doesn’t change the fact that she’s a demon who has tried to deceive me countless times.
I won’t be fooled.
“Now that I think about it, I’m getting mad again.”
“I-I was wrong! Don’t hit me!”
“Oh yeah? What exactly did you do wrong?”
“Th-That is, um…”
“You were trying to lie your way out of this again! You demon! You lie every time you open your mouth!”
“Aaaagh!”
I will never be fooled.
This girl seems to think she can get away with anything just by being cute, but I’m going to make sure she learns deep in her bones that that’s not the case.
“Ugh, you should consider yourself lucky. I’m busy, so I’m letting this slide.”
“Th-Thank you.”
Unfortunately, I don’t have time to worry about someone like Mephi right now.
What matters is the scandal spreading between the Oracle and me.
I couldn’t contain it. Cattleya’s scheme, clearly intended to screw me over, left me with no way out.
I even went to confront her directly, but it was useless.
She kept changing the subject, and before I knew it, she had kicked me out.
In the end, what I was able to learn from talking with Cattleya was that Count Python was closer to a villain than I had thought.
I hadn’t considered him a good person to begin with, so it didn’t particularly move me.
“Now then, what should I do…?”
Honestly, there’s no point in correcting the rumor at this stage. The problem was that it had spread in the first place.
What matters is whether the rumor reached Yuna and Ariel.
Since the rumor had already spread enough to reach Yuna and Ariel, there was no way out for me.
“Johan~ I’m back.”
And at last, Yuna was discharged.
Having made a clean recovery through Helena’s treatment, Yuna wore a bright smile on her face, one I hadn’t seen in a while.
“Were you lonely without me?”
Yuna greeted me as if nothing had happened, and that alone made her feel like the calm before a storm. It was terrifying.
“Yuna, it’s a misunderstanding.”
“Hmm? What is?”
Yuna tilted her head.
She walked over with a look as if she were about to watch something strange and sat down right on my bed.
What? Did she not hear the rumor?
No, that’s wishful thinking.
She might know everything and just be pretending not to, to see how I react.
If it’s Yuna, keeping a poker face like that would be nothing.
In that case, there’s only one stance I can take.
“I was wrong. But Yuna, really, nothing happened that day. The rumors are all nonsense. No, it’s just that when I went to the imperial palace, I got cursed, and because of that my condition…”
I went on and on, explaining.
Even while apologizing, I must not forget to make it clear that I’ve been wronged.
I can’t just become the culprit like this. Of course, it’s true that I failed to manage myself when the rumor spread.
But there was truly nothing as suspicious as people were saying.
“Johan.”
“Yes.”
“It’s okay. That kind of thing can happen.”
“Right, should I kneel first?”
There’s no way it’s actually okay.
I dropped to my knees before Yuna could even give the order.
“Johan.”
“Yes.”
“Don’t use honorifics.”
“Okay.”
“I’m really fine. So you don’t need to feel that guilty.”
“……”
Really?
Honestly, at this point, it should be about time for her to start showing her true colors.
And yet, Yuna let out a deep sigh as if nothing was wrong.
But I didn’t feel relieved.
How should I put it? It felt like she had finally given up on a problem child in the family.
“I promised I wouldn’t get anxious anymore. So really, it’s okay.”
“……”
Hearing her speak as if she understood only made it harder for me to lift my head.
I felt unbearably small.
“And honestly, I expected things would turn out like this with the Oracle.”
“……Huh?”
“So I’d already sorted out my feelings early on, thinking it couldn’t be helped.”
What is she even talking about?
“Yuna, wait, just listen to me. It’s not like that.”
“What do you mean it’s not? Anyone can tell you keep paying attention to that woman, Johan.”
“No, I mean, I did pay attention to her, but not in that way. You know that. If anything, I was uncomfortable because she reminded me of Alice.”
“Johan, there’s a word in this world called love-hate. Have you heard of it?”
“If you think I’m some complete idiot, stop right there.”
“Come on, as if I would.”
As if soothing a sulking child, Yuna pulled me into an embrace and began patting me. She wasn’t treating me like an idiot. She was treating me like a kid.
But honestly, being held like this didn’t feel bad, so I didn’t resist.
“So, this topic is over!”
“Right…”
Well, if she’s not angry, then that’s all that matters.
Yuna had grown more mature. I could feel it clearly in that brief moment.
***
They say there’s always another mountain to climb.
Fortunately, Yuna showed me leniency, but the other side is different.
Unlike Yuna, Ariel still has a strong sense of possessiveness.
If I want to explain things properly to her, I’d better be prepared.
If Ariel starts crying and so much as swings her hand once, the dorm will be split in half….and my body along with it.
The power of an archmage, especially a battle mage specialized in firepower, is no joke.
If it’s Ariel, she could probably wipe out an entire city on her own.
“Don’t worry, Johan.”
“Yuna, I’m counting on you.”
If there’s at least one saving grace, it’s that Yuna is on my side.
A rumor is just a rumor, and nothing actually happened between the Oracle and me. If I say it, it sounds like an excuse. But if Yuna says it, it becomes a defense.
“What should I do? I’m nervous.”
“Then why did you call her?”
“They say it’s better to get the beating over with sooner rather than later.”
I sent Ariel a message asking if she could meet today.
Since she said she’d make time, she’ll come find me within the day.
In fact, it took effort just to stop her from coming immediately.
Knock, knock.
Before long, I heard knocking.
Not at the door. But at the window.
“A, Ari—”
Just as I was about to open the window for her, the latch seemed to undo itself, and the window opened on its own.
“Hello.”
“L-Long time no see, Ariel.”
What was that just now? Since when could she use such ghost-like abilities?
Ariel had just manipulated something beyond a closed space with telekinesis.
It was a chilling ability.
With this, Ariel could commit a locked-room murder anytime she wanted.
“Johan, I heard a certain rumor.”
“I called you because I wanted to explain that it’s a misunderstanding.”
“Is that so? I thought you called me because you wanted to see me.”
“Of course I wanted to see you too. But, Ariel, I always want you to be at ease. I can’t call you, who’s busy, just for my own desires. I called you this time because I was worried you might feel troubled because of me…”
I rattled off the excuses I had prepared for this very moment.
Fortunately, Ariel listened to me calmly.
She was more composed than I had expected.
Maybe I was the only one taking it so seriously. Our relationship had already changed a lot compared to before.
It might have been my overreaction.
“Johan.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll trust you, Johan. It’s only natural to believe what you tell me directly rather than some rumor, right?”
Ariel smiled softly and naturally sat down beside me.
“More than that, today I’d like you to encourage me. I’ve been very tired today as well.”
“If it’s something I can do, I’ll do as much as you need.”
I gently placed my hand on Ariel’s shoulder and pulled her closer.
Ariel naturally fell into my arms and smiled faintly.
“Hmm.”
At that, Yuna who had been sitting in front of us looked over with half-closed eyes.
Was she jealous?
Yuna, who had been looking at me with a sullen expression, soon grinned as if she had thought of something amusing.
And the moment she slowly rose from her chair.
“Johan Damus! After doing that to me, how can you, not even a day later, do that with another woman…!”
Lobelia burst in, kicking the door open, and looking furious.
And the moment Lobelia’s gaze met Ariel’s.
“…….”
A chilling silence settled over the room.
Lobelia avoided eye contact.
Ariel turned her gaze toward me.
Even Yuna froze with her smile still on her face.
“……I can explain everything.”
Yeah, I should have known things were going too smoothly.
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