The kindness of the awkward you.

The next day, me and Liz attended school as always.

We took our classes seriously in the morning and now, it was the lunch break.

“haaaaaaah……….what do you think Miss Christel, isn’t she just divine?”

“uh, yes!”

Oioi Sheila, please don’t drag Christel to your side as well okay?

She’s already a overly heavy kind of girl. Worst case, she actually might start worshipping Liz as a goddess or something………ah.

“I-I see……….it is indeed as you say Lady Sheila. Lady Lizbeth is indeed simply precious and peerless!”

“You do get it after all! We are comrades now!”

Both Sheila and Christel clasped hands with vigour.

Looks like it’s already too late for her. Seriously, what are you doing.

“Apologies, we strayed from the topic at hand. So anyway, we talked with a bunch of the girls in our class last evening and among them, there were indeed a couple of girls that had been approached by Wilhelm with the same kind of offer as me.”

“Oh?”

Hearing Christel’s report, I leaned forward.

I knew it. That bastard really did trick others too.

“Yes. In exchange for giving Wilhelm a bunch of advantages here, he offered the support of his family to them.”

“hmm…..”

Of course, Christel herself confirmed this with her own case but even so, there was something inside me that wasn’t completely convinced of it all.

In the first place, even if he was the heir, how could he so easily and freely offer support to other families in his family’s name?

And also, it was the case with the Svensson family as well but, why do they all so readily agree to that man’s words……..?

“Hey, Lady Christel. Why did your family accept Wilhelm’s terms so quickly? Of course, I know that your family was in a tough spot but still…….”

“………..well that’s because Wilhelm gave a sealed letter with his family’s insignia on it offering his family’s support, so we thought it was legitimate. We even confirmed it just in case but, it was indeed the seal of Duke Svalier………”

“I see………”

Normally speaking, it’s hard for me to accept that the Duke was directly involved in everything that Wilhelm was doing here.

Above all, would the Duke really offer all that just so Wilhelm could have a higher status in an academy?

“………..as I thought, something weird is happening at the Svalier household.”

“Lord Rudy………?”

“Eh…………? Ah, aah, no, sorry, I was just speaking my thoughts out loud.”

“I-is that so……..”

Seeing me so blatantly avoid the topic, Liz seemed to have sensed something as well.

That is, this was not something I wanted to discuss here, on this terrace, in front of the other two.

“Now then, let’s stop the talks here. The break will be over soon so let’s actually eat before that happens.”

“Yes!”

And so, we enjoyed our nice meals and some casual chat for the rest of the lunch break.

.

.

“7238………..7239………”

That night, I was doing my daily routine practice swings at the training area.

The number had far crossed my usual daily count of 5000.

To be honest, part of me wanted to believe that I was simply overthinking things and my fears were groundless.

But……..the look in Maya’s amethyst eyes last night proved that I was indeed correct.

“7246………7247……..”

I swung again, and again, fully devoted to repeating the same swinging motion over and over.

It was then.

“Lord Rudy.”

“Liz……”

Liz appeared in her training garb.

“Did you perhaps forget your promise yesterday already?”

“Eh………..? ah, ahaha, of course not. I totally remembered it.”

Yep, that was a lie.

My head was so filled with Maya’s case that I had completely forgotten it.

“Then, as promised, may I have this duel?”

Saying that, Liz took a stance with her spear.

“Wh-what do I do now?……..I don’t mean to runaway but, umm, can we maybe, you know, postpone it to tomorrow……….ah, should’ve known…….”

As expected, Liz was in no mood to let me off.

Honestly, with how my current mind is, I was bound to get hurt, and not to mention, I’d feel bad for Liz so I wanted to avoid this.

“Then all the more so. If Lord Rudy is not feeling up to it right now, it is my duty to reinvigorate your spirits after all.”

Ah………I ended up lighting a fire under Liz instead.

Now that it’s come to this, I have no choice but to fight.

“Very well. Then, please do me the honours.”

“yes………here I come!!”

And from then on, me and Liz continued to fight continuously for the next 2 hours.

Under the shining full moon up in the night sky, my body lay unmoving on the ground, driven to this state from the relentless attacks from Liz’s spear that assaulted my whole body. I was but a mere dust cloth, used and abused before being thrown away on the ground.

Basically, Liz fully got her revenge.

But.

“ah………..ahaha………seriously you are truly, as awkward as always huh………”

“Whatever do you mean.”

“See? That’s exactly what I mean……….”

She showed no signs of fatigue, and her expression remained unchanged, as her aquamarine eyes continued to look down at me.

But, I know. The real reason Liz so forcefully pushed me to have this match was not actually to get her revenge for last night.

It was to cheer me up, knowing full well that I’d be suffering from very complex emotions over the case with Maya.

This was her being considerate. Making sure that I didn’t waste time thinking about unnecessary things.

“H-however, when you actually get serious Liz, I really am no match for you huh…….”

“What are you even talking about? Amongst the people my age, Lord Rudy, you are the only one who can actually keep up with me when I get serious.”

“Ahahaha, thanks………”

Thinking back now, seriously how did I manage to win against her a couple months ago when I was even weaker than I am right now?

Of course, I planned on fighting her as many times it would take even if I had lost the first time but still……..ah.

“Liz………”

“Lord Rudy………..My dear Lord Rudy……..you are always so kind, so gentle, yet so much stronger than everyone else. You are truly, my everything. That’s why………please, don’t feel so down about it all.”

“Thank you Liz……..You are my everything too……..”

Liz gave me a lap pillow and gently caressed my hair.

And before I knew it, I slowly slipped into a quiet slumber.

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