Chapter 51
“Anyway, I was really shocked. That rat— I mean, Valentino — was actually the pet rat Sophia’s father used to raise.”
“Sigh, seriously… I never imagined my dad would come to the village. He’s already settled in the village he moved to, but he said he dropped all his important deals and orders and came running down here. And he didn’t even discuss it with me— he came secretly!”
Sophia let out a long sigh as she complained.
It turned out that the strange fruit-skewer vendor they met at the marketplace had been Sophia’s father. When Sophia had spotted Valentino — who had come down with Lunatis — she’d made a face like she’d seen a ghost. I thought she might have a history of being bitten by that ill-tempered rat.
“Haha… I guess your father was worried about you living alone, Sophia.”
Still, I felt a little relieved to know that Sophia wasn’t truly alone. Since she works at the Association, Gerald’s father, Viscount Rasben, could do something to her at any time.
“See you again, Zoe. Mr. Luan!”
“Yes! Well, then… shall we go, Luan?”
I was about to ride Ruby’s back and head home when Luan hesitated and called my name.
“…Zoe.”
“Why? Are you not feeling well? Should I try absorbing the m–”
“No, I’m fine. I came back right away anyway.”
Last night, I had been fast asleep when the system sent an emergency alert, so I rushed toward the source of the huge magic energy— and found Luan transformed into a beast.
But in the end, I failed to absorb the magic energy and passed out, and when I woke up, everything was already over.
Remembering the early morning situation, I bit my lip in shame.
Not once, but twice I’d lost consciousness. My pride as a once-excellent beast tamer had been scratched straight down the middle.
“So you’re really telling me that this time, it wasn’t me-but-not-me who appeared and solved everything?”
“Yes. When I came to my senses, I was already back in my original form.”
“Well… I suppose it’s fortunate the village wasn’t harmed…”
It was truly strange.
That damn beast had basically wrecked my sweet home, and yet the surroundings were clean, and everyone— me, Ruby, and Luan — was unharmed.
So I thought maybe the me-who-is-me-but-not-me solved it again while I was unconscious…
But even when I asked Ruby, who had witnessed everything, she only avoided my eyes and pretended not to know.
“More importantly, Zoe. I have something to tell you.”
As my thoughts drifted here and there, Luan’s low voice pierced my ear.
“…What is it?”
Why was he making such a serious face?
I’d actually been worried all day— he’d been quieter than usual, and his expression had been strangely troubled.
“I originally planned to leave once the repairs on your house were finished, but… something urgent came up. So it’s sudden, but I’ll have to say goodbye here.”
“What? This suddenly…? Luan, what if you turn into a beast again?”
“That won’t happen now. I’ve found a way to break the curse.”
“Wow, really? That’s great!”
Finding the key to breaking Luan’s curse was definitely something worth celebrating.
But for some reason, my mood sank.
I forced myself to speak calmly, pretending it didn’t bother me.
“So… does that mean I won’t get to see you again?”
My question was filled with poorly hidden disappointment.
I’d finally made a friend here, and just when I’d started getting attached… we had to part.
“Haha, so you are disappointed at the thought of not seeing me?”
“Yes. I am.”
Instead of denying it, I answered honestly. Luan’s eyes widened a little, then he looked down at me again.
There was still something complicated in his gaze— something I couldn’t quite name.
As if choosing his words carefully, Luan parted his lips with effort.
“We’re parting only for a little while. Once I finish my urgent task… I will definitely come back to see you, Zoe.”
“Really? You promise.”
Suppressing my disappointment, I extended a hand toward him.
Then Luan naturally lifted my hand and kissed the back of it.
“Uh…”
The soft touch of his lips made my face heat up instantly.
N-no, I meant for us to shake hands…
It must be a cultural difference.
Yes. Ahem. This is just a noble’s greeting. That’s all.
“Is something wrong?”
“N-no… Ah, right! Let me return this necklace.”
Flustered, I twisted my hand free and handed Luan the pair of butterfly necklaces.
I did like them because they were pretty, but with protective magic cast on them, they must be ridiculously valuable, so I decided to give them back properly.
“……”
Holding the necklace, Luan suddenly stepped close to me.
Click. He fastened the necklace back around my neck before stepping away again.
“I’d like you to keep it, Zoe.”
“Keep it…? But this looks extremely expensive… I really can’t accept something like this.”
“For something like that, your lips are curving up quite a bit, Zoe.”
Luan’s eyes curved as he caught the split-second of worldly desire on my face.
Ahh, this is the problem with perceptive eighteen-year-olds…
“It’s fine. Compared to everything I owe you, this is a very small token of gratitude.”
“Well… in that case, I’ll take it. I’m not the type who refuses gifts, after all.”
“That, I know quite well.”
I grinned ear-to-ear and toyed with the twin butterfly pendant.
Ahem, just think of it as collateral for (compensation fees).
“Zoe, there is one last thing I want to tell you.”
The smile vanished from Luan’s face as he spoke in a low voice.
“What is it?”
“My true identity.”
What, what— his true identity?!
He was finally going to tell me the truth about himself?
That I’m actually a secret illegitimate child of the imperial family? Is he really just going to spill that kind of thing casually?
The thought that Luan trusted me made me smile unintentionally.
I looked at him with the expression, “Go on, I’m ready to accept everything!”
“Yes, yes, tell me.”
“Sorry for deceiving you, Zoe. My real name is…”
His real name is—?! What is it?!
The empire’s last name was Valterga, so was it something like Luan von Valterga… a royal name?!
“…Lucian Fenrister.”
Ooh, Lucian Fenrister…!
Who’s that?
With a puzzled expression, I tilted my head.
At this point, I had overlooked one very important fact:
I had zero knowledge about this world.
So even if he told me his real name, how would I possibly know who it was?!
“Oh, Lucian… Fenrister? Uh… um… a— a noble? You’re a noble, right? I figured as much! Hahaha…”
I used the Art of Vague Deflection™, and Luan, startled, asked again:
“Zoe… do you not know the Fenrister family?”
“Hahaha… I—I’ve been living in the countryside, so, uh… I don’t really know much about the world. Haha, sorry. But Lucian Fenrister! Wow, it sounds nice and cool!”
Oh no. I’m doomed. Completely doomed.
I rolled my eyes around and just spat out whatever came to mind.
Then, watching me, Luan suddenly burst into laughter.
“…Pfft.”
Luan laughed as if he were releasing all ten years’ worth of laughter right there.
He bent his back, laughing loudly, and I stared off into empty space.
Enough. Stop laughing, you eighteen-year-old brat…
When his laughter finally began to subside, I spoke stiffly.
“…Are you done laughing now?”
“Hahaha— ha… I’m sorry, Zoe. You never fail to exceed my expectations.”
“Sorry for being a rustic country girl.”
You manipulative little noble brat.
These damn aristocrats…
“Haha, you’re thinking ‘damn noble brat,’ aren’t you, Zoe?”
What the— how did he know? Does he read minds too?
“Wow… you can read minds?”
“Pfft!”
Luan burst into laughter again.
I fixed my gaze on his left shin.
“If you don’t want your left shin kicked, stop laughing.”
“Haha, alright.”
Wiping away tears that had welled up from laughing so hard, Luan continued:
“Zoe, if you don’t mind… could you keep calling me Luan?”
