WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Dionysus
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 265: Nice to Meet You (3)
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'The atmosphere feels strange.'
Baron Harun Farreira thought that as he stepped into the spacious, well-lit guest room.
Under normal circumstances, he would have washed up briefly the moment he returned home, then settled in for a calm teatime with his wife.
They would have talked about the impressive figure their son had cut at the royal palace, and about the young lady their son seemed to have his heart set on.
Not that the current situation was completely different.
One way or another, the mood had made it easy enough to broach the latter topic.
The baron, however, could not be the one steering the conversation.
"Well then, let's begin the emergency meeting. Mr. Brett Lloyd?"
"Kiril, isn't it about time you started calling me big brother?"
"I've found myself in a situation I never could have imagined, so could you explain what is going on? Why are Big Sis Illia and Mr. Lloyd here?"
"Then that is where we should begin."
Kiril Farreira, who was leading the meeting, posed the question, and Lloyd Territory's eldest son explained the situation as though it were only natural.
The entire exchange flowed so smoothly that Baron Farreira did not even dare think of cutting in.
Like his wife and Lulu, he remained silent and immersed himself in the story.
Only Airen Farreira sat there looking as though he might jump out of his skin.
"...That's the story so far. Though, there is something I would like to hear as well."
"Which part?"
"What happened after you left Lloyd Territory. It seems something happened between Airen and Illia in the meantime..."
"Hmm, all right. Sharing information will make it easier to discuss what to do going forward."
'What do we need to do?'
Airen cast another bewildered look around, but nobody paid it any mind.
The meeting continued, and Kiril quickly explained what had happened at House Lindsay.
She was not quite as eloquent as Brett, but she was not a poor speaker either, so nobody had trouble following along.
And so Brett, Kiril, Lulu, and Baron and Baroness Farreira all came to fully understand the subtle undercurrent between Airen and Illia.
No, on second thought, it was not subtle at all.
It was only subtle and confusing to the two people involved.
To everyone watching from the outside, their romantic feelings were so obvious and unmistakable that they wanted to scream.
Airen Farreira, who had been forced to attend the meeting, came to understand not only his own heart better, but Illia Lindsay's feelings for him as well.
"Airen Farreira."
"...Yeah."
"You're not going to keep hesitating even after all this, are you?"
Brett Lloyd asked with a solemn expression.
It was not his question alone.
Brett was the one who had voiced it.
But Lulu, Kiril, and even Baron and Baroness Farreira, who were hearing the full story for the first time, were all pressuring Airen with the same expectant look and the same thought.
The blond young man, no, the boy, offered no rebuttal.
He knew that now was the time for him to act.
'Thinking about it, I already knew.'
It was true.
Just as he liked Illia, he already knew that she had feelings for him too.
There was no way he could not have known.
The way she looked at him.
The way her tone changed only for him.
The soft expression she showed only him.
And more certain than any of that, all the things that had happened at the ball.
Yet he still could not find that certainty or take the final step forward because he lacked courage.
'Just like back when I was the lazy lord...'
Airen thought back on his childhood.
He remembered being afraid, frightened, worn down, and exhausted, doing nothing at all and sinking deeper and deeper into that pit as a result.
He remembered how he had been pushed into starting, but eventually picked up the sword, swung it, fell, and collided with obstacles, gradually improving as he found the courage to keep going.
That was right.
The better course of action was already clear.
There was no need to hesitate any longer.
Just as Illia Lindsay had flown a long way on her Griffin and expressed her feelings, even with the help of alcohol, Airen needed to be honest as well.
Rather than stepping back in fear or standing there frozen, he needed to move forward.
Having gathered his thoughts, Airen nodded.
He looked around at everyone and spoke in a firm voice.
"I'm going to confess."
"Oh!"
"Ohhh."
"Good! You made the right choi..."
"...But."
After hearing Lulu, Brett, and Kiril cheer, Airen Farreira belatedly added in a far less confident voice.
"...How exactly should I confess?"
"..."
"..."
"I can't just go to her out of the blue and do it... I mean, shouldn't I think of something she'd like? And I think I need to prepare something too..."
"Haah..."
Kiril sighed as the mood abruptly darkened.
It was not hard to understand.
When it came to love, her brother was more timid, fearful, and frustrating than anyone.
Naturally, even a single action made him overthink, and it was only natural for those thoughts to turn toward worry.
'Right now, oppa is probably imagining nothing but futures where the confession goes horribly wrong and everything becomes unbearably awkward.'
The opposite could easily happen too.
No, before that, Airen had not even considered the simple fact that Illia would be happy no matter what form his confession took, as long as he confessed.
The problem was that her brother was not the type to listen simply because someone told him, "Just do it, you idiot!"
"Hoo..."
Kiril let out another sigh.
What should she do?
How could she turn her frustrating, endlessly worried brother into someone brimming with confidence?
She was still turning that over when Brett Lloyd, who had remained quiet for a moment, looked at Airen and spoke.
"Airen, drop the pointless worrying."
"Huh?"
"A confession is merely a means of bringing a relationship to fruition. I would not say it has no meaning in itself, but..."
"..."
"If that worry makes you forget what truly matters and take a step back, then I think that is a bigger problem than making a mess of the confession itself. Airen."
Brett called his friend's name again.
Airen did not answer.
That did not matter. His eyes were more serious than ever.
After meeting that gaze for a few seconds, Brett spoke again.
"Nobody gets it right from the start. Think back to when you first picked up a sword. It was a mess, embarrassingly bad, barely deserving to be called swordsmanship... Yet now, you are a Sword Master."
"..."
"Love is the same. Just get started, face obstacles, and put in the effort. You will gradually improve. Fortunately, Illia is kind enough to understand whatever foolish things you do. You have me, Kiril, and your parents here. There are plenty of people who will give you advice when you are lost and wandering. So..."
Quit the pointless worrying and start thinking about what truly mattered.
That was as far as Brett Lloyd's words went.
"..."
"..."
"..."
The room fell silent.
Brett, who had finished speaking, Airen, who had taken in the advice, and everyone else remained quiet.
Time passed little by little.
But it was not a worried kind of silence.
Lulu watched everyone with her tail swaying gently.
'You've really changed a lot, Airen.'
Someone might argue against the thoughts of this cat versed in Sorcery.
They might say he had been just as indecisive and hesitant back then as he was now, so wasn't he still the same?
That in the end, he still could not take even one step forward without someone else's help?
But that was not true.
The fifteen-year-old lazy lord had only his family. Now, there were far more people by his side.
None of it had fallen from the sky like a gift. It was the result of years of effort and relationships he had built over time.
Brett poured out heartfelt advice to Airen because Airen had also given his all to Brett.
And Lulu felt joy at the sight because Airen had always sincerely wished for her happiness too.
In other words.
Everyone was helping Airen move forward now, encouraging and cheering him on without holding back because...
'Thinking about it, this is the result of Airen treating everyone well and putting in the effort.'
That was probably why Illia had fallen for Airen as well.
Having thought that far, Lulu smiled like a human.
It was not easy in the form of a cat, but she simply wanted to.
Everyone was smiling, as though they had sensed the growth of someone dear to them.
Sure enough, Airen Farreira, who had been sitting with his head slightly bowed, lifted it and looked around at everyone.
His expression seemed somewhat refreshed, though he still carried a trace of tension. At last, he spoke.
"Thank you, everyone. I feel like my head is much clearer. I think... I can confess properly, too."
"So..."
"Would you all help me just a little more?"
At Airen's following words, everyone's smiles deepened even further.
There was no way they could refuse.
A moment later, the meeting resumed with Airen taking a far more active role.
* * *
"Agh, aaah!"
Thump!
Thwump!
Illia Lindsay, having fled from that moment of crisis, repeatedly kicked away her blanket.
Maybe it had all been a dream.
Maybe she had drunk too much and seen things that were not there.
Clinging to that hope, she had returned to her room and tried to sleep, but reality was merciless.
When she woke, she was greeted by the unbelievable truth that yesterday had actually happened.
That was why Illia kept kicking her blanket.
She simply could not lie still.
A deep sigh escaped her lips.
"Haah..."
What should she do now?
Should she flee back to her family home?
She did not want that either.
She had finally met Airen. Returning home without even speaking to him properly was not what she wanted at all.
Somehow, she needed to ease this awkward atmosphere and return to a natural relationship as though nothing had happened.
That was what Illia wanted.
Of course, she had not yet thought of a way to do that.
"Ughhh, ugh..."
Thump! Thump!
Thwump!
Pop!
"...Ah, it burst."
She was tormenting the innocent blanket and about to sink deeper into despair when a knock sounded at the door.
Illia did not react.
At the moment, she was afraid of many things. Amelia Farreira scared her. Baron Harun Farreira scared her.
Even Airen Farreira, the person she wanted to see more than anyone, felt overwhelming to face right then.
Fortunately, it was none of them.
Swoosh!
Lulu, the black cat who had slipped inside using Sorcery, spoke.
"Miss Illia Lindsay."
"H-huh?"
Illia looked startled.
Lulu's tone was completely unlike her usual voice, and her outfit was equally unusual.
A stylish suit tailored to a cat's body, a bow tie around her neck, and an adorable little hat.
She looked like a banquet attendant or the manager of a high-class restaurant. Illia was about to say something when Lulu continued.
"Young Lord Airen Farreira asked me to convey a message. If it would not be an imposition, he would like to spend the day with Miss Illia Lindsay. He asks that you grant him the honor of escorting the lady."
"..."
"Will you accept the invitation?"
The cat stared up at her with sparkling eyes.
It was an adorable sight that nobody could look away from.
But Illia Lindsay's eyes were fixed somewhere farther away.
After staring blankly for a moment, thinking of someone, she finally gave her answer.
"...Yeah."
Her face was deeply flushed, unlike her usual self.
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