I didn't go back home on purpose during vacation.
Instead, he stayed at the academy and worked as a librarian. It's a part-time job for a commoner, but he needed money, too.
Fortunately, some of the aristocrats also said, "You have to work in person," so everyone only looked at "Lazia is desolate as expected."
- How come you don't come back?
- We'll forget face.
Such letters came, but he still ignored them.
'Forgetting your face.'
No way.
He still remembered clearly. A little girl standing on the skirt of his stepmother.
'No, the other way around?'
That means Ran forgets my face.
'That doesn't really matter.'
Thinking about it, he folded the letter. The contents of the letter were always detailed, so he could see clearly what was going on in the Sky House now.
I don't feel the need to go back to check the atmosphere.
"Eustaf."
Then the door opened and Caruso came in.
"You'll be asked to visiting room."
"Visiting?"
When he saw Caruso with his curious eyes, Caruso laughed.
"I think it's your sister. Gold hair and emerald eyes. I saw she enter the visitor's room on my way up. Won't it be aired soon?"
"No way."
Simply, Eustaf denied. Ran couldn't have come here. No matter how much she is....
But, no way, maybe.
Such suspicions crept up on one side of his head. Then, the broadcast came out just in time. I was surprised at first by the sound of magic, but now I'm used to it.
Magic was new to him, too. A wizardless duke.
That's because it's Lazia.
[Eustaf Laban de Lazia, student Eustaf Laban de Lazia, please come down to the visiting room now]
The broadcast was repeated twice, and Eustaf was full of energy.
'You really came?'
Indeed, Ran has come all the way here. She's down here in the visiting room. Eustaf bit his lips and turned his body to the desk. Caruso was embarrassed.
"Hey, didn't you hear what just came out?"
"...."
Eustaf remained silent and consistent. Time passed and another broadcast came out, but he didn't move. Rather, it was the roommates who were restless.
Eventually, he visited Eustaf, who said, "I won't go down." The servant returned with a perplexed look.
'That's end.'
Eustaf thought so and opened the desk drawer. It contained letters from Ran. He'd gathered like this somewhere. There was no letter that I read only once.
But this kind of letter is over now. If I think about it this time, I wondered whether it would come out ugly with its true colors or strange bitterness.
Eustaf looked out the window. I could see the sunset falling slowly. The golden sun melted in the crimson twilight was clear.
Eustaf thought of Ran without realizing it. I always thought of gold when I saw it. It was hard to find blonde like her even when I came to Academy.
Eustaf closed his eyes. The scene of the bright light lingered inside the eyes.
I couldn't sleep how it was that night.
*******
On the second day, I received a long letter that Ran had left behind.
Eustaf opened the letter without realizing that he had taken a deep breath.
Maybe it's like an insulation, or maybe there's cursing or cursing written on it?
Reading the letter with such thoughts, he became despondent.
Of course, resentment was written. - Hey, you bad boy.
The letter that started like this and ended with 'See you next time.'
'How come.'
Are you asking someone to write you a letter? How else could you do this? Isn't it someone else who looks like you who came to the visiting room yesterday?
That's what I thought. That's not the case....
The letter came again steadily.
Eustaf sometimes held up a pen, but eventually did not reply. He couldn't understand Ran at all, so he thought it was a trap.
Then, on the third day of her visit, Eustaf went down to the visiting room with the obvious excuse that he had suffered from the torch of Caruso and Daryl.
And as he came up, locking the door and listening to her embarrassed voice behind him, he immediately ran up the stairs and felt his heart beating fast.
'That's the kind of face she had.'
It was so different from the face he remembered. I thought a short time passed, but it must have been long enough.
Ran was no longer a young girl holding the skirt in his memory. She wasn't even a grumpy person. She wasn't even the one who shared snacks.
Eustaf roughly swept his hair with both hands and leaned against the door. If I went in like this, my roommates would talk loudly again.
Eustaf closed his eyes.
It was not long after that that the news of the death of his parents and younger brother came.
*******
"Don't kill me."
I couldn't speak for a moment. Eustaf looked at Ran lying in bed. The news I heard as soon as I returned home was that Ran collapsed.
Falling down from overwork.
It was emotional and something soared. Anger? Or What? He sat by her bed, unaware of what it was like. Under the cloudy light, Ran had a dull face at a glance. When I saw her at the funeral, she was crying and her eyes were swollen.
"I'll do my best....."
Spitting out small, Ran fell asleep again. Eustaf couldn't say anything. She is completely disarmed and tells him not to kill her by sticking out her hands and thrusting her neck.
'Are you asking me to take care of it or not?'
Eustaf turned to the papers. Ran's ice correction project was already speeding up. The funds will be used to pay off the debts, but Eustaf wanted to spend more than anything else on getting The Viridescent Shadow back on track.
'Information is important. It's even worse in this countryside.'
It's two steps slow because it's far from the capital, and if the information is dark, There's The Viridescent Shadow. As Eustaf who experienced the academy, I wanted to avoid such a thing.
'They'll find out if they take the money away.'
I wanted to hide as much as possible from Ran about The Viridescent Shadow.
This is the only one he has. It was a lot of fun to see Lan, who woke up two days in the morning, turning red as he panicked, saying, "Wasn't it a dream?"
'Normal, shall I say?'
It would be great if she could do this with acting.
Since then, I couldn't shake my eyes more and more as I got closer. Laughing, crying, angry, frowning, irritated, then drooping.
It was amazing how the expression changed like that.
By comparison, Eustaf knew that he was insidious. As if you're deliberately testing a little by little. She doesn't tell me about the escort bite, nor does she tell me when she's digging for her back with The Viridescent Shadow.
And I was watching how it would react when things broke out.
'There's nothing suspicious about that.'
How did you find out about the Red Mana Stone and how did you sign such a contract with the top of the Golden Rose? How do you know about the Elves?
He is turning his eyes to numerous questions. Eustaf had no choice but to admit it.
The door was unlocked in the evening, saying he was suspicious and wary.
He was trusting her.
It was easy to know because I believed it. Lan doesn't believe in himself at all.
It was at the New Year's party that confirmed it.
"Eus!"
Laughing brightly, Ran waved her hands. It was so sad to see her sitting on the railing with all her hair untied, whether she was drunk or not.
"Here, here! Here!"
'You're drunk to see you repeat the same thing.'
It was my first time seeing Ran drunk. However, if she slipped and went backwards, she would fall down. Eustaf made a quick step.
Then the wind blew hard and her hair fluttered.
'Ah.'
The color of the wheat field during harvest.
Countless golden colors shining and shining in the sun.
Eustaf held her tightly before her body completely moved back. My heart beat hard.
She burst into laughter and was laughing at what was good. Ran tilted her head as he felt the laughter delivered to his arms and shoulders.
"Eus?"
Her voice is full of laughter while singing. Eustaf looked up.
Green eyes.
A very beautiful greening light, not seen in Lachia in the middle of winter.
Whether it was because of the cold or alcohol, she reddened her cheeks and smiled and whispered as if Ran was saying what was important to her.
"I almost flew away."
Eustaf looked up at Ran because she was full of energy. Fly away? It's fall.
"Is that what you say?"
When I asked again, Ran asked again with a gloomy face.
"Huh? Why?"
"Why?"
Why? Why do you say that? If you ever get away from this--
Unknowingly, his arm wrapped around her waist was tightened. Ran shrank as if she was uncomfortable, and he relaxed and said.
"We'll put it in a treaty. You won't die until I become the patriarch."
"I don't mean to die."
She tried to make a serious face in her own way, but her face was loose, perhaps because of alcohol. Eustaf sighed long to hide his laughter.
I hate people who die easily.
So I hated it when Ran said she would die. Rather, I was happy when she said she would run and fight.
While dying with hatred, her mother did not think of fighting against her father. Wouldn't it have been cooler if I had stabbed her?
Eustaf often thought that way. So he said as if he was stamping his confirmation.
"Please do. I told you. I don't like people who die easily."
"Yes, yes, yes, I won't die."
He looked up at her because it sounded like a playful answer. Her smiling face faded slightly and her smile disappeared from her face. The green eyes look down at him.
Her eyes are so.
So.
Eustaf swallowed his breath.
'Wait, this.'
Ran came by as he tried to turn his eyes.
"Eus."
"Yes."
"Smile."
Eustaf sighed again. It's not about catching a drunk person. No, it's not about catching someone who's not drunk. He put the information into his head when he heard that Ran was weaker than him.
As far as he watched, she only drank one or two drinks.
"I didn't think you drank that much."
Ran frowned at his murmur.
"I didn't drink."
"Those who really don't drink don't say so."
When I refuted it, Ran frowned and spat out.
"Grumpy."
"Me?"
What do you mean Grumpy? Eustaf was a little embarrassed.
'Is that so....?'
It might have looked like that. At this point, however, it would be more accurate to call him "the attempted murderer" or "the son of a dog," rather than just being called a grumpy.
'You've done a good job, too.'
She shouted while I was snorting.
"Yes, you bad mouth!"
Then he pulled his collar and leaned down. The hot lips touched his forehead, so Eustaf was rigid. It was an unexpected act.
'What the hell....?'
He was in chaos, and Ran smiled loudly and continued as if she were singing.
"Eus is Grumpy, stupid. Bad. I'm working really hard."
"I know."
It was himself who knew it better than anyone else. Because we've been working together.
The word made her mouth water.
"Then why are you a grumpy?"
"I wasn't very grumpy."
Hasn't I been doing less lately? Although there was a past record, the past record was not enough to be called Grumpy, so Eustaf simply moved on.
"But, yes."
Perhaps she wants to refute it, Ran frowned and blurted her words. Eustaf asked while looking at her.
"Then how do you want me to treat you?"
"Be nicer to me."
"Nice, and?"
"Be gentle."
"Am I being nice and gentle enough?"
What more do you want from here?
On this railing, you and I are facing each other.
"No."
Ran frowned. Eustaf looked at her and asked.
"Do you like Lazia?"
I asked the same question without realizing it.
Do you like Lazia? This barren land, this long winter land, the wealth you gave me. It's a part of me.
In the end, that's what I wanted to ask.
My heart was shallow, so Eustaf didn't even smile. In the end, that's what I want to ask.
What do you think of me?
"Umm, not much?"
Eustaf looked away when he saw her snuggling and simply answering. The breath came out white. covered with white snow snow, snow, snow. This land is snow everywhere.
'I know.'
No one likes this land.
But this is the only land he has.
He turned his eyes back on Ran. She was looking at himself vaguely with a slightly apologetic look. But she told him honestly.
'When I think about it, you've always been honest.'
You was so honest that I thought it might be a trick because you was too honest.
'That snack, it would've been nice to have it with you.'
If the Academy had replied to the letter and met you in the visiting room.
But, but.
'I'm glad I didn't.'
Eustaf looked at Ran and said,
"Who's cold-hearted?"
You don't have a heart, you don't believe in me at all, but you don't.
You didn't even make a little gap.
Then why are you being so kind, sweet, and affectionate? But You don't need me at all.
Ran refuted his remark with indignation.
"I am not cold. Come on, be nice."
Eustaf laughed.
You're sweet without consciousness, and you're sweet without awareness. You've done that, but you don't have any likes.
"How can I be so sweet?"
Laughing, he asked. She wants it. Now, she may be able to fit in with her.
"Speak sweet."
"Sweet. That's very abstract. And?"
"Don't kill me."
At Ran's words, Eustaf was in a terrible mood. As he stepped back from the hand that held her waist, Ran looked at him with a curious face, and Eustaf pushed her over the railing.
Eustaf grabbed the panicked and flustered hand. Holding on, he swallowed a bitter smile.
'I can't let go.'
"Eus?"
Struggling to get up, he took a step forward. Then Ran's upper body was pushed back again.
"Are you going to drop me?"
Even though she asked like that, there was no tremor or fear in her voice.
"What do you think?"
Rather, the answer came out stiffer. Ran laughed as he watched how to behave.
"-!"
"You promised."
Her words made him feel complicated and tugged at her hand. Her upper body came up at a stroke and her body lightly bumped into him. But I was a little surprised, so I heard a small gasp.
Eustaf closed his eyes.
I believe in promises with her. But she doesn't believe.
He didn't know how to explain this contradiction. She firmly believes that he is a man of his word. But what are you looking at?
How do you know myself?
Repressing the question, Eustaf opened his eyes.
"Why do you say that when you know it? I'm going to kill you?"
"I'm talking about after the alliance, after the alliance."
Eustaf sighed long again.
"What a heartless man."
I don't have any lingering feelings here, I'm leaving you. Ran used to emphasize and talk several times. I will leave you with all this. You are nothing to me.
Then I wish you hadn't been nice to me from the beginning.
Thinking so, Eustaf reached out and wrapped her body in a cloak. I didn't want to show my expression right now.
'She'll be heading up to the capital soon.'
If you go up to the capital, you may never come down to Lazia again. No, you won't want to come down. I don't know what's responsible for Ran's responsibility, but how long will it keep her tied up here?
'Until I become a patriarch.'
Eustaf held her and sighed.