The day has finally come when Fin will leave for the academy. He already took some time to pass a few days in attendance, but he won't be able to spend and waste more to be with me. I encouraged him to leave as well, it's also for his sake after all.
"We'll wait here, Finral-sama..."
A person wearing a butler's uniform was already there to take him, along with a group of guards protecting an unnecessarily large carriage. The group of guards don't look anything special, but the carriage they're protecting was grandeur. As expected of noble families... they like to show off....
"Well then, Eria-sama... It pains me to leave, but I'm not able to do anything about it..." Fin said, his voice quiet and disappointed.
"Umu, take care...!"
Despite having a lot of experience in parting ways with people, I'm still not used to saying goodbye. It's not that I'm sad or anything, I'm not an emotional person after all. It's just that I don't exactly know what to say, and even if I do say anything, it might come out sounding forced and awkward.
"Um... Eria-sama, will you be visiting there in the future as well?"
"It's there, right? Then, of course!"
"J-just as I thought...! If you do come, my family will welcome you with open arms. My father, as well as my uncle will be glad to hear that you'll be coming!"
"Is that so?"
Most people in this kingdom who have heard of my name still only thinks of me as a legend, a person they doubt exist, so I'm not sure if Fin's family will believe him if he tells them about me... I don't like being the center of attention anyway, so it might be better if they don't believe him.
"I don't know when I'll come to visit, but I'll do it in the future for sure."
"Please do so, Eria-sama!"
"Umu...!" I nodded.
Since Fin will be in the capital, we'll no doubt meet again in the future. I won't miss the chance to go there when I'm able to.
"And... um, Eria-sama... I wanted to give you something more valuable as payment for teaching me, but I couldn't come up with anything else..."
Saying that, he suddenly took out a small pouch from his pocket and handed it to me. The pouch wasn't too heavy or noisy, so I doubt they contain any coins inside. Since I'm not able to figure out its contents, I took a peek in it. What I saw inside was a dozen of valuable gems, gleaming in colors and light. They were the kinds you will see in a heist movie, the treasures the protagonists try to steal with all their efforts.
"Wa-wait a minute, Fin! These are...!"
"Please accept it, Eria-sama," Fin adamantly insisted.
"But... this much is..."
I can't even begin to convince myself that the small amount of effort I put into teaching him can amount to that much. No, I was not even expecting a payment in the first place.
"What you did for me was priceless, Eria-sama!" he persistently declared, then with a more quiet mutter, he added, "I think even this much is not enough... if only I can take more from my home..."
"S-stop that, Fin! I don't need that much!" I shouted at him in a panic. "Urk... this is way over the top... you might bankrupt your family if you give this all to me."
"That's not the case at all, Eria-sama! We're rich!"
"W-well, I understand... a noble's treasury is big after all... but still, I can't take this many."
Closing my eyes, I picked one single gem from the pouch and put it in my pocket. I don't know if it was because of my luck, but the one I got was also the most expensive in that dozen.
"I'll only take this... it won't feel good for me to take all of it when I personally think that what I did for you don't cost that much. It might sound stupid to you, but if you give them all to me, I'll only feel as if I was robbing you."
I still have the morals I gained from my forgotten past, so I just can't accept his ridiculous offer. In that regards, I handed back the pouch to him. Even so, he refuses to take it.
"But... that's not the only thing I was paying you for, Eria-sama... That as well..."
"Huh?"
"You know..." he stutters and started to blush. "For all those things..."
"Those things...?"
My head blanked out for a second before I fully understood what he means. So, I immediately turned red and flustered.
Scenes of my recent memories flashes in my mind, reminding me of the things the two of us did. It seems Fin also had the same thoughts, since he's blushing all over.
"Y-You idiot! I'm not an escort! How did you even come up with the idea to pay me for those!? That's insulting to me as woman!"
I wanted to kick him in the shin, but I hold myself back, seeing the stern stares of his butler and guards.
"Tha-that's a misunderstanding, Eria-sama! I'm not thinking of you as a common whore or anything like that at all! They can't even begin to compare to you! I-it's just...!"
"You're totally lying!"
"I'm not!"
I shouted, and he shouted back.
"Grr...!" growling like a dog, I went up to him and pulled on his collar. "If a woman sucks on your dick, she's not doing it because she's expecting a reward! She's doing it because she likes sucking your dick!"
"E-Eria-sama..."
...
...
Eeehh...? I mustered all my inner manliness to pronounce that statement, but... didn't it only make me sound like a dick-hungry woman?
"So she's not from the brothels? Too bad..."
"Even if that isn't the case, don't you think she's an easy woman? She says she likes sucking dicks after all..."
"Keke... do you think even we have a chance to ask her out if she's like that?"
I heard the guards chatter as they listen in on our conversation.
"Flush~" I turned even more red in embarrassment. "Uuh...! This is your fault, Fin!" I grabbed Fin's collar even tighter.
"A-as I said! It was a misunderstanding, Eria-sama! It's not my intention to think you're like that at all! I just... I didn't know how to express my gratitude in any other way...!"
"Grr... you nobles are always like this! Thinking you can put a worth on a woman's body!"
"Please listen, Eria-sama!" Fin begged and cried.