Chapter 135: A weird pervert
______
"…Want one?" Ash offered a candy with a smile.
"...I'm not a child." Although Kanne complained like this, she still took the candy and asked in confusion, "Why does Uncle have candy on him?"
"There was a child crying just now, so I bought some... it would've been a waste to throw away the extra ones, so I just kept them with me," Ash replied, his attention still fixed on the book in his hand.
"…Really, you think I'm a child?" Kanne muttered in a slightly depressed tone, but she still peeled off the wrapper and put the candy in her mouth, letting the sweet taste spread across her tongue. Quietly leaning closer to him, she glanced at the book in his hand and asked curiously, "Uncle, are you waiting for someone too?"
"I don't have an appointment with anyone today, but it must be boring for you to wait here alone, right? So I'll keep you company for a while until Lawine shows up."
"Hey~ Uncle is quite gentle~," Kanne teased.
"I've always said this... it's you who didn't believe it," Ash replied without much change in tone.
"Now I believe it~," Kanne said, a small smile unconsciously appearing on her face.
The two leaned on the guardrail, chatting casually. Most of the time, Kanne was busy complaining about Lawine, and Ash just listened quietly. She seemed genuinely happy as she talked, and he didn't interrupt her.
Not long after, the familiar figure of Lawine appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
...
...
Lawine, who had arranged to meet Kanne in front of the Magic Association, froze when she saw Ash standing there next to her friend. Her expression darkened almost immediately.
"…Why are you here too?" she asked sharply, her tone making her irritation clear.
"Just accompanying Kanne," Ash replied, raising his gaze briefly before looking back down at the book in his hand. "Your attitude toward your elders is terrible, don't you think? Maybe try showing a little respect?"
"I respect elders—when they deserve respect," Lawine retorted coldly.
While Lawine maintained a polite attitude with others, her tone toward Ash was always filled with hostility.
At this point, Ash had stopped expecting her to change. He simply lowered his head and flipped another page in his book.
This response only made Lawine angrier. She stomped loudly on the ground, moving closer to him, her irritation palpable.
"…What? Shouldn't you say something in rebuttal when someone says that?" she demanded, glaring at him.
"Trouble, forget it. I don't feel like arguing with you," Ash replied flatly without even looking up.
"You're so irritating!" Lawine exclaimed, stamping her feet in frustration.
Kanne stepped forward, trying to defuse the tension with a wry smile. "Come to think of it... you are cuter than usual, Lawine~?"
"…This dress?" Lawine muttered, tugging slightly at the hem of her skirt with a sulky expression.
Unlike the blue Gothic Lolita outfit she wore during the exam, she was now dressed in a pure white dress.
The white dress was paired with a light blue short jacket, giving her a fresh and elegant appearance. A white sun hat with a flowing blue ribbon adorned her head, giving the impression of a gentle breeze on an early summer morning.
Overall, she seemed more gentle and noble than before, like a proper young lady. However, her straightforward personality and boyish demeanor sharply contrasted with her refined appearance.
"I'm afraid that only by not speaking can she act like a young lady," Ash muttered after observing her for a moment.
"Did you say something?" Lawine, with her sharp ears, caught his murmuring and immediately glared at him.
"Nothing, I just said it doesn't suit you," Ash replied nonchalantly.
"Do you think I wanted to wear this?" Lawine retorted, clearly annoyed. "My three brothers came back from the imperial capital with a bunch of weird clothes, and my mom got overly excited. She had the maids dress me up like this."
"That's great, Miss," Ash teased with a smirk.
"…Don't think I don't know you're someone important. My grandfather told me to treat you politely, and my eldest brother thinks it'd be good for me to get along with you," she added with a forced tone, clearly holding back her frustration.
Ash wasn't fazed. Instead, he muttered to himself, "The imperial capital? So your family still maintains ties with the Empire."
"Didn't the kingdom annex the southern part of the empire during the Demon War? Of course, my family has relatives among the imperial nobility. It's not like the kingdom forbids it, right?" Lawine said matter-of-factly.
"That's true," Ash admitted, then added, "But I'd recommend that your brothers avoid visiting the Empire again."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Lawine's curiosity was piqued. Normally, she'd ignore such remarks, but Ash's mysterious background and the weight his words carried made her pause.
"It's just a suggestion based on the current situation," he said with a faint smile, not looking up from his book.
"Fine. I'll tell Grandpa when I get home," Lawine said bluntly.
"That's a good idea," Ash replied, glancing up briefly in mild surprise.
Noticing his expression, Lawine frowned. "What's with that weird pause and look?"
"I just thought you wouldn't listen to me," he said honestly.
"Even though I dislike you, I'm not stupid. I know you're competent," Lawine admitted grudgingly.
"How about trying to flatter me a little? It might work to your advantage," Ash teased, a playful glint in his eyes.
"Tell me the benefits first," Lawine countered with a sly smile, extending her hand mockingly.
Ash reached into his pocket, pulled out a piece of candy, and placed it on the table. Lawine froze, her expression turning sour. "What? Do you think I'm a child?"
Despite her complaint, she unwrapped the candy and popped it into her mouth. But she still couldn't resist a jab. "For someone your age, carrying candy around is kind of childish, don't you think?"
"It's not for me. I bought it to comfort a crying child earlier. The kid wouldn't stop bawling," Ash explained.
"…Really?" Lawine looked genuinely surprised for a moment.
"What's so surprising about that?"
"I just thought you'd kick a crying child if you came across one," Lawine said flatly.
"Seriously, what kind of monster do you take me for?"
"An uncle bastard," Lawine declared without hesitation, her tone as sharp as her words. Ash's face twisted into a subtle but unmistakable expression of disbelief.
Kanne chuckled nervously and stepped in to diffuse the tension. "Well, Uncle, are you getting used to Lawine's attitude yet?"
"I'm managing," Ash replied with a shrug. "But I'm still not used to a girl who dresses like a lady but talks so crudely. That said, it's… unexpectedly interesting."
"Interesting? What's that supposed to mean?" Lawine demanded, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "Wait… are you some kind of pervert with weird interests?" She instinctively stepped back, her hands defensively clutching her skirt, while Ash's troubled expression deepened.