“… ….”

 

“… ….”

 

A sunny afternoon. I was sitting on the bench next to White.

 

In uncomfortable silence, White ate a pudding bar.

 

I couldn’t say anything because I was being watched, and White also said nothing.

 

‘It’s embarrassing….’

 

Because of my mistake during the pilot training, White lost his proud attitude.

 

Her magic demonstration ended without incident, but as soon as she did so, White blushed and ran away from her.

 

It would have been better if I had just looked at him in silence and satisfaction. I was sorry.

 

I’ve been apologizing repeatedly since a while ago.

 

But “It’s okay…” .” The only reply I received was a weak one mixed with a faint tear, and it was just embarrassing.

 

‘I wish Merlin would come….’

 

After finishing class, I met Merlin Astrean for the first time in a long time.

 

After she bowed to me and said she could not disturb White’s time, she walked away and hid her body in the grass.

 

The eyes seen through the grass in the distance behind were those of Merlin.

 

Because the atmosphere was heavy and awkward, she felt like calling her Merlin, but she didn’t know if she would be rude to White. Because I’m making the escort driver interrupt my time alone with her fiancé.

 

“Have you eaten everything?”

 

“Yes….”

 

White held up the finished pudding bar wrapper and headed toward the trash can next to her with weak steps.

 

Poof. White throws her wrapping paper into an empty trash can and quietly looks at it.

 

Just as she was, lost in thought, she put her leg in her trash can.

 

“White?!”

 

When White tried to throw himself into her trash can, she hurriedly pulled her body out.

 

“What are you doing?!”

 

“Sir Isaac….”

 

I stood facing White. The tears in her eyes sparkled in the sunlight.

 

White became more and more crying like a puppy, and she sobbed and poured out her true feelings.

 

“I feel like I’m going to die of shame… !”

 

“Huh?”

 

“What can something like me be like…?” . You must have been pathetic, right? She must have laughed and said, ‘That’s what I’ve been doing since I graduated.’ Right?! Isaac is my teacher… ! Because you know very well what kind of person I am… !”

 

“Those are all achievements you achieved through your hard work.”

 

White let out a laugh and lowered her head to the side with an uncertain expression.

 

“I became stronger thanks to my blood…. With fairy power. It was an expedient….”

 

I also became stronger because of Ozma….

 

It was not the time to question such things.

 

“If you think about each and every one of those things, there is no end to it.”

 

“But…” .”

 

Although it was difficult, it was somehow nice to see the White I knew crying.

 

Her heart softened as she bowed, and a smile spread across her lips. Yes, white looks like this too.

 

With her handkerchief, she wiped away the tears from White’s eyes. She sighed, “Huh,” But didn’t reject my touch.

 

“I’m sorry, I’m not good at painting….”

 

“I know.”

 

“Huh….”

 

She took the handkerchief away and smiled brightly.

 

“It’s okay. “Seeing you cry is also the reward of my life.”

 

“… That’s up, right?”

 

“I guess so?”

 

Perhaps.

 

“Where will the next class be held?”

 

“At Orphin Hall. “All remaining classes.”

 

“Let’s go.”

 

I walked towards Orphin Hall with White.

 

Ssuk. Merlin followed, hiding in the grass or trees.

 

“Can I observe?”

 

“I wish you wouldn’t, but do I have the right to veto?”

 

“I’m kidding. Because the professors feel burdened by my presence. “I’ll wait outside.”

 

“Okay, thank you…” .”

 

After White entered Orphin Hall, I went to the store and bought two bottles of soda.

 

I handed one bottle to Merlin, who was leaning against a tree.

 

“You’re having a hard time.”

 

“Thank you for your concern.”

 

Merlin greeted politely with knightly manners.

 

“Don’t be too formal. Because I came here as a graduate. “The title ‘Lord Isaac’ is sufficient as before.”

 

“Still….”

 

“Yes, please.”

 

“… All right. “Lord Isaac.”

 

Merlin accepted the drink I gave him.

 

I went next to her and leaned my back against the tree.

 

“The White escort mission will soon be over.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“How are you feeling? “It’s been three years.”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

Merlin took a sip of her drink and looked toward her Orphine tube.

 

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed…. “Apart from my desire to stay with Princess White longer, I sometimes feel like I want to leave quickly.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Since Lord Isaac subdued the evil spirit, we have been living an extremely peaceful life here. “I think it suits me to be busy moving my body and constantly engaging in battle.”

 

“You had a hard time before the evil spirit died, right?”

 

“Yes. It is unbelievable that such large-scale battles took place in a place of learning in the first place…. Anyway, the cause of all the incidents has been resolved and there are no real dangers, so it’s time to leave. Of course, I plan to assist Princess White until the end and complete my mission safely.”

 

Merlin has lived here at Marchen Academy to protect White.

 

Whether she liked it or not, there would be countless images of White in her head.

 

“Still… , I don’t know if it’s okay for her to harbor such thoughts during her mission.”

 

The corners of Merlin’s mouth rose.

 

“It was fun. Really.”

 

……

 

“Sir Isaac!”

 

After all classes for the day were over, the glow of the sunset filled the visible distance.

 

White approached me with a wide smile, and she caught the attention of the students walking around the academy. Perhaps she thought she had made a mistake, White stiffened and looked embarrassed.

 

She covered her face with her fedora and quickly took her steps.

 

It was a hungry time, so I stopped by a restaurant with rooms at the Academy Mall.

 

Merlin was also there, and as she was chatting happily with the two of them, the sky was already turning an ultramarine blue.

 

“Shall we go there after a long time?”

 

White said during the meal.

 

“Hydrangea garden?”

 

“Yes!”

 

“Aren’t you training there these days?”

 

“These days, we do it at the training ground.”

 

“Ah… “Because it’s good to show off your skills to people at the training ground, right?”

 

“Well, is that possible? That’s because it helps with training! Please don’t misunderstand… !”

 

White shakes his head violently and denies it.

 

Merlin, who was eating in silence, quietly laughed.

 

She finished her meal, teasing her White, and walked to her place where she had once taught her.

 

A place where there is a lake that shows off the colors of beautiful natural mana at night.

 

It was a corner of the hydrangea garden.

 

“Hmm?”

 

When she felt her magic, she and White stopped and hid behind a tree. Merlin was far away from us.

 

In front of the lake, ice elemental magic cut through the night air along with the sound of crackling.

 

“Ugh… ! I failed… !”

 

“Why do you think it is?”

 

“Well, I don’t know?”

 

“The mana output was reasonably good, but the stroke composition was strange. So it spread out in such a strange way.”

 

A female student was receiving magic education from a male student. It seems that she is more senior to the male students.

 

Even though it was my first time meeting students, I felt that she was very familiar.

 

For some reason, the male students saw me as myself, and the female students saw the image of someone who cried a lot but studied and trained hard.

 

We watched the two students in silence as if we had made a promise.

 

I glanced at White, and the gentle smile on her face made my heart flutter. Her round eyes were clearly capturing the two students.

 

Suddenly, the times we spent together flashed through my mind.

 

Now it was their turn.

 

“Shall we go back?”

 

“Yes.”

 

She spoke quietly and left with White.

 

Throughout her walk, White gently lowered her head and smiled. She seemed to think the same thing as me.

 

When I carefully held White’s hand, she shook her head in shock and her face turned red.

 

The sight of him quickly looking at me with a surprised face was quite cute.

 

“Ah, Senior Isaac….”

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“So, if you’re going to hold my hand, please give me a warning in advance…” !”

 

Does this kind of thing require warning? ?

 

“I’m not mentally ready yet….”

 

Even as White said that, he secretly inserted his slender finger between her fingers.

 

Perhaps she mustered up some courage, her face turned even redder, like a ripe apple.

 

I couldn’t help but laugh. Every word she utters, every expression on her face, seems to be whispering her love.

 

We walked through the hydrangea garden, holding hands.

 

“Sir Isaac.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“If you were going to come see me, it would have been nice if you had told me in advance….”

 

White turned her eyes away from me and smiled happily. The twitching of her shoulders represented her excitement.

 

… For some reason, I wanted to make fun of him.

 

“I didn’t come to see you, did I?”

 

“Yes?”

 

A question suddenly appeared on White’s face.

 

She looked at me again with an incomprehensible expression on her face.

 

You might have expected a sweet answer to come out of my mouth, but it turned out to be disappointing.

 

“Of course…” ?”

 

“I came here because I heard there was a reunion. “I promised to meet up with my classmates after a long time.”

 

“Well, you didn’t come to see me…” ? Yes? Yes?”

 

I smiled broadly.

 

“You just came to see me because I had time.”

 

“… ….”

 

White’s face froze, but then her eyes became moist.

 

Soon, White began to sob.

 

From Noble mtl dot com

 

“Why are you… !”

 

I am satisfied.

 

After soothing White, who was crying for a while, she cleared up the misunderstanding by saying that she came to see you. I was quite satisfied to get a reaction I liked from her.

 

White continued to ask, “Is it true?” And held my hand tighter. It was so funny that she even burst into laughter for a moment.

 

The streetlights shined down and brightened our path ahead.

 

Fallen leaves being stepped on with every step.

 

Late evening dusk and a refreshing breeze accompanied the autumn leaves.

 

The autumn scenery of the Academy, which I once got tired of seeing, just looked beautiful today.