Volume 4 Chapter 27 Settling the Past, Forming New Bonds
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Huh… Sir Iberigo?”
At the auction exit, Tifi muttered as she spotted the chubby young man chatting with Gaedaf.
Could they be acquainted?
”Master.”
Just as I wondered, Lifia quietly whispered into my ear.
She stretched up to my ear, the height difference making her try so hard.
Adorable.
”He’s a noble who once courted Ms. Tifi. Also the younger brother of the noble who kidnapped her.”
”Ah, I remember now.”
Right, the guy who proposed to Tifi before.
She used to work at the Adventurer’s Guild in the royal capital.
Iberigo was totally smitten and had proposed to her.
Wasn’t he the Baron’s second son?
And his older brother, Dryff──the Baron’s heir──fell obsessively jealous of his brother’s crush.
He kidnapped Tifi, trying to claim her for himself.
I was the one who saved Tifi from that kidnapping.
We made it seem like she was both physically and mentally scarred by the ordeal.
A convenient lie──that she developed a trauma toward men, just to keep Iberigo away.
Then I tipped off Iberigo about Dryff’s dark schemes, and that crook was taken down.
Dryff retired.
Iberigo took over as Baron.
But why is he here now?
Could he have followed Tifi?
He was supposed to have backed off to protect her peace of mind.
”Y-You!”
Just as I was lost in thought, Iberigo spoke.
His eyes locked onto me.
”Stay away from Ms. Tifi! She… uh… has a sort of… discomfort around men.”
So he’s still worried about her, even now.
He’s definitely not a bad guy.
But how do I explain this?
Tifi’s “discomfort with men” is a blatant lie to push Iberigo away.
And anyone digging a little would see right through my relationship with her.
Even if I fool him now, the truth would come out soon enough.
”How about we move somewhere else?”
While I was weighing things, Gaedaf cut in.
He jerked his chin toward the crowd around us.
As I looked, auction-goers and passersby were all staring, buzzing with curiosity about what was happening here.
If this goes on, things are only gonna get more complicated.
”There are too many eyes around. Shall we find a more private place to talk?”
”Sounds good.”
I agreed to Gaedaf’s suggestion.
I might not understand the ins and outs of his relationship with Iberigo, but having a mutual acquaintance like Gaedaf in the middle is a relief.
”…Okay, let’s do that.”
Iberigo nodded, looking satisfied.
We definitely need a calm environment to hash this out.
With Gaedaf leading the way, we moved to a nearby establishment.
The area around the auction venue is dotted with upscale shops.
We chose a quiet place with private rooms among them.
”Right this way, please.”
A polite attendant directed us to our seats.
We each settled down, and a moment of silence hung in the air.
”So, who are you? Why are you with Ms. Tifi?”
Iberigo broke the silence.
He cast a wary glance at Tifi beside me, but his gaze toward me was filled with suspicion.
”How should I explain this…”
Should I just come clean?
Maybe I could say I helped Tifi heal from her trauma.
”Master.”
As I struggled internally, Lifia whispered to me.
”I think it’s safe to share with him.”
Lifia can pick up on people’s personalities and emotions through Spirit Magic.
That means even if I tell the truth, there’s minimal risk of Iberigo turning hostile.
If Lifia assures me, then being honest is better than spinning a half-hearted lie.
”Alright, I’ll tell you. The truth is──”
And so, I laid out the facts.
How I accompanied Tifi back to her homeland.
That she was kidnapped by bandits on our way back to the capital.
How I chased after the bandits and rescued her.
And as a result, we became more than just friends.
I had to lie about her having a fear of men due to the incident in order to gently reject Iberigo’s noble proposal.
Iberigo listened in silence.
”I see… so that’s how it was…”
”I apologize, Sir Iberigo…”
Tifi bowed her head, sincerely sorry.
An uncomfortable silence settled in.
”Lord Taro.”
Suddenly, Iberigo called my name.
”Yes.”
Iberigo rises slowly, then approaches me with a deliberate step.
To be blunt, I swindled him to take Tifi away.
Even if he’s got a gentle nature, I’m bracing for a punch at any moment.
If that’s what it takes to calm him down, then I’ll take it like a man.
That’s what I’m ready for… right as that moment hits.
With a firm grip, Iberigo clasps my hand.
”Thank you…!”
”…Huh?”
His unexpected reaction makes me blurt out a foolish sound.
”Thank you for saving Ms. Tifi… I really mean it…!”
Tears stream down his face as he tightly squeezes my hand.
”So she wasn’t hurt… That’s really, truly great!”
His bizarre response leaves everyone else utterly speechless.
”Thank you… really… thank you…!!!”
With tears pouring down, Iberigo wraps both hands around mine, his whole body trembling with gratitude.
There’s no trace of anger, not even a hint of resentment.
Just pure, unadulterated thanks and relief.
”Ms. Tifi is… safe, really, truly…”
Through sobs and stammered words, Iberigo keeps expressing his gratitude over and over.
After crying for a while, he finally calms down and looks up with a determined expression.
”Ms. Tifi… actually, I need to apologize to you too…!”
”Huh…?”
Wiping away the tear tracks with his sleeve, he looks at Tifi with serious eyes.
”The truth is… the one who attacked Ms. Tifi… it was my brother…”
His words hang in the air, tension crackling for a moment.
We already knew, of course.
But it’s not public knowledge.
The mastermind behind the kidnapping is Iberigo’s brother, the heir to the Dryff Baron family.
Yet revealing that would tarnish the Baron family’s honor.
And yet, he’s trying to speak the truth.
”And… if you trace it back… it’s all because of me…”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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