“…Well, since you asked,” she said, resting her hand on her cheek and sighing sadly. “It’s difficult to say this, but I’d rather you didn’t follow me around anymore.”
“…What did you say?”
Brigitte raised her head and grinned.
“I like someone else now.”
All time seemed to stop at that moment—but of course, it hadn’t. She coughed, then turned to Yuri, who was frozen like the rest of the students, and said, “Excuse me, but I must be going. Sir Yuri, shall we?”
“Um, of course…”
She walked out of the classroom with the dazed Yuri. There were some spectators in the hall, but she ignored them and strode on. The smile was still plastered to her face. But in truth, she wanted to sink to the ground then and there.
Damn, I said it out loud…!
She hadn’t meant to tell him her feelings in front of a crowd. She’d meant to keep them tucked away at the bottom of her heart.
I think I might cry…
After all, she knew Yuri didn’t care for her in the same way. He must be completely fed up with her for being so conceited. But she was too afraid to ask, so she was trying to avoid talking to him. But he never was one to give her any slack, and he refused to leave her heart to its lonesome struggle.
“…Brigitte.”
Without stopping, she looked timidly over at him. His expression was terrifying. She felt her heart shrinking. She couldn’t stop shaking as he turned to her and asked, in a strained voice, “……Is the person you like Nival?”
She stumbled and almost fell.
Why—why in the world does he think that?!
She had said she liked someone, and after that she had asked him to leave the classroom with her. That should have been enough for every person in the room to realize who she was talking about. She hadn’t seen Joseph’s face, but she was fairly sure he knew what she meant. Nevertheless, the object of her affection himself had his brows knit in pain.
“N-no…it’s not Nival…,” she said, managing to shake her head.
“Then…is it that young pâtissier at your house?” he asked solemnly.
Noooooo!!
She wanted to scream at him. There was only one person other than Nival and Carson whom she was close to, who was the same age as she was, and who was the opposite sex. So why was that one person so confused? He was brilliant and contracted with incredible spirits and more dashing than anyone—so why couldn’t he figure out the answer to this simple problem?
B-but…
That was precisely why she couldn’t say it. That would mean confessing her feelings to him. She’d been able to say it earlier, thanks to the heat of the moment, but they were alone now, and she didn’t have the nerve left to say it again.
Yuri, however, ignored her plight completely and renewed his interrogation with redoubled intensity.
“Is it someone I know?”
“Yes, I mean…”
“Aha. I didn’t think it was possible, but do you mean to say it’s Clifford—?”
“I d-d-don’t know!!”
Just stop!!
It was like that day by the lake all over again. Finally unable to take any more, she took off running.
What in the world is going on…?
Clifford was utterly confused. He sensed keenly that something was amiss with his master. Yuri Aurealis was nicknamed the Frozen Blade because of his gaze, but Clifford had never understood the meaning of those words so powerfully as he did that day.
Yes—if he had to name the emotion being directed at him, he would call it suspicion. After Yuri had come home from school and gone into his private study, Clifford had noticed Yuri staring at him.
He seemed normal this morning…
He had no idea why Yuri was acting this way. He considered pretending not to notice, in the hopes that his master’s mood would improve, but there was no way he could stand another day of this. He could feel his life shortening by the hour.
Taking a deep breath, he glanced over his shoulder. The piercing eyes met his, carrying both that suspicion and a certain watchful sharpness.
“If I may, Sir Yuri…”
“What?”
That’s what he wanted to say! Suppressing his urge to sigh, he kept his tone polite, intent on getting his message across.
“If you would like to correct my behavior in some way, please go right ahead.”
He wished Yuri would do what he typically did and bluntly say what was on his mind. Although Yuri didn’t have the nicest way of putting things, Clifford almost never resented what he said. If his master wasn’t satisfied with his work, Clifford preferred to hash out the problem until it was resolved. He was confident that over eight years of service, he and Yuri had developed a relationship that could weather any sort of conflict.
His message must have reached him because Yuri scratched his head absently and sighed.
“…Then let me ask you this, Clifford.”
“Yes?”
Clifford stood rod-straight and unmoving. Yuri was at his most intimidating right now, and Clifford knew he was going to ask him something terrible. He pushed away the critical voices echoing in his head.
“What do you think of Brigitte?”
……What?
His mind went blank. Where did that come from?
“Um…why are you asking me?”
“Because it is exceedingly important.”
Clifford had no clue what that meant, but Yuri couldn’t have been any more serious. Something must have happened that day between him and Brigitte. They had grown quite close over the summer, visiting each other’s house and spending time with friends at a vacation home in the countryside. Everything had appeared to be smooth sailing.
I doubt they fought or anything like that.
If they had, Yuri would have no reason to direct his ire at Clifford. Trying not to let his face show his thoughts, he mulled over the possibilities.
If Clifford had still been attending Otoleanna Academy, he probably would have known all the details, but unfortunately, he’d graduated the year before.
He wished he could ask Brigitte herself what was going on. For a moment, he thought of Brigitte’s orange-haired attendant, Sienna, with whom he had been secretly corresponding. He considered sending her a letter, but he doubted his master would let him out of his sight long enough to do so.
“Clifford?” Yuri said, pressing for an answer.
Clifford was getting more and more confused. He racked his brain for an answer. In a situation like this, his instincts as an attendant told him that rather than a personal opinion, he should supply the answer Yuri wanted to hear.
A boy and girl are friends…and they’ve just spent the summer months getting closer…
He was in such a panic he felt like he was slightly missing something, but the general picture was definitely accurate. He continued scrambling for an answer.