She had completely forgotten everything she was going to say. An unmistakable answer ca back to her clumsily spoken words. After steadying her breath several tis, Esperanza finally opened her mouth.
"It was sincere. But I didn't an to say it that way."
That way—completely intoxicated by her own emotions, excited, unable to think straight! She felt like she could die of embarrassnt.
"Wasn't it a sincere thod befitting sincerity?"
"And you're laughing right now!"
"Your reaction right now is funny."
"Ah, yes!"
Cider laughed out loud for a long ti, and Esperanza grumbled, "Ah really, what am I supposed to do about this?"
"If it's going to be like this, I'll go alone."
Cider, who had placed his hand over Esperanza's as she tried to snatch away the lamp, shrugged.
"Then I'd be left alone in the dark."
"Yeah right..."
When he had co down from the fourth floor to the garden without any light.
"Anyway. Your 'sincerity' was conveyed very well."
Fine. I should give up. Esperanza exhaled with a puff and shook her head. However, Cider didn't give Esperanza a chance to relax.
"So, are you going to stop drawing lines now?"
The question asked while tilting his head sideways seed light at first glance but was sharp. The pleasant atmosphere from just monts before vanished instantly.
"Well."
"Should I say it for you? Though my personal interpretation will be involved."
Cider's eyes, tinged with laughter, bound a person so they couldn't escape. His gentle voice rcilessly stabbed the weakest parts. Though his attitude was affectionate as if showing rcy, the result was no different.
"You didn't want to give affection to anyone because you're going to return, right? You thought you should maintain as businesslike a relationship as possible and then leave."
Saying it that way made it sound really selfish. She couldn't say it wasn't true at all. She had felt that way to so extent.
"Then for so reason you changed your mind. It might have been difficult to continue such a tireso relationship anymore, or it might have been lonely to endure without giving your heart to anyone. Or."
Esperanza, who had been gripping only her dress hem tightly, raised her head at the next words.
"Did you think I wouldn't be hurt by being treated that way, then realize you were wrong?"
"No!"
"I hope not. Because I'd be angry."
"It's not that I decided not to give my heart from the beginning, or had such grand thoughts. Ah, how should I put this."
No words ca to mind while looking into his eyes. But if she averted her gaze, it would seem like running away. Feeling troubled, she exhaled deeply.
Revealing one's innermost heart to another was never easy. From a very young age until becoming an adult now.
"I didn't an to hurt you. I just... you're all I have."
Cider's eyes narrowed. The breath he drew in briefly scattered slowly, carrying trembling.
'Did I say sothing wrong?'
"Excuse
for a mont."
A large hand suddenly entered inside her shawl. Strong arms embraced her body without causing pain.
Cider lowered his head and leaned his face, which had co down close enough for cheeks to touch, diagonally against Esperanza's shoulder. Soft breathing sounds could be heard as if slowly swallowing down sothing overwhelming. Along with a slightly fast heartbeat.
"...Lord Avondale?"
"The form of address. I made a mistake."
"Ah. So. You don't dislike it?"
At that ti, she had called him that on her own because she was too excited. Thinking about it again, it was an embarrassing sight.
"It's what I wanted, as you said."
Ah, I said that too.
"Then, Cider. This arm..."
"Why. You can do it but I can't?"
Esperanza gritted her teeth at the disaster her past self had created while excited and out of her mind.
"Don't worry. I'll let go when you finish talking."
That's not what I ant. Esperanza blinked. Well. This way we definitely can't make eye contact.
It was fortunate for Cider that he didn't have the ntal capacity to think about whether it was necessary to do it this way. If Esperanza's mind had been a bit clearer, she would have realized that what could be solved by Cider simply turning his body halfway around had been unnecessarily complicated.
Anyway, it's not bad. Cider's golden hair was as soft as a baby bird's feathers and had a pleasant fragrance. Different from the sll of machines and ink, or the sharp scent of paoran—a fresh fragrance like wet grass. Upon recognizing that scent, the jawline clearly felt on her shoulder, breathing sounds, the firmness of the touching body, and the presence of the hand holding her waist ca rushing like a tide.
Bewildernt slowly settled. Since she wasn't facing those eyes that seed to see through everything, she even had the illusion of unburdening her heart in an empty bamboo forest.
"You're the only person in this world who knows . If I start depending on you, there'd be no end to it. But I'm not unique to you, so it would beco a very unfair relationship."
"Are you saying you didn't want to be swayed?"
"I wouldn't be easily swayed, though."
Cider said with a light laugh.
"Esperanza. You're already my one and only magician in the world."
As if that was a sufficient answer, the hand that had been touching the thin dress hem inside the shawl fell away plainly. She could feel the trajectory of fingertips brushing past her waist.
His vivid lips drew an arc as if showing off. He bent slightly to hand the lamp to Esperanza, then walked ahead toward the mansion entrance without regret.
All of this flowed naturally like a play rehearsed hundreds of tis, but Esperanza saw, for a very brief mont, reddened earlobes.
Left alone with the lamp, Esperanza slightly closed her lips.
'You're all I have.'
I must be crazy. To say such things.
Sha rushed in belatedly. She trembled while burying her face in her palms, then burst into hollow laughter at a sudden thought.
That must have been comfort. To be comforted by Cider Claiborne. Even when she was in Nine Holder, she couldn't have imagined such a thing.
'He's worth being friends with.'
You really can't know about people's affairs. Who would have known that Cider Claiborne would beco so affectionate just from becoming friends?
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"That's the fifth one now."
Affectionate my ass.
Esperanza glared at Cider as she put down her cards.
"But why do you only attack ?"
"You have the best reactions."
Cider laughed as if he couldn't help it, and Alastair, who still had a long way to go before recovering and had beco practically attached to his armchair, tried to hold back his laughter.
"I find that hard to agree with."
When caught by Cider, it was naturally Cordelia who threw the biggest fit. She said she could tolerate losing at gas but couldn't tolerate Cider winning, yet with that montum, this side?
"Are you afraid of Cordelia or sothing?"
"Well, let's say I am."
With a completely unconvincing expression, Cider hit another one of Alastair's cards. Alastair put down his card with a glum face.
"But really, are you cheating at this?"
"Should I teach you the thod?"
Cider tilted his head subtly and whispered. Esperanza's eyes sparkled.
"What is it?"
"If I teach you. What will you do for ?"
Making conditions just for teaching so tricks used in card gas?
"We're friends, can't you even do this?"
"And you, did you beco friends with
to learn such things?"
"If not this kind of thing, why would I be friends with you?"
While spouting words full of question marks but with no intention of hearing answers, Cider, who had splendidly defended against Alastair's counterattack, looked at Esperanza with a glum face.
"I won't believe you even if you pretend to be hurt."
"Your trust in
is lacking. To restore trust, I have no choice but to reveal my capital."
It was the mont when lips that had co close enough to almost touch her ear were about to whisper the secret of five consecutive victories.
"So... Ah. You two there! No sharing information with each other!"
Cordelia, who hadn't even looked this way while trying to guess Alastair's cards, belatedly discovered the conspirators and shouted while blocking them. Alastair looked at Esperanza with betrayed eyes. Taking sides and opposing while playing gas with kids was a bit much.
"I didn't say anything."
"Hmm. It's a warning, Esperanza. And you two separate a bit."
Co to think of it, since when had they been sitting so close together?
"Lady Cordelia, are you jealous? But the hostess must maintain her position."
Cordelia glared. When the ga had gone around one more ti, Du Husler knocked on the reception room door.
"Miss Cordelia."
"Mm, co in!"
Alastair straightened his back. Du, who entered neatly dressed in formal wear, bowed silently to the other guests and imdiately spoke to Cordelia.
"Several territory residents have co looking for the guests. It seems they heard that tomorrow is the day you're leaving."
"If it's thanks, they've done enough, haven't they? Coming with lots of food despite their ager circumstances."
"It doesn't seem to be about that."
What?
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Six villagers had co.
"What's the sudden matter? Do you have sothing to say to the guests?"
"Miss Cordelia. We would like you to help us."
"With what?"
"The sa thing as last ti happened twice just in Mabelwood, and there's no law saying it won't happen again. But Miss Hunter seems to know how to deal with it, so couldn't we learn?"
Esperanza blinked slowly. This was a world where no one knew how to deal with dungeons. And they would face even more dungeons in the future.
"If there's anything I can help with..."
Actually, the thod of dealing with dungeons wasn't much. Generally, you die if you go in. If you're lucky enough to survive until Hunters clear the dungeon, you live; if not, you die. Until then, the answer was to gather in relatively safe stone buildings or underground bunkers.
In the current world without Hunters, there really was no thod. But since she couldn't say that, Esperanza gave them several precautions. Surprisingly, Cordelia diligently took notes.
"I'm going to make a manual. This happened twice in Mabelwood, but Esperanza, you definitely said these things won't only happen in Mabelwood, right? If it's not sothing that will end in one go, it would be better to share experiences with each other and gradually find coping thods while reinforcing them bit by bit. We might be laughed at now, though."
Twice in Mabelwood.
It felt like being hit in the head. Twice in Mabelwood.
If Esperanza hadn't been there, this ti Cordelia and all the villagers would have died. Could such a thing not beco known? No matter how much they tried to cover it up, it involved a famous person like Cordelia Mabelwood, didn't it?
How could the 'Monster Crisis' have beco the first dungeon incident?
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