This Novel is not my Chapter 161: Remake (5)

Upon arriving at the carriage waiting area, the first thing that entered my field of vision was a father and daughter with wheat-colored hair standing side by side.

It seed we weren't simply eting at the dining hall—we were traveling together.

That was probably why Reisir had co directly to my room.

If he had rely suggested eting at the carriage waiting area at the appointed ti, an awkward situation might have unfolded if Djúpr and I had arrived first.

He must have been trying to prevent that.

And he was probably worried that Djúpr, who treasures him like his own son, might say sothing unnecessary to out of excessive concern...

Unlike Helga, whose vibrant cherry-colored eyes left a strong impression and who radiated energy and vitality even when pretending to be composed—

Djúpr's sage-green eyes, spectacles, and the traces of age etched across his face gave him a calm and gentle air.

Even now, despite the tension visible in his stiff expression.

There was a reason the original novel described him as possessing an "agreeable deanor."

"I am Djúpr, guardian of Helga and Reisir, and head of the Vitnir Baron Family. It is a pleasure to et you."

"Likewise. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Karvaldr of the Austri Ducal Family."

"......!"

We were already aware of each other's status.

Since he had introduced himself first and extended proper courtesy, I simply responded in kind.

Yet for so reason, Djúpr's eyes widened in surprise.

I couldn't understand why he was reacting that way when I hadn't said anything unusual.

Asking directly would have been out of character, so I rely tilted my head slightly.

That alone was enough to prompt an explanation.

"You're... speaking politely to ?"

It was an astonishingly trivial reason.

Apparently, he had assud Karvaldr was an arrogant and ill-mannered young master.

To be fair, the original Karvaldr had indeed been that sort of character.

But even he possessed enough common sense to speak politely to professors at the Academy.

"I heard that you were appointed as a professor this ti."

"Ah..."

The sight of him belatedly realizing what he had overlooked was almost absurd.

After all, Reisir had spent so much ti talking about how "Lord Djúpr might say sothing unpleasant to you" that I had expected at least a stern glare and a reprimand the mont we t.

Instead, he was clearly watching my reactions.

Well, it's certainly a misunderstanding if he thought I didn't know how to speak politely to him, but...

No matter how I looked at it, this wasn't the attitude of soone who had co prepared to speak harshly.

Just what had Reisir been worried about to the point of recruiting Helga?

I genuinely couldn't understand it.

"Stop standing around awkwardly and get in the carriage already."

Had she grown bored because Djúpr and I were simply staring at each other from where we stood?

Helga tossed the words out as she boarded first.

Despite still being inside the Academy, there wasn't the slightest trace of pretense in her voice.

There aren't any students nearby, but the coachman is still here...

People often said that modern children treated anyone unimportant to them like background NPCs.

Perhaps that aspect of reality had sohow seeped into Helga, a character in a fantasy novel.

Or perhaps pretending to be refined in front of her father embarrassed her, causing her to montarily drop the act.

In any case, we followed her lead.

Djúpr naturally sat beside his daughter.

Reisir, however, chose the seat opposite them instead of joining their row.

If I sat beside Djúpr now, I would undoubtedly look strange.

That left with only two options.

Sit next to Reisir.

Or sit separately with Yor between us.

After pondering the matter for roughly three seconds, I boarded before Yor.

Not only did I dislike the idea of using Yor as a shield, but I also felt it was ridiculous to worry that sitting beside soone would sohow reduce the psychological distance between us.

Unfortunately, I soon regretted that decision.

"For Karvaldr to willingly sit beside ...!"

The protagonist of soone else's novel was making a trendous fuss.

I had no idea what part of this moved him so deeply.

Or why.

More importantly, wasn't he the one who said Djúpr was worried because he couldn't tell whether I considered Reisir a friend?

The person who said that in Chapter 160 really shouldn't be getting excited over sothing so trivial.

As expected, deep concern spread across Djúpr's face.

The protagonist of soone else's novel noticed it as well and hurriedly attempted damage control.

Unfortunately, what ca out of his mouth was ridiculous.

"Lord Djúpr, please don't misunderstand! This is just a prank. A prank. Usually when I overreact like this, Karvaldr blushes and gets embarrassed, you see? That's so—well, anyway, that's why I ended up teasing him out of habit."

For the first ti, I seriously considered switching seats with Yor.

"If that's true, then the young master's face as he looks at you seems completely cold. There's not even a hint of warmth."

"He must be tense today because Lord Djúpr is here."

After muttering his observation, Djúpr received that answer from Reisir.

At the sa ti, Reisir subtly signaled Helga with his eyes for support.

She responded casually.

"Tsun—... No, I don't know whether Young Master Karvaldr is actually nervous right now. But it's true those two always fool around like that."

In the previous chapter, I had categorized Reisir's announcent about recruiting Helga as "irrelevant news."

Now I realized it might be more accurate to call it "bad news."

Disguising sothing like this as good news was unforgivable.

Thus, I resolved to move away from the protagonist of soone else's novel by exchanging seats with Yor.

And imdiately put the plan into action.

"There's no need to switch seats over this, is there?!"

"Hmph."

Under normal circumstances, I would have sharply turned my head away, folded my arms, and even crossed my legs.

However, there was an adult sitting across from today.

Taking such an ill-mannered posture would have been awkward.

So I rely snorted.

Yet because of that—or perhaps despite it—

My reaction differed slightly from usual.

Unable to tease for acting prim as he normally would, Reisir stared at with an expression full of uncertainty.

He seed unable to tell whether I was genuinely angry.

Truthfully, I wasn't offended enough to describe my feelings as hurt.

But explaining that would have felt strange.

So I simply remained evasive while absentmindedly stroking Yor's fur.

"Um, Young Master Karvaldr...?"

The silence, which had lasted a respectable amount of ti, was finally broken by Djúpr.

Personally, I had been hoping no conversation would occur until we reached our destination.

Although it was unfortunate that the silence ended, I still responded.

"Yes?"

"First of all... I would like to thank you for saving my daughter on the day of the graduation ceremony."

The man who had nearly lost his child expressed his gratitude with utmost sincerity.

If I brushed it aside and said it was nothing, would it sound as though I considered Helga's life insignificant?

Yet given the possessed body's established character, I couldn't exactly answer that I had rely done what anyone would have done.

"Ah... yes..."

Caught off guard, only that short reply erged.

The mont it left my mouth, I realized it might have been better to simply say there was no need for thanks.

The other party seed equally flustered by my response.

"Ah, hahaha... He's already shy by nature, so he doesn't know how to react when soone thanks him. And with the added tension, I think he's malfunctioning a little."

Reisir desperately threw together whatever excuse ca to mind.

Sohow, he seed to be the most nervous person in the carriage.

His guardian stared at him for a mont, caught between disbelief and bewildernt, before shifting his attention back to .

"Thank you as well for granting Ray's long-cherished wish. As his guardian—and as soone who was close to his father while he was alive—it was sothing I should have accomplished myself. Yet I lacked the ability and could only tell Ray to give up. In that sense, Young Master, what you've achieved at such a young age is truly remarkable."

It was true that Djúpr had advised Reisir to give up.

But that didn't an he had done nothing.

Out of pity for the child who had lost his family, he had submitted petitions requesting the return of the land where that child's family had once lived.

He had requested permission to investigate the Daudabiner Territory in hopes of proving that the Demon Realm was not an artificial phenonon.

When even that failed, he painstakingly saved every spare coin he could to purchase rare dicinal herbs sold by the Imperial Family and analyze them for anything unusual.

Among all the people he knew, he had even gone to the one with the highest status and shalessly begged for assistance.

Yet despite all those efforts, he had failed to produce results.

And because of that failure, he decided that only he should continue clinging to an impossible task, suffering disappointnt and helplessness.

So he told Reisir to give up.

As soone who knew those circumstances through the original novel—

Seeing him bla himself while comparing himself to left unable to remain silent.

"Not really..."

"Yes?"

"The only reason I was able to voice an opinion regarding the return of the Daudabiner Territory was because circumstances happened to support it. Since Demon Realms appeared in foreign nations as well, I could argue that returning the territory would benefit the Empire. The Imperial Family simply chose to listen."

"...Ah?"

"And from the beginning, I did not raise the issue for Reisir's sake. As soone belonging to one of the four pillars supporting the Empire, I rely conveyed an opinion that would aid the Empire's future to Her Royal Highness the Princess. Reisir simply happened to benefit from it."

"Um..."

"Therefore, I do not believe it warrants gratitude or praise."

"......"

An indescribably complex emotion settled across Djúpr's face.

The emotion on Reisir's face, however, was far easier to identify.

"See?! This is exactly the kind of person Karvaldr is! Cold on the outside, but incredibly warm underneath!"

His delight was painfully obvious.

"He just said he didn't do it for . But Karvaldr has been concerned about my situation since long before that. He even told that I absolutely had to reclaim my territory and restore my parents' honor."

I had no idea why the protagonist of soone else's novel looked so proud while talking about .

"In other words, the reason Karvaldr said all that was because he wanted to tell Lord Djúpr not to bla himself."

"Why would I do that? Stop interpreting things however you like."

"If that wasn't your intention, then why say sothing you didn't need to say?"

"That's..."

"Did I misunderstand?"

If it was Reisir, then no matter what excuse I ca up with, he would stubbornly refute it and eventually corner into admitting I was a good person.

Knowing that, I rely muttered—

"...Hmph."

—and quietly looked away.