“So what do you want me to do for you?”
Hayun, who had her hand on her forehead, looked visibly tired.
It turns out she didn’t have any support from her family, and unlike me who was busy robbing pirates, she and everyone else were busy securing living expenses during this supposedly leisurely time.
I felt a little sorry for her, but since I had a custom order coming in, I decided to give her a tip when I picked it up.
“I heard you want to get along well with my sister. But I’m not very good at this stuff. I was hoping the love expert you is help me.”
“Don’t you remember? I’m a 1 confession, 1 trial person!”
Rarely, Hayun glared at me with an annoyed expression. I quickly turned my gaze away and ended up making eye contact with Belin Mayas.
“Hey, brother-in-law. I think it would be better if you taught her.”
Maybe because of my previous record, Hayun’s trust level was slightly down.
“Just trust me. Hayun is really amazing, you know?”
“Really? Then……”
“No, I haven’t even said I would help you yet.”
With a look of disbelief, Hayun sighed and replied.
“I’m super busy right now. I’ve taken lots of custom orders since vacation is starting. Plus, I’m going to Bairn for the competition, so my working hours are reduced, and I can’t afford living expenses.”
That explained her annoyed demeanor. I wanted to apologize, but Belin immediately suggested, his eyes gleaming.
“If you set aside some time to give advice, I’ll convert it into an hourly rate.”
That’s quite a proposal only a golden spoon could make.
Hayun looked at me as if asking why we were even spending money on this, but I signaled her to quickly snatch a sucker.
“Ugh, I’ll listen for now.”
In need of quick cash, Hayun eventually fell for the allure of the golden spoon. That only meant Belin was in a hurry.
“First, I want to date Daniel’s sister, Diana. But after graduation, it’s over, right? If she goes to the Dragon’s Boundary, I can’t follow.”
Thinking about it, there really was no more opportunity. That’s why he was so desperately clinging on. It made me realize how precious this time at the Academy was.
Hayun seemed to think the same, stealing a glance at me before kneeling daintily on the floor with a heavy sigh.
Even when others tell her to sit comfortably, whenever it’s about taking orders or work-related conversations, she kneels like this.
Is that what they call manners?
“For now, we have Daniel, so it’s easy to know Diana’s taste.”
“You just said that.”
With an awkward laugh, I recapped our previous conversation. I said Diana likes whatever I wear and eat, causing Hayun to scowl.
The way she looked at me with eyes saying I was no help at all pierced my chest.
“Then for now……”
Thus began the lecture by Hayun, the love teacher who learned from books.
“Thank you so much! I’ll definitely succeed!”
Belin Mayas returned with an unspeakably satisfied smile. After we saw him off at the door, we went back inside.
“Ugh, don’t ever call me for this again.”
“I’m sorry. But among the people I know, you are the most knowledgeable about love.”
“I learned from Tana and Eve.”
Eve is too biased toward book knowledge, and Tana looks at things too realistically.
If Hayun took those two extremes and combined them, she might truly be a love expert after all.
Of course, she probably has never even properly held a guy’s hand yet.
“How about you try getting a boyfriend? You’re somewhat popular, aren’t you?”
Gone was the image of her kneeling on the floor, giving advice; now she was slouched over on the bed, only her upper body down.
“I’m busy. A boyfriend would cost a lot of money.”
“Well, that’s true.”
“And there’s no suitable guy.”
“Is that so? There seem to be quite a few decent guys in class A, at least not like class B.”
It’s a coincidence, but since there are pretty good-looking kids from well-off families in class A, it wouldn’t be bad to pick one from there.
“I don’t know, I’m not interested.”
Well, if she doesn’t like any, she doesn’t.
I tried to change the subject but Hayun suddenly sat up straight and asked seriously.
“What about you? How do you feel about Eris?”
“……I think I’m sorting things out a bit.”
Recently, I deeply agreed with the saying that time is a healer. It’s been over two months since I last saw Eris, so it was gradually sorting itself out in my mind.
How that result would turn out, I didn’t know.
“For you who are worried.”
Hayun pulled something out of her skirt pocket. It was a pretty cool bracelet with colorful lines intertwined.
“This is the love bracelet my mom taught me.”
“Love bracelet?”
“Yep, if you wear this and keep it until this time next year, the love you want will come true.”
“……If that were true, everyone would have married their desired partner by now.”
“Are you saying my mom is lying?”
This is……
Especially since Hayun’s parents were assassinated due to Uncle Heaven Len’s plot, I couldn’t really say anything back.
I kept my mouth shut, struggling to shake off this situation when Hayun smiled slightly and pulled my hand, fastening the bracelet on my wrist.
“Here, you have to keep this until today next year. Then you’ll find out who your love is. Personally, I hope it’s Eris.”
We both knew it wasn’t really effective. But a talisman is still a talisman. Looking at it would remind me that I need to draw my own conclusions.
“Thank you.”
“Gratitude is only accepted in cash.”
Thanks to Hayun, my heart felt a bit relieved. I really felt comfortable talking with her. Though I was closer to Eve and Tana, talking was more comfortable with Hayun.
Eve and Tana sometimes bullied me in their own ways.
“And you’re planning to visit uncle during winter vacation, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Before the mark appeared on Ares, Uncle Heaven Len had already known the mark would appear on him. Along with our three childhood friends, Hayun planned to visit the Len family as well.
Since it might be uncomfortable for someone like Hayun, I suggested she enjoy her vacation without going, but she insisted on shoulder the responsibility of being a member of the Len family until the end.
“Just how did uncle know?”
“Maybe he was related to the Priestess of Time.”
Through the ability of the Balance of Time, my memories and those of the Priestess of Time had been exchanged.
Since it was literally a balance scale, the Priestess took some of my memories equivalent to what I had.
“I couldn’t read all her memories, even including those of my past life.”
Even after giving 28 years of memories, I couldn’t obtain all her memories. It could be seen as natural since she was older than me, but the scale seemed off.
“It seems she’s much older than she appears on the surface.”
Just like elves, who might look 20 but are actually 500, it seemed like she borrowed some of the Goddess of Time’s power to freeze her appearance in that state.
It felt like there was a mist of confusion.
Anyway, I had grasped things related to the Earliest Apocalypse and those who might save the world.
At first, it felt bleak, but now, seeing hope gradually emerging, I felt a smile appear, believing that the end to save Rin wasn’t too far away either.
“Oh, right. The gift for Sen is almost ready. I think I can give it to her in about two days.”
“Really? That’s a relief. Sen asks three times a day when she’ll get it.”
“Probably because it’s the first gift she’s receiving from you.”
“Well…… maybe, but probably not just from me.”
I figured it was probably her first time receiving a gift from anyone.
In the Chokugen Faction, all she probably received were requests or daggers.
Knock knock.
While I was chatting with Hayun, a knocking sound came from outside.
“There aren’t really many people who knock.”
Strictly speaking, only Rin or Hayun knock here.
But Rin sometimes sneaks in by just picking the lock, so it probably wasn’t her.
Hayun is in my room.
“Yes, who is it?”
When I opened the door, there stood someone I truly didn’t expect. Elise, draped in a robe and swinging her golden hair.
She usually bursts in saying I’m her master, acting like she owns the place, so I wondered why she knocked this time.
Her face was oddly red, and drool slightly dripped from her mouth.
Elise lifted her robe slightly to hide her hands from other people.
Then I saw the collar around her neck and her revealing underwear.
“Would you like to take me for a walk?”
Bang.
I quickly closed the door and sighed.
It wasn’t because of Elise.
I just hated that I’d gotten used to this kind of life. And I screamed the name I promised to remember until my throat hurt.
“Bertiaaaaaaa!”
How on earth do they manage their master?
