Refrain from Obsession - Chapter 11

Aer was at a loss for words. Since realizing this was a novel she had read through, she seemed to have unknowingly looked down on this world.

Because it was a novel she had read to the end, even if not in detail, she knew more or less how the empire would end up, and what would happen to the main characters.

That’s why she had been complacent.

While reproaching herself for focusing only on the protagonists despite the many people living in this country, Aer immediately apologized to the professor.

“I’m sorry, Professor. My thinking was short-sighted. But it seems unfair to give just a sword to unprepared civilians and make them participate in the class.”

“…Hmm, I’ll think about that point.”

“Yes, then… May I go in now? It’s a bit cold.”

“Ah, sorry for keeping you. You worked hard today, so get some rest. By the way, what you did today will be reflected in your grades.”

“Thank you.”

Louis, who hadn’t said a word the whole time, just greeted her and walked with Aer.

Aer and Louis, heading towards the dormitories, stopped at a fork in the road. One way led to the girls’ dormitory, the other to the boys’.

Aer bowed deeply to Louis and then straightened up.

“Thank you so much, Louis. I was touched that you came to rescue me.”

“…I just did what I had to do.”

“Tell me when you have time.”

Aer said this while drawing very close to Louis. Then she whispered in his ear.

“Let’s go sell healing stones together. Okay?”

Every time she whispered, her breath touched his ear. Louis felt an unbearable tickle but clenched his fist and endured it.

“My room is in the Spring dormitory, 3rd floor, room 3. Please contact me through the mailbox.”

“…Alright. Then.”

Louis hurriedly moved his feet, feeling flustered. Returning to the dormitory in a rush, he slumped onto the sofa still in his wet clothes.

“Haah…”

After heaving a deep sigh, he first took off his cumbersome glasses. He placed them on the table as if throwing them, then swept back his wet, clinging hair.

As he did so, his fingers brushed his earlobe, vividly recalling the situation from earlier.

“Why did she speak so close?”

While rubbing his ear where her breath had touched, Louis mumbled and recalled the scene of swimming together earlier.

The image of her swimming leisurely like a mermaid from a fairy tale in the sapphire-blue spring was imprinted clearly in his eyes as if it were engraved.

“It’s strange…”

Louis took out a piece of healing stone from his pocket. After staring at the faint light it emitted for a moment, he gripped it tightly and expelled his impure energy into the healing stone.

He rolled the now darkened, lifeless healing stone on his hand while thinking of Aer.

Just thinking about her approaching him without hesitation made his heart beat slightly faster.

“Not being able to understand someone’s thoughts… It’s this nerve-wracking.”

He concluded that it was because she was a type of person he had never encountered before.

Aer, who was hurrying to take a shower, was suddenly pulled and dragged along by a force.

Startled, she looked up to see Ian looking down at her, breathing shortly.

“What’s the meaning of this sudden action?”

Displeased by the abrupt contact without any words, she raised her voice without holding back.

“…Why on earth did you do that?”

But Ian came out with words completely different from her question. To Aer, who looked confused, not understanding what he meant, he asked again.

“I’m asking why you did that earlier.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. If you’re curious, ask clearly.”

Ian let out a dry laugh at her attitude, which was completely different from before.

“Have you changed your method?”

“…Pardon?”

“Did you think I wouldn’t know that you deliberately fell off the cliff to get my attention?”

Utterly dumbfounded, Aer’s honest reaction came out before she knew it.

“What are you talking about?”

Ian was momentarily taken aback by her response, but without showing it, he spoke calmly.

“…Do you know what those stupid young ladies who pulled such stunts did later? When I still didn’t show interest, they suddenly changed and expressed their affection. To the point of being annoying. If you’re thinking of doing such annoying things, I’d like to tell you to stop.”

Aer was so dumbfounded, appalled, and irritated that she was speechless for a moment.

Interpreting her reaction somehow, Ian spoke confidently.

“From now on, it’s useless even if you volunteer for such dangerous acts. That doesn’t mean I’ll look after you. If you have any shame, you shouldn’t do that.”

“…”

When Aer showed no reaction, he continued to press.

“If you know your father’s wrongdoings, please stay out of my sight. It’s extremely annoying.”

Ian felt relieved of his frustration and thought he had found the proper reason.

Yes, this was all because of Bestia.

After pouring out his words, he turned his back without hesitation, but he couldn’t take a step.

“Hey, are you done talking?”

A voice filled with suppressed anger held him back.

Aer, forgetting the words she had been repeating like a motto, continued.

“Who are you to say whether you’ll look after me or not?”

“…What did you just say?”

“The fact that I liked you, what. How is that such a great power that you treat people like this?”

Aer recalled how she had been hiding like a criminal every time she saw him since their first encounter at the academy.

She had acted with the vague thought of not getting involved, but she never dreamed it would come back as contempt.

Right. People wouldn’t understand.

Even her family couldn’t understand her feelings, how could strangers?

“Don’t involve me in my father’s wrongdoings. And let me tell you once again…”

Aer thought to speak properly to Ian this time.

“I don’t like you anymore.”

“……”

“Your delusion is amazing. How can you think that way about actions I took to avoid getting involved with you? Don’t think everyone is as calculating as you. Among them, there might be those who keep their distance not because they want your attention, but because they really dislike you.”

“……”

Ian felt as if he had been hit on the back of the head by her words. Was this really the same woman who was head over heels for him just a few months ago?

Feeling unfamiliar, he couldn’t answer for a while, then belatedly blushed and spoke in a low voice.

“Don’t appear in front of me again. It’ll be fine if I don’t see you.”

After saying only what he wanted to say, Ian turned his back. Just as he was about to return to the dormitory, Aer shouted from behind and threw something.

Something that hit his back and rolled down stopped at his feet.

“You’re the one who shouldn’t appear in front of me! I don’t want to see you either!”

“…What are you doing now!”

Ian turned around again, shouting with a voice full of displeasure.

As she was entering her dormitory, huffing and puffing, she paused for a moment when the wind blew and wrapped her body. Her trembling body looked delicate.

That’s why Ian couldn’t call out to her anymore. Even though his mouth was full of things he wanted to say, somehow he couldn’t speak.

Even after Aer had disappeared into the dormitory, he stood there frozen like a stone, unable to move.

Although he was full of displeasure, a strange sense of triumph seemed to be rising within him.

Before he could recognize the identity of this triumph, Ian came to his senses at the sound of someone calling him. Then he noticed something at his feet.

The object that Aer had just thrown appeared to be a shining gem-like thing.

“This is…”

Ian, who couldn’t mistake a healing stone, wondered how she came to possess this item.

What would an ordinary person like her need a healing stone for?

His green eyes lowered. Even though he was annoyed by her who kept bothering him, he couldn’t throw away the healing stone.

As he was slipping it into his pocket, someone called out to him.

“Lord Ian… Um, this is a gift…”

A flushed face and eyes that wouldn’t leave him.

It was an attitude that anyone could see meant she had feelings for him.

Seeing a completely different appearance from Aer, Ian thought that perhaps what she had said might be true.

The fact that this was strangely unpleasant was probably due to her inconsistent behavior.

 ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

As soon as Aer returned to her room, she quickly filled the bathtub with hot water. She also got a glass of cold water.

“Haa…”

As she immersed herself in water so warm it felt hot, she felt like she would live. She let out a deep sigh and gulped down the cold water.

Her body was cold, but her insides were burning.

“Well, is there such a thing as a prince complex?”

The more she thought about it, the more dumbfounded and incredulous she felt.

“Just ignore it, ignore it.”

You don’t avoid poop because you’re afraid of it, but because it’s dirty.

What good would it do to confront a character who’s the son of the main characters and the older brother of the spin-off protagonist?

Only a pitiful supporting character would end up getting crushed.

The cold water seemed to have cleared her stuffy insides a little. Aer took out a healing stone from her spatial bag and examined it carefully.

“Even among the low-grade ones, this seems to be of good purity.”

Looking at the transparent healing stone without impurities, she gradually felt better.

“I should sell this to that person.”

Aer smiled contentedly as she thought of the person in charge of illegal distribution in the Basium Empire.