Emotion
“…By ‘deal,’ what do you mean?”
“Put simply, I mean to take their lives.”
“…As for the matter of the three male students, the national system has already decreed their expulsion from the Nnoble academy and the stripping of their titles.”
Given that the woman here surely understood all of this already, Floria knew such an explanation would likely have little effect. Even so, she chose to say it.
Then the woman in the pink hood spoke.
“That may be so, but that decision alone just doesn’t feel like enough.”
“Regardless of your personal feelings, as long as we are within a national jurisdiction, you must abide by its laws.”
“I see… Still, I can’t let it end like that. Those three idiots almost hurt someone very important to me.”
Floria could understand that feeling.
In truth, she herself couldn’t forgive those three who had tried to harm Lux. That’s precisely why she exposed their wrongdoing and drove them to expulsion and the loss of their noble status.
“I understand how you feel… but in that case, please consider this. If the one you care about were to find out what you’re about to do, how would they feel? Do they truly wish for you to stain your hands with blood for their sake?”
“I don’t think they would.”
“If that’s what you believe—”
“It’s not about whether they want it or not.”
The woman in the pink hood spoke in a composed voice, then added.
“Whether that person I care about wants it or not doesn’t matter. I’m only doing what I believe is best for them.”
At those words, a memory of Siana’s voice flashed through Floria’s mind.
“When it comes to Lux-kun’s safety, it doesn’t matter what Lux-kun thinks… If I can guarantee his safety, if I can make sure he stays happy and smiling just like that, then I’ll stain my hands with as much blood as it takes.”
Siana’s words overlapped with those of the pink-hooded figure before her, and Floria spoke again, her tone slightly firmer.
“If they are truly important to you, shouldn’t you respect their wishes?”
“That’s not it. If I respected their wishes and ended up losing them, that would defeat the whole purpose.”
“Even so—”
“Hey, you said something interesting earlier… Since we’re in a place that represents the nation, we have to follow the national system.”
“…Is something about that troubling you?”
When Floria asked, the woman in the pink hood responded with weight in her voice.
“The people who protect this country are the ones who stain their hands with blood, just like I’m about to do. Even knowing that, would you still deny someone the choice to stain their hands for someone they care about?”
Those words carried such gravity it felt as though the speaker had witnessed such people up close.
Who is this woman…? Even if she is a noble, an ordinary one could never speak with such weight…
Even as she thought that, Floria spoke.
“Indeed, I won’t deny that such things happen. In fact, I imagine they’re tacitly accepted as part of our world. But the action you’re about to take is driven by emotion.”
“And what’s wrong with that?”
The woman in the pink hood said this, then continued in a voice touched by unexpected gentleness.
“Until now, I’ve never been truly moved by my emotions, not from the bottom of my heart. I didn’t think that would ever change… but finally, someone came along who stirred something in me. These emotions and that person I treasure are both precious to me. I want to protect them both. Would you deny that?”
The final words came in a very quiet, somber voice.
After a brief silence, Floria replied.
“…I have no intention of denying that. But I believe such feelings are meant to be kept within one’s heart.”
“No matter what you say, what I’m about to do won’t change… So, could you step aside?”
…There was a part of Floria that couldn’t completely disagree with the woman in the pink hood.
She understood what was being said. She even understood the urge to act on it.
Floria drew her sword and took a stance, then addressed the woman in the pink hood.
“If you truly care about that person, I believe you should prioritize them over your own emotions. That belief is the reason behind my own actions now. And so, I cannot step aside.”
When Floria said this, the woman in the pink hood returned to her original tone and replied.
“That’s troublesome… I only want to deal with the three boys inside that building. Even if you get in my way, I don’t want to harm someone as good as you.”
“I agree that I don’t wish to fight. However, if you insist on passing, then you’ll first need to carry out that ‘deal’ of yours on me. Of course, I don’t intend to let it happen without resistance.”
When Floria said that, the woman in the pink hood spoke again.
“…That’s unfortunate. It seems I’ll have to make sure you stay quiet.”