Someday
Lux’s Side
The man standing in front of me and talking to me right now has a personality that’s hard for me to deal with.
On top of that, he had a sword at his waist, so I was trying not to anger him, but at the same time, I couldn’t just accept what he was saying when…
“…I’m getting tired of talking to a child who doesn’t even know how to show respect to someone of a higher rank… I suppose I’ll report this matter in the appropriate place. That there’s a member of a count’s family who shows disrespect to a duke.”
“Huh…!?”
When I reacted in shock, the man in front of me raised the corners of his mouth and his eyebrows as he spoke.
“That’s only natural, isn’t it? Don’t you think it’d be harder not to make an issue of the fact that you won’t even sell a single flower to a duke like me?”
“That’s why it’s not that I can’t sell them. If you could just wait a little longer…”
“The value of a little more time is different between a child of a count’s family and an adult of a ducal house like myself… but yes, hmm.”
Nodding as if he’d convinced himself of something, the man crossed his arms and said,
“If you apologize to me right now and say you’ll sell me the flowers, I might be willing to pretend this whole thing never happened, you know?”
“…!”
Apparently, after this commerce practicum, sales rankings would be announced later, so sales themselves were extremely important.
In that situation, if I were to make those sales during the lunch break, when selling products was originally forbidden…
It’d be treated as misconduct, and most likely I’d be…
And even Florence-san, who was paired up with me, would be forcibly removed from the sales rankings.
I didn’t want to cause trouble for Florence-san, and even without that premise, I couldn’t apologize when I was just following the agreed-upon rules.
What should I do…
“Excuse me.”
While I was agonizing over it, Remina-san, who’d been standing by the wall behind us until a moment ago, appeared next to the man in front of me and said that.
Startled by the sudden interruption, the man opened his mouth to speak.
“W-what is it? Couldn’t you see I was in the middle of a conversation? To interrupt like that, you too are insulting me, a duke…”
Mid-sentence.
The man shifted his gaze to Remina-san’s clothes and said,
“Those are fine clothes… Are you from a ducal or marquis family?”
“I won’t deny that I was born into a good family.”
“Hoho… my apologies for that, then. In that case, you should listen as well, about this child of a count’s family…”
“I don’t mind listening, but this place is inconvenient. Shall we change locations?”
“Indeed, a place where there’s an unpleasant count’s child like this, a commoner, isn’t suitable for us… Let’s go somewhere appropriate for noble people like ourselves, shall we?”
Saying that, the man turned his back to the stall with a cheerful air and started walking away.
Having heard that exchange, I immediately spoke to Remina-san.
“R-Remina-san! Is it really okay to be alone with that man…?”
When I asked anxiously, Remina-san turned toward me, nodded with a dignified expression, and said,
“Of course… Do you think I’d fall behind someone like that?”
“I don’t think so.”
As I answered while recalling the way Remina-san had moved before, she continued in a gentle tone.
“I’ll deal with that man myself. You should focus on what you need to do right now.”
“And also,” she added.
“About the flowers… I’ll refrain from purchasing them after all.”
“Huh!? W-why… is it because it was during lunch break and I couldn’t sell you the flowers!?”
If that was the case, I was truly sorry…
But Remina-san lightly shook her head and said,
“That’s not it. I no longer need them… so at the very least, today, I can’t accept flowers from you.”
You no longer need them…?
I still didn’t understand why… but.
“We’ll be parting ways for today, but someday, I’ll definitely come back to you, to your side again… so won’t you wait for that time?”
Her expression was clear to the very end, and kind.
Of course, my answer was already decided.
“Yes!”
As I nodded and replied, Remina-san gently lifted the corners of her mouth and placed her right hand against my face.
Something very strong was conveyed to me from Remina-san.
I didn’t know what that something was… but it was very warm.
Before long, Remina-san removed her hand from my face and turned her back to me as she walked away.
From that back, I felt the same Remina-san as usual, something I hadn’t felt just moments ago…
No.
…From her back, I felt even more dignity, presence, and a sense of bearing than ever before.
I’d worried she might be a little down, but seeing her like that, it seemed there was no need to worry anymore.
Feeling once again just how incredible she was, I placed a hand on my own face and muttered in a small voice,
“What in the world was that warm something…”