Chapter 282: Close Friends
“It’s been a while since the library, Lux!”
Elizalina-sama said it in her usual tone, but my state of mind wasn’t calm enough for that right now. So I told Elizalina-sama the question that had been weighing on me.
“Y-yes… but why did Elizalina-sama come over to where I am?”
Today, even if I managed to catch a glimpse of Elizalina-sama, I’d thought there was almost no chance I’d be able to speak with her like this. I’d heard beforehand that many dukes would be attending this gathering, and when I actually arrived, that proved to be true.
So I’d assumed Elizalina-sama would be busy talking with many other people, and that there’d be no opportunity for her to speak with someone like me, but.
When I voiced the big question that came from those thoughts, Elizalina-sama smiled and answered.
“Why, you ask? That’s obvious. Because I wanted to talk with you, Lux!”
“Huh? W-with me?”
“Yeah! Or were you in the middle of talking with Ashwell, so was I getting in the way?”
“N-no! Not at all!”
It was undeniably true that I was surprised Elizalina-sama had come over to me. Still, that didn’t mean I felt she was a nuisance in the slightest, so I immediately denied it.
Ashwell-san, who’d been listening to our exchange from beside me, spoke up with a shocked expression.
“Y-you mean, Rodwell-kun and Elizalina-sama know each other!?”
I was surprised myself, but after hearing the way Elizalina-sama and I were talking, it was only natural that Ashwell-san would be taken aback too.
I was just about to reply in a way that wouldn’t cause any strange misunderstandings, when…
“Know each other? It’s more like Lux and I are really close!”
“What!?”
Elizalina-sama said it before I could even open my mouth.
Hearing that, I hurriedly spoke up again.
“E-Elizalina-sama, it’s far too presumptuous for someone like me to be close with you…”
“As expected of Rodwell-kun! To think you’re even close with Elizalina-sama!”
“I-it’s not like that… Elizalina-sama is just a very kind person who treats me well…!”
As I said that, Elizalina-sama paused briefly, then turned to Ashwell-san.
“Ashwell, there’s something I’d like to talk about with Lux-kun alone, so could you leave us for a bit?”
“Something you want to talk about with me… alone?”
I felt puzzled by Elizalina-sama’s words, but Ashwell-san simply nodded.
“I understand! Then Rodwell-kun, see you later!”
“Ah, yes! Let’s meet again later!”
I reacted a bit slowly because of my confusion, but I nodded and replied all the same.
Ashwell-san then turned her beautiful blonde back toward us and left the area.
After seeing her off, I turned to Elizalina-sama.
“Elizalina-sama… what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?”
Being told by Elizalina-sama, the Second Princess, that she had something she wanted to discuss made me nervous as I asked.
Elizalina-sama glanced around and said,
“Of course I plan to talk, but there are too many people here, so let’s change locations for a bit.”
“Change locations?”
“Yeah… somewhere we can be alone, just the two of us.”
I didn’t know what Elizalina-sama intended to talk to me about, but.
“Alright.”
I could sense a strong seriousness in her expression, so I nodded in response.
Then, led by Elizalina-sama as she gave me a small smile, I headed with her toward a place where the two of us could be alone.
…Just what was Elizalina-sama planning to talk to me about?