Chapter 27 - Volume 1 (2/2)

「……To think, a great hero is guaranteeing it for me. There can’t be any stronger guarantee than this.」

Yulifalet vigorously nodded, and Filmina smiled. It was a gentle smile that made everyone who saw it naturally feel relieved, and Yulifalet also let out a sigh of relief. If he’d made her cry right here, just what excuse would he have given Agedilus?

As he thought, ‘Thank goodness,’ he suddenly laughed. At that mischievous laugh, Filmina blinked in surprise once again.

「Mrs Filmina.」

「What is it?」

「Won’t you form an alliance with me?」

「An alliance?」

‘What do you mean?’ She urged him to go on with her eyes. Yulifalet smiled broadly.

「That’s right. The goal is to protect Agedilus’s happiness.」

「Oh!」

Filmina’s eyes widened in surprise. She blinked incessantly, before her eyes finally had the same light as Yulifalet’s——namely, a mischievous light.

「Ahaha. Sir Yulifalet, you really are a curious friend.」

「……Agedilus said something like that to me once too. Wonder if it’s okay to take it as a compliment?」

Though, Agedilus had said it much more frankly than Filmina. 「A strange person」 and 「A weird person」 were rude things to say indeed.

Giggles escaped Filmina’s mouth, as if she couldn’t contain herself. Not answering with a yes or no, she did nothing but laugh. Yulifalet scratched his cheek, embarrassed. Facing him, Filmina extended her slender hand to him.

「An alliance, you say. If there really is something like that, I’ll gladly join.」

Smiling even harder, Filmina continued.

「Well then, I look forward to working with you from now on. Please just call me ‘Filmina’, I don’t mind if you drop the ‘Mrs’ or ‘Miss’.」

「Then won’t you call me Yuli too?」

「Yes. I look forward to working with you, Sir Yuli.」

「Me too, Filmina.」

They shook each other’s hands. That was the moment they were allied in the 『Protect Agedilus’s Happiness Alliance』.

The chilly night wind blew between them. If he stayed out any longer, his body might get too chilly. ‘This time, let’s hurry up and go back already.’ Opening the door, they returned inside.

As the two of them walked together towards the large room where the dining was taking place, they instinctively stopped at the sight of someone approaching them.

「……What were you doing?」

That beautiful voice was so low you could plainly tell he was in a bad mood. Yulifalet and Filmina exchanged glances, before looking at him.

「Edi?」

「Agedilus? What’s the matter, what are you doing here?」

When Yulifalet left his seat from the dining room, Agedilus had been thoroughly engaged in conversation with Alhelm and Filmina’s younger brother. But for some reason he was here now, his beautiful face twisted into a displeased look.

He approached quickly, took Filmina’s arm and pulled her beside him.

「That’s my line. What were you two doing, sneaking around?」

Agedilus fully exposed his bad mood, so disturbed that he might start yelling if Yulifalet said something foolish. It made Yulifalet realize once again just how important Filmina was to Agedilus. There were only a few times even during the journey that Agedilus had bluntly shown his feelings like this.

‘He really does love her, huh?’ he thought. As Yulifalet thought that, he found himself jealous that Agedilus had someone to think of dearly. He exchanged glances with Filmina.

「That’s……」

Several seconds passed as their gazes clashed together. Then, the two of them suddenly blurted out together.

「A secret, I guess.」

「It’s a secret.」

「What?」

Agedilus looked like he was saying, ‘Just what does that mean?’ Filmina linked her arm around his arm. At that gesture, Agedilus looked clearly surprised as he looked at Filmina, shutting his mouth.

「Well now, let’s get back to our seats quickly. Both of us left, so I’m sure everyone must be waiting for us.」

‘Right?’ Filmina pulled at his arm, looking up at the man who had become a husband today. Yulifalet had to hold back his laughter as Agedilus quietly listened to her. Then, he followed them back too. Agedilus and Filmina. Watching them from behind, Yulifalet certainly was happy.

‘I hope they stay like this forever.’ He couldn’t help praying for that.

* * *

「Yuli! Hey, Yuli!」

「……Huh? Oh, yeah, what is it, Marie?」

「Don’t ask me what’s the matter. You just zoned out right as you broke that envelope’s seal!」

‘I was so worried!’ With her cheeks puffed up, his childhood friend glared at him, and Yulifalet scratched his cheek. It seemed he’d gotten lost in thought, somehow or another.

After attending Agedilus and Filmina’s wedding, he quickly left the capital behind as if escaping, kicking away the wealthy merchants and aristocrats who endlessly kept running after him with marriage proposals and bribes.

When he finally returned to his hometown, the people that came to greet him were his childhood friend and his parents, his butler who was the family’s head servant, and the people that lived there. Everyone was in tears, all saying, 「Thank goodness you’re safe.」

That was when Yulifalet was finally able to accept what is called ‘peace’ in this world, not as the ‘Hero’ Yulifalet but as the Yulifalet who was just an heir of a small countryside aristocrat.

And then, he had been able to regain a peaceful everyday life. Not exactly like how it was before, but certainly peaceful. And today, he had received this letter. As he looked at the envelope with its seal cut, he smiled.

He took out the paper from the envelope, only to have his nose tickled by the light flowery scent. Narrowing his eyes in pleasure at the refined scent, he opened the folded up letter.

——Dear Yulifalet Lila Schtorenvihein.

The letter started with those customary words. The handwriting looked as if it revealed the writer’s personality; it had to be Filmina’s. Although his signature was added jointly at the sender’s name part, that Agedilus wouldn’t go to the trouble of sending a letter by himself.

The fine quality paper told of their present situation, and asked how Yulifalet and the others were doing. Although it would be true to say there was nothing interesting or fun in it, it still made him so happy that he could peacefully exchange letters with them like this.

As he naturally smiled, Marie said, 「Hey!」 and pulled at his sleeve a few times.

「So, who was that letter from after all?」

「Hm? Well, it’s…」

Yulifalet smiled.

「From my dear friends.」