~ Chapter : 15 ~
“This is Miss Camilla. I wanted to introduce her to Lord Rosio regarding her application to the Academy.”
Rosio and Camilla’s eyes met.
Camilla had pure blonde hair and clear turquoise eyes, while Rosio had deep, night-black hair and violet eyes. Together, they made a perfect visual contrast.
“Duke Rosio Agnis, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Camilla Julie.”
“…Pleased to meet you, Miss Camilla.”
Rosio greeted her politely, formal yet without any deeper emotion.
We made our way to the pre-arranged meeting spot. The garden had a sparkling lake in the sunlight, and trees occasionally shed their flowers. This place was sometimes used for outdoor banquets.
Beneath a neat Western-style gazebo, a long marble table had been set up. I sat in the center, with Rosio and Camilla facing each other.
After the servants placed freshly prepared dishes on the table, they returned to the castle.
Camilla handled the tableware quite well. As we began the meal, she briefly explained her life.
She had been abandoned by her parents, survived by doing all kinds of menial work, and eventually met me while sneaking through the Academy. She revealed none of her hardships or suffering in her tone.
“You’ve had a hard life,” Rosio said succinctly, and Camilla lightly nodded.
When Rosio first heard Camilla’s story in the original tale, he had responded the same way. Her life had been so difficult and so different from his own that he hesitated to offer any comfort for fear of causing unintended pain.
“So, after Esmeralda graduated from the Academy, you came to find Camilla separately?”
Instead of probing into her circumstances, Rosio brought me up.
“Yes. If it weren’t for the Saint young lady, I would probably have been looking for some part-time job today.”
I watched them closely, expecting some special tension to form between Rosio and Camilla, but strangely, the conversation ended up overestimating my influence.
I glanced at them occasionally. Noticing my gaze, Rosio gave a small smile. Camilla, too, looked at me innocently. I felt it was time to take the lead in the conversation.
“Um, Miss Camilla wants to major in swordsmanship at the Academy.”
“Swordsmanship, huh…”
Rosio expressed curiosity.
Camilla fetched a sword she had requested from the attendants in advance to show both Rosio and me.
“It’s still unpolished, but I’d like to show you what I’ve practiced.”
Camilla held the sword confidently. Despite her gentle appearance, she didn’t seem burdened by its weight, which made her movements feel fresh and endearing.
A breeze blew, and leaves fell from the trees.
At the same time, a sharp shrak sound, like a light cut through the air, was heard.
Finger-sized leaves were sliced vertically, landing in neat little pieces on Camilla’s shoes.
The speed of her swordwork was almost impossible for my eyes to follow.
Camilla lightly shifted her feet, elegantly brushing off the leaves, then stepped into a slightly more open area.
“Now I can also control my aura.”
Camilla whispered softly, and a golden magical aura encircled her sword.
Though no one had taught her, she was naturally gifted. The aura spun slowly, bending to follow her movements as she swung the sword.
I held my teacup, mesmerized by Camilla’s swordsmanship.
Even swinging alone, without a sparring partner, there was tension in her movements.
Whoosh—the sound of air being sliced felt almost as if it was cutting through something blocked, giving the observer a sense of exhilaration.
Even if Camilla was talented, imagining her facing off with a sword instead of a staff was intimidating.
Yet, watching her wield the sword with fluid strength, I couldn’t help but anticipate the clash of swords in combat.
After showing a few more techniques, Camilla sheathed her sword and bowed to us. We clapped lightly.
“Well done. What are your plans after graduating from the Academy?”
Rosio asked kindly, though without emotional attachment.
“I wish to join the Second Order of Knights.”
“I heard the previous Sword Master belonged to the First Order.”
“I learned swordsmanship thanks to Commander Iris Saint of the Second Order.”
Several questions followed, like an entrance interview for university.
The Agnis family had pledged absolute loyalty to the royal family, so there was no reason to reject her application.
“Very well. The Agnis family will fully support your tuition and living expenses, Miss Camilla.”
“Thank you, Duke Agnis. Thank you, Saint young lady.”
Camilla expressed her gratitude repeatedly, but there was no sense of romantic interest.
Even the outfit I had carefully chosen for her seemed meaningless in that context.
Camilla asked cautiously if she could briefly leave to inform Iris of this news, and I agreed.
It felt slightly bittersweet to see the male and female leads interact purely on a business level.
‘But Rosio seems to trust Camilla, and Camilla is now following her true path. Maybe that’s enough.’
Once they left, Rosio subtly moved his chair closer to me. It was so natural, I half-wondered if he had used a teleportation spell.
“Esmeralda.”
His alluring, mid-low voice sounded close. This was not the tone he used when speaking to Camilla.
I felt the need to assert myself to the male lead, just once more.
In the original story, Rosio’s existence was like winning the lottery for Camilla, and he was happy because of her. I decided I would make one more effort to connect them.
“Rosio, isn’t Camilla amazing? She’s already excellent, but her future looks even more promising. She might even become a Sword Master for the first time in centuries. Her passion and perseverance are remarkable.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes! And she’s so beautiful that everyone falls for her. When I first saw her… oh, it was dangerous. She’s passionate, impressive, kind, and even cute! She’s well-read, so talking magic with her would be really enjoyable. Truly smart.”
I paused to catch my breath after speaking. That should be enough, I thought.
“She must be someone you value greatly, Esmeralda. Indeed, her talent is extraordinary, but if you hadn’t discovered her, she wouldn’t have had the chance to shine so early.”
Rosio nodded in agreement and praised my ability to recognize talent.
His gaze sparkled as if looking at me through Camilla’s perspective. I couldn’t help but wonder why both of them were more interested in me despite my efforts to promote them to each other.
“I actually thought the person you’d introduce today would be Count Saint and your husband. Seeing Esmeralda doing such a good deed makes me reflect on myself.”
“Huh?”
I made a dumb sound and covered my mouth with my hand. Rosio continued without concern.
“…Because you, Esmeralda, said you would take responsibility. I thought it meant you were taking responsibility for my first night through romance.”
Amid the chaos, I heard him mutter to himself. He was referring to taking responsibility for the original story. My head felt dizzy.
“It’s a relief that your intention isn’t to introduce someone else to make me forget you.”
The worst? I thought to myself. I had my own circumstances, too.
Rosio sipped his tea again, seemingly unconcerned, almost as if he were doing it deliberately.
Quickly, I added a defensive explanation.
“Rosio, you might have met someone better. It’s a bit like fate. But I suddenly kissed you first, took you to the Count’s residence, and… undid your clothes.”
I probably shouldn’t have said the last part.
“Anyway, perhaps I am simply an unexpected element suddenly intruding into your fate.”
I had the obligation to inform Rosio that he would be happy with the heroine. Mentioning fate made him pause and think a little more deeply.
“Esmeralda, I accepted your kiss, and afterward, I kissed you. We went together to the Count’s residence, and I also…”
Rosio reminded me abruptly of my memory. I omitted the rest, but knowing what he implied made my face flush.
After sipping his tea, Rosio continued.
“If being born as the heir of the Duke’s family is my destiny, living as Rosio is my choice. Is it impossible for my lover to be you, Esmeralda?”
His voice was earnest yet strong.
I had pondered similar questions in my previous world: we couldn’t choose our families, but we could try to choose how we lived.
Rosio, unlike me, had grown up in a wealthy, loving environment, yet he too considered this choice.
“Do you dislike a life decided by others, Rosio?”
“I just prefer deciding for myself.”
Rosio answered confidently. He gently stroked my hand with his fingers, as if my hand were something fragile. It was barely even touching.
“Well, compared to you, Rosio, I’m somewhat inferior.”
What was that called… a downward selection?
From magic ability onward, there was nothing similar between us.
Title? Rosio was a genius archmage and Duke leading the empire, while I was a young lady of a wealthy count family relying only on my parents’ fortune.
Appearance? Rosio was universally recognized as the most handsome man in the world, and I had only heard people say I was pretty a few times.
“Esmeralda, I don’t know in what way you mean that, but please don’t think like that.”
Rosio said firmly but gently. Everything about him was perfect, yet he seemed unaware of it!
“Esmeralda.”
“Yes?”
While I hesitated, Rosio intertwined his fingers with mine.
“Do you still have reasons to hesitate about being with me?”
