魅力影院

Chapter 171

“Indeed, you’re quite perceptive.”

“While we’re at it, should I include my own room too?”

“…”

Lortelle let out a sly laugh when I didn’t respond, “You really don’t get jokes, do you? In any case, don’t worry about such trivial expenses. You can add it to the company’s accounts.”

“No, take the money.”

“What?”

After pondering for a moment, I eventually handed Lortelle a leather wallet filled with gold coins.

“Oh, I didn’t expect you to pay so generously. Weren’t you the type to be frugal and try to save wherever possible?”

“It feels like I owe you enough as it is, so I intend to at least do what I can.”

Lortelle looked taken aback, as if she hadn’t expected me to react like this, but she quickly regained her composure and chuckled, as if she understood what was on my mind.

“Favors can feel like rights if they’re not kept in check. It only takes a moment for people to become overbearing.”

“That might be true, but… I’m not sure.”

Then Lortelle smiled brightly, surprising me that she could still show such an expression.

“I’m not taking the money.”

“…?”

“Drawing such a business-like line between us feels wrong. Close friends don’t make a fuss over small debts and write IOUs for every little thing.”

“That coming from you…?”

Wasn’t she known to meticulously settle every last coin and chase down debts to the ends of the earth? I’ve heard that the recovery rate of Lortelle’s bonds scattered throughout the living quarters exceeds ninety percent, which means she recovers just about everything unless there’s an impossible situation or disaster.

“Take it.”

“No, really. Keep your small change.”

“Take it, I say.”

“No, I won’t.”

Thus, a silent battle of wills ensued for a brief moment. It felt like our positions had reversed; it was usually Lortelle who should be in the position of asking for money.

Hearing stories of her collecting every last coin from negotiations with the Sylvania Academy, it was indeed odd that she was so consistently refusing to take money now.

“Senior Ed… Money isn’t everything in the world…”

“That’s not for you to say.”

“What’s more beautiful than money is the heart. How can you equate a person’s kindness to money? It’s not good to put a price tag on everything in the world.”

Unfortunately, putting a price tag on everything was one of Lortelle’s talents.

“If I have to say it, I want to keep it as a debt of the heart towards Senior Ed.”

“And what does that mean?”

“If I behave so generously towards you, refusing money while opening my wallet freely… then in Senior Ed’s heart, it remains as a debt, don’t you think?”

I wondered how much complex scheming and plotting Lortelle must have done over the vacation period in Olduck. Her increasingly foxy disposition nearly made me click my tongue in annoyance.

“For people living by the trade, it’s a habit to invest in what holds more value. So, was there trouble in Olduck?”

“…”

Without turning around, I went straight for the heart of the matter. Even Lortelle, normally so adept at conversation, seemed lost for words for a moment.

After a while, she regained her usual composed smile.

“Senior Ed, that kind of ambush isn’t very nice.”

“Just asking.”

“Well. If there was trouble, then there was trouble. To me, it’s just another day.”

Lortelle pulled her robe’s hood snuggly over her head, and for the first time I could see her hair fully. It cascaded down her neck in smooth locks, more abundant than before, making her appear more mature.

“While I was away, it seems that some of my so-called confidants did a little rooting around in my pockets.”

“Were you betrayed?”

“It’s a bit much to use the term ‘betrayal’. In this business, it’s filled with people just waiting for a chance to grab their share and run. The people I’d considered close were no different.”

Lortelle continued her tale, rubbing her thumb and forefinger together in a gesture of money.

“It’s the same wherever you leave your post for too long. Embezzlement, leakage of information, sabotage, double agents… I returned to Olduck to find the association in a mess and had to clean up quite a bit.”

“So did that sour your mood? Your own employees turning on you?”

“Hardly. Do I look like the kind of person to get upset over every little thing?”

Certainly, there was no trace of hidden sadness in Lortelle’s smile. But that wasn’t serenity; rather, it felt like detachment, being accustomed to betrayal and backstabbing, simply accepting them as the norms of life.

“Before I made a name for myself, I often did the same.”

“…”

“However, returning to Olduck and witnessing such a scene… It made me realize I’ve softened quite a bit. At least this island of Acken… how should I put it, has its own unique romanticism.”

The sight of students at the Sylvania Academy dedicating themselves to their studies surely softens people’s attitudes and diminishes spite. Keeping one’s venom in such an environment is no easy feat; humans are more affected by their surroundings than they often realize.

“I told you, senior Ed. We are kin. Returning after so long and seeing your face reminded me so… And I suppose I temporarily became sentimental.”

“Sentimental, you say? In what way?”

“Well… just…”

Lortelle trailed off slightly. Was she struggling to find the right words? Or maybe it was different. She hesitated to openly reveal vulnerabilities, a reluctance stemming from a lifetime in a world where any weakness exposed is exploited.

Yet, that hesitation was brief. Looking at my face, she wrapped her arms around her knees and spoke with self-derision.

“Maybe it’s the lingering yearning for an unconditioned exchange of kindness.”

Being a cold-blooded person set on extracting every penny from anyone and everyone. It might be a harsh assessment for a girl, but that was how the people in the living quarters saw Lortelle.

Yet, here she was, vehemently shaking her head at the thought of taking even a penny from me. The reason for this gap, in the end, had to do with the lonely life Lortelle lead.

“Well, it’s not like it’s the first time we’re talking about this… there’s no need to be so bashful.”

“You keep this up, and you’ll be taken for a ride.”

“Who? Me? Or you, senior?”

Lortelle lifted her head and pointed at herself, then burst into hearty laughter, a drastic change from her prior demeanor that she almost seemed like a different person.

“Ahaha, don’t worry, senior. I have boundaries I keep. There’s no need for you to be so concerned.”

“Actually, I have no such intention myself. Favors are to be accepted as favors.”

There wasn’t much I could assure Lortelle of from my position; I was just doing what needed to be done.

“Either way, I’ll have to pay. This is about my principles, not your stance.”

“You’re quite stubborn on this issue, senior. Well, I suppose I could take a few coins.”

Lortelle smiled broadly and spoke unabashedly.

“But what if you were taken for a ride?”

“What?”

“Even if you’re taken for a ride, there’s a big difference between knowing it and not knowing it.”

Her expression was one of relief, as if she had let something weighty off her chest, and I had trouble responding emphatically.

“Go ahead and speak frankly for the time being. After all, someone like you, senior, is unique to me. It’s been a while since I laughed this sincerely.”

Lortelle closed her eyes gently and accepted the breeze of the forest. It looked so comfortable that I hesitated to interrupt.

“Being back on Acken is nice. The air is cleaner and much more soothing than in Olduck.”

Lortelle seemed to savor the free-spirited air of Acken for a long while.

“But now, with the cabin construction underway, you don’t have a place to stay.”

Belle Mayar, having finished his duties at the Ophelius Hall, took care of Lortelle’s luggage and arranged it neatly inside the villa.

It was evident that Lortelle was accustomed to giving orders to servants, simply sitting quietly near the fire to warm herself.

The fresh autumn breeze played with the ruddy strands of Lortelle’s hair.

“That’s true. I’ll need to find a solution for that.”

“Why look far away? My villa is right next to you.”

“It’s not a joking matter. At this rate, I might end up sleeping on the street.”

“Oh my…”

Lortelle propped her chin, then suddenly smiled alluringly.

“I’m serious.”

While Lortelle’s villa might not be massive, it was certainly spacious enough for just her. But that didn’t mean I could just barge in and start living there.

“You still don’t seem fazed. Hmm…”

“What’s the reason behind your sharp comments?”

“I just wanted to see you flustered, senior. If I keep on pushing, you might stumble over your words at least once, right?”

“What if I actually decide to move in? What would you do then?”

Lortelle burst into laughter, shaking out the wrinkles in her clothes. But as I quietly observed, she suddenly shivered.

“…Eh…?”

“…”

“Are you… serious?”

There’s always a person who’s adept at drawing others in but thin-skinned when pushed away. The characteristic of those who can pull but falter when it comes to pushing back.

I had no such intentions, of course, but the odd sense of reality crept in as I imagined staying in Lortelle’s villa.

As I sighed deeply and bowed my head, Lortelle fanned her face aimlessly to regain her composure. She had made her assessment of the situation.

Lortelle sighed in disbelief and then took a moment to steady her breath.

And just as she began to speak…

― Thud

Lortelle and I were sitting across the bonfire from each other.

Next to us, a different girl came and plopped down.

The girl who had spent the whole day cooped up in a cabin-like cave, pounding on walls in vain, or hitting pillows.

Finally able to get herself together, she sluggishly made her way to sit by the fire.

“…”

After causing a major mishap that stretched over a day, her cheeks were still flushed with embarrassment. Despite the weight bearing down on her, perhaps she heard our conversation from inside the cabin and somehow managed to drag herself out, fidgeting with her fingers.

Was it a definitive sign of her determination not to leave Lortelle and me alone? Her actions seemed to express that intention clearly.

From my perspective, I was concerned about Yenika’s physical state after rolling around in bed all day, her hair a tangled mess, but her mental state was far more worrisome, her cheeks flush like a ticking time bomb.

So I found myself speechless, not knowing what to say first, and a slightly awkward silence lingered between us.

“….”

As Yenika sat fidgeting with her flushed cheeks and as I was still choosing my words, Lortelle, who had been watching from across the fire, finally spoke up.

“What’s this?”

Whether it was a mutter to herself or loud enough for us to hear, I couldn’t tell.

“The atmosphere… why is it like this…??”