Seijo ni Narunode Nidoume no Jinsei wa Katte ni Sasetemoraimasu ~Outaihi wa, Zensei de Watashi wo Fu

     “Come on, let’s go.”

     Liz hurried and tried to catch up to him, panicking, as he turned to the right.

     “Where are you going?”

     “You’re going to find the door needed to be selected as the saint, right? I’ll follow you.”

     “But, if they find out that the prince is helping me, I might be dropped out of the list.”

     “I’m just following you, it doesn’t concern the selection. Plus, I don’t have any magic, so there’s nothing I can really do to help.”

     “How do we find them? Any clues?”

     “…It seems that the holy dragon would show me where it is. So I must bring it with me. Also, my key is in the drawer of my desk.”

     “Well then, off to Liz’s room first. Lets go.”

     Liz couldn’t feel any hesitation from Keefa who was looking straight ahead. How did he turn out to be quite strong and straightforward?

     ‘He seems to be someone else.’

     Liz managed to catch up to Keefa who’s quickly walking down the corridor.

     “I apologize, I wasn’t by your side when you were having a difficult time. There was a lot of trouble happening right now in the Eastern Colorado region, I had been busy processing it. It’s been a peaceful area for  hundreds of years—”

     As they walked along the corridor, his sudden conversation stopped.

     ‘What? What’s the matter?’

     Liz looked up and stared at him. She was staring at him intently as if it’s digging a hole on Keefa. She couldn’t understand why but she wanted to scream.

     “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t notice that your eyebrows were white. It seems that I didn’t properly look at you since it coincided with Cecil.”

     His face had clouded with self-loathing as he had found out that he wasn’t aware and wasn’t able to find something important. It was something that anyone could notice.

     Keefa’s eyed still remain focused on Liz. This time he’s focusing on her eyelashes. Even her eyelashes are white!

     Moreover, the distance between them became smaller when he moved his gaze from her eyebrows to her eyelashes.

     ‘What’s this….?’

     When she took a step back to escape, he took one step closer. It perhaps may be a subconscious response but Liz was steadily cornered by the wall.

     ‘What is this?!’

     Liz desperately kept calm. In fact, she doesn’t know why she feels upset. Keefa quickly took a step back, noticing his strange behavior.

     “No. if you don’t like—”

     “—I wanted to say that if you didn’t like it, you should also look at me the same way. So that we’d be equal?”

     What was that super theory? The Prince was calm and serious, but aggressively straightforward—and a little odd. She didn’t know that Keefa was really like this, completely different from Eugene.

     Liz leaned back against the wall.

　* * * * *

     Keefa saw Liz leaning against the wall, he doesn’t know why but she looks exhausted.

     “Are you alright?”

     “‘Aah! Somebody, somebody come—!”

     Screams of the handmaidens can be heard inside the room across the corridor.

     “Insects! Bugs! There are bugs!”

     It is an insect that lives all over the country, and many people dislike grotesque appearance, such as a black, shining back or a pair of hairy feet.

     In the corner of the room the handmaids are hugging each other, frightened. A large bug about the size of one’s palm was crawling on the floor. It probably had entered through the open window. It is a type of insect that can live anywhere in the country. Several people dislike its grotesque appearance, such as its black shiny back and its ten hairy legs.

     ‘How nostalgic…’ At a time like this, Keefa smiled. 

     In the previous life, Cecil also had trouble with bugs and insects, she was bad at them. The residential house she lived in was old and bugs would often appear. Each time she’d call for him, she’d seem like she’s about to cry.

     Everytime Eugene would get rid of it for her, she’d gratefully thank him. With a mischievous heart, he’d try to bring the insect near her. She’d scream and run away, looking at him with a tearful face. He’d swore to himself that he’d never do it again.

     He was happy that she relied on him, to be needed. But he never came back.

     Despite it, they were able to meet again. Even though he’s a different man from his previous life, it’s still possible for him to make amends to Liz, who’s the reincarnation of Cecil. It made him very happy and grateful that they had reunited.

     “Liz, it’s alright, stay back.” he said to Liz, who was shaking. She didn’t answer, she must’ve been so scared that she couldn’t say anything. She was the same as when she was Cecil. He’ll protect her.

     ‘—what?’

     When he looked back, Liz wasn’t there. She had moved in the middle of the room. In front of the shocked Keefa, she took off one of her shoes.

     “Hahhh!” With an energetic tone, she slapped the bug with her sole without hesitation. It was so tough that it wouldn’t die. Now that it’s motionless, she abruptly picked it up by its legs. The black shiny bug’s hairy legs were swinging on the air like a pendulum.

     ‘Is this a lie…’

     In front of the scared handmaidens, Keefa was shocked.

     “Is it for the Holy Dragon?”  he muttered questioningly. She’s going to give that grotesque insect to that adorable half dragon? He felt sick at the thought of it eating it.

     “The dog I had in my hometown eats it.”

     “Stop.”

     “But she looked very happy, and flashed her head—”

     “Stop!”

     Liz glanced at Keefa. His face looked quite sick. He was shaking his head with a frown as if giving up. Liz hurled the insect out of the window.

     ‘I didn’t know that Liz was this kind of person.’

     It’s like a different person from Cecil that he knew in their previous life.

     “Are you not good with insects?” She asked.

     “No, it’s not…”

     He couldn’t tell how scared Cecil was before, but Liz seemed to have misunderstood that Keefa’s not very good with insects.

     “Call me whenever you get any bugs. I’ll get rid of it. You used to help me in my last life.”

     Keefa stood there with his eyes wide open, stunned. He didn’t expect her to say that.

     “Leave it to me. Come on!”

     Liz continued with a straight face. In her small body, she had such a strong and powerful expression.

     ‘I see――’

     He felt quite relieved and warm emotions filled his body. Even if it’s different from their previous life, they’ll be able to help each other now in this time. He was quite happy.

     “Oh, please,” Keefa laughed heartily.

　* * * * *

     In a monastery in northwestern Astoria, Emilia Kafen, in plain clothes, was drawing water at a well. She looked down at her hands. It used to be so smooth with no scratches, now it’s dry and rough.

     ‘No more!’

     She threw the bucket of water, with a burning hatred filled her heart. This is all because of Liz.

     Back in her hometown, she had lived comfortably as the only daughter of Baron Kafen. Now that her father’s territory and title has been taken away, she’s been confined in the monastery. She has lost everything and yet Liz went to the temple as a candidate for the next saint and is apparently passing the selection.

     ‘Don’t joke with me.’

     She’s the original candidate. She’s the one who’s supposed to be in the temple now, being acknowledged by the priests and saints.

     That time, Liz deceived priest Lloyd. That was the case. Liz, a commoner, who neither has parents nor intellect, is not a candidate for being a saint. However, no one believed her that she was deceived by Liz. No one acknowledged her, Emilia, who’s worthy to go to the temple.

     Anger and hatred tightened at the bottom of her stomach. If she’s allowed to, she’d like to go to the temple to tear Liz apart.

     It is said that the head took in the one who accused and tried to entrap the candidate, Liz. He said, “Emilia is still young and I want to give her a chance. Instead, we will look after her in this monastery.”

     The head seems reputable as a merciful and charitable director, but if he really is, he should be able to tell the truth as soon as possible that Emilia is the real saint candidate, not Liz. That would be right.

     She bit her lips. Suddenly, someone called her, “Emilia.”

     Next to the puzzled director was a fine man. The man smiled, his thin eyes curving up, “Emilia Kafen, I’m a messenger of the Igner family. Do you know Duke Igner?”

     “Of course.” She answered surprised but politely. He’s a duke with the highest nobility rank. How could she not know him.

     “I came to pick you up. The head of the Igner family wants  to see you.”

     “Me?”

     “Yes, The duke knows all about you as well as your relationship with Liz Stefan.”

     ‘Liz…! ‘

     He laughed with satisfaction at Emilia, whose black eyes were full of hatred.

     ‘―- It’s nice.’

     Emilia smiles as she recalled the events that day when the messenger of Duke Igner had come to pick Emilia up. But her reminiscence of that time didn’t last long.

     “Someone’s wounded! Please!” There was a tense and loud call. Emilia rushed to them.

     ‘Just you wait, Liz. I will surely be where  you are!’