Love Letter From The Future

Senior Delphine finally tidied up her clothes after my repeated pleas. In her crimson eyes, which met mine across the table, there was even a hint of irritation.

I might have garnered some dislike from her. I was a little disappointed as well. As Senior Delphine said, her bare skin was beautiful like a piece of art.

However, it couldn’t be helped. I couldn’t bear to stay like that.

The sweet fragrance flowing in the room, the romantic atmosphere created by the soft lighting, and the sight of a rarely seen beautiful half-naked woman.

If there were a Venus flytrap that hunted men, it would surely resemble the scene in this room. It wasn’t until Senior Delphine finished adjusting her clothes that I was able to let out a sigh of relief.

Even so, Senior Delphine remained beautiful, and her long, white legs peeking between her robe irresistibly captured my gaze.

Nonetheless, I was relieved that her intimate curves were not revealed. Just moments before, when she approached me, that floral scent had momentarily dulled my senses, but now I was at least holding onto my wits.

Conversation was only possible when both parties were rational. A man enchanted by a woman could hardly make reasonable judgments. Perhaps Senior Delphine’s intention was also to employ her beauty as a strategy.

I thought so and couldn’t help but let out a quiet chuckle.

Delphine Yuridina would use her beauty against a mere second son of a rural lord?

It was nonsensical. Whatever I could do, she could do better, and whatever I could obtain, she could obtain as well. In terms of skills, wealth, or status, Senior Delphine was superior to me.

There was no need for her to use her beauty on me. Thus, if I thought rationally, the current version of Senior Delphine was simply her usual self.

As I let out a quiet sigh, her mouth opened.

“While swinging a handaxe, you looked so beastly, yet now you seem like a clumsy gentleman who values chastity. I’m a bit disappointed, Lord Handaxe.”

I had to swallow a laugh at the disgruntled expression on Senior Delphine’s face.

This lady was saying something outrageous in front of a strange man. If this went wrong, it could turn into a scandal that might ruin her prospects for marriage.

No one was as strict about chastity as nobility. No matter how filthy or sordid their actions were behind closed doors, they had to appear spotless on the outside.

Yet here we were, a man and a woman meeting alone at night, with her in half-naked attire?

It was certain that when this rumor spread, it would damage her image. But given Delphine Yuridina’s outstanding worth as a product, it would only be a scratch on the surface.

So, I cautiously advised Senior Delphine. It was presumptuous of me.

“Senior Delphine, even so, as nobility, you should treat your body with more care…”

“I don’t need to.”

Before I could even finish, Senior Delphine replied in such a decisive tone. Her short and straightforward response caught me off guard.

“…What?”

“I said I don’t need to, Lord Handaxe. Have you ever thought about why women are wrapped up so tightly in front of men?”

At her languid question, my mouth clamped shut. Discussing societal customs was not my specialty. Perhaps Reto would know.

However, I could at least provide a commonsensical answer. I recalled the sermon I had heard from the Lady Virgin Saint not long ago and opened my mouth.

“Isn’t it to maintain chastity? Unlike reason, our flesh is molded by the Evil God Omelos, which gives rise to sin…”

“Which is precisely why I don’t need to.”

Once more, her voice was firm.

I looked at Senior Delphine without saying anything. She leisurely poured wine into an empty glass.

With a soft sound, the fragrant scent wafted out. As she pushed the glass toward me, it slid gracefully into my hands. It was an artistic control of force.

Just catching the scent that brushed my nostrils told me all I needed to know. It was high quality. After all, it was wine consumed by the heir of the Yuridina Clan; it surely wasn’t cheap.

How many gold coins would this single glass be worth? As I began to estimate that, I soon dismissed the thought as meaningless.

After all, she and I lived in different worlds. No matter how much I struggled to calculate, for her, it would be insignificant worries. I could only do one thing.

To drink the wine, I poured the wine in the glass straight into my mouth.

The sweet taste and bitter undertone, along with the characteristic rich aroma of the wine sliding down my throat.

It was delightful. Even someone like me, who wasn’t well-versed in alcohol, could discern a clear difference from the ordinary mass-produced products. As I downed my first glass in one go, a subtle satisfaction appeared in Senior Delphine’s eyes.

It seemed she enjoyed a hearty drinking style. Since she was from the northern region, it made sense. They were people who had survived in that harsh environment. Nobles or commoners alike, they had to be somewhat rough.

Although at first glance, one might think she would meticulously follow the etiquette of dining. It felt somewhat confusing that her noble appearance conflicted with her preferences.

“Beautiful things evoke desire. Everyone feels that way. The bodies of women are the same; the more beautiful they are, the more they stir men’s lust. The thought of wanting to make them one’s own…”

Delphine poured wine from the bottle again. Her glass filled, and her gaze turned toward me.

It was an invitation to a second drink.

Wordlessly, I held out my glass, and as the bottle tilted, the sweet scent poured out again.

With a languid gesture, Senior Delphine withdrew the wine bottle. She continued with a soft voice.

“That’s why most women say things like ‘chastity’ while wrapping themselves up. It’s to suppress men’s desires. Or perhaps, they might use it as a weapon at the most critical moment… Either way, it’s just the thoughts of the weak.”

“…In what sense?”

“Why should I be afraid when no one can claim me?”

It was an arrogant statement. Yet Senior Delphine spoke with complete nonchalance. As if stating a matter of course, her voice bore no trace of doubt.

And she had every right to feel that way. Even if a man were mad enough to try to pounce on her, very few could subdue her by force.

I was the same. Even if I briefly lost my sanity and attempted to pounce on her, I would be subdued in seconds. That was why Senior Delphine had no hesitation in exposing herself before me.

She was strong. It seemed that overwhelming confidence was the foundation of who ‘Delphine Yuridina’ was.

A woman who feared no one and would not be possessed by anyone.

I drank a glass of wine in silence. As if I finally understood her a little, a sigh escaped my lips.

“…So that’s why you said, ‘I don’t need to.’”

“Right. I hate things that are unnecessary. Beautiful things become more valuable the more they are flaunted. Don’t you think so?”

She said this with a slight wink. It felt as though she noticed my gaze inadvertently wandering to her smooth skin. I cleared my throat, turning my eyes away.

With the alcohol, I was having a hard time controlling myself again. She spoke to me as if reassuring me.

“If you want to see, you can look as much as you want. It’s a rare opportunity. No matter what, I don’t flaunt my body to just anyone.”

I looked at Senior Delphine, puzzled. So that meant she had standards for whom she would reveal herself to.

With a soft chuckle, a light laugh escaped Delphine’s lips. She soon clarified my question.

“Only those of value have the right to see beauty.”

“‘Those of value’?”

“With another expression… ‘useful people.’”

It was a blatant remark. Some might find it offensive.

However, I didn’t find it too unpleasant. I might have expected nothing less from Delphine Yuridina. But then, a conversation I had with Ceria suddenly came to mind.

It was the line Delphine had supposedly told the young Ceria: “If you can’t prove your worth, you might end up like this.”

Silently, I sipped my drink. Delphine continued her narrative, indifferent to my silence.

“My perspective on the world is simple. Are you useful or not? Other perspectives are pointless. In that sense, you’re quite a useful person.”

“Because you defeated Senior Elsi?”

“Besides that, I’ve heard various stories.”

It was around that time that Senior Delphine crossed her legs. Her smooth, tempting thigh peeked out. My eyes almost instinctively wandered there, but I held back with superhuman patience.

I couldn’t be swept away any longer. I squeezed my eyes shut and downed the wine.

Senior Delphine only chuckled at my reaction. In her relaxed voice, she continued.

“I heard you’ve been hanging out with Ceria lately.”

“She’s surprisingly a good junior. Though her social skills are a bit lacking…”

“I’m grateful for that. While her talent for the sword is incredible, she seems to have no aptitude for human relationships… No matter how much a half-sibling she is, being one of the Yuridina Clan, I worried if she would go her whole life without making even one friend.”

As she said that, a faint smile adorned Senior Delphine’s lips. Was she harboring affection for Ceria, in her own way? After all, they had grown up together since childhood, so it wouldn’t be surprising.

The slightly bittersweet smile on Senior Delphine’s face faded into silence.

Tap, tap, her index finger drummed on the table. Her crimson eyes, lost in thought, gazed outside. The moonlight streaming through the window seemed like lighting designed to highlight her. What a picturesque scene.

It was not until some time later that her eyes returned to me.

“I’ve heard many interesting stories. Even though you are in your third year at the Academy, you were only in the mid-lower rankings, and now there’s a rumor that says you’re showing an unbelievable performance.”

“I got lucky.”

At my self-deprecating remark, Senior Delphine merely scoffed. It seemed my obvious humility was amusing to her.

“You don’t need to be modest. What matters is the result. If luck follows once, it’s coincidence, but if it happens multiple times, it’s skill. And I like skilled people.”

With a bang, the glass Senior Delphine held came down on the table. A rosy tint began to spread across her cheeks. That was a sign that the effects of the alcohol were setting in.

It felt like a hot energy surged up my throat, hitting my head. I too was starting to feel the effects of the wine. Senior Delphine spoke with a mischievous smile.

“You know what I want to say, right?”

Instead of answering, I swallowed hard. It was not that I couldn’t comprehend her intent; it wasn’t supposed to happen like this.

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