Love Letter From The Future

It didn’t take long for my mouth to open again. Delphine’s suggestion was surprising, but her words were clear enough that I couldn’t fail to read her true intentions.

I cautiously answered her question.

“…It’s some kind of recruitment proposal.”

Delphine smiled with satisfaction at my response. Her white hand tilted the jug, and soon my empty glass was filled with alcohol. It was the same glass she had sipped from.

Instead of lifting it again, she nudged it away once more.

With a slosh, another glass of alcohol appeared before me. I looked at Delphine, as if asking what this meant.

Delphine was resting her chin in her hand, gazing at me with a bored expression. Her languid voice flowed from her lips.

“In the North, we fill a large horn cup with alcohol and share it as a sign of unity. It’s a ritual among comrades. But, well, we can’t exactly do that in the middle of the Academy, can we?”

It looked somewhat barbaric, she added, gesturing toward the glass.

“Don’t feel too pressured. Just think of it as a way to build a more friendly relationship. And if you like it… you know?”

That was her way of formally implying I should come under her wing.

At this point, I hesitated again. To be honest, I knew how to engage in small talk, but I had never anticipated receiving such a proposal from Delphine.

It felt like the pace was too fast.

By the time students reached their fourth year at the Academy, high-ranking nobles tended to gather their own factions. This was to recruit talented individuals to join them after graduation. However, this usually happened naturally among those who had known each other for a long time, coming together around a central figure.

It wasn’t surprising for nobles to form alliances over time as needed. However, the phrase “to be together” had a slightly different meaning. It signified becoming comrades, which required first building a foundation of trust.

No fool would entrust their back to someone they couldn’t trust. If such fools did enter the Academy, they would surely not avoid failing.

Thus, Delphine’s proposal could be interpreted in two ways.

One, it meant that I had caught her interest to that extent.

And the other, it indicated that there was some reason she needed to recruit me right now.

Either way, it wasn’t a bad proposal for me. After all, I was merely a second son, and it was clear that my older brother would inherit the title. Therefore, I needed to carve my own path.

If that path lay within one of the five prestigious families of the Empire, that was undeniably good. In fact, I had directly received an offer from their heir.

I pondered while fiddling with the glass she had given me. All I had to do was drink it. It also meant I could have an indirect kiss with such a beautiful woman like Delphine. How wonderful that would be.

However, I couldn’t shake the doubt that still lodged itself in a corner of my mind like a stone.

After a moment’s hesitation, I sighed and withdrew my hand from the glass. Delphine looked at me, as if surprised. A light gasp escaped her lips along with an intriguing smile.

“Is it because conditions aren’t clear? You’re surprisingly picky for a Lord Handaxe.”

“…I have one question.”

As if inviting me to speak, Delphine nodded silently. I decided not to hesitate any longer.

“Did you know that Ceria has recently been bullied?”

At my words, Delphine burst into a giggle. As if to say, was that all I was curious about, she adjusted her position from resting her chin to retrieving a new glass.

The glass filled with alcohol. Delphine opened her mouth as if dismissing it as trivial.

“Yeah, I’ve heard. But before I could step in, you took care of it, right? Heh, you’re quite talented. Ceria’s mother’s story tugs at my heart too…”

“Then why suddenly did such rumors circulate?”

Delphine’s hand, about to tilt the glass, froze in place. Her crimson eyes stared at me intently.

I wondered if I had missed something, but since the moment had come, I pressed on.

“It doesn’t make sense, does it…Cerita received the Yuridina name and is a high-ranking noble. Although Ceria’s mother is akin to a taboo for the Yuridina Clan, it’s unnatural for lower nobles to directly mention the family’s disgrace like that.”

Then, “Hmm,” Delphine made a peculiar sound as she averted her gaze. She spoke in a disinterested tone.

“The higher up you go, the more enemies you have. That’s the nature of power. There may have been a high-ranking noble family that envied me. For example, might it be the Rainelle family?”

“If that’s the case, they would aim to defame you. Targeting Ceria would have no meaningful impact. After all, Ceria’s mother isn’t even a member of the clan. It’s merely a weakness of Ceria alone.”

Delphine took a sip of her wine. Her gaze no longer rested on me. Yet, her calm demeanor was even more unsettling to me.

It was an odd intuition. My voice became somewhat heavier.

“To insult the honor of one of the five noble families of the Empire and to act with such confidence means they must have significant backing.”

“Perhaps, so what?”

“Yet, I can only think of one person who would be capable of doing that.”

By then, Delphine’s attention was still directed outside the window. That honey-like bored gaze, as if the affairs of the world held no particular interest for her.

Thus, in that final moment, I had no choice but to ponder once more.

Delphine appeared far too composed. She looked as if she were listening to something entirely unrelated, her expression devoid of any trace of ‘interest’.

How could someone suspected of wrongdoing wear such a face? But now, it was already too late to stop.

The single question that had led me to accept Delphine’s invitation burst forth, clothed in words.

“…Did you do it, Delphine?”

Delphine made no reply. Silently, she sipped her wine, gazing at the scenery outside. The illuminated view of the Idalos Lodge cast a cozy atmosphere.

I maintained my silence. I had expressed everything I wanted to say.

If Delphine confirmed it, there would be nothing more for me to say. And if she denied it, likewise, I wouldn’t have further grounds to elaborate. The words I had spoken were just my clumsy inferences.

If it had been Reto or Celin, perhaps I could have fashioned a more concrete framework. In hindsight, I wished I had sought their counsel, but if I had truly done so, I would have inevitably heard the words “madman.”

That Delphine Yuridina would exploit her sibling’s painful family history, even if it was a half-sibling?

The purpose remained ambiguous. Without motivation, no matter how excellent the deduction, it would hold no weight. Moreover, the other party was the heir of the Yuridina Clan.

Suspicion alone could be a serious crime. For nobles, honor surpassed life itself. This suspicion was more than enough to tarnish Delphine’s honor.

In other words, I had done something mad once again today. I was now awaiting the consequences, feeling like a prisoner facing judgment.

With my throat dry, I lifted the glass I had been using from among the two. There was a bit of wine left in it. I downed it in one go.

It was a while later that Delphine finally spoke.

“…Is there a reason I should?”

Her words pierced the painful point of my assumptions. I sighed and replied.

“Well, I don’t know. I was just a little curious.”

Delphine’s eyes finally turned to me. They were as beautiful as ever; a vivid red reminiscent of rubies.

Her previously indifferent expression now sported a light smile.

“You know how rude that is, right?”

I winced, avoiding her gaze as I lowered my eyes slightly. Delphine’s faint smile suggested the atmosphere wasn’t turning bad, but one never knew how it could change.

However, I couldn’t take back what I had spoken; my head slowly nodded.

“…Yes, I understand.”

Then, in the next moment, a small laugh escaped from Delphine.

It was a clear and bright laugh. I found myself bewildered, unable to comprehend why Delphine was laughing, staring at her with puzzled eyes.

After a while, as she continued to laugh, her gaze captured me. Her ruby-like eyes sparkled with newfound interest.

“How interesting. No matter how I think about it, it feels like you’re in over your head. Not only threatening that Elsi Rainelle with a handaxe, but also bringing up such suspicions in front of me, Delphine Yuridina?”

“I apologize if I have offended…”

“No, no. Courage should have its price. As a noble from the North, I’ll answer you honestly.”

With that, Delphine spoke to me, maintaining her cheerful expression. Her face remained calm.

“…It’s true; I did it.”

For a moment, I didn’t grasp her words.

Her voice bore no weight. The plain tone contrasted sharply with the content, momentarily scrambling my thought process. My clueless gaze turned toward Delphine.

She maintained a gentle smile, reminiscent of the first day we met.

“I did it, just as you mentioned.”

Despite her unchanging beautiful smile, my feelings were entirely the opposite.

Back then, it felt like facing a brilliant sun in the northern wind, but now, yes.

It felt like facing the gaze of a beast, blood running cold.

---