“!”
Realized?! Eyes widened, but it all ended up being unnecessary worry.
“That reaction, you’re still trying to be ‘mean’ to me, right? Holding hands with you only makes me more nervous.”
“…”
(‘R-Right. There’s no need for me to panic… He’s dense, so it shouldn’t be that easy for him to figure it out’)
This safety net alone made her calm down. With peace of mind, she could even pick on him.
“Oh? Are you getting nervous just by holding hands? Wouldn’t it be lame of you to see me as the opposite sex?”
Elena, twitching her eyebrows and trying hard to make a smug face, provocatively challenged him.
Knowing Byleth’s personality, she dared to provoke him.
As a result, she got the response she wanted.
“No, nothing. That was just a joke.”
“Heh, then let me hold your hand. I’ll ease your nerves.”
“Fine.”
“What a nonchalant response. Show some gratitude, won’t you?”
While showing a bold attitude, Elena stood up and sat back down next to Byleth, secretly wearing a pleased smile.
(‘…Haha, I’m being toyed with by the palm of my hand. But he’s simple in these aspects’)
He might have answered on a whim, but her heart was pounding anyway. With that momentum, she cut in.
“Come on, give me your hand already. Or was ‘I’m getting nervous’ just a lie?”
“I said it was a joke.”
“Earlier, you said you were nervous with just holding hands?”
“Is that… my imagination? Feels like I’m being deliberately provoked, but is it just me?”
“H-Huh? Why would I provoke you? There’s no benefit for me in provoking you.”
“That’s… true.”
(‘He’s really a fool. Why did I admit it there?’)
The moment she was convinced she had won, Byleth’s hand was placed right beside hers.
“A-Alright now? To hold hands…”
“Anytime. If that eases your nervousness… No, if your nervousness is relieved, that’s fine.”
“I-If my nervousness is relieved, then… I’ll do it.”
She nodded.
“…”
“…”
That silence lasted for a few seconds. With her mouth closed, Elena slowly laid her hand on top of Byleth’s.
“…”
“…”
“I-Isn’t it a bit rough and uncomfortable? Your hand?”
“Isn’t that harsh?”
“B-Because I thought that way…”
As she expressed her thoughts, she placed one hand on her chest and glanced at him quickly.
Her gesture seemed to hide the sound of her heart, and her face was as red as her hair.
Trading nervousness and embarrassment, Elena successfully cleared her feelings of jealousy.
“I wonder if you’ve relieved some of your nervousness.”
“…To be honest, it’s kinda iffy.”
“W-What’s that? I went through the trouble of holding your weird hand for you.”
At the entrance of the grand mansion with a large gate at the Leclerc estate on a spacious estate, after getting off the carriage.
As various flowers lined the beautifully maintained lawn and trees in the garden, two people continued their usual banter as they headed towards the entrance.
“Talking about strange hands, but men are all bony, you know.”
“No one is as bony as you.”
“No, no, that’s not true. Look.”
She showed her hand, and Elena, who blushed for some reason and changed the subject.
“That wasn’t supposed to be holding hands in the first place… poking the back of my hand, lifting my hand, pulling my fingers…”
“T-That’s because the sensation was weird. It’s all your fault.”
“Another unreasonable excuse…”
Hmph
Watching Elena snort her favorite way and shake her beautiful red hair, he quietly spills a smile.
If it were known that he was laughing at this point, there would be no doubt that he would be teased with a ‘What is it?!’
“Thank you, Elena.”
“…Huh?”
“It’s nothing.”
“What is it?”
Seeing her unchanged figure as usual, he can relax.
He continues to walk while feeling grateful in his heart.
When a large entrance between thick pillars comes into view, there stands a young man standing upright.
And it’s the moment our eyes meet.
“G-Good to see you! Lord Byleth!!”
With wide purple eyes, Alan approaches quickly.
“Oh! Long time no see, Alan. Are you doing well?”
“Yes!”
With a lively response, he shows a sparkling handsome smile.
There would be women who would fall for him just with that.
He met him in the library (by chance) when he consulted with him. It was a long time ago.
At that time, he didn’t know his name or background, but that matter is still kept secret to this day.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
“I’ve been looking forward to meeting you today! And how are you, Lord Byleth!?”
“Uh, um…”
“He’s close. Pushy. Super smiley…”
That’s Byleth’s honest impression, as Alan approaches with a perfect face.
He feels like Elena also has a habit of getting close to people’s faces.
Is it an action inherited unknowingly from her sister?
Anyway, he can feel the feeling of being happy transmitted from him.
“U-Um, Alan, are you going out today? You’re dressed for it.”
“Yes, I am! I’m planning to go to the store run by my father.”
“Huh? To the store…?”
“Yes! I’m currently working under the manager and studying management while gaining experience.”
“Oh, I see.”
Alan reports with gratitude without showing any dissatisfaction.
It’s definitely Alan, not the position of “manager,” who holds a higher position without a doubt, but that’s typical of him. No, typical of Elena’s brother.
It’s definitely rare in the power-first aristocratic society.
“I’m relieved to see you working so hard. How’s the response? Do you feel like you can handle it?”
“To be honest, not at all… I just feel how naive my thoughts are when I understand the situation.”
“Lost confidence?”
“Yes…”
Alan replies with a small drop of his shoulders. It seems like he’s hitting the first wall, but everyone experiences this.
“I see. But I think it’s a good sign. It’s not a pathetic story at all.”
“Good sign…?”
“That’s what I think. If you had confidence with management know-how and still felt unsure, that would be a problem. But you’re different, Alan, right? You’ve just started from the starting line, so it’s natural not to have confidence. But because you lack confidence, your absorption ability will be stronger, and you can grow by reflecting on your mistakes.”
[Nice?] He pats him on the shoulder and encourages himself.
In the first place, it’s amazing that he’s trying to manage at his age.
There’s a respect.
“So, when you feel pressured or in trouble, you can always rely on me. It’s not as reliable as your father, but ahaha.”
“Thank you very much!!”
“No, no, it’s not something to thank me for.”
He bows deeply and expresses his strong gratitude, and he waves his hand to him.
“Oh, there’s one more thing I want to tell you.”
“What can I do for you?”
“I’m thinking of borrowing the power of that… Luna Perenmel, the third daughter of the Baron family, for this matter. Is Alan okay? I’ve talked to her in advance.”
He mentioned her full name in case he didn’t know about Luna, but it was unnecessary meddling.
“Huh!? I-Is that Lady Luna the talented girl!?”
“Yeah. The same age as Alan.”
“S-Something like that…”
“Hm?”
It’s no wonder Alan is so surprised that his eyes widen.
Luna was famous for valuing her personal time – her reading time in particular. When reading, she exuded an aura that kept everyone at bay.
Being the same age as her, Alan understood why she was called the “Bookworm Beauty” even more than Byleth did.
One thing was certain – she was not the kind of person who would readily lend her cooperation so easily.
“Well, there’s hardly anyone with as vast a knowledge as her, so I do rely on her as well.”
“For her to have gone to such lengths for ….. I cannot thank her enough! Please convey my gratitude to Miss Luna!”
“G-Got it. Yeah.”
His smile was dazzling, with an expression so pure it could cleanse any impure thoughts.
The one who noticed this sentiment was his sister Elena, who had been listening to the conversation beside him.
“It can’t be helped that it turned out this way. Alan has been delaying going to the store just so he could meet with you. Of course, he has father’s permission.”
“So you’re late? “
“Sis! We had an agreement not to mention that…!”
“Fufu, did we now?”
Alan likely realized that Elena was feigning ignorance.
An air of sibling squabbling arose, but—
“Alan, aren’t you going to be late for the store at this rate?”
“Ah!”
Time was limited. The agreement must have been to leave right after meeting up. He immediately showed signs of panic.
“W-Well then, Lord Byleth! I truly look forward to the day we can meet again!”
“Yeah. Work hard out there.”
“Yes! I shall take my leave then.”
With a crisp voice and refined bow, Alan hurriedly made his way towards the carriage.
And so, Elena and I were left alone. Instead of inviting me inside as I expected,
she turned her gaze sideways and expressed her gratitude.
“…..Thank you, Byleth.”
“Um, for what?”
“For the advice you gave Alan. Something like ‘lacking confidence is a good trait’, is not something I could tell him. I think your words will be a great support going forward.”
“You’re welcome.”
“………….You really are reliable.”
Once again, he had helped Alan. Offered encouragement as naturally as breathing.
That was the impression Elena had of Byleth, as she mumbled with reddened ears peeking through her hair,
taking one step and then another towards the doorknob.
“Come to think of it, where are the Leclerc household servants? I haven’t seen any at all, so I was wondering.”
“Oh, did I not mention? During this time, they’re helping out at the store, so there aren’t many around. That’s why I’ll be the one serving tea during our meeting as well.”
“I see……”
“You were going to say my tea tastes bad, weren’t you?”
“No, I was just thinking it’s unusual for there to be two work policies.”
“Hmph, if you say so.”
Seemingly satisfied, Elena opened the front door. The meeting time was rapidly approaching.
“…..Hey, Byleth.”
“Yeah?”
“Never mind, it’s nothing after all.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
As if reluctant for their time alone to end, Elena casually extended her hand towards the hem of Byleth’s clothing.
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