Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 163

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ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 163 – One-on-one Conversation

Elena and Tigre.

A lot had happened since they arrived in Ishtalika.

Filling out the necessary paperwork and Elena’s visit to Sylvird.

And with the Red Fox’s return finally in sight, it was only natural that many meetings were held during the day, and it could be said that Ishtalika Castle was busier than it had been in recent years.

How would Ishtalika proceed from now on? Many things like that were discussed, but nothing has been decided yet.

…Two days have passed since they arrived, and nothing has changed.

However, there was one thing that was puzzling.

That was, even though the two of them had disappeared, Heim had not shown any visible action.

Even though Duke Amour was no longer there, they have not sent any troops to Euro, nor did they seem to be making any overtures to other countries.

In other words, it could be said that the only thing happening in Heim was the search for the culprits, led by Logas.

Perhaps they didn’t have the full picture, but it was a rather anticlimactic situation.

One day, early afternoon.

It was when Ain was thinking about going outside for a change during a break from work.

“Ah…”

“Mm…”

As Ain walked through the castle, he turned a corner.

And there he had an unexpected reunion.

“…Achaa…”

Was she some kind of lookout?

Seeing Lili with Tigre was a new sight for Ain.

But it was also unexpected for Lili.

She made an embarrassed face and then tried desperately to change her expression.

“Your Highness, have you had a break?”

“Ah, yes… I thought I would take a break.”

Ain laughed slightly and looked at Tigre.

He also seemed to be uncomfortable and had a complex expression on his face.

This was the first time Ain and Tigre had seen each other since the meeting.

In the two days since then, Ain had only seen Elena, and although he knew that Tigre was there, that was all.

He had heard that they were going to prepare a residence in the castle town, but for now, they were still staying in rooms in the castle.

Warren had mentioned it as well, but it seemed that there were some places that were easier to manage.

“…Well, I guess it’s been a while, huh?”

He wondered in his head if he should say something, but even though they’d met, it would be strange to just walk away without saying anything.

In the end, Ain decided to talk to Tigre.

“…No, it hasn’t even been a week.”

Tigre seemed to have become timid.

That’s what Ain heard, but hearing him answer like that made Ain feel more comfortable.

Even though he had talked to him, he was relieved that it hadn’t come to a situation where he had to comfort him.

“Well, that’s true, but you know, we didn’t really have a conversation.”

The strange encounter caused the maids and butlers passing through the corridor to tiptoe.

It was noticeable that everyone, without exception, had surprised looks on their faces at first.

“Huh… Still, I don’t think we had a real conversation in Euro.”

“Eeeh, how detailed…”

“Huh――there’s nothing detailed about it!”

Ain measured the distance and spoke to him as usual.

On the other hand, Tigre, who was spoken to, had lost his temper and was tormented by feelings of confusion rather than discomfort.

Lili, who thought about what to do, was unusually at a loss.

“Well, never mind. This is a good opportunity, so why don’t you come with me?”

The words Ain spoke were ones that left Tigre and Lili stunned.

It might have seemed a bit forceful, but Ain continued as he was.

Tigre was confused to be suddenly asked to come with Ain, but he turned his gaze to Lili.

Of course, Lili was aware that she should follow Ain’s words, so she nodded to Tigre.

＊＊＊

Ain went to a corner of the waterway in the castle grounds.

This was a place where the twins used to swim happily when they were little, but now they’ve grown so much that they couldn’t fit in there anymore.

When the twins came and went, the maids and knights sometimes came here, too, but now it looks deserted.

“Yes, I guess the air by the water is cool and refreshing.”

As soon as they arrived, Ain stretched out.

Then he took a deep breath and inhaled the fresh air to refresh his tired body from the previous days.

Even though there was no need to be particularly vigilant, Lili stood by Ain’s side.

With Marco’s sword at his waist, it was unlikely that anything unforeseen would happen, given Ain’s abilities, but it was a measure taken just in case.

“…What am I supposed to do here?”

It could be summed up in one word: confusion.

The man named Ain must hate him.

After all, Tigre was a member of the Heim royal family, and Ain must not have favorable feelings towards him due to the turmoil of the past and the Krone incident.

Nevertheless, Ain invited him and brought him to a place where he felt comfortable.

In other words, Tigre could not understand the true meaning of all this.

“What are you talking about? Come to think of it, we’ve never really talked properly.”

――What a relaxed guy.

Tigre had no idea what he’s thinking.

What’s the point of calling someone you don’t like and then going out of your way to have a conversation with them?

“――Lili-san.”

“Y-yes!”

“I know you can hear me anyway, but can the two of us be alone for a moment?”

Of course, she was at a loss.

If Dill and the Royal Knights weren’t there, she should be at Ain’s side.

But Ain looked at Lili with eyes that left no room for argument.

While Lili wondered what to do, Ain spoke to her again.

“I am sorry. I’m going to give you an order. Lili, step aside.”

A vassal was not allowed to disobey the words of her lord.

Lili quietly bowed her head and stepped back, having been clearly ordered to do so.

“I wanted to talk to you slowly.”

Seeing Lili retreat, Ain turned to Tigre.

“…Are you complaining about me?”

This behavior showed Tigre’s immature side.

If he was protected, he should not behave like this.

Tigre was aware of this, but he felt self-loathing for acting in this manner.

“It doesn’t matter. There’s no point in complaining now, and it won’t change the past.”

Deep inside, Tigre was nervous, his body pulsating.

He worried if he would be able to apologize honestly.

Even though he had a troublesome personality, he thought about himself.

“The reason for the meeting is because I said I wanted to settle things.”

Tigre remembered.

Because Warren had mentioned it during the meeting.

“By ‘settle things,’ you mean with Heim?”

“Hmm. That’s close.”

“What else is there to settle?”

Wasn’t the way Olivia and Ain were being treated bothered Ain the most?

Tigre was even more confused because of it.

“Heim is definitely involved, but that’s not what I meant when I said I wanted to settle things.”

Ain continued with a shy smile.

“My mother herself says she doesn’t care anymore, so I don’t want to worry about it either. To be honest, I was living a happy life with my mother in Ishtalika, so I didn’t care about Heim anymore.”

“…Then what did you think?”

“There was only one thing. I hadn’t realized it until that moment, but there was something I couldn’t give up.”

At that moment, a slightly strong wind blew around the two of them.

It blows for a few seconds, ruffling Ain’s and Tigre’s hair.

“It’s about time you told me. What was it you wanted to settle?”

“Ah… yes. That is…”

When Tigre asked impatiently, Ain looked at him with different eyes than before.

They were strong eyes that made you want to kneel down involuntarily, with a hint of the strength that lay deep inside.

“I won’t let anyone take Krone.”

For a moment, it was as if the air vibrated and the planted trees swayed.

The water in the waterway stopped moving as if it had frozen and then suddenly began to flow again.

“I think I really wanted to say this directly. I think the reason I couldn’t say it at the meeting was either because I didn’t have the chance or because I was waiting for the right moment. Or maybe it was both.”

He laughed and then sighed.

“…So you wanted a meeting between the two countries for that reason?”

“Huh? Yeah, I guess. There were probably several things that happened, like the incident with my mother, but that doesn’t change the fact that this was an important opportunity for me.”

The crown prince of the great nation of Ishtalika requested a meeting because he was thinking of a certain woman.

Although his feelings are somewhat ridiculous, Tigre could not laugh at Ain.

After all, he, too, has done something similar with state funds.

“…It seems that the person I heard about from Grint is completely different.”

Tigre mutters in a low voice after hearing Ain’s answer.

Maybe he spoke such nonsense because he felt inferior and took his mother’s words too seriously.

Tigre thought back to Grint’s words and made this prediction.

The man named Ain was strong. He hasn’t seen him demonstrate his martial arts, but at least he can feel the strength of the man Ain himself.

…He didn’t want to admit it, but when it came to the king’s ability, he might be no match for him.

This must be a defeat.

When he had his man fight the man named Ain, he must have lost.

The words made him feel irritated, but when he thought about it in his heart, a strange, refreshing feeling came over him.

“What do you mean, that’s all you have to say?”

But Tigre’s pride was not dead yet.

He clenched his fist and tried to look tough because he felt that it would be too much trouble to become weak in the end.

“I have already been rejected by Krone. She must have said so during our meeting the other day.”

Even if Ain hadn’t said anything, the story was already over.

The last bit of pride Tigre had left made him do this hard thing.

The thought of her being held by someone else or of someone else monopolizing those lips.

This hurt Tigre’s heart deeply, but there was nothing he could do about it.

In other words, Tigre’s first love ended at this moment.

“But I have one last thing to tell you.”

Before Ain could answer, Tigre continued to speak.

Even though he had tried to answer several times on the way, for now, he listened silently.

“Wishing someone happiness is something I can’t do. So all I can say now is this: if she seems unhappy, I’ll go and take her with me.”

Amidst the feeling of having a gaping hole in his chest, a refreshing sensation like peppermint oil seeps in.

It can’t be said that he has been reborn, but he feels that his vision has become clearer.

Then Tigre, who spoke those words, turns and starts walking towards the castle.

“Crown Prine Ain-dono, I’m sorry for everything.”

On his way, he apologized to Ain for the first time and then left without waiting for an answer.

Seeing this, Lili bowed to Ain and then followed Tigre.

“Well, he’s not as bad as the people from Roundheart.”

Perhaps it was only because his feelings had changed that he was able to show this side of himself.

It made Ain think that he might not be a bad person after all.

…Even though he was invited by Ain, this way of leaving was not a praiseworthy action.

However, it seemed that Tigre had also reached his limit in many ways.

Ain thought about this and unsheathed his sword as if he would rely on Marco.

“Krone, I think she’s in the office.”

Suddenly, he felt like talking to her.

After he had made sure that Tigre had left completely, Ain also slowly moved his feet.

He felt an uncontrollable desire to hear her voice and to be near her.

“…Let’s go out together for the first time in a while.”

What should the pretense be?

No, he shouldn’t think about that.

Just tell her straight out.

Just ask her out like he did before, “Let’s go on a date.”

Ain thought about it and went back to the castle.

He supposed he could just say that line directly to Krone, but he just didn’t have the nerve, and he just hated himself for being so shy.

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