Volume 1 - CH 41

After completing the formalities and exchanging a brief word of greeting, Alme and Shirotaka left their seats.

Julio clenched his fists under the table as he watched them.

He never thought this man he met at the market before was Shirotaka.

Why is Alme with a man who is so above the clouds? Why would a man with a social standing like Shirotaka support an unremarkable commoner woman?

He is a high priest and a military priest. A man who has everything: status, honor, money, and popularity. How could a man in a position where he can choose any number of women, choose Alme?

He wondered if he had let go of a woman who is so good that even Shirotaka would have chosen her…

He shouldn’t even want to think about the two of them anymore, but thoughts flowed freely into his head.

Julio was still in a state of shock, and he just gazed blankly at the two people on the other side of the table.

They left their seats and walked toward the door of the room. Alme’s black hair and light blue skirt fluttered softly.

Her outfit is much more glamorous than before. However, she is still no more than a typical commoner girl. She is not particularly fashionable, nor is she an eye-catching beauty.

He vaguely observed Alme as she tried to pass by. What on earth is it about her that has captured the heart of the Shirotaka?

(… On the contrary, to the eyes of a noble person, an unremarkable commoner woman would have looked brand new… that must be true.)

With that in mind, he tried to get past this funny feeling in his chest.

Shirotaka and him must have different tastes. It shouldn’t be that Alme is a particularly good woman.

……That’s why he’s not stupid for letting go of Alme, and he didn’t have the slightest need to envy Shirotaka, who is keeping Alme at his side.

Just when he was thinking of that, Alme and Shirotaka looked at each other and smiled happily.

(For Shirotaka, Alme is just a game anyway. Even though I gave her a warning, Alme shows such a stupid smile… even though it’s decided that she’ll be thrown away eventually.)

Even though he thought so, for some reason the softness of the two’s expressions was burned into his eyes and he couldn’t get away from it… he felt a deep haze in his chest again.

……Is it really a game? Isn’t the friendly atmosphere between these two people far from some fling…? The thought crossed his mind slightly.

Alme’s soft smile reminded him of the smile he saw on the day they first met. The smile she showed that day – a teasingly shy smile – was desirable.

Thinking about it now, it was genuinely cute…

He got stubborn with what happened after that, but even after that, Alme was forbearing and thoughtful. She never did anything to stand out, but he felt like she was kind and gentle, even though she was plain looking.

……Yes, she was always a kind person.

Strong-willed and sensible, unlike his current fiancée who is witty but selfish.

Thinking that far, he shook his head.

(–I need to stop, don’t think about it anymore. I’m a little crazy right now. I’m just upset that this strange situation has happened… Let’s calm down for now. Such a ridiculous idea, I will forget it soon.)

That’s right. He chose Campbellina for himself. She is gorgeous and feminine. Campbellina is his ideal woman. His fiancée, Campbellina, is his true love.

Yes, he told himself strongly.

Alme left the room with Shirotaka holding her shoulder.

For some reason, he followed the black hair with his eyes, but Alme walked away without even once looking at him.

He didn’t even make eye contact with her, but he finally made eye contact with Shirotaka. He looked back at Julio as he left, staring at him with golden eyes like a bird of prey. –It was a sharp glare that cut off his own gaze towards Alme.

Those jewel-like, clear gold eyes were terrifying, as if they were inhuman. He looked away in a panic, and the next moment they had already disappeared.

With that, the relationship with Alme was completely cut off.

From now on, they will live their own lives with no connection to each other.

……It should have been refreshing, but he’s sure it’s just his imagination that he felt something like a sense of emptiness beyond the refreshment.

I’m just tired right now. Tomorrow I should be back to normal…

In order to quickly forget the strange feeling, he called out to Campbellina who was sitting next to him.

“I was surprised by various things… but for a man like Shirotaka to hang out with a woman like Alme, it’s surprisingly bad taste. Don’t you think so too?”

“…”

He had mentioned this to get her agreement, but there was no reply from her.

While staring blankly at the door where Alme and Shirotaka left, she muttered something in a low voice that he couldn’t hear.

“… why is that woman with Mr. Shirotaka… not at all… compatible…”

He felt a cold wind blowing through his chest as he looked at Campbellina, who didn’t make eye contact or face him.

Julio’s voice was no longer heard by Campbellina’s ears.

(Why is ……? Why is such a plain, unassuming woman standing next to Mr. Shirataka ……?)

That’s all she has been able to think about since a few minutes ago.

A woman who was teased the other day for being like a mouse is being escorted by a man who looks like a prince. It doesn’t look like a picture at all. The imbalance is too great.

(… I should be much more suited for him. I should be there… If it were me, I would match Mr. Shirotaka’s beauty…!)

It is not acceptable for an insignificant commoner woman with neither status nor beauty to stand alongside a good man. It is absolutely wrong. Why is that woman being held by the shoulder and given a sweet smile…

The more she thought about the two of them, the more she felt like her heart is going to burst with frustration and anger.

(Mr. Shirataka…you even looked at me when I saw you at the previous military march…… and even saluted me! Didn’t you take me in your sights? Why do you have such an insignificant woman? maybe you weren’t looking at me at the time……?)

She clutched the skirt of her dress tighter and somehow suppressed the urge to scream.

She used to be a very pitiful woman. She was sick and she had no freedom. She deserved to be rewarded for being such a poor woman.

Why can’t she get what she wants like this? 

“…It’s not fair…Even I…I want to fall in love with a prince too…I would like my true love partner to be…Mr. Shirotaka…”

She unconsciously whispered her thoughts.

Campbellina no longer even noticed that Julio was staring blankly at her.