I Broke Off My Engagement and Got a Job at the Academy

83. Like a drop of water echoing in the river

After resting like that, the next day, Luna and I went around various places in Akitelos. Anyway, the official schedule was the last one tonight. We had a lot of free time until then.

As she and I wandered around here and there, we stopped at various stores and bought all kinds of interesting things.

It might have been different in the imperial capital, but here, my face wasn’t widely known, so it was quite advantageous for me to go around the festival. Of course, there were quite a few people who looked at me as if I was a blonde, which was strange.

Luna seemed to have let down her guard against Architelos quite a bit.

Because, she was looking at the festival with such shining eyes. I asked her.

“Is it fun?”

Then Luna frowned and seemed to think for a moment about what expression to make – and eventually sighed and nodded.

“I hate to admit it, but… it’s fun. To be honest, I’ve never spent time at a festival like this before.”

I opened my eyes wide at those words and said,

“Really? Not even once?”

Luna blushed at my words and replied irritably.

“T-What’s wrong with that! I just cut down on my play time and work hard to do my own work!? It’s different from those noble young men who just go around having fun!”

Oh my. He looked really annoyed. It was fortunate that he managed to hold onto his senses and didn’t tell anyone that he was from a religious group.

“Is that noble young master talking about me?”

I asked with a smile. It had been several years since I had been with her. We had become quite close, so I could joke around with her like this.

“Then who would it be? I bet he’s been flirting with women since he was young, relying only on his looks. Such a shameless person…!”

“I got engaged at a young age and grew up only seeing my fiancée. But now the engagement has been broken off.”

At those words, Luna suddenly became solemn. I giggled at the sight of her face.

If it were before, I wouldn’t have made jokes about my past like this. No, I would have been reluctant to even talk about it. But I decided to think that the fact that I can openly talk about my past like this means that I’m moving forward, having overcome my past.

Luna stared at my face intently. What the heck, is she angry because I teased her?

However, the words that came out of her mouth were different from what she thought.

“…I’m sorry. I don’t know much about that side of things, so I spoke carelessly.”

I said, rather embarrassed by her apology.

“Oh, no, there’s no need to apologize. It’s okay now.”

A much more serious expression than I expected. However, Luna-san maintained that serious expression and spoke.

“No. No matter how you feel, as a priest, it is wrong to touch someone else’s sensitive area. Even if other people might do it, I shouldn’t have done it. It was reckless.”

Luna continued speaking after saying that.

“I spoke carelessly on the subject of what I said I didn’t want to say about other people I don’t know. I apologize again.”

I scratched the back of my head at those words. Does that mean that knowing where someone else’s sensitive areas are and then finding it wrong? No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t agree with those words.

… But, I guess there’s nothing I can do. Everyone has different thoughts. I said as I looked at her.

“It’s okay. I forgive you. Is this okay?”

Luna nodded and lowered her head slightly. Then, silence fell between us.

Shit. Don’t talk nonsense. The atmosphere seemed to have frozen over very quickly.

To me, who was suffering in such an awkward atmosphere, salvation arrived.

“Prime Minister Carvajal has asked to meet you.”

It was the guide’s voice.

…

Arriving at the Prime Minister’s residence with Luna, I looked at Prime Minister Carvajal. He looked at me too. I spoke to him.

“Why did you call me? I remember there was still some official schedule left.”

Then Prime Minister Carvajal looked at me and smiled. He asked me a question.

“Could the person next to you please step aside for a moment? I would like to talk quietly together.”

I expressed my discomfort at those words.

“I’m sorry, but that’s difficult-”

“great.”

However, words different from mine and unexpected came out of Luna’s mouth. I was flustered and looked at her with my eyes wide open.

Luna looked at me and said.

“It’s fine to step aside, but before I do, I’d like to say something to this person.”

Whether it seemed like a lovers’ affair or not, Prime Minister Carvajal smiled and nodded.

…If I found out that the woman sitting next to me right now was the next saint, how would I react?

When I thought about it, I got goosebumps. I quietly followed Luna’s hand and headed to the corner of the living room.

She rested her forehead against mine and began to whisper.

“…Listen carefully. The reason I’m leaving this time is because I’ve come to the conclusion that you’re a person I can trust to some extent. So, when you’re done, tell me exactly what you talked about, and don’t act recklessly. If you lie, I’ll get you in big trouble.”

I nodded slightly at Luna’s words. She tapped my shoulder and left the room, her voice trailing off.

“Don’t betray my trust.”

As Luna left the reception room, the conversation between me and Prime Minister Carvajal began.

After finishing the interview and the official schedule, I returned to my accommodations and lay down next to Luna, who had already left for her accommodations. Luna seemed to have gotten used to me lying next to her and asked me a question indifferently.

“What did you talk about with the Prime Minister?”

I answered her coolly.

“The Prime Minister is trying to get his daughter into the Academy. He asked how far along it has gotten and what the Academy’s decision is.”

Then Luna asked me again.

“What did you answer?”

I spoke to her with a smile on my face.

“I won’t teach you.”

Then Luna-san frowned. As soon as I saw that, I spoke urgently.

“Oh, okay, okay. Just tell me.”

I took a deep breath.

“…For now, the Academy is moving in the direction of approving it. That’s what I said.”

“is it so?”

Luna punched me in the side.

“Ugh! Why, why… .”

“It’s just a silly prank.”

Luna, who had said that, paused for a moment before continuing.

“…The Academy, do you find the teachings funny?”

Now is the time to have a serious conversation.

“no.”

I answered immediately. Then Luna-san said with a “hmm” sound.

“Really? If that’s true, how can you naturally say that you’re going to admit the daughter of the leader of the Minds to the Academy in front of the next leader of the sect?”

At those words, I opened my mouth.

“There’s nothing we can do. The Academy… is indirectly under pressure because of the royal family. We have to find a way out. And I think Luna-san, the prejudice she had against this country has also disappeared.”

Luna crumpled her face.

“No matter how much I go around celebrating festivals, I’m still a person of the church. I’m the kind of person who can’t like people even if I want to. But why did you think that way?”

“…Because I know that Luna isn’t the type of person to judge things rashly.”

“…That’s a different story.”

I shook my head at that.

“I think it’s the same story. If you think about it, it’s not the first time that an international student has come to the academy, and it’s not like there haven’t been politically controversial figures. If you look at it solely from the perspective of Mine, I think it’s no different from those things in the end….”

“Why do you think about something called a mine?”

“…Since Luna-san can think about Mine, didn’t you apply a fair yardstick to Architelos as well? You said that you wouldn’t think of me as recklessly judging something I don’t know well.”

Luna shut her mouth after hearing what I said.

And then he looked at me and said.

“…Ugh. Okay. Who’s going to stop this stubbornness? Well, then… I’ll say something to the church. But I want you to know that I will follow the church’s decision no matter what.”

I said that with a smile.

“thank you.”

Luna’s face turned slightly red.

…

At that time, the mainland of the empire was in chaos.

[Eden Cainus, discovered in Architelos!]

[The developer of the ‘Four Great Magics’ that fell into the hands of the Minds.]

Articles with titles like that were all over the press. People started to go crazy when they saw someone with the ability to be treated well in any country and who was showing off a friendly atmosphere with Architelos.

The press was ablaze every day, and voices were growing louder blaming the Emperor for neglecting Cainus, who could have been a national hero. We don’t know what’s on the Emperor’s mind.

At that moment, someone was reading that article and smiling.

It was a woman with marigold-colored orange hair. She slurped down the tea and took a sip.

“Ah, it smells good-”

The media was burning, no, the more the media burned, the more satisfaction it brought her.