kscans

Chapter 85 - Alchemy Traps are Too Much for My Heart!

"I’m sorry. I don’t even know what to say anymore." Kyle sighed, his eyes filled with pity.

While everyone else was struggling to wash and grind the carapace monster shells into powder, I had pulled Kyle aside, avoiding prying eyes, to explain the situation.

"Just think about it normally. The atmosphere was getting that good... and you just ended it there?"

"I told you my reason. It wouldn’t be a laughing matter if Mireille regretted it later."

"...That kind of seriousness is what hurts people the most."

My face went deathly pale.

"Look. When she showed me that lingerie and said she was ‘interested’... didn’t that mean she was going to use it for me?"

I asked in all seriousness, and Kyle answered immediately.

"Not a chance. That stuff is for the ‘element of surprise,’ not something you declare you’re going to use. In fact, it’s closer to a death sentence, like saying, ‘I’m going to use this for another man.’"

...I felt faint. What was all my patience for, then. I was only trying to be considerate of her.

As I was sinking into despair, a voice suddenly called out.

"You should just tell Mireille what you’re thinking."

Darius was standing there. He had appeared out of nowhere. ...How much did you hear!?

"Didn't I tell Kyle I was ‘monitoring’ him?" Monitoring, as in more than just the ankle chain!?

"I’m Mireille’s father figure. Normally, I’d want to punch you for even being at this stage. But... I have my own regrets."

"I really was planning to properly ask her to date me once this was all over."

"Then ask her again. ...So, where and under what circumstances did this happen?"

"In the third-floor workshop... she was holding the underwear out in front of her face, staring at it intently... hmm?"

Darius let out a deep sigh.

"I told you that you and I are similar. How many times do you think Ariel has sprung the same kind of trap on me?"

Kyle and I both leaned in at the same time.

"What kind of trap!?"

"Exactly that. When it comes to alchemy, whether it’s underwear, monsters, or people, she sees them all as nothing but ‘materials.’"

It hit so close to home I held my head in my hands.

"In other words, it means she had a flash of inspiration for her alchemy. ...Go ask her already!"

Pushed along by his sigh, I returned to the tower.

—

When I got back to the tower, the lingerie had been burned, soaked in water, and pulled into threads. It was no longer recognizable due to the durability tests.

"Leonhard-san! I burned the Moonshadow Wolf pelt to ash, and then added just a few drops of slime liquid! Too much makes it rubbery, but with this thinness, it actually adds some body and makes it fluffy...! Applying a wide, shallow layer of magic thinned it out and gave it a magic suppression effect! If I add a paralysis effect on top of that, I think it will be able to immobilize an opponent!"

She showed me the fluffy, thin, see-through alchemical item with a triumphant look.

...I felt all the strength drain out of me. Alchemists really are terrifying.

As I stroked her head, I told her about the anxieties I had been feeling today.

Mireille looked at me with a blank expression, then frantically gathered up the tattered cloths scattered on the desk, the remnants of the underwear.

"N, no! That’s not it! I would never, ever use it for someone else! If anything, I was worried I was coming on too strong and you’d start to dislike me...! I just thought it would be weird if I was holding onto underwear like this, so I was trying to get rid of it! But then, I got interested in the fabric!"

"Why would I dislike you for coming on too strong?"

"W, well... because you’re definitely popular, Leonhard-san. I fell for you right away, but the other employees used to talk about it too.... But you never looked happy about it.... So I thought if I said I liked you, you might lose interest...."

This was a misunderstanding of epic proportions. And it meant she wasn't put off by our kiss, either.

Leonhard couldn’t help but cover his mouth. A little of the weight on his heart lifted.

"You’re the first person I’ve ever seriously wanted to date. So, I’m not good at saying it, but... I want you to know exactly why I am the way I am."

I honestly told her about the treatment I had received in the past from noblewomen and the queen. It was pathetic, but it was better than being misunderstood. Mireille wasn't the kind of girl to make fun of someone.

When I finished talking, she hugged me tightly.

"Leonhard-san, I’ll always be here. So... when this is over, please tell me you ‘need’ me again, properly."

I hugged her back and answered, "I will."

Of course I need you. I will definitely come to court you.

I held her tightly.