Chapter 81

Remnant (2)

“So, you little punk. Mind telling me what you’re trying to do to a girl who’s like a little sister to me? Why you’re even reaching out to me, the dead, with your beastly hand?”

With someone like that, it’d be better to speak plainly rather than beat around the bush.

To unlock Noel’s personal quest, I needed to dig a little deeper into her heart. I had to take our relationship a step further.

But thinking about it…

‘Unlike Katya, Dame Noel is kind of…’

There was still a bit of distance between us.

While Katya had thrown her heart wide open the moment she had the chance, Noel still seemed hesitant, lingering timidly from afar.

Wasn’t there even a tip saying to ask Teresa for help if I wanted to close that distance?

And the answer came much more simply than I expected.

“Just talk about yourself a little. That’s all.”

“…Sorry?”

“She’s scared, that’s all. You don’t know how timid Noel is, do you? She’s constantly worrying she might get rejected, or that she’d be a nuisance if she made the first move. That’s the kind of girl she is.”

Chuckling softly, Teresa rested her chin on her hand as she said that.

“Just open up to her a little. Just treating her like another human being should be enough. She’s really clueless when it comes to stuff she doesn’t understand. She probably doesn’t even know how to begin. That much should be enough to close the gap.”

“…How can you give advice like that after just one glance?”

“I told you. I’ve got a good sense for things.”

More than just good—this felt like a near supernatural ability.

When Aiden stared at her blankly in disbelief, Teresa smiled gently again and said,

“I’ll keep giving you advice like this, so don’t hesitate to call me again whenever.”

“Thank you.”

“In exchange, can I ask one favor?”

“Yes?”

“Someday, let me meet Noel. Just once.”

“…”

“There’s something I didn’t get to say. I just want to pass that on.”

Hearing that, Aiden quietly nodded.

“…Of course, that much is a given.”

From the moment he brought her here, that had already become something he had to do.

He’d need to figure out a way to make it happen.

“Then I’ll try talking to Dame Noel tomorrow.”

“Sure. The moment you bring it up, I bet the mood between you two will start to warm up real quick.”

…Hmm.

Aiden listened silently and then gave a small, careful nod.

“Alright. I’ll try it right away.”

▣

Noel Astrea Simus’s days lately had been, in truth, utterly depressing.

Her daily life and duties hadn’t changed much. She was still in charge of overseeing national defense and internal military affairs at the Capital Government Office.

There were a few things giving her a headache though.

‘…What the heck is that man doing again?’

She scanned the documents piled on her desk, frowning as she skimmed them up and down.

It was a summarized report detailing the recent movements of the prince—someone who should’ve been keeping a low profile after provoking her the other day.

‘Too quiet.’

That was the only way she could put it.

To be honest, it wasn’t that he was inactive—he seemed to be doing all sorts of things. But they were all happening under the radar, making it impossible to trace his actions or investigate and uproot them.

It felt like trying to strike something you couldn’t see.

Still, it left an unpleasant feeling.

Like the calm before the storm. As if he was holding his breath, waiting to unleash something huge.

Every time she saw his name, it gnawed at her nerves, and she ended up frowning without even realizing it…

“……”

No, that wasn’t it.

As unpleasant as it was, it wasn’t the sole reason for her melancholy.

She’d already seen too much from this man to let something like that drag her mood down. If he ever tried to rise up again, she’d just knock him back down so hard he wouldn’t even be able to stand.

What truly weighed on her heart was the man chosen as her betrothed.

—What’s the deal between you two, really?

…She remembered.

Katya had asked her that not long ago.

And the fact that she couldn’t give a proper answer still sat like a stone in Noel’s chest.

‘…What is the deal between us?’

Officially, they were engaged by contract.

Even summed up simply, it was still painfully vague. On a personal level, Noel had no clue what Aiden really thought of her.

She was known for never letting herself get distracted during work, but her hand trembled as she gripped the communication stone.

[…So that’s why you contacted me?]

On the other side of the visual call, the woman gave a dry laugh and spoke.

As a veteran of the Allied War, Noel had come to know quite a few people. Elena Ba`Del, one of the chieftains of the Tribal Alliance on the Great Plains, was one of the few she could speak candidly with.

The so-called ‘sane one’ of the Great Plains.

“……”

As for why she had that nickname—

The world of superhumans was, by nature, one filled with constant conflict, and those who made it to the top were, without exception, people who seemed to be missing more than a few screws. Regardless of gender, they were all absurdly far removed from ordinary human sensibilities—lightyears away, even.

…Unfortunately, Noel couldn’t exactly say she was an exception either.

How many women in the world had killed more men than they had dated?

If someone asked her what she knew about men, the only answer she could give was something like, “Kicking the groin in emergencies during combat is surprisingly effective.”

That’s how bad it was.

So—

She couldn’t understand why she was reacting like this when she already had a successful track record. That was the thought behind her words.

“…Maybe he just went with you because of the time you’ve spent together?”

[…]

“There’s no guarantee the second time would work out, you know?”

[…We’re talking about your fiancé, right? What the hell happened between you two to get to that point?]

…No response.

Elena covered her face with her hand, her gesture full of disbelief.

She had suspected that Noel might be a bit of a rookie when it came to relationships, but not to this extent.

[I’m honestly curious what kind of guy he is. If he’s got you worrying like this. I kind of want to see—]

“You can’t.”

[…]

The sheer bluntness of her response was almost absurd considering the situation.

The timid, trembling girl from moments ago was gone. Now she answered coldly, with an expression that said she’d start a fight if the subject was brought up again.

“You’re not allowed to meet Aiden. Absolutely not.”

[…Why?]

“He might like someone like you. It’s not like you’re unattractive or anything.”

[…]

Elena wasn’t sure whether to feel happy at being complimented or depressed at being treated like the kind of person who’d steal her friend’s fiancé.

[…Well, suit yourself. I can’t really give any advice besides telling you to make the first move.]

“…That’s… kind of hard, but… I’ll try.”

Seeing Noel shrinking back again, Elena gave a wry smile and tilted her head slightly.

[Still, you might want to be careful about one thing.]

“Hm?”

[I don’t know him that well, but just seeing how you’re acting now makes me think he’s way more skilled and manipulative than you are.]

“…Yeah.”

She couldn’t deny that.

Both Noel and Katya… it was painfully obvious their hearts were firmly tied to that man.

If he wasn’t skilled, then who in the world was?

[Be careful if he’s the one who comes to you first.]

“He comes to me first?”

[Yeah. Especially if he suddenly calls you out saying he has something important to tell you, or if he wants to get to know you better out of nowhere.]

“Why would I need to be careful about that…?”

[If he had bad intentions, wrapping you around his finger would be easier than pie. He could lie about something big and get you hurt—]

“Aiden isn’t like that, Elena.”

Noel answered coldly, and Elena let out a sigh.

[I’m talking about if. If. What if he’s just trying to sweet-talk you into spending the night with him?]

“…Uh.”

[Even if he likes you, things could still go that way. Guys can be pretty simple like that. Are you mentally prepared for something like that?]

“……”

Noel’s face flushed all the way to the ears.

[Or maybe you should be prepared. He might be getting tired of all this awkward back-and-forth. He could even say something like he’s disappointed in you—]

“……”

Noel’s eyes turned red with emotion.

[Okay, okay, don’t start crying! Nothing like that has happened yet—]

“J-just a sec! I’ll call you back later!”

And before that increasingly chaotic voice could reach the end of her sentence, Noel hurriedly ended the call.

Because Aiden was knocking on the door from outside.

“Y-yes, Mr. Aiden! Please, come in!”

She quickly wiped the emotion off her face and answered.

Thankfully, it didn’t take long before her usual blank expression returned.

…The problem was, what Aiden had come to say would make it impossible to keep it.

“…You want me to go out with you?”

“Yes. There’s something important I’d like to discuss with you. And I also want us to get to know each other bett—”

Noel looked at Aiden with wide eyes, like she had nearly forgotten how to breathe.

“……”

…What was with this reaction?

Wasn’t it supposed to feel all warm and fuzzy?