**Chapter 56**
—
Inside the moving carriage.
Elin stole a glance at Arthur.
“…Ah.”
Leaning against the window, Arthur had been nodding off for a while.
He looked quite exhausted, a faint furrow between his brows.
*Did he… not sleep last night? Why does he look this tired?*
Arthur Bayern—the one who never once looked weary even after attending a 9 a.m. lecture—?
Caught in thought, Elin suddenly realized something.
“…”
It was the first time she had looked at Arthur Bayern’s face for so long.
Maybe that was why.
Things she had never noticed before began to catch her eye.
A high, straight nose.
A sharp forehead.
Skin far too pale for someone who wielded a sword.
It was a face so different from the Arthur Bayern she remembered from the past.
Certainly, it was a change in a good sense.
And yet, for some reason, Elin felt a twinge of regret.
*This isn’t the face I remembered… the one I had thought of every single day for a whole year.*
As she murmured inwardly, continuing to steal glances at Arthur—
The carriage came to a halt.
At that moment, Arthur, who had been fighting off drowsiness, opened his eyes. Startled, Elin hurriedly turned her gaze away.
“Uh… Elin, was I… dozing off just now?”
Steadying her voice, Elin answered,
“You were nodding quite a bit. What did you do yesterday?”
“Ah… I’m sorry. I couldn’t sleep properly last night.”
Elin’s lips curved slightly.
“What? Could it be… you were too excited to meet me today, so you lost sleep?”
“Well… not exactly, but I suppose it’s for a similar reason.”
Arthur trailed off, avoiding explanation.
Elin, noticing this, curled her lips into a sly smile.
*Did he really lose sleep because of meeting me?*
The thought lifted her mood. With a cheerful tone, she asked:
“So where is this place? Looks like Zone A, but I’ve never been here before.”
“I’ve only been here once before because of an appointment, but it was nice. I’m not sure if you’ll like it, though.”
“It’s fine. I’m not that picky, you know.”
“Really? Then no complaints later, all right.”
With that, Arthur got out of the carriage and stepped into a building.
Following after him, Elin blinked in surprise.
“…? What is this place?”
“This is the Natalie Restaurant. Nice, isn’t it?”
At his words, Elin involuntarily opened her mouth.
“Th-this is a restaurant? But they have such a huge orchestra in there!”
“I was surprised too. But the food’s really good.”
As they entered, a chef in waiting came forward to greet them.
“Welcome to Natalie Restaurant.”
“Yes. Do you happen to have a table available?”
The chef lifted his gaze.
“Do you have a reservation?”
“No? Do we need one?”
“Our restaurant only admits guests with reservations, sir.”
Arthur faltered.
“Ah? Then…”
“However, sir, you are an exception. Would a window seat be suitable?”
Arthur let out a small exclamation, whispering,
“Is this because of Lady Angelina?”
“…To be frank, yes.”
The chef smiled faintly.
“She is the most important person in running this restaurant. Offering some consideration to a guest who dined with her is… in a sense, only natural.”
Arthur’s lips tugged upward.
*An unintended benefit… hmm. I really should meet her again sometime, anyway.*
Recalling the promise he had made with Angelina when they parted, Arthur sat at the seat the chef prepared.
Then, noticing Elin’s expression, he tilted his head.
“…Elin? What’s with that look?”
“Huh?”
“You look like you’ve come to the wrong place… do you not like it here?”
Flustered, Elin waved her hands.
“N-no, it’s not that…”
“Then what?”
“…Isn’t this place… a bit too nice?”
Arthur blinked.
“…It is nice, yes?”
“Y-yeah… maybe a little too nice?”
Arthur tilted his head again before letting out a sound of realization.
“Ah! If you’re worried about the cost, don’t worry. Today’s on me.”
“I’m not a beggar, you know!”
“…Then what is it?”
Elin hesitated before asking,
“By any chance… who did you come here with before?”
“With someone?”
“Y-yeah! I mean, this place looks just like a date spot…”
Arthur blinked at her trailing words.
“I did eat here with an older woman once, but it wasn’t a date.”
“…I didn’t ask if it was a date. But… so you came with a woman?”
“Yes.”
Elin’s eyes narrowed.
*Who? As far as I know, he doesn’t have any close female acquaintances other than me…*
Could it have been that eldest daughter of the Hazel Company?
No, he said “older,” so it probably wasn’t her. She was the same age as Elin, after all.
*Then… who could it be?*
Just then, the chef returned to take their order.
“What would you like to have?”
“What do you recommend?”
“Our lunch special course.”
“Hmm… then we’ll have that, please.”
“Understood. After a light appetizer, the main will be prime southern beef sirloin steak, followed by…”
After giving a detailed explanation of the courses, the chef bowed and stepped away.
Arthur turned to Elin.
“How is Lord Hollan these days, Elin?”
Elin, lost in thought, flinched.
“…My grandfather?”
“Yes. I couldn’t reach out to him, so I haven’t been able to ask after him. Is he well?”
After a small pause, Elin replied,
“He’s doing well… the northern barbarians have been quiet lately, and with summer approaching, things have calmed down.”
“Well, it would be strange if a Swordmaster weren’t in good health.”
At his answer, Elin forgot her earlier worries and spoke.
“I talk with him often, and he asks about you a lot, you know.”
“Lord Hollan? About me?”
“Yes. He seems more curious about you than about me.”
Arthur laughed.
“Then I should pay him a visit. Next time you call him, let me join in.”
“…That means you’ll have to come to my house again, though?”
“What’s stopping me? I’ve already been there once.”
At that, Elin laughed as well.
“Hmm… fine. Come again. This time, let’s have dinner at my place.”
After that, the two slipped into casual conversation.
“How’s summer in the north, Elin?”
“It’s nice… just nice. It’s the only month when the snowstorms stop and we get normal weather. So everyone waits for it and makes the most of it.”
Arthur prompted gently,
“Like what?”
“Well… we farm to prepare for autumn, repair houses damaged by the winter gales… it’s a busy season. And during summer, the barbarians don’t cross over from the north, so soldiers go on leave. That makes the markets thrive…”
Arthur listened with genuine interest, not only because the stories themselves were engaging, but because her confident way of speaking about her lands left a deep impression.
*So someone like Elin… can speak of her territory with such pride.*
Though both were heirs, she was so unlike him.
He had been unwillingly named the Bayern successor due to Yonel’s declaration, yet unlike Elin, he knew almost nothing about his own ducal house.
*Claiming I had no time to care about it… that’s just an excuse. I could have learned, but I chose not to.*
Arthur frowned inwardly.
Why had he been so disinterested in his family’s power? Why had he avoided using it?
*If I relied on it… I could move far more easily than now.*
And then realization struck.
It wasn’t that he had avoided relying on it—he had never once even considered using it.
*…I’m still bound by the ghosts of the past.*
No matter what, he had once been a failure cast out of House Bayern.
That experience left deep scars on his past self—and his present self.
So unconsciously, he had shunned the idea of leaning on his house’s power.
*But… should I keep doing so? In a situation where I could use it, is it really right not to?*
His revenge, in the grand scheme of things, was for the sake of the house.
There was no need to feel guilty about drawing on its strength.
While he pondered this newfound realization, Elin suddenly stopped speaking mid-explanation.
“…Ah, was I talking too much about myself?”
Snapping out of his thoughts, Arthur blinked.
“No, Elin. I was really enjoying it.”
“…You’re lying, aren’t you?”
“I’m not. Honestly, I was impressed.”
This time, it was Elin’s turn to blink.
“Impressed? About what?”
“Well… I’ve never really been interested in my family’s affairs.”
“…”
“But seeing you, I realize that’s wrong. Whatever the reason, an heir should care about such things, right?”
Elin widened her eyes.
“Uh… well, that’s true, but…”
As her words trailed off, Arthur grinned.
“Thank you. Thanks to you, I learned something today.”
Elin pressed her lips together.
“…You always say difficult things so easily.”
“…? What do you mean by that?”
But she didn’t answer.
Instead, she stared at the water glass before her and murmured inwardly.
*Do I really deserve to hear words like that?*
She shook her head.
Contrary to Arthur’s praise, her own people didn’t hold her in very high regard.
Compared to the towering figure of Hollan Leverkusen, she was still lacking in many ways.
Arthur was the first to praise her like this.
*Always… he brings me something new, something I’ve never experienced before. This man.*
Her first defeat in a duel. Her first push toward change.
Every time, this man was the one to bring her something new.
Which made her wonder—
*Arthur… how do you see me?*
When she lifted her head again, the chef had returned with their food.
“The first dish is crab soup.”
With that, the appetizers and several other dishes were deftly laid out.
Watching quietly, Arthur suddenly tilted his head.
*Wait. Something’s strange.*
Elin Leverkusen.
Even by his own standards, she was an incredible elite.
Not only intelligent, but stunningly beautiful, and the sole heir of Hollan Leverkusen.
So why, in his memories of the future, did he not know of her?
*If she inherited the Leverkusen name, I should definitely know her… shouldn’t I?*
But in his recollections, there was almost nothing about Elin.
Realization widened his eyes.
*…Could it be she never inherited the family name?*
As soon as the thought surfaced, Arthur’s mouth fell open.
Elin, sitting across from him, tilted her head.
“What? Why are you gaping all of a sudden, Arthur?”
“…Elin.”
“Mm?”
“Do you… have a chronic illness?”
“Illness? Where did that come from?”
“You don’t?”
“Of course not! What do you take me for! I’m the granddaughter of a Swordmaster!”
At her outburst, Arthur closed his mouth.
Just as he was about to press further, Elin spoke first.
“Arthur.”
“Yes?”
“Can I… ask you something?”
Arthur blinked.
Her expression carried an unusual gravity.
*What is she… about to ask with that look?*
Setting aside his earlier worries, Arthur answered,
“Yes. Ask anything you want, Elin.”
“Really? Then… I won’t hold back.”
She let out a soft sigh.
“What do you think of me?”
“…What?”
“I’m asking… what do you think of me?”
Her throat bobbed as she forced the words out.
“What kind of person… do you see Elin Leverkusen as?”
—
