I took Lia and left the annex.
It was already night.
'Had it just passed midnight….'
Whether it was due to the cold night air or out of fear.
Lia's shoulders trembled.
"Are you alright?"
I carefully spoke to her, gently draping my outer garment over her shoulder.
Lia forced a smile and looked at me carefully.
"Yes, it's just…."
And as if recalling what had just happened, she slowly bowed her head.
"Bran's voice keeps coming back to me…."
"..."
She hadn't seen him cut off his fingers, but she must have heard the sounds from the hallway.
Five times in total.
The screams and curses he let out as he severed his own fingers.
It would certainly be a shocking memory for a typical academy student.
"Um…, Emil…."
"Hm?"
Then.
Lia, who had been silent while walking for a while, spoke softly.
"That thing you said earlier…."
"What thing?"
"That Bran… tried to trick me, and… that the vase was fake."
"Ah."
"Is that true…?"
It seemed an incomprehensible question had arisen for her.
"It's true."
I kindly answered her question.
Lia then looked at me with an uncomprehending expression.
"Wh-why? Why? I… I didn't do anything wrong to Bran…!"
"..."
"Because of that, he tried to make me owe him 50 gold coins! A debt so large that it wouldn't be strange for my whole family to be sold into slavery! Why, on earth…?!"
"..."
She must feel wronged.
Breaking the vase, being tricked by Bran into playing a game.
And being forced into debt.
She must feel like she was bullied without reason.
'How should I explain this to her?'
I pondered for a moment, looking up at the night sky.
And then I decided.
Since she would naturally learn the reason once the strategy was complete anyway.
I judged that it wouldn't matter if I told her now.
"Because Bran likes you."
"...What?"
At my reply, Lia's expression stiffened, as if she understood even less.
"Bran likes you. That's why he did those things. To put you in debt, to possess you."
"But… but I… I have no relationship with Bran…."
"Well… it must be unrequited love."
"..."
Lia stared at me for a moment with an incredulous expression.
Then she bowed her head and covered her mouth with trembling hands.
"He likes me… so he tried to make me a slave…?"
"...Yes."
"That's not… love…."
"..."
Lia, trembling with her head bowed.
I gently looked down at her.
'"That's not love," she says….'
And at the same time, memories from the third playthrough came to mind.
'Ahaha, of course, I really loved you too, Emil.'
Lia, laughing and crying out of her mind.
For some reason, the scene from that moment flashed in my mind.
And then, I approached Lia, who was trembling and smiling.
I gently placed my hand on her shoulder.
Lia, terrified, slowly looked up at me.
"It's alright, Lia."
"..."
"You were very scared, weren't you?"
"...Yes."
Seeing my gently smiling face, tears welled up in Lia's eyes, which had been trembling with fear.
And I carefully embraced Lia, who was crying.
Her small body nestled into my embrace, and I could feel her delicate trembling.
"It's all settled now. The debt is gone, and I've taken care of Bran."
"R-really…? Bran…."
"Bran got a bit hurt, but my friend took him to the temple. He'll be fine. So don't worry."
"..."
Lia, who had been sniffling and shedding tears for a moment.
Soon, she wrapped both arms around my waist and gently leaned into my embrace.
"Mm, sniffle, thank you… Emil, …for helping me."
"It was only natural, no need to thank me."
"Thank you… gasp, sob…. I was really scared…."
Additionally, I gently stroked Lia's hair.
She had been tense with fear.
So that the moment that fear dissipated, she would clearly remember whose embrace she found relief in.
Of course, owing a huge debt, someone's fingers being cut off, and hearing screams is a very frightening experience.
However.
The deeper and stronger an emotion, the greater the recoil.
The extreme fear she felt today would surely become an unforgettable memory for her.
And the fact that she was saved would also be unforgettable.
'Still, it seems a confession won't happen for a while.'
Holding Lia in my arms, I lifted my head and looked at the moon.
Summer vacation would end soon.
Given what happened with Bran, club activities would be difficult due to trauma.
'It might take some time.'
But I couldn't help it.
Bran suddenly went berserk and caused this event.
Thanks to that, I was able to return to him exactly what he had done in the third playthrough.
Let's wait a bit for Lia's confession.
***
Time flows quickly.
A few days after Lia was tricked by Bran and Emil saved her.
Summer vacation had already come to an end.
After this night passed, a new semester would begin in the morning.
And on that last night of summer vacation.
Lia sat on her dorm bed, gazing at the sky outside the window.
'Emil…, I wonder if he's asleep by now.'
As she looked at the sky, she thought of a certain man.
That was Emil, the man she had become close to during this summer vacation.
That night when she was almost tricked by Bran into a huge debt.
Emil visited Lia every single day since that night.
Because of what Bran had done, the board game club ended early, and Lia remained holed up in her dorm.
Emil tried his best to help her forget those bad memories quickly.
And today.
What he said when they parted echoed in her mind.
'Summer vacation ends tomorrow.'
'Yeah….'
'Then I'll see you at the academy tomorrow. Is that alright?'
'...Yes, okay.'
It was just a simple goodbye.
Lia recalled that moment and blushed slightly.
'Tomorrow, at the academy….'
Honestly, the excitement for Emil was now far greater than the fear of Bran.
Perhaps she had remained holed up in her dorm all this time because she hoped Emil would visit her.
'Tomorrow… should I go and wait for Emil first?'
After waking up early tomorrow morning and getting ready.
She would wait for him in front of the boys' dorm.
What kind of expression would he make if he came out of the dorm and saw her?
"Hehe…."
Just thinking about it made Lia giggle.
"..."
And the moment Lia realized her own smile, she blushed slightly and hugged her knees.
'Emil….'
Before she knew it, Emil's presence in her heart had grown significantly.
Since when?
Was it that night he saved her from Bran?
Or was it from the moment he started visiting her and caring for her after that day?
It felt like she had seen Emil as a man even before then.
Anyway.
"..."
Lia liked Emil.
She wanted to be his woman.
That much was certain.
'Does Emil like me too…?'
And the moment she thought of wanting to be his lover, she also became curious about his feelings.
Honestly, she didn't know.
But she didn't think he felt nothing.
After all, he cared for her and helped her so much.
Wouldn't it be impossible for him to do all that if he had no feelings?
Thinking that, Lia looked at the sky again.
"Ah~, …I want to be confessed to."
Muttering to herself, she flopped onto the bed.
***
The next day dawned.
Summer vacation had ended, and the dorms were slowly becoming noisy with returning students.
And Lia, too.
As she had planned yesterday, she woke up early, quickly got ready, and left the dorm.
'Is this, is this okay?'
Before leaving the girls' dorm, she briefly looked in the mirror and adjusted her hair.
Just then.
"Huh, huh? Already?!"
The window next to the mirror she was looking into.
Through it, she saw Emil already leaving his dorm.
He had already begun walking towards the academy.
"Ah! Seriously!"
With her plans foiled, Lia hastily grabbed her bag and rushed out of the dorm.
'I wanted to see his surprised face!'
She blamed herself and ran in a hurry.
Although she couldn't surprise him in front of the dorm, she wanted to run now and go to school with him.
With only that goal in mind, Lia ran urgently.
"Em…!"
The moment Lia was about to call out Emil's name.
Thump!
"Hey!"
"Whoa!"
"..."
Emil's retreating figure in the distance.
A beautiful female student with swaying black hair bumped into him, and Emil was startled.
It was Sierra.
"Ahaha! You're surprised again!"
"Can't you greet me normally…?"
"No~."
And the two of them greeted each other familiarly, then naturally began walking towards the academy together.
"..."
At that sight, Lia's body stiffened.
She, who had been running hastily, stopped her feet and stared blankly at the backs of the two.
'Now that I think about it… they came to the club together too….'
She suddenly recalled a forgotten fact.
She had been so focused on Emil that she hadn't properly observed Sierra, who was always by his side.
Why hadn't she noticed?
During summer vacation, the two of them frequently came to the club together.
'Could they be….'
As an ominous thought bloomed in her mind.
Lia's legs began to move again.
Footsteps pounded!
She chased after the two with a blank expression.
"What did you do when you weren't going to the club?"
"…You know, reading books or taking walks."
"Not when you were with me~, when you skipped our plans. What did you do then?"
"..."
And then.
"Emil!"
"Huh?"
"..."
Lia called out Emil's name and approached the two.
Her blank expression had already changed into her usual bright smile.
"…and Sierra! Hello! Good morning!"
"Oh, it's Lia? Hello. It's been a while~."
"Hello, Lia."
Greeting both of them, Lia observed Sierra's expression, not Emil's.
And in that instant, she caught it.
Sierra's expression, startled and stiff for just a moment.
'As expected, Sierra is….'
She confirmed that Sierra was a love rival.
But there was still something uncertain.
"Ahaha, you two are getting along well this morning, aren't you? Sticking together like a married couple."
"Eh, uh, uh?"
"..."
"Are you two…, perhaps dating?"
She asked naturally with a playful smile, just like at the club.
About their relationship.
Sierra then blushed and looked flustered.
Emil, for some reason, remained silent.
"Th-that…!"
And Sierra… gently looked at Emil.
As if waiting for his answer.
"..."
"..."
The two were silent, simultaneously looking at one person.
Under their gazes.
Emil forced a calm expression and flicked his finger at Lia.
Snap!
"Ow!"
"What kind of strange jokes are you making first thing in the morning?"
"Ow… If it's not true, then it's not true! You didn't have to hit me!"
"..."
Lia rubbed her forehead as if wronged and protested to Emil.
But inwardly, she was breathing a sigh of relief.
'Thank goodness….'
They weren't a couple, as she had worried.
Thanks to that, her mind was put at ease for a moment.
"..."
Lia intently watched Sierra.
Her pouting expression as she glared at Emil.
'…She's too pretty.'
No matter how she looked, Sierra clearly had feelings for Emil.
Just like herself.
The problem was that she was too high a wall as a love rival.
'What should I do….'
Outwardly, Lia chatted naturally with the two, but inwardly, her hands trembled with anxiety.
The excitement she felt until yesterday was instantly shaken precariously.
Her dream of becoming his lover seemed to drift far away.
And then.
Just then.
Footsteps approached quickly!
"Ah, hello…! Emil!"
Someone quickly approached and passed by, greeting Emil.
Swaying blonde hair.
She greeted him and then instantly sped away, running ahead.
'Huh…? That person is….'
She remembered her.
That night when she almost suffered greatly because of Bran.
The one who helped Emil and saved her…
"Oh, it's Chris."
"Uh, yeah…."
"She just greeted you, didn't she?"
"Yeah… well…."
It seemed Sierra also knew who she was, as she said her name and looked at Emil.
'No way….'
Lia saw the receding blonde student and Sierra's reaction, and again, anxiety surged.
That night, the one who took Bran to the temple was probably her.
And the one who helped Emil deal with the men was also her.
'No way, her too….'
Her woman's intuition rang out.
Saying it was 100%.
'Wh-what, what should I do…!'
Two love rivals.
Her anxiety doubled.
Why hadn't she thought of this?
Objectively speaking, Emil was an attractive man.
He was handsome, academically excellent, and even manly.
There was no law saying that no one else but her would like such a person.
'At this rate….'
Lia couldn't even maintain a calm expression now, her eyes trembling with anxiety.
And then.
Someone else approached them again.
Tap-tap!
"E-Emil…!"
"..."
"Oh, Mari. Good morning! It's been a while, hasn't it?"
It was the girl with pink hair.
Sway.
'...They're huge.'
The moment Lia saw the pink-haired girl, her gaze went elsewhere than her face.
It was another formidable weapon, different from Sierra's face.
"Oh, yeah. Hello, Sierra. …Um, Emil."
"Hm…?"
"This is… a famous cookie from our domain. Well, …I'll give it to you."
The pink-haired girl said that, then forcibly offered Emil a small paper bag.
"Eh…."
"Heeh…."
At the girl Mari's actions, Lia and Sierra simultaneously gasped.
Sierra glared at Emil with darkened eyes.
Lia also looked at Emil with trembling eyes.
'E-Emil…!'
And then she realized.
'He's incredibly popular…!!'
That she wasn't in a position to wait for a confession.