Chapter 59

Clement climbed the stairs without rest to the fifth floor and, as soon as he entered the room, he pressed his left chest. His heart was beating strongly, thump-thump.

His well-trained heart usually wouldn’t be thrown off by this level of exercise.

The cause was Viela.

He had thought he had been successfully playing the role of a clown, showing his vulnerable side to make her guard down, and guiding her to be cautious of him—

"That’s a foul play."

The goodnight greeting from the beloved woman he had long admired, with her slightly upward gaze due to the height difference, was powerful. He couldn’t help but be captivated and was almost driven by the impulse to take her.

However, his body, which had long restrained its affection, managed to hold back.

"Thank goodness... I can still be a close junior."

Not only would it be terrible if she didn’t recognize him as a potential romantic interest, but it would be even worse if she disliked him as a person. He felt a great sense of relief that he had avoided this.

His rapid heartbeat gradually returned to normal. His mind began to cool down, and Clement sneered.

"It’s already certain that I can’t have her, yet I still can’t give up. How futile."

He sat on the bed and sighed deeply.

Viela’s heart had fallen for Lukas.

When Viela, who had run out of magic during the expedition, was seen leaning on her fiancé, Clement had already sensed her feelings shifting. It was only a matter of time before she realized it herself.

After all, Lukas was a good man, even from Clement’s perspective. He was handsome and composed. His dignified demeanor gave his comrades a sense of security and trust.

Most importantly, when he learned that Viela had been summoned to the expedition, Lukas had given Clement, who was in a bad mood, a pep talk. Without mocking his loss of composure, he had lifted him up with words of trust as a mage.

Not many people could do that. Clement thought no woman could resist such a man.

Perhaps it was only natural to lose to such a man and give up on this love. Thinking this, Clement had encouraged Lukas to quickly win Viela’s heart during the expedition.

As a result, his heartbreak was confirmed. When they returned from the expedition, Viela, blushing in Lukas’s arms, looked like a girl in love.

The return of the Barrier Division took about a week, followed by a week of reporting to the Magic Bureau as a leader, and then a week of vacation. With the personal vacation he had taken, he calculated that he could avoid seeing Viela for up to a month.

During this time, he planned to sort out his feelings and have his father, Duke Barthel, find him a new fiancée. However, his bad feeling turned out to be correct.

"Last night, I met Lady Viela at the evening party. She was truly innocent and adorable. Moreover, her magical talent is perfect. I plan to ask the Ambroch family to give me that young lady. Clement, would you like to come with me? You must want Lady Viela, right?"

There were no words to describe the grandson’s feelings other than ‘worst’ when his grandmother Celestia invited him like this.

He had rejected her when he wanted her, and now that he was trying to give up, she was making a move. Everything was at the wrong timing...

Just as he was trying to let go of Viela and get used to it, she was stirring things up again. He inwardly gritted his teeth and smiled at his grandmother.

"Lady Viela is engaged to Mr. Lukas. I don’t think the kind-hearted Ambroch family would easily give up a young lady they once had. Besides, even as a hero, I wouldn’t want a second-hand woman. I have no interest anymore."

He swallowed his true feelings—how he wanted her if he could have her, how he wanted to take her if he could now—and lied.

It would be hollow to have Viela, who had her heart set on someone else. If her happiness was destroyed, even the gentle Viela would surely hate Clement.

He wished his grandmother Celestia would back off, but she was a seasoned socialite. Her smile never wavered.

"I don’t think the magic-loving Clement would easily give up on a girl with magical talent... Well, I’ll go to the Ambroch family with a proposal that benefits them. If it goes well, I hope you’ll accept Lady Viela."

Celestia’s way of judging people by their talent and lineage hadn’t changed. She believed the high-ranking Ambroch family was the same. Clement had given up on trying to change her mind.

No one in the Barthel family could stop his grandmother Celestia.

Fortunately, the Ambroch family seemed to understand the family situation and was handling only Celestia, not the entire Barthel family.

"When I inherit the title, I’ll have to thank the Ambroch family in some way."

The Ambroch family was likely aware of Clement’s thoughts and was acting accordingly.

"Really... It’s better that Lady Viela is with Mr. Lukas rather than marrying into a family like ours. The Duke and Duchess of Ambroch are good people... The Yubert territory is quiet and peaceful. If I give up, Lady Viela will be happier."

He closed his eyes and tried to convince himself, attempting to put an end to his one-sided love. But the image of Viela smiling and saying goodnight to him immediately came to mind.

"～～! This is for a week!?"

He opened his eyes wide and ran his hands through his red hair. It felt like torture, and he wanted to direct his anger at someone.

"Really, how can I give up? Should I just confess and face rejection? But it would just be self-satisfaction and make Viela uncomfortable... I’ll probably no longer be treated as a junior... It’s tough... Even if I’m rejected as expected, I don’t think I can give up... Maybe I’ll be like this until they get married?"

He felt that once they were officially married, he would be able to give up. Viela and Lukas would be legally bound and move to the distant Yubert territory. Being physically far away would reduce their interactions, and his feelings would fade.

In other words, it was impossible as long as they were close.

"In that case, I’ll enjoy the expedition life with Lady Viela."

With this resolve, Clement searched for Viela in the lobby the next morning.

Lunch was set to be a boxed meal at the experimental facility, but breakfast and dinner were free for everyone at the hotel’s restaurant. He was waiting for her to eat together.

However, Viela didn’t show up. He couldn’t afford to be late for the assembly time, so he started his breakfast but couldn’t find her until the end.

Just before the assembly time, she still hadn’t arrived.

"I’ll go get Lady Viela!"

Unable to wait any longer, Clement headed to her room, relying on the key number he had seen last night.

(Lady Viela is the type to arrive early. She’s never overslept, no matter how much she stayed up... This is strange.)

Yesterday, Viela had been very energetic, only occasionally touching the back of her head. The possibility of her being unwell was low.

After dinner, she had relaxed when she saw the sign with the breakfast menu, so he didn’t think she would skip breakfast.

Clement knocked strongly on the door as soon as he arrived.

"Lady Viela, good morning! It’s morning! Lady Viela!"

He knocked multiple times and called her name, but there was no response. He pressed his ear to the door but heard no water sounds. She wasn’t in the shower.

"Lady Viela? Please respond!"

Silence was the only reply.

A cold sweat ran down Clement’s spine.

Could it be... He reached for the doorknob, which turned with a click. The lock was open. He pushed the door, and it moved.

The door was unlocked.

"...Lady Viela...?"

Clement slowly opened the door and was stunned by the state of the room.

The chair was overturned, the bedding was in disarray, and the contents of her bag were scattered. There were clear signs of a struggle.

"Where are you... Lady Viela!"

Clement called out, but there was no sign of Viela anywhere.