Volume 2 Chapter 2 Even If Positions Change, Some Things Remain The Same
In front of Cecilia, who demanded the release of Liz, Randy held his head with one hand, searching for words.
"Uh, could you please wait a moment..."
As he searched for words, he tried to find a reason to say "release her," but Randy had no idea what to say. He glanced at Liz, hoping for help, but she just shook her head in confusion.
(I don't get it)
Not understanding after thinking it over, Randy finally decided to respond honestly, saying, "I don't understand the meaning of this."
"Are you really pretending not to know at this point?"
Cecilia, her anger rising, began to speak about a baseless rumor that Randy was forcing Liz to obey him.
He supposedly dragged her to the academy against her will,
showed her off as a servant,
and caused a commotion about her leaving the dorm.
"Please stop forcing Liza to obey you!"
Cecilia glared at Randy, who could only respond with a silly, "Uh..." It seemed that Liz's unusual behavior was fueling the rumors, but Randy had no idea what they were talking about.
"Miss Cecilia, it's just a rumor. There's no evidence at all, is there?"
"I have evidence!"
Cecilia pointed to the shining bracelet on Liz's left arm.
"You gave Liza that handmade bracelet, and it has your color and Liza's color side by side!"
Only then did Randy realize that the red could be seen as his color. But it was too late...
"Some students say that you two are engaged──."
"E-engaged?!"
"N-no──."
The faces of the two turned bright red as they accidentally looked at each other and then awkwardly turned away.
"See? If you're not engaged, why would you make her wear your color? What else could it be but forcing her?"
Cecilia took a big breath, as if to emphasize her point, and continued in a slightly calmer tone.
"I appreciate that you saved Liza. However, if you force her to do things she doesn't want, I cannot forgive you."
With a serious expression, Cecilia made her stance clear, and Randy sighed, scratching his head as he looked back at Liz.
"Liz, I leave it to you."
Randy's face showed he wanted to avoid trouble, and Liz protested with a glare, but Randy just sighed heavily, saying, "She won't believe anything I say anyway."
Liz seemed to understand that Randy had a point, and she let out a small sigh before speaking.
"Lady Cecilia. It's been a while."
Liz made the first move with a graceful curtsy.
"You say to release me, but I am not being forced to follow Sir Randolph."
As Liz shook her head, Cecilia also shook her head vigorously to show her disagreement.
"Why are you speaking to me so formally?"
"It can't be helped. Lady Cecilia, you are a Count's daughter. I am just a civil servant. If I don't know my place, it could cause trouble for both Sir Randolph and you, Miss Cecilia."
"I don't think it's a bother at all!"
"'I think we should avoid situations where we can be criticized by others, rather than just thinking about it,' is what I'm trying to say."
"Y-Yeah, I understand that. But at least when there's no one around..."
Cecilia looks clearly downcast in response to Liz's calm words.
(Hey, this is getting even more complicated.)
Randy, facing the dejected Cecilia, lets out a big sigh and looks up at the sky, having lost the momentum from earlier.
"Liz──."
"What is it?"
"That was your fault."
At Randy's words, Liz and Cecilia both say, ""Huh?""
"Calling you 'Liza' means that Cecilia here considered you a friend, right?"
Liz slowly nods at Randy's exasperated words.
"There's no one here. You should understand how Cecilia feels for bringing us to such a quiet place."
Cecilia must have thought about Liz being able to talk freely without worrying about others. In a public place, she could have made it hard for Randy to escape, but she prioritized creating a comfortable environment for Liz.
"Even so, she had the guts to face that rumored bad guy alone because she was worried about your safety. You have to respond to your friend's feelings."
Randy's wry smile makes Liz suddenly look surprised. As Randy said, there are bad rumors about him going around the school. Liz knows they are false, but Cecilia does not.
In that situation, it's clear that Cecilia stopped Randy to face him alone for Liz's sake, even if the reasons were different.
Realizing this, Liz softly murmurs, "That's right," and smiles at Cecilia.
"Cecilia, it's been a while."
"Ah... Liza──."
Cecilia hugs Liz without thinking, showing a straightforward way of expressing her feelings for a noble lady.
Watching Liz accept Cecilia's embrace, it seems normal for both of them.
After they let go of each other, they still hold hands and start talking about their recent lives. Especially Cecilia seems to regret not being able to do anything during that banishment incident, repeatedly apologizing to Liz.
(So that's why she did something so reckless.)
Randy finally understands why Cecilia took such a seemingly reckless action. However, even that Marquis had to approve the exile before taking action. To put it bluntly, it's hard to believe that a young girl could have done anything about it.
Cecilia probably understands that too. But understanding something and being able to accept it are 2 different things.
(Charging in without thinking is a problem, but I guess this time it can't be helped.)
As they occasionally laugh, express surprise, and continue talking, Randy quietly mutters, "I hope Ellie doesn't interrupt."
Ignoring Randy's worries, once their conversation wraps up, Cecilia brings up the exile.
"About the exile..."
Liz looks hesitant, her eyes reflecting not just the chaos of the exile but also the matter of Eleonora. Both the background of the exile and Eleonora's existence are definitely top secrets for both of them.
Talking about it means involving Cecilia as well. Not to mention, she can't talk about the rumors surrounding the exile, which are still just speculation.
Once she involves her, saying "I was wrong" won't be enough.
She wants to talk, but she can't. Liz looked down, clearly struggling with this conflict.
"What's wrong?"
Cecilia peeked at the downcast Liz.
"──Miss Cecilia, please understand."
Cecilia was startled by Randy's serious voice and face, which she had never seen before.
"This is a matter that will greatly affect not just you, but also your family──."
Cecilia seemed to understand everything just from that, looking at Liz with a worried expression.
"Liza..."
"I'm fine. I have many allies."
Seeing Liz smile, Cecilia hugged her again, saying, "Count me in, I'm totally on your side too, you know!" After holding her for a while, Cecilia finally let go of Liz.
"Sir Randolph Victor, I apologize for the misunderstanding."
Cecilia bowed deeply, and Randy also bowed in response, saying, "No, no."
"I'm relieved to know that there are allies for Liz at the academy."
Randy let out a sigh of relief, feeling that the misunderstanding had been cleared up for now. It seemed that Cecilia and Liz had agreed to act as usual when there were no people around.
"Well then, I will take my leave──."
Cecilia left with just a graceful curtsy.
"She's a good friend."
"...Yes."
Liz nodded with a serious expression, and Randy smiled at her, saying, "Don't worry."
"It's not a problem if you just eat or talk together."
He was reminding Liz not to be overly sensitive about her position. If they were originally friends, no one would mind if they chatted a bit at school.
At Randy's words, Liz finally nodded happily, saying "Yes," and Randy nodded back, saying "Good."
"For now, let's head to the classroom. I don't want to stand out any more than this."
"Right."
Randy and the others started walking toward the building where Cecilia had disappeared.
"By the way, it was rare for Ellie to read the room."
"Unlike you, I do have friends."
"Hey, I have friends too, you know."
"Randy, please don't raise your voice in the academy."
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