Volume 1 Chapter 32 Temporary Ceasefire
The tension created by Rose's appearance left Orkide in a state where he couldn't move carelessly.
I was also frozen, unsure of how to act from here.
What's the right thing to do now?
Just as I was struggling with that, Rose, the one who created this situation, made the first move.
"Um, what exactly is going on here?"
"Uh? Oh, right. I guess I should explain it to Rose first."
It seemed that Rose was just as troubled by the situation.
So, I took a moment to briefly explain the current situation to her.
Orkide, perhaps scared of Rose, was watching the scene without making any rash moves.
Once I finished explaining, Rose nodded as if she understood.
"I see, so that person is Ms. Cosmos's brother... He came to Hyamars to marry off the son of another family to his sister."
"Well, that's a simplified version of it."
It felt like I was explaining the reason for a sibling fight to a scary mom while being scared myself.
I don't have siblings, so I'm just imagining it.
"Okay, I understand the situation. So, what I did wasn't wrong, and I just need to continue stopping that person, right?"
"Ugh──!"
Recognizing Orkide as an enemy once again, Rose showed her reliable back and stood in front.
In contrast, Orkide instinctively braced themselves, looking scared.
Like a small animal facing a natural enemy, Orkide was on high alert, and Rose calmly spoke to them.
"If you're willing to back down here, we won't take any further action. It was your family that unjustly chased Ms. Cosmos away, so why not just let her live freely?"
"..."
Despite being young, she offered a mature opinion.
I nodded in agreement, but Orkide, still scared, showed a defiant attitude.
"Y-you commoners shouldn't interfere with our intentions...! I will definitely bring Cosmos back...! That's why I came here!"
He reignited the flame of fighting spirit he had almost lost, radiating what little determination he had left.
However, when Rose shot back a sharp glance, Orkide let out a small "ugh" and flinched.
He looked like a frog caught in a snake's stare.
Right after that, Orkide wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said in a slightly shaky voice.
"Y-yeah, well, let's respect my sister's wishes and come back one more time."
"Huh?"
"With the sudden news of the engagement, you probably haven't even packed your things properly yet. More than anything, I can't even let my comrades, who have spent time together, say goodbye. Even if she's a selfish little sister, it's a brother's heart to give her at least that much time."
Saying that, Orkide sheathed his sword.
That was good and all, but I couldn't help but feel secretly exasperated.
...That guy is probably planning to run away because he's scared of Rose.
His lines were super defensive, and he was sweating a lot.
I mean, his hands were shaking too.
Well, it's clear that in this situation, Orkide is at a disadvantage, so it makes sense for him to retreat.
He probably intends to go back to his side and regroup.
And this time, he might be planning to bring his strongest forces to definitely bring Cosmos back.
If he knows there's a monster like Rose behind Cosmos, it's only natural to be scared to face it alone.
Before I knew it, townspeople had gathered around, drawn by the commotion.
Just as it seemed like things were about to get serious, Orkide turned on his heel.
"So, I'll come back to pick you up in 2 weeks. Make sure to pack what you need by then, Cosmos."
"..."
Finally, Orkide emphasized his words as if to drive the point home.
"And don't even think about running away. We're always 'watching' you."
With that, Orkide left.
With the immediate problem gone, I let out a big sigh of relief.
At the same time, I felt a surge of anger.
That guy just left the mess behind.
It was practically his own mess.
I guess I'll have to clean that up later, but for now, I let out another sigh of relief and turned to Rose.
"Ahh, thanks, Rose. I'm really glad you came."
"Well, haah... I don't really remember doing anything special."
Well, she was just standing there and talking, after all.
Rose probably doesn't feel like she did anything special.
But in reality, it had a huge meaning.
"That guy backed down quietly thanks to you coming, Rose. If you hadn't been here, who knows what would have happened..."
"Well, if I was able to help, that's what matters. I just happened to be late coming home today and happened to pass by this road, so I guess it was lucky. Um, more importantly..."
Suddenly, I felt like Rose slightly narrowed her big, round eyes.
"Ms. Cosmos, are you hurt or something?"
"Huh?"
"Because you've been clinging to his back this whole time..."
I suddenly remembered.
Right now, Cosmos was stuck to my back.
Specifically, she was leaning against me and gripping my shoulder tightly.
"Oh, right. I totally forgot you were there."
"I'm not that small, you know!"
It felt like I hadn't heard Cosmos's voice in a while.
I had completely forgotten she was on my back since she had been so quiet.
Finally, I bent down to encourage Cosmos to get off.
However, she didn't budge and kept gripping my shoulder tightly.
"...? Hurry and get down."
"W-well, it's kind of pathetic, but I was so overwhelmed by that red-haired girl's presence that I just froze. There were a lot of shocking things, so I don't feel like I can walk properly right now. S-so, can I stay like this a little longer...?"
"...O-okay. I guess that's fine."
I definitely felt rooted to the spot when Rose showed up, too.
For the still inexperienced Cosmos, that must have been nothing short of hell.
But still, I hope she gets down when it's time to clean up this mess.
While thinking that, I reluctantly stayed like this a little longer, and suddenly, I locked eyes with Rose.
She was looking at me with a very complicated expression.
"W-what's wrong, Rose?"
"...Oh, it's nothing."
She didn't say anything more and looked away.
Rose's situation really caught my attention, but for now, I have to start cleaning up the trash and dealing with the situation.
First, I'll explain to the people who gathered around that I tripped and fell into the pile of garbage.
I thought it might be a bit awkward, but I wanted to prevent things from getting more complicated.
Once I confirmed that Cosmos was feeling better, I set her down and got to work on the cleanup.
While I was putting the scattered trash back in its place with Rose's help, I heard Cosmos's anxious voice.
"What should I do from now on..."
"..."
I think that's a really tough question.
There's no way to come up with an easy answer.
So, for now...
"Uh, hey, once we finish cleaning up around here... do you want to come over to my place for a bit?"
"..."
I figured it would be pretty unsettling for her to go back to the dorm room alone after this, and she probably needed a place to calm her jumbled feelings.
When I suggested it, Cosmos slowly nodded.
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