Transmigrated Into A Tragic Romance Fantasy-Chapter 87: A Healing Evening (3)

I remained in Lumia’s embrace for a long time.

Until her hand stopped patting my back.

It was as if her touch washed away all those chilling emotions.

In time, her trembling breath also calmed down.

Eventually, her arms holding me lost their strength.

How much must she have longed to hear an apology for those hellish days?

How long must she have awaited for an ointment to her festering wounds?

It was deplorable that I had to be the one delivering this on behalf of the main perpetrators of her abuse. Still, with Kyle’s uncertain fate, Blund’s spiral into insanity, and Deron’s villainy remaining unchecked, I was the only one left.

For those who squandered all changes of atonement, the only path left for them was...Punishment.

Those who lost their family’s backing after enjoying all the luxuries at their disposal...Perhaps most of them will find their punishment as an unidentified corpse left to rot somewhere.

But I find that conclusion unlikely to happen.

If the plot of the original novel revolved around Regret and Second Changes,

The backbone of such plot threads would be a revenge story.

In that revenge, there are naturally those who receive forgiveness and those who don’t.

Readers would naturally feel moved by the characters who rolled around for the Heroine’s sake, eventually receiving their pardon, while the same readers would feel vindicated for seeing the ‘Villan’ getting played by the Heroine and meeting his demise as a form of karmic retribution.

While I’m not sure what roles Kyle and Blund would fit in, judging by the flow of events, Deron must be the ‘ultimate villain’ who won’t repent till the very end.

I’m not sure how severe his demise would be, but I could only hope that its level would be more than enough to match the crimes he committed.

Anyway.

After regaining her senses, Lumia released me from her embrace as she wiped her tears.

For the first time since this Tragic Romantic Fantasy began, her lips sported a sincere smile.

Indeed,

This was the first time I’ve ever seen her smile.

The smile on her face wasn’t a sadistic smirk, nor the elated grin of discovering an interesting research subject...Not it was a pure smile born of joy and happiness.

I also mirrored her smile.

My tears had long since run out, and my chaotic emotions calmed down like calm’s lake pond.

As such...The shame that followed my actions was inevitable...

I thought I was a sensitive person.

For someone like me who lived a harsh life, romance and sentimentalism weren’t things I could afford.

When people would watch sappy romance movies and leave the movie theaters with red eyes, I had to keep gluing on more children’s toys in the fabric I worked on.

When others were moved by sentimental videos, I had to fight my exhaustion to complete my night shift and finish attaching doll eyes.

To endure days filled with endless toil, I had to numb myself to all trivial matters, and sensitivity was nothing but a hindrance.

The burden I carried was too big and heavy for me to empathize with or comfort others in their pain; just bearing my own was overwhelming enough.

That I shed these tears over this single sheet of paper must mean, above all, that I’ve finally reached a place where I can empathize with others’ pain.

“I’m truly sorry.”

[No, I’m sorry too.]

My tears flowed because I realized I couldn’t be free from the responsibility of Lumia’s Tragic fate because I finally understood how I unintentionally mocked her pain by stubbornly focusing on my own safety and comfort.

My circumstances were actually privileged compared to the grief Lumia had endured.

Of course, back then, our ideals were so different and clear-cut that reconciliation and harmony would have been difficult.

But the gesture of approaching one of her old ‘abusers’ to offer an apology of all things made me regret avoiding her, wondering if we could have bridged that stark divide between us sooner.

Perhaps that’s why.

I felt ashamed for my carefree Culinary Journey, for while I was having the time of my life, Lumia was left alone to whiter and die.

These complex reasons must have trickled down as tears.

Regardless,

Now I could only hope that she’d no longer be a prisoner of that sad past.

I hoped she would enjoy her newfound freedom to look towards the future.

But...This situation...Was so...Awkward...

As I scratched the back of my head with an embarrassed smile, Lumia wrote something on her notebook once more.

[I have a favor to ask. Would you do it for me?]

I nodded eagerly.

This was good news.

For the first time, she who had always been depressed was making a request.

I couldn’t refuse her.

Hoping it would be some grand favor, I waited, and then.

[I want you to treat me comfortably. Regardless of my Status, as you do with the rest of your companions.]

An unexpected request appeared.

“Ah?”

Honestly, I thought she would ask me for some items.

Perhaps cooking utensils or ingredients, or maybe even daily necessities.

But she asked to be treated without regard to status.

[ I’d like you to treat me as if I were ‘Erenscia’ and not ‘Lumia’.]

She even went as far as to mention that old, painful name.

A name that was filled with suffering and despair.

Just mentioning it might evoke memories of those days she’d tried to bury, so why ask to be treated comfortably by that name?

Moreover, Erenscia and Elden’s names were intertwined in a terrible twist of fate.

Just as I wondered about this.

I recalled the oath Elden had to recite upon entering the academy in the original story.

《Inside the Academy, all were equal.》

Though most students never cared about such an oath, Lumia had been enchanted by such an idea.

That’s why she couldn’t understand why people tormented her, because of Erenscia’s low status.

Whether she still holds that innocent belief or not, one thing I could gauge was:

Erenscia and Elden.

It seemed she wished to wash away the resentment engraved in the history of these names, building new happy memories, as if painting a fresh new canvas.

So, I nodded my head again.

“Alright. Erenscia.”

And,

At my answer, Lu-no, Erenscia smiled for the first time.

Indeed, this wasn’t Lumia’s first smile, but Erenscia’s.

The smile of someone who only knew suffering and torture for three long years.

It was such a lovely smile.

A pure smile that could wash away any grudges of the past.

But then,

Clap... Clap clap clap-.

Our smiles turned towards the sound of applause, and we could see Rendler at the end of the hallway, clapping his hands...

With eyes filled with tears,

And a runny nose...

“Sniff-! I...I must be dreaming...! Sob...It’s...Just S-So beautiful..! Sniff....Ahh...This old man...Could...Sob..Sob..Die happy now...Hnng...!”

In hindsight...Having such a tear-jerking moment of reconciliation in a hallway wasn’t my best idea.

**

While Erenscia and Elden were having their reconciliation in the second floor,

A different scene was unfolding on the first floor.

“Dame Rachel.”

“Yes.”

Ariel blocked Rachel’s way just as she left her room, fully dressed.

With her hands on her hips and arms bent, Ariel was frowning fiercely.

Her current appearance was akin to a puppy trying to imitate a grown tiger’s growl, but only managing to emit a yapping sound, that was...kind of adorable.

And it was something that Rachel was facing, by herself.

Moreover,

This sight was making it very difficult for Rachel to control herself...

Ah, how she wanted to just pinch those pouting cheeks.

Of course, as a dutiful Knight Rachel did no such thing.

“What’s the matter, Lady Ariel?”

“I have something to ask, but you need to answer me honestly!”

Rachel looked at the fierce(?) Ariel.

Despite Ariel’s intimidation(?), Rachel’s expression didn’t change one bit.

Rather, she looked as if she had expected this.

“Please ask.”

“Right. So, what I want to ask is...”

However, Ariel trailed off, unable to ask her question.

She seemed flustered by Rachel’s unexpectedly confident(?) aura.

And that confident aura seemed to assure her of the answer to the question she was anticipating, making Ariel hesitate even more.

Finally.

“So, um... H-how was the hot spring?”

She ended up asking a different question than she had prepared.

“It was warm.”

“Well... I guess so. It’s a hot spring after all. Then, um, did anything unusual happen?”

“There was a mishap with a face towel coming undone, but nothing unusual.”

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

Ariel’s face flushed as she recalled that scene...

For such an innocent lady as Ariel, nothing could be more...impactful than that.

“I-Isn’t that something u-unusual...? Y-You showed your naked body to Elden?!”

When flustered, one’s foresight tends to shorten.

Ariel belatedly covered her mouth, inadvertently confessing to peeping, but words once spoken cannot be taken back.

“...I only said that the towel came undone, not that I showed my body to my Lord.”

“Ah...Well...S-Since you two were alone..I just assumed...”

“I see.”

“Yes! Really! I didn’t peep!”

“......”

As Ariel admitted her wrongdoing with a red face while frantically waving her hands, Rachel had a thought.

She’s certainly naive and innocent, unlike a typical noble lady.

Unlike most noblewomen who used lies and falsehoods as easily as they breathed, Ariel had a naive and innocent side that was truly charming.

That was why Rachel was wary of Ariel.

That’s why she had been waiting for this moment.

Unless one was a fool, it was impossible not to notice Ariel’s admiration for Elden.

He probably didn’t know.

Despite his experiences with women, her Student was incredibly dense when it came to matters of the heart.

So, Rachel decided to strike first on behalf of the hesitant Ariel.

Having fought all her life, Rachel knew better than anyone that seizing the initiative was one of the most important things one could do in a fight.

“S-So what I want to ask is....”

“You wish to ask me if have feelings for Lord Elden?”

“Huh?”

“I do.”

“Huh?!”

“I have romantic feelings for Lord Elden.”

“HUH-?!”

“It’s only natural for female to be attracted to a strong male, isn’t it?”

Stuck by such a direct approach, Ariel’s face froze.

Just like that, the war between an innocent bookworm and a serious Knight began.