Seijo no Maryoku wa Bannou desu Chapter 7

Translator: ノンぶりyuu
Editor: Readers

The 2nd Volume is under review and the author is talking with her editor! Yay ~.

Chapter 07: Gossip

Six months have passed since I've been summoned.

"Sei, this part is a little difficult. Can you explain it to me?"

"We~ll, this is……"

I discussed the book with Elizabeth-sama, otherwise known as Liz.

Although I said we were discussing the book, we only see each other when I have business at the library so we don't talk for very long.

The books are written in foreign languages or the ancient language so we only talk about the parts that she didn't understand.

Liz was studying languages but I explained the difficult parts to her.

At first she also asked me about grammar but I'm afraid to say, I know nothing about it.

I only understand the contents.

"I see, so that's what it means. Thank you."

"It's fine."

"I'm sorry. I'm always interfering with your work."

"Ah, don't worry about it. It's a good breather."

Why am I talking to an aristocrat in an extremely familiar tone?

I properly used honorifics at first.

But somewhere along the way, Liz told me to stop, you know?

I also called her Liz now instead of Elizabeth-sama. She asked me to talk normally with her.

I can't refuse when a beautiful Ojou-san1)"Young Lady" used to refer to wealthy, high-class females asked me to do that.

"By the way, there's something I would like to talk to you about……"

"Mhm? What is it?"

It was unusual to see Liz looking hesitant to ask something.

It was rare for her to stall her words.

What is it?

It didn't seem like she wanted to ask about the book. This may be the first time she's ever asked about something other than books.

"Sei, you know Captain Hawk, don't you?"

"Captain Hawk?"

The only person that came to my mind was the Captain of the 3rd Knight Order. Was his name Hawk?

I always called him Captain-sama so I'm not sure what his name is.

The Director called him Al so I don't know his surname……

"So you don't know him after all."

"Is Captain Hawk the Captain of the 3rd Knight Order?"

"Ah, are you two acquainted?"

"If so, I know who he is because he's good friends with our Director."

It seemed that she was talking about the Captain of the 3rd Knight Order.

But, what about him?

"Mhm…… Can I ask you something rude?"

"What is it?"

"Are you on bad terms with Hawk-sama, Sei?"

"Nope ~, I don't think so."

Terms?

I don't think we're on bad terms.

Whenever I met him on my way back from the library, he always escorts me back to the research institute.

Riding on a horse together.

That was pretty embarrassing so I tried to refuse him the second time but he looked extremely sad so I couldn't refuse him.

"What's wrong with Hawk-sama?"

"It's hard to say this but recently there's been rumours going around about him riding his horse with a woman."

Liz's beautiful face twisted as if she was going to say, "I'm stumped".

Sorry, there's no doubt about it. I have a feeling that it was me.

At the beginning he took me straight back to the research institute but recently we detour around the royal palace. We were probably sighted then.

"I think that was me."

"Really?!"

"Yeah."

When I confessed honestly, Liz's face changed from a troubled one to a relieved one.

Huh? Why?

"As I thought, riding a horse with a member of the opposite sex doesn't leave a good impression, does it?"

"That's right. It's no good for people who are engaged or have spouses to ride with other people of the opposite sex."

"If both are single then it's fine?"

"I wouldn't say that. It's harder for it to become a problem than with those who are engaged."

"So that means, it's inappropriate……"

She indirectly told me not to mind it but it seemed that inappropriate things were the same in this world.

Indeed, let's refuse from now on.

Liz was troubled and followed up because I looked disheartened.

"But I don't think it's any problem if Hawk-sama was the one who invited you. He can discern right from wrong."

"That's the way it is?"

"Yes……"

Somehow, when I look at Liz's unchanged trouble expression, I don't think it's fine at all……

Well, whatever.

It's fine if I just refuse him.

"So, what about that rumour?"

"Eh?"

"No, you look relieved so I wondered what the heck is going on."

"That is……"

Ah, she looked troubled again.

Should I not have asked?

She sighed and confessed just as I was about to tell her that it was fine not to say anything if it was difficult.

"I thought that my classmate might have been the one in the rumour with Hawk-sama."

"Classmate? Does that person have a fiancé?"

Liz's classmate. That probably meant that she was 15 years old, right?

If I'm not mistaken, seniors at the Academy are supposed to be 15 years old.

Eh ~, a 15 years old girl and the Captain…… That reeks of a crime.

Is that kind of an age difference okay in this world?

"No, she doesn't have one but…"

"Mh~m. Then is their age difference the problem?"

"That's, well, it's rare but it's not a problem."

If the age difference was okay……

Then, what's the problem?

"There's a problem with the classmate."

"Problem?"

"She's very intimate with men who have fiancées at the Academy. It's become quite the problem."

"I see."

"And so, at the academy, they've been saying that she would go as far as lay her hands on the Ice Knight-sama too."

"Ice Knight-sama?"

"Ah, that's Hawk-sama. People call him that because he never lets his emotions show, or rather he's always emotionless……"

Emotionless?

My impression of the Captain was that he's always smiling……

"But, your classmate? She doesn't have a fiancé so wouldn't it be fine if she rides with Hawk-sama?"

"That's exactly it. Since Hawk-sama is also popular, people have been saying things like; his followers have increased again."

"So that means, the men that she's close to at school are all popular, right?"

"That's correct."

Liz lamented as she put a hand on her cheek and sighed.

In short, there was a misunderstanding stirring about that Liz's classmate, who made popular guys wait on her, also laid a hand on the popular Captain.

But just because she was told so didn't mean that Liz had anything to do with it, so why was she so gloomy?

"It sounds really depressing. Listening to the story, it seems that it's your classmate's problem, this has nothing to do with you. So what's wrong?"

"Well, the fiancées of those men told me to do something about it, so I'm stumped."

"That's something the fiancées should say, not Liz, right?'

"They've already warned her but the situation still hasn't improved."

"Well then even if Liz says something, isn't it impossible?"

"Yes…… I'm sorry for complaining. I'll be happy if you could forget about this."

"I don't mind listening to you complain. Also once I leave, I'll forget all about it."

"Thanks."

I smiled at Liz who was smiling sadly.

It was a good time so we finished our conversation and parted ways. I returned to the research institute.

I didn't see the Captain today. Was it because I really wanted to refuse him?

Chapter end