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EP.100 By the Words of the Saintess (2)

I clung to Teacher Rebecca’s leg, looking up at her face with desperate eyes.

“I won’t let go until you give me permission, teacher.”

If she told me to hold onto this leg forever, I would gladly do so.

“This is driving me crazy. Let go of my leg for now, okay? This isn’t going to solve anything. Let’s talk first.”

“Does that mean you’re giving permission?”

“You’re not joking, are you? You’re being serious?”

“Yes, I’ve been serious from the beginning.”

I’ve never been particularly good at joking, to the point where my friends have suggested it might be better if I didn’t try to joke at all.

“How did you two end up in that kind of relationship? You do know he’s in his 30s, right?”

“Age doesn’t matter.”

“When you come back from military service, he’ll be in his forties.”

“I owe him a debt I can never repay.”

“!!”

I should explain the situation to the teacher to at least gain some sympathy.

Then maybe she’d show mercy, even if it’s out of pity.

“A debt you can never repay?”

“Yes, and I had no way to repay it, but then he asked if I would become his wife.”

I never imagined I’d receive a proposal from a man in my life.

Surprisingly, I didn’t feel bad about receiving the proposal.

“…Why would he do that to you?”

“I’m not sure either. But no matter how I think about it, that seems to be the only way to repay the debt.”

“I feel like someone like you would have plenty of other options.”

“Not at all. Even this method requires me to unilaterally make uncle wait for 10 years. That’s why I said I’d be willing to be a second wife if he finds a partner later. He said it was a joke, but I wanted to do what he wished for.”

Teacher Rebecca’s expression softened as if she understood the whole situation after hearing my explanation.

“I see, I understand your circumstances now. You made that choice out of immense gratitude for the debt you owe, right? But is it okay for someone with such a bright future like you to be held back by a man like him?”

“Teacher!”

The teacher, whom I thought would be persuaded and give permission, said something that betrayed my expectations.

She suddenly said something irrelevant and opposed it.

“As you said, I’m your teacher. How can I stand by and watch you marry someone you don’t even like just to repay a debt?”

“I never said I was going to marry someone I don’t like.”

“Huh…?”

Teacher Rebecca was misunderstanding.

“I like uncle . He’s the one who appeared and saved me when I was about to give up on myself. How could I not like someone like that?”

I respect him, like him, and think he’s amazing.

I’ve briefly imagined how my life would have changed if he hadn’t saved me in that alley back then, and I’m certain I wouldn’t be living as normally as I am now.

I was about to cross a river of no return, and he saved me.

So how could I not like him?

“But, but won’t your feelings change over 10 years?”

“I don’t think they’ll change at all.”

“R-really? I see. Hmm…”

She’s worrying unnecessarily.

That will absolutely never happen.

“So, will you give us permission?”

“Well, I probably shouldn’t say this now, but isn’t it a bit nonsensical for me to be giving permission or not?”

“What?”

“He and I are just friends. Really.”

“…Really?”

“Yes. We’re not anything more.”

“That’s right, we’re not anything, so please stop misunderstanding. And come eat this.”

Just as the situation seemed to be clearing up, the older man appeared.

As he appeared, I could sense the appetizing smell of food coming from the kitchen.

The aroma was extraordinary, enough to captivate anyone.

Our gazes quickly moved to the kitchen, and both of us heard our stomachs growl simultaneously.

Grumble~!

I was hungry since I came here right after finishing work at the school, and it seemed Teacher Rebecca was in a similar situation.

“Shall we eat and talk?”

“Yes.”

We had no choice but to get up obediently.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

“What’s this woman he mentioned earlier?”

Rebecca, having heard an explanation of how Fran and I got entangled, changed her gaze from looking at trash to looking at a human being and asked.

The food I brought must have had some effect as well.

“A courtesan?”

“Yeah, what business do you have getting involved with such a woman?”

“There were some circumstances.”

I don’t think it’s a good time to talk about the story involving Ariane and my father right now.

Fran’s suspicion about Rebecca and me had many similarities with Ariane’s story.

After all, her father had sent a woman because he suspected something between Ariane and me.

“I know.”

Tragically, this was something Fran knew about as well.

“Tell me. I’m curious. He doesn’t seem to want to talk about it.”

“I don’t want to do anything uncle doesn’t like…”

Fran glances at me cautiously.

Anyone watching would think she usually lives being mindful of me.

“You’ve been doing whatever you want until now, why are you being cautious about this?”

“Haven’t I been considerate?”

“No.”

“This is delicious. Hehe.”

“By the way, what kind of meat is this?”

Rebecca slurped up the bibim noodles while eyeing the meat.

“Pork hocks.”

“Pork hocks… feet?? You mean feet meat?”

“It’s from the front legs. Try it, it’s incredibly delicious.”

Not just anyone can create the chewy texture of pork hocks.

Sure enough, Rebecca and Fran were eating the pork hocks with great enthusiasm.

Generally, anything eaten at night tends to be delicious, but when it’s pork hocks on top of that, how much better could it be?

“Alcohol!! Bring some alcohol! Have you been hiding this from us all this time?”

“I started when you began drinking. It takes a while to prepare, you know.”

In this case, you could say Fran was lucky to eat it.

After all, she arrived just as the cooking was almost finished.

Rebecca, seemingly excited by the pork hocks, started drinking alcohol.

I had no reason to refuse alcohol with pork hocks either, so I sipped alongside her.

“Hey, what are you going to do about Fran?”

“What about her?”

“She asked you to wait for 10 years, right? Are you really going to wait?”

“Why are you asking that?”

“Because I’m curious! Are you really going to wait for 10 years?”

“Hmm.”

I don’t know how to answer because I’ve never thought about it.

“Should I wait?”

Fran timidly answered my question.

“Just as a second wife…”

Displeased with Fran’s answer, Rebecca shouted angrily.

“What second wife position!! Get your head straight!”

Actually, we’ve never properly concluded this conversation.

I thought it would naturally fade away if we just brushed it off.

“Does she look like someone who’ll just give up as time passes to you?”

As Rebecca pointed at Fran while speaking, I was suddenly at a loss for words.

‘Fran… our Saintess, she’s the type to follow through when she sets her mind to something.’

Looking at me with clear eyes, she seemed to want to convey that her determination was by no means light.

“Will you really come back after 10 years?”

“Yes. And I’ll always visit when I get leave.”

Just as a clock moves forward, there’s also leave in the military.

It’s not like you’re stuck in the military for 10 years straight after enlisting.

At that point, Rebecca chimed in.

“That’s right, there’s leave, isn’t there? Then isn’t there no problem? The military provides housing nearby for married soldiers as a consideration. They can live there separately with their families. When they have to go to the field, it can’t be helped, but I’ve heard many live as weekend couples.”

Cough!

“Weekend couples?? That’s nonsense. And why have you been so proactive about this from earlier?”

Isn’t she clearly a third party here?

And it was also bewildering that she was helping things go well with Fran after kissing me.

I understood it was an impulsive act out of gratitude and joy, but if lips touched, wouldn’t feelings inevitably develop?

It seems I’m the only one being pathetic, while she’s so cool about it.

“Well, it could be possible, right? Can’t it be? Fran is a student in my class, and you’re my friend, right?”

“I’ll talk about this issue with her alone.”

Rebecca seemed hurt by my words drawing a line.

She looked displeased, as if she was upset.

“Are you saying I can’t be included?”

“What do you mean, included?”

“She said she’d even be a second wife. Didn’t you half-jokingly, half-seriously ask me to be your wife because you’re lonely being alone? So I’ll do that for you, no need to wait 10 years.”

Rebecca was saying strange things.

It’s an issue between Fran and me, but she’s suddenly trying to insert herself into it, isn’t she?

“You said we weren’t anything to each other.”

Fran, also bewildered by Rebecca’s words, asks.

“We’re friends, but actually, I owe him an enormous debt too.”

“Hey.”

“I’m re-enlisting, so I’ll get a lot of conveniences in the military. I’m confident I’ll be treated well when I enlist. I think I could make more money doing business there than running a general store here? I’ll make sure you’re not lonely.”

“Teacher, you’re re-enlisting?”

Fran, who didn’t know about Rebecca’s re-enlistment, is surprised.

“Yeah. That’s why I felt really sorry towards him. I’m indebted to him a lot, just like you. But a much younger person is asking to promise 10 years? Hearing that, I thought there’s no reason I can’t do it too. I’m sorry. I butted in without asking for permission.”

Fran looks perplexed at Rebecca’s apology.

“Teacher, you’re also indebted to uncle, and you want to repay that?”

“Yes. He’s an incredibly kind person. And honestly, I’m not confident I’ll come back alive after re-enlisting. So if you could fill my place, I think I’d feel really at ease.”

In short, the two women were proposing to share me half and half.

She would stay by my side right after enlisting, and after discharge, Fran would take care of me.

What’s absurd is that Fran seems quite tempted by this ridiculous proposal.

In the end, I decided to stop both of them.

“The person involved isn’t even thinking about it, where are you two trying to go with this?”

“I thought it was quite a plausible idea.”

“I’ve been living well on my own all this time. I don’t need it. It’s not like you’re nursing an elderly person living alone, what are you two doing?”

“You don’t like it? I thought it wasn’t a bad idea…”

These two weren’t part of my retirement plans anywhere, and I had no intention of letting them plan my life like this among themselves.

“I’ll decide my own life. I have no intention of going anywhere else following you. Even after 10 years, I’ll still be running this general store here, so you guys can leave if you want to leave, and come back if you want to come back on your own.”