Wreath of Lilies, Cauldron of Poison

Chapter 55

As a Teacher, as a Companion

“What a woman.”

Connie walked out of the mansion with unhurried pace, rubbing her chin with a satisfied expression.

“Connie?”

“She might be inexperienced, but her wit makes up for the lack of control over her emotions. You could learn a bit or two from that Maiden.”

“Er…Connie,” Connie continued to walk, her mind filled with the Maiden’s words. Illumca appeared to want to say something. The blonde-haired girl paused and gave her a look.

“What’s wrong?”

The silver-haired dark elf bit his lips as she gathered her courage. “C-Connie. I-I want to ask. Why did you let me make the decision back there?” the Dark Elf asked. Her words slightly trembling from nervousness.

“Why? Well, let’s just say it’s on a whim. I have much to do, but it’s not extremely urgent or anything. I can just delegate it to the others.”

“Oh,” the answer made her feel rather down and her pointy ears lowered.

How could her ears move like that?

Thinking that she had made a mistake, Connie immediately tried to fix it. She did not often show it, but there was a part of her that always felt a bit clueless when talking with young girls. Adult Women were easier to understand. Though some were...downright terrifying.

“Illumca…walk with me,” Connie remembered from Cornelia’s memory that there was a small park nearby and she took her there. It was a gated little spot where people of certain status could have a short rest and enjoy the flowers.

There was a small fountain with a chubby little angel pouring water from a vase in the center and a wooden bench. Connie gestured at a bed of orange lilies surrounding the small park with a leisure nod.

“Beautiful, aren’t they? These lilies are cared for by the community gardener. Nobles in Cairula like their surroundings to exude nobility. And what flower could be as noble as lilies?”

Illumca nodded lightly, slightly confused. She did not have any strong feelings about flowers and she did not understand why Connie took her there.

“Illumca,” Connie gave her silver hair a gentle sniff as she walked around her. “We are teacher and disciple, and at the same time…partner and companion. As your teacher, I want you to excel. To improve and to better yourself,” she stopped and crouched low to caress a rose that was jutting out of the bush. “Just like this lily. For it to grow so well it needed to be given good fertilizer, watered sufficiently, and trimmed properly. And just like a gardener, it is a teacher’s duty to care for you so that you can bloom to your utmost potential. If I don’t let you make your own decision, how would you grow? If I do not toss you off the cliff, how would you learn?”

Illumca began to understand her stance. Rather, she felt that the girl’s voice had turned slightly reproachful. Connie felt the words flowing out of her lips, remembering the words of her first teacher who taught her naïve self her first real lesson a very long time ago.

“Unfortunately, you have lived for too long under the feet of others and your distrust towards people are…very apparent, causing you to be passive and defensive.”

The dark elf could not refute her words. For people other than Connie, she would put up a wall. Even for Martell and Ethel, she only tolerated them. Nick? She was just waiting for him to make a move and she would make him suffer.

Connie then gently placed her hands over her cheek and turned her head until they could see eye to eye. “But then, as a companion, I want you to stand as my equal. I don’t want you to be a subservient doll who lives only to serve me. That does not make for a good life. Or an interesting one. Trust me.”

“But if you don’t control me, how would I know if I made a mistake? How would I know if I did good? All I knew up to a few weeks ago is the cage.”

“And you will. You will make a lot of mistakes,” Connie laughed brightly. “That is part of the learning process! Isn’t it fun?”

Connie patted her cheek gently as she lowered her head down and gave Illumca a kiss on her forehead. “I will be there and smack you upside the head if you made a mistake and praise you if you did something exceptional. So these little doubts you have? It’s all good! Have doubts! And ask questions!”

“Hahaha,” Illumca laughed weakly as she listened to her teacher and companion’s advice. “I’m sorry. It must be hard for you to care for someone as childish as me,” the girl sighed as she leaned into her right hand. She could not believe that such beautiful and soft fingers could break steel like they were biscuits. Then again, it was exactly this combination of overwhelming strength and innocent beauty that made her yearn for her daily.

It was unnatural, she knew. But she would rather die than lie to herself. Surely the world owed her this after the years of suffering.

Unfortunately for her, Connie could not hear her thoughts, so after that short moment of intimacy, Connie released her hand. Illumca frowned slightly from the loss of her touch.

The Blonde-haired girl took a few stray hairs from the Dark Elf’s hair and tucked it behind her pointy ears. Connie frowned inwardly as she did so. By the heavens, her hair is as light as air and her skin is so supple it’s like I’m touching clouds. Have some self-control, Dammit! Why did I make her so beautiful?! Damn my sense of beauty!!

“D-don’t think too hard on it. Just take it as an effort on my part to…do right by our agreement,” the blonde-haired girl said as she let her long silver hair slip over her fingers.

“I…thank you.”

Illumca could feel her heart pounding so hard that she feared it would burst. Not a doll for her amusement, but someone who could become her strength. That too was what she wanted.

“Ehem! Alright. Good then. As long as you understand. Okay, on to the next business,” Connie said while fiddling with her lapels, a bit awkwardly. She might be an old man who had eaten enough salt inside, but she still had trouble when trying to shift between moments of intimacy and business.

“N-next business? Are we going back to the store?” Illumca was also a bit flustered as she tried to calm her pounding heart.

“Nope. We are going to the Hunter’s Guild to dismantle a demon.”

“Oh.”

At those words, Illumca’s powerful blush abruptly disappeared out of disappointment.