Chapter 25: A Change in Consciousness.

Seeing Licia so delighted, Ren feels a definite sense of relief.

She definitely liked the gift. Every gesture she showed him up close proved it.

“It’ll be bad if you’re going to die, so should I get you something else?”

It was an unmanly joke, I thought to myself, but it was a light joke that I let slip because I was so pleased and had a little more time on my hands.

Or maybe it was just a joke to hide my embarrassment.

“No. I’m never, ever giving it back to you.”

Listening to their exchange, those around them were keenly curious as to what the gift was.

However, no one tactfully interrupted them, and they were still watching the exchange —-.

“Hey, if you don’t mind, can you put it on?”

Licia’s request changed the situation.

Ren, who wasn’t sure if he should touch Licia’s hair in front of the public, agreed to her wish because it was her request and it was her birthday.

Ren takes the hair ornament out of the box and brings it to Licia’s hair.

(I wonder if it’s like this….)

Licia’s hair was well groomed and in order without the need for a hand comb.

Therefore, Ren only had to pay attention to the position of the hair ornament, which was decorated with platinum feathers, when he put it on.

The silky hair that adorned it was finally seen by everyone assembled.

This was the decisive moment that took everyone by surprise.

“Wha—-?”

First, Lessard’s eyes widened in surprise.

“W-weiss! Isn’t that a platinum feather? Where the hell did Ren get it from ……?”

“I-I don’t understand either…”

Before long, Weiss made sense of the situation.

He remembered that the other day, when Ren was worried about Licia’s birthday, Ren went to the Adventurers’ Guild after receiving advice from him.

So, Ren had been looking for a platinum feather since that time.

“So he didn’t buy it….. but found it on his own?”

Hearing Weiss’ mutterings, Lessard was even more astonished.

Licia, unaware of their surprise, asked Ren.

“Does it look good on me…?”

Licia asked shyly.

“Yes, it looks great on you.”

Ren answered without a pause.

Licia’s figure, which caught everyone’s attention, looked even more radiant.

Her platinum-feather hair ornament, which was tucked slightly behind her ears, reflected the light from the chandelier as she walked lightly.

“Father! Look! Ren gave me such a beautiful gift!”

“Ah…. it looks good on you. No, it’s really a magnificent item…… I didn’t expect so much.”

Lessard continued to marvel at the unexpected gift.

Unaware of this, Licia was flattered to be told that it looked good on her.

She began to show off her hair ornament to the servants, and every time they complimented her, she looked at Ren and smiled a jeweled smile.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

After that, Ren was questioned by Lessard and Weiss.

How did he get it?

Ren replied that he was just lucky.

In fact, in this world, the platinum feather is a thing that can only be obtained if you are lucky.

That ‘s probably why. The two men who questioned him didn’t ask any more questions, and Ren didn’t mention that he knew how to obtain the feather.

Then they moved from the hall of the main residence to the old house, where they were on the balcony.

“I can’t believe I got to spend my birthday like this.” 

Licia’s voice echoed across the balcony at night.

The birthday party was already over, but right after the party, Licia’s idea was to have an after-party.

“My father was really surprised.”

“I was asked a lot of questions and it was hard.”

“Of course. My father must have been very interested in it, since you gave me such a wonderful and amazing gift.”

Licia said and reached for the cup of tea that Ren had brewed.

The old balcony is beautiful because Ren has taken care of it and also brought in a new table, so it has the atmosphere of a small ballroom.

Licia is smiling happily here, her platinum-feather hair ornament shimmering in her hair.

“By the way, Licia-sama.”

“Yes. What is it?”

She smiled prettily from her seat on the balcony overlooking the star-filled sky.

“Before you came here, I thought you said you had something to do with me.”

Immediately after Licia’s birthday party, she, the star of the day, had uttered these words.

When she invited Ren to the old building, she mentioned that she had one more thing to do.

“…… yes.”

Licia nodded as if to prove Ren’s prediction.

Then she picked up something that she had placed at her feet.

“This is —-!”

She puts it on the table and offers it to him.

This was something Licia had taken from her room before coming to the old house.

It’s something covered in pure white silk, and the identity of the gift is still unknown.

“I know it took me a while, but I picked it out properly!”

I never expected to receive a gift from the birthday girl.

Surprised, Ren asked Licia, “May I see it?” 

Licia’s cheeks were so red and flushed that even at night you could see it.

(She looked like me a few minutes ago.)

Ren saw Licia’s nervousness and thought back to his own embarrassment.

Licia nodded her head without saying it out loud. and when he saw that Licia turned her head down, he couldn’t stop thinking that he had to see the gift and tell her how he felt about it as soon as possible.

Ren reached for the cloth in front of him and inspected it, surprised at how soft it felt against his skin.

Before long, what reflected on his eyes was……

(is this?)

It reminded him of the dagger that Weiss had given him the night he learned about encampments, a dagger that could be used to make fire by rubbing the bottom of its handle. I had lent it to Licia during the battle with Jerukku, and it had been lost somewhere since then.

“—-The dagger that Licia-sama said she would definitely return.”

Licia nodded again without saying it out loud.

The dagger in the white scabbard in front of him.

The handle was also white, but looking at the golden decorations on the handle and the tip of the scabbard, I could imagine how fearless I would look when I carried it on my hip. It was such a gem.

“It looks like an expensive item, but it was nothing —- like this.”

“You don’t want it ……?”

Licia looked up and asked in an anxious voice with bright red cheeks. Her eyes were slightly moist with tears, as if they were about to spill out.

Ren, realizing his mistake, said, “I’m sorry,” and continued. 

“I’m really glad.”

“Really?”

“I won’t lie. I’m embarrassed to admit that I was even imagining how cool it would be to carry it on my hip…..”

The anxiety vanished from Licia’s cheeks and she chuckled.

“I just didn’t expect it to come back as such an expensive looking item. So I was surprised before I was happy.”

“—-.”

Licia turned her head in a pout and rested her cheek on the table.

Her profile is sternly discontented to hide her embarrassment, but it is cute because she remains upbeat.

“……I wanted to celebrate your birthday, too.”

Ren’s birthday is in the spring, but this year’s celebration has already taken place in his native village, so he’ll have to wait until next year to celebrate his next birthday.

When Licia learned of this fact, she was shocked in her room.

But then she remembered the dagger she was going to return and came up with the idea of giving it as a nice birthday gift.

“I couldn’t wait until next year! That’s why I thought we should give it together today. —-“

“Pu…kuku …”

“Hah! Why are you smiling?”

Licia leans forward on the table as Ren secretly laughs at the teasing in front of her.

But he was still smiling.

Licia’s eyes are caught by a smile that feels familiar, not the adult-like appearance she is used to.

“I’m sorry. I just realized that we’ve both been nervous all day.”

“Wha-what? Is it no good if I get nervous!?”

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t be. It’s just, you know, I thought we were more alike than I thought, and it was kind of funny.”

Licia couldn’t disagree with Ren’s words, which were still laced with laughter.

She was pleased to hear that they were so similar, and she was fascinated by the way Ren laughed, which she didn’t see very often.

But embarrassment was another story.

This time, the realization that she had been nervous all day caused her to reach the limit of her shame and she covered her face with her hands.

“I don’t know anymore! I’m not nervous!”

She plopped her upper body down on the table and tried to hide her embarrassment by moving her legs back and forth.

…… Eventually, both of her legs came to a halt.

After Ren thanked her for the dagger, she heard what he said without a second thought.

“I look forward to working with you in the future.”

There was no special meaning, and it should have been just as he said it.

However, Licia slowly looked up.

“From now on….?”

She looked up at Ren in the same position she was in, and her eyelids were filled with large tears.

“I’ll take your word for it.” 

“Gee! Why are you crying —-?”

But there is not the slightest hint of sadness on Licia’s face.

On the contrary, there was a clear sense of glee in the air.

“It’s a secret. I’ll never, ever tell you, who laughed at my nervousness.”.

Licia was happy. That’s all.

Ren had been trying to distance himself from her until a year ago, and being told by him that he would “always” be there for her was an inexpressible joy that ran through her entire body.

But as she said before, this is a secret.

It’s because she wanted to get back at him for laughing at her, and also because she saw Ren in a hurry to take care of himself, and she wanted to be a little more lenient with his kindness like that.

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