32. Are you confessing or reciting poetry?

Knowing that there was no time to play the role of a love rival, Kephir and Nilu quickly left the room, following my instructions to find the whereabouts of that elven silver knight.

Naturally, the moment I was alone with Izalis, the room fell silent.

Since we had known each other for a while, the atmosphere didn’t plunge into the awkwardness typical of “a man and a woman alone together.” However, it was precisely because of this familiarity that the words I had bottled up inside felt somewhat inconvenient to voice.

“Lord O’Keelid, they’ve long since left, and they aren’t eavesdropping outside.”

“Oh… oh…”

My rather “virgin” behavior quickly drew Izalis’s teasing.

“Your reaction is quite strange, as if you’ve suddenly transformed from a seasoned player in the game of love into an innocent youth.”

She covered the smile at the corner of her mouth with her hand. “Didn’t you send them away precisely for this moment? Why are you suddenly hesitant to speak? Clearly, I’m still waiting for your answer~”

Please don’t use such misleading metaphors.

As for why I was “hesitant,” I somewhat regretted having made an excuse to be alone with Izalis. Because: the question I had about the elven saintess would sound fine if Kephir and Nilu were present, but in a private setting, it would indeed come off as a bit “strange.”

What I wanted to confirm was Izalis’s thoughts.

After all, once I calmed down from “seeing the dangerous script Izalis was facing,” I realized: this time’s “danger” was different from previous events. If before it was merely Princess Edrel wanting to “stab” Izalis, this time the long princess’s goal seemed to be simply to prevent Izalis from becoming the elven saintess, stripping her of that status.

The method was quite straightforward: send a handsome man to marry her or something like that; it was a routine I was all too familiar with. Thus, this time, there was no “death script” looming over Izalis.

What I wanted to confirm was precisely this: previously, I had chosen to firmly protect Izalis’s departure, which could still be justified as being for her safety, but this time…

What if she decided to retreat gracefully, thinking, “Let it go, let it go”? If I continued to force Izalis to resist, then…

Wouldn’t that seem very strange? Our purpose in coming to “this era” was to prevent the three elven sisters from becoming “BOSSes,” not to establish a harem for myself by forcibly taking innocent maidens.

“Eh? Ah… I see.”

Before I even knew how to “phrase” my thoughts, Izalis seemed to have already caught on to the subtle hints from my reactions.

“Lord Euclid, is there a misunderstanding regarding my identity?”

Now I had no choice but to speak up, like a duck forced onto a perch.

“I was merely assessing your attitude…”

“Well, you could have simply asked, or perhaps… you’re too concerned and too shy to voice it?”

I began to regret my impulsive decision to help this elf.

“Goodbye…”

“Ah! Wait! I’m sorry! I got a bit too carried away just now…”

Izalis hurriedly stood up, her steps still a bit awkward from having just adjusted, and cautiously approached me.

“As for what you’re concerned about, I can answer you immediately: I certainly do not wish for that Silver Knight to have any ulterior motives or thoughts regarding me, and… whether I encounter you or not, I would not be willing to accept any demands he might have. My identity, my existence, is currently to maintain the ‘order’ of this kingdom, and not to become some enviable celestial couple with a certain man here.”

As her words fell, the script appeared.

[Izalis does not wish to accept the other party’s demands.]

The content within revealed Izalis’s refusal, but… this time, I didn’t even need to look at the script; I could already read her attitude from the expression on the elf’s face before me.

Because… it was too obvious.

“I can probably guess what the Crown Princess and her knight would demand of me, so… I never intended to accept from the very beginning.”

I felt increasingly that the “script” of this era was like a “blessing” prepared for me; the situation I found myself in resembled that of “the villainous forces forcibly taking the protagonist’s woman,” not to mention that even the “party involved” before me was putting on a display of “the heroine steadfastly asserting her feelings in front of the protagonist.”

“The ‘gift’ that fate has bestowed upon me is not some ordinary and humble ‘handsome knight’ who cannot even be valued by ‘order’; ‘order’ would never favor a lowly being who seeks mere appearance…”

This cryptic talk sounded like it was meant to insult, and after revealing a hint of a “dark side,” the elf’s gaze met mine.

“You are the ‘gift’ I have received, so… I would never wish to leave your side. You understand, don’t you? Our meeting is like a miracle that appears in an ordinary fate; your presence has made everything I encounter now seem dull and lifeless, so… I no longer need to concern myself with this era, as long as you…”

“Stop, stop, stop…”

Hold on a moment, Miss Saint; if you keep rambling, the atmosphere between us is going to turn as if we were conducting a cult ritual.

Since Izalis had already shared her thoughts with me, my decision naturally left no room for hesitation.

“When faced with unavoidable situations, I will think of a way for you.”

“～”

“But it’s not because of what you just said.”

Seeing the elf’s expression instantly brighten as if she had just tasted honey, I hurried to clarify my motives, lest she embellish the story in front of Kephiel and Nilu, turning it into something entirely different.

It was simply because: Izalis was now the most important “main line” in our “script” of this era. Protecting her safety would naturally bring us more “main lines.” Since Izalis was unwilling to compromise in the face of this “danger,” I had to help her.

“I understand, you must be doing this for my safety~”

True, but dear Saintess, please don’t say such things with a shy, blushing face; the combination just feels a bit off.

“……”

Don’t raise your head, don’t close your eyes, and definitely don’t tiptoe! Even if you’re trying to express something obvious, I won’t do anything!

I quickly pressed down on Izalis’s shoulders, “pushing” the elf back into her place.

And I added a rather unromantic “straight man’s statement” to put an end to the “intent” behind Izalis’s earlier actions.

“This is also for my own sake, Izalis. You just mentioned that the knight who came to find you this time is usually the princess’s guard; they act together, right?”

“Y-yes… that…”

“I did it on purpose.”

“……”

The elf girl looked a bit disappointed, while I felt relieved to have escaped yet another crisis.

By the way, I really didn’t have the time to deal with Izalis’s ambiguous feelings toward me. Because…

The “danger” that Izalis faced this time inevitably involved that princess.

In other words, one of the elf sisters had appeared before me in this era! Her presence also brought me the long-awaited opportunity!