Reason

“Um... So why’re we here, Dame Medrauta?”

“Hm? I told you didn’t I? We’re here to relax,” Medrauta grinned.

The two of them had spent the past two weeks practicing in the training hall whenever they had any free time, either sparring with Brigitte and Levant when they were available or simply engaging in self-training otherwise.

Incidentally, tomorrow marked the last day of the month, as well as their scheduled match against Bastiche and Ritya.

“But shouldn’t we be practicing?” Viviane asked worriedly. “I mean, if you lose tomorrow... You’re going to get expelled.”

In response, Medrauta simply shrugged and made her way toward a nearby food stall . It was around midday now which meant that the streets weren’t particularly busy, but Viviane still had a bit of trouble catching up with the taller girl’s long strides. She squeezed past a throng of people, apologizing profusely when she inevitably bumped into one of them.

Before Viviane could protest again, Medrauta shoved an ice cream cone in front of her face. “Here ya go. Lighten up, will you? You’re tenser than a drawn bowstring.”

“It’s just... I’m worried, Dame Medrauta. We’ve tried resonating every day since then, but we haven’t been able to do it once... Not only that, but we haven’t won a single match against Dame Brigitte and Lord Levant either... Lord Bastiche and his knight are ranked even higher than them, aren’t they?”

“Lady Viviane.” Medrauta cast aside her carefree attitude now, her tone becoming serious. “We’ve done all we can. We even tried resonating again this morning. Before the big event, it’s important to get some rest in. Trust me.”

“Alright...” Viviane didn’t seem totally convinced, but she acquiesced nevertheless. Medrauta was far more experienced than her when it came to matches, after all.

As Avalyne Academy was located in the imperial capital, the area around the academy was rather expansive and highly developed, bearing a plethora of outlets for entertainment, cuisine, and shopping of all kinds.

However, even the capital runs out of novelty at some point, and the two girls found themselves sitting on a bench across from a small park before long.

The grassy area before them was decorated by a meticulously maintained flower garden, and as a gust of wind ran past, petals took to the air around them.

The two girls basked in the scenery and silence for a while before Viviane finally spoke.

“Um... Dame Medrauta?”

“Hm?”

“W-What made you change your mind? About being my knight, I mean.”

At that, Medrauta went silent. She stared at Viviane for a good couple of seconds before looking away. The sun had only just begun to set, but Medrauta’s gaze had fixed itself upon the still-blue horizon as if searching for something far, far away.

Even after several minutes, her attention remained on the sky, as if transfixed by something in the distance. All the while, Viviane had been waiting nervously for an answer.

M-Maybe I shouldn’t have asked... Viviane looked down at her feet worriedly. “Um... I’m so—”

“I just felt like it.”

“H-Huh?”

“That’s all. I just felt like it,” Medrauta shrugged. “Well, I guess I was kinda pissed off at the time, so I might’ve decided in the heat of the moment back then, but that’s really all there is to it.”

Now it was Viviane’s turn to be silent. She stared up at Medrauta, unable to believe that she’d make such an important decision on a whim. Her very status as a student at the prestigious academy hinged on her ability to win a match, and choosing a reliable noble was paramount to that.

She could’ve chosen anyone to try and resonate with, yet even though it would’ve been more advantageous for her to have chosen a distinguished lord, she’d chosen Viviane on a whim.

To Viviane, it was something that went against all conventions of common sense. More than that, it was something that never should have happened. Especially not to Medrauta whose future depended on this one match. And for this, she felt so very...

“...Sorry.”

Medrauta blinked, surprised by the sudden apology. “The hell’re you sayin’ sorry for? Don’t tell me you’re gonna run off on me at the last second.”

Viviane shook her head. “No, that’s not it... I just wish I was a better noble... I wish I could’ve resonated with you! I wish I was worthy of you! I shouldn’t have asked you to be my knight in the first place. It was selfish of me, and if I hadn’t done so under that tree, you wouldn’t have even considered it! But now, you’re... Now you’re...!”

Viviane’s breath caught in her throat. Words had spilled from her lips mere seconds ago, but now they had abandoned her. She cursed her lacking vocabulary. She cursed the complex amalgamation of feelings that had formed a ball in her chest.

There was still so much she wanted to say.

But the moment Medrauta laid her slender finger against Viviane’s lips, the dam of emotions that was about to burst began to slowly abate.

Gently, Medrauta pushed the tip of her finger against Viviane’s upper lip, silencing her. Then, Medrauta leaned in close, forcing Viviane to look upwards so that her golden eyes would invariably be ensnared by Medrauta’s blue.

“Fool. What kind of drivel are you even spouting, Viviane? You wish you were ‘worthy of me’? You? The daughter of Duke Castellia? I am but a knight who cannot resonate nor bear a Crest. From the start, I was the one who was not worthy of you.”

“B-But I—”

“You don’t understand a thing, do you? Sure, I might’ve made my decision rashly, but I still would’ve done so whether or not you’d asked me under that tree. It would’ve been the only way for me to challenge them all to a duel. And besides... In the end, it was I who made the choice, so don’t go blaming yourself like an idiot.”

At last, realization dawned in Viviane’s eyes.

Ah... I really am a fool, aren’t I? What was I even thinking? She’s right... That responsibility was hers to bear. I shouldn’t have tried to take it from her. No, that’s not right either. That responsibility... It’s ours to share.

Viviane smiled, clasping both of her delicate hands around Medrauta’s finger, lowering it from her lips. “Hey... Just now, you called me ‘Viviane’, didn’t you? Not ‘Lady Viviane’ like you usually do, but just ‘Viviane.’”

“...Ah. My apologies, I—”

Viviane shook her head, her hands still clasped around Medrauta’s finger. “That’s not it. I was just thinking... from now on, if it’s okay with you, could you call me ‘Viviane’ just like that?”

Medrauta turned her head, looking away as Viviane’s sickly sweet voice sang those words. Perhaps for the first time in her life, she felt her cheeks flush due to reasons that escaped her comprehension. “...Sure. But only if you call me ‘Medrauta.’”

Viviane giggled. “Yes! Of course, Medrauta!”

Medrauta’s face grew even hotter. Try as she might to hide her blushing face, the crimson tips of her ears poked through her silver hair.

Upon seeing that, a completely inexplicable and uncontrollable urge suddenly welled up in Viviane.

In one smooth, unpredictable motion, she brought Medrauta’s finger to her now-parted lips... and bit down lightly.

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