Olivier buried her face in her hands, unable to believe what she was hearing.
She couldn’t possibly accept the story that assassins from Waalthe, who had just attacked her mansion to kill them, had visited her fiancé in the middle of the night to offer advice and encouragement. Her first thought was that Jared had lost his mind.
However, as he repeated his explanations, she realized he was telling the truth and let out a sigh of resignation.
She herself had lived a life full of trouble, but she truly believed that Jared attracted trouble just as much as she did.
It was improbable that a runaway assassin would come to the very person who had defeated him and led to his capture, just to offer advice and encouragement.
But Jared had no reason to tell such a silly lie, and if Pfeil’s story was true, they definitely had about a week’s grace period. Furthermore, this grace period could be extended depending on Jared’s actions, so she wanted to believe him. At the same time, she didn’t know how to apologize for the fact that Jared was being targeted first because she had gotten him involved.
She felt terrible for Jared, who had nearly died twice and was still being targeted, all for the sake of a nominal fiancée and her mother. She fought the urge to burst into tears right in front of him.
She had to hold back her tears and act strong, without letting him notice.
Her kind, good-natured, and slightly naive fiancé, being a fighter, was also perceptive. If he knew she felt sorry for him, he would blame himself, even though there was no reason for him to do so.
“So, if we believe that former Waalthe assassin Pfeil, they should attack in about a week, so we should be on guard then, not now?”
“Yes, well. More importantly, I should be the one on guard. I’m the one they’re after.”
Olivier felt an urge to slap Jared’s cheek for smiling so nonchalantly while being targeted by an assassin. He might feel more at ease knowing Hannelore and Olivier weren’t the targets, but that didn’t change anything.
Just as Jared worried about Olivier and the others, they worried about him.
She couldn’t possibly be happy knowing that he was safe while being targeted.
“But you’re the one they’re after?”
“It’s not like this is new. As long as Waalthe targets Olivier and Hannelore, I will keep fighting. So, it’s better if they target me directly, as it’s easier for me to handle. Above all, if it means you two won’t get hurt, that’s the best outcome.”
As expected, Olivier sighed grandly.
She had a hunch, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that this boy, Jared Murphy, didn’t care about himself at all. It was the same during his recent fight with Pfeil. He had been injured, nearly died, and yet he still fought.
—All for them, strangers.
As far as Olivier knew, if anything happened to Jared, many people would be devastated.
His friends at the academy, Baron and Baroness Daum, and his adorable cousin, Yeny.
Of course, Olivier would be sad, and so would Hannelore and Trane.
Jared couldn’t possibly be unaware of this. But he acted as if he was trying not to think about it, neglecting himself.
She felt a pang of exasperation that she couldn’t stop him.
“If something happens to you, I won’t forgive you.”
“Me?”
“Yes. I won’t forgive you. I’ll never forgive you.”
“That’s scary.”
“Then, treasure your life. I don’t want to lose you either?”
Olivier hated herself for being unable to come up with anything more thoughtful after agonizing over it. Jared just gave her a troubled smile.
Perhaps it was selfish of her to want words of reassurance, even if they were lies. Still, Olivier, who was deeply concerned about Jared, wanted a guarantee that he wouldn’t do anything reckless.
“Olivier, don’t worry. I won’t die. I still have too many things I need to do, so I won’t die that easily. No matter who the enemy is, be it Waalthe or anyone else, I will fight, win, and protect you all.”
“Can I believe you?”
“Please do. And besides—I’m happy right now.”
“Happy? Why?”
Jared slowly clenched his fist and spoke while looking at her.
“My magic can protect someone. I learned that magic, which I thought could only hurt people, can actually be of use to someone. There’s nothing that makes me happier than that. To be honest, even though I’ve already agreed to teach Conrad my magic, it feels strange to say this now, but… I really didn’t want to.”
Olivier froze at Jared’s sudden confession.
She had never expected him to openly say he disliked it. Thinking back, Jared always put himself in a subordinate position and was considerate of others.
Regarding Conrad, Olivier had asked him, and she heard that the Duke had also pleaded with a reluctant Jared.
Her father might have had his son’s best interests at heart, but what about Jared? The answer eluded her. Considering her father’s personality, he likely wasn’t trying to exploit or manipulate Jared. He simply wanted to entrust his son to Jared, whom he trusted.
However, it was undoubtedly a nuisance for Jared. Even if he were interested in Conrad, he was, after all, a stranger. The only connection he had was being her fiancé’s younger brother.
“I’m sorry. I forced you, didn’t I?”
“Ah, no, that’s not it. It’s not like that. Well, the atmosphere made it hard to refuse, but I thought about it and decided to teach Conrad magic. What I didn’t want was to teach magic when I wasn’t sure if I should.”
“What do you mean?”
Jared explained carefully, choosing his words.
“As I said earlier, my magic has always been about hurting others. It’s magic honed specifically for combat, shedding all unnecessary aspects. Therefore, I was reluctant to teach magic that could only harm to Conrad.”
“Do you hate magic?”
“No. It’s not a matter of liking or disliking it. I’m proud to be a magician, and I want to be a magician like my mother. But—for me, magic is ultimately just one means of fighting. I find that a little lonely.”
But then, Jared smiled.
“By meeting you, Olivier, I was able to use my magic to protect someone. Seeing Conrad’s earnest efforts, I felt I wanted to help him.”
“Jared… that’s a misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding?”
Olivier pondered how to convey her heartfelt gratitude to her fiancé, who consistently underestimated himself.
Knowing how many people Jared had saved, Olivier felt frustrated, wondering when he would finally realize his own importance.
So, she decided to pour her heart into her words.
“Perhaps you felt you could only fight. But you’ve saved people who were suffering from the magical beasts you defeated. And just the other day, you saved the residents from adventurers who were illegally hunting dragon species.”
Olivier gently took Jared’s clenched fist in both her hands.
“Many people have been saved by your magic, and I am one of them. So, please don’t forget. You can save many more people, but to do so, you must prioritize yourself and cherish yourself—please.”
“But…”
However, as Jared still didn’t seem convinced, something snapped within Olivier.
She took a deep breath and, like scolding a wayward child, raised her voice.
“No ‘buts’! Jared Murphy! You have power. So, before you worry about hurting people, protect yourself first. A person who can’t cherish themselves can’t cherish anyone else. But you care about us. So, you should be able to cherish yourself too, shouldn’t you?”
Olivier’s gentle smile suddenly turned into an expression of anger.
“That’s right!” Jared responded instinctively.
“Good. Ah, perhaps I should have scolded you like this from the start. Then, let’s do that from now on.”
“P-please spare me.”
Jared surrendered, a look of defeat on his face, as if Olivier had just discovered something brilliant and was plotting her next move.
Seeing Jared slump his shoulders slightly in dejection, Olivier felt a sense of relief within her.
Until now, she had been hesitant to speak forcefully due to her own feelings of indebtedness, but from now on, because she cherished Jared, she would say what needed to be said and convey what needed to be conveyed. Even if it meant he disliked her, it would be alright as long as Jared cherished himself.
It was Olivier’s clumsy but determined resolution to reciprocate the care she received by cherishing him in return.
