Became the Golden Sun of the Academy

89 – Hunting Festival (5)

The sky turned red.

It is getting darker as the sun hides its head over the horizon.

It was time to slowly descend.

I asked as I looked at Tina, who was proud of piling up animal carcasses.

“Tina, we’re going downhill now. Do you want to eat what you caught?”

“Can I eat it?”

“Yes. There is a place that rents equipment that allows you to grill and eat the animals you hunted outdoors.”

“Then I will eat!”

Tina pondered as she surveyed the mountain of her prey with her hands resting on her waist.

All the beasts here look appetizing.

It’s a waste to choose one and throw away the rest.

As if he had such a mind, he pointed at the animals with his finger and turned his head to ask a question.

“Can’t we just take it all?”

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“I can’t eat it all, of course.”

“Then… ….”

I’m sorry, but I can’t help it.

After much deliberation, Tina chose one and lifted it above her head.

She was that wild boar who had a passionate confrontation with herself.

“I will do this.”

Looking at it, it’s not all you can eat.

It was Tina’s actions that I don’t know if she heard her words, but seeing the expression on her face that said, “I can’t say no.”

Well, if you have any leftovers, you can share them with others.

Thinking that, the moment she nodded.

“I will do this.”

Charlotte grabbed the head of a dead chicken.

“Wouldn’t that be too much?”

I wondered if even one wild boar would be too much to handle, so Charlotte quietly put the chicken down.

She didn’t show it off, but she felt somewhat regretful.

“Is chicken something you want to eat?”

“Yes.”

…… I can’t.

“…… Then take it and go.”

She looked at Anastasia just in case, but luckily he didn’t seem to be interested in food.

However, she was staring at us, which bothered me a little.

“Anastasia, why is that?”

The dazed guy put his hand on his chest.

She seemed to have something to say, but she pursed her lips as if it were not easy to say.

She didn’t talk much, but when she had something to say, she acted directly, not like Anastasia.

“There is a lot of time. Go down and tell me if you like.”

I wrapped my arms around the shoulders of the guy who was standing there and made him walk.

The guy who would normally follow me quietly turned his head and stared at me today, I don’t know why.

“…… I have a question.”

On the way down, Anastasia opened her mouth as if making up her mind.

“What is it?”

“It has nothing to do with magic.”

“What a big deal. When you asked me questions, they were all about magic.”

“Yes. But this is more unknown than magic, so I have to ask.”

Charlotte, who had been ahead of me, stopped and looked back as if to make sure Anastasia and I were following her.

She looked at her hatchet and tapped her shoulder with her hand, as if she didn’t like the fact that Anastasia and I were attached to her.

─Take your hands off your shoulders.

I didn’t say it, but it was clear that he said it.

Now that Anastasia is walking on her feet, and Charlotte is uncomfortable, the moment she tries to take her hand off her shoulder.

Gasp.

Anastasia caught my hand falling off her shoulder.

She then casually raised her hand that held her back over her chest.

“…… !”

I was startled too, but Charlotte, who was watching this, was even more startled, and her eyes widened.

I heard the bloody sound of the chicken neck bone she was holding breaking.

“My heart just feels stuffy when I see you and other girls sticking together.”

Anastasia continued her speech in a calm tone as always, perhaps not noticing such a thing.

But unlike her unwavering voice, her face was slightly red.

The guy tried to speak calmly, but suddenly closed his mouth again as if he was embarrassed, and blinked his eyes.

Thump…… Thud… ….

Anastasia’s growing heartbeat pierced her chest and reached the palm of her hand.

“…… And when her body touches her heart beats like crazy. Like this.”

I tried to release her hand, but he grabbed my hand and wouldn’t let go.

“Why are you doing this? Is it a disease? Is it an arrhythmia?”

“The latter is a natural reaction. Could you let go of my hand for a moment?”

Only then did Anastasia let go of her hand.

As if the thumping guy’s heartbeat was still in my hand, it felt like the veins in his palm were pulsating.

Well, I was taken aback by the sudden situation, but I think I know the answer to Anastasia’s question.

I think even a child can understand what her feelings are, but Anastasia probably doesn’t know because she’s never experienced anything like this.

I cleared my throat at the stinging gaze I felt from far away, then asked.

“Anastasia, what do you think of me?”

“You…… ?”

Contrary to my expectations, Anastasia answered almost immediately.

“I like you.”

If you knew that far, you would know why, but Anastasia still tilted her head as if she didn’t know.

I changed the question.

“Like you loved your family?”

“… ….”

This time, Anastasia couldn’t answer.

I think I’ve figured out why she doesn’t understand her own feelings.

The answer was simple.

“You seem to know that you treat me like family…… Actually, that’s not what it sounds like.”

This is because there is a gap between her perception and her real heart.

There is a definite difference between liking one’s family and liking one’s opposite s*x, but Anastasia must have been unable to tell the difference because she had no such experience.

But it wasn’t pleasant for me.

I already have Charlotte by my side, but she can’t accept that feeling.

“… ….”

“… ….”

There was a moment of silence.

Anastasia looked at me as she didn’t say anything, and her mouth drooped as if she knew what I was thinking and what our relationship was going to look like.

“You can’t do that.”

He pounded my chest with his little fist.

It didn’t hurt, but for some reason my heart felt like it was being weighed down by something.

“You promised you wouldn’t leave me alone… ….”

Ah.

I think I know why.

“…… I can stay with you.”

Anastasia shook her head.

“To be together like now is not to be together. I feel isolated from myself. It makes you more lonely than being alone.”

That’s what I said, but I understand it with my head.

If you draw the line like this, you will not be able to keep the promise you made with Anastasia someday.

Even if he said he would stay with me out of petty sympathy, that would be more cruel to Anastasia.

It was my karma.

It was the seed I sowed.

The promise I made at that time, when I didn’t know Anastasia’s feelings, has grown like a vine and is holding my ankle.

“It’s worse to give and then take away. If it was going to be like this, you shouldn’t have promised it in the first place.”

Anastasia was crying.

Like when you said you wanted to see your family, like when you realized you couldn’t see your family anymore, like when you came back to see your family again.

As if the presence in her heart grew to such an extent that a similar reaction came out when I thought of them.

“What is this? You’re right in front of me, but it means I can’t be with you. More, more… ….”

Looking at it, my heart felt torn.

At the time, she couldn’t have imagined that Anastasia would be so hurt by a single word I said.

“…… It hurts me more.”

Anastasia jerked away.

With the determination to say something, I slammed my hand on her shoulder with the back of my hand and ran down the slope with all my might.

I passed Charlotte, who seemed to have a rough grasp of the situation, and passed Tina, who was carrying a wild boar, and got further and further away.

As I was just staring at him, Charlotte came over and hugged me from behind.

“…… Young master.”

“Why are you so sad?”

“Because the young master has a sad face.”

I see.

I don’t know what my face is like now, but I could tell it was serious enough for Charlotte to say that.

“Because I did something sorry for Anastasia.”

“Is it because of me?”

It’s me who should be sorry, but for some reason, Charlotte also asked apologetically.

“I tried to monopolize her son-in-law, and the son-in-law who cared about that only hurt her?”

“No. It’s not your fault.”

That’s right.

There is nothing wrong with Charlotte.

It wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t approached them as I had initially planned.

The problem was that what I knew and the situation had changed, so I inadvertently stepped out and gave affection.

“It’s all my fault.”

It’s my fault for reaching out without any resolution while trying to draw the line.

Better than cause and effect.

So make up your mind or take responsibility.

You have to choose one of the two.

I want Anastasia…….

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