Absolutely Do Not Touch Eldmia Egga – Chapter 86

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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Who am I?

Eldmia, the oblivious blockhead.

Where was I… Ah, damn it.

I had received such a huge shock that I remained sitting in the living room for a while afterwards, but Lagnis didn’t call for me.

Feeling a sudden wave of fatigue, I eventually returned to my room and collapsed onto the bed.

I had to admit it.

I had been incredibly oblivious.

That Sieg guy and his group were right.

Still, I wasn’t so stupid as to not understand the meaning behind Esmée’s impulsive action after her conversation with Lagnis, or her words about looking around.

At the same time, I couldn’t help but ask myself:

“Did I really not know, or was I just running away, using the excuse that I might die at any time?”

I buried my head in the pillow as I asked this question, but the Eldmia who was supposed to answer couldn’t respond.

If it was the former, I was an idiot; if it was the latter, I was a coward.

Was I planning to somehow make things right if I survived and returned after completing my revenge?

This level of stringing people along was quite impressive.

But it seemed I wasn’t an idiot, just a coward, which made me feel even more pathetic.

“Damn it… Unauthorized absence wasn’t the real problem here…”

In the end, I kicked at the air while grabbing my face, trying to distract myself from the overwhelming shame that was washing over me.

Yes, I might have had such fantasies before the village burned down when I was younger.

After all, I was a modern Earth person who had only encountered fantasy in books, and this was a fantasy world in itself.

If I could meet the magician who had promised to return and teach me magic, I had thought about putting effort into doing what I wanted and enjoying life a bit, unlike my previous life where I had worked for a stable life only to die.

I had wanted to go on adventures and meet women, since I had come to another world after all.

It was true that after that dream was shattered by the Demon King’s army’s attack, I had become somewhat twisted.

Always saying I might die, yet choosing to do things that were close to suicidal.

“Haa… This isn’t the time to be worrying about such things.”

I couldn’t undo what had been done, but I might at least be able to right the cup that was still spilling water.

Even if I didn’t know whether it would work out properly or not, I had to at least try.

Leaving the bed I didn’t want to leave, I moved my feet and knocked on Lagnis’s door.

Uncle Guts had said there was no paradise in a place you run to after running away.

“Lagnis. Do you have a moment?”

“…Come in.”

But I really, really wanted to run away.

Still, I grudgingly opened the door and entered to find Lagnis, who looked as if she hadn’t moved a single step since her conversation with Esmée.

Even the teacup she was holding seemed untouched, with a thin film formed on the surface.

“It seems the princess said something before she left?”

“Mm. That’s right.”

“And the fact that you came means you don’t intend to pretend you don’t know?”

Lagnis, her voice and energy completely drained, struck sharply.

“Well… I… was very…”

“Oblivious. Sit down first.”

As she placed the teacup she had no intention of drinking on the table, I awkwardly walked over and sat across from her.

It was even harder to speak up since it seemed she already knew why I had come.

But the silence was even more unbearable, so I managed to begin hesitantly.

“Um… since when…”

“Do I have to say it myself?”

“…I’m sorry.”

I was immediately shot down as soon as I started.

No, that was more like a pre-emptive strike.

Even though I apologized, I was anxious that a follow-up attack of “What are you sorry for?” might come next.

“Since I was first rescued…”

It was long… and heavy!

I would have preferred the follow-up attack.

The weight of her words, deliberately giving me a scolding before speaking, was too much for me to express any dissatisfaction.

“Why are you so restless? Are you going to reject me?”

“No, it’s not that. I’m really happy, but as you know, I can’t sleep comfortably until I kill that demon who destroyed our village. I might die at any time and…”

“So if it didn’t matter when you die, would you accept me?”

Of course that question would come.

Naturally it would.

She had endured for years; there was no way she would turn away just because of one statement about not knowing when I might die.

I really felt like my mouth was drying up.

Even though I hadn’t cheated or committed any crime, the guilt was almost unbearable.

“I know this will sound like an excuse, but…”

“You never had romantic feelings for any of the women around you, so you didn’t realize?”

“I’d at least like to make my excuses with my own mouth…”

Please…!

Please, for my sake too, let me speak with my own mouth…!

Why did she know everything already…!

But Lagnis continued to press mercilessly.

“So you had no thoughts until now, and today’s events made you suddenly come to your senses?”

“…That’s right.”

“But you don’t dislike me.”

“I wouldn’t help or save someone I disliked…”

Lagnis, who had been sitting still, suddenly stood up and approached me.

Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, she sat on my lap and looked at me.

Although we had often had such skinship before, now that I was aware, it was terribly embarrassing!

“Pfft.”

Seeing my flustered appearance, Lagnis burst into laughter and then quietly hugged me as she spoke.

“Until now, you didn’t react at all when I clung to you like this.”

“Well, now that I’m aware of it, it’s incredibly embarrassing and I can’t help but react…”

When I had seen her as just a kid, it might have been different, but now that I was aware that a grown beautiful girl was making eye contact with me, my heart was really pounding.

How on earth had I been so nonchalant about this before?

“That’s enough.”

“Huh?”

“I was most afraid that you would look at me completely indifferently or with a bitter expression even after I went this far.”

Only after hearing those words did I notice the trembling in her body.

But even patting her back was difficult for the current dispirited, utterly oblivious Eldmia.

“The princess said she absolutely won’t let you go.”

“Ah… um… well.”

I couldn’t bring myself to tactlessly ask if that’s why she had kissed me before leaving.

By the way, how should I deal with them now?

This is driving me crazy, really.

“Do you know why I study magic so diligently?”

“Um… because you have talent…? And you were Lord Radnelbandes’ disciple before…”

I voiced the reasons that immediately came to mind, even while thinking it was an abrupt question.

“I didn’t say this before, but I didn’t really like magic. I wanted to wield a sword and fight like my father.”

I could feel the tension leaving her body, which had been as taut as mine.

For whatever reason, she seemed to have relaxed a bit, but my heart was still in a precarious situation, and she showed no signs of getting off my lap.

“I only started working hard after returning to the capital. Of course, it would be stupid to throw away talent even after going through such an ordeal, but there was a bigger reason.”

“Why do I feel like it’s not going to be a very pleasant reason…”

“Your revenge. I want to help too.”

Just as I was about to say something, her arms around my neck tightened, forcing me to close my mouth.

“Don’t say anything else. I’ve decided. No matter what happens, I won’t let you die. If you’re going to die, I’d rather die with you.”

“That’s too scary, you know.”

“It’s just a figure of speech. I don’t intend to die either.”

With that, Lagnis finished her embrace with all her might and separated her body, making eye contact.

It felt unfamiliar.

In that brief moment, the freckled, red-haired kid I had been used to had transformed into a completely different kind of woman.

Just from that, I was overwhelmed and realized I could no longer argue with her decision.

“Do you know what the princess said? She left after talking as if she was already your official wife. She said she’d win anyway, as if asking if you were just going to stay gloomy like this.”

“…Really?”

“…Actually, it felt more like encouragement. I don’t know why she gave such strange encouragement, though.”

Lagnis, who immediately confessed the truth after realizing she might have gone too far, finally moved away from me.

“It’s annoying, but it was the right thing to say. So I have to accept it.”

“…Can I know what that means?”

“No. You can’t. Now go and get some sleep. I’m tired too and want to go to bed early tonight.”

Lagnis took my hand, made me stand up, and pushed me out of the room. Of course, her touch was so gentle that ‘pushed out’ might not be the right expression, but anyway, I had to leave the room forcibly.

“Don’t think about leaving my side tomorrow. I won’t let you go even if it means having the princess tagging along.”

“Uh… okay.”

“Then, good night.”

The door closed quietly with a smile, as if emphasizing that she wasn’t angry at all.

I was too tired to think about anything more, so I just returned to my room and tried to sleep.

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Morning came with my fervent prayer that it would never arrive.

Yes, I hadn’t slept properly at all.

My mind was defeated, my body was defeated, and my prayer went unanswered.

“Why do you look so haggard?”

“Couldn’t sleep…”

Unlike me, Lagnis seemed not just normal, but somehow refreshed.

Was it because she had sort of confessed and made her intentions clear?

Well, it was better than her biting her nails or looking like she’d lost her country.

“I won’t go easy on you because of that.”

“I guess not…”

In the end, after having a light breakfast, I tried to sit across from her in the carriage, but Lagnis patted the seat next to her as if it were only natural.

“Where are you going? Sit here.”

“Eh…”

I wanted to say something, but I was intimidated by Lagnis’s demeanor as she kept patting the seat without a word.

I moved to sit next to her, and she pulled my head down to rest on her lap.

“I like that you’re not resisting. It means you don’t dislike me, right?”

“No, as I said yesterday, if I disliked you, I wouldn’t have saved you…”

“Be quiet and take a short nap. I’ll wake you up when we arrive.”

Saying that, Lagnis told the coachman to go slowly, then drew the curtains on the window and started stroking my head.

Going slowly would take about 20 minutes, I guessed.

Of course, that was enough time for a short nap if I fell asleep, but was it possible to sleep comfortably in this state after what happened yesterday?

Surprisingly, it was possible.

I fell asleep, almost passing out, in less than a minute.

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[Momnmy Lagnis goes hard]