Chapter 53: Epilogue: The Story of the Promise Made by the Legendary Villainess and the Knight Who Fulfilled It
I had made plans with Camilo for that Saturday, so I woke up two hours before departure time.
After finishing all the preparations, I put on the newly acquired checkered dress and stood in front of the full-length mirror. After staring at myself for a few minutes, I decided to keep my hair down and just wear my glasses.
I’ve really become a mediocre-looking, nerdy girl with glasses. But I think this is fine.
“Okay!”
I put on a light gray wool coat and scarf, and then petted my stuffed hippo before leaving the room.
I had obtained permission to go out. Barbara-san, who peeked out of the management room, was surprised to see me dressed up.
“Oh my, Leticia-chan, are you going on a date?”
“Fufu. As a matter of fact, I am.”
I didn’t feel like lying, so it seemed like I was pretty excited too.
Barbara-san became even more delighted and slapped me on the back with her thick hand.
“Oh my! Being young is so great!”
As I stumbled from the impact of the heavy blow, Alondra came from down the hallway. She seemed to have just finished breakfast and was on her way back to her room.
“Leticia. Oh, right, it’s today.”
My best friend, dressed in her usual black dress, smiled alongside Barbara-san.
“Have fun. Make sure to enjoy yourself.”
“Take care, Leticia-chan. Don’t break curfew!”
I waved goodbye to them and left the dormitory with a cheerful “I will!”.
I walked alone a short distance to the nearest Molles station where I was meeting Camilo.
As I approached the brick station building, I took off my glasses and scanned the crowd for my rendezvous partner.
“Letty!”
Even in the midst of the bustling crowd, Camilo was easy to spot. His tall stature and red hair made him stand out, and he had spotted me first.
I jogged towards him, aiming for his figure with his arm raised high.
Camilo was also equipped with a coat and a scarf, so it seemed like he was well-prepared for the cold.
“Good morning, Camilo. Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“Good morning. It’s not even the meeting time yet, so I haven’t been waiting at all.”
Camilo showed a smile like a summer breeze blowing through, but he didn’t move, still looking at me and smiling. I wonder what’s going on.
“You look even cuter today. I couldn’t help but be mesmerized.”
“Huh…?!”
And without any warning, he says something amazing, and I end up making a weird noise again.
Why can he say such casually blushing lines? I can’t say anything cool like that.
Camilo walks away with a happy smile on his face, and I start walking alongside him.
It takes about two hours by the magic train from Molles Station. As promised in my first life, we are heading to the sea today.
“Wow…!”
I shouted with emotion at the vast blue in front of me.
The sparkling water, the sound of gentle waves, and the smell of the tide. Seagulls were flying in the sky, and the empty sandy beach, where no one was present, was quietly standing with ripples.
How beautiful it is.
This…this is such a waste to just look at it, even if it’s winter!
I couldn’t resist my impulse and started running with all my might, leaving Camilo behind.
“Ah…! Letty, be careful! The beach is different from the schoolyard, and you’ll get your feet stuck!”
“Yes!”
I replied while facing forward at the voice from behind. As he had warned, it felt refreshing to have the heels of my boots sinking into the sand with every step I took.
When we finally stopped at the water’s edge, Camilo caught up to me and stood next to me.
As he had described in his first life, it really looked like half the world was cut off by the sea.
The sound of the waves approached. Each white wave crashed and disappeared, causing subtle changes in the shape of the sand.
“It’s beautiful…”
“Yeah, it is.”
“Thank you for bringing me here. I really didn’t think I could make it when we made the promise, so I’m really happy.”
“Well, I was definitely determined to bring you here, no matter how many years it took.”
Although he said it with a joking smile, I could tell he was serious, and my cheeks turned red.
We talked about our promise to go to the sea when I barged into Camilo’s room.
When I told him how happy I was that he had invited me to go, Camilo naturally remembered and suggested we go right away.
“Well, it’s not like I brought you with me like the promised intended. I couldn’t put you on Kururo’s back.”
A slightly regretful smile appeared on his face, and warm memories of that time came flooding back.
Kururo is Camilo’s dragon companion. I’ve ridden on his back before, and he was such an affectionate and good-natured creature.
“I’m just happy to be here, so anything goes. But I really want to see Kururo again. It’s been so long.”
Of course, Camilo is aiming to become a dragon knight, so if we go now, we’ll definitely be able to see him.
Actually, I’m a little worried about him taking on dangerous work like becoming a dragon knight, but I trust him.
“Leave it to me. I’ll definitely become Kururo’s partner again and introduce him to Letty too.”
“Fufu, I’m looking forward to it.”
I nodded clearly and returned his smile, but then a strong gust of wind blew.
Although the sun was at its peak, it was still a chilly day. In this place where there was nothing to block the wind, if you let your guard down, your hair would dance freely and cover your vision.
“What a strong wind! Everything feels so fresh!”
“Aren’t you cold, Letty?”
“I’m fine. How about you, Camilo?”
“I’m good too.”
A small crab peeked out from the sand and quickly retreated. Then, a particularly large wave came and wet our feet. We screamed in unison, then laughed after a beat.
Because the shore was dangerous, we decided to retreat to the middle of the beach.
It was then that I noticed something sparkling in the white sand.
“What is this…? Oh, a seashell?!”
“Wow, there are a lot of them here.”
While I was exploding with excitement, Camilo remained calm. It seems that people who have been to the sea before are more composed.
We brought a bottle with us because Alondra said there were seashells on the beach, and it turned out to be a great idea.
“These are so pretty! Can I pick up a few?”
“Of course. Pick up as many as you like.”
Camilo sweetly smiled and took the lead by squatting down.
Since that incident, it seems like he’s been smiling at me more than before. He’s still gentle as always, but his attitude seems sweeter.
I shook my head to cool down my heated cheeks and quickly crouched down.
“Oh…um, I brought a bottle!”
“Haha, you’re well prepared.”
“Yeah, right? I thought maybe we could make it into some kind of souvenir, you know…”
At that moment, my words trailed off as I was captivated by a particular shell.
“This shell has a very strange color!”
It was a rose-colored shell with a complex marble pattern that had fallen at Camilo’s feet.
I gently picked it up with my fingertips.
It was in the shape of a snail shell and about the size of a candy. When I held it up to the sunlight, it shimmered and reflected, revealing a deeper and more beautiful color.
“It’s beautiful. I don’t know much about shells, but it feels rare. It looks like Letty’s eyes.”
“Huh? Is that so…?”
It’s true that it’s the same color as my eyes because they’re also rose-colored, but this shell seems to look even more beautiful.
But if he says so, it might be true.
“Well then, I’ll give this to you, Camilo.”
I took Camilo’s right hand and placed a seashell on his palm.
It wasn’t a particularly well-thought-out action. Yet, when he didn’t react right away, I started to feel anxious and raised my face.
Suddenly, his other hand, the one without the seashell, reached out and gently cupped my cold cheek. His young grass-colored eyes were fixed on me, and I couldn’t look away.
In what felt like an eternal moment, his lips touched mine for just a brief instant.
I could hear the sound of the wind and waves in the distance.
The hand that had touched my cheek slowly pulled away. It wasn’t until now that I finally understood what had happened, and my face flushed with heat.
“Wha…! Here, outside…! O-Outside!”
Oh no, this is bad. I can’t seem to say anything meaningful.
Because, why would he suddenly…!
“It’s my fault for wanting to make Letty happy.”
Unlike me, who was flustered, Camilo remained nonchalant.
He shrugged his shoulders a little, still blushing slightly, and then looked at me with a serious gaze.
“Thank you, I’m really happy. I’ll treasure this forever.”
That’s why I couldn’t respond right away.
—Forever
Will you really keep something like this forever?
It’s just a seashell.
Thinking about what I received from Camilo, it’s not even a proper return gift.
“… I’ll sew you a storage bag next time.”
I had to be careful not to let my voice tremble.
Camilo, who knows nothing about my inner feelings, would happily laugh and ask, “Really?!” making it even harder for me to speak.
At that moment, a loud cry echoed across the sea.
We both looked up at the sky and gasped at the magnificent silhouette we saw.
It was a dragon. It flew leisurely, flapping its wings against the blue sky.
And is someone riding on its back?
“It’s a dragon knight…!”
Looking up at the bouncing voice next to me, Camilo was staring at the dragon with shining eyes.
Did he notice my gaze? He quickly turned to me and said with enthusiasm.
“Letty, let’s wave our hands!”
“Yes, let’s do that!”
We raised both of our hands and waved them recklessly. We shouted at the top of our lungs to match the sound of nature and waved our hands even more.
Then, surprisingly, we received a response.
The roar of a dragon echoes across the deserted beach. We saw the dragon rider on its back raising his hand, and we exchanged excited looks and laughed.
The powerful figure gradually moved away into the vast sky.
We stood there watching until it became smaller and smaller like a speck and eventually disappeared completely.
The sun’s gentle light shone down, illuminating the beach in white. The wind had become calm without us noticing and gently swayed our hair.
I might get scolded for saying this, but I was happier that Camilo remembered our promise and came with me than the fact that we came to the sea.
I’m sure I’ll never forget this day.
I hope Camilo feels the same way.
As I gazed quietly at his rugged profile, I made a wish in my heart.
❂❂❂
It happened on the way back.
There was a shopping street along the beach, and even in the off-season, it was bustling with locals.
We enjoyed walking and peeking into the shops as tourists. Then Camilo said he would buy souvenirs for Sam, so I waited outside in the cramped shopー.
“Hey, hey, wouldn’t it be nice? Young lady, let’s have some tea together.”
Just then, a passing man spoke to me and it has come to this.
While I kept a poker face and responded, the man showed no signs of backing off.
“I’m waiting for someone…”
“Oh, a boyfriend?”
“Not exactly a boyfriend, but a fiancé.”
“I see. I can’t give up without confirming whether that’s true or not.”
What is this guy’s deal? So annoying!
Should I go back to the shop? No, I don’t want to cause trouble.
But I can’t just leave either… It’s pathetic, but I have to wait for Camilo to come out.
I desperately hold back a sigh. Then the man puts his arm around me without any reservation, and I get goosebumps all over my body.
“Hey…! Stop it, let go!”
“Come on, don’t be so averse to it.”
I feel even more disgusted by his sneering smile, and I twist my body desperately.
I hate it, it’s disgusting. Maybe it’s time to resort to the slap.
Just as I was about to reach my breaking point, the weight of the arm on my shoulder suddenly disappeared as if it were a lie.
“Ow ow ow ow ow!”
Camilo was there. He was twisting the arm of a man and looking down at his distorted face in pain without any hesitation.
I’m glad he came. I let out a sigh of relief and then, in the next moment, I was about to lose consciousness.
“Hey, what the hell are you doing to Letty?”
Huh? I’ve heard that line before.
I’m pretty sure I heard it from Elias-sama. Is it just my imagination?
[Listen, it’s not Miss Yserra, but you’re the only one who can control that mad dog.]
[The first thing is for you not to get hurt and not get involved in any trouble.]
Elias-sama’s advice keeps spinning around in my head.
No, no way. Because I haven’t been hurt this time.
“I’m also holding back from touching her. And yet, some random stranger is casually touching her.”
Wait a minute.
Camilo’s beautiful eyes… They have transformed into the same ones he had when he was slaughtering his enemies?!
“S-Sorry! Let me go!”
“I have no obligation to listen to your plea. Tell me how sinful your actions were, and I’ll let you know.”
Camilo’s voice grew even more menacing.
“I have no obligation to listen to your appeal. I’ll make you understand just how sinful you’ve been.”
Camilo’s voice grew more menacing.
At this point, I took a deep breath and decided to raise my voice.
“Camilo! I’m interested in that cafe I saw at the corner earlier!”
And then, Camilo suddenly let go of the man’s arm.
With no apparent interest in the thin scream and retreating figure, he returned a concerned gaze.
“Letty, are you okay? You must have been scared.”
“Since Camilo came to help, I’m totally fine! But more importantly, I’m starving!”
“I see, then we should go eat soon.”
In front of Camilo’s affectionate smile, I felt like wiping the cold sweat on my forehead.
That was close. It might have been really dangerous!
It’s inevitable since I ended up being a half-baked, plain-looking nerd with glasses.
The peace I wished for seems to have become an unreachable existence for the rest of my life.
〈The End〉
TL: There’s still one Ch left.
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