The sudden quiet made both of them fall silent for a moment.
“Elian?”
The silver-haired girl nodded.
“If I hadn’t come, what were you planning to do next?”
“Find some random small village… and live out the rest of my days…”
“This self-destructive attitude really doesn’t suit you.”
Fen looked at the flustered girl with concern.
“Have you forgotten the promise you made to me back then? Have you forgotten your ideals?”
“I told you… I’ve let you all down. In this state, what can I possibly do!?”
The girl’s voice trembled with a hint of tears, pitiful to hear.
“…Elian, what I said to you that day… I actually hadn’t finished.”
“You are the Elian I respect, and you are also my friend. I helped you, never out of pity, but out of genuine concern.”
“……”
“When I first arrived at the Holy Capital, I knew nothing—it was you who gave me enough respect and care. You taught me many things about the Knight Order, helped me adapt to life in the Holy Capital…”
“This… this is just what colleagues should do—”
Her voice shook slightly.
“No, Elian. Even if you don’t want to admit it, I must say—I became your friend not because you were a Paladin, but because you are Elian…”
“Please don’t belittle yourself, and don’t think my concern and help are cheap, just a form of charity.”
“I know it hasn’t been easy for you. You must be very tired… Elian? Why not try accepting a friend’s concern?”
“I am your friend now, and I promise I will always be your friend.”
“The relationship between friends is mutual. This isn’t charity, but a selfless gift. You always step forward to uphold justice when innocent people suffer, you always draw your sword to help friends in trouble, you selflessly help anyone; now, I beg you to give me a chance too, Elian. Give me a chance to care for you, to help you.”
“So—”
“Come home with me.”
The man’s words were persuasive.
If it wasn’t genuine concern for her, why didn’t he keep his distance like her other friends?
Why would he go out of his way, even enduring her cold treatment these past days, just to win her back?
Him going to the Welfare Institute in her place these days, checking on her condition, was the best proof.
‘Perhaps… Fen is… different from the other friends.’
The girl could no longer hold back her sobs.
Her eyelashes fluttered, and her body trembled; moved, bitter, the grievances accumulated over days finally mixed together, flowing from those beautiful, now thoroughly reddened eyes.
……
“So… you’re leaving? Won’t you consider staying for dinner?”
Fina looked at the two, somewhat worried.
“Yes, Grandma.”
The silver-haired girl had just finished crying, traces still faintly visible around her eyes, obviously not in a state to respond, so Fen quickly took over the conversation.
“Elena and I still have some Church matters to attend to, so we’ll head back first.”
“Big Sister Elena… will you come play with us again in the future…”
Clara asked unhappily, testing the waters in a small voice.
“Clara, you dummy, can’t you see Big Sister Elena isn’t feeling well right now—”
Fen hurriedly smoothed things over: “Well… Big Sister Elena doesn’t go out much, so in the future, she might—”
“It’s possible…”
“Huh!?” All three were startled.
“When I have time later, I’ll come play with you all—”
Elena bent down slightly, gently rubbing Clara’s head—a confident smile, like the one she wore as a Paladin, finally returned to her face.
She turned her head, glancing at Fen with a smile.
“Together with Big Brother Fen, okay?”
“Uh…”
Fen felt a sense of foreboding—was this a case of things going too far in the opposite direction?
Seeing Elena, back to her usual self and interacting with him like a brother again, he found himself somewhat missing the quiet silver-haired beauty who sat in the flower field.
“Yay!”
The children erupted in excited cheers.
……
Fen and Elena walked side by side on the small path back to the Holy Capital, bathed in the fading light of the sunset.
Elena found it strange.
She had walked side by side with Fen many times before, but never once had it felt like this—feeling that the broad figure beside her was so reliable, so reassuring.
‘Perhaps it’s because of this body… my height of 165 centimeters seems much more petite compared to Fen’s nearly 190-centimeter bulk…’
Lady Elena simply and crudely attributed the reason to the change in height.
“Fen?”
“Hmm?”
“You… how did you find me?”
“Haha… by process of elimination.”
Fen laughed awkwardly.
“You know my brain—not as clever as yours. So I just went to every place you might be!”
“So dumb.”
Elena was also amused. They had returned to the state of friends teasing each other.
“By the way, after you go back… what will you do?”
Elena knew Fen was referring to her identity—her former identity as Elian.
“The rumors about me have been circulating for three or four days now… even if I went out to clarify things now, do you think the public would still believe me?”
“Actually, it’s already evolved into versions where Elian is cowardly and afraid to face the public, and where Elian has mysteriously disappeared.”
Fen’s expression turned serious.
“Then let the rumors become fact.”
“Huh?”
“I can’t change back, you weren’t lying to me, right?”
“No…”
“Since I can’t change back anyway, why not start over…”
Elena nudged Fen with her elbow.
“You were right. I’ve been living for others all along… I want to pursue… well… more of myself. I want to know what I like, what I dislike, I want to know what kind of person I am.”
“As for the crimes, let that ‘countless crimes’ Mister Elian bear them!”
The silver-haired girl grinned mischievously, as if she really were a youthful girl in the prime of her life.
“Elian…”
“You should call me Elena now~”
Even though she was joking, Elena’s tone carried a hint of a girl’s playfulness.
Fen discovered that after shedding her Paladin identity, Eli… no, Elena seemed much bolder.
‘Is this also things going too far in the opposite direction? Elena now really resembles the classic heroine from those doujinshi in my past life… the longer the repression, the more explosive it must be when it finally…’
Fen quickly shook the lewd thoughts from his mind, refusing to dwell on them further.
“You said earlier that you’ll always be my friend… were you serious?”
The girl’s tone suddenly turned serious again.
“?”
Back when she was a rigid Paladin, Elena’s emotions were practically written on her face.
But ever since she became a girl, Fen found he was less and less able to figure out her thoughts.
“Of course. I swear on my dignity as a man—”
“No need to be so serious…”
“Elena, even if you are no longer that Elian, no longer that respected Paladin, I won’t forget the help you gave me, forget how after the Knight’s Oath ceremony you, like a reckless kid, asked me to be your friend.”
The man suddenly spoke with utmost seriousness.
Hearing Fen suddenly bring up her past ‘cringe’ deeds, Elena blushed fiercely.
“But you’re also lucky—”
“I, in the past, present, and future—”
“will still be willing to be your friend.”
Under the fading sunset, the short-haired black-haired young man extended his hand to the silver-haired girl; just as two years ago, the silver-haired young man had extended an inviting hand to him.
As the saying goes, coolness doesn’t last three seconds.
Seeing Elena’s hesitation, Fen regretted extending his hand almost immediately.
‘I… how could I suddenly try to hold her hand!?’
‘I forgot… she’s a girl now! Me holding her hand now is clearly taking advantage of her!’
‘She must really mind it!’
Fen’s heart was filled only with regret and embarrassment.
But a moment later, a cool temperature transmitted through his palm—it was Elena. She used her now pale, small hand to grasp Fen’s large, calloused hand.
“I get it already… I can’t believe you remember…”
Elena looked at him sheepishly, their faces burning red, it was unclear whose was redder.
“Let’s just… let’s just treat it as a handshake between friends…”
Feeling that suddenly holding a man’s hand was a bit strange, Elena hastily added.
“Now… shall we go home?”
Fen ventured.
“Mhm… let’s go home.”
The silver-haired girl and the black-haired young man still walked side by side on the small path, but this time, facing the setting sun, one could see their hands tightly clasped together.
……