Nice to meet you (3)

'The atmosphere seems strange?'

That was the thought that Baron Harun Pareira had as he entered the spacious, well-lit room.

Originally, he was going to have a leisurely tea time with his wife after taking a nice bath.

After that, he wanted to talk about his handsome son and his dashing actions in the royal castle.

Of course, the situation now was entirely different from that. In any case, an atmosphere was created in which the latter's story could naturally be brought out.

However, the baron wouldn't be the one speaking.

"Then, let's start the emergency meeting, Mr. Bratt Lloyd?"

"Kirill, isn't it time for you to call me brother?"

"We have run into a situation we never thought of, so could you please explain what happened? Why is Mr. Lloyd and sister Ilya here?"

"I think I should start from the beginning."

Kirill, like the leader of the meeting, posed a question and the eldest son of the Lloyd Family answered it.

The way they were talking was so natural that Baron Pareira didn't even dare to intervene.

Like his wife and Lulu, he too stayed silent and immersed himself into the conversation.

Only Airn Pareira, who was sitting in his seat, had a restless expression.

Looking at Airn, Bratt said, "Your story… I want to hear it too."

"What?"

"The story of the events that happened after you left the Lloyd estate. I think something happened between Airn and Ilya in the…"

"Um, good. It would be easier to talk about the measures we should take if we share information with each other."

'What measures?'

Airn had a bewildered look, but no one cared.

The meeting continued and Kirill explained what happened at the Lindsay family's territory.

It wasn't as good as how Bratt explained since Kirill was someone who didn't talk much, but the content could still be understood.

So now, Bratt, Kirill, Lulu and the Pareira couple… All of them were aware of the current situation of Airn and Ilya.

Well, looking back, it wasn't a subtle feeling.

It was almost like a sweet feeling.

However, for everyone who watched, it felt like their feelings were going to explode.

Airn Pareira, who was forced to attend the meeting, also came to better understand his feelings.

… not just his, but Ilya's heart too.

"Airn Pareira."

"… yes."

"You aren't going to hesitate now, right?"

Bratt asked with a solemn expression. It wasn't just him who had that question.

Bratt was just being vocal about it.

Lulu and Kirill, and even Harun Pareira, who was hearing this for the first time, were putting pressure on Airn with the same eyes and thoughts that Bratt had.

At that gaze, the blonde young man knew he couldn't say no, but the man didn't respond.

He knew it too.

That the time to act was now.

'Thinking about it, I have always known.'

Right.

Just like he liked Ilya, she too felt something in her heart for him… and he knew it too.

He couldn't have not known.

Her eyes when she was looking at him.

How the way she spoke to him differed from others.

The gentle expression she displayed that was only for him.

And more certainly, the events of the banquet.

Still, what he wasn't so sure about was the reason why he couldn't take that last step with her…maybe it was because he didn't have the courage to do it.

'Like the days I lived like a lazy sloth…'

Airn recalled his childhood.

He remembered a time when he was scared and feared everything and was constantly exhausted and did nothing and kept falling deeper and deeper into the swamp.

He was pushed on the back and eventually he was able to move forward. But it happened gradually by raising his sword and swinging it, falling and stumbling sometimes too… he remembered how courageous he was.

Right.

It was clear that he had changed for the better.

There was no need to hesitate any longer.

Just like Ilya Lindsay flew the entire distance on the griffin and expressed her feelings for him, even though it was with the help of alcohol.

He too needed to be honest with himself.

Instead of stepping back in fear or standing blankly, he needed to take a step ahead.

Airn nodded as he cleared his confusion.

A resolute voice came from him as everyone looked.

"I will confess."

"Oh!"

"Oh oh!"

"Great! Well though…"

"…but."

Airn, who had been listening to Lulu, Bratt and Kirill cheer, spoke.

"… how do I confess?"

"…"

",,,"

"I can't just go and do that… uh, I mean, I have to think about it, and do something that might be like… and again, I feel like I need to prepare…."

"Sigh…"

In the rapidly deflating atmosphere, Kirill sighed.

It wasn't something she couldn't understand.

When it came to dating, Airn was a timid one which made it even more frustrating.

This was why, even when she had to do something, she would have to think of various things which her brother might assume or get confused by, so him worrying about how a confession should be done was kind of natural.

'Maybe, right now, in my brother's head, if he goes ahead and messes up the confession then everything would turn bad… it could be a source of worry for their future.'

The opposite could also happen.

No, before that… Airn had no idea if Ilya would be pleased if he confessed to her.

The problem was that her brother wasn't the type of person who would listen straight if someone said 'Just do it, you idiot!'

"Phew…"

Kirill let out another sigh.

What should she do?

How could she fill her frustrated and worried brother with confidence?

It was when she was thinking that.

After being silent for a while, Bratt opened his mouth.

"Airn, just put away those worries for now."

"Uh?"

"A confession is nothing more than a means for lovers to bear fruits. Of course, that doesn't mean that it has no meaning, but…"

"…"

"If that concern is what is making you forget the important thing and step back… I think that is a bigger problem than making a messy confession, Airn."

Bratt called him by his name again.

Airn didn't have an answer to Bratt's words.

However, it didn't matter. Because his eyes looked serious.

After looking at that gaze for a few seconds, Bratt opened his mouth again.

"You can never get it right on the first try. Think back to when you first picked up your sword. It was a mess, poorly done, and it was embarrassing enough for you now to even think of it as swordsmanship… but now, you are a Sword Master."

"…"

"Love and dating are also similar to that. Just start, take a swing and then try again. And then gradually, it gets better. Fortunately, Ilya is a good person and she'll be understanding no matter what you do and, neither me, Kirill or your parents here have any complaints with you either. There are many who will advise you if you are lost and wandering in the wrong direction. So…"

"Stop worrying about useless things and start worrying about what really matters."

Bratt Lloyd's words ended there.

"…"

"…"

"…"

The plan was tedious.

After finishing that, both Bratt and Airn stayed silent and so did the others.

And little by little, the time passed.

But the atmosphere around them wasn't as worrying as it was before.

Lulu, who was watching everyone while wagging her tail, thought.

'You changed so much, Airn.'

One might agree with the thought of the sorcerer cat.

In the past, Airn was hesitant and indecisive and now he was doing the same thing.

In the end, it was the same as not being able to take one step ahead without the help of others.

But it wasn't just that.

The 15-year-old Airn only had family, but now he had more intimate connections.

It wasn't a gift which fell from the sky. It was the result of building relationships through the many years of hard work.

The reason Bratt was able to pour out sincere advice to Airn was because Airn had done the same for Bratt.

The reason why he felt joy in seeing this through was because he wanted to see Airn happy.

In other words.

Everyone was helping, supporting and encouraging Airn so that he could move ahead…

'Looking at it… because Airn was good to everyone, it could be said that this was ultimately the result of his hard work.'

Perhaps this was why Ilya fell for Airn.

Lulu who thought that smiled like a human.

It wasn't easy with the appearance of a cat, but she wanted to do it.

Because everyone was smiling. As they looked at the growth of their loved one.

Unsurprisingly, Airn who had his head bowed till then, raised his head and looked at everyone.

He seemed to be feeling better, but he still had a little tension on his face and then he said,

"Thanks to all of you, it feels like my head cleared up a lot. The confession… I think I can do it."

"But...can you be of a bit more help?"

At the words which followed, everyone's smiles turned stronger.

They couldn't help but do it,

After a while, the meeting resumed with Airn's more active participation.

"Ah! Ah!"

Puk!

Kick!

Running away from the moment of crisis, Ilya Lindsay kicked the blanket over and over.

Maybe it was all a dream.

Maybe she drank too much and had hallucinated or something.

She returned to her room with such hopes, but the reality was cruel.

It was for that reason that Ilya was kicking her blanket.

When she woke up, it was hard to believe that yesterday was real.

It was for that reason she was kicking it. She couldn't just lay still.

And she sighed.

"Sigh…"

What could she do?

Head back to her family?

She didn't want to do that.

She had finally got to meet Airn so she didn't want to go without a proper talk.

Somehow, she wanted to try and resolve the awkward atmosphere which had happened due to her actions into a natural one.

That was what Ilya wanted.

Of course, she couldn't think of a possible solution.

"Uhhh, Uhhh…."

Kick! Kick!

Kick!

Kick!

"… Ah, it tore."

It was the moment when she was about to fall into deeper despair tormenting that blanket.

A knock was heard at the door.

Ilya didn't respond.

She was in fear. She was scared of Amelia and Harun now.

Airn was whom she wanted to see more than anyone else, but right now, she couldn't even look at him.

Fortunately, it wasn't them.

Shhh!

Lulu, the black cat who used sorcery to enter the door, spoke.

"Miss Ilya Lindsay."

"U-Uh?"

Ilya was visibly puzzled.

The way she spoke was different from usual, even the attire of Lulu was unusual.

A stylish suit tailored to the body of a cat, a bow tie, and that too a cute one.

It was the moment she was about to say that she looked like a banquet attendant.

"Young Lord Airn Pareira said, if you wouldn't mind, he would like to spend the day with Miss Lindsay. Please grant him the honor of serving the Lady."

"…"

"Will you accept the invitation?"

The cat asked with dazzling eyes.

It was a cute sight which no one could take their eyes off.

Ilya's eyes were looking farther away.

She thought of someone for a moment and with a blank expression she gave her answer.

"… yes."

Unlike usual, she had a very, very red face.