Chapter 56

### Chapter 56: A Chance Encounter (8)

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#15

"——So now, I am grateful to my adoptive father. Thanks to him, I can enjoy the luxuries I never experienced in my life. Of course, I had to undergo a lot of training before I could do so."

A connection from over a decade ago. A chance reunion. Hidden truths. As I gradually unraveled the answers to all of this, I sat at the edge of the bed, listening quietly to Stella's story.

The initial confusion had somewhat subsided. It took me more than five minutes to accept the reality, perhaps because the image of Alphen in my memory didn't match the image of Lady Stella de Peltraine.

What a surprise, it didn't take that long to process.

It felt like almost an hour had passed. Maybe it was the dizziness from the shock. My temples still throbbed.

Suddenly, I asked Stella.

"So, you've spent more time as Stella de Peltraine than as Alphen, right?"

"Um, I guess so……"

Stella was the adopted daughter of the Peltraine Dukedom.

For a prestigious ducal family to take in a non-bloodline adoptive daughter, there must have been some underlying reasons. However, since Stella didn't seem ready to share them, I didn't press the issue.

"You've come a long way, Alphen."

I chuckled.

Back then, she was a child with lofty and unrealistic dreams that adults would have laughed off. But as a duchess, she could be considered a success.

Actually, this is pretty definitive. It seems her treatment within the family isn't particularly harsh, even as an adopted daughter……

Stella, who had been smiling, spoke up.

"I've heard a lot about you from Rubia. At first, I thought you might just have the same name and be a different person, but after hearing about you and Rubia at the restaurant…… I was certain it was you."

Rubia. The mention of that name made my body stiffen.

But I didn't show it and playfully asked,

"So, you know about my family's downfall too?"

"A, ah? I, I……"

"Just kidding. I don't care. It happened a long time ago. It's just that the situation is so different now."

Then I lay back as if collapsing.

As I sank into the soft bed, the scent that seemed to belong to Stella became more intense, subtly stimulating my senses.

Stella was looking down at me intently.

Even though her identity as Stella de Peltraine is now stronger than her identity as Alphen, hearing that Stella was actually Alphen made me feel less tense.

The fact that she was a girl, which I had to admit, was something I could accept after some thought…… Well, maybe not yet.

From the way Stella avoids delving into the details of our past, it seems there are quite a few awkward aspects to our situation when we're alone.

To end up in the same class, in different forms, after all these years. If this were a novel, it would probably be criticized for its implausibility.

Among the current Epic Class freshmen, there are already three people I know: Rubia, Miu, and Stella.

……Come to think of it, there isn't a single guy.

Alphen was there, but now she's not. Honestly, I still can't believe it. And there's no way for me to verify it otherwise.

Stella is now a noble lady, so it would be crazy to try to find traces of her former male identity. It's better to just believe it.

Anyway, if I had more male friends from the past, it might have been more plausible.

In elementary school, I was almost always with Rubia, so I didn't have much interaction with other kids.

Middle school was……

Hmm, that's right.

I'm amazed at how weak my social network was.

It's okay. I can make up for it here. After all, this is where the most promising young students from across the continent gather.

Just looking at the line-up of our class, the bloodlines and families they come from are truly impressive.

Rubia, Miu, and I—excluding myself, we are all students chosen to represent the future of the empire.

If you think about the privileges that Frontier graduates receive in society, we Epic Class students might have even more authority than noble aristocrats after graduation.

The silence that had settled was suddenly broken.

"Sounds like it was fun, Egidio."

"……Huh? What was?"

I was taken aback by her sudden comment.

"Rubia and you. It must have been really fun when you were young. You were with Rubia for almost nine years, right?"

"……"

Her innocent question left me speechless.

Technically, we were in the same place for nine years, but the time we spent as close friends was more accurately six years.

"Right."

I answered casually.

Because it was the truth.

If I were to evaluate the time I spent with Rubia when we were young, saying it was just "fun" would be a huge understatement.

"Happy" would be a more fitting word.

Those times that seemed to stretch on forever. There wasn't a single day without laughter when I look back.

People tend to remember bad things more vividly than good ones, but for some reason, my elementary school days were filled with good memories. So, my expression when recalling those happy times should be bright.

"……Wasn't it enjoyable?"

Her question seemed a bit suspicious.

I shook my head while lying down.

"No, it was enjoyable."

……Sincerely.

On the way to school, on the way home. Always together.

If one of us overslept, we would naturally go to the other's house and wake up our childhood friend.

On deep nights, when our parents were talking downstairs in the cabin, we would go upstairs and secretly release the frogs we caught that day, finding it amusing.

If one of us tripped and got hurt while playing outside, the other would carry them home, struggling with their small frame.

Comforting each other when we cried, but eventually, the tears would spread, and we would both end up crying as we walked home at sunset.

In the summer, the two families would go on a three-night, four-day trip. We would play in the salty sea and compete to build the biggest sandcastle on the wet beach.

To warm our shivering bodies, we would sit around a bonfire, talking for a long time until we fell asleep, our heads resting on each other's, breathing softly.

Seeing us like that, our parents would gently carry the young Rubia and me into the tent and lay us down, where we would fall into a deep sleep, using each other as pillows.

On an ordinary autumn day, as the leaves, colored by the sunset and sunlight, gently fell.

When the weather got colder and I caught a cold, Rubia, finding me while my parents were away, took care of me with the basic magic she learned at the academy. She ended up catching it too.

On a winter day when the snow came late, as soon as the first snow fell, we both ran outside without hesitation, spreading our arms and laughing as we played in the gradually whitening field all day.

……That's how it was.

Back then, Rubia and I.

We colored our future with our own colors.

In the days yet to be determined, we believed without a doubt that we would always be by each other's side.

Ultimately, that belief became a reality.

Rubia is still out there, beyond that door.

So——the lifelong trust we promised in our childhood has not been broken.

Even if we can't regain the same purity as before, the fact that there is still a chance for our relationship to not completely fall apart is the most important part.

Rubia, my most precious friend.

My first love, whom I lost.

Removing her significant presence from my life was impossible from the start.

"……It was enjoyable."

Stella's quiet voice echoed.

Stella, you and Alphen must have shared many memories with me. Even though it was only three months, some of them are vivid, showing that Alphen was a truly important friend to me.

But, it's been six years.

Now, nine years.

Counting the days, it's over three thousand days and nights.

The memories, not just the recollections, between Rubia and me.

I can't deny them anymore.

"Guess so."

It was a completely honest answer.

I finally managed to smile a little.

#16

That was the end of our conversation with Stella.

We could have had a longer reunion, but it was already very late. Stella looked a bit tired, probably from all the thinking. Today's events had drained me mentally.

So, what Stella planned to show me was postponed.

I packed my notebook and writing tools, which contained today's study materials, into my bag and slung it over my shoulder.

Seeing Stella struggling to figure out how to leave her room, I silently pointed to the window.

After telling her we'd see each other tomorrow, I opened the curtains, stepped onto the terrace railing, and jumped into the bushes.

Fortunately, no one saw me.

After quickly scanning the area, I let out a sigh of relief and headed straight for Building 3.

I decided to exercise before going to bed.

After a long session at the training ground, I returned to the dormitory, exhausted.

After a refreshing shower, I collapsed onto the bed and was immediately consumed by deep sleep without even having a chance to process the day's events.

The next day.

Morning general education class.

"Today, before we start the assignment, we will form groups."

As I confirmed who my groupmates were,

I couldn't help but sigh deeply.

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