Reincarnated as a Farmer Gamer: Rising to the Top with the Evolution of the Weakest Job that Only I Know About!? - 55.2

Rin, rarely showing anger, grabbed my arm.

I can tell she genuinely cares about me.

“Rin, thank you.”

“…Sigh. Hey, Beryl?”

“Hmm?”

“…Won’t you run away with me? Out of the kingdom. To the Empire or somewhere. It shouldn’t be too difficult for the two of us to live.”

“Sorry, I’ve decided to protect the young lady.”

“…I see. But, I don’t think I can be of any help.”

“No, no. Just being by the young lady’s side and protecting her is already a great help.”

“I don’t think the lord will stay silent. Surely…”

“Yeah. I’ll figure something out before then.”

Rin forced a smile and went back to the girls’ dormitory.

◆

A few days later.

The daily routine remained unchanged. I woke up each morning and went to the academy with the young lady, and in the afternoon, instead of Al, I spent every day training with Lady Diana.

She became more and more exhausted each day.

I could roughly guess what was pressuring her, but there was nothing I could do about it.

That day, her face was as pale as ever.

“Hey, Beryl…”

“Yes?”

“…Is Lady Diana alright?”

“She doesn’t seem to be alright.”

“Can’t you do anything to help her improve?”

“No, it’s not about me improving things. It’s not something within my control.”

“Hmm? What do you mean? Isn’t it because she can’t beat you?”

“Yes, it’s because she can’t beat me, but that’s not the core issue. What’s really hard for her is not being able to protect everyone, rather than just winning against me.”

“Protect everyone… That means…”

“Yes. She was thoroughly beaten by the magical beast that day. That’s why she’s anxious. She understands that, but maybe her heart can’t accept it.”

“If you know that, why aren’t you doing anything to help her?”

“Lady, I’ve mentioned before, but I don’t intend to change someone’s life. That includes the young lady. I will protect lives with all my strength, but protecting someone and making them realize something are different.”

The young lady stared at me with a reproachful look.

“You say that, but you’ve made me realize things too, Beryl.”

“No. I just protected your heart before it could be damaged.”

“Does that mean it’s okay if her heart gets damaged!?”

“…Honestly, she’s not someone important to me. I don’t want to interfere with whatever future she’s aiming for.”

“……..”

“Do you think that’s cold?”

“…No. From your position, you wouldn’t have had any connection with Lady Diana. So, I’ll give you an order. Cheer up Lady Diana… my friend!”

“No, that’s something the young lady should handle.”

The young lady gave me a cold look, as if she could freeze even the snowmen living in the snowy fields.