True, it’s very possible that having Pullum going with him may cause the townspeople’s hearts to focus more on their resentment against Hallim’s blood family than gratitude for Prince Lahti. Pullum’s family was part of Alucard’s cabinet ministry. They had a lot of honor and prestige, so the backlash of their treachery would be huge.
So, in order not to cause any unnecessary trouble, Pullum’s choice to stay was correct. Inglis had explained it to Rafinha, and Leone said she could understand why Pullum did it. The person in question said that there was no other choice, since it was for Lahti’s sake too.
「Hey, Pullum, why don’t you go and board the Flygear Carrier tomorrow? You’re curious about how they’re faring, aren’t you?」
「N-, no……I am curious, but I don’t want to cause any unnecessary confusion. I’m sorry, Rafinha. I’ll stay here and do what I can.」
「I see…」
「I believe that is for the best, lady Pullum. Now is an important time to win the hearts of the people under the banner of His Highness Lahti. It is better for us not to pour salt on the wound and keep pushing them towards a better future.」
Luwin who was walking nearby seemed to have overheard the conversation and told his opinion as though to admonish her.
「Yes…」
Pullum approvingly nodded.
「…………」
Perhaps Pullum had been talked into it by Luwin, and it wasn’t her own intention to stay behind. If so, Rafinha thought, then she should at least give him a piece of her——
「Lady Pullum. We were only able to leave Lekrea alive because you risked your life to stop Hallim from executing us, you are our savior. We are very grateful for what you have done.」
「N-, no, it was nothing!」
「……Those of us who were directly saved by you understood very well that you are different from Hallim. However, unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the people. Once their wounds have healed a little more and they are able to see the bigger picture, please bring forth your voice and feelings to them. His Highness Lahti is creating an environment that will allow you to do so. We will do our best to aid him, so please wait for a little bit more.」
「Yes……Thank you very much.」
Pullum answered with a smile.
「…………」
Rafinha’s silence this time wasn’t caused by a negative notion. Luwin, in his own way, was taking care of Pullum. She could see his feelings now. If that’s the case, there was no room for her to complain.
「That’s right! We’ll take care of it!! We’ll show you we will, so don’t worry.」
Lahti patted Pullum on the shoulder.
「Yeah, Lahti. Thank you very much.」
「…………」
As for this, Rafinha still has something to say. If this situation continued forever, it would be incredibly painful for Pullum. The only one who could take care of it was, in the end, Lahti.
Not so long ago, Lahti declared in front of Rafinha and the rest of the crew that he would become King and protect Pullum by making her his wife. Rafinha wasn’t asking him to wed Pullum right this instant, but she believed he needed to tell Pullum his intention as soon as possible.
That way, Pullum would be able to have hope and do her best even at the hardest of time, and Rafinha would be able to comfortably help her, but at a time like this, Rafinha and the others couldn’t possibly tell Pullum about it, and now they were the ones who were getting frustrated.
「That’s bad, 30 points overall……」
「Haah?! Wh-, what’s with that?」
Inglis said that Lahti just didn’t want to make Pullum feel too happy too soon by promising something that he couldn’t actually offer yet, and she assured Rafinha that time would take care of it, but… personally, Rafinha felt like Pullum’s feelings would take a 180 degree turn once she knew that Lahti intended to propose to her. Which is why she believed he definitely had to tell her just that.
If not, then Rafinha needed to do something for Pullum. As it is now, things between them are no different than usual. What Rafinha wanted to see was something a little more in-depth.
「I’m saying that you should’ve done more!」
After saying that, Rafinha took direct action. She took Lahti’s and Pullum’s hands and forced them to hold each other.
「「……!」」
「All right, this makes it around, well, 70 points?」
「Wh-, what are you on?!」
「R-, Rafinha?!」
「I’ll take care of the loading, so why don’t you two go for a walk around the area and take your mind off of things? I’m sure the both of you are tired. Resting is as important as working, okay? But, stay like that! Don’t let go of each other’s hands! Come on, go go go! Otherwise I won’t be helping tomorrow, okay?!」
Rafinha pushed Pullum and Lahti to the side road.
「I-, I got it, damn……Let’s go, Pullum.」
「Y-, yes!! Lahti.」
The two of them walked off down the road, a bit hesitant, a bit reservedly. They hadn’t had much time to be alone together lately, and Rafinha wished Lahti would use this opportunity to tell Pullum what he had in mind, but… well, even if that didn’t happen, walking together like this wouldn’t be bad for them.
Luwin didn’t seem to be particularly opposed to the idea, and he only looked over them
「……All right, let’s get this stuff onboard for tomorrow!」
「Yes, let’s!」
At Rafinha’s suggestion, Luwin smiled and nodded.
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