A Brighter Future (Kuroinu) - Volume 1 Chapter 16: It's Too Late
“I feel like my whole body is falling apart…”
Rhodes, who had just finished showering and was helped onto the bed, said weakly. Celestine, who was by his side, continued to use magic to heal his body while also expressing some complaints towards Grave.
“Really, why did it get so serious this time? What was General Grave thinking?”
“Maybe he was just too excited. After all, what we discussed before is the thing that excites him the most. So, he said he would train me harder than before, because it’s for my better growth.”
“What exactly did you and Claudia talk about? What could make him so excited? Did you agree to his request?”
Celestine thought about this and her expression turned somewhat sad. After all, the only thing she could think of that would make Grave happy and excited was if she agreed to his request.
“Well, not exactly. We can’t directly refuse right now, so we had to use a roundabout way. I told General Grave that Claudia and I are just engaged for now, to ease his worries. Then I said we plan to earn some achievements first and later, under more suitable circumstances, we’ll discuss things with Claudia. That way, he agreed enthusiastically.”
“How can you use such a method to delay? And how are you going to resolve it later?”
Celestine couldn’t help but express her surprise upon hearing this. Even though Rhodes said it was just a way to delay, Celestine couldn’t accept it.
“It was Claudia’s idea. She thought it was the best way to convince General Grave. As for how to resolve it later… We don’t have a plan yet, but Claudia said there would definitely be a way.”
“Claudia… So, she really has feelings for you.”
Upon realizing that it was Claudia’s idea, Celestine suddenly understood. It was just an excuse. This roundabout way was not only to deal with Grave but primarily to make Rhodes accept it. Rhodes had probably already made his intentions clear to Claudia.
But now that things had come to this point, Celestine couldn’t change it even if she wanted to. She had overlooked Claudia’s feelings for Rhodes at the time. Although she had seen Claudia’s interest in Rhodes, she had thought it was because of Grave’s attention back then.
But now it was clear that she had been completely mistaken. Claudia had feelings for Rhodes from that time on, and Celestine only realized it now.
“Celestine… What should we do now?”
Seeing Celestine’s sudden sadness, Rhodes wanted to comfort her but didn’t know what to say. After hearing her words, he also realized that he had placed too much trust in Claudia helping him.
“For now, let’s leave it like this. We might need to think of another solution in the future.”
In the current situation, Celestine couldn’t handle this matter, and she couldn’t interfere in other people’s private affairs, even though she was of high status. Besides, if she tried to disrupt the situation by claiming that she and Rhodes were the ones in love, it would likely only create resentment from Grave, which would go against their initial goal of building a good relationship with him.
Thinking of this, Celestine couldn’t help but sigh. She hadn’t anticipated this turn of events at all.
“I’m sorry, Celestine.”
Seeing Celestine’s expression, Rhodes felt a deep sense of guilt.
“It’s not your fault. But next time, we need to be more careful. Maybe consult with me before giving them an answer, so we can avoid such situations as much as possible.”
“I understand. I won’t immediately give an answer in situations like this in the future.”
Rhodes nodded in understanding, realizing that the powers bestowed upon him by the goddess Leliantia had caused some unintended consequences. He wouldn’t disregard such matters as he did initially.
“Yeah, I believe you can handle it, Rhodes!”
Celestine’s smile returned to her face as she gently touched Rhodes’s cheek, showing her full trust in him.
However, Celestine didn’t anticipate the series of actions that Claudia would take next.
The next day, when Rhodes met with Grave and Claudia, their first words took him by surprise.
“Lord Rhodes, would you consider moving to our place? This way, you can save a lot of time, and the Levantine family has many tools to assist in your training, as well as medicinal baths to enhance your physique. It would make your training much more efficient.”
“Move to your house?! This… this is quite sudden, isn’t it?”
In this situation, both Rhodes and Celestine were caught off guard. The reasons given by the other party seemed perfectly reasonable, as it was meant to help Rhodes in his training. However, now that they understood Claudia’s intentions, this move appeared to be like walking into the lion’s den.
Who could guarantee that Claudia wouldn’t suddenly attack Rhodes during this time? If that were to happen, there would be nowhere for him to escape.
Celestine wanted to refuse outright, but doing so would complicate the situation…
“This decision comes after careful consideration, Lord Rhodes. It’s for your better growth and to acquire the knowledge needed on the battlefield. This matter is not to be taken lightly and requires time to accumulate and develop,” Grave explained.
Rhodes was torn on how to respond, and his hesitation didn’t go unnoticed by Grave. This only solidified Grave’s earlier suspicion that Rhodes had feelings for Celestine, which was why he was reluctant to leave the church, making it difficult to meet with her.
But precisely because of this, Grave needed to resolve this situation. Otherwise, Claudia’s chances would diminish, and his own desires would go unfulfilled.
“But isn’t this also for you, General Grave?” Rhodes asked.
“Me? While I can assist you, I can’t do so indefinitely, can I?”