The Sword Duke’s face looked exceptionally bright as he appeared with a hearty laugh.
It was understandable.
I had happened to be talking with Sien, and after overhearing that the subject was Instructor Mu (無), things had ended the way they did.
Perhaps it was precisely the conclusion the old man had been hoping for.
After all, he wanted the mother and daughter to continue missing each other.
The reason was simple.
The man still had not forgiven Sien’s mother.
Even now, just look at him.
The Sword Duke showed no intention whatsoever of hiding how delighted he was.
Right in front of me, as I groaned from a headache born of equal parts frustration and bewilderment.
With a satisfied smile, the old man patted my shoulder a couple of times.
Apparently, that was meant to count as consolation.
“It’s all right, Ian…… You made the wisest choice.”
“This isn’t the outcome I wanted…….”
“Does intention matter? The result is what matters!”
My feeble excuse collapsed beneath the Sword Duke’s two short sentences.
Right.
What did it matter what I had intended?
The misunderstanding had already happened.
All that remained was to clean up the mess.
I was just about to chase after Sien with that thought in mind when—
“Ian.”
Suddenly, I felt a firm…