Chapter 10: My Shield… I Mean My Friend【Part 2】

【Eksu PoV】

I spent a good amount of time with Siegfried…

This guy seems like a really nice guy… he still has some weird conversations, but still, he’s a really nice guy, he’s easily one of my best friends… not friends, it’s still early.

But… he’s definitely one of my best acquaintances… acquaintances…

Wow… acquaintance is a good word to describe Siegfried…

Anyway, he’s the best acquaintance I’ve made in this world.

He’s cool, funny, fun… don’t get me wrong, I don’t swing that way… I love women.

Well… anyways.

We spent the whole afternoon talking… then, we went to a secluded place.

Siegfried for some reason didn’t want to stay near my house, he said he couldn’t see Elizabeth.

Maybe it’s because of her personality.

Maybe they have some history.

I even asked if he was engaged to her… but he got mad and said he would never be engaged to “that”.

The way he said it was more out of fear than anger or contempt.

That’s why I didn’t want to insist.

“Starting our meeting… our first meeting…”

Siegfried made an improvised table for this meeting.

He placed the table right outside.

“Yes… Ssiegfried-dono.”

“First topic of the meeting… don’t call me ‘dono’, I’m your friend not a superior being!”

This conversation…

This conversation sounds like the one I had with Elizabeth.

With the difference that he is someone I have to respect, even if in the future we are in the same party, he still has the title of hero.

So I think it’s better to keep the status.

“No…”

“How could I not? I refuse to be treated by a friend as if I were superior to him!!”

“No… that’s a matter of respect…”

“Friends don’t need that…”

“But you’re still kind of my superior…”

“Nothing’s above me… I’m your friend. We’re in this party together, so drop the ‘dono’ stuff, alright?”

“How about ‘san’?”

“I refuse…”

He still… even though a nice guy is stubborn… I just want to make the status clear….

Well… I had the same reaction as him with Elizabeth… this can be considered hypocrisy…

Whatever… I’m a hypocrite anyway…. judge me!!!

“Let’s seal the deal in ‘kun'”

Siegfried offered his hand to me, waiting for me to shake it.

“Okay…”

“So… Eksu-kun… regarding Elizabeth… I’ll give you a list of things she doesn’t like… at least that’s what they say in the hallways of her castle…”

“That’ll do for now…”

As the famous Alice book said… for those who are lost, any path will do.

Even though I don’t know exactly if this will work… after all… as Siegfried said… this is just a rumor, it’s better than nothing.

“First of all… a special perfume made with orchid petals…”

“That seems quite expensive… even if it’s to make her hate me or something… I don’t have that much money…”

“No need… I have it here…”

Siegfried took a perfume out of his bag.

The perfume came in a special box, the way it was packaged seemed fancy.

“I’m sorry… I can’t accept it… even if I work for years, I might still owe you money…”

As a simple peasant, I don’t earn much, not that I earn badly—what I earn is enough to live well…

…but…

It’s not even close to being enough to pay for something that expensive.

“Don’t worry… see it more as a gift from a friend…”

“Gift…? You really want me to make Elizabeth hate me, huh? Are you sure you don’t love Elizabeth… you don’t need to spend so much money, I don’t have feelings for her…”

“I DON’T LIKE THAT MONSTER… I’m sorry… I don’t like her…”

“Okay…”

Oh my god… talking like that… how can I not believe it.

I sat back for a moment, letting the absurdity of our conversation sink in.

Every word from Siegfried echoed in my head as I tried to wrap my mind around our strange discussion.

Here we were, in a secluded spot, discussing honorifics and tactics like it was the most natural thing in the world.

It struck me as bizarre that even a simple meeting could turn into a debate about respect and titles.

Siegfried’s insistence on maintaining proper address wasn’t just about formality—it was his way of keeping our relationship clear in this chaotic world.

I found it both amusing and frustrating that we had to negotiate our friendship like it was a business contract.

I looked at the makeshift table, noting every detail, and then back at Siegfried, whose eyes shone with a mix of determination and mischief.

It was as if, by establishing this hierarchy of honorifics, we were creating a safe space—a small order amidst the madness of our lives.

The idea of using a special perfume to turn Elizabeth against me sounded utterly ridiculous.

Yet, given how Elizabeth relentlessly tests my 【Absolute Defense】 with every surprise attack, I had to admit that any solution, no matter how absurd, was worth considering.

I listened intently as Siegfried repeated the plan, his tone matter-of-fact.

He said the rumors in her castle hallways claimed that Elizabeth despised certain things, and that knowing these could be my secret weapon.

The concept was simple: if I could trigger a reaction from her by using something she detested, maybe I could finally keep her at bay.

I sighed, thinking about the constant barrage of her sudden punches and impromptu sword lunges.

Every day with her was a test of my 【Absolute Defense】, and every encounter left me wondering if I’d ever get a moment’s peace.

Siegfried’s proposal was like a lifeline—a way to turn her incessant attacks into something I could control.

I felt a mix of skepticism and reluctant hope as I weighed his words.

The idea of repelling her with an expensive orchid perfume seemed out of my league financially, but then again, what did I have to lose?

I was tired of being her target, tired of the endless cycle of forced friendship my mother insisted upon.

I nodded silently as Siegfried continued to explain his plan.

“Back to the main topic…”

Before he could continue…