Honestly, I had to admit it.
I might have overlooked one thing.
That was, the fact that Elga turned out to not be as docile as I thought.
Of course, I didn't want Elga to be as meek as a kitten.
Considering that she approached Mirna on her own accord and even visited Aira's room for a talk last night, Elga was clearly assertive, even too assertive for my liking.
Was this what they called a "chadette" or something?
I gazed at the tranquil pond.
Unlike the turmoil in my heart, the pond remained calm, except for the ripples created by the fishes. Still, watching it made me feel a bit more composed.
With determination, I asked.
"What kind of conversation did Aira-nim have with Elga-nim yesterday?"
After saying it, I realized my heart was pounding fiercely.
The sense of vertigo I felt was incomparable to when the Hunter attacked Aira earlier. Because Elga's words were nothing short of the entrance to doom.
Elga knew far too much about me, and even the slightest mention from her made it difficult to imagine how Aira would treat me.
She must have left after leaving the closet.
"Are you curious? About our chat~."
With the blue bird on her finger, Aira was quite relaxed. It didn't seem like she was blaming me, nor was she pressuring me.
Considering Aira's ordinary behavior towards me today, I assume she probably didn't hear any fatal secrets or weaknesses from Elga.
"Theo, she asked if she could marry you."
There was no build up, she just went and said it…
I was momentarily taken aback, which left a brief pause in our conversation. Aira then interjected with a few more words.
"I thought it would eventually happen one day."
"That… what do you mean?"
"Well, Theo, you're the man I've acknowledged. You're the second wisest person after me, and the second most intelligent man in the world. Isn't it only natural for women to be attracted to such a man?"
Aira's words were overly optimistic.
In contrast to Mirna and Elga who looked down on me as a former slave, Aira was overestimating my abilities and qualities.
Apparently, according to Aira, I was such an extraordinary man that it was only a matter of time before Elga fell for me. It was a foregone conclusion in her mind. ɽàＮＯ𝐛ƐṦ
「You have calmly judged the situation!
You have gained experience points through the talent 《Calm Thinking》.
All job experience +5」
"So… what was Aira-nim's reply?"
I wondered how Aira reacted to Elga's words. Then Aira leisurely sent the blue bird flying into the sky.
"I said it wasn't any of my concern. Whether you take Elga as your wife is your own choice, Theo."
She didn't seem to care much whether I married Elga or not. This response brought some relief, but at the same time, it left some bad taste in my mouth.
Because it meant that Aira didn't see me as a man.
For the current me, Aira's conquest was still far away.
"But, Theo, my cousin Elga isn't exactly an outstanding candidate for a wife. If you make a wise judgment, you likely won't choose Elga as your partner."
"An outstanding… woman, you mean someone like Queen Aira, as you mentioned last time?"
"Yes. Your memory is indeed sharp~."
Aira held onto her hair as a breeze gently rustled through.
With just a simple movement, she turned the scene picturesque. It was probably because of her 'Flower' job.
「Flower : A job that only very few women can obtain. The higher the level, the greater the chance to charm and captivate the opponent.」
Thanks to this, whatever Aira did would exude pure grace from head to toe.
"Then, Queen Aira, what kind of man do you like?"
Though I had many conversations with Aira, I had never inquired about her romantic preferences.
I hadn't paid any attention to who she liked or what kind of men she preferred. I was just trying my best to survive.
Ah, actually, I knew who she would hate.
Aira despited Kasim, criticizing him as a boastful fool.
Looking at it that way, I still had a lot to learn about Aira.
"Well, I haven't really thought about it. But I'd prefer someone who doesn't act like they're superior. If he's to be this Queen's husband, he must know how to be humble."
It was an important virtue to Aira. The reason why she disliked Kasim was his lack of humility.
"I'd also like him to be devoted to me. But not too devoted, as that might get boring. So it would be nice if he argued with me sometimes."
Aira casually talked about her ideal type.
Kind, capable, humble, and so on. It felt a bit surprising since it was the common ideal type for any woman.
"No, there is one more. He should be tall. Taller than me."
With that statement, I became acutely aware of the height difference between us…
Aira was a few centimeters taller than me. My height was around the high 160s, while hers was around 170.
In other words, she was taller than me.
I was much shorter than her…
I, Theo Gospel, did not meet Aira's ideal type. It was probably because of my heritage as part Fairy.
She liked someone taller.
I guessed this was why she treated me more like a pet than a man.
Damned Half-Fairy genes…
But overall, the Queen's ideal type was quite normal, even plain.
"It's more ordinary than I thought."
"Yes. But surprisingly, there aren't many people like that."