Chapter 11
“I already said that’s impossible.”
“Oh come on, you gotta think it through a bit. Don’t you see? For there to be a breakup, there has to be a relationship first.”
“Ohh, I get it!”
Bjorn shot Todd a brief glare for chiming in from the side, then mulled over Allen’s words. He still didn’t fully understand them.
“If she’s liked you for that long, there’s a high chance she’s built up some massive fantasy on her side. I mean, she probably fell for you just from being dazzled by your flashy exterior, right?”
“That does seem likely. If I were a woman, I don’t think I’d find your inner self particularly charming either, Vice Commander.”
The childish teasing made a quiet irritation well up, but Bjorn forced himself to endure it. At any rate, it was the most constructive thing that had been said so far.
“I may have little experience since I got roped in at twenty, but I’ve seen and heard a lot. Couples where one side clings unilaterally? They never last long.”
“Because once they actually start dating, the fantasy shatters completely, yeah?”
“In that sense, Vice Commander, you’re in a very advantageous position. Why? Because there’s that image you’ve maintained all this time. A lofty, honorable image that’s perfect for smashing to pieces.”
“As expected of Sir Allen, that really does sound plausible!”
With the two of them bantering enthusiastically in the background, Bjorn, who had fallen briefly into thought, opened his mouth after a moment.
“What if that fantasy… doesn’t break?”
At the remark, which could sound rather unpleasant depending on how it was taken, Allen and Todd both stiffened for a moment.
“That’s how certain I want to be.”
At the hastily added clarification, Allen tilted his head slightly and looked Bjorn over, then nodded in agreement.
“It’s a bit hard to picture, normally.”
It was a sanctified appearance, as if he had absorbed every last blessing of God for himself. His already striking looks had fully come into their own after the holy war, combined with a more solid body and a sharper aura.
Allen suddenly felt a bit sorry for the woman named Leila Bailey, whom he had never even met.
How did she manage to pick the most tempting unripe apricot of them all? Of course, he couldn’t say he didn’t understand being bewitched by that face, but Bjorn Schmidt was… the kind of man you would want to smack on the back and stop, if you were a father with a daughter.
He wasn’t particularly fond of the saying that people bring misfortune upon themselves, but in this situation, there was no helping but to apply it.
Perhaps Bjorn’s words had a point. Rather than continuing to torture an innocent woman with false hope, it might be more considerate to strip away her rose colored glasses as soon as possible.
“That’s why you can’t half-a*s it. You need one decisive blow to really wake her up to reality.”
As if feeling some sense of duty, Allen began explaining his plan in a suddenly resolute voice. The longer he spoke, the more Bjorn’s brow furrowed. Even Todd, who usually trusted Allen so much he would believe poison was medicine if Allen said so, looked somewhat uncertain this time.
“Is this really okay? Wouldn’t it just end with the Vice Commander losing face for nothing…”
Todd said this while sneaking a glance at Bjorn.
To think there would come a day when he agreed with that greenhorn’s opinion. Bjorn added his own concern.
“Lies and deception are sins. How can someone who follows God’s will…”
But Allen was firm.
“How do you expect to artificially sever someone’s feelings without this level of resolve? If you can’t do it, you could just leave her as she is and go.”
He shrugged lightly as he replied, his words carrying weight.
“From the moment you decided to shake that noble lady off, Vice Commander, you had no choice but to take on the role of the villain. Where do you find a peaceful breakup between a man and a woman? It all ends up a mud fight anyway. I understand that lies don’t sit well with you, but you said ordinary words won’t get through to her. Then you’ll have to use underhanded means.”
Bjorn fell into thought for a moment.
Allen wasn’t wrong. He couldn’t just leave Leila Bailey as she was.
Since he had failed to meet a holy death on the battlefield, Bjorn wanted to become a monk and quietly bring this arduous life to an end.
In that plan of his, Leila was the sole obstacle. He didn’t want to leave behind any lingering attachment or resentment in the place he departed from.
“This is the only method that comes to mind right now, but I’m not saying you absolutely have to do it this way. If you have a better plan, that’s fine too.”
At Allen’s words, which subtly tested him like a merchant haggling, Bjorn finally made his decision.
“Very well. I’ll try following your advice, Sir Allen.”
It was at this moment that this oddly clumsy plan began.
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