... live free!

24. Why Meet Elena

I found Mr. Elena when I walked out onto the boulevard to return to the inn after the orphanage.

"Ah, Mr. Elena"

"? Lena, you've seen her again, haven't you?

Elena called out with a slight bitter laugh when she noticed me.

"Right. Was it too late today?

"You're a little busy, aren't you? But not always, huh? Before this..., it was when I met Lena"

"Really?

I thought you were working late because Elena often meets at night. Apparently not. Plus, I was a little surprised to hear that you happened to be when you met Elena.

"That's right. So it's an amazing coincidence to see Lena at night or are you always walking away...... What was Lena doing so late?

Then Mr. Elena came to me worried about me walking out at night and asked me that.

"It's not a big deal. I was in an orphanage with Yua today. I'm going home."

"... does Lena happen to be walking out at night too?

"Uh-huh. What do you think? Because I see everyone in the orphanage quite often..."

"Really? But it wouldn't be safe if a girl walked alone at night, would it?

"Isn't that the same for Mr. Elena?

……

When I said that, Mr. Elena missed her gaze at first. Well, maybe it's because I have too many thoughts...

"In the meantime, should I take you to Mr. Elena's house?

Elena has asked me to be shy when I say yes to Elena.

"... please"

That's how I walked out with you to get Mr. Elena home.

"Speaking of which, he said the guild was busy or something, did something happen?

"It's no big deal. I just have a busy day once in a while, and there's a wave at work, right?

"Really?"

"Yeah. That's why I get home late sometimes. But this is faster, right? Because if it hadn't been for Aldin I would have worked later...... Well, instead, I have work early in the morning."

"It is."

When I went from the boulevard to the inside road for a while talking to Elena like that, someone walked in from the front, so at the edge it seemed that the person was walking towards us somehow.

The person who walked in from the front saying he was a little wary of the strangeness of the person's behavior was Aldin, the adventurer who was dropping by Mr. Elena.