The Priest Wants to Retire

EP.224 Life is a Flower. Love is the Honey of That Flower (11)

When exactly did it start? I couldn’t say for certain.

By the time I snapped back to reality, it became so natural that he was by my side.

In class, while eating, shopping, or even reading.

Even during important mage research, Dawna always kept Regis right beside her.

It didn’t have any particularly special meaning.

Except for personal time, he would always be there.

Dawna set up this rule, and Regis faithfully complied.

A true friend is someone who shares both body and spirit together, anytime, anywhere.

This could be called a laughable happening caused by Dawna taking that saying literally.

Of course, Regis did raise objections to Dawna’s tyranny a few times.

But before a relationship balanced on money, such arguments were less significant than whispers in the wind.

Before long, discussions about what kind of relationship these two had began to spread throughout the academy.

The universally acknowledged genius mage and the officially recognized errand boy from an orphanage.

Thanks to the stark contrast in their statuses, it fortunately never escalated to a scandalous level.

However, it definitely attracted an abundance of negative gossip.

Rumors flew that he was merely a servant to take on various tasks or just a decorative pet.

Some even claimed that Dawna lured him into experimenting with magic on living subjects through hypnosis.

There were even ridiculous tales that Regis, with his peculiar affinity towards young children, willingly entered into bondage as Dawna’s slave.

On a sunny spring day, if Regis hadn’t shouted about his taste in women from a podium where all the students could see…

Such rumors might have become an indelible mark, following him to this very moment.

“How pathetic. What’s so important about someone else’s reputation that it requires this fuss? I’ve been watching you for almost three months now, and I still don’t understand that thick skull of yours.”

“Dawna, you wouldn’t get it yet, but there are times when a man has to prove things even at the cost of his dignity.”

“I’ve never heard of such social customs inherent to male humans. Is there some research result I am unaware of?”

“Of course. This is an instinct etched in the soul, not the body.”

“Sigh… more nonsense…”

slap

As Dawna rubbed her temples and closed the book she was reading, Regis eagerly presented her with a glass of milk, as if he had been waiting for that moment.

“Oh, thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. Since I’ve already received so much, it’s only natural I do this much.”

slurp

Carefully holding the warm milk glass, Dawna slowly brought the rim to her lips.

The taste of the rich milk blended wonderfully with a gentle sweetness.

The source of that sweetness was the finest honey that Regis had recently fetched using Dawna’s money.

At first, she insisted that milk was a drink for children, and hastily belittled its taste, but she had long been completely enchanted by this delightful sweetness.

When he rambled on about how a small amount of sugar was excellent for activating the brain, she just thought he was spouting off his usual nonsense.

No matter how much she tried to compete on the quality and quantity of knowledge, she was always tripped up by his little snippets of wisdom.

Even when she occasionally asked about the origins of such knowledge, he would always play dumb, claiming he had just heard it somewhere, leaving her with nothing concrete to hold onto.

“You, are you still drinking milk like that? I’ve told you time and again that you should fix that clumsy habit.”

“·····!”

Regis, startled by Dawna’s critique, hurriedly wiped away the milk stain at the corner of his mouth.

Setting aside such clumsy moments, Regis’s presence was quite helpful to Dawna in many ways.

This unexpected boon was a pleasant surprise for her, who previously thought it would be good if he just didn’t get on her nerves.

She was aware of her own rather prickly personality compared to others.

But no matter what she said or did, Regis would take all her tantrums in stride, without even a frown.

It was more accurate to say he was adept at grasping the mood rather than merely being accommodating.

On days she wanted to talk, he would listen attentively with a gentle smile all day.

Conversely, on days she didn’t want to talk, he would lead the conversation naturally, creating a peaceful atmosphere.

What surprised her most was that on days when she wanted to focus on her research in silence, he too would quietly understand and keep to himself to do his own tasks.

His close-to-magic social skills would easily rival even those seasoned nobles from the royal family.

A man who had lived life twice.

Dawna had a vague sense of why the people around him addressed him that way.

Could it be that such words and actions were an artificial impression he created, and even those occasionally clumsy behaviors were part of that design?

That thought flitted through her mind for a moment.

However, seeing him tumble in open spaces and mismatching his shoes reminded her that couldn’t be true.

“What do you mean, you don’t know? Dawna, men are supposed to have at least one flaw for women to be smitten by them.”

“I’ve heard that hypothesis once before. Finding charm in someone’s shortcomings? That’s a notion I simply can’t grasp…”

Even though it was said in jest, the way some gazes watched Regis’s clumsiness with a sticky emotion wasn’t insignificant by any means.

Though he was often bullied and subtly discriminated against by the male students because of his habit of clinging like a mosquito to noble families.

Half of that was due to female students who wanted to see him flounder under duress, a fact he was ignorant of at that time.

“By the way, what are you so excitedly spending money on this time? While it’s your freedom to use the money I gave you however you wish, spending two-thirds of that much already? Moderation in extravagance, right?”

“Hahaha…”

Regis scratched his head, looking sheepish at a scolding from a child not even half his height. There was no sign of him as an elder there.

“I’m pretty sure I gave you an amount that wouldn’t make you feel guilty among other students. Could it be that you…?”

With narrowed eyes, Dawna scrutinized Regis, who was sweating coldly and laughing nervously.

The reason was simple.

Recently, rumors spread among the academy’s male students that many were using dubious channels to frequent disreputable establishments, casting a dark suspicion over Dawna’s thoughts.

Three months. A period neither too short nor too long, but enough to gauge someone’s character.

Though Dawna wasn’t particularly good at prying into human emotions, she could vaguely sense that he was not someone to frequent such places.

However, occasional flickers of mild suspicion were inevitable. And this was one of those moments.

“Actually, I’ve been donating monthly to the orphanage…”

“I’ve already heard that same old charity story so many times. What I want to hear about is the increased expenditures lately.”

“Ugh…!”

Regis squirmed back, trying to evade Dawna’s intense scrutiny, squinting his eyes shut.

But such dodging only spurred on Dawna’s doubts even more.

How long did that awkward standoff last?

“Sigh…”

Finally, with a defeated breath, Regis spilled the entire truth of where his hidden money went.

“You bribed the Vatican?”

“Shh! Quiet! Keep it down…!”

As she told him to be quiet, he yelled even louder, prompting Dawna to question him again.

“Don’t tell me you believe that ridiculous rumor, do you?”

“Cough…!”

His response was not what she expected, showing clearly he was hit where it hurt.

Recently, an unfounded rumor had been circulating within the academy.

It was said that the Vatican was secretly conducting selections to find promising young priests.

And the inspector responsible for that would soon visit this academy, though there was no solid evidence for it.

If they found someone with priestly talent, their future would be guaranteed.

All the academy students, though pretending otherwise, harbored vain hopes of being among the chosen ones.

“My goodness…”

“Ha, haha…”

What’s the point of saying anything?

He was also one of those pitiful individuals with such foolish wishes.