Tiendavis - For Perfect Salvation - Chapter 36

“Then is the Count’s curse one that prevents him from saying things the other person doesn’t know?”

Ibi’s cautious guess made Sion feel conflicted.

“Why do you think that?”

When Sion asked for the reason, Ibi briefly explained her reasoning. Then she added:

“And you said it yesterday. The reason you didn’t tell me about the uncle was because I couldn’t recall it.”

Yesterday, right here, Ibi had lightly questioned Sion.

―Why didn’t you tell me earlier that the person who requested me was the astrologer who lived here?

―I couldn’t tell you because you couldn’t recall it.

Sion had answered like that then, and Ibi just thought his personality was truly awful.

But now that she knew about the curse, she could understand the real meaning behind those words.

“If the Count had told me about the uncle from the beginning, things wouldn’t have gone this far around.”

Of course, giving up the saint position was a separate matter.

“But you didn’t say anything in Tienda, and only told me belatedly here. After I knew you were staying in this house, and guessed your relationship with the uncle. Is this also because of the curse?”

Sion quietly swallowed at Ibi’s question.

Amaneseser, Sion’s archenemy, had predicted typhoons by looking at the sea in the past.

He counted the number and nature of typhoons as if seeing the future, but his ability was not foresight, but purely insight.

A miracle-like insight that confidently predicted future storms by meticulously reading the movement of the land, the weight of the sea, and the flow of the atmosphere.

Would it be too much of a stretch to compare Ibi Ariate, who examines every small piece without discarding and unfailingly pierces the truth, to such an Amaneseser?

“That’s correct.”

But Sion spoke calmly without showing any reaction.

“As you say, I cannot speak of things the other person doesn’t know. I was able to mention the astrologer because you were already certain about it, and I can acknowledge this now because you know it now.”

Ibi’s eyes widened again at Sion’s calm words.

In fact, Sion didn’t understand Ibi’s expressions like that very well either.

He wondered why she always pretended to be so innocently surprised when she was sharper than most cunning people.

But looking again, it wasn’t just an act, but Ibi’s true feelings.

Ibi doesn’t know many things. At least by her own standards.

So she wants to know more, and learns more new things as much as she desires.

Sion quietly looked at such an Ibi and asked just in case.

“What are you thinking now?”

“I’m thinking: He’s willing to work with me if he’s talking this much, is he dissatisfied with the curse but not using force due to his own standards, can I use this curse to distinguish what the other person knows and doesn’t know, was becoming a teacher also intended to figure out the curse, I hope Dies makes sandwiches for lunch today… that’s what I’m thinking.”

Ibi fully surrendered the thoughts in her head in response to Sion’s question.

Then she protested in a voice full of discontent.

“Count, I don’t think it’s gentlemanly at all to ask such questions when you know my situation. What if I was caught thinking something inappropriate and committed suicide out of shame?”

Ibi’s warning was reasonable and stern, but Sion had no room to accept her complaint.

He was in the middle of admiring her, unable to hold back any longer.

Sion Laurel, who was superior in everything except personality, naturally had high standards and criteria.

So he rarely admired others. Even when he saw excellent talent, his level of acknowledgment was at most light recognition.

But this time, even he couldn’t help but admire.

How long had it been since she confirmed the reality of the curse, and Ibi was already running that far ahead. All while efficiently planning lunch too.

At Ibi’s endless ideas, Sion suddenly recalled Ibi Ariate’s childhood that he learned about through the astrologer.

Ibi, who was only twelve years old, reached out towards Tienda, saying she would become a difficult person.

Sion now knows that it wasn’t ignorant and reckless vanity.

Ibi had already understood the countless inequalities of the world and drawn her own conclusions.

So of course it was useless for Sion to warn her that she would only be used if she became a saint.

How could this fraudulently capable person behave quietly when much more foolish people were occupying the top?

This Ibi Ariate was simply too talented to be left at the bottom just because of her birth.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I just realized how fatal this curse seems to be.”

“You know why, so why are you doing this?”

Ibi grumbled towards Sion who was staring at her intently.

Sion thought it was quite a skill to be able to act so cute even in this situation.

Of course, whether she was cutely clever or coolly clever wasn’t particularly important.

What’s important to Sion now is the new possibility that Ibi Ariate has shown.

For the past 5 years, Sion had to swallow what he knew alone because of this curse.

Of course, he had tried to convey this or make efforts to break the curse.

But the noose that his father had set with his life on the line was vicious and cunning, so it could be broken but not untied.

Moreover, Amaneseser, whom he now had to face with a clear mind, was a new ordeal for him.

So Sion was pushed onto two paths where neither compromise nor conciliation was possible.

Either watch the destruction thinking what’s the point of knowing about this kind of world, or continue to be used like a fool.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Sion’s choice was the latter.

No matter how much he denied and despised Laurel, what he had built up growing as Sion Laurel still firmly supported one of his pillars.

Things like honor, self-esteem, dignity, sense of responsibility, duty to principles.

Sion’s pride was too high to throw himself into the mud just because he was betrayed by his father.

So in the end, he decided to keep his place like a dog with a leash. Even though he knew it was what his father wanted most, even while forcibly enduring his grinding teeth.

The severance with Tienda was the best venting he could do.

I have fulfilled my duty and am already enduring more than enough, so don’t interfere with me in any way.

This fierce edge was a faint trace of the anger he had barely suppressed by pressing down again and again.

He spent 5 years like that, and for the first time, he saw a possibility to remove this bit.

Although he had already given up many things, he still didn’t want to miss this opportunity.

Sion opened his mouth as if he had made up his mind.

“I’d like to adjust yesterday’s proposal.”

“Adjust?”

“I can’t accept the first condition. But I’ll cooperate with the second condition.”

The first condition Ibi had put forward was not to recklessly block her path.

And the second condition was to cooperate in breaking her curse.

“Does that mean you’ll continue to interfere with me becoming a saint?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Find out the reason yourself.”

Sion thought Ibi would understand with this much.

But Ibi lightly kicked away his expectation.

“Then I don’t want to. I won’t do it.”

“…You won’t do it?”

“Yes, I won’t. How can I work with someone who will interfere with everything from the side?”

Ibi spoke as if indulging in a light whim. So Sion asked again with a hardened face.

“Don’t you know there are other reasons?”

“I do know.”

But Ibi remained calm regardless.

“That’s just your reason, Count. There’s no obligation for me to unconditionally follow you thinking you must have a valid reason, you’ll take care of it somehow. You’re not my father.”

Ibi was infuriatingly resolute, and Sion was at a loss for words at the unexpected refusal.

He was clearly an amateur when it came to negotiation.

The man who had only been busy making decisions, giving permissions, and issuing orders was not at all familiar with pushing and pulling to gradually gain benefits like this.

So when Sion momentarily broke down, Ibi spoke more shamelessly.

“Besides, I’m doing two things for you too. So you should accept both conditions too.”

“What two things are you doing for me?”

“One is understanding your heart, two is protecting you.”

Understanding and protecting.

At this intentional choice of words, Sion frowned, and Ibi sighed deeply with a disappointed face.

“I want to get along well with you, Count, but if it’s this difficult to adjust, I guess we have no choice but to forget about this…”

Ibi said that as she gently rose from her chair. Then Sion unconsciously grabbed Ibi’s arm.

Although her arm was suddenly grabbed, instead of being surprised or angry at this rudeness, Ibi tried her best to hold back her laughter.

Ah, Sion Laurel. You do have an innocent side.

Well, it was the same last time too. You roared and growled so well when you should have been hiding your weakness.

In fact, the Count doesn’t need to be this honest. Even if he really intends to interfere, he could just agree for now, get what he wants, and then backstab later.

But this Count slash Commander-in-Chief slash teacher stubbornly sticks to the direct approach.

It must be the habit of a beast that has never known humiliation.

Meanwhile, Sion, who had been frozen, seemed to sense Ibi’s mocking attitude and asked irritably.

“…Do you think you have the upper hand?”

“Yes, that’s right. I think I do.”

Sion’s molars ground together at Ibi’s honest answer.

After heating up the poor Count like that, Ibi removed Sion’s hand as if she had no choice and sat back down.

Then she spoke very demurely.

“Since you don’t seem to know how to compromise, Count, I’ll specially make one more concession.”

The expression ‘concession’ was also unfamiliar to Sion, but since he was the one in need now, he tried to listen patiently.

“Let’s do this. We’ll take turns cooperating on what the other person needs. And we’ll reach an agreement about the saint issue a week before the selection ceremony.”

Ibi declared to the now docile Count. Then, before he could object to the part about a week before the selection ceremony, she quickly added.

“If you want to make me give up on becoming a saint, please convince me by then. I’ll also do my best to figure out why you’re against it until then.”

Sion seriously pondered Ibi’s words, putting aside the feeling of being at a disadvantage.

The Commander-in-Chief might be poor at negotiation, but his judgment was decent. So he eventually acknowledged that Ibi’s proposal was the best option for now.

The two people with many secrets and strong stubbornness would absolutely not back down any further, so they would have to run parallel forever.

That’s a loss for both of them. Sion needs Ibi and Ibi needs Sion.

When Sion let out a long sigh, Ibi held out her hand as a proposal.

Sion glared at that small hand for a moment, but soon reluctantly raised his hand to grasp it.

As the Count finally came over, Ibi smiled brightly.

“Then I look forward to working with you, Count.”

“…Likewise.”

The Count showed something resembling a smile, uncharacteristically.

So the two people smiled cheerfully, without hiding their thoughts of using each other at all.