Even if you succeed in jobless reincarnation and time magic, you must live life to the fullest.

Therefore, I will not intervene unless absolutely necessary.

“I understand, Zanaba. Your loyalty to the Kingdom of Shilon is impeccable.”

I changed the subject and said, "However, relatively speaking, if we really come to a dead end, I hope you can survive... even if it's for Benedict's sake."

"...I understand."

Zanaba, unusually, didn't say much.

Instead, he looked rather serious.

I hope he really understands what I mean.

……

After chatting briefly, I asked about Julie's current situation in Zanoba.

Although I have rarely inquired about Julie since she came to the Kingdom of Shilon, I believe that Zanoba should have taken good care of her.

“Julie…”

Zanaba paused for a moment, then said, "She seems to be currently working as a royal artisan, specifically to meet the needs of the royal family. The work should be going fairly smoothly."

“…Is that so?”

Although it might be my imagination.

But Zanaba's tone seemed hesitant.

Could it be that he's hiding something?

Noticing my suspicious look, Zanaba sighed and said, "Well, actually, it seems that there has been a bit of a rift between me and Julie recently... I'm not really sure what's going on, but in short, I don't have a clear understanding of Julie's current situation."

"...What happened?"

My doubts deepened.

In my opinion, although Zanoba may seem a bit rough around the edges, he is actually a meticulous person beneath his rough exterior.

It's that kind of cute contrast – someone who seems carefree on the surface but is actually quite meticulous.

Simply put, it's emotional intelligence.

If Zanoba notices any problem, he should fix it immediately.

And to know there's a problem but take no action...

This is really not like Zanoba's style.

It would be better to inquire about this a little.

"Zanaba, if it's convenient... could you tell me about what's been going on lately?"

"If it's about my master, then of course there's nothing I can't say."

Zanaba carefully chose his words, and it was clear that he was very cautious.

Benedict bowed slightly, stood up and said, "Parcus should be back from school soon. I'll go see him."

"Ah, okay..."

After Benedict left.

Zanaba just said:

"Actually... Julie seems to be deliberately avoiding Yu lately."

Chapter Fifteen Julie

"Julie...is avoiding you?"

When I heard that, I almost thought I had misheard.

This is something I can't understand at all.

I remember very clearly Julie's feelings for Zanoba.

Although it was an impossible relationship, it's understandable that she would eventually choose to give up... But even so, it's hard to imagine that Julie would distance herself from Zanoba, or even actively avoid him.

I remember how close Julie was to Zanoba when they were at the academy.

Until Zanoba married Benedict, until the years before I left...

Julie's feelings for Zanoba should remain unchanged.

All she ever wanted was to be by Zanaba's side.

The longest confession is to stay by someone's side.

I think so.

Therefore, I cannot understand the current situation.

No.

If I had to put it into words, I could think of two possibilities.

First, Julie found a more suitable target.

It's not impossible.

Enduring a relationship that is absolutely impossible is no easy feat, and choosing to give up on a path that you know will never reach its end cannot be considered giving up halfway.

It can only be considered a case of turning back before it's too late.

To be honest, I think this is better for everyone.

Zanaba doesn't have to feel indebted to Julie, and Julie doesn't have to suffer the pain of unrequited love.

Both sides can be liberated.

As for why things turned out that Julie was becoming estranged from Zanoba...

I think it's best to explain it as a feeling of guilt.

Julie abandoned her relationship with Zanoba because she found someone new, and felt guilty in front of Zanoba, which is why she didn't dare to face him and chose to avoid him.

Ok.

The possibility is great.

As for the second possibility, that's much worse...

I turned to look at Benedict’s departing figure.

The second possibility is that Benedict said something to Julie.

I don't know the specifics of what was said, but if it affected Julie's attitude, I imagine it wasn't anything pleasant.

but……

I don't think Benedict is that kind of person.

Benedict and Julie were both my students, and they even worked together to create a doll for Parkus, and they weren't that far apart in age.

You could say their relationship was like that of sisters.

That's right, they are sisters.

Benedict, the older sister, and Julie, the younger sister.

I can't imagine Benedict speaking ill of Julie.

……

"it is good."

Zanaba suddenly spoke, then stood up from the sofa.

"Hmm? What's good about it?"

I was puzzled.

“Since Master has come all this way, why don’t we take this opportunity to go and visit Julie at her workplace?”

"...That's fine."

I had no reason to refuse Zanoba's proposal.

I haven't seen Julie in a long time, and I want to see her too.

"I wonder what Julie looks like now?"

Luo Qixi said thoughtfully.

She was also Julie's teacher; both Benedict and Julie had studied under her.

Luo Qixi has always cared about her former students.

“Julie is a dwarf, so her appearance shouldn’t change much.”

"I'll see her soon."

As I said this, I led Lokishi and followed Zanoba toward the workshop.

Along the way, Zanopa told me about the recent situation.

"Julie started distancing herself from me about a month ago. At first, I thought it was just because she was too busy with the workshop."

"However, when we met Julie by chance on the street later, she just said hello and left in a hurry, which made me feel that something was wrong."

Zanaba spoke calmly.

I asked, "Aren't you going to do anything?"

“Julie will know what she's doing.”

Zanaba said, "It's normal for girls to have worries. After all, even though Julie is petite, she's not a child anymore."

"not to mention……"

“Julie is no longer my slave. How could I possibly force her to give her everything?”

Zanaba's tone remained consistently calm.