Cohabitation Application

Having set a time with Furubi, they waved goodbye at the tavern entrance, and Loya watched as her back—which seemed to come with its own soft-light filter—disappeared around the street corner.

Loya stood in place, his fingers habitually rubbing his chin.

The introduction date was set for next Wednesday, providing exactly one week of buffer time.

Although there was a recommendation, whether she would ultimately be hired depended on her personal performance.

However, he had great confidence in Timothée.

Managing ancient texts was highly related to magic.

Without a certain level of talent and aptitude, just looking at those magical texts would be dangerous for an ordinary person.

Therefore, it wasn’t a position that any simpleton with connections could handle.

In that regard, with Timothée’s status as a High Elf and her dedication to magic, she had essentially won half the battle already.

‘The advantage is mine,’ Loya thought, shaking his head with a sense of victory.

“Teacher… Teacher Loya?”

Timothée’s soft call pulled Loya, who was standing lost in thought at the tavern entrance, back to reality.

He let out an “Oh” and turned his head.

“Sorry, what did you just say?”

Timothée bit her lip.

“I was saying… after I quit, since I won’t be a member of Swan Lake anymore, I can’t keep living at the manor…”

“Oh. True, you’ll need to find a new place to stay.”

Loya patted his head.

“Miss Furubi hasn’t gone far yet; I’ll catch up and ask her if there are any other convenient places.”

Timothée’s eyes widened instantly, and she hurriedly grabbed her teacher’s sleeve.

What kind of joke was this?!

She had specifically waited for that walking “Holy Light Agent” to leave before bringing this up, and he wanted to invite her back immediately?

Does he think the road to happiness isn’t winding enough as it is?!

“Teacher, I’m afraid I won’t get used to living alone…”

“Oh. Then find a shared rental. There should be plenty of young girls in Florence sharing rooms; it’s safer with more people around.”

“Eh?”

Timothée frowned slightly in secret.

“Teacher, I don’t think it will be a long-term rental. Once I start working at the library, the Holy Sword Family should have dormitories, so it’s only for a little while.”

“That’s true. For a temporary stay, we’ll have to be picky… How about staying in a hotel for a week? Though it might cost a bit.”

‘Wait, is Teacher usually this dense?’

Timothée pouted.

But on second thought…

‘Oh, maybe from the standpoint of an adult male, it’s hard for him to say it directly?’

Lines like “Little girl, why don’t you come stay at my house, heh heh”—those really did sound too much like a kidnapper and would damage Teacher’s glorious image.

It seemed that sometimes, she really needed to take the initiative and throw a straight ball.

A faint blush crept onto the elf’s pale cheeks.

She mustered her courage, stood slightly on her tiptoes, leaned close to Loya’s shoulder, and whispered with warm breath.

“Um, if it’s alright, I’d like to stay at Teacher’s place for a few days.”

Loya blinked a few times.

Seeing no reaction from her teacher, Timothée steeled her resolve.

“Um, that way I could save a lot of money. Of course, I’ll pay my share of the rent.

Actually, the most important thing is… only Teacher can give me a unique sense of security.”

Loya habitually put his hand to his chin.

Back when they were in Swan Lake, they had lived together anyway, so there was no awkwardness to speak of.

However, the riverside manor was a grand villa with plenty of rooms to choose from.

Right now, in his half-room in the attic, there was nothing but a bedframe and a windowsill to sleep on.

“It won’t really work; there’s no space.”

Loya shook his head, his tone carrying a light, half-joking ease.

“You saw it for yourself when you went up last night. I can’t exactly… have you sleep in the same bed as me, can I? Haha… sorry, that was a greasy joke.”

‘The plan IS to sleep in the same bed as you!’

Timothée worked hard to maintain an expression of shyness and expectation.

Her small hands tightly gripped Loya’s wrist, and her jade-like eyes brimmed with tears.

“I-is it not okay?”

“……”

Loya froze for a beat.

Moved by the dependency in those eyes—

Wait, that’s impossible.

Thinking it through, if Timothée stayed with him, he could take the opportunity over the next few days to brief her on matters regarding the Holy Sword Family.

Most importantly, he could subtly tell her to keep an eye on the family’s internal movements.

Especially the actions of the King of Knights.

This was crucial for his upcoming plans.

“Fine. It’s for the best if you move in.”

“Is Teacher refusing because you find me annoying… Huh?!”

Timothée cut herself off mid-sentence.

She never imagined her teacher would agree so readily.

Happiness came so suddenly—she could actually sleep in the same bed as Teacher!

However, before she could enjoy the feeling for even half a second, Loya’s “patch” arrived immediately.

“The attic I’m staying in doesn’t have enough room, but there are rooms downstairs. It’s for a short time, so I can go talk to the old lady.”

Timothée’s expression was as dramatic as a rollercoaster, plunging from heaven straight to hell.

But on second thought, at the very least, they would be closer.

As long as they were under the same roof, there would always be opportunities.

When the time came, wouldn’t it be convenient to do whatever she wanted, however she wanted?

“Then, thank you, Teacher!”

A smile flashed back onto Timothée’s face.

A trace of successful cunning lingered at the corner of her mouth.

“Anyway, I’ll take you to see it first.”

Loya said as he prepared to turn and lead the way.

Timothée gave an obedient “Mm” and followed closely behind like a little bird.

In reality, there was no need for him to lead the way at all.

She already knew exactly where that house was and what the internal layout looked like; she was perhaps even more familiar with it than Loya himself.

To be precise, on the second day after her teacher had found that house, she had already thoroughly mapped out the surrounding environment and the building’s structure.

For a qualified observer, mastering the target’s environment was an essential basic skill.

Just as the two were about to cross the street, a menacing troop of horses suddenly galloped from the other end of the road.

“—Move! Move! Everyone get out of the way!”

Although the arrogant shouting gave some warning, the rapid and dense sound of hooves followed so closely that one barely had time to react.

Loya was quick-witted, grabbing his student and coming to an emergency halt, barely managing to avoid being hit by the rampaging horses.

Timothée took advantage of the momentum and, with a soft “Ah,” tumbled weakly into her teacher’s arms.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

Loya instinctively supported her, asking with concern.

“I-I’m fine…”

Timothée buried her face in his chest, her voice muffled and trembling with a hint of lingering fear.

In reality, her heart was filled with secret delight.

‘Ah, wait, saying I’m fine is a bit of a loss.’

‘I should have said I twisted my ankle so Teacher would have to carry me!’

While she was still wondering if it was too late to change her story, the young man leading the group on a magnificent white horse suddenly yanked the reins and looked back at them with a furious glare.

“You lowly commoners blocking the way, are you blind?!”

With that initial shout, the attendants riding alongside him also began to bark like dogs.

“How bold of you to dare block our Second Young Master’s path!”

“Open your dog eyes and look! Do you know who our Second Young Master is?

This is Second Young Master Mosolen of the Ignivel Family!”