I felt awkward and found it hard to make eye contact.
And for good reason.
‘It doesn't suit me at all.’
This isn't a matter of self-love.
It's just a fact.
Subjectively and objectively, the word "cute" didn't suit me.
"Cute" is, well... yeah.
'It's a word that suits someone like Miracle.’
With an angelic face, a lovely smile, sparkling eyes, and glossy hair.
She was the kind of child who looked lovable to anyone.
On the other hand, I was...
‘Small, thin, dull, and dark.’
Again, this wasn't self-deprecation.
If Miracle and I stood side by side, anyone would look at Miracle and call her cute.
Except for one person, the man in front of me.
‘Aen is kind and considerate, after all.’
That's probably why he sees me in a better light.
Anyway...
Feeling embarrassed, I lowered the hand that had been covering my mouth and bowed my head to Aen.
"Thank you."
"Huh? For what?"
"You're busy, but you came to see me on purpose, right?"
"Ah."
Aen's eyes widened.
He seemed surprised that I knew that.
'How could I not know?'
On special days like today, Aen's role as the commander of the 1st Magic Knight Order becomes even more important.
I'm sure he's been busy without a moment to rest.
But in the midst of all that, he took the time to come see me.
Just for me, who must be anxious and nervous.
That kindness is too much.
So much so that I don't know how to repay it.
But...
"It seems like you're misunderstanding something."
"Misunderstanding?"
As I looked at him with a puzzled expression, he nodded.
"I'm more selfish than you think."
"……?"
What's he saying all of a sudden?
Aen is a selfish person? That can't be true.
"What I mean is, me being here today isn't just for you."
"……Then?"
"It's for my personal satisfaction!"
"Personal satisfaction?"
"Yeah!"
He answered coolly.
"You're my one and only disciple. The better you do, the better it reflects on me."
"Ah."
"So, helping you is also helping myself, that's what I'm saying."
I nodded.
Now that I think about it, that makes sense.
Then, Aen, who had been watching me quietly, soon smiled gently and stroked my hair lightly.
"And actually, when I see you, my fatigue disappears and I feel energized."
"Really?"
"Of course. I even feel full."
He patted his stomach as if to prove it.
Is he serious?
I stared at Aen's stomach with curiosity.
Then, laughter flowed from above my head.
"Anyway."
Ugh-cha.
Aen, who had stood up, looked down at me with a confident expression.
"Go and show them. Show them how wonderful and talented Aen Rixus' disciple is. Show them how amazing the disciple I raised is."
I stared at him blankly.
'Aen Rixus' disciple.'
Those words struck my heart.
Not a bastard of Rodbel, but a disciple of Aen Rixus.
The pressure that had been weighing on my chest changed to a different kind of pressure.
I wanted to show them, just like Aen said.
How amazing he is.
He's already amazing, but I wanted to prove it once again through me.
Just thinking about it made me feel motivated.
"Yes!"
I vowed with a determined face.
"I'll definitely show them."
"That's all I need."
He gave a satisfied smile.
But only for a moment.
After checking the time, he let out a small sigh.
"I have to go now. Thanks for the tea, Miss. See you at the test site later."
"Yes. See you later."
After Aen left, I finished preparing and was about to head to the test site when another person came to visit.
"Have you prepared well?"
I didn't expect Leagrin to come, so I could only blink and stare. His neatly trimmed eyebrows furrowed slightly.
"Has something happened?"
He must have misunderstood my silent stare as a sign of a problem.
I quickly shook my head.
"It's not that..."
"……?"
"I didn't expect you to come, Head Butler."
Even if it was Aen, it was really unexpected that Leagrin would come.
'He must be incredibly busy?'
Within the family, his position is the Head Butler, but he is also practically the Duke's secretary.
Therefore, Leagrin had to greet the guests flocking to the Duke's residence all day today.
How could he, who must be incredibly busy, be here?
"Ah, yes."
As if reading my thoughts, Leagrin nodded.
"I just came to check if you have finished preparing well. I have to leave immediately."
Ah, he just took some time out to come.
Well, yes.
'Since this is a matter of Rodbel's prestige, they must check if the children have prepared well.'
Seeing that he said he had to leave immediately, I wondered if I was the last one and asked.
"Am I the last one?"
"……? What do you mean?"
Leagrin tilted his head as if wondering what I meant.
His reaction was as puzzling to me as mine was to him.
"Didn't you check on Bansis and Miracle too?"
"Ah..."
Only then did Leagrin understand my words, and his expression became strange for a moment.
He uncharacteristically hesitated for a moment, then let out a faint sigh and said.
"If I had the time, I would have gone to check on the two of them as well, but it seems difficult due to a lack of time."
Wait a minute.
'So, he only came to check on me?'
……Why?
I didn't quite understand.
If there isn't much time, shouldn't he naturally go check on Bansis or Miracle?
'After all, no one cares about me.'
No, there might be some who are curious about how far behind this bastard is and take an interest.
But most of the attention will be directed towards Bansis or Miracle, so it would be better to reinforce them as much as possible.
Leagrin wouldn't be unaware of that.
'Maybe I was too unreliable?'
My preparation was so inadequate that it could disrupt the atmosphere of the test site itself.
Since I have to do the minimum, he might have come to check on me because of that.
'Hmm, that's very likely.'
If that's the case, it would be good to reassure him since he came to check on me anyway.
Thinking so, I said to Leagrin.
"I'll make sure not to cause any harm to Brother and Miracle, so you don't have to worry."
Then, once again, Leagrin replied with an expression as if wondering what I meant.
"……? I wasn't worried at all. Rather, I'm worried that Lucia's level is so outstanding that the two of them might look relatively lacking."
"……."
"Anyway, I expected it, but I'm glad you've prepared well. Then, I'll go ahead and wait. Please come safely."
Perhaps because he was really busy, Leagrin said only what he had to say and disappeared in a flash.
'What was that?'
We had a conversation, but it didn't feel like a proper conversation.
It was at that moment that I was slightly frowning with a strange sense of unease.
The door burst open, and Marin came in.
"Miss, I brought the clothes!"
What Marin brought was a pure white uniform with a pleated skirt that came down to the knees.
The jacket and blouse had the Rodbel emblem embroidered on them, and a purple ribbon was stitched onto the sleeves and the ends of the skirt.
"Oh my, it looks so good on you."
Marin exclaimed in admiration.
'Does it?'
I turned my head to look at myself in the mirror.
And then I chuckled.
'It doesn't suit me at all.'
My hair is black, but the bottom is all pure white, emphasizing the black hair even more.
It was the sight of someone wearing clothes that didn't fit them at all.
'If I stand between Bansis and Miracle, I'll stand out even more.'
Like a foreign substance buried in a pure white snowfield.
'Well, whatever.'
I've received so many stares like that that I know how to ignore them well.
But anyway.
'It's more comfortable than I thought.'
I raised and lowered my arms, thinking.
The fit was generous, so it wasn't uncomfortable to move at all.
It seems that it was made to be more active for the final test.
"And this is an amulet I'm giving you."
When I turned my head, Marin smiled ambiguously and took out a small cloth pouch from her arms.
Comments
Post a Comment