"......"
"I'll definitely pass this exam, thanks to your support, Brother. Please watch over me."
"......Huh."
He gave a cold laugh, seeing how brazen I was being.
"......I see. It seems I was worrying for nothing."
He slowly moved away.
"How unfortunate, Lucia. You'll regret not heeding my words."
"Thank you for the advice, Brother. But shouldn't you worry about yourself first? I'm always worried about you too."
I bet he's already nervous about Banshees, who was born with Rodbel's magic unlike me. Does he have time to be here doing this?
I looked at him, conveying that meaning.
"Insolent."
Thankfully, the message was well-received.
Estio was glaring at me as if he wanted to tear me to pieces right then and there.
"You'll regret it."
Leaving those final words, Estio turned sharply and left the room.
"I-I'll be back in a bit too!"
Following him, Marine also hurriedly left the room.
Suddenly alone, I took a deep breath.
'Tired.'
I was already nervous with the exam right around the corner, but dealing with Estio on top of that made the fatigue hit me hard.
Clap clap.
"Let's get a grip."
I slapped my cheeks to rouse myself.
By the way, where did Marine suddenly go?
It's not just this time.
Lately, Marine has been leaving the room frequently.
'I used to be troubled because she wouldn't leave my side.'
Come to think of it, she seems to have been doing more individual activities recently.
'Did something happen?'
Just as I was thinking that,
Knock knock.
"Lady Lucia, it's time to depart."
The voice of the servant who had guided me to the room earlier was heard from beyond the door.
"I'm coming out."
I opened the door right away.
"Guide me."
"Will you not be accompanied by a maid?"
I shook my head.
"Understood. Please follow me."
I followed the servant toward the examination hall.
I ran into Banshees and Miracle, who had arrived earlier, in front of the door.
The two of them, who had been chatting amicably, paused when they spotted me.
Banshees widened his eyes, then quickly turned his head away, and Miracle...
"Lucia!"
She ran up to me and held my hand tightly.
She said, her violet eyes sparkling, "I'm so glad I get to take the exam with Lucia. Let's do our best together!"
I could feel the servant who had guided me smiling, finding Miracle's confident and energetic demeanor very endearing.
'Certainly......'
I quietly looked at Miracle, still holding my hand.
With her pure white hair, distinct purple eyes, and wearing a pure white uniform, Miracle looked like a fairy of snow.
'And so does Banshees.'
As soon as I looked toward Banshees, who was standing far away with a sullen expression, our eyes met.
"Hmph!"
As soon as our eyes met, he snorted and turned his head away.
Anyone could tell he was sulking... but was it just my imagination that he seemed to want me to notice?
Anyway, it seems like he doesn't want to deal with me either, so I turned my head away without any lingering feelings.
But...
'As expected, I'm the only one who stands out.'
In a bad way.
Miracle and Banshees suited the pure white uniforms perfectly, as if they were made for them.
In contrast, I felt out of place, as if I were forcing myself to wear clothes that didn't suit me.
"Lucia, you look the prettiest I've ever seen you today!"
Miracle exclaimed with a bright smile.
As if she really meant it.
If it were the past, I would have believed Miracle's words.
I would have thought that Miracle's eyes were a little special, so she found me pretty.
But...
'Good- bye. You dumb Lucia.'
Just before falling into the Abyss, Miracle's words to me were still vivid in my memory.
That was probably Miracle's true feelings.
But even until right before I died, there was no sign of such feelings.
Like the sight before my eyes now-
'I really like you, Lucia.'
She had said that.
Looking into my eyes, smiling like an angel.
Miracle was so holy that I couldn't even dare to feel jealous.
She was the only one in this house who liked me.
So I thought of her as salvation. But.
'That wasn't it.'
Miracle hated me just as much.
But she had simply packaged her true feelings with a smile and kindness.
'I don't think that's bad.'
It might be a side effect of being too kind.
But...
'She was smiling as she watched me fall into the Abyss.'
Mocking me, sneering, and enjoying my final moments.
'When did it start?'
When did you start hating me so much?
Even now, as you hold my hand tightly and meet my gaze with sparkling eyes, are you hating me inside?
"Lucia? What are you thinking about?"
Miracle tilted her head and asked, seeing me just staring blankly.
I quietly looked at her, and-
"I'm thinking of doing well, like you said."
I said with a smile.
"......"
Miracle stared at me silently.
A strange atmosphere flowed for a moment.
"You may now enter."
The servant announced the time.
"Shall we go in then?"
"Yes."
The door opened, and Banshees, Miracle, and I entered in order.
Stepping into the examination hall, I exclaimed inwardly.
'It's amazing, really.'
The examination hall was a converted grand conference room, with Duke Egon Rodbel in the seat of honor, and dignitaries and elders seated on either side.
In the center, seats were prepared for the candidates to take the exam.
Everyone was watching us.
It felt like I had come to be judged, not to take an exam.
I scanned the Duke's surroundings.
On the left were Estio, Leagueen, Aen, and the Rodbel elders seated.
On the right were the dignitaries seated, and...
I couldn't take my eyes off the man sitting right next to Duke Rodbel.
'That man is......'
Platinum blonde hair like sunshine, mysterious blue-gray eyes reminiscent of a sky full of dark clouds, soft eyes and lips with a faint smile.
The boy, who looked about the same age as Estio, was exuding an overwhelming presence even among the distinguished guests.
I could tell who he was at once.
'Bedel Denab Arpedel......'
The crown prince of the Arpedel Empire, and
'The man betrothed to Miracle.'
It was the man I had secretly watched through the small window of the attic.
But something was strange.
'How can the crown prince be here?'
That was because, during this time, the crown prince frequently collapsed several times a day due to an unknown illness.
'I remember him collapsing frequently even in the Duke's residence, so he often stayed there.'
Miracle was always by the Crown Prince's side.
I watched the two of them from afar.
Although I had never seen him in detail, I could still feel it.
The crown prince I had seen back then felt very weak and precarious.
But the crown prince before my eyes now could hardly be called weak.
He had a calm and faint smile, but a strange sense of intimidation was felt.
'What is it?'
Why has the atmosphere changed?
In fact, the change in atmosphere may not be a big deal, but the fact that the information I knew has changed was bothering me.
What could it be? What made the crown prince change......
Just as I was thinking that,
"Your Highness the Crown Prince......"
I glanced sideways at the voice that suddenly came into my ears.
Miracle was looking up at the Crown Prince, her cheeks flushed.
'Come to think of it, Miracle liked the Crown Prince.'
The two were in a political relationship, but Miracle really liked the Crown Prince.
When he visited the Duke's residence, she was busy getting ready from morning, and she stayed by his side all day long, chattering away.
'It was a betrothal promise that lasted for 10 years.'
The promise that Miracle made at the age of 9 blossomed when she was 19 years old.
At 19, Miracle officially became engaged to the Crown Prince at the same time as her debutante.
If the future had flowed as it was after I died, the two of them would have become husband and wife.
'Husband and wife.'
I suddenly imagined it.
Imagine me getting married to someone.
"Pfft."
As soon as I imagined it, it was so ridiculous that I burst out laughing.
I covered my lips with both hands, afraid that the laughter would leak out.
'Absolutely impossible.'
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