46. A kind and affectionate young master
"Uh..."
Her body was naturally drawn to the strong and sturdy arms.
Ceres hugged Diarin's body tightly.
“Mr... Ceres...?”
Ceres pressed the back of Diarin's head against his chest.
It was the same posture that Diarin used to calm Ceres down when he was excited.
“The heartbeat is loud.”
“...”
He wasn't complaining about being noisy.
Just as she had calmed Ceres, Ceres was trying to calm Diarin.
As soon as she sensed Ceres' intentions, tears welled up in her eyes.
"Ugh..."
As Diarin's shoulders trembled, Ceres tightened his grip on her arm.
Diarin was comforted by the warmth of the arms holding her.
It was a warm comfort.
Diarin cried for a long time in Ceres' arms.
Ceres didn't tire and didn't let go of his arms until Diarin stopped crying.
“Hmph, I’m okay now.”
When Diarin, exhausted from crying, raised her head in embarrassment, the strength in Ceres' arms finally released.
Even to Diarin herself, her heartbeat had subsided.
However, Ceres did not completely let go of his arms, but instead stared down at Diarin while still holding her.
“...It’s really okay.”
Her cheeks felt ticklish for no reason at the sight of someone staring at her from right in front of her nose.
Diarin pretended to wipe away her tears, scratching her cheek with her palm and gently pushing Ceres' chest.
Although it was not a strong force, Ceres was pushed back obediently.
His meekness touched her heart.
This time, she wasn't moved to tears, but rather moved differently.
“Mr. Ceres is kind.”
"Kind..?"
She didn't feel like explaining each word right now.
“Good.”
Ceres remained silent.
Regardless of what others around him thought, Ceres consistently paid no attention.
Right now, he's relying on Diarin to survive, but if one day he becomes a true master and starts living his own life, that would be very attractive to people.
“A shameless young master would only talk to a brat like that.”
“?”
“Don't be such a brat, Mr. Ceres.”
"Uh..."
Her body was naturally drawn to the strong and sturdy arms.
Ceres hugged Diarin's body tightly.
“Mr... Ceres...?”
Ceres pressed the back of Diarin's head against his chest.
It was the same posture that Diarin used to calm Ceres down when he was excited.
“The heartbeat is loud.”
“...”
He wasn't complaining about being noisy.
Just as she had calmed Ceres, Ceres was trying to calm Diarin.
As soon as she sensed Ceres' intentions, tears welled up in her eyes.
"Ugh..."
As Diarin's shoulders trembled, Ceres tightened his grip on her arm.
Diarin was comforted by the warmth of the arms holding her.
It was a warm comfort.
Diarin cried for a long time in Ceres' arms.
Ceres didn't tire and didn't let go of his arms until Diarin stopped crying.
“Hmph, I’m okay now.”
When Diarin, exhausted from crying, raised her head in embarrassment, the strength in Ceres' arms finally released.
Even to Diarin herself, her heartbeat had subsided.
However, Ceres did not completely let go of his arms, but instead stared down at Diarin while still holding her.
“...It’s really okay.”
Her cheeks felt ticklish for no reason at the sight of someone staring at her from right in front of her nose.
Diarin pretended to wipe away her tears, scratching her cheek with her palm and gently pushing Ceres' chest.
Although it was not a strong force, Ceres was pushed back obediently.
His meekness touched her heart.
This time, she wasn't moved to tears, but rather moved differently.
“Mr. Ceres is kind.”
"Kind..?"
She didn't feel like explaining each word right now.
“Good.”
Ceres remained silent.
Regardless of what others around him thought, Ceres consistently paid no attention.
Right now, he's relying on Diarin to survive, but if one day he becomes a true master and starts living his own life, that would be very attractive to people.
Someone might be comforted just as she is now.
Or find support.
Calling such a Ceres a rude young master was too much.
“?”
“Don't be such a brat, Mr. Ceres.”
“Then what should I do?”
“Be a kind and affectionate young master.”
A gentleman who makes you feel warm and cozy, as if you were in the sunshine with the person you are with.
A gentleman who doesn't hurt people harshly.
Ceres nodded, not knowing what Diarin was talking about.
"Yes."
Diarin chuckled.
Without even knowing what a kind and affectionate young master is.
But there was also faith that Ceres would do it.
***
The mansion, devoid of people, was eerily quiet.
In the quiet house, even the smallest sound could be heard loudly.
Diarin realized the magnitude of the noise she was not aware of.
No matter how much people tried to keep their voices quiet, they couldn't hide their presence.
She just wasn't aware of the presence.
“I think there’s a fly in the house.”
It was so bad that she could even hear a fly flying in and hitting the window.
“Two.”
“...Two?”
No matter how well Diarin listened, she was nothing compared to Ceres.
“Where is it?”
It wasn't visible from the living room window.
Ceres answered without even looking around.
“Blue room, yellow room.”
The blue room is three rooms away from the living room, and the yellow room is at the end of the hallway.
The surprise went beyond a certain level and gave way to a slight shock.
“You didn’t become dull, did you?”
At this point, it doesn't seem like much has changed since the beginning.
If he's sensitive enough to know where the fly is in the other room, it's not much different from when he came running from the other end of the room, sharpened by the sound of Diarin's heartbeat and breathing.
“It didn’t get dull.”
“Then how can you stand it? Isn’t my heartbeat loud?”
“It’s okay.”
Diarin shut her mouth and stared at Ceres.
Ceres looked at Diarin with a completely indifferent expression.
Meanwhile, a fly from another room flew into the living room.
Ceres threw the cushion without even looking at the fly.
It was a loud noise for a cushion hitting a wall.
Wasn't that the sound of a fly bursting to death?
“...It’s gotten quiet.”
As soon as the cushion fell, the sound of the fly disappeared.
Quietness returned again.
Then, a loud bang erupted from far away.
"What?!"
Diarin looked in the direction from which the startled sound had come.
Outside the window, sparkling debris drifted down into the distant sky.
Immediately afterwards, a loud bang sounded again.
This time, the fireworks that lit up the sky were clearly visible.
It was a flame smaller than a fingernail, as it was quite far from the city center.
“Ah... is that a congratulatory cannon?”
The source of the loud noise was fireworks used at the festival.
The festival's excitement filled the streets during the daytime, and as night fell, it began to become even more intense.
It's not like they just set a date and let people enjoy themselves, and the royal family even spent money on it, so it's going to be a pretty big festival.
“Happy birthday to His Highness the Second Prince.”
Diarin sent her congratulations insincerely.
The street scene she saw passing by came to mind.
People must be having fun over there right now, right?
Cannon fireworks exploded in succession. Imperial funds rained down beautifully from the sky.
“Mr. Ceres, are you okay?”
"Yes."
The sound of the cannon fire was almost identical to the sound of bombs on a battlefield.
Diarin looked at Ceres, worried that he might be acting strange, but he seemed even calmer than Diarin herself.
The sight was so amazing that Diarin couldn't take her eyes off Ceres for a long time.
“How are you okay?”
“Everything is okay when Diarin is by my side.”
"...Really?"
Diarin knew her own stabilizing effect well.
So she was letting Ceres get obsessed and clingy.
Medicine should be taken when needed.
Even medications that seem like they will never be able to be stopped will become so effective that you will stop reaching for them on your own.
Diarin thought of her existence as just medicine.
But she didn't know it was such an effective medicine.
“Come to think of it, Mr. Ceres, I don’t think you’ve been excited or anxious lately.”
As she recalls, Ceres has been so peaceful lately that it's almost quiet.
So much so that even if people working in the mansion accidentally make noise, nothing happens.
Now, even the sound of firecrackers that reminds him of the battlefield is okay.
“Mr. Ceres, can you live like a normal person now?”
“What is the normal standard?”
“Not trying to kill people because they’re noisy, answering questions, and not being noisy and running wild when others are quiet?”
The purpose of this project was to 'create a master'.
The goal was to look cool in social circles.
If that happens, Diarin's role is over.
"Possible."
Diarin blinked at Ceres's answer.
...Is my work done?
Is this the end of the project?
How can this happen just after she thought about it and decided to work hard?
But when it's really time to end it, there's no need to hold on any longer.
“...Without me?”
It was the final confirmation.
Wouldn't it be the real end of the project if he could do well in social circles without Diarin?
"No."
But Ceres firmly denied it.
“...Um, yeah. I thought so.”
Diarin's shoulders, which had been tense with tension, slumped.
Why were you so nervous? When work is over, you can just happily go back to work, get promoted, and collect your allowance.
She felt relieved and relaxed, knowing that Ceres still needed her. She couldn't even fathom her own feelings.
“Uh. Then wait a minute. If you're alone, will you be okay in any situation?”
"Maybe."
Diarin's eyes rolled back.
Outside, a large crowd had gathered for the festival.
A frenzied atmosphere with singing, performances, and marching.
A noble's party might be more refined than that, but any place where people gather to have fun will ultimately be similar.
Songs, performances, crowds.
There was even a person who recognized Ceres and approached him to talk to him.
He might bump into someone in the crowd or barely pass them by.
It is impossible to artificially create and practice all such situations.
'But if it's okay at a festival, it's sure to be okay at a party, right?'
Diarin applauded herself as a thought flashed through her mind.
“Mr. Ceres, don’t you want to come see our festival?”
"...festivitcal...?"
He knew what a festival was, the dictionary definition of it.
He learned the meaning of the words from the book.
It's just hard to connect the dots and imagine what it actually looks like.
“There will be a lot of people. It will be noisy.”
"Hmm..."
Ceres' face was filled with worry as she thought, 'Why should I go there?'
"The party will be similar. Think of it as practicing in advance. I won't be at the party."
“...Isn’t Diarin at the party?”
"Well, it's a bit odd for a priest to go to a party. By then, Ceres will be able to do well on your own, so I won't be needed."
Since the day hadn't arrived yet, Diarin couldn't be sure.
“And, I hope Mr. Ceres can make some happy memories too.”
But that's when Ceres can enjoy it.
Diarin hoped that Ceres would have the same festival memories he never had.
Even if she is not by Ceres' side, he can find strength in those memories and live on.
"Yes."
Ceres thought for a moment, then nodded.
He felt like he could go anywhere with Diarin.
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