'Gasp, what? There was someone here?'
I was so shocked that I even felt a pang of pain in my chest.
I pressed my hand subtly against my chest and cast my gaze upon a figure slowly emerging from a spot previously obscured by the building's shadow. I was on high alert, ready to scream at any moment, when a handsome man with a gentle demeanor appeared, raising both hands in a very cautious manner as if surrendering.
"Are you alright? I happened to be out of sight, so I ended up startling you."
"...I came out thinking no one was here, but I didn't realize there were guests here. If I had known, I would have moved aside for you."
I subtly showed signs of discomfort.
It was surprising enough that someone suddenly popped out, but it was a disaster that it had to be a man of all people. The terrace was a space where anyone could come and rest, but it was also used as a place to meet people discreetly. So, if someone were to catch me with a complete stranger—a man at that—it was obvious I would get entangled in a troublesome situation. I couldn't help but be nervous.
I looked at the face of the man approaching cautiously, as if to reassure me with wary eyes, and was slightly surprised.
'This guy... isn't he the guy who danced with Ariadne earlier?'
It was that very brown-haired, handsome man with a gentle aura.
The man's face suddenly brightened at my surprised reaction, as if he were expecting something.
"I thought you didn't see me, so I hesitated about what to do and ended up missing the timing. I was also surprised because I didn't expect to meet you again like this."
"Huh? When did we meet again?"
If seeing me just a moment ago was all there was to it, there was no way they would have gone out of their way to mention that we met again like that. With an even more surprised look on my face, I lightly covered the corners of my mouth with a fan.
"Ah..."
The man smiled somewhat wistfully, with a slightly disappointed look on his face. How should I put it? Should I say it looked like a smile of embarrassment at his own overreaction? But that was only for a moment; he soon curved his eyes smoothly, as if to compose himself.
"I met you before at the Imperial Palace library. You were surprised then, and I seem to have surprised you again this time."
"The library? Well, ah! The Imperial library!"
"You remember! That's right. You were reading the Imperial Book that day."
It was the day I went to the archives to rummage through books for the first and last time, claiming I wanted to do some research early on. He was the only man who had ever come to the archives, and I definitely heard his name back then...
'Ah! Ethan Liart!'
Right. Later, I remembered being puzzled that Ariadne had another older brother besides the eldest son, Marquis Liart.
"Yes, I remember now. It's nice to see you again!"
My only thought was to get out of the terrace immediately, but when one of the things I had been curious about actually appeared before my eyes, I hesitated. I slightly covered my lower face with a fan and stared blankly at Ethan's face, which was beaming with delight.
"That's right. Actually, I went to the library a couple more times since then, but I was disappointed that I couldn't see the Princess, perhaps because the timing was off. It makes me even happier to meet you in such an unexpected place."
Ethan looked genuinely in good spirits. So much so that his brown hair, tousled by the cool breeze, and his long, gracefully curved eyes looked incredibly refreshing.
Unlike Thierry, who was like the intense sun of midsummer, Ethan possessed a mysterious power that calmed the mind like a tranquil lake on a spring day. Anyone else would have immediately recoiled at the mention of stopping by the library again. A slight smile crossed my face as I suddenly recalled him blushing shyly and rushing out of his seat on the day we first met.
"The final farewell was a bit awkward, wasn't it?"
I lowered my fan and nodded slightly, assuming that he had sought me out because his behavior back then was bothering him.
"Ah... right. It's embarrassing."
Ethan widened his eyes slightly, then smiled shyly. The more I looked at him, the more he seemed like the colors of spring. However, as I focused on him, an unusual eye color caught my eye.
'I must not have noticed earlier because it was far away. Looking at it this way, I guess you really are siblings.'
I hadn't noticed it because of the soft lighting, but upon closer inspection, Ethan's eyes were a bright pink, possessing the rose-pink color that is the unique color of the Liart family, just like Ariadne's.
'This person must have had a really insignificant presence in the novel. I don't remember him at all.'
I recalled Ethan dancing with Ariadne earlier. Ariadne looked incredibly happy at the time; it was enough to make it immediately clear that she was loved by her brothers.
"Come to think of it, your name is Sir Ethan Liart, isn't it?"
So, I became curious for no reason. I wondered why it hadn't even been mentioned, given that the affection was so obvious.
"It is an honor that you remember me. However, I would appreciate it if you would drop the honorifics and call me comfortably."
"Oh! I'm sorry. You told me last time, but I ended up making the same mistake again. I guess it's because of the knight I travel with that I've gotten used to using honorifics."
"Haha. It is alright. Since it has become a trend lately for even nobles to receive knighthoods, it is understandable that you are used to being addressed as 'Sir.' However, I..."
Ethan trailed off and smiled awkwardly. He paused for a moment, looking down at the floor like someone embarrassed, before meeting my eyes again.
"To my shame, I have been in poor health since birth, so I was physically weak and could not get out of bed for long. Relying only on my family's care, I was just a person who could barely dream of becoming a knight while staying at home, but since you called me that, I would rather express my gratitude for fulfilling my childhood wish."
"...I see. But you look very healthy now. If it is not too much trouble, may I ask if you have recovered?"
"Of course. Fortunately, I have fully recovered."
"I see! Your family must have been very happy."
He spoke of being sick in the past tense, and since he looked slender and robust at first glance, I asked him, and it turned out to be just as I expected. I smiled with relief and lightly cheered him.
"Hmm..."
What's with that look on your face? Why are you hesitating to answer?
My lips stiffened awkwardly at the way he exuded an aura that seemed to be about to reveal a story.
"Unfortunately, my health improved after my parents passed away in a sudden accident; perhaps due to the shock, I awakened to Mana. If things hadn't turned out that way and I had recovered naturally, they would have been very happy, just as you said."
"Ah. So that's the situation..."
Why are these sad premonitions never wrong?
I deliberately put up a provocation just to test him a little, but I didn't expect him to tell me the details this thoroughly. And to think that, of all things, the story would be this heavy. If I could turn back time by even a few seconds, I would want to shut my mouth right then and there.
'What do I do... Am I an idiot? I thought of everything else, but why didn't I consider the possibility that the former Marquis and his wife might not be here?! Ah. I'm really sorry.'
I couldn't continue speaking, my face showing I didn't know what to do. Seeing Ethan look at me with an expression that seemed to say he was sorry for bringing this up, I was naturally left speechless.
As if he felt uncomfortable with me merely moving my lips and glancing at him, Ethan waved both hands and opened his eyes wide.
"It is all in the past anyway. I absolutely did not mean to make you uncomfortable. Please do not take it to heart. I hope you like it."
Then, as if trying to hastily change the subject, he suddenly thrust his palm out in front of me.
"Ah, it feels a bit awkward to say it's thanks to you, but since then I've been able to handle magic, albeit weakly, so it's not bad."
I flinched for a moment. I pulled my chin back. As I looked back and forth between his face and his hand with a bewildered expression, asking why he had stuck this out, he smiled like a boy and lowered his gaze to his palm.
'What on earth are you trying to do... huh?'
I followed him and looked at his palm again. Whoosh... As the wind blew, I saw small lights forming droplets on his palm.
“Wow...!”
At the sight of the small green light, the corners of my mouth naturally curled up. It wasn't the first time I had encountered magic, but it felt like watching some fascinating trick right in front of my eyes, so it was hard to take my eyes off it.
As if sensing my feelings, or as if that wasn't the end of it, Ethan soon scattered those lights into the air with the wind, illuminating the surroundings. The sky twinkled like fireflies lighting up the darkness.
“It’s so pretty!”
"It's dazzlingly beautiful."
As I marveled in pure admiration, he whispered sweetly as if he shared my sentiment. The scenery, with the stars filling the sky and the surrounding lights mingling together, was truly spectacular.
I did not take my eyes off the scene for a long time, and only turned my gaze to him after the light had slowly lost its strength. And as if he had happened to look at me as well, our eyes met in the air as if we had been waiting for this moment.
"Ah. I would like to show you more, but excessive use of magic is forbidden within the Imperial Palace."
Ethan looked up at the sky with a slightly flustered expression.
'Why is he so surprised? Did I show a hint of disappointment?'
I smiled awkwardly and lightly rubbed my cheek.
"This is enough. I feel like I've received a happy gift!"
"That’s a relief, then. But are you okay with the cold? I think the wind was a bit too strong. Even though the weather has warmed up a lot, the wind is still chilly..."
Ethan's gaze swept across my face. With a look of utter helplessness, he was already unbuttoning his jacket, as if he wanted to take it off and give it to me right then and there. What if that caused a misunderstanding! I quickly raised both palms to stop him.
"Oh. It's okay! I should go inside now."
I smiled slightly and gestured toward the door. I had already heard enough from him, and I didn't want to cause any misunderstandings, so there was no reason to stay any longer.
"Ah... I suppose so."
"Yes, because I can't really stay here forever."
Perhaps because he was the type who couldn't hide his true feelings, Ethan's facial expressions changed quickly. At the way he lowered the corners of his eyebrows so pitifully, I could only smile awkwardly.
"Then I will step out this way. Even if I leave later, it could still be misunderstood as having been in the same space."
"... That’s a railing, isn’t it?"
"Ah. I can just climb down the wall."
"The wall? Uh, um... Are you sure you'll be okay?"
"Of course. Would it be better if I went down first? Someone might see if I open the door."
I didn't even have a chance to stop him. As soon as he spoke, Ethan headed toward the railing near the wall with tremendous force.
Previous Next
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment