Chapter 07
“Umm… Young Miss Roselia will be a little late today.”
“I know.”
Rion quietly gazed out the window.
At first, he hadn’t been able to recognize anyone.
But through constant effort, he had eventually learned to tell the people in the mansion apart.
Only a handful of people knew that.
Rion had continued pretending that he couldn’t recognize anyone.
For some reason…
It felt safer that way.
Only she wears this scent.
The kind maid who cleaned his room every day—
Dyria.
All the maids wore the same uniform, so it was easy enough to tell what their role was.
But because they all dressed identically…
It had taken him a very long time to distinguish one maid from another.
It had taken him two whole years just to recognize Dyria.
He could never forget the look on Roselia’s face when she realized he had finally started recognizing people.
For the sake of seeing her smile…
He had worked harder than anyone.
There was only one person Rion could recognize without fail.
Roselia.
Her unique scent…
Her sweet voice…
Her footsteps…
Her habits…
He had memorized every single one of them.
Whenever Roselia laughed without realizing it…
The tip of her nose would wrinkle ever so slightly.
Whenever she became lost in thought…
She unconsciously pressed a hand against the back of her neck.
Without even noticing…
He had spent years engraving everything about Roselia into his memory.
Roselia still believed that he recognized her because of the blue ribbon.
But that was a huge misunderstanding.
The ribbon merely helped him notice her from a distance.
He already remembered everything else.
The sound of her running toward him.
The way she pronounced his name.
Every tiny detail.
Only five years left…
Why did time pass so quickly?
The thought alone made Rion’s heart ache.
“You’ve grown taller again today.”
“…Have I?”
“You’ll be a fine young man before long.”
At the maid’s words…
Rion bit his lip.
He didn’t want to grow up.
If I stayed a child forever…
Could I remain with Roselia forever too?
“I don’t want to become an adult.”
“Oh dear.”
“You must not want to be separated from Lady Roselia.”
The maid let out a soft sigh.
The two of them had spent nearly every day together.
It wasn’t strange that he dreaded the day they would eventually part.
Yet…
As Rion continued growing…
Everyone around him became increasingly uneasy.
Could he really be…
That cursed child from the rumors?
But those red eyes…
At that moment…
The maid noticed something strange in Rion’s gaze as he stared out the window.
For a brief instant…
A crimson light flickered within his black eyes.
There was no way she had imagined it.
“…!”
She instinctively trembled.
The moment their eyes met…
His irises glowed a vivid crimson.
Her mouth snapped shut.
“What’s wrong, Dyria?”
Dyria’s behavior had always been methodical.
She always stood exactly one step away from him.
She always wore the same badge so he could recognize her.
Resting casually against the windowsill…
Rion smiled brightly at her.
“You’re right.”
“I don’t want to be separated from her.”
“So…”
“I’m still just a child.”
“That’s right, Lord Rion.”
“You still look like one.”
Almost as if hypnotized…
Dyria nodded.
A strange sensation swept through her body—
As though something had suddenly been pulled out of her.
Her knees gave way.
She collapsed onto the floor.
“Roselia…”
“It seems everyone wants me to leave your side.”
The maids entered his room according to a strict rotating schedule.
Each one wore a badge of a different color.
Despite the cold things Roselia sometimes said…
She truly cared about him.
Thinking that…
Made him feel much better.
Glancing briefly at Dyria lying unconscious…
Rion looked out the window again.
A carriage was approaching the Count’s estate.
He somehow knew instantly.
Roselia’s inside.
He couldn’t explain why.
It was simply intuition.
At this hour…
It has to be Roselia.
Before she arrived…
He needed to wake Dyria and send her outside.
“Dyria.”
“Are you alright?”
Slowly climbing down from the windowsill…
He gently shook her awake.
After losing consciousness for only a moment…
Dyria sluggishly opened her eyes.
“Huh…?”
“Why am I…”
“You suddenly collapsed.”
“Here.”
“Drink some water.”
Smiling kindly…
Rion handed her a cup.
“Thank you.”
Tilting her head in confusion…
Dyria drank it.
She felt as though she’d forgotten something important…
Yet no matter how hard she tried…
She couldn’t remember.
“I think someone’s arrived.”
At Rion’s words…
Dyria nodded before taking his hand.
“It must be Lady Roselia.”
“Then we’d better go welcome her.”
As soon as she opened the door…
Rion immediately ran toward Roselia.
Watching him disappear down the hallway…
Dyria rubbed the back of her stiff neck.
How strange…
I suddenly feel completely drained.
I must be overworked.
“Rion.”
“That’s not right.”
“Again.”
Standing with my hands on my hips…
I sternly corrected him.
I was worried.
He still couldn’t control his mana properly.
“Simply absorbing mana isn’t enough.”
“It’s nowhere near sufficient.”
“You won’t be able to protect yourself that way.”
“But…”
“I only need to protect you.”
Rion slowly blinked as he looked at me.
Don’t look at me like that…
It’s unfair.
Did he even realize how expressive his eyes were?
Probably not.
“Rion.”
“Don’t worry about me.”
“I’m always the one worrying about you.”
Once Rion became an adult…
His crest would appear.
His power would awaken.
And his mana would erupt all at once.
“If I learn to control mana…”
“Will that make you happy, Roselia?”
“Mmm…”
“It would certainly help.”
“Rion…”
“I want you to go somewhere that truly values you.”
“Somewhere that recognizes your strength.”
“…I don’t want this power.”
He slowly opened and closed his fist.
His eyes fell to the ground.
It wasn’t surprising.
Anyone would resent a power like his.
Yet…
It was also the very reason he would survive.
“I hate seeing people look down on you.”
“I hate the way they look at you with disgust.”
“…”
“Rion.”
“If you want that to change…”
“You have to become someone no one can look down on.”
Eventually…
The whole world will kneel before you.
But before that day came…
His fragile heart needed to become stronger.
Well…
At least around me…
He could stay a little soft.
“Then…”
“If I become strong…”
“Can I stay by your side?”
For now…
He could say things like that.
But someday…
He would forget me.
Perhaps…
He wouldn’t even remember I had ever existed.
Suppressing the bitterness rising inside me…
I pretended not to understand.
“Hm?”
“If no one can look down on me anymore…”
“Can I stay with you?”
“You don’t need power to stay by my side.”
“No one pays attention to me anyway.”
For now…
His true power hadn’t awakened.
His crest hadn’t appeared.
His destined bond hadn’t been formed.
No one knew who he truly was.
No one knew what kind of power Rion possessed.
Unlike everyone else…
I already knew.
I knew exactly who he was.
I even knew who he was destined to marry.
Sadly…
His fate had already been decided.
Just like mine.
Still…
Would it really be so terrible if someone like me—
Someone who wasn’t the protagonist—
Managed to twist fate just a little?
I was trying this hard to survive.
Perhaps…
Just perhaps…
God might pity me enough to let me live.
Rion slowly reached out toward me.
Then quietly withdrew his hand.
“But…”
“You said before…”
“You’d marry someone else.”
His voice was heavy with sadness.
The one who should’ve been grieving…
Was me.
Then why…
Why did Rion look so heartbroken?
“I probably will.”
“I just don’t know who it’ll be.”
…Assuming I even lived that long.
Honestly…
I had no confidence in my future.
In a life where I didn’t even know what tomorrow would bring…
Marriage felt like a distant joke.
Looking at Rion…
Who hesitantly asked his next question…
I wondered what was bothering him so much.
“If I become stronger…”
“Then you won’t have to marry someone you don’t love either…”
“…Right?”
“Hmm…”
Only time would tell.
I had no way of knowing now whether my future marriage would be one I wanted or hated.
Since I wasn’t destined to receive a soulmate’s crest…
Marriage wasn’t something I’d seriously thought about.
Lately…
He’s been asking such strange questions.
Without warning…
I lightly slapped both of his cheeks.
“Ow…”
His startled expression was unbelievably adorable.
It wouldn’t do for him to keep overthinking things.
Hoping to change the subject…
I smiled.
“Rion.”
“Do you really hate the idea of being apart from me?”
“I wish I never had to grow up.”
His childish complaint made me laugh.
“I feel the same.”
“But…”
“I’m curious about what you’ll be like as an adult.”
Growing up wasn’t always wonderful.
It meant entering complicated noble society.
Smiling politely at people you hated.
Slowly losing pieces of yourself.
Just look at my father.
He had thrown away even his conscience in pursuit of profit.
Even so…
I couldn’t help wondering what Rion would look like once he grew up.
“…You’re curious?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sure you’ll become an amazing man.”
Just imagining it made me smile.
A tall figure.
A handsome face.
A strong body.
And power beyond anyone else’s reach.
You’ll be incredible.
Watching his dark hair sway gently in the breeze…
I smiled brightly.
“When that day comes…”
“Don’t forget me.”
“No matter where you are…”
“I’ll find you.”
Rion gently took my hand.
Then…
He softly pressed a kiss against the back of it.
The unfamiliar gentleness in his actions…
Made my entire body freeze in surprise.
