Chapter 33
“Shuri. Are you unhappy that I came?”
It wasn’t early morning… but seeing Kiel sitting so naturally in my house since the morning made me freeze.
Why is he here? The ducal estate and our house are pretty far apart!
“Kiel came without contacting me first, so I was surprised. What brings you here?”
“……Shuri. Do I need a reason to see you?”
He spoke gloomily, paused for a beat, then continued.
“I just wanted to see you. I was worried whether you got home safely yesterday.”
His eyes curved softly. Without realizing it, I almost clapped at a face that was completely my type and hurriedly stopped my hands.
You almost fell for it…! What is this, are you running a beekeeping farm in your eyes?
Unbelievably, the sweet gaze he sent me made me think I might get diabetes.
Gasp, is this some advanced tactic to give me diabetes?! Whew, I almost got fooled.
“Yes. In the past, didn’t you never even come to see me at all?”
Feeling proud of myself for seeing through his scheme, I replied shamelessly.
There had been that whole incident where the holy sword called me an idiot and I threatened it, but thanks to quick handling, Kiel hadn’t noticed anything.
When I snapped back at him, Kiel looked slightly hurt. He probably thought he hid it well, but it was obvious to me.
But I hadn’t forgotten.
My childhood days painted with his disregard and avoidance!
The way he coldly looked at me and ignored me even when I acted cute!
“I’m sorry about back then. I was too ignorant—”
“Ignorant? Everyone called you a genius, didn’t they?”
When I exaggeratedly covered my mouth, he hesitated, realizing I was being sarcastic.
Would he get angry? Or ignore me?
My expectation was wrong. Even after hearing my sarcasm, Kiel smiled like spring blossoms.
…He’s not actually about to die, right?
I forgot my resentment and started worrying sincerely.
“That’s true. I was outstanding academically. But… when it came to human relationships, I was terrible.”
Kiel shrugged.
What?
I stared at him with my mouth wide open, unable to close it.
In the novel, he had an extremely narrow social circle and believed he didn’t need relationships with others.
For him to say something like this… With the intervention of a ‘me’ different from the original Shurer, he had completely changed.
Is this what you call turning over a new leaf?
“Shuri. I’m sorry if I hurt you when we were young. I’m sorry for coldly ignoring you and avoiding you. Back then, I judged you as untrustworthy because you poured tea on Lotte. Even after that, you seemed to be doing well.”
“I’m sorry.”
Hearing such a clear apology from his mouth, the jaw I had barely managed to close dropped wide open again. I didn’t need a mirror to know my face looked utterly dazed.
Did Kiel really just apologize? I never thought I’d hear that, not even in my dreams.
If he said this was all a plan to dislocate my jaw, I’d almost feel relieved.
“……Kiel. Are you sick? You’re not dying or anything, right?”
This was serious. At this level, it had to be a terminal illness.
It was weird from the moment he volunteered to be my wallet yesterday!
When I looked at him worriedly, Kiel slightly avoided my gaze. His earlobes, which I caught a glimpse of, were flushed red.
“I’m not sick. I’m fine.”
“Then that’s a relief, but……”
I abandoned Revenge Plan No. 1: Being Mean. I guess I really can’t stay determined for more than three days.
“So anyway, how did you get here? Aren’t the ducal estate and the count’s estate far apart?”
“Hm? Ah. Don’t you remember? Before you left, Lotte said we bought the land next to the count’s estate and were doing construction.”
Kiel met my gaze, his expression softer than before, tracing the round rim of the teacup with his index finger.
Unlike his smiling face, mine completely collapsed.
I forgot! No, wait—did he really finish that place and actually live there instead of staying in a perfectly good mansion?! What kind of situation is this?!
“Surprised?”
Seeing my shocked expression, he chuckled.
“Why are you laughing?”
I asked irritably, but Kiel didn’t stop laughing. Somehow, his gaze felt even thicker and sweeter than before.
At this rate, I really will get diabetes.
“It’s just… now it finally feels real that you’re actually right in front of me.”
“Huh? Ah. Y-yeah……”
I stared at him, his eyes curved like crescent moons and his voice languid, before snapping back to my senses and sipping my tea to avoid his gaze.
Strangely, my chest felt ticklish, and I could feel my heart pounding faster.
“What is this?”
Angina?
—Ugh.
While my inner selves debated whether it was arrhythmia or angina, the holy sword—currently transformed into a small dagger and hanging at my side—made a gagging sound, like it was vomiting despite being a sword that couldn’t even eat.
—This is absolutely nauseating!
The holy sword snorted.
What part of this is nauseating—wait, you have eyes now? You’re a sword!
I shook my head, momentarily swept up in Rel’s humanlike pace. When I did, I noticed Kiel’s gaze was fixed on me.
I thought I should send him away quickly. My heart was racing enough to make angina concerning, and I also had to visit the Mage Tower again today.
Ah. This time, I should bring Ventus with me.
“Kiel, aren’t you busy?”
Won’t you leave soon? I cautiously tested the waters while checking his expression. Thankfully, it didn’t change.
“No, I’m fine. This is more important.”
Kiel extended his long fingers and lightly touched the tips of my fingers on the table. It tickled oddly, so I pulled my hand away and avoided his smiling face.
“Shuri, do you dislike me being here?”
“It’s not that, just a little un—comfortable. No, that’s not it.”
Mom! Why did you raise me to be weak against good looks…! Waaa. Don’t make that expression! It makes me feel like I did something terribly wrong!
“Then do you like it?”
“Huh? No, that’s not something you can ask like that……”
I squeezed my eyes shut. Avoiding his hopeful gaze, I suddenly remembered something Kiel had once said.
“I don’t like you. But I don’t dislike you either.”
“I don’t like you, and I don’t dislike you either.”
Quoting Kiel’s old words, I answered firmly, unlike before. His expression stiffened for a brief moment, but soon he acted nonchalant again.
“You used to say you’d marry me. Did you get tired of me already?”
“No! That was when I didn’t know any better!”
That makes it sound weird! To be precise, I was eight back then and needed to win you over! Of course you’d never know my real intentions. And you never will!
“Yeah, that’s right. You’re completely right, Shuri.”
He slumped forward onto the table and let out a small laugh. For a moment, it felt like flower petals were fluttering around him. His eyes curved into half-moons, and reflected in them was a slightly flustered me.
Getting excited over something a fifteen-year-old said… Gold bar one, gold bar two, gold bar three… Land deed one, land deed two…
Whew. Calm achieved!
“So you’re really not busy?”
“Yeah.”
“Really?”
“…A little.”
In the end, Kiel admitted it while meeting my persistent gaze.
I knew it.
When I stood up from my chair, he grabbed my arm. Judging by his expression, it seemed to be an unconscious action.
“Where are you going?”
“Kiel, go to work. I have somewhere to go today.”
“……By yourself?”
“No. I’m planning to take Ventus with me.”
Huh…? Did I just hear the sound of teeth grinding?
I felt puzzled, but Kiel was smiling.
“Alright. Be careful.”
“Yes. Take care of your health too, Kiel.”
Still smiling, Kiel left the estate. I felt a pang of regret at his reluctant departure, but his sudden visit had already delayed me.
I hurried toward Ventus’s room.
“Ventus, are you there?”
Knock knock. When I knocked twice, the door flew open with a loud crash.
Why is the room like this?
Noticing my thoughts, Ventus ushered me out into the hallway and came back after changing.
“You’re wearing glasses for once?”
“Ah.”
Ventus immediately took off his glasses and pressed the bridge of his nose. It felt strange seeing him wear glasses for the first time since becoming Shurer.
…Wait? Weren’t they originally fashion glasses without lenses?
“Do they have a prescription?”
“No. They don’t. They’re glasses enchanted with translation magic. I wore them so often while reading that it became a habit.”
He snapped his fingers, making the glasses disappear—more accurately, teleporting them away.
So is he busy right now? I thought he’d obviously say yes.
As I groaned while thinking, Ventus suddenly grabbed my cheeks with both hands.
“Ahpah! (That hurts!)”
“You were frowning. You’ll get wrinkles.”
Ventus giggled, kneading my cheeks, stretching and squishing them playfully. I resisted with all my might, but how could a human beat a dragon?
I lost. Damn it.
“Why did you call me?”
I rolled my freed cheeks in my hands to soothe the redness. Seeing this, Ventus didn’t stop laughing—he laughed even harder.
You’re the one who pulled them until they swelled…!
“Let’s go somewhere together. There are materials about that magic. Where we’re going now. It’s quiet, good for talking.”
At the mention of black magic, Ventus flinched. He went back into his room briefly and returned with a book in hand.
“Let’s go.”
“Huh? Okay.”
He snapped his fingers while imagining the destination. The scenery shifted. The entrance of the Mage Tower in the slums we’d visited yesterday appeared right in front of us.
“Nefuo.”
I softly recited a spell and approached the wall. As I got close enough to crash into it, I heard Ventus shout, but I didn’t stop.
My vision flipped, and we entered the Mage Tower. Since he’d never been here before, Ventus widened his eyes and looked around in fascination.
The Mage Tower strictly controlled its entrance, making it hard to enter. I had only managed to come here through multiple connections with an acquaintance mage.
“Leonero! I’m here!”
I dispelled the locking magic and opened the door, but the spell must have been too strong. His mana and mine collided slightly, damaging the door a bit.
Of course, I didn’t care. This happened often enough that Leonero had reached enlightenment and just let it slide.
“Let me go back to that place from yesterday. This one’s a friend.”
As Leonero eyed Ventus suspiciously, I quickly stepped in front of him, blocking the view as much as possible, and said I would vouch for him.
If Leonero found out Ventus was a dragon… he might go bald. That must never happen! I squeezed my eyes shut.
Thankfully, Leonero trusted me and led us to the secret library like yesterday.
I felt relieved that Ventus’s hair was safe.
“This is the place. It’s quiet, and this section has books about black magic.”
I pulled out a book next to the one I’d skimmed through yesterday.
The book I’d read before mainly talked about the history of black magic—how dangerous it was, why it disappeared, who used it in the past, and how primordial black magic was created.
“Stop for a moment and read this part.”
Ventus opened the book he’d brought from the estate and pointed to a section. I pushed aside the book I’d picked up and pulled his book toward me.
I thought it was just a thick book about black magic, but—
January 18, Year 320
It is known that all black mages were executed during the Black Magic Execution of Year 315.
But that is not the truth.
At that execution, two—only two black mages survived.
Arsaki Bled.
And the other is—
The one writing this diary now, Hetein Clambach.
It was none other than the diary of an ancestor.
