2. The Beginning of Obsession

Rania and Rian’s first meeting was 15 years ago, when both were eight years old.

“Lady Rania!”

“Won’t you play house with us?”

The castle of Grand Duke Artua, the king of the north, was always bustling, but that day was especially full of guests. It was because Grand Duchess Artua, Rania’s mother, had held a tea party for the first time in a long while.

Since the first tea party of each year permitted bringing children, the northern nobles came to the grand ducal residence one after another, holding their young children’s hands.

For Rania, who detested snotty kids, it was nothing short of hell.

“I’m busy, so play among yourselves.”

Rania chased away the children who followed her around and headed alone to the rear garden.

Having even shaken off the escort knights, the castle must be in an uproar by now, but that wasn’t her concern.

‘If I stay here, they won’t find me for a while.’

The rear garden, complex like a maze, was a suitable place for a small child to hide. She decided to stay hidden until all the noisy humans disappeared.

But there was already someone in the rear garden she thought would be empty.

‘Did another deer get in?’

Rania approached, recalling that a deer had given birth to a fawn near here last autumn.

“Aw. It was just a person?”

What was crouched in the corner was disappointingly just a small child with brown hair.

“Hii, hiiek!”

The child was startled the moment he discovered Rania and cowered.

“No, no. Don’t……”

“Don’t what?”

“……?”

The frightened child looked puzzled, then slowly lowered his arms. Only then did Rania see his face clearly and her eyes widened.

‘His eyes are gray?’

Brown hair with gray eyes. Curious about his unique appearance, Rania looked the child up and down. Then, seeing the pitiful state of the child who had awkwardly gotten up, she frowned.

“What are you? A thief?”

“N-no. Not a thief.”

“And what’s with that way of speaking?”

The child got scared again and curled up like a pill bug. It was a gesture that would make even a passing dog feel sorry. But Rania wasn’t interested in whether the child looked pitiful.

“Only my parents and brothers can talk to me like that. Got it?”

“S-sorry. I was wrong.”

At her words flaunting her status, the child trembled and begged forgiveness. The way he kept bowing his head was truly pathetic to see again.

His worn clothes were dirty with soil and unidentifiable things, and both knees were torn and bleeding, as if he had fallen. It was clear what hardships he must have endured without asking.

“Well. I’ll forgive you just once, so tell me your name.”

“Rian. It’s Rian.”

“Rian? That’s similar to my name.”

“You’d have to know the name to know if it’s similar……”

The child who had responded thoughtlessly was startled and covered his mouth. Covering his mouth with dirty hands. Rania clicked her tongue.

“Are you stupid?”

“No, I’m not. I’m not……”

Stupid and even stuttering. Normally she would have chased him away saying she hated the sight of him……

Somehow she didn’t want to. It seemed to be because of those unusual eyes.

His appearance wasn’t bad either.

‘If I wash him and dress him in pretty clothes, he’d probably look decent.’

Should she say there was fun in imagining what he’d look like if prettily dressed up? Rania’s attitude softened a bit as she felt interest in various ways.

“You don’t even know my name?”

“You’d have to tell me for me to know……”

“If you want to know my name, start by introducing yourself properly—your family name and your birth order. And when you greet someone, bow your head like this. Haven’t you even been taught that?”

“……”

“My goodness. Are you crying?”

“I-I’m not cr-crying.”

Rian sniffled while making whimpering sounds. Having gone through all sorts of hardships and even being scolded by a strange girl, grief was bound to well up.

Rania sighed looking at Rian’s teary eyes.

“It can’t be helped. I’ll teach you just once, so follow along. Got it?”

She showed the imperial etiquette she had learned recently with elegant movements. Since it was etiquette that only imperial family could receive, performing it for others was dangerous enough to be treated as treason.

Rania naturally knew this. This stupid and pretty boy wouldn’t know.

“Now, try following along.”

Rian limped up on his injured leg and imitated the greeting method Rania had taught him. He wasn’t dim-witted, so after three tries he managed to look decent enough.

“I greet the noble Miss. I am Rian, second son of House Bellington.”

After finishing his greeting, Rian slightly raised his head as he had learned, revealing his gray eyes. At the sight where fear and anticipation coexisted, Rania burst into laughter.

“Well done!”

“Huh, what?”

Rian’s hair full of dust was tousled by Rania’s small touch. Perhaps because his hair was brown, it felt like petting a puppy.

Rian felt similarly — that is, he felt like he was being treated like a puppy. But his face reddened not because he hated being treated like a puppy.

It was because of Rania’s bright smile that had come right up to his nose.

“I’m Rania. I’m the daughter of Grand Duke Artua, niece of Marquis Modiano, and cousin of His Majesty the emperor. So from now on, be respectful to me. Got it?”

“Ah……”

Rian blinked and mulled over the name Rania had told him. Then with the same blank expression, he just moved his mouth slightly.

“If I call you Nia, it’s similar. To my name……”

“Right. You’re not completely stupid after all. Ah, you said Rian, right. Rian.”

“……”

At the trivial praise, Rian’s face turned bright red. Rania suddenly wanted to touch those red cheeks.

“Miss! Lady Rania! Are you here? She’s here!”

Just then, the voices of knights who had discovered her could be heard.

“Those idiots are only now coming to find me. I’ll be going now. Next time you see me, greet me properly. Got it?”

Rania said  and went away briskly. The knights who discovered Rania nearby cried out in distress. Even when she spoke bluntly saying ‘Aren’t you all stupid?’, the large knights could only busy themselves bowing and scraping without being able to do anything.

Left alone, Rian didn’t move until Rania’s voice disappeared. And he recalled Rania’s voice that remained in his memory.

“Lady Rania of Artua. Miss Rania……”

Also, he mulled over how she had treated him like a puppy, patting his head and smiling. It hadn’t even been a particularly affectionate treatment.

The touch etched in his memory wouldn’t disappear.

***

“Rania. Come here.”

“Enoch! When did you arrive?”

The knights immediately handed Rania over to Enoch, the second son of the grand duke and Rania’s brother, upon discovering the child.

Enoch, now twenty and twelve years older than Rania, lifted her up high. At the view that became higher than his height, Rania burst into laughter.

The two siblings were beautifully alike with their beautiful golden hair and blue eyes that manifested only in direct descendants of the grand ducal house, making them as beautiful as a painting.

Even the knights who had to receive harsh training as punishment for losing Rania were momentarily entranced by their appearance.

“Ahem.”

Only after the butler gave them a hint did the knights straighten their formation and escort Enoch and Rania.

“So, Rania. Why did you go all the way to the rear garden, even shaking off the knights?”

“It was noisy so I wanted to be alone, but ah. I met a strange kid in the rear garden earlier!”

“A strange kid?”

“Yeah. I thought it was a thief I’d seen at the market before, but he was the second son of House Bellington.”

“The second son of House Bellington.”

The butler who had been following behind opened his mouth at Enoch’s eye signal.

“The Bellington viscount house recently took in a child, a boy the same age as the Miss.”

“Recently. Must be a bastard then.”

“A bastard? What’s that?”

Rania showed interest, but the butler couldn’t easily speak. It was somewhat awkward content to inform a young miss about.

But Enoch frowned and reprimanded the butler.

“Albert. I told you not to read Rania’s mood over such things. Continue explaining.”

“I apologize. Lord Enoch. Lady Rania. A bastard refers to a child born between those who are not in a marital relationship approved by the sovereign and the Eclad faith.”

When butler Albert explained in his own way to match young Rania’s level, Rania felt unnecessarily hurt in her pride after asking the question herself and lifted her chin high.

“I know. I already knew, but I was testing whether Albert knew too!”

“I humbly receive your wise words.”

The butler desperately suppressed his expression to avoid finding the Miss’s pride-building endearing. Enoch also had to hold his breath to avoid his laughter being caught.

“Ahem. Albert. Continue.”

“Yes. Lord Enoch. As you said, Rian Bellington is a child born from the head of house’s adultery, so they had him live with his mother until recently when his mother died and the Bellington viscount house registered him.”