Chapter 41

As she closed her eyes, she could hear the children talking beyond the bedroom. How was it that even their speech sounded so lovely? Lily had been busily making something with colored paper for some time now, and apparently having finished it, she proudly showed it to Gin.

“Look at thisss. I made a crown out of paper. Pretty, right? You try it on too, Gin. It’ll look good on you.”

“So that’s what you were making when you said you’d only use golden colored paper.”

Gin interpreted Lily’s paper crown in his own way. There had once been a flower crown brought back from the Golden Forest, but after they left that place it had returned to its original state and withered. Gin thought Lily had made a golden paper crown because she had regretted that.

“You know, Lily. I promise.”

“Hm? A promise? What?”

“Someday, far in the future, I’ll make you a real flower crown made of gold. That won’t change no matter where it is, so it won’t disappoint you.”

“Wow! Reallyyy?”

“If it were up to my heart, I’d make it for you right now, but I can’t. Mother won’t let me do alchemy. So later, when I earn a whole lot of money, then I’ll buy gold and make it for you myself.”

“What do I do! What do I do! I like ittt! That’s so romanticgg!”

Solei let out a light laugh, as if Lily’s reaction amused her. Ethea too, with her eyes closed, was smiling quietly.

In Lily’s voice as she called Gin romantic, there was a hint of shyness and excitement. Since she resembled her mother, in a situation like this she would probably be covering her flushed cheeks with her palms, looking sweet and keeping her eyes shut. Like a fairy dreaming a beautiful, lovely dream.

This was a habit anyone who had observed Lily for years as her neighbor would know.

But Gin, strangely enough, did not seem to understand Lily’s words and actions very well.

“Romantic? What is?”

“Hm?”

“What about it is romantic?”

It was unlikely Gin was asking because he did not know the dictionary meaning of romantic. Absurdly enough, this child seemed not to recognize at all that the promise he had just made was sweet and tender.

‘I know he is my child and smarter than other children, but when moments like this come up, it has to be said…… he can be a little dense too.’

“Is making something your friend likes what makes it romantic? Hmm.”

“Mmm, I dunnooo…….”

Perhaps feeling more awkward about saying more, Lily started humming. That small, adorable voice was a fine lullaby for Ethea, who was trying to fall asleep. Her consciousness pleasantly faded away, as though being buried in cotton candy.

‘How long has it been since I fell asleep like this, setting my worries aside even for a little while? I’m truly gratef……’

Knock knock knock!

Just as Ethea was about to step into the entrance of deep sleep, someone called loudly for the owner in front of her house.

“Is anyone here?”

It sounded as though the shout came from in front of the front gate, but it was so loud that Ethea could hear it well even through the wall. The androgynous, spirited voice did not sound entirely unfamiliar somehow. It even felt as though she had heard it very recently…….

Solei received the guest in Ethea’s place.

“Well now, who is this? Isn’t it the Elder Lint?”

Elder Lint. Seisil Lint’s older sister, and the fiancée of this Empire’s Emperor. Solei called Azure Lint “the elder Lint.”

“It’s good to see you, Soli.”

Since when had they become close enough that she was calling Solei by her nickname?

Ethea sat up in bed.

“Is Lady Parazia here, by any chance?”

“I decided to cast off that surname. I’d prefer if you just called me Ethea.”

Ethea said that loudly as she came out. At that, Azure’s gaze turned toward Ethea. Her bright smiling face looked so much like Seisil’s that she truly seemed his sibling.

‘Ah, right. Brother and sister.’

“Ah, first I should greet you. Hello, Dame Azure Lint. Thank you for the little toolbox you gave Gin last time. Only now am I getting around to thanking you.”

Azure smiled and went, “Wow.”

At a glance, it looked like a cheerful smile, but it felt somewhat more serious than the one her younger brother Seisil wore.

“He may have been a little boy I had never met before, but even so, since it was his birthday party in name, I could hardly go empty-handed, could I? I only hope Gin was pleased with it.”

“Yes. Gin liked it too.”

Ethea invited her to sit on the sofa and then went to make tea.

‘Hoo. Solei finally gave me such a good chance, and now it’s all gone to waste.’

Solei said she ought to step aside and went out into the yard with the children.

To children, the existence called a magician was always an object of curiosity. They wanted to play with Azure, another magician besides Seisil, but Solei stopped them.

“Next time. Right now, they need to talk.”

But Azure too smiled and told the children,

“I’ll play with you later, so wait.”

From Ethea’s point of view, Azure seemed to like children just as much as Seisil did. Of course, Ethea still did not trust her very much.

When the two of them were left alone in silence, Azure inhaled the fragrance of the tea she had received from Ethea, then took a sip.

Then she wore an expression of happiness as if she were basking in wonderfully warm sunlight.

“The aroma goes without saying, and the taste is good as well. Did you perhaps roast the tea leaves yourself?”

Last time, Seisil had asked the same question. How could siblings-no, brother and sister-be so alike?

“Yes. Making tea is a small hobby of mine.”

“How wonderful.”

Why was it that when a magician said something like that, it did not sound sincere? Ethea felt she must be too twisted to take it at face value when beings who could do almost anything they set their minds to praised something as simple as tea as being wonderful.

Still, as an adult, she ought to respond properly.

After sorting out her thoughts, Ethea smiled and said to Azure,

“When you leave, I’ll pack some for you. You gave a gift to our Gin, so I’d like to repay you, even if only in a small way.”

“Wow, then the honor would be mine.”

Hardly something to call an honor.

Growing awkward, Ethea needlessly fiddled with her teacup.

She needed to ask why Azure had come.

Perhaps thinking the same, Azure spoke first.

“Ah, as for the reason I came here so abruptly today without even informing you beforehand, despite the rudeness of it.”

Since it seemed the real subject was finally about to come up, Ethea nodded.

“It is because I have decided to go through the annulment process with His Majesty.”

Pffft.

Ethea nearly sprayed out the tea she had been drinking.

Not only was the content unexpected, she could not even understand why Azure had come all the way here to say it.

“I recently heard through Seisil who His Majesty’s lady is.”

Why was she saying that while looking at her? Ethea wanted to ask.

“‘His Majesty’s lady’?”

“Yes.”

“Who is that?”

“The person before my eyes.”

At those absurd words, Ethea shook her head hard.