Chapter 3.5

Sylvester answered with a serious expression. Hearing that, Marianne started laughing again. Her laughter lasted quite a while.

“…It’s strange. I really can’t see anyone around you, Mr. Sylvester.”

“Hmm, I thought that might happen.”

“You didn’t cast a spell, did you?”

Hearing Marianne’s words, Sylvster lightly shrugged.

“I may be a skilled mage, but… I don’t know any magic that erases the presence of others.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

Sylvester nodded in response.

“Now that I think about it… it was the same when you gave me flowers.”

“…”

“When you handed me the flowers, the voices and people passing through the square didn’t bother me at all.”

Marianne’s words grew faster.

“That’s right. It felt like you alone were standing in the sunlight, sparkling…”

“I feel the same.”

“Pardon?”

“When I look at you, I see nothing else.”

Sylvester said, meeting Marianne’s gaze. The weight of his sincere voice struck her ears, leaving Marianne breathless. It felt as though time had stopped.

‘…This is bad.’

Feeling her heart race loudly, Marianne thought to herself.

The world alternated between going dark and bright. But in the end, it shone brilliantly. The world sparkled as if scattered with glittering powder.

* * *

That night, after parting awkwardly with Sylvester, Marianne couldn’t sleep. No matter where she turned her gaze in her small rented room, Sylvester’s face and voice came to mind.

The moonlight streaming through the curtainless window, the Seluvia flowers in the transparent vase, the shadows in the unlit corners, even her own hands—everything reminded her of Sylvester. From the dark night to the breaking dawn, Marianne thought only of Sylvester.

As if she were someone in love.

* * *

Marianne visited the Knight Order Fortress again. It wasn’t to meet Sylvester. She had neither the reason nor the courage for that.

Instead, she went to deliver books to Erina, a mage she had become quite friendly with. Specifically, she headed to the third floor of the Second Knight Order building, where the research mages gathered.

A few evenings ago, Erina had visited the library and handed Marianne a list of books she needed, along with a generous tip, asking for them to be delivered the next day. It was a simple task. Thus, today, Marianne successfully handed over the books to Erina and found herself glancing around the bustling research lab.

Erina explained to Marianne that the mages were in chaos due to an upcoming research presentation. After exchanging a few words with Erina, Marianne bid farewell to the exhausted mage and Peter, who had greeted her, before leaving the lab.

The silent corridor greeted her.

‘What should I eat when I get home…’

Marianne, walking while planning her evening after work, suddenly stopped. It was because she encountered a man at the end of the corridor.

It was Sylvester.

“Oh…”

Marianne, who unexpectedly ran into Sylvester, smiled unconsciously as though she was glad to see him. However, Sylvester looked somewhat unfamiliar today. His usually perfectly styled hair was sticking out in all directions, and his handsome face was overshadowed by a deep weariness that even his good looks couldn’t hide. Moreover, his hair and clothes were… covered in clearly visible snow crystals.

“Miss Marianne…”

Sylvester, who belatedly noticed Marianne, widened his eyes. His startled hands reached up to his disheveled hair. The more Sylvester tried to fix his messy hair, the more chaotic it became.

“Hello.”

Before Sylvester’s beautiful platinum hair could get even more tangled, Marianne quickly greeted him.

“…Good morning, Miss Marianne.”

Avoiding Marianne’s gaze, Sylvester returned the greeting. His expression screamed embarrassment. Though not clearly visible, it seemed his ears had turned red.

An awkward silence briefly passed between the two.

“Um, it seems everyone is busy because of the research presentation. It also looks like you’re working on something, Sir Sylvester… Good luck!”

Marianne, trying to break the silence and erase the shadow of embarrassment on Sylvester’s face, hurriedly spoke. Judging by how Sylvester’s ears turned even redder after hearing her words, it didn’t seem like the best choice.

“Well… I’ll be on my way now.”

Marianne smiled again and bowed her head slightly to Sylvester in farewell.

Turning around, she resumed her steps toward the stairs. Though she felt a bit disappointed about only exchanging greetings and parting ways, she couldn’t hold back someone who seemed so busy just to chat. Moreover, Sylvester didn’t seem to want Marianne to see him in his current state.

However, before Marianne could take a few more steps, she was stopped by Sylvester. To be precise, Sylvester’s fingertips caught the hem of her sleeve.

A light silence lingered between them before disappearing. The quiet corridor echoed with the laughter of mages coming from beyond the research lab doors.

Marianne, staring blankly at Sylvester, who was carefully holding her sleeve as though it were the hand of a goddess, finally opened her mouth.

“Is something the matter?”

Her sincere, worried gaze filled with concern met Sylvester’s.

“No, nothing’s wrong. I just… wanted to invite you for tea. Do you have a moment?”

Sylvester’s expression was solemn as he spoke.

“…Yes, I have time.”

Caught off guard, Marianne instinctively calculated her remaining free time and replied to Sylvester. Receiving her answer, Sylvester led her to his office.

The scenery of the office, which she was visiting for the second time, now felt somewhat familiar. Last time, she had thought this office resembled Sylvester. But now, she felt it didn’t suit him. The room was too cold and barren. Sylvester, on the other hand, was much warmer, more gentle, and…

Ahem. Marianne cleared her throat, as though trying to shake off her prolonged thoughts and awkward feelings.

“I never imagined I’d meet you like this… in such a poor state.”

Sylvester spoke with a stiff expression. His voice lacked its usual energy.

“No, you look wonderful today as well.”

Marianne responded. It was almost like a mutter to herself.

“A bard once said this: beauty is not easily tarnished.”

She meant it. Even if someone were slightly tired or disheveled, or even if they were covered in mud from head to toe, a handsome person would always remain handsome.

“…Thank you.”

Sylvester barely held back a faint smile threatening to escape his lips and thanked Marianne. Now, not just his ears but even his cheeks had turned red. A slightly ticklish yet soft and warm atmosphere began to fill the office.

“Um… may I ask you something?”

“Of course. You can ask me anything.”

With a bright smile, Sylvester answered Marianne’s question.

“…I’m curious about those snow crystals. They’re so fascinating that I can’t stop looking at them.”

Marianne pointed to the snow crystals on Sylvester’s clothes as she asked. The crystals, which had been there since they first met in the corridor, still hadn’t melted even as they sat chatting over tea. It was truly intriguing.

“Oh, these are byproducts of a failed experiment. Normally, I’d finish without leaving such residues, but… I suppose days like this happen.”

Sylvester trailed off. The bright smile that had adorned his face disappeared in an instant.

“It must have been a magic related to snow.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

After hesitating briefly, Sylvester pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket—or rather, something wrapped in a handkerchief—and placed it on the table. When he untied the knot, the contents of the handkerchief were revealed. It was a somewhat irregularly shaped gem.

The radiant blue gem reflected in Marianne’s eyes. Now exposed to the world, the gem seemed to absorb the sunlight streaming in through the window as though it wouldn’t miss the opportunity. The beautiful light emanating from the gem danced as if it were alive, drawing admiration.

“I was researching the creation of magic stones for emergencies on the battlefield.”

Sylvester explained that his research aimed to encapsulate powerful magic capable of instantly freezing rivers and lakes within the gem.

“But for some reason, it didn’t go as planned.”

“….”

“…Normally, I succeed on the first try. And the results are usually quite beautiful, not uneven like this.”

Sylvester spoke as though defending himself. To Marianne, this failure seemed like something anyone might experience at least once—something entirely natural. But Sylvester was different. He couldn’t tolerate even minor failures.

However…

Marianne’s gaze shifted from Sylvester’s slightly tidied yet still messy platinum hair to his tired face and the unmelted snow crystals on his clothes. For some reason, she found this version of Sylvester beautiful. She recalled how dazzling he looked when bathed in sunlight.

After a moment of thought, Marianne spoke again.

“So what if it’s rough?.”

“…”

“It’s so lovely.”

Marianne continued in a slow yet tender voice.

“This gem holds your effort, Sir Sylvester. To my eyes, it’s incredibly beautiful and lovable—far more so than any gem sold by jewelers.”

Sylvester, who had been staring at the uneven and unattractive gem, slowly lifted his gaze to Marianne’s face. His weary, grayish-blue eyes sparkled faintly as they caught the gem’s soft blue glow.

An indescribable emotion flickered through Sylvester’s eyes.

“…Thank you.”

“Pardon?”

Marianne responded in confusion, but Sylvester didn’t answer. Instead of saying more, he simply smiled softly. The morning sunlight streaming through the wide window behind him shimmered on his platinum hair.

‘I… will probably dream of this man again tonight.’

With that thought, Marianne smiled back at Sylvester. Soon, a gentle silence embraced the two of them.

A new morning was dawning.