Side Story 2.2

A boy with hair as red as roses and bright, intelligent green eyes. His striking appearance left an unforgettable impression. Beside him sat a demure girl with lavender hair. 

Gazing at the frame with longing eyes, Ariel picked it up and looked at it before placing it back in its original spot. The space felt familiar to her. 

As she reminisced, she absentmindedly opened a drawer. 

“What’s this?” 

Inside was a notebook she had never seen before, its presence quietly demanding attention. She picked it up with a puzzled expression, only to hear a voice from behind her. 

“That’s my grandfather’s journal.” 

“Ah! Wagner? How did you know I was here…? It’s been a while.” 

“Well, you always stop by this room whenever you visit. Thank you for always taking care of Naren. I spoiled her too much as the third daughter, and even though she’s grown up, she’s still so reckless.” 

“No, not at all. She’s just delightfully spirited. I respect her as a friend. But… a journal, you said?” 

Wagner was Naren’s father, the current head of the Unifa Earldom. He had known Ariel since his childhood, and they had maintained their connection over the years. 

“Yes, we had been searching for it for quite some time since we didn’t know where it was. It turned up while we were cleaning out my father’s beloved cat’s house. It was just lying there on the floor. I was so startled, but at the same time, I wondered if the cat had somehow known to bring it there.” 

“I see.” 

“Well, I’ll leave you to it. Please feel free to stay as long as you like.” 

“Thank you.” 

With a polite bow, Wagner left, and the room fell silent once more. 

The walls and floor of the room were entirely white. What had he been thinking in this space? Ariel felt a surge of curiosity but couldn’t muster the courage to open the journal just yet. 

“Sigh, I’m in no position to criticize anyone else.” 

Despite having lived several times the lifespan of a human, she still found herself in such a state. 

Scratching her head a couple of times, she finally opened the cover of the journal in frustration. Like the white walls of the room, the cover was dry and brittle, as if it might crumble at any moment. Yet, the yellowed pages inside were surprisingly intact. The handwriting was clear, without any smudges or damage. 

Relieved, Ariel pulled over a wooden stool and sat down. A journey into a past she hadn’t known was about to begin. 

***

– Imperial Year 1051, September 4.

It was one autumn day in September when they met. The cicada sounds had quietly faded, the sunlight had softened, and a gentle breeze was blowing. In fact, for months, her mother had mentioned that someone would be coming to the village. She had always listened absent-mindedly, but suddenly, it became real—the fact that there would be one more person in this quiet village.

The sun was about to set beyond the distant church steeple. Below it, an orange sunset and wheat fields stretched wide, and sometimes people working could be seen. The way they bent their backs and diligently tilled the fields even seemed reverent at times.

It was a peaceful scene. The days were so familiar that they had become boring. Even if someone came, they would soon be buried in this scenery and forgotten.

Since her father had passed away early, she wondered if she’d become indifferent to everything. She bent down again to finish her work, thinking she needed to develop her knowledge as the eldest child of a mage family and study to enter the academy.

That thought was denied two days later. A girl entered a building located just below their private property.

The child with waist-length lavender hair was named Sophia—a name that could be seen anywhere. But Sophia wore a navy dress that didn’t match the countryside, and she had beautiful, fair skin. Even her parasol, meant to shield her from the sharp early autumn sun, was decorated with lace.

From this, it was obvious that she was not an ordinary child of the street. In fact, she seemed to have a nobler status than the narrator, who was from a noble family!

As the girl walked between the narrow fields, the workers looked up and stared at one spot. When Sophia entered a house at the end of the road—not shabby, but not large either—they began to gossip. Grandfather Bernard, whom everyone thought lived alone, had a granddaughter from a wealthy family!

Within just two days of her arrival, the rumor spread throughout the entire territory. She was simply too conspicuous. And he saw Sophia the next evening.

Sowing seeds all day in the wide furrows was hard work. The shirt was soaked in sweat, and every muscle screamed in pain. But sometimes, by helping the farmers out of sight of her mother, she could save up some pocket money.

Everyone knew that after her father’s death, the Unifa family had become poor. She straightened up briefly to wipe the sweat from her forehead. It was better than acting like a snobbish noble. By working in the field and understanding the farmers’ hardships, her mindset began to change.

What did it take to become a good lord? She began to ponder such things. Just then, a cool breeze made her feel alive. At that moment, Grandfather Bernard called out, waving his hand from afar.

“Louis!”

The farmer working beside her nodded, signaling her to go. She ran over, and next to Grandfather Bernard was the small girl—Sophia. She was still wearing a dress that felt out of place in the wheat field.

“Sorry to call you while you’re working so hard.”

“It’s, it’s okay. But why did you call me?”

“I told the Countess about this, but there are no children your age in this village.”

“That’s true. Everyone goes to the city.”

“So, I wanted to introduce you to this child.”

With those words, his wrinkled hand pushed Sophia’s back. She seemed unfamiliar with the situation, looking unsure. Her hands, hidden in her dress sleeves, fidgeted just like her expression.

“It’s not exactly a playmate, but since you’re the same age, I thought it would be nice if you became friends.”

She’s a bit shy, he said, laughing heartily as he stroked Sophia’s hair. Only then did her eyes, which had been fixed on the ground, rise to meet his gaze. Her eyes were like those of a deer. At that moment, seeing those clear eyes, the narrator felt something indescribable.

It couldn’t be explained exactly, but it felt familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere before…

‘Ah, an angel!’

Yes. The being who stayed by her dying father’s side. That day, she thought she saw a hallucination, but the beautiful woman had white wings. She didn’t know why Sophia’s eyes felt so similar.

In that intense first meeting, the narrator realized: this girl would not easily be forgotten. Just as she alone was out of place in the peaceful scenery of the village. Thinking that, she reached out her hand.

“My name is Louis. Nice to meet you.”

“……I’m Sophia. Nice to meet you, too.”

Their joined hands were warm.