Side Story 3. First Meeting (1)

In the calm of the midday, Raphael was drawing in his sketchbook with crayons by his mother’s side.

Every time the colorful crayons filled the white sketchbook, Raphael’s expression grew more serious.

Raphael, who turned eight this year, was attending a kindergarten affiliated with the Magic Tower.

Three years ago, after the incident where Raphael entered the subspace of the Magic Tower, he began receiving education under the tower’s jurisdiction. This was due to the immense amount of mana Raphael had shown at that time.

Since Raphael inherited the blood of both Francis and Blanche, he had a high possibility of mastering the abilities of both families. Hence, early education was necessary.

Of course, he was still very young, so the education was more like play. Much like the drawing he was doing now.

To enhance magical conceptualization, practicing the materialization of imagined images was essential. The easiest way to learn this was through drawing.

Camilla looked at Raphael, who was engrossed in his drawing, with satisfaction. Her son, who had grown so much that it was hard to hold him with one arm, was nothing short of a marvel.

At that moment, Raphael lifted his head and asked, his eyes filled with curiosity.

“Mom, I have a question.”

What kind of odd question would it be this time?

“What is our Raphael curious about now?”

Camilla put down her embroidery on the side table and asked kindly. Raphael jumped onto her lap and, wrapping his arms around her neck, began to act cute.

“You know, how did you and Dad meet?”

“Huh? Why are you curious about that all of a sudden?”

“Well, the teachers at the Magic Tower said it was because of a strick? Stick? Order from His Majesty the Emperor. But you and Dad get along so well, so I was curious.”

The word ‘strict’ was still difficult for Raphael. He probably saw someone use it recently and wanted to mimic it.

Camilla chuckled softly, understanding where the question came from.

The general public believed that Camilla and Aster were forced to marry due to an order from His Majesty the Emperor. Although they pretended to be in love initially to dispel such rumors, only a few believed it.

Most people thought it was a political marriage based on mutual benefits, as the Francis and Blanche families were known to be on bad terms.

Since the pretense was initially meant to deceive the Blanche family, they didn’t pay much attention to public opinion. However, once they developed feelings for each other and learned about their pasts, making it no longer a contract marriage, it was too late to change the narrative.

So they just let it be, but it seemed Raphael had heard about it.

Camilla patted Raphael’s back and began her story.

“Actually, your dad and I knew each other before His Majesty’s order.”

“Really?”

“Yes. You see…”

Camilla started to recall her memories of the alley where she first met Aster.

* * *

Camilla first met Aster when she was around ten years old.

Back then, Camilla loved exploring. She especially enjoyed the unfamiliarity of new alleys.

Unlike the streets where nobles lived, the commoners’ streets were bustling and perfect for blending in. Of course, the young Camilla was never sent out alone from Francis.

She was well aware that guards were secretly following her from a close distance. That’s why she could wander around more boldly.

If anything dangerous happened, the guards would help.

While wandering through the alleys, she encountered many fascinating things. Sometimes, she even played tag with the local children, pretending to be one of them.

Dressed in commoner’s clothes, everyone mistook her for a local child.

That day, she was about to play hide-and-seek with the children, pretending to be a commoner. In a spot she had marked, she found a boy hiding.

He looked somewhat pitiful, curled up tightly. His silver hair made him look like a little rabbit.

Feeling a sudden urge to talk to him, Camilla spoke gruffly.

“That’s my spot.”

The boy flinched and looked up. She met a pair of beautiful red eyes, reminiscent of a snow rabbit.

Wow, he’s handsome.

Camilla forgot she had picked a fight and stared intently at the boy.

His face, full of fear, was wary of the stranger. It was clear he wasn’t playing hide-and-seek like she was.

Camilla quickly scanned the boy. Judging by his stretched-out t-shirt and the bruises here and there, it seemed his parents hit him.

Even among the children in this alley, their attire varied depending on whether they were loved by their parents or not. The boy before her seemed to be one of the unloved.

After a while, the boy’s eyes wavered like waves.

“S-sorry.”

The boy immediately admitted his fault and tried to move. Honestly, he could have ignored her.

There was no such thing as my spot or your spot in the alley. But the boy seemed used to yielding.

Camilla pressed his shoulder and sat next to him.

“It’s okay. Let’s stay together.”

“Huh?”

“You were here first anyway. No need to move.”

Camilla sat close to the boy and openly admired his face.

Even on a second look, his face was exactly her type. The silver hair reminded her of Blanche, but his was much more radiant than the annoying Paris, who had a prince complex.

At that moment, the boy’s face turned red. As he squirmed to move aside, Camilla followed him. He was pushed to the corner when he blinked.

“I’m Camilla. What’s your name?”

Camilla introduced herself with a big smile. She tried to look harmless, and it seemed to work. The boy hesitated before speaking.

“Aster.”

“Aster. What a pretty name. Like a hamster.”

It was meant to be a cute compliment, but Aster didn’t seem to like it. His chubby cheeks twitched. His face looked full of discontent, possibly due to his clenched jaw.

“I’m not a hamster.”

“You look like a hamster with sunflower seeds in your cheeks right now.”

Aster trembled at Camilla’s provocation. She was about to laugh at his cuteness.

“N-no!”

Suddenly, Aster stood up, sniffling. Surprised, Camilla pulled him back down.

She had just seen the seeker pass by. Covering Aster’s mouth, she warned him.

“Shh! Be quiet. We’re playing hide-and-seek.”

“…….”

Aster, with wide eyes, looked at Camilla like a startled rabbit. She had pressed close to him against the wall.

Thump, thump.

It didn’t take long for her to hear his heartbeat. Realizing their proximity, Camilla awkwardly moved back.

Feeling embarrassed, she changed the subject.

“By the way, why are you hiding here alone? Are other kids bullying you?”

At that, Aster’s face cracked with pain. With a face like an abandoned puppy, he mumbled softly.

“Just… I have nowhere to go.”

“Nowhere to go?”

“…….”

Aster didn’t say more and curled up, looking dejected. It seemed he had run away from home after a fight with his family.

Camilla, too, had attempted to run away when forced to do things she didn’t want to, so she could understand. She also remembered feeling lost with nowhere to go after leaving home.

Guessing that Aster felt the same, Camilla leaned on her knees and met his gaze.

“Then should I stay with you?”

It was true that she made the offer because she liked his face. Camilla had fallen for Aster at first sight that day.