Now You’re Obsessed - ✿ dusk blossoms ✿

‘What’s the big deal, Lionel? We’ve always done this.’

‘I think you should start acting more mature.’

‘But we’re still kids…’

‘I prefer people who are mature.’

Lionel said this with a tense expression and pulled his hand away again. His usually upright posture seemed unsteady, so Ariel grabbed Lionel one last time to ask if he was okay.

‘Lionel…’

‘Stop it!’

Lionel pushed her hand away with a bit more force than usual. Ariel, unexpectedly pushed back, was caught by Rayen.

‘……!’

All three of them widened their eyes in surprise. Lionel stood frozen in a very awkward position. Rayen was the first to speak.

‘What are you doing, Lionel?’

‘I…’

‘It’s okay, Rayen. Lionel is just shy.’

‘……’

‘Alright. I’ll come back later. Call me when you’ve calmed down.’

Hearing this, Lionel’s ears turned red as if he had been insulted, and Rayen had an incredulous look on his face. But Ariel thought Lionel was just being shy, as usual.

‘He had the same expression when I chased the dog away.’

Even in this situation, Ariel thought Lionel’s expression, like that of a teased young lady, was somehow cute and beautiful. She also somewhat empathized with him.

‘Yes, it’s time to be treated like adults.’

Soon, marriage talks would start between families. They were reaching an age where they had to consider their reputation and couldn’t act affectionately in public like when they were younger.

So, Ariel stopped forcing physical contact or holding hands with Lionel after that. She didn’t want things to become more awkward between them.

‘Lionel is beautiful even when he’s being shy.’

People might say that Ariel was bothering Lionel to the point where he finally said something, but Ariel decided to respect Lionel’s shyness and his sense of propriety this time as well.

‘He’s someone who values reputation and manners so much…’

How difficult it must be for Lionel, who can’t dance well, to have to dance with a different partner for the first time. Worried that Lionel might feel awkward with his partner, Ariel decided to visit him and help. It would also be nice to see his face while practicing dancing together.

Although she couldn’t attend the ball with him, Ariel could be satisfied with just that.

“Will he be surprised if I visit?”

Ariel headed to the place where Lionel was staying with the subjugation team members. Although he usually stayed at the Duke’s mansion, he always stayed there before leaving for a subjugation. Since the next subjugation was imminent, he would probably be there now.

As always, Ariel climbed over the wall of the lodging like a snake. Having crossed the walls and hidden entrances of the subjugation team’s lodging so many times to meet Lionel, she could now navigate the secret passages with her eyes closed.

The deeper she went into the lodging, the better she felt. Just thinking about seeing Lionel’s surprised wide eyes made her feel like her mouth was full of syrup. It was like having a mouthful of violet candies.

‘Lionel.’

Ariel, excited, turned the next corner.

“Ha ha ha.”

Loud laughter and chatter came from somewhere. Ariel stopped in her tracks, not wanting to get caught before meeting Lionel. She didn’t want to be chased out by the guards.

‘Oh.’

Peeking her head out, she saw Lionel in the middle of the noisy crowd.

People who seemed a few years older than Lionel were talking to him. Then, a young lady who appeared older than him suddenly stood up and started dancing with Lionel. Ariel froze for a moment but then nodded to herself.

‘They’re practicing dancing.’

I was planning to teach him myself.

But he could practice with them first and then with me. Ariel consoled herself, watching Lionel’s beautiful silver hair flutter.

As expected, Lionel stumbled on the step he always got wrong. Laughter erupted again. Ariel felt a bit worried.

‘What if Lionel feels hurt?’

But surprisingly, Lionel had a calm expression. Ariel felt a renewed sense of excitement seeing his mature demeanor.

‘…He said he liked mature people.’

Lionel certainly looked very mature in front of others. Even among people older than him, and even when making mistakes, he didn’t shrink back; he seemed to shine even more. It was clear why he was called the diamond of the Holy Kingdom.

Seeing him act shy and embarrassed only in front of her felt somehow special. Ariel smiled.

“…is….”

“Engagement…”

The older young lady dancing with Lionel said something to him with a smile. Hearing the word ‘engagement,’ Ariel’s ears perked up.

Then Lionel smiled a very beautiful smile. It was a truly kind and lovely smile.

His fluttering eyelashes caught the sunlight. His pale hair seemed to glow brightly as if it were shining. It was as if a flower was blooming slowly. Ariel watched every moment, engraving the scene on her retinas.

‘Ah.’

Ariel was both admiring and feeling a pang of anxiety at the same time. Lionel seemed to feel the same, as he quickly wiped the smile off his face. He looked much more stern than before he smiled.

“Ha ha ha ha!”

More laughter erupted. People around him patted Lionel on the back and said something. Ariel’s heart pounded wildly.

‘Does liking mature people mean…’

Could it mean he prefers someone older?

Her mind was in turmoil. Thinking that Lionel was experiencing all sorts of temptations in her absence filled her with anxiety and restlessness. Ariel restrained herself from impulsively rushing out.

‘…That would be immature.’

Chasing away young ladies showing interest in Lionel was something she should have stopped long ago. It was neither mature nor something Lionel would like, and above all, there was a better use of her time…

‘It’s better to work harder and join the subjugation team!’

Despair was not an option. After all, nothing had been decided about Lionel’s engagement yet, and there was a high probability that a marriage proposal would come to her first.

‘I need to become a bride worthy of Lionel quickly.’

Her desire to join the subjugation team and to protect Lionel grew stronger. She wanted to protect him not only from demonic beasts and monsters but also from other temptations.

However, the smile Lionel had shown to someone else kept pricking Ariel’s heart like a thorn.

She felt an unfamiliar discomfort growing in her heart, something she had never considered before. Ariel, surprised, tried to shake off the discomfort.

‘Yes. I just need to work harder!’

Then she could join the subjugation team and see Lionel’s smile herself. In time, Lionel would smile that way at her, not at some other young lady.

That year, Ariel did not attend the November Ball. Instead, she buried herself in the library and started studying.

It was the beginning of a long battle with herself.

* * *

At twenty, she reached adulthood. Graduating from the Holy Academy, some became priests or holy knights, while others found entirely different paths in the whirlwind of their final studies.

In the meantime, Lionel became the youngest holy knight and officially joined the Holy Subjugation Team. And Lionel, who spent more than half the year away on subjugations, became as difficult as plucking a star from the sky.

The few times they did see each other each year were half because Ariel visited the Frenderick mansion whenever Lionel returned and half because Lionel, by some stroke of luck, was always at the mansion when she visited.

Normally, upon returning to the Holy Capital, Lionel would be busy running around, but miraculously, he was always at the mansion when Ariel visited. It felt as if the gods were blessing their meetings.

Thanks to this, Ariel could continue challenging herself towards the subjugation team amid the young ladies who were still undecided about their future paths.

And while she was burning with such determination, something swept through the young ladies who had come of age.

“Have you all read the latest novel?”

“The heroine is so pitiful.”

“But they end up together in the end, right? And the part about physical love…”

“That part was really…”

It was a series of romance novels, said to be written by an anonymous noblewoman, that were both emotionally and physically intense.

Ariel shook her head, trying to focus on her books in the library. The noisy conversations about the novels were very distracting as she prepared for the subjugation team entrance exam.

“Ahem.”

Ariel quietly cleared her throat. The young ladies, realizing they were in a library, tried to quiet down, but upon recognizing Ariel, they began to mock her subtly.

“Is Lady Tenia applying for the subjugation team again?”

“My goodness, how persistent. Didn’t she fail the last subjugation team entrance exam?”

“She should consider finding a different path.”

They weren’t wrong. Since her sixteenth birthday, Ariel had never passed the subjugation team entrance exam. The reason was…

“To think a saintess candidate with insufficient holy power is trying to make it on theory alone. What an extraordinary talent.”

As they said, it was mostly due to her lack of holy power. The more she was held back by it, the more she tried to make up for it in other areas. Sitting in the library studying was part of that effort.