Now Youโre Obsessed - Chapter 7
โWhatโs the big deal, Lionel? Weโve always done this.โ
โI think you should start acting more mature.โ
โBut weโre still kidsโฆโ
โI prefer people who are mature.โ
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.
โLionelโฆโ
โStop it!โ
Lionel pushed her hand away with a bit more force than usual. Ariel, unexpectedly pushed back, was caught by Rayen.
โโฆโฆ!โ
All three of them widened their eyes in surprise. Lionel stood frozen in a very awkward position. Rayen was the first to speak.
โWhat are you doing, Lionel?โ
โIโฆโ
โItโs okay, Rayen. Lionel is just shy.โ
โ…โฆโ
โAlright. Iโll come back later. Call me when youโve calmed down.โ
Hearing this, Lionelโs 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.
โHe had the same expression when I chased the dog away.โ
Even in this situation, Ariel thought Lionelโs expression, like that of a teased young lady, was somehow cute and beautiful. She also somewhat empathized with him.
โYes, itโs time to be treated like adults.โ
Soon, marriage talks would start between families. They were reaching an age where they had to consider their reputation and couldnโt act affectionately in public like when they were younger.
So, Ariel stopped forcing physical contact or holding hands with Lionel after that. She didnโt want things to become more awkward between them.
โLionel is beautiful even when heโs being shy.โ
People might say that Ariel was bothering Lionel to the point where he finally said something, but Ariel decided to respect Lionelโs shyness and his sense of propriety this time as well.
โHeโs someone who values reputation and manners so muchโฆโ
How difficult it must be for Lionel, who canโt 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 couldnโt attend the ball with him, Ariel could be satisfied with just that.
โWill he be surprised if I visit?โ
Ariel headed to the place where Lionel was staying with the subjugation team members. Although he usually stayed at the Dukeโs 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 teamโs 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 Lionelโs surprised wide eyes made her feel like her mouth was full of syrup. It was like having a mouthful of violet candies.
โLionel.โ
Ariel, excited, turned the next corner.
โHa ha ha.โ
Loud laughter and chatter came from somewhere. Ariel stopped in her tracks, not wanting to get caught before meeting Lionel. She didnโt want to be chased out by the guards.
โOh.โ
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.
โTheyโre practicing dancing.โ
I was planning to teach him myself.
But he could practice with them first and then with me. Ariel consoled herself, watching Lionelโs beautiful silver hair flutter.
As expected, Lionel stumbled on the step he always got wrong. Laughter erupted again. Ariel felt a bit worried.
โWhat if Lionel feels hurt?โ
But surprisingly, Lionel had a calm expression. Ariel felt a renewed sense of excitement seeing his mature demeanor.
โโฆHe said he liked mature people.โ
Lionel certainly looked very mature in front of others. Even among people older than him, and even when making mistakes, he didnโt 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.
โโฆisโฆ.โ
โEngagementโฆโ
The older young lady dancing with Lionel said something to him with a smile. Hearing the word โengagement,โ Arielโs 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.
โAh.โ
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.
โHa ha ha ha!โ
More laughter erupted. People around him patted Lionel on the back and said something. Arielโs heart pounded wildly.
โDoes liking mature people meanโฆโ
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.
โโฆThat would be immature.โ
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 timeโฆ
โItโs better to work harder and join the subjugation team!โ
Despair was not an option. After all, nothing had been decided about Lionelโs engagement yet, and there was a high probability that a marriage proposal would come to her first.
โI need to become a bride worthy of Lionel quickly.โ
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 Arielโs 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.
โYes. I just need to work harder!โ
Then she could join the subjugation team and see Lionelโs 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.
โHave you all read the latest novel?โ
โThe heroine is so pitiful.โ
โBut they end up together in the end, right? And the part about physical loveโฆโ
โThat part was reallyโฆโ
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.
โAhem.โ
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.
โIs Lady Tenia applying for the subjugation team again?โ
โMy goodness, how persistent. Didnโt she fail the last subjugation team entrance exam?โ
โShe should consider finding a different path.โ
They werenโt wrong. Since her sixteenth birthday, Ariel had never passed the subjugation team entrance exam. The reason wasโฆ
โTo think a saintess candidate with insufficient holy power is trying to make it on theory alone. What an extraordinary talent.โ
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.