Track Side Story (Part 3)

‘Damn! Is it because of the magic suppressant?’

She shouldn’t have taken such a thing. Or she should have taken it in an empty field where no one was around.

‘It should suppress, not become uncontrollable like this!’

Instead of suppressing, it felt like the gates of a blocked dam had been broken. The feeling of magic running rampant more freely than ever was chilling. It felt too natural and enjoyable.

‘But this is a power that harms people.’

Why was she born with such power? No, if she had power, she wished her heart was strong too.

‘If I had more patience and the strength to endure pain, it wouldn’t be this painful.’

Even though it was her power, she was utterly powerless in front of it.

‘Maybe it’s better for everyone if I just burn away like this.’

She buried her face in her palms. If she kept burning everything, there would only be two outcomes.

Either she would burn herself, or die from depleted magic.

‘Rather than being a burden to so many people…’

While she was thinking that and waiting for the flames to consume her slowly.

A familiar voice called her.

“Young Lady!”

It was her direct maid, Nora.

“Young Lady! Pull yourself together. You must be strong.”

“Nora!”

Black smoke seemed to engulf Nora. She clenched her fists. All she could do was shout.

“Nora! Get away!”

“Young Lady!”

Tears were streaming down her face, though she didn’t know when it started.

And even those tears evaporated instantly.

When she came to her senses, her surroundings were engulfed in flames. Nothing could be undone. It was like being swallowed whole by hell.

This might be the end for her. She thought she could at least live like a decent person. In the end.

So she didn’t want to hurt her people. She shouted at the top of her lungs.

“Nora, get away!”

But instead of retreating, Nora approached her, covering her mouth with her sleeve, and shouted.

“How can I leave you, Young Lady!”

“Nora!!”

But that was a bad choice. The more violently her emotions swayed, the more her flames reached out to Nora.

‘I can’t let Nora get hurt too.’

She bit her lip.

‘Rather than let it come to this.’

She had been avoiding it, but there was one other way to stop the magic besides depleting it.

And that was for her breath to cease.

Just as she desperately searched for the dagger hidden somewhere in the room.

Whether she stabbed her own heart or the flames consumed Nora. Which would happen first?

‘But if I die.’

She bit her lip.

‘What about Kanin…?’

In the moment she hesitated.

A cold energy swept in, and her room froze in an instant.

“……!!”

The flames subsided as if they were being extinguished. Only one person in the country could use such magic. She called his name with a tear-streaked face.

“Kanin!”

Whether he had rushed over in a panic, Kanin, looking disheveled, pushed through the black smoke and entered. He grabbed her shoulders.

“What happened?”

“I can’t control my magic.”

“In what way? It doesn’t seem like it’s rampaging.”

But the flames were only temporarily suppressed by the ice magic. Her magic was stronger than Kanin’s, and wouldn’t it flare up again?

She tried to explain her situation as objectively as possible.

“It’s completely out of control. The magic flows wherever I think. To stop the magic, I need to stop thinking…”

Saying that, she buried her face in her palms. How could she stop thinking? What method was there?

“I’m hopeless… Uh.”

Kanin held her chin tightly and kissed her.

– Clang

Kanin lightly hit her wrist with the back of his hand. The dagger she was holding fell to the floor with a metallic sound.                      

But she couldn’t check what happened to the dagger or if Nora was okay.

Because Kanin’s kiss was so intense.

“Mm.”

Kanin, who bit her lips tightly as he invaded, delved into her mouth roughly, unlike usual. It felt like he was sucking her tongue so hard it tingled, and he even bit it. He pulled her waist tightly towards him as she tried to escape, and his other hand lifted her shirt and moved to her chest.

The hand that grasped her br*ast as if kneading soft bread suddenly.

“Ah.”

A sharp pain was felt in her n*pple. He had pinched it with his fingers.

As she clung to Kanin, holding his arms tightly with both hands, Kanin’s somewhat rough movements softened. The fingers that had pinched her n*pple hard enough to make her come to her senses gently traced circles and kneaded her br*ast.

How long did they share body heat like that?

The more they shared breaths, the cold energy seeped into her heart, soothing her excited heart.

He slowly pulled away, waiting for her to catch her breath completely.

His voice, much lower, asked her.

“……Are you okay now?”

“Kanin…”

Today, Kanin saved her again. She looked at him with tears in her eyes. Kanin, meeting her gaze, flinched slightly and tapped her forehead with his finger.

“Don’t look at me like that, dummy. It’s hard to resist.”

“Huh?”

Why was it hard to resist? 

She blinked blankly.

At that moment, a very loud voice echoed from the hallway.

“The fire’s out!!”

It was a voice as loud as a roaring tiger.

There were only two people in her house who could make such a loud noise.

“Father?”

Her father and grandfather.

“Thank goodness! The fire’s out!!”

Even just hearing the voice echoing in the hallway, it was filled with pure joy. And he immediately shouted to someone beside him.

“See, Father. Kanin is essential for Vivi!”

The moment she heard that, she understood the situation.

‘Father brought Kanin. I was wondering how Kanin knew to come.’

And the person her father was passionately speaking to was, of course.

“Still, to have that Albrecht fellow in this house.”

“Father!”

……Her grandfather, Bendam Gerhartz.

The sound of their footsteps echoed messily down the hallway. Meanwhile, she helped Nora up.

“Are you okay, Nora?”

“Y-Yes…”

Nora seemed dazed. Then, meeting her gaze, she blushed and quickly turned her head.

“Why, Nora?”

“I’ve watched over you since childhood, like raising a younger sibling.”

“? And what?”

“……Let’s talk in an hour.”

Nora, in the end, fled the room with a bright red face. She tilted her head in confusion.

“Why is she like that? Did she really get hurt?”

“…….”

At her words, Kanin silently buttoned her shirt. And thanks to that, she realized why Nora had turned so red.

“Oh my.”

Come to think of it, Nora must have seen everything!

‘Ugh, of course, Nora knew we’ve been like this for a long time!’

Since it was Nora who cleaned her room, how could she have hidden it from her?

But seeing it in reality was very different from changing bed sheets.

‘I should talk calmly with Nora later.’

She suppressed the urge to chase after Nora immediately. Because the sound of footsteps from outside was now very close.

Thud thud! Like the footsteps of a giant, two muscular men filled her room.

“What exactly don’t you like?!”

The one shouting was her father.

“I…”

And the one hesitating was her grandfather.

She was curious why her grandfather opposed Kanin so much, so she watched her uncharacteristically hesitant grandfather.

After hesitating for a moment, her grandfather pointed at Kanin and spoke loudly.

“I don’t like having a bespectacled fellow in our family!!”

“What?”

“What did you say?”

She doubted her ears, and Kanin furrowed his straight eyebrows.

Her grandfather, who had given a rather childish reason, seemed to think it was already spilled water and vented all the words he had wanted to say.

“Glasses are a symbol of weakness! Only those without muscles and with ink in their heads wear them!”

It was a reason befitting her grandfather, who thought muscles were everything in life.

Her father, who was a bit more sensible and thinner than her grandfather—though her father was also quite muscular—sighed and scolded her grandfather.

“……Father, please don’t say anything from now on.”

“Why not!”

Her father pushed her grandfather, who was shouting like a child, back. Then he asked her seriously.

“What happened, Vivi? If Sir Kanin hadn’t come, it would have been a disaster.”

“Well, that’s…”

Was it okay to say this? 

But after causing such a big accident, she couldn’t say nothing. Fiddling with her fingers, she slowly opened her lips.

“I took a magic suppressant.”

Kanin frowned at her words.

“Why? Has it been hard to control your magic lately?”

“No, it’s not that…”

Should I tell the truth or not? 

Her eyes darted around. She hadn’t expected to reveal her heart in this situation.

“I-I was worried.”

“About what?”

Everyone’s eyes focused on her lips. She couldn’t ask everyone except Kanin to leave now, so cold sweat dripped down her back.

As she hesitated, her grandfather puffed his beard and shouted.

“Speak quickly!”

When she reflexively flinched, Kanin stood in front of her protectively and answered her grandfather in a stern voice.

“Please don’t push her like that.”

“What? This, this rascal!”

She widened her eyes and looked at the firm back of the man standing in front of her. It was a flexible yet reliable back.

She could trust Kanin. She clenched her fists and slowly answered.

“……I was worried that if I got pregnant, a fire attribute mage would be born.”

“!!”

At her answer, Kanin turned to her with a surprised expression.

“Pregnant?”

She was too flustered to answer immediately. She just stared blankly into his eyes.

And a wave of emotion spread across his face, which always seemed so composed.

At that moment.

“You, rascal!”

“That’s why I say bespectacled fellows are sly!”

Her father and grandfather simultaneously lunged at Kanin. In the sudden melee, she jumped in without thinking and screamed.

“It’s not Kanin’s fault! I was worried! ……Kyah!”

The chaos only ended after she gave a lengthy explanation that she wasn’t pregnant, but worried about future pregnancy.

* * *

Despite her efforts to stop it, a mark from her grandfather’s headbutt remained on Kanin’s cheek. It was difficult to overpower her grandfather, who still did lunges and twists during meals.

After the commotion, she and Kanin sat together at the table in the greenhouse. Her room was being repaired from the fire, so they couldn’t enter.

She quickly bowed her head to Kanin.

“I-I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I should have thought about that too.”

Kanin chuckled and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She had apologized for her grandfather’s actions…

But before she could correct her words, he whispered into her ear like a sigh.

“I’m sorry for making you worry alone.”

“Kanin.”

She thought her tears had dried, but they welled up again. Kanin, with a gentle smile, rubbed her eyes with his fingers. Then he spoke in a kind voice.

“And don’t belittle yourself. I’m receiving a lot of help from you, Vivi.”

“That can’t be true.”

“You might not realize it, but it’s true.”

What could I possibly help Kanin with? 

She blinked slowly. Kanin’s face, which had been slightly bitter, soon broke into a bright smile.

“Don’t worry about our child. Everything will be fine.”

“But, Kanin.”

Having a child wasn’t something that could be solved with positive thinking.

As she was about to address that, Kanin shrugged and added lightly.

“If you’re that worried, I don’t mind not having a child.”

“But the Albrecht Ducal family…”

You’re the eldest son, and you have a duty to continue the bloodline.

When she pointed that out, Kanin replied nonchalantly.

“I’ll just let my nephew inherit it.”

“Kanin.”

She appreciated his words, but she had to point out something.

“Marin is only three years old.”

Meaning your sister is only three, and a nephew is a distant future.

“So.”

Kanin chuckled and hugged her.

“I’m saying we have plenty of time.”

Kanin had a refreshing scent like that of a cool forest.

The familiar scent calmed her heart. She held Kanin’s hand tightly and whispered softly.

“Thank you.”

Kanin hugged her tightly.

* * *

At a time Vivi couldn’t remember.

Kanin was often called away on missions, as his control was better than Vivi’s.

That day was one of those days.

‘This is exhausting.’

After submitting the final mission report and leaving the Commander’s office, he heard a voice in the dark hallway that shouldn’t be there.

“Kanin, you’re back?”

Kanin, who had naturally assumed he was alone, was startled.

A familiar face emerged from the darkness. It was Vivi.

“Why are you here?”

“Well… I thought you’d be late.”

She looked very sleepy, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. Just as Kanin was about to tell her she should have gone home, she spread her arms and smiled.

“Come here. Aren’t you cold?”

“…….”

His heart was touched. Kanin bit his lip and silently leaned his cheek against Vivi’s shoulder.

The gentle pats on his back felt like they were soothing his heart as well, and he stood there blankly for a while.

As warmth slowly spread, a tender feeling blossomed in his heart.

‘I really like you.’

No matter what Vivi said, she was the only one for him.

<Side Story End>