Chapter 11: Staying Out

The moment Seirin woke, she started thinking. If she stayed home, she’d have to deal with the Crown Prince, Princess Pesopotemia, the annoying Euclis twin princes, and Princess Tipetoria who seemed desperate to eat her alive. She had to escape before they all showed up.  

“You’re going to see Dr. Albert?”  

“Yes, Mother. I’ve had a lot on my mind lately, so I want to get a checkup and discuss a few things with him.”  

“Seirin.”  

Seirin could tell from her mother Serpiana’s sharp gaze that her plan was already exposed, but she couldn’t back down.  

“I’ll just get examined and come right back. I’ll go with Remi.”  

“Rebecca, you go with them too.”  

“Y-Yes, Madam.”  

“……”  

Seirin felt both scared and resentful toward her mother, who knew her so well.  

A suffocating silence filled the breakfast table. Sein sat next to Seirin, his head bowed, while Eric sat next to his wife, unable to decide what to say.  

When Seirin finally raised her head, tears welled in her eyes.  

“R-Rin?!”  

Only Sein and Eric reacted to Seirin’s tears. Serpiana just stared at her daughter, expressionless.  

“Mother… you don’t care about me at all, do you?”

“What are you saying, Seirin?”  

“Whether I’m stressed! Or not! Whether I die of nerves! You don’t care!”  

“You’re being emotional. And who said you could speak so without—”

Seirin stood up, facing her mother who raised her voice at the unprecedented situation. She had never done such a thing before. Watching this unfolding tension, the Damarania family, as well as Rebecca and Remy, could only clutch their chests in alarm.

“You’ve always been strict with me.”  

“That’s because you…”  

“You’ve never, not once, tried to see things from my side! All you ever do is scold me!”

“Sigh. Seirin. Don’t act like a child. Sit down first…”  

“I hate you more than anyone in the world!”  

“Seirin!”  

Seirin burst out of the dining room and ran down the hall. As voices called after her, she screamed not to follow, running outside until she reached the big ducal gates, her vision blurred by tears which she wiped away with her sleeve.  

“M-My Lady.”  

“Open it.”  

“Yes!”  

Once the gate opened, Seirin climbed into the carriage she’d prepared.  

“To Dr. Albert’s mansion?”  

“No. Noah, to Marquis Cherbel’s. Hurry.”  

“Yes, giddyup!”  

As the carriage moved, voices called to her from nearby, but Seirin drew the curtains, placed her hands on her knees, and bowed her head.  

“Who wants to act like a child? I hate it too. Why, why… Why doesn’t anyone think about me? I really hate everyone. Hate them. Sob.”  

Her pent-up frustration and sorrow exploded, and Seirin couldn’t control her emotions, covering her face and sobbing until, after about thirty minutes, the carriage stopped and the coachman announced their arrival. She wiped her tears with her sleeve and got out.  

Screech—  

“Rin.”  

“Noah…”  

As if he’d known she was coming, Noah welcomed her with a warm smile and embraced her, letting her cry like a child. His comforting hand on her back calmed her, and holding his hand, Seirin entered Marquis Cherbel’s mansion—not the house, but the garden where she’d often played with the Marchioness. She flopped down on the grass.  

“Here.”  

“Thank you.”  

Noah handed her a cup, prepared in advance. Seirin gave a faint smile, took a sip of her favorite black tea to moisten her throat, and fiddled with the cup as she asked the man sitting beside her a question.

“How did you know?”  

“I got a message from the Duchess.”  

“Ah……”  

“Seirin.”  

“Yes.”  

When a large, warm hand gently stroked her hair, Seirin looked at Noah. Seeing her childhood friend always smiling at her, she felt a sense of comfort wash over her.

“The Duchess can be a bit forceful, but, Rin, she truly loves you and worries about you.”  

“No, Mother always……”  

“Neither you nor I can truly know the Duchess’s feelings until she tells us herself. But I can tell a little. The Duchess always worries and loves you, Seirin. It’s just that her way of showing it is a bit much.”  

“………….”  

As big tears rolled down Seirin’s cheeks, Noah smiled softly, took out a handkerchief, and wiped her tears. He asked her to excuse him for a moment, then pulled her into a comforting embrace.

“The Duchess asked me to let you stay here for today.”  

“What?! Is that true?!”  

“Yes. She said she’ll come to pick you up tomorrow.”  

“Oh……”  

“And she asked me to go with you to see Dr. Albert.”  

“……”  

“Rin.”  

When Seirin looked up again, Noah smiled gently, smoothing her slightly flushed face and showing a small, toothy grin.

“Shall we go back to the old days for a while today?”  

“What… Don’t you have to go to the Mage Tower?”  

“It’s fine to skip just one day. There are plenty of other magicians besides me.”  

“Is it okay for a Grand Mage to do that?”  

“That’s the privilege of being a Grand Mage.”  

“What~”  

Seirin laughed and lightly tapped Noah’s shoulder. Noah gently wrapped his hand around her slender wrist and kissed the back of her hand.

“Noah?”  

“I want you to always smile, Seirin. And I want to make you happy.”  

“Hehe. Thank you, Noah. Aren’t you bothered by someone like me?”  

“Not at all. I, Seirin……”  

“Noah?”  

He wanted to say he liked her, no, that he truly loved her and wanted to love her together and build a future with her, but the words wouldn’t come out. Noah took a deep breath and bowed his head.

“No-Noah? Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”  

“Haha. It’s nothing. You said you hadn’t eaten, right? Let’s go in. I told them to prepare all your favorite dishes.”

“You’re something. Oh, what about the Marquis?”  

“He’s busy with many projects these days. He leaves at dawn and only returns late at night.”  

“That’s not good for his health.”  

“Don’t worry, Seirin. For Father, working is better.”

Seeing Noah smile as he spoke, Seirin felt sad thinking about how, after the Marchioness passed away giving birth to her daughter ten years ago, the Marquis who dearly loved his wife and Noah, her son, could not bring himself to love Ariel, the daughter who cost his wife her life.

After losing his wife, the Marquis became obsessed with work and rarely came home, and since Noah became a Grand Mage, he practically lived at the Mage Tower. With Ariel only ten years old, Seirin, worried about her, entered the mansion and immediately looked for her.

“She’s in the dining room.”  

“Oh.”  

Seirin quickly walked to the dining room and opened the door. Seeing Ariel sitting alone at the large table, eating as if it were completely normal, Seirin’s heart ached.

“Riel!”  

“Ah! Sister Seirin!”  

Ariel jumped down from her chair and ran to her, but hesitated when she saw her brother standing nearby. Seirin approached, hugged the child tightly, and checked her over with a smiling face.

“Have you been well?”  

“Yes! Brother told me you were coming.”  

“Right, I’ll be staying here today.”  

“Really?”  

“Of course.”  

“Yay!”

Holding the cute and lovable Ariel, Seirin sat her beside her at the big dining table and took a seat herself.

“Ariel.”  

“Yes, Brother?”  

“I heard you got into an argument with Lady Loretta at school yesterday.”  

“T-that’s because… She said I was the daughter who killed my mother, and that’s why Father and you hate me. She said it in front of everyone.”  

“What?! Is that true?”  

“Sniff. Yes.”

Unable to contain her anger, Seirin bent her spoon, then apologized and fixed it.

“You can just ignore it.”  

“I’m sorry, Brother. I’ll be quiet from now on.”  

Seirin liked Noah’s kindness to others, but not his coldness toward his little sister.

“Noah.”  

“What, Seirin?”  

“Never mind. Riel, is there anyone else besides Lady Loretta who bullies you? If there is, tell me. I’ll take care of it.”  

“It’s okay. If I just stay quiet…”  

“Riel, if you just let them be, they’ll bully you more. I’ll help so they can’t do it again.”  

“Sister Seirin…”

As Ariel cried big tears, Seirin held her gently, stroked her hair, and told her to trust her, then gave her a spoon with a bright smile.

“Seirin, do you really have to……”  

“Noah.”  

“……”  

Noah couldn’t continue under her sharp gaze.

“Don’t try to stop me.”  

“Seirin, it’s just kids fighting…”  

“Noah, aren’t you angry after hearing what your sister went through? You heard it yourself.”  

‘It’s not exactly wrong, though.’

Seirin could guess what Noah was thinking as he looked at his little sister, unable to raise her head. Since she cared deeply for both her friend and Ariel, she understood both their feelings and sighed.

“I’m not trying to make a big deal out of it.”  

“Seirin, you have a quick temper……”  

“What?”  

“Nothing. Let’s eat first. The food will get cold.”  

“Hm, let’s talk about Ariel after we eat.”  

“Dr. Albert……”  

“We can visit him later.”  

“Haha, alright.”

As Noah gave a sheepish smile, Seirin stroked Ariel’s hair and cupped her cheek, showing her white teeth as she smiled.

“Want to sleep with me tonight?”  

“Yes!”  

“Hehe, alright.”

Noah smiled faintly as he watched Seirin and Ariel start breakfast together. Seeing his little sister resemble their mother more as she grew, his brow furrowed.

***

Seirpiana sat in a rocking chair, holding a photo album recording her daughter’s growth.

“It feels like just yesterday you first walked to me and called me ‘Mom’ with a smile, but now… You’ve grown up. My daughter.”

“Madam……”  

Seirpiana looked up from the photo album and asked Rebecca, who was bowing beside her, what was wrong.

“The Crown Prince has arrived.”  

“That was quick. Bring him to the drawing room.”  

“Yes.”

Seirpiana stood and walked to the drawing room. As soon as she opened the door, she was greeted by the Crown Prince, Princess Pesopotemia, the Euclis twin princes, and Princess Tipetoria, who was watching her with crossed arms.

After greeting everyone politely, she sat across from the Crown Prince and bowed, expressing her apologies.

“Madame? Why are you apologizing to me?”  

“You came because you were worried about my sick daughter, but I’m sorry, Seirin needed rest so I sent her to the doctor.”  

“Is it that serious?”  

“My apologies, Your Highness.”  

“Where is she, Duchess?”  

“We’ll go too!”

Seirpiana bowed to the princess and the twin princes, explaining that Seirin needed a place to rest and would be brought back first thing tomorrow.

“Hm… Madame, then where is she?”  

“She went to Marquis Cherbel’s mansion.”  

“Marquis Cherbel’s mansion?”  

“Yes, Your Highness. As you know, my daughter grew up almost like siblings with the Heir of Cherbel, so she trusts him more than family…”  

“I see. Then I’ll come again tomorrow.”  

“Yes, Your Highness. Safe travels.”  

“No need to see me out.”  

“Yes.”

Kasel left, telling the twin princes to be quiet as they grumbled about Seirin staying at the Grand Mage Cherbel’s house, and glared at Eizel who was snickering, then climbed into the carriage.

“Let’s go.”  

“Yes.”

Clunk—

Sitting elegantly with his arms crossed and legs folded in the rattling carriage, Kasel showed no sign of being shaken, but his expression was twisted.

‘He’s always the one I dislike most. Noah de Cherbel. That sly fox. How can I get him away from my Seirin?’

As Kasel pondered, a smile spread across his lips as he came up with a good idea.