Though it felt forced.
Thinking this, he bowed.
"That's how it is. I'll be going then."
As Arkana quickly crossed the garden and left, Beramund watched his retreating figure with displeasure, clicked his tongue, and closed the door.
Seria jumped up from her seat and rushed to embrace her brother as he entered her room without knocking. Arkana chuckled deep in his throat and said:
"What are you doing sitting in a chair by the entrance?"
"I was waiting for you! So? How did it go? Is Sigrid okay?"
"Yes, she's fine."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Thank goodness—"
Seria let out a long sigh of relief, her shoulders sagging. Arkana ruffled her hair and asked:
"How long have you been waiting?"
"Since you left after coming here."
"Oh dear."
Arkana frowned slightly, gently pinched her cheek, then let go and said:
"Go to bed."
"What about you?"
"I thought I'd pack so things and go back to Siri."
"I'll pack for you."
"I have hands, you know."
"I can't let you pack your own underwear."
"Ah."
Arkana nodded in agreent. Seria rushed upstairs and soon returned with a packed bag. As she handed the bag to Arkana, she asked worriedly:
"Is she in a lot of pain? Is she really okay? Should I go nurse her?"
"Yes, she's fine. The symptoms are just a cough, but we're keeping our distance in case it's contagious."
"I see. That's a relief."
Seria placed a hand on her chest, relieved once again. Arkana stared at his sister for a mont, then asked:
"Are you okay with Sigrid?"
"Huh?"
"She's a noble, after all."
"Are you okay with it yourself?"
Seria teased, then looked at her toes for a mont before raising her head and saying:
"It's fine. Sigrid is completely different from ordinary nobles. If she were a man, I might have fallen for her at first sight."
Arkana laughed at Seria's words.
"She is quite spirited, indeed."
"Right? And she doesn't brag about being a noble. She even saved my life. And she encourages
to beco a chef."
She buys expensive ingredients, buys
books, lets
use the kitchen freely— and above all, she eats whatever I make without any complaints!
Seria continued to shower Sigrid with praise.
Towards the end, Arkana briefly thought, 'Is that really okay?' but nonetheless nodded.
"What about you? Are you okay?"
At Seria's question, Arkana smiled and said:
"I plan to force a lot on her, since she says she doesn't need anything I offer."
Seria grinned at those words.
"That sounds good."
"Doesn't it?"
Arkana nodded. He looked at his sister standing before him with a triumphant face. Then he recalled what Sigrid had told him.
'If I had lost Seria.'
If that bastard Count Oren or whatever his na was had brutally murdered Seria, he would certainly have made an extre choice. Becoming a court magician, siding with the Emperor, what he might do— he could sowhat predict his own actions.
"I'm going."
"Okay, send my regards too!"
Seria waved her hand and let out a long yawn. Arkana nodded and said, "Go to sleep," then left the mansion with his luggage.
When Arkana returned to Beramund's mansion, Sigrid was in the middle of exercising. Seeing her hanging upside down, Arkana asked:
"What are you doing?"
"Oh— I was feeling stiff."
Sigrid was using a long clothes rack as a substitute for a pull-up bar. Hanging upside down and doing sit-ups, she asked:
"Did you say hello properly?"
"Yes. Doesn't hanging like that make the blood rush to your head?"
"I'm used to it, so it's fine. Just a mont, let
finish a hundred."
'I don't think I could even hang upside down.'
Arkana thought as he leaned against the clothes rack. Sigrid continued her sit-ups at a steady pace, neither too fast nor too slow.
"78, 79, 80—"
"Siri."
"Yes?"
"My parents were slash-and-burn farrs."
At those words, Sigrid looked at Arkana while in a curled position, then straightened her body and, using the montum, spun around to sit on top of the clothes rack. It was a fluid motion. Arkana inwardly clicked his tongue.
'She really has amazing balance.'
"Really? Slash-and-burn farrs? Truly?"
Sigrid asked, still sitting on the clothes rack, and Arkana nodded.
"They were originally serfs, but they ran away. I don't really know much about it. I was young at the ti."
"What about now?"
"You're not going to arrest ?"
Runaway serfs are subject to legal punishnt.
"Guilt by association has been abolished."
At her answer, Arkana smiled lightly and said:
"They're both gone. There was no formal trial, they were hunted down like ga, miserably."
Saying that hunting humans was the most enjoyable hunt, they slowly wounded his parents, cornering them. Laughing as they embraced each other, thodically increasing their injuries.
"......"
Sigrid reached out and silently stroked the back of Arkana's head. Arkana closed his eyes slightly, savoring her touch, and said:
"I saw it all back then. Hiding with my little sister. I saw them throw my parents' tattered corpses into the house and set it on fire. That's why I wanted to gain power, and I went to the Ice Tower without a plan."
Arkana opened his eyes and looked at Sigrid.
"But the condition was to give up on revenge. I was incredibly frustrated, but I gave up. Protecting my little sister was the top priority."
Arkana reached out and took her hand that was stroking his head.
"But I almost lost Seria. You protected her. Thank you, Sigrid."
As he lightly kissed her palm, Sigrid said, flustered:
"It— wasn't that great."
"No. Most people wouldn't do that. And you didn't ask for anything in return. Even knowing I was a magician."
"I just did what needed to be done."
At those words, Arkana simply smiled.
She says she just did what needed to be done, but in reality, if he had desperately appealed to any other noble, how many would have listened to him?
Arkana was certain it would have been none.
'Well, maybe one or two.'
Like a true magician, Arkana didn't make absolute claims and left so room for uncertainty. But surely no one would have helped without demanding sothing in return.
"So I'll be your magician as long as you want."
"Arkana has always been my magician, hasn't he?"
When Sigrid asked in confusion, Arkana smiled.
"And you've always been my knight."
"Ah, it feels good when Arkana says that."
Sigrid grinned.
"It really makes
feel— how should I put it, like I'm a decent knight."
"Sigrid is an excellent knight, though?"
"Lately, I've been thinking that might be true."
As Sigrid spoke seriously, Arkana nodded just as seriously.
"I'm telling you, you're excellent."
Sigrid grasped Arkana's hand that was holding hers and said:
"Hey, if it's okay—"
"Hmm?"
"If it's okay, next ti, should we go to— Arkana's ho...? Like to the graves... though they might have already been erected..."
At those words, Arkana's mouth opened slightly, then he smiled faintly, pressing her hand to his forehead, and said:
"You'll co with ?"
"Of course?"
"Then let's go together next ti. I never had the courage to go alone."
"Okay."
Anyti is fine, let's go when Arkana wants to.
Sigrid added emphatically, then hopped down from the clothes rack. Holding hands, she grinned. Arkana felt, what should he call it, a comfortable feeling?
'Ah, did Arkana share his story because I shared mine?'
Exchanging secret pasts with each other, it feels like we've beco even closer.
"What are you two doing holding hands?"
Sigrid leaned her upper body to the side to see Beramund who had entered, and said:
"It's a secret conversation."
At those words, Beramund frowned, then looked at Arkana and said:
"When did you get back?"
"Just a little while ago. Isn't your security a bit lax?"
"If you're back, say sothing. This isn't a house that needs security."
At Beramund's words, Arkana said, "Is that so?" and handed the luggage he had brought to Sigrid, saying:
"Seria packed it for you. Let
know if anything's missing."
"Okay, thanks."
"It's nothing."
Beramund felt a twinge of jealousy at the strange familiarity between the two, different from his own relationship with Sigrid, but he suppressed it.
"How long do we need to stay here?"
Sigrid asked Beramund as she lifted the luggage bag to gauge its weight. Beramund thought for a mont and said:
"At least until Rudinal arrives at the palace?"
"Wouldn't it be better to reveal it before then?"
"Let's decide after talking with Serios."
"Okay."
"Are you uncomfortable?"
"Pardon?"
"The room, I an. Anything uncomfortable or not to your liking?"
"No, nothing like that."
Sigrid waved her hands. She quickly pushed the luggage bag into the wardrobe. The clothes she was wearing now were her original clothes, well-dried overnight by the maid, so there was no need to change. Beramund noticed the empty clothes rack standing in the middle of the room.
"Why is this here?"
"I used it as exercise equipnt for a bit."
"Exercise?"
Beramund looked at Sigrid, saw her forehead was damp with sweat, and reached out. Sigrid took half a step back, avoiding his hand.
"......"
"......"
"......"
Beramund froze, and Sigrid was surprised by her own action. Beramund said "Uh—" and took out a handkerchief from his pocket, saying:
"Want to wipe your sweat...?"
"No, it's fine!"
Sigrid shook her head vigorously, flustered.
'Did I just get directly rejected?'
Beramund felt a sting in his heart. It was especially so after hearing Serios's words earlier that hinted at his reputation. Sigrid turned to Arkana and said:
"Arkana, if you're uncomfortable here, you can stay at the mansion."
"I can't leave Siri here alone."
At Arkana's words, Sigrid laughed and said, "It's fine—" Then she suddenly turned to Beramund.
"By the way, is it okay if I write letters to my friends? Or should I refrain? They must be worried."
"Please bear with it a little longer."
"Alright."
Sigrid obediently answered.
Before leaving, Beramund reached out to Sigrid one more ti, and once again, Sigrid slightly avoided him.
"......"
"......"
As Sigrid stamred, "Uh, well, I an," Beramund smiled gently, showing his open hand, and said:
"It's okay. Don't worry about it."
After he left with a smile, Arkana reached out and caressed her cheek. Sigrid let out a deep sigh. He asked:
"What's wrong?"
"Huh?"
"With Lord Lunatil."
"No, it's just— a bit......"
Until last night, it hadn't bothered her at all, but since then, for so reason, physical contact felt awkward. She sighed again and said:
"I should apologize, shouldn't I?"
"I'm not so sure."
Arkana smiled strangely.
"Do you dislike Lord Lunatil touching you?"
"Huh? No. It's not that."
Sigrid firmly denied. She furrowed her brow and said:
"It's not that... Umm... I don't really know myself."
"I see."
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