145th Episode
“The festival is on its fourth day now, so I’m starting to get bored.”
Riel, the female servant of the Schugenhartz Family, slumped over a table at one of the stalls, looking quite uninterested.
As she mumbled with a teaspoon in her mouth, her twin younger sister Rina, sitting upright across from her, responded.
“Is that so? I find everything pretty interesting since it’s all new to me. The events every night have all been different and fun!”
While talking, Rina urged Riel to sit up straight. Riel, feeling lazy, declined the suggestion. The teaspoon she was biting down on was constantly moving around busily.
“It’s not that it’s not interesting, but… I guess it’s not that surprising anymore the more I see it.”
“Have you gotten used to it?”
“I think so…”
Riel blinked her large eyes and looked at the shopping bags next to her, which were quite a few in number. Except for the first day, all of them had been carried around by her.
Rina muttered under her breath.
“Well, I guess you have gotten used to it…”
“Right? I mean, the Academia isn’t anything special.”
“So are we going back today?”
“Not really. If we go back, we have to deal with that boring elective class again…”
Of course, the general studies teacher had changed because of Vargan, and the class hours had significantly increased.
Because of that, Riel had come to Academia with her younger sister Rina and her second son brother Belo as if to escape.
“And after the event ends tonight, the hostage drama starts right away, right? We can’t leave without doing that now that we’ve come all this way.”
“That’s not wrong, but it doesn’t sound good, sister…. The second-year students are the ones attacking Academia, and we outsiders are the ones who get caught by them, right?”
“They say it’s the same every year. No matter how many parades or whatever, isn’t watching a fight the most fun?”
Riel giggled like a boy playing with a robot toy.
Belo, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, affectionately patted Riel’s head as if he found her cute. Riel didn’t refuse and just let it happen.
In the meantime, Belo spoke up.
“I couldn’t go around with Vargan, but… I’ll get to see him there.”
“Brother, why are you suddenly talking about that guy?”
Riel snapped at Belo, brushing his hand away. Her already sharp gaze became even narrower.
Belo smiled unabashedly as if he didn’t mind at all.
“Riel is the most affectionate one in our family, after all. Just wondering if you wanted to see him.”
“Exclude him from the family! Don’t put him in the mix!”
Riel shot up straight, enjoying this reaction was Belo.
As Vargan’s name came up in their conversation, Rina’s expression turned somewhat lonely.
“Brother Vargan seemed really busy… He looked like he was hurriedly preparing something on the second and third days too…”
“It seems like you’re avoiding me…”
“Oh, speaking of which…”
Riel, who had been sulking, furrows her brows.
On the first day of wandering the festival with Alicia, Riel had heard that news.
“Today… it seems they’re just hanging out together.”
“Really? That’s surprising…”
“At this rate, aren’t you going to have to call Alicia ‘Sister’ later?”
Riel makes her statement playfully, and Rina chuckles lightly to match the mood before asking.
“What would you do if that really happened?”
“If Alicia becomes my sister? Hahaha! That would definitely be something new.”
Riel, who was laughing to the point of tearing up, soon waves her hand and replies.
“I’m sorry, Alicia, but that’s never going to happen.”
“You know I’ve seen him recently. He’s being dragged around by his fiancée. As long as that little rascal from the Portlet Family is around, that’s not going to happen.”
“Little rascal? Sister…”
“Anyway, that’s not going to happen. And even if he didn’t have a fiancée, do you really think that arrogant guy would take a commoner as his main wife?”
“That’s true, but…”
“Enough of that. Let’s go. I’ve rested long enough, and I want to move again.”
Riel stretches and picks up her luggage.
Her movement causes the other family members to rise from their seats as well.
“What should we do this time?”
Just a moment ago, Riel had said she was starting to get tired of the festival, yet now she was humming as if nothing had happened.
*
Alicia and Vargan were strolling through the festival together.
Unlike usual, where Vargan walks slightly ahead and Alicia follows, they were now matching each other’s pace.
If others saw them, they wouldn’t easily see a simple master-servant relationship given their distance.
This was the second time Alicia walked right beside him like this.
“…It reminds me of the old days.”
“The old days?”
Vargan’s strides were particularly long and fast.
In contrast, Alicia’s steps were slow and narrow.
The day they went out to buy clothes together, she had been dragged along by his hand, suddenly finding herself walking right next to him. Her legs had been moving hurriedly, almost as if she were lightly jogging.
…But now, their speeds were roughly similar.
Alicia’s eyes alternated between his moving figure and her own feet.
Over the course of more than a year, she had adjusted her walking pace to match his.
Unbeknownst to him, Vargan had subconsciously slowed down his own pace to match hers.
Vargan seemed oblivious to this change, but Alicia was aware.
Unlike before, walking beside him was no longer difficult for her.
Even if he didn’t notice it, just the fact that she did was enough.
Alicia smiles slightly and says, “I’m taking good care of the clothes you gave me, Young Master.”
“I can tell by how careful you are to not get them dirty during meals. Just don’t spill too much; there’s no need to be that careful.”
Vargan had said he could simply toss the cheap ones and buy new ones. But Alicia shook her head slowly.
“Thank you for saying so, but it’s enough for me. That dress is a precious gift from you, Young Master… I have no intention of getting it dirty or throwing it away.”
“…If that’s what you want, then do as you please.”
Tap-tap…
Alicia and Vargan traveled together at a similar pace, visiting various spots.
Alicia shared experiences with him.
……
For lunch, they had a unique dish. It was a place the Young Master had happened to find while walking by.
It consisted of soft, unusual rice cakes mixed with spicy red sauce and fried sweet potatoes coated in batter.
The dish served was fried sweet potatoes coated in a spicy red sauce, with some bread mixed in.
The Young Master looked at the food, smiling as if he found it amusing.
Honestly, before I could fully taste it, the spiciness had my eyes watering, but the Young Master ate without a care. He didn’t eat much, but he seemed to enjoy the texture itself.
Even with a tingling tongue and red lips, since it was one of the few dishes the Young Master showed interest in, I took my time analyzing the flavor in my mouth.
It was worth it.
Though it might not be exactly the same, I think I could make something similar later on. I’ll practice secretly.
After lunch, I let my guard down a bit.
While gazing at the items in the shop selling mystical clouds, the Young Master suggested I buy some to try if I was curious.
I was surprised that those clouds were food, and even more surprised that I could eat while walking without needing a place to sit.
For the first time, I tasted a sugary treat made to look like pastel clouds. That fluffy, melting-in-my-mouth wondrous food was exceptionally sweet.
The Young Master didn’t eat this treat. Despite it being intriguing and new, his lack of interest suggested I didn’t need to remember how to make it.
We continued participating in events and appreciating everything.
Most of these experiences were new and fascinating, precious time indeed.
The Young Master was the same as me.
…He was the same.
…….
It would’ve been great if that were truly the case.
“…….”
As the day began to fade…
Alicia halted her steps.
Just then, Liam and Emily appeared before them.
Emily looked clearly flustered, as if caught in an embarrassing moment, but pretended otherwise.
“Are you two… having fun?”
One of Emily’s hands was awkwardly hidden behind her. Liam also seemed a bit sheepish as he rubbed his nose.
Vargan pointed that out.
“If you’re going to keep holding hands, why let go at all?”
“…When did we…?”
“Congratulations, Emily. You finally got to… a little bit…”
“—Ah, Alicia! Wait, I need to go somewhere with you!”
Emily’s face was as red as a beet, nearly bursting.
She rather forcibly grabbed Alicia’s hand and tried to move. Alicia, feeling awkward, glanced at Vargan, who slightly nodded in permission.
Seeing this, Alicia quietly lowered her gaze and whispered.
“…Then, I’ll be right back.”
Vargan heard Alicia’s voice. His eyes were not on Alicia.
*
Emily led Alicia to a quieter spot.
Letting out a sigh of relief, she fanned her hot face with her hands. Then, suddenly, she reevaluated the situation they were in.
“I rushed out without thinking… but I left Vargan and Liam alone, right? …I hope Liam doesn’t say anything weird.”
“…….”
“Ugh, did I come out for no reason? Should we go back…? What should I do?”
“…….”
I wasn’t expecting any special reaction, but as Alicia remained silent, her head bowed, Emily finally realized something was off.
Fidgeting earlier, Emily had now calmed down. She carefully leaned down to check Alicia’s expression.
A glimpse of her face.
It did not look like a girl excited for a date at all.
“What’s wrong, Alicia…?”
“…….”
“How did Vargan manage to do that…?”
“……”
Alicia was sobbing.
Quietly, without a single sound. No shuddering at all.
Emily’s expression grew serious at the unexpected depth of Alicia’s sorrow, and she became lost in thought.
Just two days ago… No, even yesterday, Alicia wasn’t like this. She seemed a bit worried about Vargan, but not to this extent.
What on earth did she hear that could have made her hurt this much, especially when Vargan was as unbothered as a stone?
“Emily…”
Alicia’s soft voice broke through.
With a voice soaked in tears, she spoke.
“I… wasn’t expecting much…”
“Expecting?”
“I knew. I understood that I could never take that place…”
In that moment, Emily sensed it.
There was another figure involved in this story aside from the two of them.
Alicia was trying hard to pull herself together, but her trembling voice wouldn’t steady.
“That would be too greedy of me… It’s beyond what has been given to me… So just a little, a tiny bit would have been enough…”
“……”
Alicia reflected on her day.
A little more than an afternoon spent with Vargan.
During that time, he had never once looked at Alicia.
He may have brushed past her. In his gaze, Alicia had reflected for just a second.
However, that was merely a visible phenomenon.
His eyes were not directed at her.
Even while speaking, walking, and acting as usual.
It was unmistakably “different”.
“I just wanted the Young Master to smile for even a moment… to forget his troubles, if only for a brief second…”
⎯Was that too much to ask of me?
Alicia questioned quietly.
Emily couldn’t easily reply to that.
She had no clue how much Vargan cherished his fiancée, Erica. She could sort of see it, but they weren’t close enough to make such claims.
However, she understood the crucial reason for Alicia’s distress.
She knew why Alicia was denying her own feelings and trying to push them away.
“Man… this is tough, huh?”
What’s so grand about status anyway?
How complicated can feelings be?
Emily murmured softly.
Her words barely reached her own ears.
She kept it locked inside her mind.
Alicia probably understood far more deeply how Vargan felt about Erica and how Erica regarded Vargan compared to her own feelings.
That alone must be tormenting Alicia’s heart tremendously.
Yet, the positions of her and Vargan only made it worse.
A clear distinction of ‘status’.
An insurmountable line.
Those things press down on Alicia.
“……”
But.
…No matter how much she tried to suppress it, she clearly liked him enough for it to show.
She adored him to the extent that everything in her life ranked behind him.
Watching her only suffer without being able to do anything was something she didn’t want to see.
This was, after all, Emily’s personal sentiment.
Her interpretation, which did not include Alicia’s opinion.
However, it compelled her to finally speak up, having constantly empathized with Alicia’s pain.
“Don’t give up, Alicia.”
She nudged Alicia’s back, who was quietly standing there crying.
“There’s still a chance.”
And so, the stage transitions to the fourth night of the festival.
With an ancient tree set ablaze, men and women dance before it.
The scene shifts to the Sacred Tree Festival.
