Midnight Jealousy
Your uncle is amazing!
The light from the Resonant Crystal Orb went out. At the same moment, the glow illuminating Liriet's consciousness faded too. Just moments ago, she'd been giggling as she sat in her chair, but now she collapsed onto it like she'd run a marathon, utterly exhausted. Her arms dangled limply like squid drying on a line.
No thoughts came to her. Like that, a minute passed, then two, then three. It was only after about five minutes that Liriet jolted upright with a gasp.
"Ah, what was that voice just now? Who was it? A girl with my uncle at this late hour..."
It was nearly eleven o'clock. Baal had probably been getting ready for bed, judging by his simple attire. That meant he'd taken the call from his bedroom. So, did that imply a girl was in his room with him at this hour?
A lover? No, the voice sounded young. About my age...
About her age? At that realization, Liriet's pupils shook like they were in an earthquake.
It wasn't some wild fantasy that Baal might lay hands on someone her age. Her trust in her uncle had long since pierced the ceiling and reached the heavens. It was just a primal unease bubbling up.
Baal was kind. Sure, he could be mischievous or playful at times, but his core nature was gentler and more considerate than anyone she'd ever known. He'd taught her all sorts of worldly knowledge she didn't understand. When things got tough, he stood by her like a sturdy pine tree she could always lean on.
But could she claim he was hers alone? No, she couldn't. Over the past two years while he'd been away from the mansion, who knew what people he'd met or what bonds he'd formed? There might even be a girl like her—someone who'd received his help and fallen for him in the process.
And while she doubted he'd let anyone share his bed, her own past behavior thoroughly debunked that thought.
Uncle always accepted my whims so readily. No guarantee the same wouldn't happen again...
The whims like wanting him to feed her every meal. Or sleeping by her side for four straight nights. He'd indulged every single one with utmost sincerity.
So if another girl her age acted the same way, would he refuse?
No way he wouldn't.
Unbeknownst to herself, Liriet had started biting her nails—a bad habit Abel used to have. She'd never understood why he'd picked it up, especially after watching Cassdia punish him for it multiple times. But now, she got it.
No, maybe she just asked casually without thinking. No jumping to conclusions.
She tried to suppress the spiraling worst-case thoughts with deep breaths, but then...
Wait. Why did Uncle hurry to turn off the orb? And why didn't he explain who she was?
Another question dragged her back into the depths. Without that, Liriet might not have cared much. If Baal had just said who the friend was and why she was there temporarily, it would've been settled.
But he hadn't. Why? Was it some secret he was hiding from her?
So why, exactly?
I tell Uncle everything.
She could share even the pettiest thoughts without hesitation. Well, there was one thing she couldn't say, but that was because even she hadn't figured it out yet—not because she felt guilty toward him.
"Mnyah."
As her mental strength hit its limit, Liriet let out a sickly cat-like mewl and flopped face-first onto her desk.
Should she turn the orb back on and call now? But what if he got annoyed? She could just say she wanted to hear his voice a bit more. That'd be lying to Uncle? Was lying the issue here?
When her "thing" might be stolen by someone else?
What 'thing'? Uncle isn't an object.
"Gasp!"
Realizing she'd veered into dangerous territory, Liriet swung her hand hard—forgetting it was the dead of night.
Thwack!
"Hiiik!?"
Her hand had struck her own head. It hurt enough to draw an embarrassing yelp, but better than being consumed by stray thoughts.
A cool-headed judgment and resolve unbelievable for a ten-year-old girl. It proved she wasn't just anyone vying for the next head of House Argent.
The worries stretched to ten minutes, thirty, then over an hour, two hours.
"...Just sleep."
In the end, Liriet reached a conclusion. Sleep first. It was well past midnight already. Baal had said kids needed to be in bed by ten. And Liriet was a good girl who listened to her uncle better than anyone.
No—she had to be.
As she pushed back her chair to stand...
Fwoosh.
"...Huh?"
The Resonant Crystal Orb he'd gifted her lit up again.
Yuria woke around one a.m. Not because the bed was uncomfortable—it was plush, the blankets warm, and Baal slept soundly without snoring or sleep-talking, like the good adult he was.
It was just habit. A survival instinct honed by the frail girl abandoned by her parents at six, enduring harsh days. No home, so she'd sneak into village stables or sleep in hay-filled barns.
If caught, she'd face scoldings—or worse, get chased out of the village.
So she'd wake every hour or two to check for people. A grueling vigilance even adults struggled with. But Yuria had never questioned it.
"Nngh..."
She tried dozing off again, but no luck. She'd have to endure another hour or two.
Poke poke.
With nothing to do, Yuria prodded Baal's cheek. Squish squish. She even tugged it experimentally. He stayed fast asleep.
Bored after a couple tries, she sat up to find something else.
"...?"
That's when she spotted a ring on the table. Baal must've taken it off briefly and forgotten to put it back. A person's face had popped out of it earlier.
Yuria fiddled with it curiously.
Then—fwoosh.
Unbeknownst to her, lingering mana from the Chaos Mana influence seeped into the ring, triggering a reaction. Light burst forth, and Yuria's eyes widened ever so slightly—barely noticeable.
"U-Uncle?"
Light fragments formed a girl's shape, just like before. The voice from across came again.
"...Who are you?"
Yuria skipped greetings, asking plainly. No hostility—just pure curiosity.
"Uh, y-you're the one... who are you?"
"Yuria. I'm Yuria."
"I'm Liriet Argent."
After simple introductions, Yuria spoke right up.
"Argent? Baal is Argent too."
"I'm Uncle's niece. That's why we share the name."
"I see."
Yuria came from such a destitute commoner family without even a surname, so she hadn't known that obvious fact. Pleased with the new knowledge, she perked up inwardly. Liriet, watching her, asked:
"Um... Y-Yuria, right?"
"Yeah. Yuria."
"Was that your voice I heard earlier when I was talking to Uncle?"
"Yeah."
As Yuria nodded, Liriet's expression grew anxious—though Yuria, barely able to read emotions or faces, didn't notice.
"What's your relationship to Uncle?"
"Relationship?"
How to explain her tie to Baal? He'd said he'd take her as a disciple, but she hadn't called him master yet. Did that even count as master and disciple?
In a way unchildlike for ten, Yuria pondered deeply.
"Dunno."
"Dunno?!"
"Just dunno. But Baal said he'd stay with me."
Crash!
Sudden noise erupted from the ring. Like catching a bug? Yuria, used to rats and insects in stables, brushed it off.
"W-Wait! What does that even mean...!"
"What?"
"Th-that! Uncle said he'd stay with you—what does that mean?!"
Liriet's voice rose. Yuria found it a bit loud but answered kindly, as she'd heard you should reply to questions.
"Just that. Baal said it. I don't know what it means either."
"If you don't know, who does...!"
"Wake Baal and ask?"
"Huh?"
"He's sleeping right next to me."
"Next to you!?"
Technically right next to her until just now, but she'd lie back soon enough, so not wrong. The tiny wording gap sparked massive misunderstanding, though.
"A-anyway, don't wake him. He's tired. But I have more questions..."
"Ah."
Sleepy. Yuria felt drowsiness returning sooner than usual—maybe the cozy bed. Her body seemed to urge, Lie down already!
"I'm sleeping. Bye."
"Huh? W-wait! I still have things to ask...!"
"Huh."
How to turn it off? Ignoring the fuss across, Yuria leisurely examined the ring. No matter what, the light stayed on.
Actually, her unabsorbed mana kept it lit, but she didn't know that.
Just sleep.
Abandoning the effort, Yuria toddled back to Baal's side. Problem was, the ring's angle perfectly captured her climbing into bed and lying next to him—in real time.
"U-Uncle... with some other girl, not me..."
Mumbling echoed faintly from the ring, but too distant for Yuria to hear clearly. It became soothing white noise, letting her close her eyes peacefully.
"Mm..."
Just then, Baal shifted in sleep—maybe sleep-talking—and his arm draped over her. More "placed" than "hugged," but to eyes watching from behind...
"S-so intimately... Gotta turn it off soon..."
And that light stayed on until four a.m.
Lately, a certain sight unfolded every morning in the Argent household: the morning spar between the two Argent heirs.
Hoo, today I'll finally beat Liriet once.
Abel, changed early into training clothes, steeled his resolve boldly. He knew she outmatched him, but pride as big brother demanded it. Eyes blazing with determination...
"...Brother, you're here."
"Yeah. You're late for once... Huh?"
He turned at the familiar voice. There stood his sister, silver hair hanging ghost-like, eyes hollow as she stared.
What? Did a ghost possess Liriet last night?
Or did she not sleep? Still, no mercy—conditioning was part of skill.
"Shall we start?"
"Yeah. I won't lose easily today... Huh?"
Wham!
A sharp impact rang in his ears. It took seconds for Abel to process.
"Leaving me behind, leaving me...!"
"Ow! H-hey! Liriet! Even if you're mad, you can't hit a downed opponent...!"
"Sure, she might be cute, but you said I'm cute too!"
"What nonsense are you... Gah!"
After that, no chance to scream—he just got pummeled. Annoyed by her ghost-like mutterings, Abel inwardly marveled at her heavier strikes than usual.
She's leveled up again!
Unbeknownst to herself, Liriet had earned Abel's recognition of her talent once more.