Three Centimeters of Jealousy
Yay! Liriet-chan, nice to meet ya~?
After Edmund, who had come to greet them, tactfully excused himself, only three people remained in the drawing room: Baal, Yuria, and Liriet. And Liriet hated this arrangement.
She hated herself for complaining over something so trivial, but right now, she hated the setup even more. And who could blame her? Baal—her uncle—was sitting just a bit closer to Yuria than to her.
At a glance, it looked like they were seated at equal intervals around the round table, each claiming a third of the apple pie. But nothing escaped Liriet's sharp eyes.
There's about three centimeters more space between Uncle and me than between him and that girl.
If someone dared to call that mere margin of error, Liriet would hurl her wooden sword at them without hesitation.
She's pretty. The vibe is a little odd, but she's definitely cute and beautiful.
Liriet bit her lip anxiously as she scrutinized Yuria's face. Her black hair was a bit unkempt but flowed like fine silk that would shine with just a little care. Her straight nose and intelligent ruby-red eyes were striking. Her skin was even whiter than Liriet's—almost porcelain-pale, to the point where it bordered on ghostly. She was a touch skinny, but her face was delicately slender. A little more meat on her bones, and she'd undoubtedly blossom into a stunning girl.
But why does that make me so mad?
It had been the same when she'd mistaken Ern for a girl. Why did the thought of a pretty girl near Baal stir this feeling in her? It was hostility—something Liriet had never truly felt before. Well, technically the second time. The first was with Ern. In other words, this was her first real dose of genuine antagonism, not born from misunderstanding.
Even when her father ignored her, when Cassdia neglected her, when her brother bullied her—she'd never encountered this. What was it called? It was so unfamiliar, so awkward. Something blazed fiercely in her chest, yet her mind was ice-cold, making the whole world look blanketed in frost.
What the hell is this? Something feels seriously fucked up.
Meanwhile, Baal wasn't an idiot. He could feel the chill in the air with every fiber of his being. The problem was, he had no idea where it was coming from—or rather, why it was leaking out.
Obviously, the source was Liriet, but he couldn't pinpoint why she seemed angry. Racking his brains from his old bookworm days, he was desperately trying to come up with a plausible explanation when—
"Baal, this is yummy."
"I-is it? Glad to hear that. Try some more. No need to hold back."
"Baal eat too."
"I don't really like sweets much."
"Still yummy. Baal, ahh."
"……!"
The moment Yuria forked a small piece of apple pie and held it out, Baal swore he heard a pop! from somewhere.
From Yuria's perspective, it was innocent—she was just mimicking how Baal had hand-fed her for two days because she was clumsy with utensils. But—
Is it poisoned or something?
As he leaned in casually to eat the piece Yuria offered, a cold drop of sweat trickled down Baal's spine. He barely managed to turn his creaking neck toward Liriet. His darling niece watched him with the gentlest gaze imaginable—like dry tinder waiting for a spark.
"Uncle?"
"Y-yeah? Did you call me, Liriet?"
"If it's all right with you, could you introduce Yuria to me?"
"…Yuria?"
Wait, had he even mentioned her name? Baal blinked in surprise, and Liriet added with a soft smile,
"We happened to chat the other night. I know the basics, but I'm curious."
"Oh, you already knew…."
Baal felt a twinge of regret—he'd planned a surprise introduction. He'd meant to show off her new friend out of the blue, but now it was ruined. Liriet, unaware of his intentions, interpreted it differently.
He really was trying to hide her from me.
That disappointed look. Her suspicions from last night were confirmed. Deep down, Liriet had been positive about Yuria. Or at least, she'd been trying to think rationally. Maybe Baal hadn't meant to hide her at all—it could have been coincidence piling up. But that reaction proved otherwise. He'd deliberately kept Yuria under wraps.
Why?
Various guesses swirled in her mind. If he'd wanted to hide her, why bring her to the Argent mansion at all?
"Guess I've been caught. I wanted to keep it under wraps if possible…."
"……."
Baal sighed heavily, and Liriet's hand trembled as she reached for her teacup. Was he here to announce he was leaving with her? His sudden early return—maybe just to pack lightly and go. He'd left once before, two years ago. Her anxiety mounted.
"The truth is, Liriet, I brought Yuria here to be your friend—"
"—No!"
She shouted preemptively before he could finish, but then—
"…Hm?"
"…Pardon?"
Replaying his words and his reaction, something felt off. She blinked wide-eyed.
What did Uncle just say?
A friend? Who? That girl? For me? And why say it so gravely?
"U-Uncle. What exactly did you mean?"
"Just what I said. Yuria here will be your friend from now on."
"Th-then hiding her from me was…."
"Yeah. I kept it secret for the surprise, but it didn't work out."
Baal scratched his cheek sheepishly, and Liriet slumped against her chair like she'd collapsed. Exhaustion and relief washed over her. Her tensed body melted like slime.
"Sorry. I didn't cause some misunderstanding, did I?"
"N-no! What misunderstanding? Absolutely not, no way!"
Then came overwhelming shame. Seeing him blink innocently, Liriet squirmed, mortified at her own thoughts. If he weren't there, she'd have kicked the table and flailed like a tantrum-throwing kid.
Of course. Uncle brought her here for me.
A blessing in disguise. Or rather, the misunderstanding cleared, only for Liriet to fall into another delusion. Not entirely wrong, but Baal's real reason for bringing Yuria home was quite different. Still, with her affection for him skyrocketing, it didn't matter.
"Was it too much?"
"No, I'm thrilled! I've been wanting a friend. And if you brought her, she must be a good person."
"Haha, thanks for trusting me. Then let's do proper introductions."
"Yes."
Liriet straightened up and bowed politely.
"Sorry for the late introduction, Yuria. I'm Liriet Argent, Uncle Baal's niece and the second daughter of the Argent family."
"Yuria. Call me Liriet?"
"Yes, please feel free."
She wouldn't allow just anyone to use her name, but with her infinite trust in Baal, she permitted it readily for his friend.
She's so inscrutable.
Even as they shook hands, Liriet observed her closely. No emotions whatsoever. Like a finely crafted doll sitting there. A bit rude, perhaps, but true.
"By the way, Yuria was abandoned by her parents—a tragic girl. So Liriet, please be kind to her. Got it?"
"Abandoned…? Is that true, Yuria?"
"Yeah. Mom left when I was six."
"Those awful people…!"
Liriet fumed unusually fiercely. A few who'd feel guilty crossed her mind, but she shoved them away. She'd never been outright cast out, even during her persecution. And at just six years old?
No wonder she's so skinny.
At least the scars Baal had healed were gone—a mercy. If Liriet had seen them, she'd have been horrified. Yuria's condition had been dire until days ago.
"So, Liriet, I'll need to stick around a bit to look after Yuria too. Sorry, especially since I just got back early…."
"No, Uncle. I understand completely. Don't worry about me—take good care of Yuria."
"Thanks. As expected of my niece—such a big heart."
"Eek, everything was perfect except that."
That damn "niece" bit. She knew it was his affectionate way, but it always made her heart sink oddly. She didn't love the title.
I wish he'd give me a cute nickname.
No one in the family used one for her. It could highlight their special bond. But she lacked the courage to ask—it just swirled in her mouth.
A little disappointing, but unavoidable.
She'd been thrilled at his early return, so yeah, she was a bit bummed. But Yuria's plight made it understandable. Baal was kind; he couldn't abandon her.
Just like he didn't abandon me.
Liriet resolved to be generous and gazed warmly at Yuria, wishing her happiness here.
But…
"……?"
The prolonged stare puzzled Yuria. Why watch her? Something to say? Emotions eluded her, so she missed the kindness entirely.
Hesitating on how to respond, yesterday's chat with Grita flashed in her mind.
—Now, Yuria. Copy Granny. Fingers like this….
—Like this?
—Yes. Then say "V" with a big smile!
—Vuuuh…?
—Hee hee, smiling's still tricky, huh.
—Grita, what's this for?
—Do it when you meet eyes with someone. You're cute—they'll love it. My granddaughter did.
—Got it. When eyes meet, like this….
She'd wondered at first, but it hadn't felt bad with Baal or Godwin. So Yuria forced her lips into a twist and—
"V."
Adults doting on her would find it adorable. But to Liriet, freshly robbed of Baal—
Yay, see? Your uncle's mine now. Loser, go suck your thumb.
It looked like pure mockery. Vulgarly triumphant.
Snap.
Something broke in Liriet's mind.
And that day, for the first time, Liriet thought: I don't think I can get along with this girl easily.