Saintess Candidate Celebration Banquet (2)
"Sister, where are you looking?"
"...Huh. Nothing."
It seemed like Ivan had been staring this way from afar.
When I turned my head for a moment, he vanished.
Maybe I had mistaken the person.
Thinking about Ivan's original personality, he wouldn't come to such a noisy place.
"Long time no see, Daisy! How have you been?"
"Of course, Casey unnie!"
Daisy hugged me around the waist like I was her favorite doll and greeted her acquaintances.
Ever since she had been parading the Miseria family name in the political world since childhood, many people who recognized her greeted her first.
Of course, I didn't know every face, as I wasn't the author and couldn't know the settings of everyone mentioned in the novel.
"Is this the friend from the family? The eldest daughter of the Duke Miseria?"
"Wow, the world! She's so cute~"
"...Ugh."
The eyes of the girls in their gorgeous dresses sparkled as they fixed on me one by one.
It was a level of attention I, who had never even had a single intimate conversation with a girl in my life, couldn't handle.
I sent Daisy a look begging her to save me, but she completely ignored it.
Instead, she stood me in front of herself and proudly introduced me to the young ladies of other noble families as if showing off.
"Hehe. Our unnie is pretty, right? It's our family's pride."
Yeah. I had to pray for what I wanted.
"Your hair is so pretty. Is it natural white? Can I touch it?"
"Me too!"
"Can I hold your hand just once?"
"...Do as you like."
I feared that I might become too accustomed to being treated like a doll.
While countless girls' delicate hands freely caressed my face and hair, one noble lady who had been stroking Daisy's cheek asked curiously.
"Rienne unnie, where did the Saintess Candidate go?"
"Huh? Ah, that person named Yustia? I heard she was supposed to appear briefly during the highlight part."
"The main character of today's banquet, and she's leaving so soon?"
Daisy, who seemed to not understand, asked the girl called Rienne, who shrugged as if she didn't know herself.
As she said, Yustia had not shown herself at all even though the banquet was in full swing.
It was quite unusual for the main character not to appear at a large-scale event held on a national level.
"Since it's the Saintess Candidate's celebration banquet, the black magicians would be watching with burning eyes, right? Maybe to prevent any accidents?"
"That could definitely be the case."
Even I, who had read the original story, didn't know this part for sure. But based on the context, it was probably correct.
Yustia had always been entangled with the black magicians in a bad way.
"That's right, I heard it! Miss Daisy has already reached the 3rd Circle through self-taught magic..."
The purple-haired noble lady who had been touching my head looked at Daisy with envy and said.
"R-really? How is that possible?"
"Daisy's a real genius. Even I, a 1st-year student, haven't even entered the 2nd Circle yet..."
"What kind of magician did you receive education from? Could you tell me too?"
"Ahahaha..."
Most of the young ladies here came from families with considerable influence, and they had received the best education with family support since childhood if they wanted.
But even with that early education, she had shattered the wall of the 3rd Circle that even those without talent couldn't reach even after three years of specialized training at the Academy.
Even if she had grown up normally without the malicious plot like in the original story, the five-ring mana core required by the 'great magician' standards of noble families would have been easily surpassed.
"That's right, how old is Miss Camil? It seems like I've never seen you at official events."
The purple-haired noble lady, who had been looking at Daisy with envy, looked down at me and asked.
"We're only a few weeks apart."
"Oh my, are you twins? How is that possible?"
"She was born prematurely."
...Actually, I didn't know either.
It was my only curiosity that Calvin, who would do anything I wanted, didn't answer.
Who my mother was, and why I was born several weeks earlier than Daisy.
After getting somewhat used to living as Camil Miseria, I had subtly asked Calvin about my mother and birth many times, but he never told me.
I didn't know the reason. The Miseria family story hadn't been properly resolved even in the original story.
So I roughly blurred it with the most likely explanation that came to mind.
Honestly, even if it was premature birth, there was nothing strange about it.
Being born early, having a weak body and a mana core that hadn't properly formed, who wouldn't understand?
"Ah..."
Perhaps thinking that the story wasn't very good, the voice of the noble lady who had asked me hardened.
I hadn't said anything I knew. Smiling faintly at the flustered young lady who didn't know what to do.
"It's fine. It's an old story anyway."
"Miss Camil is really mature!"
"Yes. Cute but mature, that's an over-the-top charm point!"
Fortunately, the atmosphere was quickly refreshed, and the young ladies continued to touch my face and hair like handling a doll and began to talk happily.
...Honestly, I wasn't in a very good mood, but since I wasn't the type to get involved in girls' talk, I just stayed silent.
"Daisy will definitely enter the Magic Department... What about you, Camil?"
"Ah, I'm going to the Magic Engineering Department."
When I said Magic Engineering Department, the girls who had been touching me widened their eyes and looked down at me.
"Eh? Magic Engineering Department? Why?"
"The Miseria family is a well-known noble family in the kingdom, so why the Magic Engineering Department?"
"...With this frail body, even if I went to the Magic Department or anything else, I wouldn't be able to study much, and I don't have much interest in other departments."
"Ah..."
The young ladies let out simultaneous sighs.
I had forgotten for a moment, but the girl in front of me was a girl who had been so weak that she hadn't shown her face at this banquet until now.
Still, as the eldest daughter of the duke's family, she could have applied to a better and more prestigious department without any problems.
The girls' hearts were stung by Camil's expression that seemed like she had given up.
"B-but unnie is smart! Mature! Um... and kind! Yeah! That would be enough!"
In a somewhat embarrassing atmosphere, Daisy hurriedly jumped out and hugged my body.
Through her heartbeat, I felt pure and warm emotions, and without realizing it, I naturally leaned into Daisy's arms.
"It's okay if unnie can't do things like fighting. I'll become a great magician and always protect unnie."
"...I'm reassured."
Yeah. Please don't go to strange places and grow up beautifully like this.
That was my only wish.
The affectionate sight of the two sisters, which warmed the hearts of the surrounding people just by looking at them, made the young ladies smile while looking at Camil and Daisy.
The atmosphere continued to be good.
Then, the black-haired noble lady who had been roaming around and chiming in suddenly spoke to Daisy.
"I'm also curious about Miss Daisy's abilities, only from rumors. Could you show me a couple of simple magic tricks?"
"Magic? Here?"
"Yes! I'm also in the Magic Department. It might be hard for you..."
It was an out-of-the-blue request, but it wasn't completely incomprehensible.
"Sure, I'm curious too."
"Even a simple spell would allow someone in the Magic Department to gauge your skill for a moment."
A girl who had learned magic through self-study before entering the Academy and had the skills of a graduate.
Those studying in the Magic Department would have many questions about her abilities.
But—
—
I poked Daisy's waist lightly to give her a signal.
Daisy was still young and immature, so if someone kept encouraging her, she might actually try to show magic here.
Then, like in the original story, if Daisy's mana went out of control, it would be impossible to handle.
Fortunately, Daisy was quick to notice, and she remembered the request I had made in the carriage earlier.
"Ah, sorry. Showing magic here is a bit..."
"Ah, that could be. It's fine. Ahahaha."
Daisy made an embarrassed expression and declined the girl's request.
Fortunately, she didn't continue the request any further.
—After that, the black-haired noble lady subtly distanced herself from the group and disappeared.
***
Under the garden that had become dark with night, contrasting with the hot heat filling the castle.
Ivan, who had been half-sitting with his clothes in complete disarray and breathing roughly with his chin up to his neck, looked exhausted.
"...Hah, hah—"
Why had I run away?
I hadn't done anything wrong to that girl, had I?
Ivan, who had trained with a sword his whole life, was confused by the lively emotions he had never felt before.
"Huu..."
He had picked up the sword in rebellion against his father, who wanted to marry him off to a high noble family's daughter and control him as he wished.
He didn't need anything else. Even the countless young ladies his father had arranged meetings with to build connections had left after seeing Ivan's appearance.
At the moment he picked up the sword, at the moment he swung it, he could forget his father forcing his world on him and focus only on what he wanted to do.
He had thought that he would never be interested in anything other than the sword—
"Do your best. Us."
A girl who seemed to hate the world, a naturally weak girl who had endured all misfortunes.
A girl who walked one step at a time with a fragile body that would break with a single slap, asking for a handshake.
A girl who didn't envy her brother who had everything she didn't have and didn't resent her parents who had made her live under such unreasonable conditions, like a flower standing tall.
Ivan's heart, which had been indifferent to everything, began to move for the first time.
"...Tsk."
Ivan's hand, which should have been on his waist where his sword belonged, touched nothing.
When it was like this, he should have swung the sword to calm his heart a little.
Ivan, who had been staring blankly into space for a moment, soon came to his senses and entered the hall where the banquet was still ongoing.
He just needed to greet her. After all, if they would meet at the Academy later, it wasn't something he couldn't do to make his face.
If he met her again, the embarrassing act from before wouldn't be seen.
"...So, ..."
"...Eh?"
Just as Ivan was about to enter the castle.
A voice came from the corner of the garden where no one was.
At first, I thought it was a couple having an embarrassing moment, but no matter how I listened, it wasn't that kind of noise.
Quietly hiding the presence, Ivan leaned his body toward the direction where the voice was coming from.
"...So, she failed to make that girl use magic?"
"I have no shame. I'm sorry."
"Tsk, she's useless."
From what I overheard, there was one old man's voice and one girl's voice of similar age.
"Then there's no choice. I wanted to go naturally, but if that doesn't work, I have no choice but to force an outburst."
"F-force it?"
"Yeah. Go and make that girl drink this potion-laced drink naturally. The effect will show quickly."
Magic? Forced? Outburst?
I didn't know what the sequence of words meant, but Ivan clearly felt that the people having this conversation were definitely dangerous.
It was dangerous to directly ambush without information or a sword in hand. I had to somehow tell the guards about this conversation.
"Get rid of it quickly before the Saintess Candidate shows herself. She has to drink the potion no matter what."
"Yes, understood."
At the same time as the girl's presence disappeared, the old man stood up from his seat.
"Heh heh heh... What a night to do something rough."
His head slowly turned with a strangely eerie and grotesque laugh that was unpleasant to hear.
And.
"Then, shall I deal with this rat who has been eavesdropping on our conversation since earlier?"
Instantly, Ivan froze in place and their eyes met.