The Important Thing Is Being Unyielding (2)
The Important Thing Is Being Unyielding (2)
"I'm sorry, Young Master. That would be difficult."
"...Huh?"
"I'll ask just in case. If you were to become my undergraduate researcher, what magic would you want to study?"
"Huh? Well... fire element magic, right? That's your specialty, Big sis."
"I knew it...."
Flare had asked why he wanted to become her undergraduate researcher, and the expected answer made her pinch the bridge of her nose with a sigh.
She continued, firmly.
"I cannot accept you as an undergraduate researcher, Young Master Yune."
Yune's mouth fell open, momentarily stunned by Flare's rejection.
He flailed his arms, flustered.
"N-No. I'm a hard worker, you know? I'm better at magic than most people, too. Watch?"
Yune hurriedly demonstrated his magic, desperate to prove his usefulness.
The fire-and-ice double casting he'd once shown Erengard blossomed again...
'...His skills are better than I expected? He'd rank in the upper tier among undergraduates. No, considering he's a first-year, he's at the absolute top. Good enough to join a Magic Tower right away.'
A glint of interest flickered in Flare's eyes.
The magic skill Yune had honed with the single-minded resolve to become an archmage and adventure with her after she'd left.
It was more than enough to qualify him as an undergraduate researcher.
But only for a moment. Her expression darkened again.
"Your skill is remarkable. To think a talent like you would have become my first disciple—I'm almost honored."
"Right? So, let me...."
"Nevertheless, I cannot accept you as my undergraduate researcher."
"Why not?! I'm confident I can do way better than anyone else!"
Yune asked why, desperation creeping into his voice at Flare's second refusal.
Seeing his expression, guilt tightened around Flare's heart, but...
She opened her mouth with the grim resolve of a teacher wielding a disciplinary rod—to show him the harsh reality.
"I told you in my letter. Your affinity is for the ice element, Young Master. Not fire."
"...?"
"A person without talent gains nothing from practice. Even now, don't you handle ice element magic far more easily? Unlike fire element magic, where you have no gift."
"...."
Yune fell silent at the pronouncement that he had no talent for fire—that effort alone could never make up for it.
Crushed by rising guilt, Flare couldn't bring herself to look at his face.
'Was I too harsh? He must have worked incredibly hard all this time. ...No. I can't just let my first disciple walk down the wrong path.'
She steeled herself.
To Flare, Yune was more than a noble—he was her first disciple.
She couldn't stand by and watch him march down the wrong path.
So, even as guilt over trampling his honest effort twisted her face, she delivered the finishing blow.
"I'm saying this for your own good. Stop trying to learn fire element magic."
Words almost too brutally honest to be spoken to a noble.
Silence fell over the laboratory.
"...."
'What the hell is wrong with her, talking to him like a piece of shit just because she's a teacher? Can I punch her in the face?'
'That pig of a woman?'
Within that silence, hostility frosted the gazes of the two other women watching Flare.
They thought that even if she was right, she could have softened her words.
But that was fleeting. They quickly turned their attention to Yune.
'This is bad. If he heard all that, even cookies and head pats won't fix this...!'
'The Young Master is going to cry. How on earth am I supposed to comfort him....'
Both expected Yune to burst into tears at any moment.
But contrary to their fears...
"Pfft. Really, Big sis."
"...? Young Master?"
A faint smile played on Yune's lips.
* * * * * *
She had told me I had no talent, that future effort would be meaningless, and to give up on learning fire element magic.
I almost got majorly sulky at those words, which sounded like she didn't know how hard I'd worked to become like her all this time...
-Glance.
'...Really, Big sis. If you were going to look that sorry, then why say that?'
Seeing Big sis's expression painted with guilt actually cheered me up.
It'd been seven years since I last saw Big sis, and she was still the same Big sis. She definitely said that for my sake.
"Pfft. Really, Big sis."
"...? Young Master?"
"That doesn't matter."
And Big sis's worry was completely groundless.
Had I spent the last seven years grudgingly learning fire magic without the right affinity for no reason? I had a method.
But it was a method I'd only discovered thanks to Ryu Si-u's knowledge, and I couldn't explain it to anyone except Mom.
After pondering what to say for a moment, I scratched my cheek.
"I didn't ask you to teach me fire element magic, did I? I'm fine even if you just teach me Elemental Studies, not fire magic!"
Truthfully, I planned to ask her to teach me fire magic later, too, once my fire element affinity was supplemented, but for now, I asked for just Elemental Studies as a stopgap.
But Big sis still wore an unconvinced expression, so I quietly stood and slipped into the seat next to her.
-Swish.
"And I also heard. That you couldn't find a single graduate student."
"W-where on earth did you hear that...?"
"Hehe. I have my ways!"
I sat beside Big sis and spoke with meaningful emphasis.
Then I began actively coaxing her, drawing closer inch by inch.
"Anyway. I need to learn, and you need helping hands, right? Any need to keep wracking your brain over it?"
"B-but, Young Master. If you set your mind to it, a far better...."
"I like you, Big sis. Big siiis."
"...!!?"
The nasal, drawn-out 'Big sis' that I used whenever Big Sis Charl was being prickly.
It seemed to work on Big Sis Flare, too. Forgetting her previously serious expression, she grew flustered, panicking.
But the key thing here is... unbreakable cuteness.
With the mindset that I would absolutely not detach from Big sis until she accepted me as her undergraduate researcher, I outright nestled right into her chest.
-Squish.
"Or is it, Big sis—did you just decide you don't like me after not seeing me for so long? You don't want to take someone like me as your undergraduate researcher?"
Big Sis Flare froze stiff as a stone, perhaps stunned by my offensive.
"Y-Young Master?!"
Nibuer was also flustered, face reddened for whatever reason.
And then...
-Abruptly.
"Goodness, Young Master. How many times has the Head of House told you not to bury yourself in strange women's embraces?"
Chloe rose from her seat with a sigh, intent on pulling me away from Big sis.
Tch. Sure enough, she came to interrupt. This is why acting cute like this only works when you're alone.
...No helping it. I didn't want to use this method, but....
-Suddenly.
"Chloe, stay back!"
Before Chloe could reach me, I wrapped my arms around Big Sis Flare's neck and pressed my cheek firmly against hers. Close enough that a little more movement would bring my lips to touch.
In that state, I pulled out my trump card.
"If you interrupt me right now... I'll pop a kiss on Big sis's cheek!!"
"...!!!"
Chloe's eyes flew wide open at my explosive proclamation, and she halted dead in her tracks.
And then.
"Y-Y-Young Master!? You absolutely must not!!"
Nibuer cried out desperately from further away, eyes also wide.
...I didn't know it would be this effective.
Well, it wasn't a bad thing. So I kept making my threat.
"I'll detach as soon as I convince Big sis. Just stay still for a moment, Chloe. Nibuer."
"......What should we do?"
"Haah. Miss Chloe. I think it's best we stop for now."
My kiss threat must have worked, because the two conferred and then sat back down.
Only then did I relax and try to win Big sis over again, but...
'...If I let go of Big sis, Chloe will pounce and pull me off, won't she?'
It looked like Chloe could forcibly peel me away the instant I separated even slightly from Big sis.
So I kept acting cute, still hovering close to Big sis's face.
-Whisper.
"I want Big sis to take me in...."
"H-hyiii...."
Since I was at it, I brought my lips right to her ear and whispered.
Big sis, who had been stiff as stone, flinched her shoulders in surprise, perhaps tickled by it.
"Y-Young Master. First, please detach and...."
"Big sis. You'll accept me, right?"
I felt a bit sorry since she seemed ticklish, but I didn't stop the offensive.
'Sorry, Big sis. I'll buy you any magic tome you want later...!'
"I want to be by your side, Big sis. And wouldn't it be good for you to have me? You don't actually hate me, right?"
"I-I absolutely don't... hate you. But, but...."
"So you'll accept me, won't you?"
I poured more gentle sweetness into Big sis's ear for a long while.
I have no one but Big sis. I've waited for only Big sis all this time. I want to be by Big sis's side. Please accept me. And so on.
Oddly, though, Big sis responded with incomprehensible protests like, 'You mustn't do this, Young Master...' or, 'Our difference in status is too great....'
And finally.
"A-and also. There's no way the Northern Grand Duchess would ever permit it, right?"
'...My victory!'
Big Sis Flare had brought up Mom.
I smiled the smile of a victor.
"So? If Mom allows it, you'll take me, right?"
"What?! There's no way she would!"
"Don't worry. You can just stay still, Big sis. I'll convince her."
When I asked if all I needed was Mom's permission, Big sis incredulously denied such a thing could happen.
But as I chuckled and told her it was fine, she slightly averted her gaze and said.
"W-well then, I would be... grateful, of course...."
A definitive answer emerged from Big sis's lips.
Only after hearing that did I detach myself from her embrace.
-Swoop.
"So if Mom just gives permission, you're taking me as your undergraduate researcher?"
"...Huh? Undergraduate researcher?"
"Hehe. It's a promise~? No takebacks~."
Big Sis Flare looked up at me flabbergasted, still seated.
And then...
"Young Master! How can you be so careless with your body around an unrelated woman! And to bring your l-lips that close as well!!"
Nibuer, who'd been wringing her hands, rushed over and started lamenting the moment I separated from Big sis.
Spotting Chloe nodding along behind her with a severely displeased air for whatever reason, I smiled sheepishly and said:
"Sorry, sorry."
"A mere apology will not suffice! How can a noble man use his own lips to threaten someone? Please hold yourself more preciously, Young Master!!"
"Hehe. I said I'm sorry. I really won't do it again."
"Haah... truly, you must never do this again? You mustn't say such things, even as a joke? The Young Master's lips are worth more than a thousand pieces of gold...."
"My lips aren't that... alright, alright. I'm sorry."
'A kiss on the cheek is something I've done loads of times with my sisters and Mom, but... telling her that would probably make her angrier, so I'll keep it a secret.'