Chapter 21
Chapter 22
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Price Amplification Event (Not a Date)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
My mind went blank in an instant.
Just moments ago, I'd been thinking about how to spend the day.
But the second I saw Ruena, every plan evaporated from my head.
No words came to mind.
I didn't even have time to think about what my face looked like.
I just stood there frozen, like the dolphin statue at that distant fountain.
No, the dolphin statue was probably more dynamic than me.
At least the dolphin was spouting water from its mouth.
Compared to that, I was just standing there dumbly, staring blankly at Ruena.
Ruena, with the morning sunlight at her back, looked completely different from the girl I knew.
Pink ribbons neatly tied on either side of her hair,
a cute little crossbody bag slung over her shoulder.
And even a pristine white dress I hadn't seen her wear in over three years.
'She always wore black, summer or winter. Why today of all days...!'
Ruena's utterly unexpected change.
My shocked brain refused to recover.
I'd boasted of a perfect plan, but cracks had already formed right from the start.
"Uh..."
"Celen?"
Ruena tilted her head and took a step forward.
That moment—
I snapped to my senses.
Or rather, my senses crashed back into me.
From head to toe.
A burning heat surged through my entire body in an instant.
And as if that wasn't enough, my heart started pounding like it was about to burst out of my chest.
'What the hell... Seriously...!'
I didn't even have time to keep up my poker face. I hurriedly turned my head away.
I knew Ruena might think it was weird, but right now, this was the best I could do.
'Calm down, calm down. It's just the beginning. Act normal. It's nothing, nothing at all. I'm a Noir, a Noir.'
As I desperately tried to compose myself, a sullen voice came from in front of me.
"...What's wrong? Do I look weird?"
"N-No! Not weird at all!"
I frantically waved my hands and shouted in response to Ruena's words.
"Not at all! Not even a little! You're perfect! It suits you so well!"
"...Really?"
"Yeah! I mean... ...You're pretty. Really."
For a split second, I wondered what I'd just said, but the words were already out.
My whole body ignited again.
I worried Ruena might think it was strange.
I stole a glance at her.
Ruena had her head bowed, fidgeting with her fingers.
The tips of her ears visible through her hair were bright red.
"......Thanks."
A mumbly voice full of shyness.
It was so quiet it could have been drowned out by the surrounding noise, but it rang crystal clear in my ears.
My heart started pounding wildly again.
But—
I barely clung to my sanity.
I couldn't afford to get swept up in this.
Time was short for us.
Ruena would turn eleven in less than a month.
The Seven Houses usually awakened their unique abilities at age ten.
Rarely, some awakened after ten,
but most lived their entire lives without ever gaining one.
Ruena was the heir.
The only daughter of the head of House Eliad, no less.
Even if she miraculously awakened one after ten,
the time without it would brand her an incompetent heir inside and outside the house.
In the worst case—
she could be stripped of her heir status.
'That can't happen. Never.'
I slapped my poker face back on and pulled out the line I'd prepared.
"Alright, shall we get going? I've got today's schedule perfectly planned out. No need to worry."
"...Okay. I'm not worried. I'm with you, Celen."
Ruena mumbled softly, shyly lowering her head.
'This girl...!'
It nearly peeled off my poker face again.
I barely held it together, flashed a bright smile, and took the lead.
"Thanks for saying that. Let's head in. I already got the tickets."
"...Um, Celen."
"Yeah?"
"Your hand?"
Ruena held out one hand, gazing up at me.
Her eyes—
held a subtle hint of expectation.
Normally, I'd have grinned coolly and taken it.
Was it because of all the people around?
Or because Ruena had changed?
Either way, my hand felt frozen in place, refusing to move.
"Ah, well... You see..."
"......Don't you want to?"
A slightly deflated voice tickled my ear.
And—
a faintly sullen expression on her otherwise blank face.
I reflexively reached out and grabbed Ruena's hand.
"N-No! Of course not! It's just summer and hot, so I hesitated. Sweaty hands are gross."
"I don't mind."
"...Really? Then it's fine. Let's go, Ruena."
"Okay."
With that short reply, the corners of Ruena's mouth lifted ever so slightly.
Seeing that made my heart sink again.
'If it's like this from the start, how am I supposed to survive the day...'
I pulled myself together and headed toward the first stop on my plan.
Maybe it was the sweltering summer heat.
Sweat started beading on our clasped hands, but Ruena didn't let go.
As if to prove her words weren't a lie.
"Celen."
"Yeah?"
"...I'm looking forward to it."
Yeah. The weather was brutally hot today.
How else could I explain blushing like this every few minutes?
'Get it together, get it together...'
I led Ruena toward the shade, steadying my mind.
With the sun's heat lessened,
my composure from leaving the house slowly returned.
And so,
I felt a little guilty toward Ruena.
This was a small botanical garden. Nothing impressive enough to live up to big expectations.
'I wanted to take her somewhere more fun or exciting, but...'
No helping it.
The more I stole, the greater the required price.
The condition for gaining Ruena's unique ability was 'Emotionlessness'.
So, to help her gain it, I'd decided to temporarily steal her emotions.
Of course, I wouldn't use Eclipse for something this minor.
Eclipse was a one-time opportunity.
I never knew when she'd stab me in the back and kill me.
I couldn't waste that precious chance just to steal one emotion.
Besides...
Manipulating her emotions on a whim felt somehow off-putting.
'This time it's unavoidable, and only temporary...'
Anyway, a price was necessary, but I couldn't afford to steal an emotion that was too intense.
So I needed something as low-stimulation as possible,
yet still valuable enough to serve as a fitting price.
The botanical garden was perfect for that.
Not flashy or crowded,
full of modest yet novel sights,
and an ideal spot to spend peaceful time amid serene scenery.
Fun... we'd set that aside.
As we entered the depths of the botanical garden, a fresh scent wafted over us.
The grassy aroma unique to plants mixed with the damp earthiness of soil—a pure natural fragrance.
Inhaling it cleared my head.
'So that's the appeal of forest bathing.'
It was refreshing, but honestly, nothing new since it was the same smell as our garden.
Ruena probably felt the same.
The Eliad estate's garden was impeccably maintained too.
'She'll probably just pass by indifferently with her usual blank expression...'
That was fine.
The botanical garden was just the stage for executing the plan.
The main point of this outing was to eat the lunch I'd packed myself and spend time with her.
In a slightly novel place,
our time alone would rack up bonus points by itself.
But—
Contrary to my expectations, life sparked in Ruena's eyes.
"Wow..."
A small exclamation from beside me.
Caught off guard by the unexpected reaction, I looked at Ruena.
Ruena was gazing up at the glass greenhouse ceiling.
'What is it?'
I followed her gaze upward.
There—
vines laden with pale purple flowers draped across the entire ceiling.
Vines cascading like a waterfall.
Flowers glowing softly like stars, infused with sunlight.
I instantly understood why Ruena was gazing up in admiration.
'Pretty.'
I turned back to look at Ruena.
She was still staring at the ceiling flowers, eyes sparkling.
A smile lit her face, her usual stoicism nowhere in sight.
'...This girl can make expressions like that?'
Eyelashes twinkling in the sunlight,
cheeks flushed from the summer heat,
eyes brimming with vitality—I wondered if this was really the same girl I knew.
Suddenly, my chest tickled.
For some reason, I couldn't tear my eyes away.
I couldn't figure out why, no matter how I thought about it.
But one thing was certain—
it suited her so well that her usual blank face didn't even cross my mind.
As I stared dazedly, Ruena's voice reached my ears.
"Celen. Those flowers... They look just like stars."
"Ah, yeah. They do."
"Pretty..."
"Yeah... Pretty..."
I was supposed to be looking at the ceiling,
but like an idiot, I answered while staring at Ruena's face.
Worried she might think it weird, I quickly looked up.
The starlight-like cluster of flowers filled my view once more.
I wasn't one to get lost in sentiment over scenery, but even I had to admit it.
It was an unbelievably beautiful sight.
'Botanical garden... Maybe not so bad.'
Forgetting the summer heat entirely, I stood beside Ruena, taking in the same view.