Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: An Earnest Obsession
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***
*‘I had no idea the fifth floor meant something like that….’*
After leaving the laundry room, Lucillea headed for the glass garden.
It was for Cookie, who had been through a lot all day.
The hallway leading to the glass garden felt unusually long today.
-“The fifth floor is reserved for those among the chosen who possess exceptionally outstanding abilities.”
-“The fifth floor is reserved for those among the chosen who possess exceptionally outstanding abilities.”
-“The fifth floor is reserved for those among the chosen who possess exceptionally outstanding abilities.”
It wasn't an official rule, but because of the proximity to many convenient facilities like the training grounds and research labs, it had naturally become the place for them.
*‘Is my power really that special?’*
Is that why His Highness the Grand Duke gave me a room on the fifth floor?
As the reality she had only worried about internally came to light, Lucillea had no choice but to accept it.
That the magical power she possessed was well above average.
*‘Why do I have this kind of ability when I’m not even the protagonist?’*
There was nothing like this in the original story….
Lucillea’s expression grew sullen. Was living a long, quiet life impossible now…?
Suddenly, Lucillea shook her head.
*‘No, there’s no need to be depressed.’*
Having an especially strong power just means I’ll have more ways to make a living after I become independent.
*‘Still, I have to be careful.’*
If I don’t want to be dragged onto a battlefield before I even come of age, I have to hide my power.
*‘The fact that I was assigned to the fifth floor means the Grand Duke has already noticed the level of my magic.’*
What happened from now on was crucial. I had to show him just how spectacularly I could fail to develop, even with all this magic!
Lucillea clenched her fists as she threw open the door to the glass garden and stepped inside.
*‘I’ll make myself look even more incompetent!’*
Even if it means getting kicked out of the fifth floor and moved to a lower one! I must!
At that moment.
Her eyes met a pair of startled red ones inside the glass garden.
“Huh?!”
A surprised Lucillea cried out.
“Serdian?!”
Serdian, in turn, furrowed his brow, looking just as baffled.
“How did you know to come here?”
“Hm?”
“Don’t tell me you have people following me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m asking why you’re everywhere I go.”
“…”
Everywhere he goes…? Lucillea’s eyebrows shot up.
In truth, this was the sixth time Serdian had seen Lucillea today.
At 4 a.m., heading to the training grounds for his physical conditioning, Serdian had stopped in his tracks upon spotting Lucillea.
She was waiting for him at the training grounds, chatting with the training instructor.
-“Oh? Serdian isn’t here yet?”
-“Oh? Serdian isn’t here yet?”
-“Oh? Serdian isn’t here yet?”
-“He should be here shortly…. Don’t tell me you intend to train with him?”
-“He should be here shortly…. Don’t tell me you intend to train with him?”
-“He should be here shortly…. Don’t tell me you intend to train with him?”
-“Yes! They say physical strength is the foundation of power! A strong body helps your magic grow like crazy!”
-“Yes! They say physical strength is the foundation of power! A strong body helps your magic grow like crazy!”
-“Yes! They say physical strength is the foundation of power! A strong body helps your magic grow like crazy!”
-“…”
-“…”
-“…”
After that, Lucillea had popped into Serdian’s line of sight several times throughout the day.
Lucillea peeking around the corner on his way to the classroom for his heir lessons, Lucillea strolling through the snow-covered garden in front of the East Wing, Lucillea loitering in the corridor connecting the main and east wings, and finally, Lucillea hanging around in front of the East Wing dining hall.
Each time, Serdian had scowled and left the area.
And now, here in the glass garden, again.
Hearing his story, Lucillea’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.
“My goodness, Serdian. When coincidences pile up like this—”
“If you’re about to spout some nonsense about fate, don’t even bother opening your mouth.”
“That’s not it. I don’t believe in things like fate.”
“…”
“But for so many coincidences to line up like this!”
Line up like…? Serdian’s brow furrowed as he waited for Lucillea’s next words.
With an utterly serious face, Lucillea continued.
“It means there’s someone’s earnest obsession at play.”
“…”
Nonsense, just as he’d expected.
Letting out a sigh at having been drawn into this conversation, Serdian pressed the bridge of his nose with his fingertips.
“Stop hovering around me.”
At that, Lucillea’s eyes crinkled into a smile.
“Was I bothering you?”
“Do you even have to ask?”
Lucillea gave a bittersweet smile at Serdian’s reply.
“I think… I was a little excited. What you said about not keeping people around based on their usefulness kept replaying in my mind.”
That’s why she wanted to be friends. She had wandered nearby, hoping that seeing her often might foster some kind of affection, even if it was born of annoyance.
Lucillea murmured as if to herself.
“I know. My way might not be the right way. Not everyone makes friends the same way.”
“…”
“To be honest, I… I don’t really know. How to make friends. What I should say to make people like me.”
“…”
“But seeing your reaction, I don’t think this is the right method. If you hate the idea of being friends with me that much, if you hate me enough to wish I were dead, I won’t force it anymore.”
Lucillea smiled, her eyes curving into crescents.
“I like this glass garden, too. It’s cozy and puts my mind at ease. You came here to rest, right? I’ll be in your way. Take your time. I’ll go first.”
Lucillea quietly turned around. Cookie, perched on her head, put on a sad face in solidarity.
She trudged toward the door of the glass garden and reached for the handle. At that very moment.
“Enough to wish you were dead.”
“…Huh?”
As Lucillea turned back to look into Serdian’s eyes, he averted his gaze and continued.
“…I never said I hated you that much.”
“…”
Lucillea’s eyes widened slightly. Perhaps burdened by her intense stare, Serdian kept his eyes averted as he spoke.
“Instead of just popping up without warning… a meal, I suppose… might be all right.”
“What?!”
Lucillea shouted, a bright expression on her face as she rushed toward Serdian.
“Really?! Really, really?!”
Serdian took a startled step back.
“And suddenly rushing at me like this is forbidden!”
“Ah! Oh! Got it! Forbidden! Maintain a proper distance!”
“…”
Lucillea beamed.
“So, are we friends starting now?! Right?!”
“…Do whatever you want.”
W-Wow! Lucillea let out a whoop.
“I’m friends with the Young Lord!”
Hooray! Lucillea stretched both arms high into the air, overcome with pure joy.
***
After Serdian left the glass garden for his evening training, Lucillea spent a little more time there with Cookie.
“Did you have fun?”
Panting heavily, Cookie, who was lying sprawled on his back to catch his breath, slowly nodded.
[I don’t think I’ll be spreading my wings for a while. I must have been a dog in my past life. Running around on two legs feels so much more comfortable.]
Lucillea let out a small laugh, scooping Cookie up and placing him on her shoulder.
“One thing’s for sure, you would have been adorable as a puppy or a kitten, too.”
Cookie’s half-lidded eyes wavered.
[Lucyyy….]
Then, he quickly let out a snort.
[I thought your affection for me had vanished.]
“Huh? Me? No, Cookie. Why would you think that?”
[You’ve been so busy chasing after the Young Lord lately, you haven’t paid any attention to me!]
Am I wrong?! Cookie squawked.
It seemed his feelings of neglect had been piling up without her noticing.
“You little jealous fluffball.”
[You knew! You knew, so why did you do it!]
Hmph! Hmph!
It was hard to tell if all parrots were like this, or if Cookie was just particularly prone to jealousy.
In any case, Cookie was always thirsty for Lucillea’s attention and affection.
Lucillea smiled softly as she left the glass garden.
*‘Cookie. You’re the first friend I’ve ever made. No one is more precious to me than you.’*
[…Hmph.]
Seemingly not displeased with her answer, Cookie cleared his throat and soon began to hum a little tune.
Listening to Cookie’s happy song, for some reason, Serdian’s face came to mind.
*‘It was a good thing I wandered around so much.’*
In truth, Lucillea had been roaming the paths Serdian frequented, hoping to at least run into him often.
The problem was, despite all her wandering, she hadn’t even caught a glimpse of his shadow.
But that, it turned out, was because Serdian had spotted her first each time and made a point to avoid her.
*‘I was constantly in his sight without even knowing it.’*
Of course, it was a bit of a stretch to say he had completely opened his heart….
In the garden, Serdian had laid out his conditions.
-“Don’t come to the training grounds.”
-“Don’t come to the training grounds.”
-“Don’t come to the training grounds.”
-“Huh? What kind of rule is that?! I want to watch you train!”
-“Huh? What kind of rule is that?! I want to watch you train!”
-“Huh? What kind of rule is that?! I want to watch you train!”
-“…Instead, I’ll be eating in the East Wing dining hall from now on. You can come then, whenever you want.”
-“…Instead, I’ll be eating in the East Wing dining hall from now on. You can come then, whenever you want.”
-“…Instead, I’ll be eating in the East Wing dining hall from now on. You can come then, whenever you want.”
-“Breakfast, lunch, and dinner? All of them?”
-“Breakfast, lunch, and dinner? All of them?”
-“Breakfast, lunch, and dinner? All of them?”
-“…Don’t you ever get tired?”
-“…Don’t you ever get tired?”
-“…Don’t you ever get tired?”
Serdian, who had insisted on eating alone in his room, was now willing to eat in the dining hall.
For someone who had done nothing but avoid her, it was a groundbreaking offer.
*‘Right, asking for more would be greedy.’*
The important thing is that he’s letting me into his space, even just a little!
*‘Hehe, you can’t build a friendship of a thousand years from the start, can you? You build it by bumping into each other and figuring things out like this!’*
Humming along with Cookie’s song, she was heading toward the West Wing when she heard it.
“Did you hear?”
“Hear what?”
The sudden voices made Lucillea stop in her tracks.
Lucillea turned her gaze toward the source of the sound. She saw maids walking along the garden path that led to the East Wing.
Figuring they were maids from the East Wing, she was about to turn away and continue on her way when their next words caught her attention.
“You know Lancy, right?”
“Of course. She was a maid in the main building. About two months ago? She’s the one who ran off with that apprentice knight who already had a fiancée. Right?”
Oh? Sensing a juicy, dramatic story, Lucillea stopped walking and discreetly turned back around.