The Moment Their Hands Touched
Danger! It was right around the time when the conflict between Yurion and Serian was about to begin.
With a soft click, the door closed. I stepped carefully into the room. For a duke’s daughter’s bedchamber, it was simpler than I’d expected.
“What are you staring at like that?”
“It’s nothing. I was just intrigued.”
“Ha…” Arsienne let out a long sigh. “Calming Rosalia down was really exhausting. Every time I called her, she would only talk about Lumian the Young Master.”
“Is that so?”
“At first I tried to endure it alone, but lately it’s been getting worse and worse…”
Spirits live in the spirit realm. Humans summon them only when they need their power.
“You’ve been through a lot.”
“Well… it wasn’t that bad.” Arsienne scratched the back of her head. “It feels like I’m only ever taking advantage of Lumian the Young Master…”
“There’s no such thing as taking advantage.”
“Still. You’ve helped me so much, yet I haven’t been able to repay you at all. It makes me feel sorry.”
“It’s fine. Just knowing I’ve been helpful to the Young Lady is enough to make me proud.”
Time to lay on the lip service.
“Lumian the Young Master…” She fidgeted, lips moving hesitantly. “Um… by any chance…”
“Yes?”
“Can I speak casually with you?!” Her face flushed bright red as she practically shouted.
What was so big about that? Honestly, the fact that she still used formal speech felt more uncomfortable. The duke’s daughter still speaking politely to a mere young master from a count’s family.
“Of course. Lady Arsienne. You may speak comfortably.”
“Then Lumian, call me by my name too!”
“That’s a bit…” Even so, there was still a difference in status. She was being far too casual.
“Does it make you uncomfortable…?” She tilted her head slightly and looked up at me.
“No, it’s just…”
“I thought that at this point, between us, it would be okay to be more comfortable…”
“Between us?”
What exactly was “between us”? When I asked that, Arsienne gave me a slightly hurt look.
“What do you mean, what kind of relationship?! We’re comrades who crossed the line of death together!”
Crossed the line of death, huh. It felt awkward to outright deny it. If Rosalia had gone on a rampage back there, both Arsienne and I might have lost our lives.
“That’s true, I suppose.”
“Well, if it’s too hard, you can just call me sister.” She puffed out her chest proudly.
“By the way, how old are you, Lady Arsienne?”
“Sixteen!”
Hmm. No matter how you looked at it, calling a sixteen-year-old “sister” felt a little… But Arsienne’s eyes were sparkling so brightly that it was impossible to refuse.
Fine. In this body I’m fifteen anyway. It’s not like I can’t say it.
“Sister…?”
“Ugh…!”
What was that reaction? Arsienne suddenly clutched her chest and bowed her head.
“Sister Arsienne…?”
“Khh…”
She took a deep breath and lifted her head again. “Let’s seal away the title of sister.”
“Huh? Then what should I call you?”
“Just use my name.”
“Alright. Arsienne.”
“Drop the formal speech too!”
“…Got it. Arsienne.”
“Yes!” She kept nodding, clearly delighted by my casual tone.
Was she always like this? In the novel she had been far colder and more curt, but right now she seemed like nothing more than an ordinary teenage girl.
“Shall we begin?”
“Yeah. I’ll summon her right away!”
Arsienne sat on the edge of the bed and closed her eyes. The same light I had seen at the lake enveloped her. The moment she opened her eyes, I grabbed her shoulder.
[Lumian the Young Master!]
At that instant, Rosalia’s voice rang inside my head.
[I missed you! Why did you come so late?!]
“I’m sorry. I wanted to come sooner, but circumstances…”
[Hmph! If there were circumstances, then it can’t be helped!]
I had been lying in bed the whole time, so it was actually pretty tough. Rosalia’s reaction was more indifferent than I expected. I had thought she would be far more intense.
“The acting is…”
[Arsienne!]
Judging by Arsienne’s reaction, it must have been quite something while I was gone.
“Then I’ll take a rest. Lumian.”
[Lumian? What? Why are you speaking casually with Lumian the Young Master?]
“We decided to do that.” Arsienne gave a small laugh.
[What…? Why did you get to go first…!]
“Is there such a thing as ‘first’ when it comes to dropping formal speech?”
[Even so…!]
Struck right where it hurt, Rosalia was left speechless. Arsienne’s smile grew even wider, certain of her victory.
“It’s not like we made any promises. We’re just getting to know each other, right?”
[Ugh…!]
Watching the two of them bicker, it seemed they had grown quite close while I was away. To outsiders it would look like Arsienne was talking to herself, but since I was in physical contact with her, Rosalia’s voice kept echoing in my head.
To communicate with a spirit, you must be in physical contact with the contractor. Of course, contact alone doesn’t let you hear everything. Only when both the contractor and the spirit willingly allow it can the spirit’s voice be heard.
Just as their argument was reaching its peak—
“Enough.”
[……]
“……”
With a single word from me, both of them fell silent. If things kept going like this, the whole day would be spent just listening to them talk.
“Today is for Rosalia, so let’s give her the stage, Arsienne.”
“…I know.”
[Hehe.]
“Rosalia. Is there anything you’d like to do?”
[Um…]
She had only thought about wanting to see me and hadn’t made any actual plans. Rosalia seemed to be pondering something; Arsienne’s body kept swaying back and forth.
[I do!]
“What is it?”
[Treat me casually too! Just like Arsienne!]
I didn’t see why not. “Sure, why not?”
[Great! Then I’ll speak casually too! Lumian!]
“Wait a second! Why do you drop formal speech so easily with Rosalia but not with me?!”
Arsienne, who had been swaying, suddenly opened her eyes wide in shock and stepped closer. It seemed the difference in status between a duke’s daughter and a spirit wasn’t that big after all.
“Well, Arsienne is still a duke’s daughter, so…”
[That’s right! I’m better than Arsienne!]
“How could this be…” Arsienne looked utterly devastated.
“How is it?”
“It’s really pretty.”
[Right?!]
After thinking it over inside the room, the conclusion we reached was to take a walk. The garden of the Harven ducal estate was on an entirely different scale from the Cardion family’s. It looked at least five times larger.
Even calling it a date with her wasn’t particularly special. All we did was exchange trivial everyday stories with Rosalia.
[What did you do while I was gone, Lumian? Didn’t you miss me?]
“Of course I missed you.”
[Hehe…]
If there was anything else noteworthy, it was the fact that I was currently walking through the garden while holding Arsienne’s hand. At first I had planned to hold her shoulder, but—
[I want to hold hands with Lumian…]
“But…!”
[Arsienne! Just help me this once!]
“Ugh…!”
A contractor and their spirit share physical sensations. Sight, hearing, smell, taste—and even touch. As a result, I ended up walking through the garden holding Arsienne’s hand. There was no one around, so there was no chance of being seen, but the atmosphere still felt strangely intimate.
[This time I helped Arsienne and beat Yurion!]
“Oh. As expected of a greater spirit. Amazing.”
Since she used to be an Evil Spirit, I had come prepared for something intense, but it turned out to be nothing much. If anything, it felt like I had gained another little sister. My hand felt a bit sticky, but that was unavoidable when holding hands, I suppose.
[The cake we ate last time was so delicious.]
“I’ll have to try it sometime.”
[Let’s eat it together next time!]
We walked slowly like that, about to head back to the mansion, when—
“Young Lady…!”
There shouldn’t have been anyone here. A maid who had apparently come looking for us stood at the entrance, staring at us as we emerged.
“This is…! I mean—!”
When the maid’s gaze fell on my hand holding Arsienne’s, Arsienne asked in a flustered voice, “I just happened to grab it! It’s not what you’re thinking!”
“Young Lady! That’s not what’s important right now!”
“Huh?”
“Right now, Young Master Yurion and Lady Serian are having a duel…!”
The maid’s eyes lingered on our joined hands for only a moment before she rushed over.
“What…?”
It seemed Yurion was in danger.
When I parted ways with Lumian and returned to the ducal estate, everything about Arsienne changed.
The first thing that changed after she revealed she had formed a contract with a spirit was her father’s attitude.
“Arsienne! You contracted with a spirit?”
“Yes, Father.”
“Arsienne…!” Teodore Harven gripped her shoulders with a deeply moved expression. “I always believed in you.”
“……”
She was even able to win easily against Yurion in their spar.
“Ugh…”
“Yurion! Are you alright?”
[What a sore loser…]
The moment spirit power flowed into her sword, Yurion’s clumsy blade could no longer stand against Arsienne.
“As expected of my sister. You’ve become incredibly strong!”
“……”
Yurion’s and Father’s recognition. The acknowledgment of everyone around her. Arsienne was no longer the pitiful child who kept losing to her younger brother. She was no longer a loser.
The future of Harven. A newly rising light. Rumors had already spread among the other nobles. The attention that had once been focused on Yurion now shifted entirely toward Arsienne.
“Young Lady… a letter has arrived. What should we do with it?”
“What does it say?”
“It’s an invitation to a debutante ball.”
“Just decline it.”
“But…”
“Write a polite refusal and send it.”
Countless people’s interest and recognition poured in, yet her heart only grew emptier. She had thought she would be happy once she received her father’s love. She had thought she would feel joy once she defeated Yurion. But she felt neither happiness nor joy.
“Ha…”
The emptiness kept pressing in.
I hope Lady Arsienne can be happy in front of my eyes.
Lumian. As time passed, his words kept circling inside her head. The one person who had wished for her happiness when no one else would even look at her. If she were with him, could this hollow feeling be filled?
“Rosalia.”
[You called?]
“Should I call Lumian the Young Master?”
[You’re finally ready to listen to me!]
Every time Arsienne called her, Rosalia would pour out stories about Lumian. Until now she had ignored it out of fear of burdening Lumian the Young Master, but since he had made a promise, maybe it would be okay to call him? The thought slowly crept in.
“It does feel a little sorry… but repaying him a bit should be fine, right?”
[Let’s write the letter quickly!]
In the end she sent the letter, and he replied that he would come right away. And now.
Arsienne was walking through the garden holding Lumian’s hand. Rosalia and Lumian continued their conversation without pause, but Arsienne couldn’t focus on it at all.
We’re holding hands…!
Arsienne’s mind was completely occupied by the hand she was holding. On the other hand, Lumian paid it no mind and kept talking with Rosalia, as if holding hands was the most natural thing in the world.
This was her first time. Her face burned and her body felt feverish, but out of spite she pretended to be unaffected. Arsienne simply walked in silence. The only thing worrying her was the sweat forming in their joined palms.
He won’t think it’s dirty, right…
Fortunately, Lumian didn’t seem to mind. As they walked toward the garden entrance, her personal maid, Marien, came running toward them from the gate.
She wasn’t really coming this way, was she?
Please don’t come this way!
She would obviously have to let go of Lumian’s hand here, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. For some reason, releasing his hand right now felt like losing to Rosalia. Rosalia was chatting so eagerly with Lumian. If she let go now…
While she was praying that Marien wouldn’t come this way, their eyes eventually met. Marien’s expression brightened, then her gaze zeroed in on their clasped hands.
Just pretend you didn’t see anything…!
Marien looked flustered too, but she squeezed her eyes shut and approached anyway.
“Young Lady…!”
The moment she heard that voice, Lumian also noticed Marien and turned to look at her. Arsienne felt embarrassed, but she was also a little disappointed that the moment had been interrupted. Yet the moment she heard what Marien said next—
“Right now, Lady Serian and Young Master Yurion are having a duel…!”
Her body moved on instinct. She even forgot to let go of Lumian’s hand.