A Smile I'll Never Forget
Elysia sat crumpled on the ground, weeping, while the Grand Duke of the North and his former fiancée looked down at her.
"You've crossed the line—and I mean truly crossed it! Grand Duke Walterheim!"
"..."
"How dare you do that to Elysia... That witch has you thoroughly under her spell!"
"Witch?"
Victor tilted his head to one side, wearing an expression of pure disbelief.
"And who exactly is the witch?"
"I'm talking about that Cecilia you're protecting right now!"
"..."
"Just thinking about what that woman did to Elysia still makes my blood boil. If I'd been even a little later, Elysia would have...!"
"Baron, I didn't do anything! Why won't you listen to me...?"
"Silence, you witch!"
At Baron's shout, Cecilia's body flinched and drew in on itself.
Damn it. I finally got her to calm down, and now this bastard of a crown prince...
Victor stepped in front of Cecilia, blocking Baron, who looked ready to lunge at her at any moment.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"My fiancée needs rest. If you intend to cause some vulgar scene, take it to the imperial palace."
"What?"
"Excuse us. Come along, Cecilia."
Shielding Cecilia with his own body so that Baron's gaze couldn't reach her, the two of them walked away.
"You... insolent...!"
"Baron."
"Elysia!"
Baron extended his hand toward Elysia, who was still sitting on the ground.
"Are you all right? Are you hurt? What did that mad dog do to you...?"
"I'm fine... I'm all right."
Elysia spread both arms toward Baron.
"Would you... hold me tight?"
"..."
His face flushing red, Baron pulled Elysia into his arms just as she was.
Ugh... so annoying.
Elysia watched Victor's retreating figure and clicked her tongue.
Well... he's only worth conquering if he's at least this difficult... I will never hand him over to Cecilia. Because I'm the protagonist of this world.
"Your Grace."
"..."
"Your Grace... that hurts."
"Ah."
I turned my head and looked down at my hand, which was gripping Cecilia's tightly.
"I'm... sorry. Are you all right?"
"...Yes."
Cecilia kept her head bowed low. Of course she wasn't all right. She had just watched her former fiancé denounce her and defend the woman who had stolen her place, right before her eyes.
"...You held up well."
"Pardon?"
"You must have been angry. You must have hated it. You... endured it well."
"...I didn't... do anything. I mean it."
"I believe you."
"..."
"Because you're not the kind of person who would lie."
Elysia's attitude, and the engagement being broken off sooner than in the novel—none of it matched the story I knew. The Cecilia of this world I now found myself in had done nothing. She was a victim of someone else's malice. The Cecilia standing before me was no villainess.
Just a girl who had wanted to give everything she had to her fiancé.
That was all she was. One young woman.
...He really has no eye for people. How could anyone look at this and call her a witch?
Gently—
"Y-Your Grace?"
"Ah."
My hand had moved before I knew it. I had stroked her hair as naturally as breathing.
"I... um... well?"
"You were so admirable. I couldn't help myself."
"..."
"I... apologize."
"What? Why would Your Grace apologize?"
"...I should be going."
I spun around quickly and headed for the dormitory. But before I left—
"If your roommate ever makes things difficult for you, you tell me immediately, all right?"
"..."
"Promise."
I held out my pinky finger to Cecilia. She looked flustered for a moment, then a flush rose to her cheeks as she offered her own pinky.
"Yes. I promise."
"..."
After we released our pinky promise, Cecilia turned away, smiling. I stared blankly at that smile. Beautiful. Lovely. I thought to myself that I would never forget this moment for the rest of my life.
"Um, Your Grace."
"Yes."
"Do you remember the promise we made this morning?"
"This morning... Ah."
Supervising Cecilia's shopping, and a private welcome party for the two of us.
I'd completely forgotten.
"I'm sor—"
"Please don't keep saying you're sorry. You remembered it just like this, didn't you?"
"Is that so."
"Shall we go?"
"Let's."
I matched my pace to Cecilia's and began walking beside her. She stared at me blankly for a moment, then started to laugh softly under her breath.
"You're really... so kind."
"Me?"
"Yes."
"I'll have you know I'm not kind to just anyone."
It would be a problem if she started seeing me as one of those slimy male leads from romance fantasy novels who fawn over every woman they meet. No—I simply hoped she wouldn't see me that way.
Why?
Why did I care so much about not being misunderstood by Cecilia? A faint question stirred in me.
Right. It's because it would be a problem if Cecilia got stressed out because of me. Yeah. That must be it.
Stress led straight to mana runaway, and that was never a good thing. So this was simply the natural, reasonable thing to do.
"Is that so."
"Yes."
"That was the contract, after all. Now that I think of it."
"..."
What was this feeling? The moment Cecilia said the word contract, something dropped heavily into one corner of my chest.
"Yes. That's the contract."
The gaze that had been fixed on me turned away in another direction. Her hand drifted farther from mine. Because it was that kind of contract. Yes—that was what this was.
...The kind of irritating, utterly common contract you find all over romance fantasy.
So the reason my eyes kept catching the way Cecilia looked at other men—that was because of the contract too. Because she was someone I had to protect. Yes. That was definitely it.
The commercial district was packed wall to wall with students who had flooded in for the academy's opening.
"Lady Cecilia. Are you keeping up all ri—"
"Uuuuh..."
Spotting Cecilia being swept along by the crowd, I sighed and held out my hand toward her.
"Your Grace..."
"Take it. It would be a problem if you got lost."
"Yes..."
As Cecilia took my hand again, her face flushed a deep red.
"...It seems you're not fully recovered yet."
"It does. Maybe it's because we were apart for a moment?"
"If you're not feeling well, tell me right aw—"
"I'm fine."
At that soft, smiling face, I found myself at a complete loss for words.
"...If Lady Cecilia says she's fine... then I suppose she is."
I pushed through the crowd, constantly checking that Cecilia was still following behind me. Every time I turned my head, I found her eyes on me, and without meaning to I would snap my gaze away again—and after repeating that a few times...
"We're here."
...we had somehow arrived at the shop where Cecilia bought her medicinal and poisonous herbs.
"Well then."
"Ah..."
When I let go of her hand, Cecilia stared blankly up at me with a faintly disappointed look.
"Lady Cecilia?"
"Ah, I'm sorry. Well then."
When Cecilia opened the door, the old woman sitting at the shop's counter smiled and welcomed us.
"Well, well. If it isn't Lady Cecilia."
"Nell, have you been well?"
"Heh heh. Thanks to you, my lady, I've been doing just fine. You bought such a large batch of herbs not long ago that I won't have to worry about money for quite a while."
"I'm glad. The medicinal and poisonous herbs you sell are of a quality nowhere else can match."
"You flatter me. But still."
Shopkeeper Nell's gaze left Cecilia and settled on me.
"And who might this gentleman be?"
"Ah, this is—"
"Victor Walterheim, Lady Cecilia's fiancé. A pleasure."
"Oh my, the one mentioned in my lady's letter for certa—"
"Aaaah!! Nell?! I'd like to look at the medicinal and poisonous herbs!!"
Watching Cecilia flail her arms between me and Nell to cut us off, Nell wore a thoroughly pleased smile.
"Yes, yes. Of course. Come along this way."
It seemed this shopkeeper, Nell, and Cecilia were quite close.
...I don't remember a character like her from the novel, though.
"By the way, Your Grace?"
"Hm?"
Nell, who had been with Cecilia only a moment ago, had somehow appeared right beside me.
I didn't even sense her approach? What in the world...
"Do you happen to know why my lady has grown so bright?"
"Grown bright?"
"Yes. Last year, when she entered the academy, darkness hung over her face the entire time she came here, and this old woman fretted endlessly over her. But now..."
"She's changed?"
"Yes. Enough that every worry I've ever had has simply flown away. I'm truly glad. If the darkness in my lady had grown any deeper, I don't know what I might have done."
"I see. You're a mage."
"Oh my."
The face of the white-haired old woman Nell had been only a second ago transformed into that of a young woman.
"As expected of the leader of the North and the head of House Walterheim. Your instincts are sharp."
Well, if you think about where Cecilia's runaway started to accelerate from...
She had taken a bait I'd only tossed out casually.
"Your affection for Cecilia seems genuine enough. But."
I fixed Nell with a hard stare and continued.
"If you do anything that might threaten Cecilia any further, I will not forgive you."
"Oh my. Do you care for my lady that much?"
"At the very least, she has a right to be happy. I simply want to protect that."
"Oh my, oh my."
"What are you so happy about?"
"Compared to my lady's former fiancé, the difference is heaven and earth, so of course I'm delighted."
"Please don't compare me to that thoughtless crown prince. It puts me in a foul mood."
"How rude of me. Don't worry. I'm simply a good mage who wants to be of help to my lady."
Click.
At the sound of Cecilia's footsteps approaching, Nell returned to the counter.
"Would you keep this appearance of mine a secret?"
"As long as you don't become a threat to Cecilia, I don't care."
"Heh heh. What a fine man. Ah, what a shame—if I were just a little younger, I'd have—"
"Stop that. It makes me uncomfortable."
"Eeeh~ How cruel. I still have a young girl's heart, you know, even if I don't look it."
Whichever face was her true one, I had not the slightest intention of falling for a woman who lived her life hiding her identity.
"Well. In Your Grace's heart right now—"
"Nell? That should be enough medicinal and poisonous herbs... Hm?"
"Yes? What is it, my lady?"
"No. Just now, Nell was... Hmm."
"Hmm?"
Watching Nell tilt her head, once more in the form of a white-haired old woman, I couldn't help but be impressed.
This clearly isn't her first time. This mage...
"Your Grace."
"Yes, Lady Cecilia."
"I've finished buying the medicinal and poisonous herbs, so..."
"Have you."
"...Shall we... head back now..."
"What about the grimoires?"
"Ah, that's right... Looking at the herbs, I completely forgot."
A phenomenon you commonly ran into at the supermarket or a discount store. I understood perfectly.
"Then let's go. And we didn't come out only to buy Lady Cecilia's things."
"Pardon?"
"A welcome party for my enrollment at the academy. Right?"
At my question, Cecilia wore a dazed expression for a moment—then broke into a bright smile and stepped up beside me.
"Yes! I'll escort you, Your Grace."
"I'll be in your care, Lady Cecilia."
Watching Cecilia and Victor step out through the door, Nell wore a thoroughly contented smile.
"Heh heh. To think Lady Cecilia would make a face like that."
Whoosh.
The door closed, leaving the shop empty, and Nell returned to her true form.
"Her mana pathways are tangled, but the emotional swings have eased a great deal. She won't need the medicine I give her anymore. And with a sturdy big dog like that standing right at her side, that damned crown prince will tuck his tail and run. Still, impressive—seeing through my identity at a glance. To think the previous Grand Duke was hiding something like that."
The many emotions reflected in the eyes of her departing regular customer were no longer the black she had shown the first time she entered the shop, but a spectrum of dozens of colors.
"May you become a splendid mage, my junior."