By Zephyria 
Fortunately, Lucilla wasn’t that stupid. Lucille remained silent for three seconds, and then burst into loud laughter.
“Eeeh. Us? You should have thought of a different excuse. It’s a bit… awkward for us to eat together.”
I, Lucilla, and Richard did not eat or drink together. When we were very young, we had often sat together by the orders of adults. However, since someone would frequently collapse every time that happened, we naturally grew to avoid one another.
When Richard almost died, the number of my tutors was cut in half. When I almost died, the pendant of Princess Floyd, which Richard cherished and carried with him, was put up for a charity auction. When Lucilla almost died, the rights to two cloth merchant guilds among the businesses Richard had just touched were handed over to me.
This method—covering up an incident as if it were nothing, while using material compensation and authority to suppress any complaints—was Beneto’s way.
Even if I hadn’t personally administered the poison, I didn’t bother to ask. Kate probably did it. And even if Richard jumped around claiming he hadn’t done it, I neither believed nor pitied him. Beneto probably did it. At one point, I even encouraged Kate because I thought it would be better if Richard just died quickly.
It is ridiculous that I failed to develop a resistance to poisons despite consuming so much of it.
Resistance is built by ingesting a set dose of poison, suffering through it, and then detoxifying. But whenever I tried to eat anything, a lethal dose was delivered. Since I never knew who would use poison, when, or how, I had no choice but to give up.
Therefore, no matter how pea-sized Richard’s brain was, it was utterly laughable for him to request a meal with us. When Lucilla only laughed and I didn’t respond, Richard hesitated and tried a different approach.
“…Then instead of a meal, do you want to talk? Just, in a simple setting.”
Instead of refusing immediately, Lucilla glanced toward me.
I quietly observed his expression. Richard, who must have read our wariness, smiled with the corners of his eyes crinkled as usual, his eyes sparkling innocently. However, his pupils were trembling slightly, and the corners of his mouth were raised in a way that was disgustingly unnatural.
Something was suspicious.
I had already looked into Wesley Kiadris’s movements separately. His wandering alone through the Yuil Mountains was to expand his Sword Art and improve his skills. He had earned the qualification to climb the Yuil Mountains alone immediately after becoming a Grand Sword Master. It wasn’t anything new.
Was he anxious because the marriage talks with Yeldidus weren’t going his way? I had my own thoughts regarding that, so there was no need to mention it at this moment.
Was there something else? I quickly searched through my mind, but nothing particular came to me. I simply continued to observe his expression.
I finished my thoughts. I spoke in a disinterested tone.
“If you have something to say, say it now.”
Richard’s gaze quickly scanned the surrounding Knights. The Imperial Knights were on everyone’s side, but ultimately, they served as the Emperor’s eyes and ears. So what? There wasn’t enough trust left between him and me to have a meal together with only personal servants and personal guards. Did he have the confidence to be alone with me?
Avoiding the eyes of the Knights, I moved my right hand quickly. I drew an arc with my index and middle fingers, half-folded my ring finger, and then hid my hand.
‘After sunset. Jade Palace.’
It was a provocation, telling him to come to my palace directly if he had something to say. If he came accompanied by a knight capable of defeating me, it would be treated as an assassination attempt on the Second Prince; if he came alone, he would be entrusting his life to my hands. As expected, Richard lacked the confidence for that and quietly gave up.
We waited a bit longer and then stood before the familiar Divine object with the Emperor, who had arrived. I watched as the Emperor entered the same coordinates and fed blood in the same manner, as if it were a brilliant sight. After all the ceremonies ended, I bowed politely to the Emperor and returned to eat separately.
There wasn’t a single thing I liked about it.
* * *
The new semester began.
Throughout the break, I didn’t mention Ernhardt’s name once. I looked over the letter from Mikael exactly once and immediately put it in a drawer, and even when receiving reports on the movements of Ernhardt or Valentia, I pretended to let it slide with as expressionless a face as possible.
Consequently, Lucilla was anxious and fretful. Lucille, who knew better than anyone how stupidly I had acted over the past year, was very encouraged by the fact that Mikael was the only person in my life I had treated specially.
I don’t know why she was more worked up than I was about my love game, but I just let her run wild. Because eventually, Lucilla wouldn’t be able to resist dragging that boy in front of me.
Yes, surprisingly, I still hadn’t given up on Michael Ernhardt.
Instead, I decided to change my method slightly.
I had been stupid. Just being kind and staying by his side wasn’t enough. It became clear what Mikael wanted from me through such actions. A good older brother, a good friend, a good colleague…
What use was that? I wanted to rip apart every bastard who flirted around Mikael vertically; what “friend” was he talking about?
I had to imprint myself on Mikael more step-by-step.
If pulling doesn’t work, I should try pushing and shaking him once in a while. Mikael needed to know how cold I could be to him. So, I intentionally didn’t seek him out first. Instead, for a more dramatic contrast, I went to the familiar pond and waited.
Just when I thought it was about time, Lucilla fulfilled her mission.
At first, Mikael’s footsteps were very light. As soon as he spotted me from afar, he made small, pitter-patter footsteps like an excited puppy. I had a hard time resisting the urge to look back as the boy came trotting toward me.
With an innocent expression, as if he had no idea he had done anything wrong, Mikael ran up brightly and called out to me. For the first time, I did not answer when he called me “Sunbae.”
At that, Mikael stopped in his tracks, unable to come any closer.
Only then did I slowly turn to look at Mikael. I turned my head first, and my gaze followed. I remained silent. It was a coldness I had never shown him before.
Mikael’s round, gentle eyes blinked several times as if seeing something unfamiliar. His fluttering eyelashes were quite busy. I slowly scanned Mikael from the crown of his head to the tips of his toes.
Hesitating, Mikael called me once more.
“…Sunbae?”
“…What are you doing here?”
I thought I spoke more kindly than I did to others, but Mikael, who quickly became sullen, began to pout. With small hands that didn’t know what to do in his confusion, he tugged at his curly pink bangs before sweeping them completely back.
Even then, the boy’s constantly blinking gaze did not leave me. He swallowed a few times, unable to breathe out properly, and hesitated again. The moonlight that had just risen pooled gently on his smooth forehead and moist eyes.
He murmured in a small voice.
“If I am disturbing you, I will leave now.”
…
Even after saying that, he didn’t leave his spot. Taking just half a step back, the gaze with which he looked at me tearfully seemed to say: Even like this, you won’t stop me? Even now? Am I really not pretty? I barely managed to stop myself from bursting into laughter at that brazen attitude.
This is cheating, Michael Ernhardt.
I had intended to be angry for at least a week—no, three days—no, at least one day. But I didn’t have the confidence to quietly watch the disappointment filling that face.
Unable to endure it, I relaxed my expression. Immediately, Mikael snapped his head up. Like a beast that knew better than anyone how to be loved, he looked as if to ask, Is it over now?
I’m going crazy, seriously.
“No, it’s not. …No, wait, don’t go.”
“…”
“I wasn’t trying to be angry.”
As I always had when dealing with Mikael before, I murmured softly in a gentle tone. At that, Mikael quickly nodded, saying, “I know.”
What do you know, you? You know nothing. I suppressed the urge to retort and took a deep breath. Instead, I whispered in a more exhausted voice.
“…I did it because I was upset.”
“…Pardon?”
“Do you… happen to know why I was upset?”
At that, Mikael shut his mouth tight. No matter how I looked at it, his expression was that of someone who didn’t know what he had done wrong. I almost just hugged him and told him it was okay, but I stopped myself. I didn’t want to taste that miserable emotion again. Still, a mistake is a mistake. I waited a long time until he spoke for himself.
Mikael might be naive, but he wasn’t completely stupid. After pondering, he soon found the right answer.
“…Is it because I didn’t come to see you before the break?”
“…”
I simply nodded once and stared intently at his face. Having found the answer, Mikael apologized immediately instead of wasting more time.
“I’m sorry. I was overwhelmed.”
“…Yeah.”
And then, again.
I quietly looked at Mikael’s face. Seeing this reaction, it seemed he really didn’t know what I had intended to do that day. Thinking that he hadn’t avoided me on purpose made me feel a bit more generous.
As I waited quietly, Mikael pondered again, pressing his plump cheeks, and added one more sentence.
“I won’t do that next time.”
“Okay.”
Right.
Perhaps it was because I had decided to start over from the beginning. My heart melted quickly even with just this much. Mikael gauged my reaction a bit more and then suggested we take a walk together. I was always the one begging to spend more time together; could I consider this progress? Probably not. What thoughts could he possibly have?
Still, giving him a little scare had an effect.
Previously, Mikael would only look forward when we walked side by side, but now he glanced up at my face every few steps to check my expression. His face, smiling more brightly than before, was clearly determined to drown—no, bewitch—a person.
Keeping in mind that he wouldn’t be able to refuse since he had done something wrong to me, I increased the number of classes we took together, as I had prepared. Introduction to Monsters. It was a class I chose because I wanted to take it alone with Mikael every Friday. Sure enough, Mikael nodded without a moment’s hesitation.
At this rate, he’d say yes to whatever I asked. What should I make him do next?
No, forget it. Until Mikael realizes it himself, nothing I do will matter. Still, the more time we spent together, the better, so I held onto him and didn’t let go for no reason.
We were spending time idly, sitting side by side on a bench. Mikael, who had been glancing at my hand, suddenly said something cute.
“Are your hands cold?”
“Huh…? I’m fine.”
Watching him turn his gaze away, saying “I see,” made me laugh again.
Feeling mischievous, I thrust one of my hands toward Mikael. Mikael, who had been sitting still, stared up at my face again. Looking straight into those blue eyes, I whispered.
“No, I’m not fine. I’m cold.”
“…”
“Hold it, Young Master Ernhardt.”
Then, as if he had been waiting, Mikael quickly grabbed my hand.
It was a small hand, though it felt rough with calluses here and there. I burst into laughter again at the sight of him barely wrapping both his hands around one of mine and even blowing warm breath on it. I wanted to kiss that face as he looked up proudly after firmly gripping each of my fingers to convey warmth.
No, not yet.
It will take a bit more time until Mikael realizes his own feelings. The proof was that he just smiled brightly without being surprised once, even when I subtly interlaced our fingers or lightly rubbed between his narrow fingers.
Holding Mikael’s hand affectionately, looking into Mikael’s eyes instead of the stars, we talked together until deep into the dawn. During that time, the Academy patrol members circled the bench three or four times before disappearing.
All that time, I kept holding Mikael’s hand.