Chapter 32: RMLIP

Chapter 32

If I had been the original Airel, I would have misunderstood Seria's words and assumed she was mocking my plain yet slightly disheveled appearance.

'And I probably would've said something like this.'

"Are your eyes just for decoration? You mean you couldn't recognize someone as beautiful as me?"

Instead, I quickly got to my feet and waved my hands.

“No, it's alright! I'm fine, Saint Seria.”

Looking slightly startled, Seria gazed up at me with her large eyes beginning to glisten.

“Y-You... know my name?”

I held out my hand toward her.

“I do. This is the first time we've met since the welcoming banquet. Edwin has told me a lot about you.”

“Ah...”

A faint blush spread across Seria's cheeks.

'So they really did spend some quality time together at the banquet.'

The scene of the two of them awkwardly chatting after running into each other on the terrace flashed through my mind.

'They really made a good pair.'

Edwin, the kind and dependable second male lead, suited gentle-hearted Seria perfectly.

Well...

In the end, Seria was destined to end up with Lishid.

The thought came so naturally that, for some reason, it left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Lately, I'd been getting along with Lishid so comfortably that I'd almost forgotten my own place.

“Th-Thank you.”

Seria took my hand and stood up.

Just then, someone called out from behind me.

“Saint Seria! Why are you still standing around? Hurry!”

“Ah! Yes!”

Startled, Seria hugged the stack of thick books tightly against her chest and bowed to me.

“Lady Airel, I'm terribly sorry, but I'll greet you properly another time! I'm really busy right now...! I apologize for leaving so abruptly!”

“O-Oh, no, it's fin—”

Before I could even tell her it was alright,

she disappeared at lightning speed.

Even while in such a hurry, she was still so concerned about proper etiquette.

'How in the world did the original Airel ever manage to bully someone as kind as Seria?'

More importantly...

Why did Seria seem so busy?

In the original story, around this time she purified Lishid's curse and finally learned how to properly control her divine power.

As a result, her already considerable holy power blossomed even further.

It was the moment she truly awakened as a Saint.

So why...

'Don't tell me... her awakening has been delayed because she never met Lishid?'

...Nah.

Even if that were true, there was nothing I could do about it.

Still, the thought left me strangely uneasy.

'It's not like I have any way of finding out anyway.'

Letting out a quiet sigh, I started walking again.

Then—

Something lightly bumped against the toe of my shoe.

'Hm?'

I immediately bent down and picked up a small object lying on the ground.

It was a butterfly-shaped hairpin.

It must have fallen when Seria collided with me.

I stared in the direction she'd run for a moment before deciding I'd simply hand it to one of the Holy Knights on my way out.

I had no idea where she'd gone, so chasing after her was impossible.

Then a better idea suddenly occurred to me.

'That's right.'

There's someone else I can give this to...

I returned to the mansion in the carriage that had been waiting for me, accompanied by Zenis.

When she asked how everything had gone, I told her I'd ended up volunteering at the Grand Temple.

For some reason, Zenis became so emotional that she nearly burst into tears, and I had to spend quite a while calming her down.

“So?”

As soon as I returned, the Duchess summoned me to her office.

It seemed she'd been waiting for me the entire time.

After showing her the contract and explaining everything that had happened, I even told her about helping the High Priest.

'She told me not to leave out a single detail.'

“You were fortunate.”

Though the Duchess frowned several times while listening, she finally let me go with a relieved expression.

“Since the matter has been resolved, your restriction on going out is lifted.”

Thanks to that,

I was finally free again.

After leaving her office, I stopped a passing maid.

“Where is my brother?”

“Ah, Young Master Edwin is at the training grounds.”

“Thank you.”

I headed there immediately.

Aside from the very first day after I transmigrated—when I'd toured the mansion to familiarize myself with the layout—I had never visited the training grounds.

As I approached, one of the knights happened to be coming outside.

He stared at me in obvious confusion.

“Lady Airel? What brings you all the way here...?”

“I came to see Edwin.”

“Y-Yes? Ah... of course!”

The knight awkwardly opened the gates.

“Please come in.”

I nodded and stepped inside.

Even from afar, Edwin stood out among the sparring knights.

Every swing of his sword sent his golden hair fluttering beautifully.

I sat quietly off to one side and watched him.

I knew absolutely nothing about swordsmanship,

yet somehow simply watching Edwin train made time fly by.

It wasn't until the break that Edwin finally noticed me.

“...Airel?”

The moment our eyes met,

he looked as though he'd seen a ghost.

Frowning, he walked over.

“Why are you—”

“Here.”

I interrupted him and held out Seria's hairpin.

His expression darkened even further.

“What is this ugly thing?”

Hey!

That's not the point!

Startled, I looked down at the butterfly hairpin.

Fine.

It was a little old-fashioned.

But it suited Seria perfectly.

Besides, if even the ridiculous flower hat I'd worn had become fashionable,

then this hairpin was definitely cute.

“Well... Saint Seria dropped it, so I thought I'd bring it to you.”

“No wonder it looked so pretty.”

Edwin gently accepted the hairpin.

He looked at it with eyes overflowing with affection before even taking out a handkerchief to wrap it carefully.

Then, as though something had suddenly occurred to him, he looked up.

“Wait.”

“How did this end up with you?”

“You didn't... do something to Seria, did you...?”

His face filled with suspicion and disgust.

What misunderstanding are you having all by yourself?

“We bumped into each other while turning a corner at the Grand Temple. We both fell over.”

“I simply picked it up afterward.”

Wanting to avoid any future misunderstanding that I'd pushed Seria over,

I explained everything in as much detail as possible.

After listening,

Edwin grabbed my arm and pulled me upright.

“Let me see.”

“Huh?”

“You said you fell.”

“Oh, no, I'm fin—”

I hurriedly shook my head.

But Edwin turned toward the knights and shouted,

“Training ends here!”

“Everyone out!”

“And don't let anyone come in.”

“Yes, sir!”

The knights, grinning from ear to ear, streamed happily out of the training grounds.

No!

Don't leave!

Please don't leave!

“Where were you hurt?”

“I-I really am fine!”

“There's no one watching now.”

“So stop hiding it and tell me.”

Edwin crouched down in front of me.

“Your knees?”

Realizing there was no escaping this,

I finally shut my eyes and blurted it out.

“M-My butt!”

“…What?”

Edwin froze.

“I told you I was fine!”

“I just landed on it a little. I'm not injured at all.”

“……”

After hearing that,

Edwin let out a long sigh and covered his face with one hand.

“...That must've been embarrassing.”

“I'm sorry, Airel.”

“Ahem... It's alright.”

“More importantly, there's something I wanted to ask you.”

“What is it?”

Edwin looked up.

“When I saw Saint Seria earlier, she seemed incredibly busy.”

“Do you know what she's so busy with?”

“Well...”

After standing back up,

Edwin hesitated before sitting down a short distance away.

With a sigh, he answered,

“I don't know.”

“We don't keep in contact privately.”

“You don't?”

“No.”

“I suppose this hairpin gives me an excuse to see her once.”

That's strange.

In the original novel, after meeting on the terrace, the two of them started exchanging letters.

'That's why Lishid eventually became jealous.'

So what had changed?

“You did meet Saint Seria at the welcoming banquet, didn't you?”

Edwin slowly nodded.

Judging from his slightly flushed cheeks and shy smile,

they had definitely met on the terrace.

I mentally traced the chain of events from the original story.

'Seria only attends the banquet after meeting Lishid.'

'Then she meets Edwin on the terrace after Airel humiliates her...'

...Ah.

I knew what had changed.

'It's because I never bullied Seria that day.'

But...

Just because of that,

the two of them never started corresponding?

Well, Edwin's first letter had begun with,

"I apologize for the rudeness my sister showed..."

Still...

If their romance was doomed to fail anyway,

what difference did it make if it progressed more slowly than in the original?

I thought about it for a moment,

but ultimately it wasn't something I needed to worry about.

'Honestly... maybe this is better for Edwin.'

After all,

Seria was supposed to end up with Lishid.

If Edwin became any more attached,

he'd only suffer more later.

'Didn't it occur to you that, since the story has already changed, maybe Seria and Lishid won't end up together?'

Of course it had.

But if that happened...

Who was supposed to save this world?

Maybe in another novel it wouldn't matter,

but here, the original male and female leads absolutely had to fall in love.

The peace of this world depended on the two of them fighting monsters together, purifying evil together, and overcoming hardships through the power of love.

There was no other way.

A bitter smile found its way onto my face again,

but I shook my head to drive the thought away.

“Brother.”

Thanks to returning Seria's hairpin, the atmosphere between us wasn't bad at the moment.

There was something I'd wanted to ask Edwin for quite a while.

“Do you... happen to remember someone named Laura?”