Naturally, this was the work of some ability, so she narrowed her eyes and glared forward. As expected, there was something causing the wind.
Raymund, glaring with terrifying eyes, was hiding in the shadow across from her.
Ha! Aries let out a hollow laugh. She had anticipated Raymund would come looking for her like this.
She had intentionally hinted to the servant that she was going to Seiana to cause trouble. The timid servant, likely more afraid of things getting uncontrollably out of hand later than hiding their own guilt, would surely confess to Raymund. She had planned everything expecting this.
'According to the original plan, I was thinking of showing him Seiana driven mad after meeting me, and telling him not to be so stupidly deceived.'
The plan was to tell him to snap out of his delusions, but contrary to Aries's expectations, Seiana turned out to be a real gem, not a fraud, so everything went awry.
Aries glared back at Raymund. Raymund seemed so enraged he was blind, to the point he didn't even seem to see Seiana in Aries's arms.
In response, she lightly gestured with her hand. Then, Raymund's head and shoulders bent downwards as if pressed.
'Snap out of it!'
Aries, using her special ability, mouthed words at the still-glaring Raymund, reminding him who was in her arms.
As if finally coming to his senses, Raymund startled and immediately stopped the wind.
"What was that wind..."
"Seiana!"
"Huh, Ray...?"
When the wind stopped, Seiana lifted her head, saw Raymund running towards her, and her eyes widened.
Realizing her hair was messy from the wind, she flushed and hastily tidied it.
Aries didn't like that.
'He's the one who did that to her.'
There's no need to look good for him! Aries glared resentfully at Raymund while still helping Seiana fix her hair.
Seeing Aries not only sit close to Seiana but also tenderly stroke her hair made Raymund' eyes practically spit fire.
"Seiana! Are you alright?"
"Huh? Oh, I'm fine. The wind was just a bit strong..."
Idiot. Aries sneered at Raymund's foolishness. Raymund looked like he was about to flare up again at her reaction but only glanced at Seiana and glared sideways at Aries.
"...She didn't bother you, did she?"
"She...?"
"Oh my! Are you talking about me? Me? To my Seiana? Why?"
"My?"
Hearing 'my' placed before Seiana's name, Raymund seemed even more furious.
Understandably, since the treasure he wanted to keep to himself had been discovered. Aries sneered slightly and pulled Seiana into a light hug.
Even among the same sex, physical contact could be viewed conservatively, but the boundaries were much looser than with the opposite sex.
Aries took advantage of this, smirking with satisfaction.
'You haven't even done this, have you? Even though you met her before me.'
Had he barely even held her hand? Aries had held hands, linked arms, and hugged Seiana on the very first day they met. Feeling superior, she looked down at Raymund, and his triggered reaction was truly satisfying.
"I just came here because I want to be friends with Seiana~. Why would I bother her~? Right, Seiana?"
"Huh? Right...?"
"Oh, and you asked how I knew? Well... I shouldn't have, but... I read your letter... I'm sorry~..."
With a trembling voice and an expression that showed genuine remorse, Aries spoke. Seiana was startled but couldn’t say a word to Aries, who was putting on the most pitiful act.
"Sorry… I really shouldn’t have… It’s just that he keeps bragging about having a really close friend."
"When did I ever…!"
"I don’t have any friends… I was so, so jealous, and I wanted a close friend too… Sorry… sniff!"
Raymund looked stunned at Aries’s shameless sobbing. But Aries couldn’t care less.
Focusing all attention on Seiana, Aries watched her reaction closely, worried she might be upset and push him away.
"Uh, uh… It’s okay…."
Contrary to his worries, Seiana, perhaps overwhelmed by the chaotic scene, nodded with a dazed look. Aries’s face brightened instantly at her approval.
"Really? You forgive me?"
"Uh-huh…."
"I'm so happy!"
As Aries hugged her tightly, Seiana still wore a look of embarrassment.
***
I was completely overwhelmed.
The Lady Esteban, who had been glaring at me as if she was about to lose her temper, suddenly changed her attitude and threw herself at me to become friends. Then there was Ray, who had appeared out of nowhere.
As the situation unfolded like a raging storm, I felt something strange stirring inside me.
What's this...?
Something kept bothering me. Lady Esteban's eyes and first impression had been fierce, but her personality was as gentle as a puppy. It wasn't an exaggeration - she was truly sweet and affectionate.
Her catlike appearance was quite the contrast.
I found her fondness for physical contact a bit overwhelming, but since she was female, it wasn’t unpleasant. Still, for some reason, I couldn’t quite like her.
Naturally, this was the work of some ability, so I narrowed my eyes and glared forward. As expected, there was something causing the wind.
Raymund, glaring with terrifying eyes, was hiding in the shadow across from me.
Ha! Aries let out a hollow laugh. She had anticipated Raymund would come looking for her like this.
She had deliberately let her attendant know she was going to cause trouble with Seiana. The cowardly attendant would fear the consequences of covering up his crimes more than he feared being caught later, so she expected him to confess to Raymund. She had planned everything around this assumption.
According to the original plan, I was going to show him Seiana after she went mad from meeting me, then warn him not to be foolish and believe her.
Aries had planned to tell Seiana to wake up from her delusions, but everything changed when she discovered Seiana wasn't a con artist but a genuine treasure.
Aries glared at Raymund. The man seemed so enraged that his eyes had rolled back, completely missing Seiana in Aries' arms.
She subtly waved her hand. Raymund's head and shoulders suddenly bent forward as if weighed down.
Snap out of it!
Using her ability, Aries grinned at Raymund who was still glaring at her. She meant to remind him of the person in her arms.
Finally coming to his senses, Raymund startled and immediately stopped the wind.
"What wind...?"
"Seiana!"
"Huh? Ray...?"
When the wind ceased, Seiana raised her head only to see Raymund rushing toward her. Her eyes widened in surprise. Realizing her hair had been disheveled by the wind, she hastily smoothed it down, her face flushing crimson.
This did not sit well with Aries.
He's the one who caused this mess in the first place.
There was no need for her to look presentable! Though glaring resentfully at Raymund, Aries still helped Seiana arrange her hair.
Seeing Raymund not only sit close to Seiana but also tenderly stroke her hair made Aries' eyes practically spit fire.
"Seiana! Are you alright?"
"Huh? Oh, I'm fine. The wind was just a bit strong..."
At this, Raymund's mouth snapped shut. He had only himself to blame for the situation.
How foolish. Aries mocked Raymund's stupidity. Though Raymund bristled at her reaction, he restrained himself from further outbursts, aware of Seiana's presence.
"...Did that guy not harass you?"
"That guy...?"
"Goodness! Are you addressing me? Me? My Seiana? Why?"
"My?"
The possessive "my" before Seiana's name seemed to enrage Raymund further. Given that he'd been caught with a treasure he'd hoped to keep secret, his irritation was understandable. Aries snorted derisively as she gently pulled Seiana into her embrace.
While same-sex intimacy could be conservative even among women, the boundaries were far more relaxed than those between men and women. Aries savored this advantage, her amusement palpable.
You've never experienced this before, have you? Despite being the one who met her first.
Had he barely touched her hand? On their first day, Aries had held hands, linked arms, and even hugged. Looking down at Raymund with a sense of superiority, she found his irritation truly delightful.
"I came here because I want to be friends with Seiana~. Why would I ever bully Seiana~? Right, Seiana?"
"Huh? Right...?"
"Oh, and you asked how I knew? Well... I shouldn't have, but... I read your letter... I'm sorry~..."
Aries spoke with a quivering voice, her face full of genuine remorse. Though startled, Seiana couldn't bring herself to say anything to the pitifully acting girl.
"I'm sorry... I know I shouldn't have... But that guy keeps boasting about having such a great friend."
"When did I...?!"
"I don't have any friends... I was so jealous, I wanted a close friend too... I'm sorry... sniff!"
Raymund stared in disbelief at Aries' pathetic sniffling. For Aries, it didn't matter whether he approved or not. She focused all her attention on Seiana, watching her reaction anxiously. She worried Seiana might push her away in disgust.
"Uh, uh-huh? Y-yes... it's okay..."
Contrary to her fears, Seiana nodded dazedly, as if overwhelmed by the sudden drama. Aries' face lit up at this permission.
"Really? You forgive me?"
"Uh-huh..."
"Yes!"
Even as Aries pulled her into a tight hug, Seiana remained bewildered, her face frozen in confusion.
I was completely overwhelmed.
The Lady Esteban, who had been glaring at me as if she was about to lose her temper, suddenly changed her attitude and threw herself at me to become friends. Then there was Ray, who had appeared out of nowhere.
As the situation unfolded like a raging storm, I felt something strange stirring inside me.
What's this...?
Something kept bothering me. Lady Esteban's eyes and first impression had been fierce, but her personality was as gentle as a puppy. It wasn't an exaggeration - she was truly sweet and affectionate.
Her feline appearance made for quite the contrast.
The physical contact she enjoyed was a bit overwhelming, but since we were the same gender, it wasn't unpleasant. Still, I found myself inexplicably disliking her.
She's clearly trying to be nice to me...
Why did she feel so awkward? Watching Lady Esteban and Ray exchange glances, I suddenly understood.
Ah...
Throughout my entire life, Ray was the only person I could truly call my first friend. That's why I must have held him in such special regard.
I'd always harbored an unfounded confidence that I was his closest companion, but now I'd discovered someone with whom he shared an even deeper bond.
...He never showed me that side of himself.
The sight of Ray and Lady Esteban glaring at each other with narrowed eyes revealed a striking lack of restraint.
But on the other hand, it seemed to mean they were close enough not to take offense even at that kind of treatment.
Rey, who always acted mature and spoke carefully around me, seemed like someone his own age when he was with Esteban’s Lady.
Something... felt uncomfortable. Like I had overeaten, a heavy pressure built up inside my chest, making it hard to control my expression. Someone in my head whispered, 'What kind of adult is jealous like a child?'
'...I never even felt this way about Pedro.'
Ah... Thinking of Pedro naturally led me to wonder if the two of them might be engaged.
The Esteban ducal family was close to the imperial family, and the two of them were of suitable ages, so it was a natural possibility.
It was a normal, insignificant matter for nobles, but the discomfort inside my chest became even stronger than before. I felt like something was going to come out of my mouth, so I tightly clenched it shut.
"Why did you steal my letter like that?"
"I apologized for it. To Seiana, the owner of the letter."
"You didn't apologize to me."
"So what? I've already been forgiven, haven't I? Constantly bringing up something that's already over, aren't you being quite petty?"
"Petty... What?"
Watching the two of them chattering, I felt as if the inside of my heart was being smeared with black paint. Not just black, but a thick, unpleasant black.
My mood worsened as if I was sinking into a swamp, and something kept trying to push its way out of my throat.
Seeing the two, who seemed close despite not being gentle with each other, I finally couldn't stand it.
"Hey."
I only said one word, but the chattering of the two instantly stopped. They turned their heads and stared at me expectantly, which made me tremble a little.
Can I ask this kind of question? But what if it's true? How should I treat the two of them then?
Even as I hesitated, the words that forced their way out of my throat didn't stop.
"Are you two... engaged?"
As I asked, my heart trembled at the thought of the answer being yes. A suspicion also arose that perhaps the Esteban Duchy's daughter's reason for coming to me, saying she wanted to be friends, was just an excuse, and she was here to keep an eye on the woman who was close to her fiancé.
That would be a natural progression of events.
The two gave no answer to my question. Thinking that perhaps my suspicion was right, I checked their faces.
'Huh...?'
It was strange. The two people's faces held expressions of utter disbelief, as if they had heard something truly outrageous, and shock, as if I had said something incredibly harsh.
For a moment, I wondered if I had accidentally sworn instead of saying the word 'engaged'.
The reaction was so extreme that I didn't know what to do, just standing there blinking like a deer in headlights, when Lady Esteban suddenly shouted:
"Seiana! How could you say such a terrible thing!"
"Huh? I-I'm sorry?"
"Why would I ever marry that person!"
"That's my line!"
The two, who had just been bickering fiercely with each other, were now grabbing me and bickering at me.
"Even if he was the last man on earth, I would absolutely, absolutely not get engaged or married to him!"
"I'd rather the world end than marry that person!"
"Hmph! I'd rather the world end than hold that person's hand!"
"Who's asking you to hold my hand?"
"You...!"
I stared at them with my mouth agape. They weren't putting on an act—there was genuine disgust in their voices as they hurled insults at each other.
"Seiana... Why on earth would you think such a terrible thing?"
Ray, who had been arguing with Lady Esteban, asked in a sorrowful voice, his eyebrows furrowed. His voice carried the indignation of being linked to such a "cruel thing," and I stumbled over my words in explanation.
"You two seemed close."
"No!"
"We're not close at all!"
"And your families are close, aren't they? And you're of similar ages. So I just wondered."
"It's our families that are close, not me and him!"
"Exactly! And I'm more mature than her. Ugh, look how childish she is."
Watching the two of them desperately arguing that they disliked each other, I felt the discomfort that had filled my heart gradually subside.
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