188 – Hot Fire (4)
From noble mtl dot com
To Lucia, Siron felt more like a friend than a brother.
Although I have depended on Siron for a lot of things over the past 10 years, I have never once called Lucia my brother, and Siron has never directly thought of Lucia as my younger sister.
However, they both thought of each other as family. Unlike Siron, Lucia wanted to get confirmation from Glenn that she was really his daughter someday, but even if that wasn’t the case, wouldn’t they be family if they lived in the same house and ate together?
Even now, we meet face to face every day, talk about various things, and eat together. A sense of peaceful fulfillment that I could not feel before reincarnation. Lucia had a desire to continue this relationship.
So, when Siron brought up the word engagement, I was so surprised that I wondered if this was even possible.
“…Engaged?”
Lucia asked in a voice that feigned calm. thank god. The voice I let out was no different from usual. She herself didn’t know why she was worried like this, but because deep inside her heart she was screaming at her to please behave like usual, Lucia was able to face Siron calmly.
“uh.”
“…Siriel. Do you know Siriel? That girl never told me.”
“Even Siriel doesn’t know this. The fact that I’m going to get engaged to Siriel is something that only you and Eldrina know right now.”
“Mother again… why?”
Lucia felt something on her chest. It seems that it will be difficult to put up with the trembling of the voice any longer. But, for some reason, against her will, her mouth squirms wildly.
“That’s right, Eldrina-sama was the one who proposed the engagement first.”
“…”
“I went to introduce Laterra a year ago, and she brought up the story first. It seems she’s been preparing for quite some time. I don’t know if Siriel knows or not.”
“I see…”
Lucia replied helplessly and lowered her head.
If it was true that Eldrina suggested it first, there was no need to talk about Siriel. Even before Siriel gave Siron a surprise kiss, Lucia knew that Siriel loved Siron.
Long before that, Siriel had boldly revealed to anyone that she had an unusual crush on Siron, so unless you were extremely tactful, you would have been unaware of it.
So, I was worried that the two would get married someday, but I never dreamed that Lucia would feel so frustrated when she actually faced the situation.
Was it the car that made you bow your head for a moment? Siron stared at Lucia with his usual expression.
“So, are you free this week?”
“Time? There’s a lot of time, but the exam period is still far away. I don’t have any plans with other kids.”
“Good. Then, come with me somewhere.”
“…Where are you going?”
Siron said indifferently to Lucia who asked cautiously.
“Nightrail.”
“Why are you there?”
“I thought I should pay off my debt soon. I guess it’s a bit weird to say that the person you’re engaged to has debt.”
“Did you… have any debt?”
“Not long.”
I didn’t check the bill, so I wasn’t sure, but I was certain it was well over 50 million shillings. This is an amount that would make Lucia, who is somewhat accustomed to the financial sense of the upper class, gasp.
‘I have to deal with this soon.’
Having incurred a debt of 500 million won due to his father’s recklessness, he knew well how unpleasant it was to incur unwanted debt due to family.
‘It’s okay if I’m alone, but I can’t get Siriel involved in such a trivial matter.’
“It’s really not much… Eldrina-sama is concerned about that. So I’m trying to make some money and have a good time.”
However, Siron continued to show a relaxed attitude. I didn’t want to cause Lucia any unnecessary worries, and I thought that if I told her the amount for no reason, there would be a fuss, including a beating.
However, for some reason, Lucia’s face became increasingly hard.
“no.”
“…”
“If you’re going to go, go alone.”
thud-
After giving a cold answer, Lucia left the restaurant. Shiron clicked his tongue as he looked at the roughly closed door.
Was it a problem that you announced your engagement to Siriel too late?
Or was it a question of who you were getting engaged to?
He had no idea why Lucia was so angry. A few possible reasons came to mind, but aren’t Siron and Lucia related by blood?
Of course, Siriel is also related by blood, but marriage between cousins is legal in the empire. Siron thought that Lucia could not have been offended by sarcasm.
Looking back on Lucia’s usual behavior, she was not obsessive like Siriel, nor did she display any noticeable charm, so she probably did not see him as a romantic partner.
“…Would it be a good idea to go up and ask why you’re upset?”
[Well, I want to stop the hero.]
“But, isn’t he angry? I think it would be a good idea to go up there and ask him why he’s upset and comfort him.”
[…If we do, wouldn’t it be better to do it later? For example, I need time alone to organize my mind.]
“…It’s complicated.”
Siron thought briefly and picked up the magic book. As he said, the relationship between the two was not complicated at all. Isn’t the problem that they are not just an older brother and a younger sister, but that they both have a big secret?
‘…I guess I also need time to think.’
After clearing the table, Siron headed back to the training hall.
*
The next day, the academy’s student cafeteria.
“Lucia. Are you feeling unwell?”
Gracie asked worriedly at Lucia, who was just holding a spoon and not even eating.
Something was very strange with Lucia today. Her actions were uncharacteristically fierce, and she did not look like a normal person.
Unusually for her, her face was haggard, as if she hadn’t slept well, and her hair was sticking out here and there, as if she came out in a hurry without drying it properly. No matter how you look at it, it was natural for Gracie to be worried, as this behavior could not be considered the restraint of a great nobleman.
Lucia raised her head at the voice asking with concern.
“…It’s not like that.”
“Then what is it? Did you fight with Siriel?”
Gracie looked at Siriel, who was sitting quietly in the distance, holding the cutlery with an arrogant gesture.
Even though the classes they took were different, they always ate lunch together, and as soon as Lucia saw Siriel in the cafeteria, she hid behind Gracie.
Lucia, startled, immediately waved her hand away.
“Fighting is something. It’s not like that, so don’t talk nonsense. I’m having a hard time these days.”
“Why? Why is it difficult? Is something difficult again?”
Gracie moved to sit next to Lucia. This is Lucia, who never once showed that she was having a hard time. If it wasn’t the fight with Siriel, what on earth was causing it so much trouble? Curiosity thirsting for stimulation made Gracie’s hips shake.
“ha…”
Lucia sighed, full of worry. It felt a bit fussy, but I just needed someone to complain to. In this respect, Gracie was a helpful friend.
“Gracie. Can I ask you something?”
“Huh? Ask as many questions as you want.”
“Are you… engaged or something?”
“Why? Did you make trouble at home to get engaged? Who is the partner? Is he handsome?”
“Oh, no? He’s saying he’s going to be in big trouble again!”
Lucia’s face blushed brightly and she made a disgusted expression.
“I’m just asking because I’m curious. Just try to answer first.”
“Well, I did. Normally.”
“Really?”
“Why did I lie to you? I usually wear an engagement ring.”
Didn’t you know yet? Gracie waved her left hand in front of Lucia. A silver ring without any work or jewels. It was too crude to be called an engagement ring.
“Was that an engagement ring?”
“So, what did you think? If you thought it was too unsightly, I know you’d be scolded harshly.”
Perhaps it was because of Lucia’s bewildered expression, but Gracie spoke with a rare straight face.
“Even though it looks like this, it’s a ring we made ourselves ten years ago.”
“…Ten years?”
Then wasn’t it when you were eight years old?
Getting engaged at the age of eight, what kind of contract could this be? Even though she got engaged at an age when she wondered if she had learned how to write properly, Lucia suppressed what she wanted to say, thinking that her feelings had not changed in the past 10 years.
“Do you know what we said back then? Right now we can only give you these things, but you said you would definitely give us a pretty wedding ring!”
“I feel like you feel unfamiliar somehow.”
There was something strangely unpleasant about her friend’s private life that Lucia found difficult to accept. He never revealed the existence of a fiancé, so I didn’t even know he existed, but it is said that he had a fiancé whom he became engaged to at the age of eight.
‘What did I do back then?’
It didn’t take long to think about it. I’m sure I was kidnapped by a red-haired man who suddenly appeared from nowhere. Then, he was trapped in a castle full of demons and had Siron’s solar plexus slashed.
‘…there’s no such thing as a kid.’
Lucia shuddered at the beauty of her childhood.
Was it that time?
“Student Lucia. Student Gracie.”
The two people turned their heads to where the voice came from.
“…?”
A neatly dressed man, [Exploration and Interpretation of the Essence of Mana] was Professor Reynold’s assistant.
“Can you give me a moment?”