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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Worries in the Night
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What in the world?
My eyes flew open in surprise.
My sister was rolling around on the floor, snoring.
“……”
Can’t divine power cure snoring?!
“Ah, dammit, leave me alone…”
She even swore in her sleep!
I clamped a pillow over my ears.
My worries about my sister’s strange reaction to her title flew right out the window.
But no matter how hard I tried, I could still hear her snoring.
She’d said she wasn’t shameless enough to take the bed, but instead, she’d turned the entire floor into her bed, kicking anything that got in her way.
Aargh!
“Sister, wake up.”
“You little…”
My sister swung her hand violently through the air as if trying to grab me by the collar.
Argh, that’s it, I’m leaving!
I stormed outside.
I’ll never sleep in the same room as my sister again!
I had no idea her sleeping habits were this bad!
In , it was simply described as ‘a little severe’.
How is this ‘a little’ severe?!
Forced to give up the best room, I felt wronged as I peeked into the other rooms.
But they either had no bed at all or were covered with sheets from disuse.
Ugh.
I squatted down in the hallway.
Ah, wait a minute. I don’t have to wander around, do I?
I crept toward Kivrin’s bedroom.
I knocked familiarly and opened the door, but the bedroom was empty.
“Kivrin?”
Huh, where could he be at this hour?
I went back into the hallway, did a quick turn, and even peered out the window.
I spotted a familiar head of silver hair by the shore.
Even though it wasn’t completely dark thanks to the lights, it was the middle of the night.
Wondering if something was wrong, I scurried after him.
When I got closer, I saw that Kivrin was wearing earplugs.
Oh, no.
I hung my head in shame.
“I-I’m sorry…”
Kivrin shook his head.
“The Saintess is q-quite something, but it’s not just because of that.”
Huh?
Kivrin pointed a finger at the waves.
“The sound of the waves?”
“The things in there. Th-they keep talking to me.”
I glanced around.
Judging by Kivrin’s expression, they weren’t saying anything amusing.
Since it didn’t look like Kivrin was going inside anytime soon, I shuffled over and took the spot next to him.
At that, Kivrin let out a deep sigh and leaned against my shoulder.
Gasp. This was the first time Kivrin had ever leaned on me.
He must be really, seriously stressed.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
My voice was laced with concern.
After a few seconds of hesitation, Kivrin made a confession.
“I-it’s okay. Half of it is j-just me being dramatic.”
“But that means the other half is real, right? It’s okay to be dramatic.”
I can handle it all!
As if my words had cheered him up, I heard Kivrin let out a small laugh.
Only then did I look out at the sea stretching before me.
When I saw it from the villa, all I could think was how pretty it looked with the lights reflecting on it.
But watching the midnight horizon from down here, under the lights, felt completely different.
The jet-black color made me imagine its profound depths.
I tried holding my breath lightly, but I couldn’t even count to ten before I had to gasp for air.
Hmm, diving in to chase away his underwater friends would be difficult.
As if he knew what I was thinking, Kivrin muttered.
“If you go in, there m-might be sharks.”
“You’re right…”
I shivered.
It would be a disaster if I got eaten by a shark, and it would also be a disaster if Del’s ability activated and caused a catastrophe.
“What do your underwater friends usually talk about?”
Kivrin explained in a calm, even voice.
“About j-jewels rolling around in the sea…”
No! Don’t be tempted!
This isn’t the time for that!
Unaware of my serious internal conflict, Kivrin added.
“Stories about fish f-fighting, and about a cave that s-sucks in the wind.”
“……”
“They say it’s fascinating and f-fun, so I should c-come and see.”
It sounded like the kind of everyday conversation you’d have with a friend.
Like the animal friends who lived in the Crescent Moon Forest, these underwater friends held a one-sided sense of intimacy toward Kivrin.
Was it because Kivrin was a human they could talk to?
I recalled Viscount Rose saying that Kivrin was different even from Del.
Then what is Kivrin, what is a Disaster?
Kivrin lifted his head from my shoulder and stood up.
“It’s cold. L-let’s go inside.”
I took the hand Kivrin offered and stood up.
At some point, Kivrin and I were no longer at the same eye level.
A considerable height difference was beginning to form.
Kivrin had turned eleven a month later than I did, but while I’d grown by a fingernail, he’d grown by a finger.
I tried standing lightly on my tiptoes.
Just like when I’d clumsily practiced diving, my feet started trembling before ten seconds had passed.
“Lady Cheria?”
“…Please forget this happened.”
I had just needlessly added another embarrassing memory.
* * *
Inside a room where the sound of the waves could be heard clearly.
Winter Nectarian fiddled with a wooden box as she gazed at the person she loved.
“Want a smoke?”
“No,” he replied with a smile.
Winter decided he was lying.
She took out a cigarette and lit it.
“…You tempt me.”
Winter chuckled at his lamenting mutter.
With the cigarette between her lips, she approached him.
“Want a smoke?” her languid voice asked again.
Menelik didn’t answer.
Winter took a deep drag of smoke and pressed her lips to his.
“That’s your reward, so don’t go causing any trouble.”
Watching her stub out the cigarette, Menelik asked casually.
“Cheria will save me, too, right? She was just too flustered to argue back earlier, right?”
“If you’re so worried, maybe you should stop stealing the kid’s snacks.”
Right after the Saintess left, she had overheard a conversation between Cheria and Kivrin.
—My sister’s premonitions are never wrong. What should I do? Should I bite my tongue and hope for the next life?
The sniffling voice was heartbreaking.
Cheria couldn’t help but feel more attached to her and Menelik than to her own birth parents.
After all, she’d had no interaction with them whatsoever.
She and Menelik were the first guardians Cheria had ever had.
—You’re capable of destroying humanity, but you think you’ll die just f-from biting your tongue? I-it would only hurt.
It was a logical but completely insensitive thing to say.
And yet, Cheria was convinced.
—You might be right. I was fine even after escaping the Snake Pit.
—I’ll help make sure th-that doesn’t happen. You don’t want to be separated from M-Mother, right, Lady Cheria?
—That’s right. I want to help Mother be happy. I want her to live a long life with Father!
Look who’s worrying about whom.
Cheria was much smaller than other children her age, got hurt easily, and didn’t heal quickly.
She sometimes slept so still, like she was dead, without even making a sound, that she and Menelik would check on her several times.
Winter felt an indescribable emotion.
In the capital, Cheria had been so afraid of being abandoned that she couldn’t even show she was in pain.
At first, she had considered sending Cheria to be adopted by another family.
But Cheria had said she liked her.
That she liked the Ducal House.
When she came to Crescent Moon Castle, she followed her around like a little chick.
Because of that, she’d grown concerned about Cheria being cooped up in the office with her all day and had even gone on walks she didn’t feel like taking.
The way her large eyes would dart about was truly fascinating.
—Do you like flowers?
Cheria nodded, then broke into a wide smile.
Only then did she realize she was smiling herself.
—Yes, I do. Did you know? There are flowers blooming on your face too, Mother.
—……
To hell with other families.
She would never give her up, not even if the Emperor himself came for her.
“This is my fault. Cheria must have contacted the Saintess because she thought I was worried about Eugenie.”
Winter bit her lip.
Now, Winter’s only wish was for Cheria to be healthy.
She had not only Yelena but also other famous doctors in the empire examine Cheria.
They all reported that she was so frail it would be a miracle if she lived to adulthood.
The most compassionate doctor even left a plea to let her live the rest of her life happily.
So she had no choice but to be overprotective of Cheria.
Because she was precious and dear.
Because she was treasured.
…And Kivrin had said something strange, too.
It was when Kivrin had collapsed, complaining of a sore back.
He had said that Cheria was special, but her body was ordinary and fragile, so they should bring her to his side quickly.
Along with a threat to smash the servants’ heads.
