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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Meeting at the Festival (2)
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Juist Academy.
It was a place established through the combined efforts of numerous imperial and royal families across the continent, including the Cezaros Empire.
Known for its purpose of nurturing talent, it was open to commoners and boasted perfectly equipped educational facilities.
“Hmm…”
Sei-an was currently looking at an informational booklet about Juist Academy.
He was curious because he’d been told he was originally a student there, even though he was currently at home due to an accident.
Then, another question began to surface.
‘There was no one in front of me to feel inferior to…’
He hadn’t been living with Lucian, so he couldn’t understand why he had suddenly thought of suicide.
When people usually attempt suicide, it’s often because they can’t endure difficult circumstances, but more often, it’s because they want to let those around them know how much they’re struggling.
However, it seemed strange that he had chosen suicide in a place where Lucian, the person he wanted to torment by showing his pain, wasn’t present.
Of course, he might have thought the news of his suicide would reach home anyway, so the outcome would be the same regardless.
“Still, it’s strange.”
No matter what, when someone chooses death, there’s usually a specific trigger or reason that led to that decision on that particular day.
‘What could it be?’
Sei-an wondered what that reason might be, falling deep into thought once more.
“Young Master Sei-an.”
“Hm?”
At that moment, the door carefully opened, and the maid Pike stepped inside.
“What is it?”
“Um…”
“...?”
Pike approached Sei-an, looking as if she had something to say, but she hesitated, unable to speak easily.
“I’m sorry, but I have a favor…”
“A favor?”
“Yes.”
Pike had grown much closer to Sei-an, and her fear of him had almost entirely vanished, but she still found it difficult to ask for something.
“What kind of favor?”
“Um, could I go out for a bit this afternoon?”
“Out?”
“Yes…”
“Do as you like.”
“Ah! Really? Thank you!”
Sei-an didn’t understand why she spoke so hesitantly about such a simple request, but he readily granted Pike’s wish to go out.
“But where are you going?”
“There’s a festival in the capital’s downtown area today.”
“A festival?”
“Yes, it’s a festival celebrating the start of summer.”
“Hmm.”
Now that she mentioned it, he thought he had seen people bustling about the streets on his way home from the imperial palace. He hadn’t paid much attention, simply dismissing it as such and passing by.
“Who are you going with?”
“Me? I’m going alone.”
“Alone?”
“Yes…”
“…”
Pike hadn’t been with Count Shurayton’s family for very long, and being quite young, she didn’t get along well with the other maids.
Moreover, seeing Sei-an being kind to Pike recently, the other maids had grown jealous and often ignored her or treated her as if she didn't exist.
That was why she had no choice but to go to the festival alone today.
“…”
Sei-an didn’t know the full details from Pike’s words, but recalling that he hadn't seen her with others or talking to them recently, he could guess there was some situation.
“Can I come with you?”
“What?”
“I’m bored too, you know. Would you mind if I came along?”
“...!”
Pike, who had been lowering her head, feeling embarrassed about being ostracized, looked up at him with startled eyes at Sei-an’s suggestion to go to the festival together.
“Go, together?”
“Why? You don’t want to?”
“No!”
“…”
Sei-an chuckled, watching Pike vigorously shake her head in response to his question about whether she disliked the idea.
“Ehehe.”
At his smile, Pike also broke into a bright grin, letting out a small laugh. She now believed that the scary rumors about Sei-an she had initially heard were just lies from the other maids to torment her.
***
“This way~! Let’s go this way, Young Master.”
“You’ll trip if you keep that up.”
Sei-an warned Pike, who was walking quickly a step ahead of him without looking where she was going.
She was already prone to tripping, and her excited gait looked unstable.
“Oh… oh!”
“...!”
And no sooner had he spoken than Pike bumped into someone else and was about to fall forward. Sei-an quickly reached out to steady her.
“I told you to be careful.”
“Ehe… hehe! Yes, thank you, Young Master.”
“…”
Despite almost falling, she smiled brightly, clearly delighted to be at the festival. In the end, Sei-an couldn’t help but let out a faint smile himself.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
Sei-an then lightly patted her head, as if ruffling her hair, and started walking again. Pike followed close behind him.
“…What is that.”
“What’s wrong, Your High… ah, no, Lady Rainy?”
Meanwhile, there was a gaze watching the two from a distance.
Though she had made an effort to disguise herself in shabby clothes, she couldn’t hide her beauty and aura, drawing the attention of passersby. It was none other than Princess Rainy.
She had secretly snuck out of the imperial palace, keeping it a secret from others, and was currently enjoying the festival herself.
“…”
As Princess Rainy pleasantly looked around and savored the festival, she happened to spot a familiar figure.
Among the many people, one person stood out distinctly, possessing beauty even more exquisite than a woman’s! It was Sei-an.
Feeling a surge of welcome, Princess Rainy took a step towards him, but then she abruptly froze.
‘…He’s smiling?’
Sei-an, the embodiment of apathy and the pinnacle of prickliness, was smiling right before her eyes.
And not just that, he was smiling at someone other than her.
Despite all her efforts to break his impassive expression, she had never seen him smile like that before. He was displaying a side of himself he had never shown her, doing it so naturally for someone else.
“…”
At the sight of Sei-an, Princess Rainy stood there, her expression frozen, unable to move until he disappeared from her sight.
“What was that…”
After Sei-an and Pike vanished, and a considerable time had passed, Princess Rainy quietly muttered to herself, gently furrowing her brow.
‘Why do I feel so bad?’
The moment she saw Sei-an smiling at someone else, she found herself overcome with a surge of anger.
And she was even more annoyed by her own reaction. It felt as if she was jealous of the woman who was with Sei-an.
‘Me? Of such an insignificant woman?’
As a princess, she couldn’t tolerate the very idea of feeling jealousy towards such a petty woman.
She tried to quickly shake off her mood, but she couldn’t stop the recurring surges of anger.
“…”
A moment later, Princess Rainy, who had been quietly staring at the spot where Sei-an disappeared, began to walk in that direction.
“…? Princess Rain… ah, no, Lady Rainy! Where are you going?”
Jessi, Princess Rainy’s maid, also had to quickly follow behind her.
***
“Young Master! Look at that!”
“…”
“Oh! Let’s go over there!”
“…”
“Wow! That looks fun too. Let’s go see!”
Are women naturally more energetic, or is it just this girl who has so much boundless energy?
Sei-an shook his head, watching Pike energetically darting around.
She had been dragging him here and there for two hours already, and she was still constantly looking around, eager to see more.
“Pike.”
“Yes?”
“Aren’t you tired?”
“No, I’m not tir— Oh? Young Master, are you tired?”
“Yeah, I’d like to rest for a bit.”
“…! I, I’m sorry.”
Pike, caught up in her excitement, quickly apologized for not realizing Sei-an was tired.
Sei-an chuckled, waved his hand to say it was fine, and walked over to a chair placed by the roadside to sit down.
“I’ll go get you something to drink!”
“What? No, it’s fin— She’s fast.”
Seeing Sei-an’s expression, Pike hurriedly left the spot and quickly headed somewhere to buy a drink.
“Haa…”
Pike vanished in an instant, without giving him time to stop her. Sei-an shook his head once more, seriously wondering if women really did have more stamina.
“…”
Left alone, Sei-an watched the bustling crowd, feeling a moment of leisure.
“Huh?”
But then, he spotted some very familiar figures.
“…”
One person was enjoying the festival, receiving the attention of countless women, and even showing the余裕 of waving his hand towards them.
“Brother Cliff?”
And unlike Cliff, another person was walking a little distance away, feigning not to be with him, yet still receiving even more flirtatious glances from women due to his impassive expression.
“Brother Lucian?”
It was Lucian and Cliff. They, too, seemed to be out to enjoy the festival, dressed casually, and were approaching the area where Sei-an was.
“…”
At the sight of the two, Sei-an sprang up from his seat, intending to run far away. The thought of having to endure bothersome gazes alongside them was dreadful.
Of course, Sei-an himself was completely unaware that he had attracted just as many stares as the two of them on his way there.
“Huh? Isn’t that Sei-an?”
“Sei-an?”
“...!”
But just as Sei-an was about to turn around and flee, he froze in his tracks at the sound of Cliff and Lucian, who had spotted him first.
“Haha! What a coincidence, meeting you here. But…”
“…”
“You weren’t thinking of running away from us, were you?”
“…Am I not allowed to run away?”
“What?! This kid!”
