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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: An Indirect Invitation
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The magician offered a stylish bow.
“Thank you for accepting, my lady. My name is Kirie, and I am currently employed at the Imperial Palace.”
“I am Charlotte Lindsi.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
After exchanging a perfectly normal and sociable first greeting, Charlotte and Kirie parted ways.
Only then did people notice the change in Charlotte.
Come to think of it, Jayden's surprisingly different attitude toward his sister had overshadowed it, but Charlotte had also been acting strangely from the moment the Lindsi siblings first appeared.
Hadn't Charlotte also hated her stepbrother, with whom she shared not a drop of blood?
Yet that same Charlotte had calmly accepted Jayden's escort and even apologized for being clumsy.
Charlotte Lindsi had definitely changed.
Quite a few people wondered what scheme the villainess was plotting this time.
And in the mind of Charlotte, who was the center of all their attention, only one thought prevailed.
‘Wow, he's so handsome! Silver hair is the golden rule for magician characters, of course!’
Thoughts only of the second male lead.
* * *
The Mosella family's garden tea party was a standing affair.
Attendees could move freely around the tables laden with various refreshments, chatting with one another, and when they grew tired, they could rest on the chairs placed at the edge of the back garden.
I had claimed a chair early on and had no intention of getting up.
‘Ah, the breeze is nice. This is great.’
My goal was Kirie from the start; I had no intention of socializing here. Most of all, it was just too bothersome.
Jayden, sitting beside me, asked.
“Sister, why have you been sitting here this whole time?”
“Hm? Just because.”
“Aren't you going to talk with your friends?”
“I don’t have any friends?”
“…I must have misunderstood. You were so specific about attending this tea party, I assumed your friends would be here as well.”
“It's fine. Don't worry about me. You should go and enjoy the party.”
“I’m fine.”
“Why not? We came all this way.”
“There doesn't seem to be anyone here worth building a connection with.”
“Jayden… It’s a good thing no one’s around. What would you do if someone overheard?”
“Let them hear. I don't care.”
I could see why. This type of person is often admired but finds it hard to make many friends.
With his razor-sharp personality, Jayden was as strict with others as he was with himself.
Look over there. A few young noble ladies were blushing and sneaking glances this way, but they couldn't bring themselves to approach, could they?
Unfortunately for them, I wasn't meddlesome enough to urge Jayden again to leave my side.
‘Because it's better for me if Jayden stays here.’
I couldn't guarantee there wouldn't be a group looking to pick a fight with me, like the young ladies who threw champagne on me at the Emperor's birthday banquet.
But with Jayden by my side, I had nothing to worry about.
He may hate me, but surely he wouldn't just stand by and watch a family member be tormented, right?
‘Besides, his attitude has been softer lately.’
As I was thinking this and looking at Jayden's profile, something caught my eye.
“Huh?”
“…What is it?”
Jayden flinched and pulled his head back as I suddenly leaned in close.
“Have you been very tired lately?”
“Pardon?”
“No, it’s just… up close, I can see dark circles under your eyes.”
Until now, I hadn't looked at his face too closely, not wanting to create unnecessary friction with the Jayden who hated me.
“No. I’m fine.”
Jayden shook his head awkwardly.
“Really? Then I must have been mistaken.”
At that moment, I failed to notice that there was something strange about Jayden's behavior.
As if hastily changing the subject, he looked at the crowd gathered ahead and said.
“I’d rather not speak ill of others, but that man is the most disagreeable person among everyone gathered here.”
He was referring to Kirie, who was surrounded by women.
Just as he had done for me earlier, he used magic to conjure a different flower for each of the women and handed them out.
Nearby, the men whose partners had been stolen away were glaring in that direction with displeased eyes.
“Why? He's cool, isn't he?”
“It’s frivolous.”
Even though his own partner hadn't been stolen, Jayden frowned.
Then again, anyone could see that it was the classic image of a playboy hitting on one woman after another, and it was more than enough for someone with Jayden's personality to despise.
“You should be careful too, Sister, as you well know. The way that man looked at you earlier was unusual.”
“No way.”
Of course it was unusual. If my prediction was correct, Kirie, just like Raynerd and Yugen…
Just then, a silence fell over the boisterous group of Kirie and the women.
A young lady, while asking Kirie for a flower, had touched his forearm.
At that, Kirie blatantly slapped her hand away with a sharp smack.
“Oh, I'm sorry…”
To the young lady who didn't know what to do, Kirie quickly relaxed his stiff expression, regained his smile, and offered her a white rose.
“I am the one who should be sorry. I'm not used to physical contact with others.”
“Oh, it's alright!”
As the young lady smiled and accepted the rose, the atmosphere became cheerful again.
‘Right. It was also mentioned in .’
Kirie was often among women, but if you looked closely, he always maintained a certain distance.
That was the decisive reason he could never be a true playboy.
Sipping the fruit juice Jayden had brought me, I kept Kirie in my sights.
Then, our eyes met. Conveniently, the number of young ladies around Kirie had dwindled.
“Where are you going?”
Jayden asked, watching me as I subtly rose from my seat.
“I'm just going to take a short walk.”
“I will accompany you.”
“No, I have something to think about. I'd like to be alone.”
“…Yes, I understand.”
My solemn tone must have convinced him, as Jayden said no more and let me go alone.
It was better in many ways to be with Jayden, but from this point on, I had to be alone.
I wandered through the Mosella estate, looking for a secluded spot.
“Aren't you a little too far off on your own?”
Just as I reached a place with no people, only garden trees, a sweet voice came from behind me.
“We meet again, Sir Kirie.”
As I answered without the slightest bit of surprise, Kirie raised an eyebrow with interest.
“Did you perhaps intentionally lead me to where you are, my lady?”
“That's right.”
“The reason?”
“Because I'm lonely.”
“Lonely?”
“If you've heard anything about my reputation, you would know. About my standing in high society.”
“…It wasn't exactly positive.”
“Indeed. Even after coming here, no one has approached me to talk, aside from my brother and the host, Young Lady Mosella.”
I gave a small smile.
“Oh, and you, Sir Kirie.”
“As for me, that was…”
Kirie looked like he had something to say, but my priority was to get my message across first.
“I'm very lonely.”
“Ah, yes.”
“I spend most of my time alone in my room, from morning until night.”
Lonely, my foot. What I really wanted to convey to him was this.
I am alone in my room at night.
I couldn't just blurt out, ‘I know about your curse, so come to my bed tonight.’
So, the method I came up with was this indirect approach.
For a moment, a strange light flickered in Kirie's violet eyes. He seemed to have fully understood my meaning.
“Sister, what are you doing here?”
Just then, Jayden appeared without warning, and I nearly jumped out of my skin.
Jayden eyed Kirie and me with suspicion, then stepped between us.
“Do you have business with my sister?”
Perhaps sensing Jayden's far-from-friendly intentions, Kirie's brow furrowed as well.
“And what if I do?”
Fearing a fight might break out, I quickly grabbed Jayden's arm.
“Sister?”
“I suddenly want to go home.”
“But the tea party is still in full swing.”
“I'm tired of it! Let's go, now!”
And so, I returned home without having spent even two full hours at the Mosella estate.
That night, someone knocked politely on the French doors of my balcony. It was Kirie.
To think he came on the very same day he heard my words. Considering Kirie's personality, it couldn't have been an easy decision.
Kirie said with his head bowed low.
“I am truly sorry for visiting you like this at such a late hour.”
Right, this is a normal reaction! The shameless Raynerd and the nonchalant Yugen were the strange ones.
“It's alright. I was a little surprised, but since it's you, Sir Kirie, I'm sure you have a good reason.”
I acted as if I knew nothing, waiting for him to get to the point.
“The thing is…”
Kirie hesitated for a long time.
Right, this is normal. The ones who calmly demand to sleep in someone else's bed are the abnormal ones.
“I was about to have this myself, but would you like some?”
I first had Kirie sit on the sofa and offered him a cup of warm tea so he could calmly share what was on his mind.
“Actually, it's that…”
Kirie slowly sipped his tea, about to begin.
But, but!
‘Why isn't he saying anything?!’
Kirie remained silent until his teacup was empty.
The truth was, I’d been about to die of sleepiness for a while now.
Because I was going out for the first time in a while, the maids had woken me at the crack of dawn to bathe and massage me, fussing over me in a very annoying manner.
“…It's alright, you can tell me anything.”
“I'm sorry. It is a request too embarrassing to speak of.”
“I said it's alright!”
In the end, I couldn't hold back and slammed my hand on the table.
“Just say it!”
As if spurred by my action, the words finally came pouring out of Kirie's mouth.
“I find life here so difficult. I can't take it anymore.”
he pleaded mournfully.
“I was only trying to be kind, so why won't the women leave me alone? On top of that, I'm stuck with this bizarre curse.”
His shoulders trembled as if overcome with emotion.
“How am I supposed to share a bed! I'm even scared of touching a woman!”
That's right. He had spent his whole life since childhood only around men, making him nothing more than a pitiful magician who found the very existence of women difficult.
