We three ca hanging out at the training ground we always train at. However, at the mont, I was sitting down on the grass as a crimson barrier kept appearing in front of . A twist though was that normally, you would have to hold out your palm. But, fuck the norm.
The crimson barrier floated unperturbed in front of and I slowly widened it. This was an issue for , the wider it was, the weaker it would be. All due to my damaged mystic dium, but I’m exercising it.
“Impressive your highness, you don’t even channel it through your hand.”
“It’s not that hard.”
“Not that hard…?” ra murmured beside as she lowered her head.
It would seem she has not yet vastly improved in her mana manipulation.
“Well, try to not channel mana only to your hand but throughout your body also, then bring it out and shape it the way you want.”
“Hmm.”
ra appeared to be trying it, but her face contorted a bit showing that she was not having it easy.
“Such a thod required precision, ra,” Vernon said. “So it will take a while. Though I’m surprised that you were able to do it when you just started a while ago.”
Well, I’m used to this kind of thing, the training and learning. It’s like an everyday life in the facility.
“Well, I wouldn’t say I had it easy, it required plenty of effort.”
“Good thing with your effort and mana, you were able to stand and defend yourself against Oryn.”
“... He was terrifying… Which reminds , Vernon, teach your technique, please?”
Vernon sighed.
“You have asked that before, but, seeing what Oryn could do, I imagine his allies could do the sa. Thus, I will be teaching you, but I imagine your Father wouldn’t be exactly pleased if I teach you this style of combat.”
“Then we just don't tell him.”
“Princess, please bear in mind that I am not your servant originally. What you have been ordering to do has been hard on .”
“I’m, I’m sorry…”
“But, your father has assigned to you for now, so there is not much trouble with it.”
“I’m glad to have you, Vernon.”
Should I try stealing Vernon from my father? I an, he’s incredibly useful!
Oh well…
A short ti later as I was training, soone arrived and it was my brother. I looked at him with surprise since this was the first ti he visited . With a bright smile, I greeted him.
“Brother.”
“Estel, I see you’re doing great.”
“Yup, I am making decent progress! By the way brother, this is the first ti you visited .”
“Why? Don’t you like it?”
“What? No, of course I like you visiting often. I was just surprised.”
“To be honest, I don’t want to disturb you even though I want to visit you all the ti,” he grinned. “But I just have sothing to convey to you from Father.”
“... What could that be?”
Sohow, I had an ominous feeling.
“You really did sothing dangerous, dear sister. But I’m glad you’re alright.”
He raised his hand and suddenly pinched my cheek.
“B-Brother!”
“Hahaha! Just, don’t ever do sothing like that again, especially if your safety is concerned. Good thing I’m more lenient than father, but, because of what you did, he has a punishnt for you.”
Woah, wait, punishnt? Why?
“W-What do you an?”
“Next week, your normal lessons will be resud. Then at that ti, you will be prohibited from leaving the palace halls.”
Hold on, ? Being punished, wait, am I grounded?! What the hell!
“B-Brother, you can’t do that…”
“Sister, sorry, it’s not up to . Ah, more than that, we also won’t answer your wishes. All of this will happen for twenty days.”
T-Twenty days! Are you serious?!
“Brother!” I looked at him with wide eyes, trying to gain his pity.
“It’s not up to dear sister.”
“But but but, there’s nothing dangerous that I did.”
I heard soone loudly clearing his throat from behind — but no ti to pay attention to it.
Seriously, am I grounded mostly because I didn’t tell them exactly what I did? No way I’ll tell them! It’s too embarrassing!
…
… Hm, wait, now that I thought about it, I’m embarrassed?
…
“Even so, dear sister, it calls for a rebuke…” he stared at curiously upon seeing spacing out. “Estel…?”
I didn’t respond, I was thinking.
Why am I embarrassed….. No… it’s...
I care about what and how they see ?
This… this is strange, this goes to a personal level. This is ridiculous, I care about how they see and thus I was embarrassed? This… this never happened before. Sohow, imagining my mother, father, and brother look at weirdly, it triggers my embarrassnt.
This… this almost felt like a… this is weird.
I shook it off, it’s too confusing to think about. Guess I’ll just be true to my feelings for now, too tireso to keep thinking.
“I understand, brother.”
“...Hm? You do? That’s a leap.”
“... If that’s what Father decided, there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“Yeah, true. Alright then, I’ll just cheer you on.”
I puffed my cheeks and averted my face.
“You didn’t even try defending .”
“He-he-he, you were in the wrong, sister. There’s nothing I can do.”
But there’s nothing wrong about it. It was a way to catch the enemy.
Ugh, whatever.
“Fine… I’ll endure…”
“Good, good. Alright then, I won’t disturb you any further, so see you later. I’m going to go check up on the knights.”
“Okay…”
“Don’t look all sad now.”
“Yes…”
Who wouldn’t be sad about this!? Ugh, being grounded sucks already.
Then ti went by and spent by improving the current spells I could cast, and then noon ca. I agreed that I would visit Allie for lunch, so I’m going. My family might wonder why I went there instead and thus wouldn’t be able to join them at today’s lunch, but let’s leave it at that.
Hm, should I act like I was sulking a little and so I avoided them for today? Father was just angry with earlier and they even grounded , so... it would be a good thing to do to play around for a while.
That way they will give more attention to —
Wait, why am I seeking attention?
No, that’s weird. Forget that. I’ll leave them alone for a while, let them think whatever they think is going on with .
Besides, I have a priority for the day. I had to tend to my chef who was still feeling sorrowful, one ought to take care of their subordinates after all.
Don’t say that you doubt my intentions. What? Perhaps you’re thinking that I’m doing this so she’ll get devoted to and alone or sothing weird like that.
You’re wrong, I’m just doing this casually, you know.
Not all of my movents were calculated okay? Sotis you just gotta swing it — okay no, that’s...
Regardless! This is just a pretty casual thing, like going on a leisurely walk, watching insects pass you by and perhaps play around with so. Then perhaps take one in your ho, but punish it when it bites.
Yeah, sothing like that.
I just want to eat so food, okay? And today was definitely a good ti to spend with Allie. Would be great to learn more about her relationship with Oryn, perhaps he ntioned sothing to her. But regarding would be pretty unlikely.
So in the end this was just information gathering? Um, nope. Of course not. I told you, a pretty casual walk.
When we were closing in at the kitchen, I nonchalantly spoke with my two servants.
“Don’t co inside with .”
“Why?” Vernon asked.
“You do know how Allie is right now. She probably doesn’t want a lot of people around her yet. Sotis, you just need a single friend in tis of grief, don’t you think?”
“I suppose…”
“That being said, Vernon, just in case, watch out for my voice, you’re supposed to guard after all.”
A bemused expression ca to his face. It was then that we arrived at the kitchen. She should have finished cooking now, so the food must already be ready.
I entered and closed the door, leaving my two servants outside.
Allie was there sitting on a chair, her elbows on the table, hands raised and clasping together, quite tightly. When she saw , she imdiately stood up and bowed.
“You ca, your highness,” she said with a relieved smile.
“Of course I wouldn’t miss it.”
“I am grateful, please have a seat. I already had it prepared.”
There was a plate on top of the table covered by a steel bowl. She picked up the cover and smoke ca rising out into the air. The dish was so pleasant to look at, vegetables and plenty of at. Quite colorful.
“Hm! It looks delicious!”
I sat down with visible excitent. Damn, it really looks good.
She put aside the steel cover and stood there facing , holding both her hands in front of her.
“Please, tell what you think, your highness.”
“Of course.”
I picked up the spoon, then glanced at her. I saw her for a mont, intently looking at the spoon in my hand. I spooned so from the plate, but halted and lowered my hand.
“Allie…”
“Y-Yes?”
“I am concerned about you… How are you faring? Perhaps you need to rest for a while.”
She stared blankly at , and she seed to be sweating a little, but not that much. She lowered her gaze.
“I am fine, your highness. I can keep doing my work without much trouble.”
“You must have loved Oryn very much.”
“Huh?”
“I an, I can see it. I cannot imagine the pain you must have felt. Seeing him dead, and also discovering that he was a traitor. No, rather, an infiltrator.”
The grasps on her own hands tightened.
“Y-Yes, I couldn’t believe it at first. But, reality wouldn’t change. No matter what I do, he won't co back, and the situation won't change.”
“So you have co to accept everything then?”
“I suppose, yes.”
“I see. Then ti can only tell how far you will reach into the future.”
“Huh?”
I ignored her and raised the scoop.
“I will cherish this,” I said.
I slowly raised the spoon towards my mouth, I glanced at her for a fraction of a mont, and saw her again staring intently at the spoon heading for my mouth.
I see.
I have yet to fully trust her to begin with. There was a chance that she was clean, but not a hundred percent. And, I was right not to trust.
Besides, she was too obvious. Not too experienced to do this I see. No, she never had experience to begin with, perhaps the job was suddenly pushed into her hands. But because of that, I have realized now, I was certain.
What a waste.
A waste indeed.
“What a waste of talent.”
“Princess…?”
I lowered down the spoon back to the plate. I raised my eyes to look at Allie’s confused expression.
“Allie, I am hurt that you are trying to poison .”
Her eyes went wide then she turned pale. This reaction pretty much made it certain. She was trying to kill .
Unfortunately, she was too much of a newbie that a pro could easily see through this. She should have been more casual. Well, her invitation was already too shady in the first place.
Oh, I’m not hurt by the way. I didn’t have any strong emotions towards her anyway that I would feel betrayed. It was just a waste of talent.
“Princess. What are you…?”
“Don’t think you can trick , Miss Allie. I know you poisoned this food to kill . Well, if you insist on acting clueless, what about you try eating so of your own food?”
I pushed the plate towards her with a smile, quite an innocent smile.
She pursed her lips and her cheeks trembled.
“You hesitate. No point in pretending anymore. You have failed in your attempt to assassinate . Everything is in vain.”
Her eyes instantly shot up and aid towards with a strong glare like shooting daggers. At that mont, pushed to a corner and exposed, she imdiately grabbed a nearby knife, going in for the kill in this last struggle. Everything had failed anyway, might as well strike while the target was in front of her.
Funny, she didn’t even question why my two servants were not here. That just goes to show she wished for this situation since that might ease her mind.
With a knife in her hand, she rushed towards .
This situation was one of the scenarios I had imagined when I tested ra. And it was happening with Allie.
Foolish girl. A worthless struggle by an insect.
She cannot kill , ever.
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