The First Person Who Has Ever Truly Looked At Me

“Where have you come from?”

A girl with her arms crossed asked Jonah.

But right now, Jonah was far too stunned to answer; he was completely captivated by the girl.

Her slightly upturned, wide eyes shone with ruby-red pupils.

A perfectly shaped nose and small cherry-pink lips.

From her height and build she seemed about the same age as Jonah, but what stole his gaze even more than her refined and adorable face was her hairstyle—glossy golden hair styled into twin vertical ringlets.

Of course, Jonah—who had never once in his life seen such a hairstyle—was utterly fascinated.

“Are you listening? I, the one standing before you, am asking you a question.”

“Eh!? …Ah, s-sorry! I arrived in this town today from the imperial capital.”

Seeing the girl’s slightly displeased expression, Jonah hurriedly apologized in polite speech.

From her attire and the attendant standing by her side, she clearly came from very high status.

“Oh, is that so? Then what brings you all the way from the imperial capital to a place like this?”

“Um… I came to visit relatives…”

Jonah gave her the cover story he had prepared in advance.

Even as he spoke, his eyes remained fixed on those vertical ringlets.

“…You don’t mean to tell me you came all this way alone?”

“…? Yes…?”

“Goodness! Did you hear that, Hans!? This tiny child apparently came here all alone from the imperial capital!”

“I heard, Young Lady.”

The elderly attendant standing nearby—Hans—nodded at the girl’s astonished exclamation.

More than that, being called a “tiny child” by a girl the same height and age as him made Jonah pout a little.

“Then you must be lost, yes? I shall personally escort you to your relatives’ house!”

“Eeh!?”

To Jonah, the girl’s sudden offer was more troublesome than helpful.

After all, there were no relatives in this town.

“Come along now!”

“Wai-!?”

The girl grabbed his hand and dragged him forward, leaving Jonah bewildered.

‘I have to find an excuse and get away quickly.’

Jonah steeled himself and was about to speak to the girl marching ahead—

“By the way, what is your name?”

“Eh—m-me? Um… I’m Jonah.”

Caught off guard when she suddenly turned and asked, Jonah reflexively gave his name before he could think of refusing.

“I see. I am Marguerite—Marguerite Hagenberg.”

Introducing herself in return, the girl—Marguerite—smiled brightly.

“Um…”

“…? Hurry and come on in.”

In the end, Jonah pretended not to know the location of his “relatives’ house” and barely escaped the predicament—only to somehow end up being brought to Marguerite’s mansion instead.

“B-but is this really all right…?”

“Of course it is. Since the Young Lady herself has said so, please make yourself at home, Master Jonah.”

“Ah… ahaha…”

Jonah gave an awkward, dry laugh at Hans’s words.

Being welcomed like this was surprising enough, but since he had never once been able to relax in his actual home, Jonah was completely at a loss.

“M-more importantly, I was shocked to learn that Lady Marguerite is the Lord’s daughter…”

“Oh, were you? Well, there is no lady in this town greater than I. You only just arrived, and you’re still a child, Jonah, so of course you wouldn’t know.”

Pleased with the praise, Marguerite smiled happily, but being treated like a child again made Jonah pout slightly.

In fact, she had been like this the entire time since they met, so he was constantly on guard waiting for a chance to protest, but Marguerite’s overwhelming assertiveness left him no opening, and he could only stew in frustration.

By the way, having been a duke’s son until just ten days ago, Jonah was well aware of the noble families within the Empire.

The moment he heard the name “Hagenberg,” he instantly understood Marguerite’s background.

“Now, first you must take a bath. You probably haven’t noticed, but you’re quite dirty from the long journey.”

“Ah…”

When Marguerite pointed it out and he looked at himself, his clothes were indeed far dirtier than when he had set out.

“Master Jonah, this way please.”

“Jonah, see you later!”

Led by Hans and watched by the servants, Jonah was taken to the bath.

However—

“I-I think floating flower petals might be a bit much…”

Even in the Langheim house—his real home—he had never bathed in water with flower petals floating in it.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Jonah nonetheless washed away the grime of his long journey.

“Master Jonah, please use these clothes.”

“Eh- whaaa…?”

Seeing the prepared clothes, Jonah let out yet another bewildered cry.

If he remembered correctly, the Hagenberg family had no sons. Then where had these boy’s clothes come from?

And when he put them on, they fit perfectly—as though they had been tailor-made for him.

Of course, behind the scenes Hans and the servants had worked frantically the moment Jonah arrived, but the fact that they revealed nothing of that effort proved just how exceptionally competent the staff here were.

‘Mr. Hans said “make yourself at home,” but this treatment is way better than my actual home…’

The stark difference in treatment from the Langheim house left Jonah bewildered even as he changed clothes. In fact, ever since arriving at the Hagenberk mansion, he had been nothing but bewildered.

“Huhu, you’re finally clean.”

Marguerite, arms crossed as she waited for him, leaned in close.

Their noses were close enough to touch, and being stared at by the beautifully adorable Marguerite made Jonah’s face burn—bath or no bath.

“My… Jonah, your eyes are truly beautiful.”

“Eh…?”

“Huhu, like a jet-black night sky.”

At Marguerite’s smiling words, overwhelming joy surged from deep within Jonah’s chest; it hurt so much that he clutched at his collar.

For eleven years, Jonah had always been alone.

Unable to do what ordinary people could, he had been scorned behind his back as defective and had never once been truly seen by anyone—not even his family. Yet today, the very first girl he met had looked straight at him.

To Marguerite, it was probably just a casual remark.

But to him, it was the sweetest, most supreme whisper he had ever experienced since gaining awareness.

Jonah’s heart filled with happiness and trembled with joy.

“E… ehehe… I’m so happy…!”

“…!? J-Jonah!?”

From the onyx eyes she had just praised, large teardrops began rolling down Jonah’s cheeks.