Chapter 30

“The sword, the sword is broken…”

“Scala.”

“…Ah! Yes!”

The acolyte stood up straight, albeit late. The Saint approached the acolyte and asked, “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I am fine.”

Unlike their reply, the acolyte’s face did not look “fine” at all. The Saint told them they needed to talk for a moment, then led the acolyte away to a spot some distance away.

I still didn’t feel particularly good, but at least venting some of that heat had cleared my head quite a bit. I left my colleagues, who were groaning and rolling on the ground, and sat on a nearby rock. As I calmed down, I suddenly found myself missing Iel terribly.

“Hah… I want to go home.”

“I’m the one who wants to go home. You damn brat.”

“A real brat.”

“A textbook brat.”

“A brat with a foul temper.”

“Shut up.”

Would she be home by now? I hoped so. I didn’t want to feel the silence of an empty house when I opened the door anymore.

“Meriel.”

When I looked up, my stepbrother, Leonis, was standing in the doorway of the library. He had grown into a young man, barely recognizable as the child I once knew.

“Yes, is something the matter?”

With an indifferent face, he lifted the corners of his mouth briefly before letting them drop and stepping inside.

“What book are you reading so intently at this late hour?”

“A prayer book.”

I held the book up so Leonis could see the cover. He sat in the chair opposite me and said, “I thought you had already read every prayer book in this mansion.”

“I’m just reviewing.”

“Reviewing?”

He seemed puzzled as to why a review would be necessary, especially now that I had failed to become a Saint. I avoided answering with a faint laugh and lightly swept my hand over the open pages. Then, I lifted my head and asked Leonis, “But why are you not asleep yet, young master?”

“I couldn’t sleep. I thought I might read something light, and when I arrived, I found that you, Sister, were already here.”

Calling a bastard sister? It was a truly awkward joke, so I replaced my discomfort with a stiff smile. Leonis leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and watched me quietly.

“Did you not come here to read?”

“That is true, but it has been quite a while since I have seen you. One can read the books in the library at any time, but that is not the case with you.”

“Hm…”

I scratched my cheek lightly. How was I supposed to respond to this?

I didn’t have a particularly warm relationship with Leonis. Ever since I was registered into the Melas family, I had never had any interest in the existence of a stepbrother, and that remained true even now. To me, Leonis was simply the son of my father and Anne.

I assumed Leonis’s impressions of me were similar, so I was left wondering why he was suddenly acting so out of character.

After pondering for a moment, I asked cautiously, “Is there anything I can help you with?”

Leonis laughed lightly. “If I told you, would you help me?”

“If it is something I can do.”

“Truly?”

“Of course.”

I widened my eyes and forced my lips upward, trying to give him a dependable expression. Leonis watched me for a moment before suddenly chuckling. His smile was tinged with a slight bitterness.

“I should have told you sooner. I’ve been struggling with it alone all this time, not knowing that.”

“I will help you starting now. What is it?”

“It is too late today. Are you free tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

I was planning to stay here for a while anyway. I had told Felix that I had something to find, but I didn’t have a truly specific objective. My mood was just so bizarre that I felt like I might lash out at Felix for no reason, so I was just hiding away for a bit.

Therefore, it wouldn’t hurt to spare a day for my stepbrother.

The next day, I attended a hunting gathering with Leonis. It had been a while since I had worn noble attire, so I felt a bit stifled, but I diligently smiled and greeted everyone who approached us.

“Leo!”

A man approached, calling Leonis warmly. With a bright, beaming face, he looked back and forth between Leonis and me and asked, “Hmm—and who is this lady?”

It struck me as funny that I was being treated as a “lady” for the first time in ages.

“This is my sister, Meriel Lallanne. You can address her as Countess Lallanne.”

Leonis introduced the man to me soon after. “This is my close friend, Kairen Belosch.”

Kairen placed one hand over his chest, put the other behind his waist, and bowed. “Nice to meet you, Countess Lallanne. I am Kairen Belosch.”

I gathered my skirt and gave a light curtsy in greeting. “Nice to meet you, Young Master Belosch.”

“Leonis and I have been close since we were children. I hope you will feel free to call me Kairen, like a younger brother, Countess.”

Of course, I had never once called Leonis comfortably like a brother, but I smiled on the outside and replied, “Yes, I will do that. Thank you, Kairen.”

“Think nothing of it.”

Kairen turned his eyes to Leonis and began discussing the prizes for the hunt. I looked around for a moment. All the faces gathered here and there in small groups were so young. Even the oldest ones looked no more than eighteen.

No matter how I looked at it, this gathering seemed like a social venue for unmarried young men and women—was it truly alright for me to be here?

I seriously pondered whether Leonis was trying to play a prank on me. Was he perhaps giving me a hard time, thinking, “I thought I wouldn’t have to see that eyesore of a bastard anymore, but why did you have to crawl back in and bother me again?”

I didn’t know a single thing about Leonis, but for some reason, I felt that could be a possibility. Since Anne, Leonis’s mother, had always kept me by her side, it would be understandable if he felt like his love had been stolen.

“Meriel?”

“Hm? Yes.”

I had been lost in thought with my eyes downcast, but I immediately forced my lips upward at Leonis’s sudden call. When I looked up, he was standing there with drinks in both hands, looking at me with concern.

“Are you alright?”

“Of course. I am perfectly fine.”

“You were standing there so quietly without a word, I thought the sunlight might be making you dizzy.”

I took a drink from him and smiled faintly. “I am not that frail. Please, do not worry.”

“Coming from someone who once had a heart attack from surprise, that statement lacks credibility.”

That had been purely because of the Master, but since I couldn’t explain that to Leonis, I just replaced my complicated feelings with a bitter smile. I took a sip of cool lemonade and asked Leonis, “When does the hunt begin?”

“It should start before long. I plan to go to the starting point after finishing this.”

I nodded and sipped my drink while standing with him. The sunlight was nice today. I was momentarily captivated by the refreshing light shining through the leaves. Suddenly, Leonis called out to me.

“Meriel.”

“Hm? Yes.”

“They say the prize for winning this gathering is a weapon.”

“Oh…”

“I hear there are wands and scepters among them.”

“Ho… oh?”

“They say one can only choose one. Which one is more comfortable for you to use?”

“Pardon? You intend to give it to me?”

“Usually, the prize for the winner is for their female partner.”

…? A weapon? Unless she was a rather heroic woman, I didn’t think she’d be too happy with that. I was deeply worried about the romantic future unfolding for Leonis. I had a feeling he’d take his date on the same route he took with his male friends and end up getting dumped.

Whether I was worrying internally or not, Leonis blinked his eyes slowly, waiting for my answer. Even that gaze, which had seemed just mature until now, began to look very innocent.

“…”

That’s pathetic.

Having ended up imagining a large white dog behind Leonis’s face, I wiped the corners of my eyes with my handkerchief.

“Did something get into your eyes?”

“Yes, just for a moment. It is fine now.”

I tried to soothe my inexplicable, fuzzy feelings and looked up at Leonis. Come to think of it, he had grown so tall already. When I first saw him, he was just a little young master who barely came up to my waist.

Feeling much more at ease, I asked Leonis, “Is there a sword as well?”

“Of course, there is a sword… Do you desire a sword?”

“Yes. If you win today, young master, please gift the sword to me.”

Leonis looked puzzled, but he nodded obediently.