“Lize? Are you okay?”

The hero that would someday kill me.

Yurik must have noticed my expression wasn’t good, as he asked with concern. He put down the fairy tale book he was holding and walked up to me.

A chilly wind blew. As if he wasn’t cold, Yurik, who was only wearing a shirt, looked at his own clothes. He seemed dissatisfied with his attire, unable to take off his outer garment to give to me.

“Oh no, I forgot to bring an outer garment. It’s cold, let’s go inside quickly, Lize.”

“…Didn’t you say you were going to visit grandfather?”

As I muttered softly, Yurik raised his head. He tilted his head as if asking what I meant.

“You said you were going to grandfather’s mansion. Since it’s a holiday today…”

“Ah, I think there was some friction at the company. I’ll go right after resolving that issue.”

“Then you can read the book at the mansion.”

I probed despite thinking I should just let it pass. Glancing at Yurik, I wondered if he was in a bad mood. Fortunately, he didn’t seem angry, but he hesitated to speak.

Seeing Yurik hesitate to speak, which was unlike him, I thought there must be a reason.

“If it’s hard to say, you don’t have to.”

“No, it’s just… Earlier, I went to the marketplace with mother. Then I coincidentally saw the Marsen mansion and noticed the lights were on, so I thought maybe you didn’t go to your relatives’ place.”

What did that have to do with him reading a book here? Yurik’s face gradually reddened. Still not grasping the meaning, I stared at Yurik.

“So I thought if I read a book here, I might run into you. We often met here, didn’t we?”

“Ah…”

So he wanted to see me.

“But what about you? Why didn’t you go to your relatives’ place?”

Embarrassed, Yurik quickly changed the subject. There was no malice in his question, but I flinched. Feeling like he hit the nail on the head, I smiled awkwardly, and Yurik, sensing my mood, became flustered.

“If you don’t want to say, you don’t have to.”

“What, that’s exactly what I just said.”

“Well, we feel the same way, so it can’t be helped.”

As I laughed softly, Yurik lowered his voice as if slightly offended. His cute appearance made me want to tease him more, but I restrained myself.

Come to think of it, did Yurik know I was an illegitimate child? With my hair color and even eye color being different from my siblings, he must have found it suspicious.

Even so, it’s a different story for me to bring up the fact that I’m illegitimate with my own mouth. This was my last shred of self-esteem. If I denied the Marsen family myself, who would consider me family?

“Everyone went to grandfather’s place except me.”

Yurik understood the meaning and didn’t ask further.

Although I spoke curtly, I was actually worried that Yurik might pity me. He was an aristocrat and the heir. Yurik would know well how much of an obstacle the position of an illegitimate child was for an aristocrat’s offspring.

Being illegitimate had many downsides. It was obvious you couldn’t become the heir, and you weren’t recognized as family.

In other households, illegitimate children weren’t even considered aristocrats, putting them at a disadvantage in society. It would have been slightly better if I was a boy, but being born female, I was almost nonexistent.

That was my position. An existence that was there but not quite there.

“Lize, no matter what kind of person you are, I…”

“Aren’t you cold? Let’s go inside the mansion now.”

Yurik stared at me intently.

Trying to avoid his gaze, I turned to walk away, but Yurik suddenly grabbed my wrist. Naturally, I turned to face him. He paused for a moment, then held out the fairy tale book on the ground.

“…Do you want to read this together?”

“I don’t want to.”

“Huh?”

As if he never dreamed of being rejected, Yurik looked dazed. His expression was so ridiculous that I burst out laughing without realizing it.

“Pfft! Your expression is really funny right now.”

“This, this book is fun. I read it three times a day without fail!”

“Really?”

“Ah, no. Not quite three times… maybe twice?”

Today, Yurik seemed more childish than me. Finding his appearance cute, I grinned from ear to ear, and Yurik rested his chin on his hand, glaring at me.

“Stop laughing, Lize.”

“I can’t help it if laughter keeps coming out.”

“Damn it, when I become an adult, I’ll throw away books like this in no time.”

“Damn it, you say? You use such words too?”

“Because I’m angry.”

I should stop now. If I tease him more, Yurik might avoid looking at my face.

“I’m sorry, Yurik. So please don’t hate me.”

“…”

“Hmm? Hmm?”

“…How could I ever hate you.”

As I whined, putting my face in front of Yurik, his expression quickly softened. That wasn’t enough. I wanted to hear a confident answer, so I didn’t take my eyes off Yurik’s face.

“Really? You don’t hate me?”

“But Lize, aren’t you too close?”

“Answer me first.”

As the distance between Yurik and I narrowed, his face, which had been downcast, reddened again.

“I like you, Lize.”

It felt like my heart had sunk with a thud.

There was a momentary silence. Yurik, whom I thought would be endlessly shy, firmly locked his gaze with mine. Although his face was still red, his actions were bold.

“Lize.”

“So Yurik likes me…”

The thought in my mind unintentionally came out of my mouth.

“…”

“Really?”

“Don’t laugh, Lize.”

“Ah, did I laugh?”

“Lize.”

Yurik let out a small sigh.

I was surprised, but the little boy confessing to me was so cute that a smile must have appeared on my face. But what can I do? Yurik was still young, not even having gone through his second growth spurt, and his voice sounded angelic.

Although he was tall, his face was still as cute as a child’s, and so were his actions. He must have felt my smile was a sneer, as his expression wasn’t good.

“It’s because you’re cute! Being cute is… good, isn’t it?”

I made a belated excuse, but Yurik’s expression remained the same.

“I’m not cute. The cute one is you, Lize.”

“Then let’s say we’re both cute. How about that?”

“I’m not cute.”

“Okay. Then I’m the only cute one! And Yurik, thank you so much. I’m really happy that you said you like me. And… it’s selfish of me, but I hope you won’t hate me in the future.”

“Lize, that’s not selfish.”

“Human relationships are unpredictable. They can be twisted with a single sheet of paper, and when we become adults and enter society, we’ll naturally drift apart.”

It was better to be forgotten. Isn’t a relationship where both parties only have good memories and reminisce about it later quite successful?

I was thinking to myself when Yurik’s hand, still holding my wrist, tightened its grip.

“Yurik. Ah, it hurts.”

“I… won’t forget you.”

This time, it wasn’t cute.

Yurik pulled my wrist to his lips and kissed the back of my hand. As his lips touched, a tremor ran from my fingertips. I stiffened, looking at his face with lowered eyelids.

“I will never drift apart from you.”

“…”

“Never.”

I can’t even laugh.

“Ah.”

I was happy. Even though I was happy… my heart ached.

“You have to keep that promise…”

“Hmm?”

As I muttered so softly that it was inaudible, Yurik asked again. I had no intention of repeating myself.

“I think I really have to go back now, Yurik.”

Yurik kept fiddling with my fingertips as if he was reluctant to let go.

“Then Lize, come visit the mansion again when the holiday is over.”

“Okay.”

“And as promised, let’s go to the sea together in a few weeks.”

“Sure.”

“And if you’re bored on Monday when the vacation ends, come here. I’ll be reading a book here.”

My hand and Yurik’s completely separated. But Yurik’s gaze held onto me until the end.

“Bye.”

“Bye.”

I headed towards Bitty, who had briefly left, while he went to the Duke Penton household.

* * *

The sky blue color that seemed nice when I was talking with Yurik now looks a bit gloomy. In the village far away, rain seems to be falling as dark clouds have gathered.

I left the forest and walked towards the Marsen mansion. On the way to the mansion, Bitty kept asking what kind of conversation Yurik and I had.

Unlike last time when she would worry first thing upon hearing I was meeting Yurik, it was different. Bitty spread her wings of imagination, wondering if Yurik and I liked each other. Each time, I told her no, but Bitty didn’t even bother to listen.

“Huh? Did something happen?”

Bitty said, looking at the mansion’s main gate. The servants who were inside the mansion were gathered outside. The atmosphere was strange, so I hurried to the main gate.

“Young lady?”

The servants noticed me.

“What’s going on?”

“…”

“What is it? Did something happen?”

I approached the main gate and asked the servants who were standing still. They all had dark expressions, making my heart sink as well.

“Why aren’t you saying anything? What happened?”

For some reason, the maids didn’t easily open their mouths to speak. Finding their behavior suspicious, I looked around the mansion grounds, but there was nothing unusual. What could it be?

“Even if I’m young, I’m a child of the Marsen family. So I have the right to know everything that’s happening in this mansion now that the family is away.”

Though young, I was a child of the Marsen family.

Frowning with frustration, a young man working in the stable opened his mouth.

“…A woman came looking for the master.”

“A woman?”

“Yes. She said she had business with the master.”

Who would come to the Marsen family?

When a guest wanted to visit the mansion, they had to send a letter beforehand stating their well-wishes and reason for the visit. That was the custom and etiquette.

But my parents were currently at grandfather’s mansion. If someone was scheduled to visit the Marsen mansion, Isabel would have told me well in advance. In other words, the woman who came here was an unexpected guest. And she didn’t seem to be an aristocrat either.

“Was it someone you knew?”

“Well…”

Most of the Marsen family’s servants had worked here for over ten years. If it wasn’t an ordinary guest, there was a high chance they would know.

“Please tell me properly.”

“She was suspicious.”

“Specifically, what was?”

“She kept asking to see the master just once. When we refused, she ended up making a scene.”

A suspicious woman came looking for father?

“Tell me in more detail.”

“…Well, ah.”

A raindrop fell on my cheek. Looking up, gray clouds had already gathered, covering the sky and hiding the sun.

“Oh my, it hasn’t been long since I hung the laundry out to dry!”

“I left the horses in a hurry too…!”

The rain wasn’t pouring heavily yet. The servants also quickly dispersed to do their respective tasks.

“…Are they joking?”

Who on earth came that they’re all avoiding me?

As I stood still at the main gate, I felt a strange gaze from behind. Startled, I turned around, but contrary to the presence I felt, there was eerily no one there.

‘What?’

Someone was watching me. I narrowed my eyes, intensely staring at the place where I felt the gaze, but again, there was nothing to be seen.

The rain, which had been falling drop by drop, was now pouring down like a rod. I persistently looked at the tree where I had felt the gaze, but eventually gave up. I had to go inside the mansion before my dress got dirty.