Ernesta Kaif couldn’t stop her tears from flowing and wept quietly.
She knew Pfeil, who visited her daily, wasn’t going back right away. But she never imagined he had been fighting for her.
He thought Ernesta hadn’t noticed, but he was wrong. She hadn’t noticed the fight itself, but rather the subtle changes in Pfeil’s demeanor. And then she understood.
“…I’m sorry, Pfeil.”
She apologized instead of expressing her gratitude because she hadn’t responded to the feelings of the blue-haired archer boy. He had often visited her home, concerned about her sleepless nights. He listened to her talk until she was no longer bored. He had desperately tried to stop her when she was manipulated and out of control, and he had confessed his love. However, Ernesta still hadn’t given him an answer.
She wasn’t so immature now as to be confused by the emotions that stirred within her. Ernesta was aware that she liked Pfeil. But she was unsure if she could give him an answer.
“I don’t deserve to be loved.”
The reason she thought such a thing stemmed from her accumulated guilt. Her older brother, Barnabas Kaif, had committed the murder of a Court Mage. As the family of the perpetrator, she had suffered greatly. There were times she resented her brother. However, she came to understand that there was an origin to her brother’s rampage and that he wasn’t solely to blame.
But to the victims, that didn’t matter. Because she understood this, she couldn’t help but feel guilt. And then there was the incident that occurred the other day.
She had pushed her benefactor, Jared, and Olivier, who had been kind to her as his secretary officer, into a corner. Even though she was manipulated by curse techniques and it wasn’t her own will, the fact that she had inconvenienced many people, and that in the worst-case scenario, they, who treated her like family, could have died, was eating away at Ernesta.
Jared and Olivier, as well as everyone else, told her they didn’t mind from the bottom of their hearts. Their kindness was painful, and she had thought more than once that it would be easier if they had just blamed her. For days she confined herself to her room, causing her family great worry, and lamenting her own immaturity.
Despite being a magician who belonged to the Royal Mage Corps, all she had done was hold them back. She continued to struggle with whether she should remain Jared’s secretary officer as he became a Court Mage, and whether she should be accepted as family by Olivier and the others.
It was Pfeil who supported such an Ernesta. He said only what was necessary and focused on listening to Ernesta’s anxieties and regrets. He accepted all the negative emotions, anger, and sadness that resided within her.
“I’m relying on Pfeil too much.”
She didn’t understand why he cared for her so deeply, why he loved her. However, she worried about whether her current state, relying on his kindness, was right. That was why she couldn’t reciprocate his feelings.
If only she could tell him her feelings. How wonderful that would be. Her anxieties and fears would surely vanish, and she might become happy. But she worried about whether she was allowed to be happy.
“Thank you for your concern… I love you, Pfeil. But for now, I can’t return your feelings. I’m sorry.”
She whispered her love with a heart as gloomy as a rainy day. Because she knew it would never reach him, she could say it in a small voice. The day her heart would clear up was still far away.
***
After parting with Pfeil, Wahash met his daughter, Rosa, for the first time in a while. It was one of the few surprises in his long life that Rosa came to live with Jared, and then began visiting the mansion because she caught the attention of the Ducal Family’s youngest son.
“…How long has it been since we’ve had a meal like this?”
“A few times when I was little. I don’t remember any after I grew up as a combatant.”
“Is that so? I am a failure as a father.”
“Not at all. I, and many others who respect and admire you as a father, are not that way. Pfeil is one of them, isn’t he?”
Rosa was internally astonished by how her father, who had already surprised her by inviting her for a meal, looked back on the past and reflected on it.
“Father, is something wrong?”
“No, I’m aware I’m acting uncharacteristically. But I wanted to spend time with you, who have grown so well.”
“Thank you.”
Praised for her growth, Rosa felt joy, though she tried not to show it on her face. She had continuously trained to be strong, wanting to be recognized by her father. It wasn’t arrogance; she was confident she had indeed become strong. However, the first time she met Jared and fought him, her defeat at the hands of Yeny Daum was a bitter memory.
After coming to live in Olivier’s mansion, she eventually found herself accepted as family. Rosa loved that family who, despite her having been an enemy, gave her warmth, though memories of spending family time with her father Wahash and members of the organization were only from her childhood. But she never expected to have such family-like time with her father. She felt nervous, and the food tasted bland, causing a bitter smile to escape her lips.
“You know this country is trying to accept us, don’t you?”
“Yes. It’s because the surrounding nations seem to think our national strength has declined due to the recent treason, isn’t it? Although we have many friendly and allied nations, it’s true that some are eyeing this country with the intent to wage war. It’s a countermeasure for that.”
If the continent’s strongest assassination organization was absorbed into a single country, it would serve as a deterrent to those targeting the Wethered Kingdom. While they wouldn’t provoke them unnecessarily, the country would likely buy time to solidify its defenses.
“They are probably trying to increase the number of Court Mages for the same reason.”
“I heard Pfeil was also approached about it. I don’t know whether to be surprised or bewildered, but considering Pfeil’s abilities, he’s more than qualified for Court Mage, so I understand their desire.”
The move to make Jared, who had long been decided, along with Pfeil and Luzer, who possessed similar abilities, into Court Mages was to increase the country’s military strength. The more readily apparent positions like Court Mages there were, the more it showed the country’s power to neighboring nations.
Laurentz, who was a few steps behind Jared and the others, being named as a candidate for Court Mage was also with an eye towards the future and to fill the vacant seats for Court Mages. Of course, the boy himself, as well as everyone else, likely knew this. The absence of any opposition was because the achievements of the boy, Laurentz Herring, were recognized, and there were great expectations for his future.
“This country is becoming interesting. Rosa, what will you do?”
“What do you mean?”
“Will you inherit Waalthe? Or will you accompany the boy who yearns for you?”
“That… well…”
“Take your time to think. You have time. You are free to fall in love and nurture that love. I have no right to interfere. More importantly, assassins are no longer needed in this era.”
Rosa became uneasy. It felt as if her father was going to disappear.
“Father? Is something wrong?”
“No, it’s nothing… things I’ve sought are drawing near. Before that, there are various things I want to consider.”
Unable to understand the meaning of her father’s words, Rosa could only tilt her head. Wahash simply offered a small smile to his daughter and said nothing more. After that, father and daughter spent a peaceful time together, just like any ordinary family.
