Chapter 32 - Volume 2 (1/2)

My thoughts suddenly rise up at that voice. That faint yet audible crying voice gets distant, before disappearing.

What I heard from behind was a familiar voice, and an all too familiar name. 『Suzette.』 That’s not my name. But it took me a few seconds to realize that voice was calling out to me, not someone else. I know only one person who would call me by the name of my wet nurse.

「You’ve got some nerve to ignore me, eh?」

It seems the person got irritated at me for not replying, saying more words full of displeasure. I get up from my chair and turn around. Then, I take my same old plain dress in my hands, lightly lifting it, curtsying for the high-class noble talking to me.

「I’m so sorry. I was just a little surprised. How wonderful seeing you after so long, Sir Celves.」

Saying that, I lifted my head to see deep blue eyes, not even trying to hide their displeasure. Then, hair that was white mixed with grey, in plaits long enough to reach his back. His facial features are well-arranged, certainly looking very high-quality for an aristocrat’s son. His name is Celves Sin Ronein.

The Ronein family is one of the grand aristocrats of this country; he is one of the people who take that name. He’s recently been working in the Black Lotus Court, which I know because of the black robe he wears.

I met him just a few months ago, when I had just started turning up at the library like this.

Back when this nightmare wasn’t tormenting me, when I would simply read magical books for no particular reason other than I found them interesting. I was sitting in this seat when I happened to hear a certain conversation by chance.

It was not something pleasant to hear by any means. From the other side of the bookshelf, I heard what sounded like some people – probably two men – curiously quarreling with a young boy. They were saying things like 『Don’t get too cocky,』 and 『You’re just a commoner,』 very loudly in a library that’s supposed to be one with silence.

The boy, on the other hand, was unable to find any proper replies, going 『Um,』 and 『Err…』 Was this the so-called bullying? Jealousy towards a boy that had a bright future ahead of him? I didn’t know the details from the other side of the bookshelf, but it was probably something like that.

Should I butt in to stop them or not? I hesitated for a while. I would like you not to simply say ‘of course you should have stopped them.’ My deepest apologies to the boy, but my own safety is also dear to me. I didn’t want to awkwardly get involved. But since I’d noticed the argument, just ignoring it weighed on my conscience. No, but, still.

Those scornful words had no signs of ending no matter how much I heard them. It was then that it happened, as I was racking my brains over just what was really going on. It was then that I heard those words.

『You’re disgusting, Black-Hair.』

Thud. The chair I was sitting on made a surprisingly loud sound. By the time I realized it, I’d forcefully gotten up. The voices from the other side of the bookshelf suddenly stopped. With the same force as when I got up, I went around the bookshelf.

Standing there was that man’s disciple, another boy whose hair compared to my father-in-law Lancent’s certainly had black mixed in it, albeit just a small amount. Surrounding them were two men with the light grey hair that wizards often have.

By all rights, I should have let the matter drop. But even though the men surrounding those boys were wearing the black robes from the Black Lotus Court, which all the elite wizards in our country belong to, I couldn’t stand their words.

At first, the two of them looked surprised when I suddenly appeared from the other side of the bookshelf. After realizing I was nothing more than a mere girl, they looked relieved, before smiling as if ridiculing me. Looking at them, I sweetly smiled. Saying, 『There’s something I would like to ask you.』 They furrowed their brows in suspicion; I took no notice of it, simply continuing.

『Since you gentlemen are two of the greatest wizards of our country, I thought you would be able to answer me.』

I’m sure there’s no doubt they thought I was a woman saying silly things. But it seemed their curiosity was piqued at the phrase ‘greatest wizards of our country’, so they smiled broadly and said, 『What is it?』 Thanking them, I smiled and continued.

『Sir Wizards, how would you describe the color of the night sky?』

『…..Huh?』

『……What?』

『What about the color of the ink that writes beautiful poetry? What about the color of the coal that warms you from the winter cold? What about the color that makes gold or metal, gems, pearls and corals, all so beautiful?』

『Oi, what are you sayin’?』

At my continuous words, the two men as well as the boys opposite them all blinked in surprise. I softly smiled at just those boys, before once again putting on that expressionless look called ‘a smiling face’ I inherited from my father. I slightly tilted my head to the side.

『Please tell me, Sir Magicians. What color are the robes that you wear?』

『What do you wanna say, woman?!』

『Don’t you understand?』

『—How impolite!』

Even though I was smiling on the outside, I nodded at those words on the inside. ‘Ah, that’s right,’ I knew it myself too. ‘I’m being just like that man, aren’t I?’ Was I really the kind of girl that said such offensive things like this? No no no, it’s not supposed to be as horrible as the things he says. They do say married couples begin to resemble one another, but I haven’t been through married life for that long yet.

I knew I should’ve had my fill and shut up, taken those boys away somehow, and escaped from there right away. But despite all that, my mouth just wouldn’t stop talking.

『You yourself wear that black with pride, yet you look down upon the black of others. Don’t you think that’s just funny? Oh, or perhaps, you know that you don’t suit that color yourself?』

『You bitch……!』

Finally livid, one of them raised his hands despite being in the middle of those narrow bookshelves. I didn’t try to dodge or run, just simply staring right at them with an expression full of anger. It was that moment.

『———What are you doing?』

You probably understand already by now, but I’m going to be frank with you. It was that young man Celves who made his entrance then.

The boys who were standing still trying to completely forget about the men, went even whiter in the face at the sight of the new black robed person. I simply clicked my tongue on the inside, ‘Oh, another one?’ But the two wizards’ reactions to him were different from what I expected.

The one that had raised his hand towards me seemed to realize him, lowering his hand and went completely pale. The other one was also the same by then.

『Guinea, Tonay, what are you two messing around for? Was the work I gave you really that simple?』

He said those words indifferently, his expression unchanging. But as if that wasn’t already enough, it seemed as if he was sprinkling sarcasm freely over them. At his words, the two of them said, 『『I’m sorry!』』 and ran away.

Celves also said, 『Leave now,』 to the boys, who ran away so hurriedly as if he’d lit a fire at their tails. The only ones left were me and the young man Celves, looking at them leave with a cold gaze.

『……I give you my thanks.』

『I was just criticizing my subordinates for playing around. Don’t get the wrong idea, it makes me sick.』

His response to me was, how to say……. How do I put it? Yes. It awfully reminded me of a certain someone from somewhere. I won’t make any reference to thoughtless questions like who that certain someone was. In my usual manner, I replied to him.

『I’m sorry about that. But it’s true that you saved me. If I stayed like that, I would most likely be hurt. The one who saved me from that was none other than you.』

『……I don’t think being pushy is a virtue.』

『That’s just how I am.』