Chapter 32 - Volume 2 (2/2)

I smiled at the young man in the same way I always smiled at that man. He glanced at me fleetingly before letting out a cold sigh. Even that completely cold action reminded me of a certain someone…… Namely, my husband. I couldn’t help but smile.

『Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.』

I looked down to hide that smile, holding both sides of my dress and bowing in thanks to him. When I raised my face, I saw a bewildered light in the young man’s deep blue eyes. It stayed for just a moment before quickly vanishing. Then there was nothing but the same cold light as when he appeared here.

『You, what’s your name?』

That’s why it was surprising when he asked that. I reflexively ended up shaking my head.

『Me? Oh, I’m nobody important……』

『You’re not even going to give your name to the person that saved you?』

『……You’re right.』

Earlier he said he was just warning his subordinates, and now he was talking like this. As I felt it was somewhat ridiculous, I was about to say ‘Filmina’ but I stopped. It would be more accurate to say I couldn’t.

It’s true that I’ve used the name Filmina as identification countless times to enter this national library. But surely neither my father nor that man would do something like go through all the trouble of searching for my name throughout the entire enormous visitors’ list. So that was fine.

But leaving that aside, of course I hesitated over naively giving my true name to a young man that was that man’s colleague in the national library. Now, if you asked me whether Sir Celves really seemed like the kind of man that would tell his coworkers about each and every single conversation he had like this, that would be greatly perplexing.

But there was still a worst case scenario. So what left my mouth was:

『I’m Suzette.』

It was that. The name of my beloved wet nurse who had always been with me since the day I was born. That was the first name that came to my mind. Of course, I didn’t give him my surname. But he didn’t press me further, briefly replying, 『I see. I’m Celves,』 and leaving. It wasn’t until later that I realized he didn’t tell me his own surname either.

How many times had we met when I found out his full name? In those days, I’d sit at the same seat every day with a magical book open. For some reason, he started calling out to me before also sitting with me.

He could easily read the magical words I couldn’t as if it was just a normal book. Although he’d say, 『You don’t need to know this,』 he’d still teach me how to read them.

In the midst of all that, it was a complete coincidence that I saw the name ‘Celves Sin Ronein’ on his belongings. There probably isn’t a single person in this country that doesn’t know the Ronein family. It’s one of the grand aristocrats that everyone has heard of at least once.

But I pretended not to notice. Even though it’s now been months since we met, I still pretend not to notice. Because if he hasn’t said it himself, it probably means he doesn’t want me to know or talk about it.

Being from a grand aristocrat family, there must be lots of restrictions and obligations placed on him. Wizards are, in a sense, beings set free from social statuses. But the world isn’t kind enough to just settle it off with just that.

Anyway, that’s how someone from the noble Ronein family, one of the young elites of the Black Lotus Court got acquainted with me. And for now, we’re building a not-bad friendship. Though for instance, when I get up from my chair and especially thank him, he simply snorts his nose, ‘hmmm’. Looking at it from an outsider’s perspective, it would seem like he’s behaving intolerably.

It’s no big deal if I’m snorted at. Because although that man has slightly quietened down since we got married, his sharp tongue is still the same. He definitely does thoroughly criticize me.

「……Oi, Suzette? What are you doing, zoning out?」

「Oh, ah, no. It’s nothing.」

I should bow, but instead I simply shake my head and reply to Celves as he dubiously looks at me. I messed up, I ended up getting lost in thought. He looks down at me incredulously with his deep blue eyes.

「Were you perhaps dozing off there?」

「No, definitely not.」

「Is that so?」

I smile, and he moves his eyes from me to the table. His azure eyes squint, scrutinizing, before returning back to me. What he looked at was the magical book I had open.

「How many times must I say ‘this is too much knowledge for you’ before you can understand it? Have you still not given up?」

「I do agree with you, but this isn’t a matter of giving up or not.」

At my response, the young man grimaces unpleasantly. He really thinks that I want to be a wizard. No matter how much I tell him that it’s not like that, I really just read these books out of curiosity, it seems he doesn’t understand properly. And so, every day he tells me things that would break the heart of any person that actually wanted to be a wizard.

Certainly, there aren’t many people that read magical books just out of simple curiosity. Although it’s strange for me to be saying that, considering how just until recently I myself read magical books out of curiosity.

But from today onwards, it’s not just a longing for magic. I have a clear reason and goal: To get back my peaceful sleep. I may be an eyesore for Sir Celves who doesn’t know that and simply sees me as someone who keeps doing pointless things, but I won’t give in to just this.

I don’t think I can become a wizard, but can’t I find out the origin of that nightmare myself? ……Although, to be honest, I have started thinking impossible things like ‘It’d be better if I just became a wizard myself to deal with this nightmare situation.’

Stifling a sigh, I look up at Sir Celves only to see him suddenly tilt his head. ‘What is it?’ I also tilt my head to the side in confusion. Then, in a voice I’ve never heard him speak in before, he asks:

「What’s wrong?」

「Huh?」

「You look pale.」

He says that faster than I can ask, ‘What do you mean?’ I instinctively blink in surprise. Does his voice contain, by any chance, something like worry? To think that he’d realized… Did the makeup I wear to better my face in order to stand beside that man give me away at a time like this?

I’m at a loss for words. At my reaction, he thankfully murmurs, 「Just my imagination, huh?」 It seems like he hasn’t realized. Relieved, I smile at him like usual.

「Sir Celves is the one here that really shouldn’t be working so hard.」

He already has skin so white I envy it, but it’s somehow far whiter today…… Actually, it even looks pale. I shouldn’t be the one pointed at in this situation.

At my words, his deep blue eyes widen in surprise.

「——Indeed.」

After a slight silence, he nods. I blink at that unusual yet honest, meek gesture. He stares intensely over here before quickly leaving. I peek at his retreating figure to see his ears were slightly red.

At times like this, I think he’s even more charming and lovable than that man. If it was that man here, first of all he wouldn’t even have nodded like that, and he wouldn’t show me anything like his ears getting red.

‘That’s why the fact that he got red at the sight of me in my wedding dress on our wedding day is so important to me.’ Thinking that and watching the young man’s retreating figure, I once again sit down and begin turning the pages of the book.