Book 3: Chapter 3: Talent and Curse (1/2)
Cyril Ashley, the eldest son of Marquis Highon, was not originally from the Ashley family.
Since the current Marquis Highon only had a daughter, Cyril, as the most talented of their distant relatives, was chosen as his adopted son.
Even though they had a blood relation to the Marquis of Highon family, Cyril's family didn't have any peerage title, which placed them at the bottom rank. Even so, Cyril was so talented to be even chosen as their adoptive son.
Having status like that in his school had made him proud, thinking that he was an outstanding person or was a chosen one.
But Cyril, who was proud and delighted after became the adopted son of the Ashley family, met the Ashley family's daughter…
…and it made him despair.
The daughter of Marquis Highon—Cyril's step sister—had outstanding intellect.
The House of Marquis Highon was said to be a family of ”intellectuals”. And his step sister was so intellectual that even made such Cyril can't even compare to her.
———If that's the case, why did they adopt him?
Cyril, on the verge of losing the meaning of his own existence, desperately tried to learn about every possible field.
However, the gap between her and his step-sister never seems to be closing. In fact, the more he learned, the more he realized the difference between himself and his step-sister.
It was at this time when he was at the very low, the second prince, Felix Ark Ridill reached out to him.
”Will you lend me your strength? Cyril Ashley.”
At that time, Cyril said he didn't have that ”intellectuals”, but Felix only smiling before gave him a response.
”I didn't choose you because you're from the Ashley family. I chose you because you're you, Cyril.”
At that moment, he made up his mind.
From now on, he decided to devote all his life to this person.
＊ ＊ ＊
”As treasurer, your job will become busy at the end of the month and the beginning of the month. I'll list all the things that must be done here, so make sure there are no omissions.”
Cyril Ashley was blatantly aggressive towards Monica, but he still explained the job thoroughly.
The only thing that bothered her was that there was one large glass on the table. During his explanation, Cyril would briefly chant an incantation before dropping one or two ice cubes into the empty glass.
Having become curious about the situation, once the explanation was done, Monica spoke up timidly.
”U-Um, what are you going to do with that ice…”
”Each time you make a mistake, one of these ice cubes would be shoved into your mouth.”
”Hiieeeee!”
Cyril nervously fiddled with the brooch on his collar with his fingers before he dropped another ice cubes into his glass.
Monica suddenly realized. The cold air that had been scattered around him had subsided during the time Cyril was making the ice cubes.
Could it be the reason he's making these ice cubes was for this…?
”If you have time to look around, look through the documents.”
”I'm sorry…”
Monica hurriedly turned back her gaze to the documents, but to be honest, the current job she has was not that complicated.
In the first place, before coming to this school, Monica had been forced to work with all kinds of numbers, such as finances, cashier's records, product sales trends, demographics, and so on. Compared to that, the current accounting work was nothing.
After finishing his explanation, Cyril spun his ice-filled glass around as he snorted in displeasure.
”I've been planning to shove this into your mouth, in case you have bad at memorizing things, but… apparently it was not necessary.”
It seems those words meant as the ”passing grade” from Cyril.
After Patting her chest in relief, she was glared at by Cyril.
”Why are you acting so jumpy and timid?”
”U-Um… E-Er…”
”In fact, I don't like that servility attitude of yours.”
That's something Monica used to be told.
——Why are you being so servile?
——You should be proud of your talent.
——If you despise yourself, what about those who are not even close to your talent?
”You've been chosen by His Highness. And your talent also has been acknowledged by him. So, why don't you show any pride in it?”
Don't be so servility. Don't despise yourself. Have confidence in yourself. You have a talent.
How many times has she been told that when she mastered the no-chanting spell?
Even with that said, Monica couldn't refuse them.
It's not that she denied her pride. Having pride in something you good at is a good thing. Believing in your talent is also a wonderful thing. If it were possible, Monica would want to be like that.