Book 3: Chapter 3: Talent and Curse (2/2)
…but she can't do any of those things.
”I-I'm sorry… I just can't… feel to be proud of myself…”
Monica said in muttering while she shook her head.
”It just… impossible…”
In the past, when she was attending Minerva, Monica had only one boy she could call a friend.
He took care of her because she was shy. Since she couldn't speak well in front of others, he accompanied her to practice her chanting. And it had made Monica happy.
But when Monica mastered no chanting spell and became known as a genius, their friendship began to deviate.
”I bet you've been looking down on me all along, haven't you?”
No, you got it wrong, was what she wanted to say, but those words didn't reach him.
And without being able to reconcile with him, Monica graduated from Minerva and became one of the Seven Sages.
It's a bitter memory that still lingers in Monica's mind, even now.
Monica hung her head down, but Cyril's thin eyebrows furrowed as he bent his lips into ”へ” shape.
”The word that I hate the most was ‘impossible'.”
”I'm sorry…”
In response to Cyril's denunciation, Monica could only look down and apologize.
He recalled when his father told him. He said talent can sometimes be a curse.
For Monica, talent was a curse. It always took away the things that Monica wanted.
——Her father, her friends.
”Hello, are you progressing well?”
The cheerful voice brought Monica back to her senses. When she turned her gaze, Felix was peering at her desk.
Cyril straightened his back and answered promptly.
”I've explained all of our regular duties and the work to be done at the beginning and end of the month. It just leaves to the things related to events.”
”Oh, there will be a chess tournament and a school festival before the winter break. You'll have to tell her about those, too.”
”I will.”
As Cyril nodded, Felix looked at the glass on the desk and lifted it lightly. The ice collided with each other, making a rattling sound.
”Are you not feeling well, Cyril?”
”No, I'm fine. Your Highness.”
”Well, that's good, but… take it easy, okay?”
What did that conversation mean, she wondered.
Does Lord Ashley feel ill when he makes ice?
The cold air that was being released on a regular basis, the ice that was purposely created in the glass, the brooch that was being touched nervously… To tell the truth, Monica had only one idea of what was going on.
Is he perhaps…
As Monica was staring at Cyril's brooch, a finger reached out from the side poked Monica in the cheek.
If you look from the side, you will see Felix happily poked Monica's soft cheek.
”Don't just look at Cyril, look at me too.”
”I-I'm sorryyyyy…”
”You! How dare you show such disrespect to His Highness!”
”I-I-I-I… I'm sorryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy…”
When Monica apologized, Cyril smacked the desk with his palms.
”Can't you speak clearly!?”
”I-I-I'm so-sorry…”
”Who said you could speak in stuttering?!”
”Cyril, don't bully her too much, okay?”
Felix calmly restrained Cyril from shouting at her, but he said in a stern voice.
”I'm not bullying her, Your Highness! I'm disciplining her!”
”I thought disciplining was the owner's job. If so, it's my job.”
She felt that her human rights were being taken away without a second thought.
For now, Monica decided to immerse herself in the task of counting Felix's eyelashes in order to escape from reality.