Side Story 1 – Chapter 1

 

* * *

 

The capital was enamored with “a love that transcends the master-servant relationship between families, like a 221-chapter novel” for quite some time.

However, after the story’s main characters Claude and Melody got married, no one was interested in that long-standing scandal anymore.

Some people who were drawn to sensational stories secretly hoped that Ronny or Jeremiah would create an interesting scandal following Claude…

But unfortunately, the two young men completely shattered the expectations of the capital’s nobles and pursued an extremely upright lifestyle.

As more time passed, people’s attention now naturally shifted to the youngest, Loretta.

With her unique liveliness and cheerful charm, she instantly made all the capital’s nobles her captives.

That popularity was still going strong even now that she was 22 years old, and she was still counted as the person who received the most invitations in the capital.

Among those who cherished her was the young emperor who had newly ascended to the throne 8 years ago.

Whenever he had free time, he would ask Loretta to spend time with him separately, treating her specially to that extent.

Another one of Loretta’s close associates that couldn’t be left out was Prince August.

Loretta was now nominally the most influential young lady in the capital.

But Loretta still muttered to herself, “Life is tough.”

The reasons for her tough life were twofold. One of them was that she was very, very worried about Melody.

“You know, Melody. I’ve been thinking.”

Loretta spun around behind Melody, who had been sitting at the desk for seven hours.

“Yes?”

When Melody put down her pen for a moment and looked up, Loretta stretched out her arms and hugged her neck tightly.

“No matter how I look at it, it seems like Melody has been tricked into marriage by Claude.”

“Haha, tricked into marriage.”

Melody leaned her head on Loretta’s arm for a moment and laughed amusedly.

But Loretta wasn’t joking. It wasn’t a figure of speech either.

No matter how you looked at it, there was no doubt Melody had been tricked into marriage by Claude Baldwin.

“Listen carefully, Melody.”

Loretta pulled Melody’s pitiful hand that had been holding a pen for hours towards her for a moment.

“Melody is doing the work of the duchess, right?”

“Yes. Honorably so.”

It goes without saying, but the Duke of Baldwin still hadn’t taken a new wife. Based on the current situation, he didn’t seem to have any plans to either.

Thus, Melody had been managing both the ducal castle and the capital’s mansion ever since marrying Claude, until now at the age of 28.

“And since Grandfather and Grandmother Higgins retired, you’re also working as a butler concurrently.”

“Well, I’m a Higgins after all.”

“On top of that, you’re also still preparing for the Records Keeper exam!”

“Well, that’s because I have to prepare since I don’t know when the exam will be held.”

“Don’t you think you have way too much work?”

“It is a lot, but it’s okay.”

Melody laughed as she lightly kissed the back of Loretta’s hand that had been massaging her own hand.

“There are 24 hours in a day after all.”

“If it were me, I wouldn’t have made Melody work so hard.”

“Well, it’s not like Claude is particularly making me work hard. I’m just doing the work I chose… I think no matter who I married, I would have lived like this.”

“But that doesn’t make brother’s marriage scam disappear. He’s really mean.”

“What does it matter when Loretta hugs me like this all the time? If it’s a scam like this, I’ll gladly be tricked many more times.”

At those sweet words, Loretta found herself smiling without realizing it.

But soon she buried her face in Melody’s neck and shook her head wildly.

“Ah, no! I didn’t plan to make Melody suffer like this!”

“Then what was your plan?”

“I planned to make you happy! The happiest in the world!”

“You know, Loretta.”

Melody gently stroked the cheek of Loretta leaning against her and smiled softly.

“I think that plan succeeded a long time ago.”

“…Oh.”

Even at those kind words, Loretta made a glum face.

“I’m always worried that I couldn’t properly carry out my plan to make Loretta happy.”

“I’m happy too. Second happiest in the world.”

“But that’s.”

Melody turned her body and completely embraced Loretta’s cheeks with both hands.

“It’s because today is the day you’re meeting Evan, right?”

“It, it’s not necessarily.”

“It’s been three months since you last saw each other?”

As Loretta slowly nodded her head, her face turned irreversibly bright red.

“…Yeah.”

“Hehe.”

Seeing Loretta, who was always confident, noticeably embarrassed was so cute that Melody got up from her seat and tightly hugged her waist.

During this passionate embrace, Claude briefly visited Melody’s office.

But upon discovering the passionate(?) scene between his wife and younger sister, he displayed the virtue of a great husband and quietly gave them space.

 

* * *

 

8 years ago from now.

The former emperor stepped down from the throne as promised as soon as the crown prince became an adult.

The winds of change that blew from the imperial family also influenced the Magic Tower, and “Magician Baldwin” also inherited Tower Master Owen’s position around the same time.

Jeremiah, who came to lead the tower of knowledge at a young age, had been focusing on expanding opportunities to interact with foreign magicians from then until now.

Meanwhile, his disciple Evan not only gained the title of “Magician” but also became a fully 18-year-old adult and was continuing his independent research on “mana stones”.

 

“So, I know Evan can’t help having frequent business trips for his research. Echo.”

Loretta stroked the soft fur of Echo sitting on her lap in the carriage heading to the Magic Tower.

After it became known that Loretta frequented the Magic Tower, Echo began to confidently visit and act as a guest at the ducal residence.

Fortunately, the people at the ducal residence didn’t dislike the mysterious cat Echo.

No, after seeing Echo sitting dignified on the shoulder of the stern Duke Baldwin, they actually began to love Echo definitively.

“But thinking back to the past, I should be happy just being able to meet like this.”

Echo let out a deep sigh and lay down even flatter. Because the “past” Loretta mentioned came to mind vividly.

After Loretta awakened as a physis, narrowly overcame a life-threatening situation, and even finished recuperating in Kristonson and returned.

Loretta tried to meet Evan again. To the point of getting difficult permission from the Duke to visit the Magic Tower.

But Evan shut himself in his room and absolutely refused to meet Loretta.

Three months passed like that without them meeting each other.

As the hurt of rejection deepened, Loretta went to find Evan, saying “this is really the last time”.

“You know, Evan.”

She leaned her forehead against the tightly closed door and whispered desperately in a small voice.

“Will you open the door for me today?”

No answer came from the other side.

Only the clicking sound of Evan fumbling with the doorknob, not knowing what to do, resonated.

“Evan.”

“…Ah, no.”

“I miss you.”

“I don’t want to hurt you, Miss.”

“I’m already hurt.”

“I’m, I’m sorry! I didn’t know my mana would still be tormenting you…”

“That’s not what I mean, I!”

“I was wrong. From now on, I won’t even go near you. So…”

To avoid being swayed by Loretta’s words, Evan covered both his ears and conveyed his resolve again.

But he felt something strange halfway and slowly stopped talking.

Evan slowly removed the hands covering his ears.

“Mi…ss?”

Actually, until then, Loretta had been making various threats(?), urging him to open the door.

Among them were many sweet offers that Evan wanted to completely fall for.

But Evan never wavered and maintained his distance from Loretta.

Because nothing good would happen even if he stayed by her side.

But…

 

“Sniff.”

 

At the faint sound of crying coming from the narrow gap, Evan was so surprised that he unknowingly opened the door wide.

“Miss!”

Loretta was sitting crouched in front of the door with a tear-stricken face.

It seemed she had been crying the whole time she was talking to him.

“D-don’t cry. Okay?”

Evan sat facing her in front of her, not knowing what to do, forgetting that he had decided never to meet Loretta again.

“I hate you, Evan. I really, hngh, hate you.”

Loretta wailed, constantly wiping her eyes with both hands.

“It’s… natural for you to hate me, Miss.”

At the answer that came back in a trembling voice, Loretta lifted her head with an angry face.

When their eyes met, the startled Evan quickly averted his gaze.

After glaring at him for a while, Loretta opened her mouth, still with a voice full of sobs.

“…Hug me.”

“Pardon?”

Evan looked at her again, doubting his ears.

Then Loretta stretched out both arms forward and shouted again.

“I said hug me!”

As her hands seemed about to touch his shoulders, Evan quickly backed away, propping himself on the floor.

“I, I can’t dare do such a thing to you, Miss… D-don’t cry, okay? Ahhh, what should I do…”

As Loretta’s crying got louder and louder, and she even started having difficulty breathing, Evan couldn’t be stubborn any longer.

“Please don’t cry. I’ll do everything you tell me to, Miss. Okay?”

“…Really? You’ll really do everything I want?”

At the question Loretta asked, calming down a bit, he quickly nodded.

“Really! What should I do?”

“First… hug me.”

Loretta stretched out both arms forward again, and Evan approached her very awkwardly and patted her shoulders.

“Hngh, heuk”

But somehow, when he hugged her, Loretta’s crying seemed to get even louder.

“D-don’t cry. I’ll keep hugging you. I’ll never let go. Okay?”

“Really…?”

“Yes, really. Look, I’m hugging you well, right?”

Loretta nodded slightly and made another request to him.

“Then hug me tight now.”

“T-tight?”

But when he asked back hesitantly at the second request, Loretta looked disappointed and hung her head over his shoulder.

“…You said you’d do anything I ask.”

“Ugh.”

Although still very awkward, Evan hugged Loretta’s back tightly for a moment.

“I, I did it. Is, is that okay? You won’t cry, right?”

When he slightly distanced himself, Loretta quickly lifted her head. Staring at him with reddened eyes.

When Evan asked, squirming, “What else… should I do for you?” Loretta nodded.

“Yeah.”

“T-tell me.”

“I like you, Evan.”

The startled Evan froze in place, unable to say anything.

Not knowing his feelings, Loretta tugged on the hem of his robe and spoke again.

“I… like you very much, Evan. Do you like me too?”

“…”

He didn’t answer the earnest question.

And that was Loretta’s second concern that made her mutter “life is tough” to this day.