Side Story 1 – Chapter 3

 

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He wrapped all his fingers with the long robe sleeve, then lightly grasped only the tips of Loretta’s fingers.

“…There, I’m holding it.”

Loretta, who had been blankly looking down at that timid hand-holding, muttered as if a bit deflated.

“I… washed before coming. It’s not dirty…”

“…I’m sure you did.”

Evan answered in a very small voice, moving only the tip of his lips.

He could tell Loretta was clean just from her scent when standing next to her.

Although he was trying his best not to be conscious of it.

“Well, it can’t be helped.”

Loretta smiled brightly as if satisfied with the hand he was oddly holding.

“You’ll keep holding it until we reach the reception room, right?”

“Y-yes…”

“Then we should walk slowly? Because Evan will definitely let go of me heartlessly as soon as we arrive at the reception room. It’s always like that.”

Evan moved his steps slowly as Loretta requested, smiling faintly.

“I didn’t let go heartlessly. How could I possibly do that?”

Loretta smiled brightly as she walked following him.

“Then, will you let go kindly today?”

“I’ll let go very gently and politely. I’ll definitely do that!”

“It would be better if you didn’t let go at all.”

Actually, Evan was having the same thought just then.

It would be so nice if he could keep holding this hand without letting go.

But he tried hard to pull himself together. Fortunately, he had a suitable excuse today.

“…T-then I wouldn’t be able to give you your gift, Miss.”

“Gift? What gift?”

“Well, I stayed at a few Briggs branches during the trip.”

“You did!”

At Loretta’s loud words, all the magicians passing by looked over here.

Evan, who knew how the other magicians misunderstood their relationship, hung his head, turning bright red.

“I’m so happy.”

“You have many better things, Miss. What I bought isn’t anything special.”

“Mm, that’s not it.”

Loretta spun around and faced Evan. Their steps also stopped as they reached the reception room.

“It means you thought of me at least once during your trip, Evan. I’m really happy.”

Evan felt like his heart was being crushed at Loretta’s words, even blushing slightly.

Because he didn’t know she would be this happy over just a single thought.

Actually, Evan was always thinking of only Loretta.

Misunderstanding something from his stiffening expression, Loretta quickly added.

“O-of course, that doesn’t mean I’m misunderstanding your feelings in a different way! It’s just… I thought if I didn’t come find you like this, you wouldn’t think of me at all, Evan.”

“H-how could that be possible. I always.”

He hurriedly closed his mouth at the honest words that unintentionally tried to come out.

“Always?”

“Al-always. Think of my teacher. Then naturally you come to mind too, Miss, as his sister. Of course, Claude and Ronny too…”

Evan made this terrible excuse, hoping Loretta would really be deceived by it.

But at the same time, a part of him… seemed to want her to be suspicious. As if there was some ulterior motive towards her somewhere in his heart.

“What, you almost made me misunderstand. Getting my hopes up.”

“…”

“But it’s fortunate that I’m Jeremiah’s sister. Thanks to that, you think of me at least a little, Evan.”

As he watched Loretta trying hard to speak positively, Evan felt a surge of emotions for some reason.

To the point where the desire to properly hold her hand and completely embrace her came to mind.

And a magician’s intense feelings lead to mana.

Immediately, his mana started racing from his heart to his fingertips at a maddening speed.

Realizing this, Evan hurriedly pushed her hand away strongly.

“…?!”

The startled Loretta alternated between looking at their separated hands.

“…”

She soon gently turned her head with a hurt expression.

Evan also turned his gaze away from her, quickly hiding his embarrassed right hand behind his back.

He couldn’t let Loretta see the overflowing green light in the same shape as the desire he had suppressed.

Evan tried hard to calm his wavering mana and checked her expression again.

Loretta was already smiling brightly like usual.

“Actually, I expected this. Because Evan is a mean liar.”

“…I’m sorry. Miss. I…”

Evan struggled to open his barely moving lips and answered.

“I forgot… my promise with you.”

“Yeah, it’s okay. I still like you, Evan.”

Loretta shrugged her shoulders and spun around, heading into the reception room.

Evan carefully followed behind her, still hiding his hands behind his back.

He wasn’t a fool either.

Loretta must have quickly smiled to consider Evan’s feelings.

While embracing her hurt feelings as they were.

‘…Just because of someone like me… Miss is.’

Evan offered Loretta the best seat and sat on a sofa a bit away, hanging his head low.

‘How long… will Miss keep liking me?’

According to a book Evan read, feelings of liking disappear someday if left lonely.

So he had decided not to show his feelings to Loretta somehow, but…

‘Miss hasn’t changed for several years.’

Evan hated that he was inwardly relieved by that fact.

‘…When someone like me can’t help but like Miss.’

Soon, following the two of them, Magician Pierce slowly entered, floating a teacup and teapot in the air.

“Mr. Pierce?!”

Loretta was surprised and stood up from her seat.

Because it was a bit strange for him, a senior magician, to serve tea to a guest.

“Oh, you’re here… Lady.”

As he waved his hand sluggishly, two teacups clattered and flew in front of Loretta and Evan.

“For Magician Pierce to come in person. Did something happen?”

When he dropped his body on the armchair by the door, the teapot also safely landed on the tea table.

“I’ll take a short, quiet nap… Since it’ll be quiet here. Haah, childcare is tough. Especially a magician’s child…”

He mumbled in a pained voice and soon fell asleep on the armchair.

Loretta sat back down.

In the meantime, Evan had poured warm tea into her teacup, emitting puffs of white steam.

“Evan, is it hard to raise a magician’s child? I thought it would be nice since they’re smart.”

“Magician Pierce’s child has just turned 6 months old. It’s the time when they’ll cause accidents while drawing in mana.”

“What do you do then?”

“The best thing is to let them play with mana as is. Even if it’s an accident, it’s only to the extent of dropping a nearby doll. But Magician Pierce is a worrisome father…”

Now Evan poured tea into his own teacup as well.

“He must have been solely taking care of the child while they were awake. Since the mother’s side isn’t a magician.”

“So Magician Pierce is tired from acting as an overprotective father?”

“Yes. He probably slipped out while the child was sleeping. His wife must be by the baby’s side now.”

As Loretta slowly nodded her head, thinking of something, Evan could finally drink the tea in front of him.

“That means if we have a magician child, Evan will have a hard time.”

“Pfft!”

Evan almost spit out the tea, but managed to swallow it down.

Having a child!

Such a thing couldn’t happen between him and Loretta!

Because, to have a child, a long process all night was needed, and Evan had no intention of spending such time with Loretta.

“If it’s too hard on Evan, I’ll be upset too. So even if we happen to have a magician child, don’t be too overprotective, okay? Got it?”

To Loretta asking with an innocent face, Evan gritted his teeth and barely answered.

“A-any child is brought by a grateful stork… So you don’t need to worry too much in advance…”

“…”

Loretta’s gaze looking at him for a moment was strange.

Could she have noticed that he was forcibly changing the subject to push away her feelings?

“Ah, um. Right.”

After a long while, she opened her mouth again and nodded slightly.

“That’s for the grateful stork to decide.”

“T-that’s right. Miss. And, about the gift.”

Evan wiped his sweaty palms on the hem of his clothes and brought the gift box he had prepared in advance on one side of the reception room, holding it out.

“Thanks, can I open it right away?”

“Yes, it’s nothing special though.”

While Loretta untied the ribbon and opened the box, Evan stood nervously by her side.

He was worried that his gift might not be to Loretta’s liking.

“Wow, gloves? There’s fur inside. They must be so warm.”

Evan let out a sigh of relief at her genuine delight.

“I’m glad you like them. Your hands get cold in winter, Miss.”

“How do you know that? When you never hold my hands properly.”

“W-well… When we were young…”

Because Loretta always grabbed and held them. Although such things stopped after he grew bigger.

“Hehe, you remember even old things diligently?”

“It’s nothing much.”

“Mm, no. I’m really happy. I’ll wear them every single day this winter.”

“It would be my honor if you do so.”

“It’s okay to try them on right now, right?”

“If that’s what you wish, Miss.”

“Then I should try them on.”

Loretta whispered in a lively tone as if singing a song and held out her hands to Evan standing beside her.

“…?”

As he blankly stared at her hands, Loretta looked up at him with a face that said it was obvious.

“Won’t you take them off for me?”

“Wha-what?!”