GalaxyTL
Once she changed into casual clothes, Eciel appeared and led me somewhere, saying seriously.
“Claire, do you remember our promise?”
“… I’ve made too many promises, so I’m not exactly sure what it was.”
“The promise we made to go out together again this month.”
Ah, that one.
That day Nathan Colta appeared, and afterward, with all that had happened, the promise had fallen by the wayside.
I couldn’t even bring myself to suggest postponing it.
Usually, if Eciel forgot something, it was natural for me to remind her.
It felt a bit unfamiliar.
Looking a bit dazedly at Eciel, I heard my younger sister say as she turned around.
“You haven’t completely forgotten, but you didn’t think about it at all, did you?”
“No, I’m sorry.”
I obediently apologized. But this time, it seemed she wasn’t just looking for an apology.
My sister lowered her head slightly.
“That day, I wanted to go to Claire’s bookstore, but I couldn’t. Then things just kept piling up.”
That was right. Because there was a banquet.
If things had gone as planned that day, after the banquet, there would have been some free time for us to go out together…
The banquet ended, classes became more relaxed, but now there was no preparation at all.
Unable to find words, I silently followed along for a while.
Before long, Eciel finally stopped. Since the servant following us had fallen behind, Eciel opened the door herself.
“… is this your study room?”
“Yes.”
Books for classes and assignments were neatly organized on the shelves, and the desk, chair, and stationery were all tailored to Eciel.
The only similarity to my study room was that.
In fact, objectively speaking, Eciel’s study room and mine were completely different.
‘… why are there dolls in the study room?’
If it were me, I’d decline if offered several dolls dressed in rich dresses like those of noble girls.
They were sitting on soft cushions, admiring the flowers in the nearby vase, and even touching the hem of the skirt.
It was overly realistic.
But aside from the realism, wasn’t that clearly a doll for playing?
Why would toys be in a study room? Were they placed there for decoration?
‘…. why decorate the study room with something you play with? The study room is for studying.’
I wonder what the intention was. I couldn’t understand the purpose.
I didn’t think I would understand even if I asked.
As Eciel led the way inside, I looked around her study room with puzzled eyes.
My sister’s study room gave an overall feeling of a child’s space.
Like a child not even ten years old, light colors and soft materials adorned the room brightly.
A brightly colored candy jar perched atop the bookshelf, beyond Eciel’s reach.
Eciel’s bedroom had a similar atmosphere.
‘But that’s supposed to be a relaxing space, so maybe that’s why…’
Eciel, the dazed bird, gently seated me on a chair and sat down next to me.
“Claire?”
Then she called me, her gaze strangely questioning.
… let’s just acknowledge the difference between Eciel and me, as always. After all, this wasn’t my room.
In the end, I didn’t ask anything.
“Yes, Eciel. I’m listening.”
“Anyway, you couldn’t go to the bookstore that day. You even forgot our promise.”
Eciel paused, then pulled a paper from the desk.
Written in a child’s unsteady handwriting, something was densely written all over it.
“What’s this?”
“So, I thought about it!”
I took the paper to inspect it.
<Title: ‘What Claire Likes’>
‘… she misspelled the title at the beginning.’
I know Louis was temporarily teaching spelling. He must be struggling.
Yeah, thanks for writing my name correctly for once…
I looked further down.
‘Practical.’ That must be a term Louis taught. The handwriting was shaking rapidly.
Up until here, I could somewhat smile.
But as I read further down, my smile faded.
Below this, there were traces of hastily added crooked writing.
: But if I suggest going, Claire will come even to crowded places.
Confident handwriting. The conviction that this was the truth.
I raised my head. Eciel’s green eyes sparkled right in front of me.
“Is everything correct?”
Eciel smiled as she nodded clumsily.
Very pleased.
“So, I thought, Claire. This time let’s go where you want, not where I want. I already got permission from Mom and Dad.”
“… when?”
“Today while Claire was posing for portrait!”
Then she took my hand, her soft, small hand holding mine.
“I told Louis that I wanted to go where you’d like. Louis said to write down what you like.”
I hesitated and said impulsively.
“I could spend the whole day just going to bookstores.”
“That’s okay.”
“But won’t you have nothing to do?”
“Why would I have nothing to do? I’ll be happy to see you picking out books.”
“… it’s burdensome.”
I managed to say in jest. Eciel laughed nonchalantly.
Then she added.
“But now that I think about it, seven things are too few.”
“Too few?”
“Yes. So, Claire, I’ll give you a homework assignment.”
‘… homework?’
I must have looked puzzled by now, covering the earlier blank expression.
Eciel continued.
“Take this paper. Write down more things you like, want to do. I wrote seven, so you should write at least seven more.”
“You know everything about me. It’s all here.”
Eciel lowered her head.
“No, Claire. I’m sure there’s something you like that only you know about.”
“… me?”
“Does Claire know everything I like, want, and wish for?”
Of course not everything.
‘But that’s because you’re an ordinary child who wants a lot of things.’
An unjust defense surged up, but I swallowed it down.
One day it was roses, the next day clovers, the day after tomorrow it was magnolias.
What Eciel wanted changed every day. That time when she asked for Dad from the May Fairy was particularly unique.
But the fact that we were different was something Eciel didn’t understand.
I already knew that well.
Eciel handed me the paper. Then she gently commanded.
“This is your homework. I’ll come to check how much you’ve written every time I draw portraits, so write properly.”
Speechless, I just watched her, and she suddenly opened her eyes wide.
I guessed she meant to be serious…
It wasn’t scary at all. Unfortunately.
But at least the promise was made.
“… okay.”
After hearing my response, Eciel’s eyes relaxed.
“Now until dinner, let’s think about what we like in this room. Where should we go?”
You couldn’t catch anything in overly clear water, they said.
Her face was so clear that it made me think of such thoughts out of nowhere. Her smile was so bright, without any worries, irritations, or pain.
To the point that all the bitter words I’d been holding in my heart flowed out like a torrent.
“… hey, Eciel. Before we were born, I almost killed you.”
It was the closest thing to an apology among all the things I’d said to Eciel so far. Seeking forgiveness by confessing my sins.
Eciel’s green eyes widened as she stared at me. I also looked away slightly.
“Originally, I was told that… you couldn’t bear my power.”
The wind lifted Eciel’s hair with a sweep. She blinked once.
Then her words were more urgent than I had expected.
“The Emperor said… that you…”
“What? Was that something the Emperor said? I really hate the Emperor.”
What?
For a moment, I was speechless.
As I stared blankly at my sister, Eciel’s face was full of irritation.
“Why does that person always make Claire feel bad whenever we meet?”
“Hey, Eciel, you shouldn’t speak so recklessly.”
Even though it was my voice coming out, it felt unreal. Regardless of whether I spoke or not, Eciel’s annoyed gaze was directed at me.
I seemed a hundred times more uneasy than when she had a somewhat serious expression earlier.
“You’re the only one who’s going to hear it anyway.”
“… still, you shouldn’t.”
“Oh, okay. Did you just sit there and listen to that? Why?”
Why were you interrogating me?
No, of course you could.
But to question me, ‘Why did you just listen to those words?’ instead of ‘How did you almost kill me?’…
I had nothing to say, so I kept my mouth shut, and Eciel shook her head slightly.
Hesitating, I gathered my courage and added an explanation.
“He… he said it as if it were nothing important.”
“So, that’s what a bad person is… how could he say such a thing like it’s nothing?”
… did you know that the bad person was Dad’s best friend?
The Emperor of this country?
It wasn’t originally intended to be said like that, but I couldn’t help but defend Evan.
“Um… not exactly as if it were nothing important, but… he told me that… it was unusual for us to be born as twins. He didn’t explain why, so I thought it was… special…”
Eciel’s face, which had been heavily frowned upon, gradually took on a look of confusion.
Then, she accurately touched upon the point I had been avoiding, to the point where I felt embarrassed to say it with my mouth.
“Is it because you’re amazing that we could be born as twins?”
“… according to His Majesty.”