A Night of Realizing Each Other’s Feelings a Little More

Two days later, at a late hour when dusk had settled, Sylvia was walking alone within the castle for some reason.

It was because she had been summoned by Kyle.

It was quite rare for Kyle to call her first, so she crossed the hallway with a rather light step, heading to the place where he would be waiting.

“Ah…!”

Finally, as she reached the small flower garden near the detached building, she saw Kyle, who had arrived there first, in the distance. Sylvia waved her hand happily and was about to approach, but she paused.

For some reason, Kyle was looking at the flowers alone, and she wanted to watch him a little longer as he was.

Flowers are usually associated with beautiful women, but she suddenly thought that a handsome man admiring flowers against the backdrop of the subtly rising moonlight was also quite a sight to behold.

It would be perfect to draw a picture of this and display it in her room.

While having such silly thoughts and watching Kyle from behind the bushes, he let out a faint sigh and said loudly, as if for someone to hear.

“If you hide like that, even Rina would notice.”

Only then did Sylvia realize she had been caught. She brushed off the small pieces of grass that had gotten on her dress and revealed herself with an awkward expression.

“Ehehe…. I’m sorry. I thought it was rare to see the young master Lyaird admiring flowers.”

“I was just curious about a flower I had never seen before. Anyway, I’m sorry for calling you out at this late hour.”

“No, it’s okay. I was in the mood to take a walk anyway. It’s been a while since you called me, young master Lyaird.”

Sylvia looked at him with eyes full of anticipation, wondering what story he had called her to tell.

Meeting Sylvia’s gaze, Kyle felt a bitter feeling.

Her smiling face, unaware of what she was about to hear, was like watching a cherry blossom tree about to fall without a trace.

“Anyway, the reason I called the princess is….”

“Ah, just a moment, young master Lyaird.”

“……?”

Just as he was about to seriously open his mouth, Kyle expressed his bewilderment at Sylvia’s urgent voice stopping him.

In response, Sylvia, as if calming herself, held out her hand in a strange posture and added with a rather stern and serious expression.

“The moon is bright, so wouldn’t you like to take a walk first and then talk?”

“But right now, there’s a more important story than a walk….”

“You call someone out in the middle of the night and then refuse to listen to their requests? Hmph.”

“…Yes, let’s take a walk for a bit then.”

Kyle, sensing that he would surely become the world’s biggest son of a bitch if he didn’t even grant this request, readily raised the white flag.

Sylvia, who approached with a very satisfied expression, snuggled up to Kyle’s arm as if clinging to it.

“Princess, is it really necessary to be this close….”

“I’m wearing slightly uncomfortable shoes.”

“If that’s the case, then let’s just sit down and talk….”

“I said I wanted to take a walk, young master Lyaird.”

“…….”

It was useless to say one thing and have her retort with another.

In the end, Kyle reluctantly allowed Sylvia to hold his arm, and he decided to silently continue the walk.

In fact, it might be more accurate to describe it as dragging a piece of luggage attached to his arm rather than an act of walking.

Anyway, she was moving her two legs on her own while strolling through the small flower garden, so it should be called a walk.

“Hehe, was my prank a little too mischievous? I’m sorry.”

As they strolled through the flower garden, a long silence ensued between them, and then Sylvia’s lips parted.

It seems that the prank she was referring to was her words and actions up until a little while ago.

Even while thinking that one or two pranks like that would leave a person’s heart in tatters, Kyle tried his best to reply indifferently.

“I thought you were more mischievous than usual, but I didn’t mind since I felt it was like the princess.”

“Ah, that’s too much. So you’ve been thinking of me like that all along!?”

“That’s about right.”

“Uuuu…!”

Sylvia puffed out her cheeks and glared sharply at him.

But Kyle didn’t feel particularly scared.

Rather, he felt it was cute.

Is this what they call having rose-colored glasses on?

“…I’ll let you off the hook for having such a nasty thought. Anyway, I just wanted to lighten the mood by playing a prank for a bit because you looked so gloomy, young master Lyaird.”

“Was my expression like that?”

“Yes, with your eyes like this…. You looked like you were about to cry.”

Sylvia grabbed her own eyes with both hands and pulled them down, vividly recreating Kyle’s expression from a little while ago.

Kyle blankly stared at the sight and inadvertently gave a bitter smile.

He tried not to show it, but it seems she could tell.

“You suddenly called me out, and all that… is something wrong?”

“Yes.”

“Is it a story about me?”

“That’s right.”

“…I see.”

Without saying anything special, she nodded as if she understood.

Kyle stared at Sylvia with sunken eyes for a long time, and then finally parted his lips.

In the end, he thought he had to say it himself.

“Princess, actually….”

“It’s about my father, isn’t it?”

“……!”

Just as he was barely about to part his heavy lips, Sylvia, who had somehow let go of his arm and was walking ahead, turned around and interrupted him.

Kyle’s eyes flashed at this, and in contrast, Sylvia’s eyes sank even further, as if saying she knew it all along.

“I kind of expected it. For the past few days, when I went to see my mother, she strangely avoided mentioning my father.”

“…….”

“Besides, if you think about it, it was when I received a call from my father that young master Lyaird grabbed me and told me not to go.”

There would definitely be some heterogeneous parts, but it would be difficult to sense that something had happened in connection with Creed Eleanor with that alone.

Nevertheless, the reason she could say this with such certainty was that Sylvia herself also had a sense of unease somewhere in her mind that her father might do something.

Kyle felt that was truly unfortunate.

Just as he once did, the ridiculous situation of naturally acquiring the habit of casting distrustful eyes on the person who should have given birth to him and cherished him.

“So, what’s the matter? I said it as if I knew everything, but in the end, I’ll have to ask young master Lyaird directly for the details.”

Kyle felt that Sylvia’s voice was very calm, whether she was trying to act calm or had already prepared herself.

“…Actually, I’ve detected circumstances where Lord Eleanor contacted the Dawn’s Eye and tried to harm the princess.”

“Is it because of this right eye?”

“I believe so.”

“I thought so. Well, I did feel it was a bit strange. My father, instead of my mother, trying to solve my Evil Eye by bringing in a sorcerer for someone like me….”

Even Sylvia was thinking that.

In some ways, she could be described as bright, but Kyle felt truly sorry that her past was visible in the fact that she couldn’t readily accept the kindness of her father.

“But how did young master Lyaird know that fact…?”

“I heard it from Vermillion. And I also received cooperation from Madam Marian.”

“…Hmph, you call those two by their names? You haven’t called me even once in 10 minutes.”

“……?”

Kyle couldn’t figure out why she was suddenly angry again, but anyway, he decided to think that it was okay since she seemed to have understood.

“So, what did my mother say?”

“She said she would fix everything. This fact will probably be revealed to the world tomorrow.”

“…She must have been very sad. Because she loved my father more than anyone else.”

“…Yes.”

Kyle could not bring himself to mention the fact that Marian had shown tears in front of him, so he simply nodded, trying to appear indifferent.

Frankly, he didn’t think Marian would respond so well to his request.

Knowing that she was a person with great affection for her husband, he even assumed that she might try to bury this fact.

Nevertheless, the reason Marian stepped forward was, as she mentioned, that if she overlooked Creed’s actions as they were, it would be like turning a blind eye to her precious daughter who had been oppressed by him all along.

At the same time, the existence of this family was as precious to her as the existence of her husband.

She was not just a woman who received the Eleanor name from her husband, but literally a member of this place who could not stand by and watch someone tarnish the family’s reputation.

‘Above all, the biggest thing was probably realizing that her husband’s heart was gradually changing.’

As Kyle narrowed his eyes and nodded, Sylvia’s lips, who had been silently watching him, opened.

“Young master Lyaird, can I ask you just one thing?”

“Yes, please ask me anything.”

Was it the detailed story of the incident, or was she asking the reason why her father had changed so much?

It was difficult to guess her question because there were so many things to ask, but Kyle nodded calmly, assuming that it would be within a certain range of expectations.

But the question that came back soon completely deviated from his expected range.

“Why are you helping me?”

“Helping….”

“Don’t even think about pulling some bullshit like you didn’t intend to help after going this far. Even I would have no choice but to get angry.”

Kyle was momentarily stunned by her actions, as she pursed her lips and demanded an answer in a pleading voice.

Why?

There was no way he could answer that question now.

No, it might be a question that should not be answered until the moment he lies down in his grave.

“I didn’t really want to help. I was just interested in the story from Vermillion, so I investigated it.”

“Just out of simple goodwill?”

“Would you be convinced if that were the case?”

“No, but….”

Of course, there was no way she could be convinced.

From the beginning, as mentioned in advance, if he was hoping to enter the Dawn’s Eye, this would be an action contrary to his wishes.

Sylvia knew better than anyone that he was not the kind of person who would do such a dangerous thing out of simple goodwill.

However, if one assumption were made, there would be nothing that could not be understood.

But that assumption is the most welcome and the most unfortunate thing for Sylvia.

‘If Kyle came back here with me.’

If that was the reason he was trying so hard to save her for atonement.

That would be a truly grateful thing, but on the other hand, it would be an unfortunate thing.

She wanted Kyle to love her, not to feel pity or guilt towards her.

“…No, it was a slip of the tongue. I’m sorry.”

She couldn’t bring herself to add anything more and shook her head.

There are so many things I want to ask you now.

Why are you being so nice to me, maybe you’ve experienced the same miracle as me, and if so, can’t you just put aside any atonement and just love me?

But Sylvia, unable to bring herself to say those words, retrieved her outstretched hand and carefully raised her head to face him again.

Even if I can’t ask you all these questions now, is there just one thing, really just one thing, that you can’t answer a little more honestly?

“Then, young master Lyaird, can’t you at least answer this honestly?”

“What is it?”

Facing Kyle, who was looking at her with his unique indifferent eyes, Sylvia hesitated for a long time, moving her lips, and then finally opened her mouth.

“Am I a precious person to you?”

Hwiing.

The wind that blew at that moment unfortunately buried Kyle’s words.

Due to the moonlight that had somehow hidden behind the clouds, even the movement of his lips could not be seen properly.

“Ah….”

But soon after, the wind subsided, and around the time the moon reappeared.

Along with Sylvia’s wide eyes, the smile on her lips was clear.