Airnâs expressions went still as he heard Ilyaâs voice.
The blurred vision was gone. And it was quite clear too.
It seemed like after he lost consciousness in the match with Joshua Lindsay, Ilya came here to be with him.
And it seemed like she was nursing him too.
Normally, this was a nice moment, and he would express his gratitude.
However, seeing the chilling air around her, Airn had no choice but to feel confused.
âWhat should I say?â
The reason he called Ignetâs name was because the situation he was in was similar to the past. Other than that, it meant nothing to him.
But, Ilya didnât feel that way.
âEven if he calls a name, it was Ignet. Not someone elseâs, but hersâŠâ
Of course, Ilya was now very different from the past.
She was freed from her obsession with Ignet, and was able to go her own way. But that didnât mean that she was unfazed by everything.
Whatever the case, Ignet and her didnât have a great relationship.
And while Airn was thinking about it, Ilya who was silent asked,
âAirn.â
âY-yes.â
âWould you explain?â
âW-what?â
âWell, why you woke up calling Ignetâs name,â
â⊠I did that?â
âYes.â
âI see.â
âHuh.â
ââŠâ
ââŠâ
ââŠâ
âExplain it. Why did you have to suddenly call Ignetâs name.â
Wheik!
A ferocious energy emanated from Ilyaâs body.
It wasnât just the air. Feeling the aura of the Sword Master, Airn gulped.
He had to say something to relieve Ilyaâs heart.
The strange thing was that he, too, thought this anger was justified.
In fact, it didnât seem like much of a problem.
There was no need to lie or make excuses.
Just say the things and clear up the misunderstandings.
From Ilyaâs point of view, the name of her rival might be disconcerting, but there was no need to stare at her friend whom she met after so long with such a cold face.
Still, the fact that he didnât feel anything strange about it was proof that Airn was also feeling something different.
âUh, soâŠâ
But, Airn wasnât aware of his own feelings.
He couldnât even think of a sensible excuse.
Airn was Airn. In the end, he just openly spoke about why he thought of Ignet.
â⊠that happened.â
ââŠâ
Ilya was silent.
Airn looked at her with a puzzled gaze.
It seemed natural for her to be angry.
And he tried to figure out how to make her feel better. And some time passed.
âPuah!â
Ilya, who had been in silence for long, burst into laughter and said,
âAirn, why are you so nervous?â
âUh, huh?â
âI was just asking, right? As soon as you woke up, you suddenly called Ignetâs name, so I was curious about it. That was why I asked, why are you so nervous? You look like a sinner.â
âUh⊠something, uh⊠the feelings weren't rightâŠâ
âI feel so bad now. Ah! But I guess it seemed like that. I wasnât smiling and then I saw you fainted, so it made me feel so uncomfortable. Why on earth is dad being so harsh on you is something I donâtâŠâ
âAh, it is fine. I am not hurt. Iâm completely fine.â
Airn said while rotating his shoulder.
It was fortunate. His body was one thing, but Ilyaâs anger being relieved made him feel better.
To be honest, he didnât understand why she was so angry and wondered if she was trying to pull his leg.
âI am glad. Dad said you were fine too, but I was just checking.â
âYes. I am fine. Thanks, for being concerned.â
âRight.â
âHuh.â
ââŠâ
ââŠâ
There was silence for a moment.
The reason for that silence was unknown. The misunderstanding was cleared up, and Ilya was smiling like before.
However, the atmosphere was strangely uncomfortable.
Sweat was dripping down Airnâs forehead.
â⊠still, be careful. You look fine, but I canât let you move too aggressively. Youâd better rest for at least a day.â
âAh, yes, sure.â
âYou came sooner than I thought, but we have been apart for some time, right? There are things I want to talk about, but there are so many guests who Iâm supposed to greet. You will come soon, right?â
âUh? Yes. If you are fineâŠâ
âYes, I am fine. And once the banquet is done, after the family mansion has calmed down a little, we will talk about the other things.â
Ilya, who smiled, got up from her seat.
Airn unconsciously tried to pursue her, but Ilya refused.
Ilya said that he had to take care of his body and rest.
âThank you for keeping your promise.â
Click.
â⊠I obviously have to keep it.â
In the room where his friend had disappeared, Airn mumbled silently.
It was a messier reunion than he had expected, but it still felt good.
Recalling Ilyaâs smile, he too smiled faintly.
It was then,
â⊠I.â
Ilya Lindsay returned to her room with a slightly grumpy expression.
She knew.
That Airn wasnât lying. No, she knew the fact that she wasnât in a position where she could be angry with Airn in the first place.
⊠but she was annoyed.
She couldnât pretend like nothing had happened.
That was why she left Airn that quickly. She didnât have the confidence to manage her expression.
ââŠâ
Ilya Lindsay got up and stood in front of the full-length mirror.
After standing for so long, she mumbled.
â⊠on the day of the banquet, should I dress up?â
It was Ilya Lindsay, who was jealous for the first time, thinking about an outfit.
âCrazy!â
ââŠâ
âAnd, it wasnât someone elseâs name but Ignetâs⊠sigh. You really are hard to deal with, brother.â
After Ilya left, Kirill and Lulu entered the room, and Airn smiled.
But surprisingly, Kirill asked Airn a questionâŠabout what had happened with Ilya.
And Airn tried to dodge the question. It wasnât because he didnât want to tell Kirill what had happened, but because it wasnât a huge deal for him to discuss with his younger sister.
Which was why he didnât feel the need to say anything⊠and he was a bit disappointed.
However, the sorcerer's terrifying senses saw through what he was hiding, and in the end, Kirillâs relentless questions forced Airn to spill everything out.
The result, of course, was Kirillâs wrath.
She sighed in disbelief.
âIt wasnât a bad situation, butâŠâ
Kirill looked at Airn.
He was a nice, cool and strong person.
But on the other hand, he was a person who couldnât express himself and was dull.
It was clear that it was good news that he slowly began to realize the feelings.
But it wasnât to a level where she could leave him alone.
And now, he had created another problem too.
Airn thought that Ilyaâs anger had completely been resolved, but it wasnât the same in Kirillâs eyes. Kirill knew that Ilya would still be upset.
âBrother, you are a sorcerer, so how didnât you know that?â
ââŠâ
âAhh. This is a real problem. A problem, I say.â
Airn didnât say anything.
He couldnât figure out what wrong he had done. Yet, he didnât feel that it was unfair that he was being nagged at.
So, he stayed silent. Together with his sister, he thought on how to relieve Ilyaâs mood.
However, it wasnât easy.
ââŠâ
ââŠâ
Airn was one thing, but Kirill too was a kid when it came to love.
They tried using their heads but not one idea came to their mind.
Scratch.
Lulu stared at the two and then began to scratch her head with her paws.
For a cat, none of this mattered.
She didnât think that Airn and Ilya's relationship could deteriorate with this one incident, so she wasnât interested.
âHm... um?â
It was when Lulu began to yawn and tried searching for a place to sleep.
The delicious smell from outside wafted into the room.
It was the smell of fish being grilled. But she wasnât sure what kind of fish it was and was curious about it.
âI want to eat!â
The curious black cat moved.
It jumped over the window, climbed the tree and then descended to the ground and ran across.
And upon arrival, there was a familiar noble.
Lulu looked at Bill Stanton smirking and said,
âYou mustnât make a fire in the garden.â
âI know.â
âWhy are you being nice?â
âI have a wish. And people who have wishes, need to lower themselves.â
âHuh? Wish? Uh, I too have a wish!â
âWhat?â
âGrilled fish! Let me eat too!â
âIt needs to cook a little more. But what do we do? We shouldnât be making fire in the gardenâŠâ
âIt is fine. A small fire is fine.â
âRight. It isnât our fault if we put everything back to normal.â
Seeing Bill Stanton smile, Lulu nodded.
Time passed.
Fortunately, no one stopped them, and the fish were grilled completely.
Lulu gulped. The fish was so appealing.
âIt is hot, so letâs cool it.â
âThanks! Phew, phu huh? This is so nice!â
âHaa, right? I cook a little. The ingredients are quite precious, so this will be the first time you will have such a thing. I ran away from home when I was 17 and learned to cook from a fisherman. It reminds me of the past.â
âMore, give me more!â
âAlright. InsteadâŠâ
âInstead?â
âPlease listen to my request.â
âAh, right. You said you had a wish.â
Lulu nodded and pulled something out of the air.
It was gold and silver. They were objects with deep historical value from ancient kingdoms.
âIâll give you this.â
âThis wealth isnât what I want.â
âReally? Such a strange human.â
Lulu looked at Bill Stanton.
Catâs donât like money.
Yet, the reason why she gives wealth is because Lulu knows that people like money.
Until now, the only ones who didnât care for it were Airn and his friends.
So, she was interested. However, nothing was more interesting than the grilled fish in front of her.
There was a rumble from her stomach. Lulu bowed her head and then looked at Bill Stanton.
âWhat do you want?â
âIt isnât really big.â
Bill Stanton kept grilling the fish and said,
âI want to get acquainted with Airn Pareira, please help me.â
âWhat? Lulu, why did you bring that person here?â
âAh, right! Kirill doesnât have a good relationship with him!â
Lulu seemed shocked. But there was nothing she could do.
She already brought him as she had taken the fish he cooked.
The cat avoided Kirillâs eyes and said to Airn.
âAirn, this person wants to become acquainted with you.â
âNo, Lulu! This person, why did youâŠâ
âYou are in trouble, right?â
âWhatâŠâ
âI heard from Miss Lulu. Young lord Airn here made a mistake with Miss Ilya Lindsay and canât think of a way to make it up to herâŠâ
âLulu! You told that to him!â
âHe, uh, I thought it would help us! I did it because I wanted to help Airn!â
Lulu went under the bed. It was cute to see her sticking out of the bed with only her head, but Kirill hated her right now.
But she didnât look at Lulu any longer, and it was the same with Airn.
The two looked at Bill Stanton, who was standing there in a different manner than when they first met, with a sense that he was in the wrong.
âAlthough I am known to be a bastard, I can confidently say that I know better on making peace with people. The reason I live so well despite the accidents I do and not get kicked out of my family is because of that. Actually, how many times did I survive from the crises that I createdâŠâ
ââŠâ
Kirill looked at Bill Stanton with a puzzled face.
He wasnât shameful. But it didnât make sense either. But then a few plausible words appeared.
And above all, since the siblings had no idea how to resolve their current situation, Kirill decided to listen, and asked.
âSo, what do you propose?â
âHmm.â
Bill Stantonâs words stopped and looked at Airn.
Contrary to his first impression, he seemed serious.
About the time the strangeness in the air formed, the lips of Stanton opened.
âTwo days later, a ball is being held at the Lordâs birthday party. Many people pay a lot of attention to their attire in order to make themselves stand out and add more charm. Some say that the inside is more important than the outside, but that also means that if you have a different personality, itâs better to have a presentable outward appearance. Ah, of course, I didnât mean anything about your personality.â
ââŠâ
âYoung lord Airn, why donât you try dressing up a little? If you show the other person a cool side, then that might melt away a personâs anger that moment and even the slightest mistakes will be overlooked. Perhaps, even Miss Lindsay too will be the same.â
Kirill looked at Bill Stanton with a blank expression.
He was back to the topic of dressing up again? Of course, he wasnât completely wrong, but she wanted to say something else because she didnât have a good impression on this man.
âYou really are a consistent one, arenât you tired of it?â
âI will say this again, I am sorry for what happened before. I am sorry for the rude remarks, but it is not the case for the point I have made.â
âRight, I donât need it. Why are you even trying to stick with us?â
âI want us to get closer with each other.â
âWhat?â
âArenât you both a genius Sword Master and a genius Sorcerer who will be responsible for the future of the continent? Rather than leaving a bad impression forever, it felt nice to try and give a little help and create a nice relationship. Isnât this a world where people are more important than wealth?â
âArenât you overly honest?â
âHonesty is one of my charms.â
âHaâŠâ
âI feel like this is better than lying to you and getting on your bad side; I am confident. If you leave it to me, I will properly dress and style you in the best way in the western continent that matches with your body and shape.â
âHow about it? Not a bad suggestion, right?â
Listening to Bill Stanton, Airn was in deep thought.
It was strange.
This noble man was sure that Airn and Ilya werenât friends, but were in a deeper relationship.
And it felt burdensome. But the surprising part was.
â⊠how will Ilya react if I dress up?â
Despite the pressure, he felt compelled to accept the offer.
âI like it.â
âBrother?â
Kirill was shocked and so was Lulu.
They didnât expect this answer.
Actually, Airn too couldnât understand it. But, he didnât try to comprehend it, and decided to just go ahead with it.
He wanted to look good.
He wanted to show a little more nice side of himself.
Airn Pareira answered again with vague emotions rising in him.