Why, Can’t You Eat?

wasn’t that active in this conversation.
Regulus smiled and spoke up.

“You know, Ares looks like an only child, or the spoiled youngest son who grew up sheltered.”

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“Reg, you really don’t like me, do you?”

“No! I like you!”

Seeing Regulus’ behavior, I kind of get now how he saw the different commanders a little.
He respected Sir Odil, Sir Endymion and Sir Ares, but he seemed to be more comfortable with a brother-like relationship with Sir Ares.

“If it’s like that, then Odil also seems like the youngest son even though he’s the second son.”

“But Commander Odil is mature and has a strong sense of responsibility.
It feels like he’s holding back all the time.
In that sense, isn’t Sister Lily similar to him?”

“Huh?”

“Sister’s alone right now, but you’re close to your parents.
But unlike Commander Ares, you’re mature, kind and you lend an ear to others to listen to them.
If I had a real older sister, I think it would feel like this.”

Regulus was mistaken that I was mature and kind.
If that was true, then I wouldn’t have to solve my problems by pulling other people into it in the first place.
I smiled awkwardly and was about to reply, but Ares was staring at me.

“Is there something wrong?”

“Huh? N-No.
It’s nothing.”

At the sudden silence, Ares and Regulus were both perplexed.
Suddenly, I looked towards the clock and saw that it was about time to go back, so I got up from my seat.

“I think I have to go now.”

“Oh, it’s already time? I wanted to talk more.”

“We can do that later, Regulus.
Then…”

“Okay.
Take care, Lady.”

“See you later, Sister!”

No matter how much she thought about it, he suddenly became silent and his reaction was strange, so I glanced at him once but soon returned to the library.

However, I quickly forgot about Ares as I focused on my work.

 

·

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“I apologize for seeking you out again, Lady.
I wanted to ask you something, but are you doing alright?”

Today was a rare busy day, so I worked so hard that I couldn’t even remember what happened before.
But when I came out after handing in my report, I ran into Ares, who was waiting nearby.

He came here… just to ask me something.
I’d rather go somewhere far away and say I didn’t know the answer.
I didn’t want to lie, but I didn’t know that I’d have to think of something quickly like this.

To avoid people’s prying eyes, we walked past the park where we talked during my break.

“Please ask ahead.”

I looked at Ares, trying to hide my nervousness.
Sir Ares blushed and bowed his head when our eyes met.
It seemed like he was more nervous than I was.

“…T-That is, um.”

“Yes.”

Even though he barely opened his lips and trailed off like that, if he was going to be this way, then I tried to urge him on so that he wouldn’t be vague.
Then, he closed his eyes as though he had barely made up his mind.

“Why… Why a-aren’t, you coming, anymore?!”

“To be honest, this is already far enough and… what?”

“That, well… Why aren’t, you coming anymore? You still don’t have the ring, right?”

“What?”

Ares’ face turned red.
I was in disbelief and I responded foolishly as well, but my mind was blank.
Just what was he saying?

“Is… isn’t that right? I’m right.
You’re the succubus…”

“……”

“Perhaps, um, if you don’t like me… um, what I’m saying is…”

“It’s not that.”

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“Huh?”

“Anyway, no.
It’s not that!”

Since when? When did he catch on? Obviously, there was no sign of him catching on before.
My lips were trembling.
I could barely calm down my voice and I couldn’t speak calmly.
I tried to deny it at once, but Ares hesitated and said,

“Lady, you’re not very good at lying.
It’s clear on your face.”

“……!”

“Don’t you remember what you said to Reg? You said you were an only child.”

And I suddenly realized why this person was looking at me with such an expression.
I said I had a family, but they were in Evan and I had no siblings.
There was no choice but for him to think it was strange.

“B-But, well, I…”

“I’m not blaming you! But, it’s just that… What I really want to say is…!”

I couldn’t breathe.
I tried to hold myself somehow, but it was suddenly hard to breathe as I was facing an unexpected situation.
Somehow, at that moment, all the sounds around me faded into the distance, then my vision grew dark.
Light came in for a moment, and the last thing I saw was Ares running towards me with a frantic expression.

 

❦ ❦ ❦

 

It’s that dream again.

Sitting blankly in the middle of a flower garden, I still couldn’t move, nor could I speak.

A gloomy feeling engulfed me, but when I looked down, something caught my eye.
Again, it was my grandmother’s ring on my left hand.
And beneath the sun, the shiny white thread was tied to one finger.
But I noticed that there was a red thread, which was previously not there before, now tied to my finger as well.

As if possessed, I pulled on the thread that was so tight that it seemed to be on the verge of snapping.
Then, another whisper went into my ear.

“This is the second.”

It was a much clearer woman’s voice than before.
‘Who are you?’ I couldn’t speak out loud, but when I asked the question in my mind, the voice replied.

“You’ll find out soon, child.”