Clarisse was shocked and looked at Noah.
“In addition, Girl can stab a person in the heart with words.”
“When did I!”
“I am living proof. The Wizard’s Castle is suffering from a chronic lack of manpower, and it is not welcome to have anyone injured, whether physically or mentally.”
“…You’re too much.”
“Anyways, didn’t it go well?”
Not at all.
The evil wizard poured out all kinds of verbal abuse at Noah, but Clarisse was unable to respond in any way.
‘More than anything, Noah must have been hurt.’
He was pretending like nothing was wrong, but there was no one who wouldn’t be hurt by such mean words.
“Noah, that… are you okay?”
“I’m always fine. Did you have fun at the capital festival?”
Noah didn’t seem to want to use his time with the story of the unpleasant wizard.
When she looks at how the conversation immediately turns to Clarisse’s story.
“Eung.”
Clarisse still remembered what happened a little while ago, but she tried to smile at Noah.
“It would have been nice if Noah had played with us too.”
“I don’t like crowded places.”
However, during the festival, there were people walking the streets wearing masks, so Noah wouldn’t have been that noticeable.
Clarisse stopped talking about it.
Unlike the people at the festival, he didn’t wear a mask because he liked it.
“Ah, welcome to the wizard’s castle. I don’t know if I would welcome it.”
“Of course. All the marbles here would love Noah…”
Noah quickly blocked her from talking about the stone’s mood.
“Girl.”
“…Uh, sorry.”
It was only after her mouth was covered that Clarisse realized her mistake.
She decided to keep the fact that she was a golem master, a wizard who could manipulate stones, an absolute secret.
Even for the sake of Sheridan’s peace.
She was lucky that her secret was still safe.
“I think it would be better to go to Noah’s room. If I make another mistake, it will be a big problem.”
“I don’t think that’s a very good idea. There are many other things here for the girl to see, so I will show you somewhere else.”
“What on earth do you mean?”
Clarisse grabbed Noah’s arm and pulled him.
“Noah sleeps in my room, but you don’t show me your room? It’s not fair!”
A passing wizard looked in this direction as she shouted.
“W. what are you talking about! That was at least three years ago…!”
“As time goes by, does something that happened change into something that never happened?”
“No, not really.”
“But why?”
“Ugh…”
Noah pressed near his heart with one hand.
As if to prove what he said a little while ago, ‘Clarisse’s words pierce the heart.’
“O, okay, I won’t be able to beat the girl anyway. Instead.”
Noah looked at Clarisse with a very wary gaze.
“The arms are a little…let me go.”
“Why?”
Clarisse asked, holding his arm even tighter.
“That’s.”
After hesitating for a moment, he answered carefully. He seemed somewhat embarrassed.
“The girl has a strong grip and it hurts.”
What does it hurt! Saying that, Clarisse slapped his back with her palm.
Noah’s body jumped forward.
“It really hurts! I thought my heart was going to explode!”
“Mhm, lie.”
Clarisse answered harshly and pushed Noah’s back. She told him to hurry up and guide her.
“…Why are you being so mean? Be kind to your friends!”
Even though Noah grumbled, he gently guided her, telling her, ‘Be careful of the floor.’’
* * *
When Noah’s door, to which they had climbed a few stairs to get there, opened, the white sun fell on her feet immediately.
The room was about two floors high and had a huge window overlooking an open forest.
“Wow.”
Clarisse was surprised by this and looked around the room for a moment.
This place could truly be said to be a sacred place for ‘storage’.
On a huge bookshelf that reached up to the ceiling, books were neatly organized according to certain rules.
On the other wall, there were drawers of various sizes, which seemed to safely store various tools and household items.
Clarisse’s first impression as she looked around was this.
“…Why is it so clean?”
In fact, Clarisse had one prejudice. That is, ‘the wizard’s room will be dirty.’
“I think it’s natural to always keep the place you stay clean.”
“That’s true.”
But it’s not to the point of being clean.
He even neatly disinfected the laboratory tools and blankets by placing them near a window where sunlight falls.
“If you live alone, you have to take care of these things yourself.”
Clarisse reflected on herself again.
She thought she was doing a lot of work by herself, but it was really only a small part of what she had to do.
“Girl don’t have to do something like this. The duke wouldn’t want that either. Probably even if you become an adult in the future.”
When he said ‘the future’, Clarisse flinched for a moment.
‘I still… haven’t said anything.’
Noah still didn’t know that Clarisse would be executed at the age of eighteen.
She tried to talk several times, but her mouth couldn’t open.
She didn’t know why when she was young, but now she somehow understands.
Noah was the only person who told Clarisse, ‘When you grow up.’
Even though she knew that wouldn’t happen, Clarisse somehow didn’t hate that assumption.
Even if it can’t come true, she can imagine it.
As the situation continued, the period of not being able to speak became longer and longer, until today.
If Noah had an active personality and actively talked to people in the dukedom, he might have found out the truth about her somewhere else.
However, he only had necessary conversations with people other than Clarisse, so he never heard any rumors.
Moreover, the newspaper only records the story of the king providing education to the young princess who had been treated poorly in Grezekaia.
Nowhere was it mentioned that she was scheduled to be executed at eighteen.
Clarisse thought that perhaps the king had hidden this fact.
If Clarisse’s life was widely recognized as a death row inmate, it may have been taken into consideration that Clarisse’s life would become somewhat uncomfortable.
‘But I didn’t know that so much time would pass and I wouldn’t be able to talk…’
Considering her deep friendship with him, she has to tell him right now.
“Y, you know, Noah! I have something to tell you.”
Clarisse grabbed his robe tightly and pulled it with trembling hands.
“What’s the matter?”
Because Noah looked back and took off his mask, Clarisse unconsciously stopped talking and looked at him blankly.
His face was still the same.
Red stones scattered like flower petals bloom brightly on pure white skin.
Clarisse really liked that look. To be more specific, he liked the energy that emanated from the stone.
So much so that she unconsciously placed her hand on his cheek and held it.
“It’s…pretty.”
“Really, Girl!”
Despite her honest sentiments, Noah made a disgusting sound and quickly turned his head away from her.
“You’re too much.”
Clarisse wept with her hands awkwardly raised, which remained a little cold.
“Why do you touch my face every time I take off my mask?”
“I can’t help it!”
Clarisse suddenly took a step in front of him and raised her head.
“Because I love Noah’s face! It’s the best in the world!”
“….”
“Besides, it’s been half a year since we’ve seen each other again. What’s wrong with liking your friend’s face?”
“Doesn’t liking a face necessarily have to involve touching it?”
“That’s true, but I want to touch it.”
“Then ask for permission in advance. You’re not even a child anymore, are you?”
Since Clarisse is fifteen, she knew it wasn’t right for her to hold her friend’s face for no reason.
When the capital’s nobles turn fifteen, they attend banquets or enjoy romantic relationships in order to find a marriage partner.
Clarisse was also aware of this and became a little more polite after turning fifteen.
But somehow it wasn’t easy for her to act like that when she was with Noah.
Just being together like this made her feel like she was returning to nine-year-old Clarisse.
In her heart, she really wanted to say, “I’m going to touch Noah’s face, and it’s up to me.” The same way she did when she was young.
“Ugh…”
But looking at Noah’s stern expression, she knew that talking like that would backfire terribly.
Clarisse greeted him with the familiar manners and then made a request.
“Dear Noah Sinnett, would you please allow me to touch your face?”
“I don’t want to.”
Clarisse looked up at him with an earnest look, clasping her hands tightly together.
“I don’t…want to?”
“….”
“I… like it.”
“…Y, you can’t.”
As expected, he refused it.
Then she shouldn’t be stubborn any more.
Even though Clarisse thought so, she couldn’t shake off the lingering regrets that remained until the end and asked once more with a face that looked like she was about to cry.
“Are you sure… I can’t?”
Clarisse was shocked and looked at Noah.
“In addition, Girl can stab a person in the heart with words.”
“When did I!”
“I am living proof. The Wizard’s Castle is suffering from a chronic lack of manpower, and it is not welcome to have anyone injured, whether physically or mentally.”
“…You’re too much.”
“Anyways, didn’t it go well?”
Not at all.
The evil wizard poured out all kinds of verbal abuse at Noah, but Clarisse was unable to respond in any way.
‘More than anything, Noah must have been hurt.’
He was pretending like nothing was wrong, but there was no one who wouldn’t be hurt by such mean words.
“Noah, that… are you okay?”
“I’m always fine. Did you have fun at the capital festival?”
Noah didn’t seem to want to use his time with the story of the unpleasant wizard.
When she looks at how the conversation immediately turns to Clarisse’s story.
“Eung.”
Clarisse still remembered what happened a little while ago, but she tried to smile at Noah.
“It would have been nice if Noah had played with us too.”
“I don’t like crowded places.”
However, during the festival, there were people walking the streets wearing masks, so Noah wouldn’t have been that noticeable.
Clarisse stopped talking about it.
Unlike the people at the festival, he didn’t wear a mask because he liked it.
“Ah, welcome to the wizard’s castle. I don’t know if I would welcome it.”
“Of course. All the marbles here would love Noah…”
Noah quickly blocked her from talking about the stone’s mood.
“Girl.”
“…Uh, sorry.”
It was only after her mouth was covered that Clarisse realized her mistake.
She decided to keep the fact that she was a golem master, a wizard who could manipulate stones, an absolute secret.
Even for the sake of Sheridan’s peace.
She was lucky that her secret was still safe.
“I think it would be better to go to Noah’s room. If I make another mistake, it will be a big problem.”
“I don’t think that’s a very good idea. There are many other things here for the girl to see, so I will show you somewhere else.”
“What on earth do you mean?”
Clarisse grabbed Noah’s arm and pulled him.
“Noah sleeps in my room, but you don’t show me your room? It’s not fair!”
A passing wizard looked in this direction as she shouted.
“W. what are you talking about! That was at least three years ago…!”
“As time goes by, does something that happened change into something that never happened?”
“No, not really.”
“But why?”
“Ugh…”
Noah pressed near his heart with one hand.
As if to prove what he said a little while ago, ‘Clarisse’s words pierce the heart.’
“O, okay, I won’t be able to beat the girl anyway. Instead.”
Noah looked at Clarisse with a very wary gaze.
“The arms are a little…let me go.”
“Why?”
Clarisse asked, holding his arm even tighter.
“That’s.”
After hesitating for a moment, he answered carefully. He seemed somewhat embarrassed.
“The girl has a strong grip and it hurts.”
What does it hurt! Saying that, Clarisse slapped his back with her palm.
Noah’s body jumped forward.
“It really hurts! I thought my heart was going to explode!”
“Mhm, lie.”
Clarisse answered harshly and pushed Noah’s back. She told him to hurry up and guide her.
“…Why are you being so mean? Be kind to your friends!”
Even though Noah grumbled, he gently guided her, telling her, ‘Be careful of the floor.’’
* * *
When Noah’s door, to which they had climbed a few stairs to get there, opened, the white sun fell on her feet immediately.
The room was about two floors high and had a huge window overlooking an open forest.
“Wow.”
Clarisse was surprised by this and looked around the room for a moment.
This place could truly be said to be a sacred place for ‘storage’.
On a huge bookshelf that reached up to the ceiling, books were neatly organized according to certain rules.
On the other wall, there were drawers of various sizes, which seemed to safely store various tools and household items.
Clarisse’s first impression as she looked around was this.
“…Why is it so clean?”
In fact, Clarisse had one prejudice. That is, ‘the wizard’s room will be dirty.’
“I think it’s natural to always keep the place you stay clean.”
“That’s true.”
But it’s not to the point of being clean.
He even neatly disinfected the laboratory tools and blankets by placing them near a window where sunlight falls.
“If you live alone, you have to take care of these things yourself.”
Clarisse reflected on herself again.
She thought she was doing a lot of work by herself, but it was really only a small part of what she had to do.
“Girl don’t have to do something like this. The duke wouldn’t want that either. Probably even if you become an adult in the future.”
When he said ‘the future’, Clarisse flinched for a moment.
‘I still… haven’t said anything.’
Noah still didn’t know that Clarisse would be executed at the age of eighteen.
She tried to talk several times, but her mouth couldn’t open.
She didn’t know why when she was young, but now she somehow understands.
Noah was the only person who told Clarisse, ‘When you grow up.’
Even though she knew that wouldn’t happen, Clarisse somehow didn’t hate that assumption.
Even if it can’t come true, she can imagine it.
As the situation continued, the period of not being able to speak became longer and longer, until today.
If Noah had an active personality and actively talked to people in the dukedom, he might have found out the truth about her somewhere else.
However, he only had necessary conversations with people other than Clarisse, so he never heard any rumors.
Moreover, the newspaper only records the story of the king providing education to the young princess who had been treated poorly in Grezekaia.
Nowhere was it mentioned that she was scheduled to be executed at eighteen.
Clarisse thought that perhaps the king had hidden this fact.
If Clarisse’s life was widely recognized as a death row inmate, it may have been taken into consideration that Clarisse’s life would become somewhat uncomfortable.
‘But I didn’t know that so much time would pass and I wouldn’t be able to talk…’
Considering her deep friendship with him, she has to tell him right now.
“Y, you know, Noah! I have something to tell you.”
Clarisse grabbed his robe tightly and pulled it with trembling hands.
“What’s the matter?”
Because Noah looked back and took off his mask, Clarisse unconsciously stopped talking and looked at him blankly.
His face was still the same.
Red stones scattered like flower petals bloom brightly on pure white skin.
Clarisse really liked that look. To be more specific, he liked the energy that emanated from the stone.
So much so that she unconsciously placed her hand on his cheek and held it.
“It’s…pretty.”
“Really, Girl!”
Despite her honest sentiments, Noah made a disgusting sound and quickly turned his head away from her.
“You’re too much.”
Clarisse wept with her hands awkwardly raised, which remained a little cold.
“Why do you touch my face every time I take off my mask?”
“I can’t help it!”
Clarisse suddenly took a step in front of him and raised her head.
“Because I love Noah’s face! It’s the best in the world!”
“….”
“Besides, it’s been half a year since we’ve seen each other again. What’s wrong with liking your friend’s face?”
“Doesn’t liking a face necessarily have to involve touching it?”
“That’s true, but I want to touch it.”
“Then ask for permission in advance. You’re not even a child anymore, are you?”
Since Clarisse is fifteen, she knew it wasn’t right for her to hold her friend’s face for no reason.
When the capital’s nobles turn fifteen, they attend banquets or enjoy romantic relationships in order to find a marriage partner.
Clarisse was also aware of this and became a little more polite after turning fifteen.
But somehow it wasn’t easy for her to act like that when she was with Noah.
Just being together like this made her feel like she was returning to nine-year-old Clarisse.
In her heart, she really wanted to say, “I’m going to touch Noah’s face, and it’s up to me.” The same way she did when she was young.
“Ugh…”
But looking at Noah’s stern expression, she knew that talking like that would backfire terribly.
Clarisse greeted him with the familiar manners and then made a request.
“Dear Noah Sinnett, would you please allow me to touch your face?”
“I don’t want to.”
Clarisse looked up at him with an earnest look, clasping her hands tightly together.
“I don’t…want to?”
“….”
“I… like it.”
“…Y, you can’t.”
As expected, he refused it.
Then she shouldn’t be stubborn any more.
Even though Clarisse thought so, she couldn’t shake off the lingering regrets that remained until the end and asked once more with a face that looked like she was about to cry.
“Are you sure… I can’t?”
