“I told you that the Landegger family has been serving the Castalde family for a long time. Dennis has been taking care of me and Paula since we were little. But, with that appearance and personality, things never went smoothly. I wanted to do something about it, but before I knew it, it became like that.”
Jeremiah speaks a little embarrassedly.
I listen silently, surprised.
“I knew that what she needed was a master who wouldn’t deny her true self, but neither Paula nor I could become like that. I tried having you take care of her this time because it was necessary, and it seems to have worked out.”
“I-I didn’t know that.”
Certainly, I have never denied Dennis in particular. I thought it was just the way she was, and because her face was scary but didn’t give me a bad feeling, I didn’t care that she was a weirdo.
Because――.
“Well, I think I’m much more of a weirdo than she is.”
When I say that, Jeremiah has a very kind face for some reason.
He looks very happy, which makes me happy too, but I don’t remember saying such a good thing. I smile back and then the door, which was left open, is knocked on.
I look over there and see a beautiful woman who I want to admire again after a long time looking a little awkward.
“Oh, Nee-san, you’re here early.”
“Oh, I see. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn’t help it. Besides, it’s okay. We have plenty of time from now on. After all, Lorraine is banned from going out for a while.”
“…Huh?”
Ignoring me, who was frozen by the sudden ban on going out, Paula, the beauty, approached me with a smile.
“Lorraine, I’m glad you’re okay. I was really, really worried about everything… About life, and about everything else.”
My eyes were fixed.
It was no longer something to be admired. I trembled silently. I could hear Jeremiah sighing, but he didn’t seem to have any intention of stopping.
Well, that’s understandable.
At this point, it seems that I have no choice but to resign myself to Paula’s anger. Oh, I wish she had at least let me have a meal.
While I was escaping from such thoughts, Paula began to speak.
“Before coming here, I also met Lucia. Of course, I made her understand what she did wrong and told her not to go out for a while. This way, that child will become a little more mature.”
I became really worried about Lucia becoming an old woman before becoming an adult, but I can’t go see her now. I engraved in my heart that I would go later and looked at the thinly smiling beauty.
“You’re already an adult, but you should know more about your own abilities. What you can do and what you can’t. What kind of situation your actions will lead to… Oh, that’s right, you came here to learn about those things, didn’t you?
Fufu, don’t worry, I’ll teach you thoroughly from now on.”
“T-Thank you very much.”
I nodded with a trembling voice.
“Oh, that’s a good attitude. You’re reflecting properly… But that’s not enough.”
Paula came close to me and sat on the bed, staring at me from a very close distance. My heart was pounding. As I gazed into her eyes, which were similar to Jeremiah’s and seemed to see through everything, she erased her smile and reached out her hand. Her beautiful hand wrapped in gloves touched my cheek.
“You have a kind face unlike mine. I know that your heart is just as kind as your face. But that won’t protect you or the important people in your life… Think about the person who loves you.”
“That is…”
As she touched my cheek, I looked down.
I couldn’t meet Paula’s gaze directly.
“This time, you went through a difficult time, but we also went through a difficult time. Your family did too. Do you understand that?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, you know that, don’t you? But it’s not just the human heart that gets hurt, it’s also the trust and evaluation of those around you. That’s what you did, so remember that.”
I lifted my face and looked Paula in the eye.
She wasn’t angry, but I could see the emotions in her eyes. I didn’t want to betray those feelings.
So I nodded firmly.
“I understand.”
“Good. I’ll be tougher on you from now on, so be prepared. You won’t leave here for a while, okay?”
“Yes.”
After I said that clearly, Paula seemed satisfied and finally smiled.
Then she pinched my cheek tightly.
“Ek! That hurts!”
“It’s payback for worrying me. Be glad it’s only this much.”
I winced in pain as she pinched harder than usual, but Paula let go quickly.
But it would still hurt for a while.
I held my cheek and looked up at Paula as she stood up.
Then Jeremiah gave her a look of exasperation. Paula noticed and seemed a little apologetic as she said:
“I’m sorry. But I didn’t do it that hard.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“It’s written all over your face that you’re being childish. I know that too, but I still wanted to be a little mean.”
Jeremiah returned a smile to Paula’s words and said nothing else, just “Hmm.” Paula looked a little sulking.
As I watched their exchange while holding my cheeks, I was completely captivated by the shocking sight of a beautiful woman sulking.
In my mind, it was almost nosebleed-worthy.
It’s regrettable that I can’t expand my field of vision or increase the resolution any further. After all, I’m just a human and don’t have such abilities in this world.
After all, there aren’t many fantasy things in this world.
Although I touched on the fantasy part of this world a little in this incident, I still don’t know because we weren’t actually born in that era.
More importantly, the fantasy beings in front of me are more important. I decided to stare at them until Paula said her next words.
“I told you that the Landegger family has been serving the Castalde family for a long time. Dennis has been taking care of me and Paula since we were little. But, with that appearance and personality, things never went smoothly. I wanted to do something about it, but before I knew it, it became like that.”
Jeremiah speaks a little embarrassedly.
I listen silently, surprised.
“I knew that what she needed was a master who wouldn’t deny her true self, but neither Paula nor I could become like that. I tried having you take care of her this time because it was necessary, and it seems to have worked out.”
“I-I didn’t know that.”
Certainly, I have never denied Dennis in particular. I thought it was just the way she was, and because her face was scary but didn’t give me a bad feeling, I didn’t care that she was a weirdo.
Because――.
“Well, I think I’m much more of a weirdo than she is.”
When I say that, Jeremiah has a very kind face for some reason.
He looks very happy, which makes me happy too, but I don’t remember saying such a good thing. I smile back and then the door, which was left open, is knocked on.
I look over there and see a beautiful woman who I want to admire again after a long time looking a little awkward.
“Oh, Nee-san, you’re here early.”
“Oh, I see. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn’t help it. Besides, it’s okay. We have plenty of time from now on. After all, Lorraine is banned from going out for a while.”
“…Huh?”
Ignoring me, who was frozen by the sudden ban on going out, Paula, the beauty, approached me with a smile.
“Lorraine, I’m glad you’re okay. I was really, really worried about everything… About life, and about everything else.”
My eyes were fixed.
It was no longer something to be admired. I trembled silently. I could hear Jeremiah sighing, but he didn’t seem to have any intention of stopping.
Well, that’s understandable.
At this point, it seems that I have no choice but to resign myself to Paula’s anger. Oh, I wish she had at least let me have a meal.
While I was escaping from such thoughts, Paula began to speak.
“Before coming here, I also met Lucia. Of course, I made her understand what she did wrong and told her not to go out for a while. This way, that child will become a little more mature.”
I became really worried about Lucia becoming an old woman before becoming an adult, but I can’t go see her now. I engraved in my heart that I would go later and looked at the thinly smiling beauty.
“You’re already an adult, but you should know more about your own abilities. What you can do and what you can’t. What kind of situation your actions will lead to… Oh, that’s right, you came here to learn about those things, didn’t you?
Fufu, don’t worry, I’ll teach you thoroughly from now on.”
“T-Thank you very much.”
I nodded with a trembling voice.
“Oh, that’s a good attitude. You’re reflecting properly… But that’s not enough.”
Paula came close to me and sat on the bed, staring at me from a very close distance. My heart was pounding. As I gazed into her eyes, which were similar to Jeremiah’s and seemed to see through everything, she erased her smile and reached out her hand. Her beautiful hand wrapped in gloves touched my cheek.
“You have a kind face unlike mine. I know that your heart is just as kind as your face. But that won’t protect you or the important people in your life… Think about the person who loves you.”
“That is…”
As she touched my cheek, I looked down.
I couldn’t meet Paula’s gaze directly.
“This time, you went through a difficult time, but we also went through a difficult time. Your family did too. Do you understand that?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, you know that, don’t you? But it’s not just the human heart that gets hurt, it’s also the trust and evaluation of those around you. That’s what you did, so remember that.”
I lifted my face and looked Paula in the eye.
She wasn’t angry, but I could see the emotions in her eyes. I didn’t want to betray those feelings.
So I nodded firmly.
“I understand.”
“Good. I’ll be tougher on you from now on, so be prepared. You won’t leave here for a while, okay?”
“Yes.”
After I said that clearly, Paula seemed satisfied and finally smiled.
Then she pinched my cheek tightly.
“Ek! That hurts!”
“It’s payback for worrying me. Be glad it’s only this much.”
I winced in pain as she pinched harder than usual, but Paula let go quickly.
But it would still hurt for a while.
I held my cheek and looked up at Paula as she stood up.
Then Jeremiah gave her a look of exasperation. Paula noticed and seemed a little apologetic as she said:
“I’m sorry. But I didn’t do it that hard.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“It’s written all over your face that you’re being childish. I know that too, but I still wanted to be a little mean.”
Jeremiah returned a smile to Paula’s words and said nothing else, just “Hmm.” Paula looked a little sulking.
As I watched their exchange while holding my cheeks, I was completely captivated by the shocking sight of a beautiful woman sulking.
In my mind, it was almost nosebleed-worthy.
It’s regrettable that I can’t expand my field of vision or increase the resolution any further. After all, I’m just a human and don’t have such abilities in this world.
After all, there aren’t many fantasy things in this world.
Although I touched on the fantasy part of this world a little in this incident, I still don’t know because we weren’t actually born in that era.
More importantly, the fantasy beings in front of me are more important. I decided to stare at them until Paula said her next words.
