TMLOH 57

Chapter : 57

Ciel and Noel looked at each other.

In that brief moment, their eyes exchanged a question—Did they know why Arellin was acting like that?—but they found no answer.

Noel grinned.

“We don’t just call anyone our friend, you know.”

“Yeah, friends aren’t something you give away so easily.”

“Exactly.”

Taking advantage of the moment, the twins quickly tried to tease her again, but Arellin turned her back on them without hesitation.

In the end, it was the twins who ended up chasing after her.

“No, no—be our friend!”

“Yeah, be our friend!”

With an expression that showed she wasn’t particularly thrilled, Arellin finally became friends with the twins.

Ciel asked,
“But you said last time you didn’t want to be besties. What made you change your mind, Arelli-rin?”

“Yeah, did we do something cute? Arellerelel?”

“Was it our looks?”

“Was it the money?”

“I don’t need either of those.”

Arellin, who had been fuming, suddenly burst into laughter at the ridiculousness of the situation.

Startled.

The twins flinched at her unexpected smile.

“Uhh…”

It was the first time they had seen Arellin smile like that.

“I don’t know… I just thought you two were kind of cute.”

Arellin smiled. It wasn’t a smirk or a fake grin—it was a bright, genuine smile they’d never seen before.

Overwhelmed by that radiant expression, like spring blooming, they could only blink in awe. Then Noel muttered dazedly,

“Ciel, I think I get why His Highness keeps chasing after Arellin.”

“You too, Noel? Me too.”

It had been a while since she came to the library.

“Are you looking for a specific book?”

“Yeah.”

“Another novel?”

“No. Something else today.”

The Halbern family’s private library, built separately from the mansion, was considered one of the Empire’s three great libraries alongside the Spherom Private Library and the Imperial Palace Library.

It was good enough for research. Arellin started sweeping up every book she could find related to symbols and heraldry.

The History Through Crests
Stars for Star-Class Mages
Symbols of the Ancient Gods

“This one’s in Sovaer… can you read it?”

“I’ll try.”

“You really must love studying, my lady!”

Leaving behind Lena, her education maid who seemed oddly touched, Arellin stared at the symbol on the back of her hand.

‘That guy.’

Ever since the day he first appeared, the man had occasionally shown up in front of her.

She didn’t know the reason or the pattern. He just came and went as he pleased.

And only she could see him.

‘Even Mehen couldn’t see him, and I don’t think the mage could either.’

She had openly tested it, walking around with him like it was nothing, and he just smiled and watched with ease, as if daring her to try. It was infuriating.

“Sigh. How did an extra like me get tangled up with some bizarre creature…”

“Pardon? What was that?”

“Nothing. Never mind.”

If he had been a character in the novel, it might’ve made sense. But he wasn’t. That made it worse.

Why was she the one being tested like this?

He didn’t do anything particular to her, and he was always strangely kind—but it still felt like standing on a mine that could explode at any time.

“Well, I guess it makes sense. I don’t even know his name or what he is.”

He might just tell her if she asked, but… it felt like once she knew, there would be no going back.

In any case, her “weakest-of-the-worldview” radar worked too well.

Coming to the library had been impulsive. Maybe if she learned something, things would change.

“Though I doubt it.”

The only clue was the symbol on her hand— a falling star. It wasn’t going to be easy.

“Stars usually symbolize mages. When they reach a certain level, they receive a star and become Star-Class Mages…”

Could it be related?

“In ancient times, they also symbolized saviors…”

Maybe she was wrong.

“So, is he a mage?”

If he was, then appearing and disappearing like a ghost would make sense.

Recalling the bits of information he had let slip during conversations, he definitely seemed older than he looked.

Just like swordmasters whose bodies restructure and aging slows, mages too undergo changes at a certain level.

Could that be it?

‘Maybe he’s not even human.’

He looked human on the outside, but his mannerisms and tone were more like a monster that had been sealed away for centuries.

“A monster sealed long ago, now released? Or a grand mage awakened from a long slumber?”

She was flipping through a book while pondering all the traditional clichés of the genre when—

“Arellin.”

She looked up at the voice she shouldn’t have been able to hear.

“Pession?”

She set the book down and went toward the sound. Pession was standing alone.

“What are you doing here?”

“I heard you were here.”

“Oh…”

Did she miss an appointment?

She turned reflexively to look behind her. Lena shook her head.

“It’s not time for training yet.”

“Just felt like coming.”

“Just felt like it?”

“I wanted to see you.”

His voice was so gloomy that she immediately knew.

‘He must’ve heard about yesterday.’

“Did he skip class for this?”

Sir Pasello’s going to scold him…

“Arellin.”

“Hm?”

“You don’t like the music club, do you?”

“Where’s that coming from?”

“Should I disband it?”

It was so sudden. So random. Pession wasn’t usually like this.

Truthfully, she was caught off guard.

“I thought you liked it. Hanging out with everyone.”

“I used to.”

His eyes drooped.

“But if you don’t like it, then I don’t either.”

Silence settled in.

He was always the one smiling and taking the lead, so this downcast and gloomy Pession left her at a loss.

As she stood frozen in surprise, Lena caught her eye and gave her a hint with gestures.

‘Pat his head.’

…Lena, he’s the Crown Prince, you know.

‘Give him a hug and a few pats.’

Isn’t that a bit too much like treating him like a kid?

After a few failed attempts to reach out, she finally mustered the courage.

“Pession.”

“Hm?”

She took his hand and pulled him closer. Pession looked up.

His usually bright red eyes were shaded with gloom. Like a puppy drenched in rain, he looked utterly pitiful as he’d come all this way to find her.

Something about this insecure, unstable version of Pession made her sigh.

Who would look at him now and call him the radiant Crown Prince?

‘It’s probably my fault.’

He was the one who had reached out to her.

And yet, she had done nothing in return.

Maybe she was the one isolating Pession now.

The Pession she knew was always a shining sun.

Wasn’t she being way too selfish?

Wouldn’t it be better to just let go?

What could she even do for him?

“Do you want anything from me?”

“I want you to be happy.”

“…That’s the first time I’ve heard something like that.”

It was the first time anyone had ever told her to be happy. That it was what they wanted from her. Her throat tightened.

All she ever did was hurt him.

Did he not even hate her?

“Don’t you hate me?”

“…I do.”

His answer was unexpectedly honest.

“I do, but…”

“But?”

“I think I like you more than I hate you. So I’m not really sure.”

His overflowing feelings were now too obvious to ignore.

“You like me that much?”

“Yeah.”

Without a hint of hesitation, Pession affirmed it.

“Like crazy.”

Her heart dropped like a stone.

It was the first time someone’s feelings for her had ever been so visible, so vivid, so real.

The sensation of someone thinking about her, cherishing her, loving her…

To her dry, cracked heart, Pession’s affection was like occasional rain in the desert.

Only Pession meant something.

“Arellin?”

His red eyes looked at her, filled with worry. And beyond them, affection so clear it was impossible to ignore.

His attention and care—once annoying, often baffling, and still hard to understand—were no longer unpleasant.

“Arellin? Are you okay?”

Even after opening up so honestly, he still looked at her with anxious eyes, wondering if she would reject him, if she would hate him.

Strange.

There was no sunlight in the library, and yet it felt so warm and bright.

“Pession.”

She bumped her forehead gently against his.

“Forget what I said before.”

“What part?”

“All of it. Whatever it was.”

Whether this world was a novel or not—

“I believe you.”

That kind of thing didn’t matter anymore.

“I’ve decided to trust you.”

You were the one who dragged me out when I swore I’d trust no one and stay alone.

The novel had already gone off track before the story even began.

His red eyes widened in shock. Just seeing that made her smile, and suddenly, everything felt okay.

“Don’t get rid of the music club.”

“…Why not?”

“I kind of like it. Hanging out at the palace.”

It was fun, especially since she’d never had that kind of experience before.

“Being with you, Harun, the twins…”

Pession’s eyes sparkled.

“Should I kick everyone else out and just leave the five of us?”

“Then you’ll get scolded.”

“I don’t mind being scolded.”

“But I do.”

“…Okay. I won’t. So don’t make that face.”

Pession panicked.

When she laughed again, he stared at her like he was hypnotized.

“So, I still can’t be your dad?”

“Why do you want to be my dad so badly?”

“Because then I could be with you all day. Like Mehen.”

…Was that what he was jealous of?