One of the things I realized while raising Serena is that children love sweet things.
It seems like that preference isn’t tied to social status, as Prince Reyzen’s eyes noticeably softened when he saw the prepared desserts.
“You must be tired from your long journey.
Why don’t you take a moment to relax first?”
“…It wouldn’t be polite to refuse.”
Still, his reluctance to be completely honest reminded me a bit of Serena.
Or maybe I was just imagining things?
Either way, with that, Serena, Prince Reyzen, and I sat together at the table, each enjoying our desserts in a moment of leisure.
The plates were filled with various cookies and soft bread.
Watching Prince Reyzen take small bites, never putting anything whole into his mouth, while Serena, in contrast, took big bites of everything, made me feel strangely content.
Having two adorable kids in one place was truly a feast for the eyes.
“How has the Count been doing lately?”
As he sipped his tea, Prince Reyzen suddenly asked about my well-being.
“I’ve been incredibly busy.
Lately, there have been some criminals trying to infiltrate my territory, which has been quite the headache.”
I wasn’t joking—organizations related to Fairy Tale kept cropping up like weeds, no matter how many times I pulled them out. It was exhausting.
Fortunately, thanks to my skills, I could prevent many issues before they even started.
But other lords, without such advantages, must have had an even harder time than me.
“My father has been concerned about that too.
I take it you’re in the same situation?”
“Yes.
But I’m still managing.”
“Oh?
And why is that?”
“Because I have a place to rest my heart.”
As I lightly patted Serena’s head, it felt smooth, almost like touching polished stone.
She gave me a look that clearly said, ‘Don’t bother me while I’m eating’, but her slightly reddened cheeks betrayed the fact that she didn’t actually dislike the attention.
With a kid like this by my side, a little hardship was nothing.
“…There’s something that’s been bothering me.
May I ask?”
“Hm?
Oh, of course.
What is it?”
“I’ve heard that aside from your parents, you have no other family.
Is this girl really your sister?”
I was momentarily taken aback by his sharp, penetrating question.
I didn’t know his intent, but I could clearly see hostility toward Serena in his gaze.
Setting aside the fact that he was doubting my family relationships, why was he acting so antagonistic toward her?
Although it bothered me, I decided to answer Prince Reyzen first.
“…Actually, she’s the daughter of a distant relative.
Her family passed away suddenly in an accident, so I took her in and have been raising her like a younger sister.
It might seem strange, but I’d appreciate it if you could understand.”
“Ah…”
Realizing that he had unintentionally touched upon a sensitive subject, his expression softened slightly, and he let out a short sigh.
It was a lie I had prepared in case anyone asked—a story crafted to elicit sympathy.
Fortunately, he seemed to have bought it.
I still don’t know why he dislikes Serena.
But the fact that I couldn’t figure it out made me anxious.
We had only just met, so where had things gone wrong?
I had to resolve this, or things wouldn’t progress in the direction I wanted.
There were two ways to change the way someone viewed another person—either through spending time together and gradually building understanding or through a single dramatic event that altered their perception all at once.
The latter would be more dramatic, but… I have to think long-term, too.
I preferred relationships that deepened naturally over time, so I chose the former.
After all, the ultimate goal was for both of them to be happy in the end.
Not that I had ever been in a romantic relationship before… but isn’t this what pure love is all about?
“My apologies.
It just seemed odd since you two don’t resemble each other at all.”
“That’s understandable.
But you don’t need to worry ab—”
“…I am her little sister.”
…Huh?
“I am her little sister.
So stop trying to pick a fight.”
Serena suddenly shot a glare at Prince Reyzen and spoke firmly.
Her open display of displeasure caught both him and me off guard, leaving us momentarily speechless.
This wasn’t the time to feel happy that she had called me “sister” for the first time.
A person of lower status being openly rude to someone of higher rank—let alone a prince—was no small offense.
“…Your little sister is quite ill-mannered.”
“I-I sincerely apologize.”
Luckily, he seemed willing to let it slide just this once.
“Hmph.”
“I—hey!!”
But Serena made things worse by scoffing at him, as if saying she didn’t need his leniency.
Why the hell was she acting like this all of a sudden?
In the end, I barely managed to calm him down after much effort, but the rift between them was now glaringly obvious.
What the hell do these two have against each other?
‘Seriously, kids…’
“Just to check, Your Highness, how far have you progressed?”
After our awkward tea time ended, I took Prince Reyzen to the garden as promised to train him.
It was the most open space where we could practice without causing too much damage.
“I’m still lacking compared to you, Count, but I’ve recently begun learning 4th-circle magic.”
“Really?
That’s impressive.”
This wasn’t just flattery or diplomacy—it was genuine admiration.
If he was learning 4th-circle magic, that meant he was already at the level of an intermediate mage.
Considering most mages reached that level on average, it might not seem extraordinary, but the fact that he had done so at such a young age proved he had exceptional talent.
Of course, Serena was an exception, so comparing them was meaningless.
Still, if he was that skilled, did he really need me to teach him?
“That’s not much.
Compared to you, I still have a long way to go.”
I’m sorry, Your Highness.
I might have gotten this far, but my skills did a lot of the heavy lifting.
Seeing the genuine respect in his eyes filled me with guilt, so I decided to change the subject.
“A-ahem.
Well then, I’ll teach you a special trick, just for you, Your Highness.”
“A trick?”
Hearing that, Prince Reyzen’s voice momentarily took on the excitement befitting his age.
Realizing it himself, he quickly cleared his throat to mask it.
“Before that, I have a question for you.
Mages are ranked according to the level of magic they can use.
Do you know what’s most important in reaching higher levels of magic?”
“Endless effort and an unyielding will?”
“That’s important too.
But the biggest factor is the amount of mana a person possesses.”
While effort could help overcome many obstacles, some walls simply couldn’t be scaled through hard work alone.
And when it came to magic, that wall was mana.
Those born with a large mana pool could grow immensely through training, but those without it would never surpass their natural limits, no matter how hard they tried.
That was the harsh reality of magic—it was ultimately about talent.
Cold, but true.
“That’s why mages undergo countless training exercises to expand their capacity.
But that process is incredibly grueling.”
Even though I had to endure painful hardships to break through my limits, despite knowing how to do it thanks to my skills.
If I had to go back and do it all over again, I’d hesitate.
That’s how painful it was to push past one’s limits.
“…Then, how do you think I rank?”
Perhaps feeling uneasy about this reality, Prince Reyzen’s voice grew quieter.
“I don’t know.
That’s something you’ll discover in time.
But what I’m about to teach you is a special—”
“Enough suspense. Just tell me already.”
Maybe I dragged the introduction out too long.
“Well then…
A technique that allows a beginner mage to use intermediate magic and an intermediate mage to use advanced magic.
What do you think?”
His eyes widened, mouth agape in disbelief.
That reaction was exactly what I had been hoping for.
“…I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
His voice trembled with quiet awe.
However.
“That’s right.
Because I invented it myself.”
In my words, he was once again left speechless.
Since I needed to teach Prince Reyzen magic, I preferred for Serena to stay away for now.
Ershie’s words were gentle, filled with concern for Serena, but to her, it felt as if she was being pushed aside, which made her feel sorrowful.
What’s so special about that guy…?
Still, Serena obediently followed the instruction and was now hiding behind a tree, watching us.
She didn’t have to spy on us like this, but feeling left out naturally led her to this spot.
She didn’t know what the two of us were discussing so intently, but after a few minutes of talking, Reyzen suddenly conjured a massive flame in his hands.
It was an advanced-level fire spell—something beyond his current abilities.
He was thrilled by the fact that he had just successfully used a spell he wasn’t supposed to be able to cast yet.
“Is that really such a big deal?”
But Serena, watching from afar, couldn’t understand why he was so happy.
She wasn’t mocking him or anything—she was simply, genuinely curious.
She had only learned basic magic so far, but for some reason, she felt like she could do something like that right away too.
However, magic itself didn’t really matter to her.
What did bother her was the fact that Ershi—who had always only looked at her and treated her as the most precious person—was now being kind to some arrogant brat like Reyzen.
Of course, if she threw a tantrum here, she would just get scolded instead, so instead, she squeezed the stuffed pumpkin doll in her arms tightly in frustration.
Then, suddenly, a thought struck her.
“…If I had that, would she let me join too?”
Absentmindedly touching her bare neck, she didn’t even stop to consider the possibility—she simply sprinted toward the mansion.
“This…
This is amazing!
How did you even come up with something like this?”
Prince Reyzen was still too excited to calm down, even forgetting the refined way he usually spoke.
Well, that was understandable.
He had just barely started learning 4th-circle magic, yet, for a brief moment, he had managed to cast a 7th-circle spell—a level only great mages could achieve.
When I first used this technique I developed, I was jumping with joy too.
Remembering that moment filled me with nostalgia.
“Alright, calm down now.
You used up all your mana in one go, so you must be exhausted.”
“H-how can I calm down after that…?”
“Your Highness, your speech has changed.”
The moment I pointed it out, his face stiffened, and he quickly erased all traces of the excited child he had just been.
As if that would make it all go away.
“F-forget what you just saw…”
“Yes, of course.
If that’s what Your Highness wishes.”
It seemed that, as a prince, his pride wouldn’t allow him to accept the fact that he had just acted like an ordinary kid.
But personally, I liked that pure, joyful expression of his.
It was a shame, but oh well.
“Big sister!”
At the sudden call, I turned my head.
She had never called me that before.
Even if it was just to get a reaction out of Prince Reyzen, it still had a nice ring to it.
“…Huh?”
But the moment I saw her approaching, I froze in place.
Because she was wearing that.
The collar.
The one I had taken off for a while.
Serena, I introduced you as my little sister, and now you show up wearing that…?!
“Teach me magic too!”
But completely oblivious to my inner turmoil, she just beamed at me with a bright smile.
I couldn’t say anything.
I just closed my mouth.