The Sleeping Devil

"Lady Dior, greetings. May I intrude?"

"Lady Lyra, greetings. Your Highness Alphonse, welcome."

Alphonse's mother, Lyra, arrived at Dior's side. The queen had already passed away, but someone who becomes a mistress won't ascend to the position of queen by default. Since the king hasn't taken a new queen yet, the position of queen remains vacant until Alphonse welcomes a new wife. Hence, while Dior showed a semblance of respect to Lyra, a mid-level noble, she only directed her smiles towards Alphonse.

I worry whether such an interaction in front of children might twist Alphonse's character. Nonetheless, when offered a seat, Alphonse, in a cheerful mood, took his place without casting a glare at Dior.

"Your Highness Alphonse, it's a tremendous honor that you've come all the way to this place. Allow me to introduce my daughter, Sheriel. I humbly ask for your kind consideration from now on."

"I am Sheriel. I am grateful to have the privilege of meeting Your Highness Alphonse on this auspicious day and offer my thanks to the Water Deity."

After finishing the formal introduction, I followed Dior's example and performed the highest form of courtesy. Not only did I lightly lower my hips, but I also slid my back leg backward, letting my knee touch the ground. I concentrated my focus to ensure my hips wouldn't drop abruptly and I wouldn't lean too far forward, sliding smoothly back to my initial height.

"Oh, so the white hair was true. Show me."

He yanked my hair, and I almost tumbled over towards Alphonse. He continued holding my hair tightly, and it started snapping off with a snapping sound. Instinctively, I almost unleashed the space where my sword was sheathed. However, just then, Dior's voice reached my ears, jolting me back to reality.

"Your Highness Alphonse, if you desire to see this child's hair, I can cut a strand for you. Pulling it like that puts Your Highness Alphonse's safety at risk."

Dior calmly advised him. Alphonse quickly released his grip, grumbling "Get on with it." In the recoil, I leaned back a bit, and Dior gently caught me. Then, with an impeccably composed smile, she spoke to me.

"Is that alright with you?"

"Yes, of course, Mother."

Phew, that was close. I was a hair's breadth away from severing His Highness's wrist.

A knife cut a strand of my hair from the inner side, and Dior presented it to Alphonse.

"Whoa! It really is colorless. It's as white as if it's transparent when held up to the light! Hey, do you have magic powers?"

"Yes."

"That's enough. Step aside."

Alphonse threw the hair to the ground and waved it away with his hand. I quickly returned to my original spot at the round table, secretly caressing the damaged hair roots. I was relieved it wasn't balding, but I couldn't help but let out a sigh.

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The noble daughters gathered at the long table in the center were all lining up to greet Alphonse, eager to seize this opportunity.

Alicia, who was the first to finish her greetings, returned to me with a somewhat melancholic expression, for some reason.

"Lady Alicia, is something the matter?"

"Oh, it's nothing. It's just... Hair is a noble's pride, so... Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine. He let go immediately, and hair grows back. More importantly, were you relieved not to have to talk to His Highness for much longer?"

"Indeed, it seems His Highness doesn't hold favorable thoughts about me."

Furrowing her eyebrows and looking down as if to hide her teary eyes, the girl's expression grew even more somber. Perhaps her difficulty in speaking earlier was due to a strained relationship.

"Lady Alicia, do you have feelings for Prince Alphonse?"

I was surprised by my own question. It felt like a conversation about love that I had never engaged in, and despite asking, it made me feel embarrassed. But that's not what I meant. It's different. I didn't intend it that way.

On the other hand, Alicia seemed taken aback by the straightforward question. It appeared that she pulled back before tears could gather, tilting her head in confusion.

"Impossible. I don't have any romantic feelings for him. Well, considering how His Highness is, I do hope we can communicate a little better. But becoming a queen isn't something achieved through love, right?"

"Yes, you're right. I apologize."

Is she really just a little older than me? Well, I technically have adult experiences, yet what's this difference? I wanted to bury my head in my hands over how idiotic my questions were. But seeing how sad Alicia looked... I guess it couldn't be helped if I thought it was the ache of an unrequited love.

"However, I must say, I was truly impressed earlier, Lady Sheriel, as expected of a daughter from the Beriard household. Not a word, yet your response was impeccable. If it were me, I would've been trembling and barely holding back tears."

"Mother's assistance played a part."

Indeed, it was all thanks to Mother. If it weren't for her, by now, that table would've been soaked in blood. I slightly regretted having started learning swordsmanship.

"Miss Sheriel, if you truly aren't aiming for the queen's position... Could you, um, become my friend?"

"Are you sure about me? I would be delighted to be friends."

Alicia's voice seemed hesitant, perhaps still affected by her previous mood. Despite the solemn atmosphere she exuded, she now looked like an ordinary and charming girl as she hesitated. Considering that I had acquired a friend named Alicia in exchange for a strand of hair and a bit of scalp, it seemed like a small price. In reality, since I'm accustomed to being looked down upon and it's within my expectations, I don't mind much. As we chatted more comfortably about our usual lessons and the tea parties we attended, the other children returned.

"Lady Sheriel, you were truly impressive."

"Lady Sheriel, it's a shame about your hair. Are you in pain?"

The girls who had been worrying about my future marriage earlier now offered their sympathies. They're not bad at heart either. Perhaps they need a bit more exposure to the nobility's lifestyle, which differs from mine. They are genuinely sincere girls. In reverse, I need to become more aware of the advantages of being a noble.

Once everyone had gathered, the girls-only chatter resumed, and Alicia took a bite of a pastry.

"These are really delicious. I now understand why Lady Leanne and the others had such radiant expressions."

Seeing Alicia enjoy the pastry, the other noble daughters, who had been holding back earlier, immediately reached for the treats.

"This meringue dessert is much tastier than I expected."

"I'm glad it suits your taste. If you prefer something crispy, please try these cookies as well."

"I really like these potato snacks."

As conversations flourished around the treats, ordinary gossip and typical girl-talk like "Boys can be so rough, right?" put me at ease.

"I have an older brother too, and he's really terrible. He pushes me when our parents aren't looking and hides my dolls."

"I have a cousin like that. Why do boys have to be like that?"

"Miss Sheriel also has an older brother, right? So, are you used to being teased by him?"

Surprisingly, even nobles engage in sibling squabbles. It's quite heartwarming. Their methods might differ slightly, but it seems like this kind of thing happens in many households.

"Yes, that's true. He's very fond of me now, but in the past, he often used me as an experiment to see if I'd get tainted."

Although I say "in the past," it was only four years ago. Those were nostalgic memories. From cute pranks to elaborate lies that were quite shocking, it seems everything was an experiment to see if I carried the Beriad curse.

"T-That's... uh..."

"Um, speaking of Miss Sheriel's brother..."

"It was Lord Didier, right?"

Realizing the unfavorable atmosphere around, I hurriedly tried to negate my words.

"Currently, he's a very kind and caring older brother. He's even a bit overprotective. Well, those experiments were rather endearing, actually."

Didier doesn't have many friends as it is. I can't afford negative rumors to spread among the girls. They might have already heard about the bad reputation of the Beriard family from their parents or others.

"Lord Didier is very talented and kind to everyone, my brother said. I guess everyone teases their younger siblings when they're kids."

Giselle followed up with a gentle smile. Thank you so much, Lady Giselle!

Perhaps when Didier talks about kindness, he's referring to his camouflage ability. But since Didier has softened a bit, I think he probably isn't doing anything bad. At the very least, he wouldn't suddenly pull out someone's hair. If it were Didier, he would likely offer his hair to the person with a smile.

At first, I wondered how the tea party would turn out, but before I knew it, it had become a cheerful and enjoyable girls' gathering. It seems that at this age, biases towards appearance are not as strong. Without exposure to various animals or other nobles, perhaps they haven't developed the extreme prejudices that would be impossible otherwise.

On the other hand, it seemed like it would take a while for Sergio's aides and Dior's maids to get used to this. Due to their roles, they don't show any blatant attitude, but there's definitely a certain distance between us. I wonder what the parents of these children would think about their daughters befriending me.

"We'll be attending the same academy, won't we? Even though our territories are different, I'd like to have such tea parties occasionally."

"Then, next time, let me host it. I'd love for you to come to Lorrance."

When Alicia made that announcement, everyone exclaimed with joy. Since the Beriard territory isn't on good terms with other territories, or rather, it's shunned, middle-ranking nobles like us seem to be able to make friends only within their own territory. When I think about it, it's truly unfair to lump me entirely with the Beriard family. I'm grateful that they didn't openly ridicule me.

Despite the unexpected guest, the first tea party turned out to be quite fruitful for me. Not only did I meet girls my age whom I could potentially be friends with, but also learning that girls of my age are considering their future as nobles was beneficial. For now, my contract with the spirits takes precedence, but it seems I'll need to consider something for the future.

After seeing off the guests, Dior and I returned to the sitting room. This time, it was for a private conversation and a moment between mother and daughter.

"Sheriel, you endured well."

"Yes, it was a close call."

"You must be tired. Relax today. You can even take off your shoes and put your feet up. It's a special occasion."

"I feel like I used my back muscles more than I did during swordsmanship class."

Dior was already lounging on the sofa, her legs being massaged by a maid. She tapped her forehead with a fan. It seemed like she was deep in thought.

"That boy, to dare touch your beautiful hair..."

"Mother? That's not appropriate, Mother?"

"I know, dear. That's why you need to keep this from Didier."

"Of course."

I don't know what might happen if Didier found out. Strange as it may sound, Didier cares deeply about me. Rather, Didier wouldn't allow anyone else to harm me. It seems Dior didn't anticipate the prince and his mother's visit at all. The situation at the adults' table must have been quite dire.

"You handled it well. It's a good thing you made connections with the young ladies from Lorrance, and even Alicia. Since Miss Alicia is quite conscious of her noble status, learn from her."

"Yes, I've learned a lot."

The noble consciousness refers to an old-fashioned way of thinking that emphasizes the duties and responsibilities of being a noble, valuing integrity. In recent times, as people prioritize wealth, someone like her, who values tradition, is quite rare.

Chatting here and there about the tea party, I finally managed to ease the tension in my body.