While we were going around the village, the preparations are being completed and polished for the presentation during dinner time.
I thought that performing while using magic was quite the skill. And the show was interesting to see, so I think it’s a success.
After the entertainment is over, we went to sleep.
By the way, Lithia will be returning tomorrow morning, as scheduled.
After eating breakfast tomorrow, I will present her a gift on her way home. I hope that the gift will bring her joy.
The date around the village failed, but Lithia didn’t care. And it’s safe to say that the day ended with no major problems.
Although there is a small problem, I could not grasp Lithia’s true personality and thoughts at all. Considering her high level of politics and ambition, it is possible that she is not just any “good” child. Well, today won’t be the only occasion we will get together. I hope to see her a few times and get to know her inside out.
I flipped over the duvet and went to sleep.
However, before I fully lose myself to sleep.
There was someone under the sheets with me.
At first, I thought it was either one of the twins doing some mischief, but who I found is not unexpected.
She is blonde and has the body of a 10-year-old child.
This person is…
“How are you doing, Ars-sama?” (Lithia)
Without a doubt, it was Lithia.
I’m confused as to why she is here and I don’t understand the meaning of the question.
“Were you surprised?” (Lithia)
“I am surprised…” (Ars)
“I see. You make a cute expression with your eyes as large as saucers.” (Lithia)
Said Lithia while smiling.
It wasn’t the smile that had the innocence that befitted her age when we first met, but now it was a sly smile that reminds me of a little devil.
To be clear, I don’t know what she’s scheming.
Thinking about what her thoughts are is making my head spin. It must have been naïve of me to think that I could just sleep with peace of mind today.
“Well, this isn’t the room where Lithia-sama should sleep. Perhaps the servant might have mistakenly guided you here?” (Ars)
“No, I was guided to the right room. After being guided, I went out.” (Lithia)
It is possible to enter my room since it is unlocked. Did anyone tell you which room was which? Well, if you said you wanted to look a little at night, they would tell you.
“Why did you do this?” (Ars)
“Ars-sama is always calm, and he rarely changes his expression, so I wanted to know what kind of face he would make when he is surprised.” (Lithia)
Am I the only one who feels like I’m not getting answers?
No, Lithia was neve just any child
It seems that Lithia looked at my expression and guessed what I wanted to ask.
She stood up, sat on the side of the bed,
“Did you not say that you prefer a person who can speak to you honestly? So I came here because I wanted to talk to you alone.” (Lithia)
She said as-matter-of-factly.
When I heard her answer, I regained some calmness.
I thought that my words did not show any reaction, but was it unexpectedly effective?
“That’s… Thank you. I wanted to know more about Lithia-sama.”
It is a welcome situation to get to know Lithia’s personality and thoughts. I am happy she did this though.
In all the exchanges we made, I knew that there was no mistake in my hunch, Lithia had shown that all her actions have meaning.
“Oh, that kind of thing makes me feel embarrassed. I also want to know more about Ars-sama. For example, what do you think of me?” (Lithia)
“What…?” (Ars)
“I have the special ability to know what kind of emotion the other person feels. By just looking at the face of another person. The emotion that Ars-sama showed me when we met was ‘suspicion.’”
If she can understand other people’s emotions just by looking at their faces.
Is it similar to my Appraisal?
How did she come to have such power?
So what I’m still unsure is how does she not understand my suspicions.
“Well, there is usually some cautiousness when meeting other people. Some people are very cautious. Once you talk for a long time, you can get rid of some of the cautiousness. However, Ars-sama, we’ve talked for hours. Despite helping to solve the problem, you became more suspicious rather than the opposite. And in the end, I was asked to voice my true intentions. What are you wondering about me?” (Lithia)
Lithia’s expression as she said that seemed frustrated and got more frustrated. It seemed my increasing suspicion became a source of frustration.
Perhaps she is becoming impatient with me because she has been liked by many people when she uses her conversation skills. So did she come here despite the risks of exposing her true nature?
This is just my thoughts, but maybe the reason why she was in bed and approached me was that she was truly frustrated by her failure.
“Lithia, I have the power to assess the abilities, aptitudes, and ambitions of others.” (Ars)
I decided to speak truthfully here. Because Lithia talked about her ability, I didn’t think it was fair to just keep silent.
If she were to become my wife, it wouldn’t hurt to have a confidant.
I don’t know if she believes me, but she looked a little surprised.
“Lithia had far more ambition than any ordinary person, and high political talent, so I continued to doubt that all your actions were without meaning.” (Ars)
「……」(Lithia)
After listening to me, Lithia was silent for quite a while.
“…That power is unquestionably correct. I am indeed an ambitious person.” (Lithia)
“What kind of ambitions do you have?” (Ars)
“A woman has no other ambition other than being with a man with status and talent.” (Lithia)
It’s a bit of a cliché, but it’s probably true.
“So you don’t want to marry a guy like me?” (Ars)
“Yes, before I came here, I was thinking of dissolving it in the end. But I just learned more about you and I changed my mind.” (Lithia)
“Why?” (Ars)
“Ars-sama is certainly the heir to a poor lord, but I’m convinced that with your ability you will continue to raise your position. Now, that made me want to marry Ars-sama.” (Lithia)
She said she wanted to get married for power and money.
I certainly said that I also like people who say the truth, but when I found out more about her, I became a little uncomfortable.
“I’m glad you want to get married. I would love to get married too.” (Ars)
For the time being, I answered as such.
Whether to marry Lithia in the future is a matter of honest concern.
Perhaps as long as I’m good, Lithia will be a strong ally, but if I show any weaknesses, she could betray me.
However, since we can’t be wed at a young age, I think I will eventually be able to marry Lithia.
I don’t dislike her scheming and calculated personality.
My only regret is that she might never love me. Although ours is a marriage decided by our parents, I think it’s better to be amicable. But it seems that Lithia is completely pragmatic, and I do not know whether she can ever feel love for me.
“I’m relieved to hear that. Now I’m out of here.” (Lithia)
I thought I’d talk a little more, but Lithia got up before I could start a conversation and left my room.
Was she satisfied because she knew why I was in doubt?
Lithia went out and probably went to sleep.
I was quite surprised at first, but it was good to know one aspect of Lithia. If I didn’t know anything the engagement dissolved, I would have been quite confused.
With a lighter heart, I sleep in a bed and pulled up the covers.
The place where Lithia had stayed a while ago had a nice smell. I went to sleep smelling her fragrance.
○ 3rd Person Perspective
“…Fu” (Lithia)
After leaving Ars’ room, Lithia went back to her room to sleep.
After that, Lithia smiled. It’s not her “public” smile, nor a sly smile she used on Ars. It was a natural smile.
(What would I be happy about him knowing more about me?) (Lithia)
She asked herself, but she knew the answer.
She was happy that Ars asked her to marry him.
She has been favored by most people because of her ability to empathize, her conversational skills, and her charm.
She has been favored by both men and women of the same age, not just adults. She had taken it for granted.
Today, Ars continues to be suspicious of her. She felt irritation, frustration, and other uncomfortable feelings, and is probably intensely attracted to Ars somewhere in her heart. Lithia still doesn’t know what she’s feeling, but she wanted Ars to like her.
Therefore, when she was “proposed” to, she felt happy despite it all.
(I was told that we were going to get married, but I don’t think he fell in love with me. I’ll make you fall soon.)
The suspicion was cleared because she showed her true intentions, but he thought that she never liked him.
It is not natural that she could be liked by exposing her true personality. She thought he would rather dislike it. Still, she thought it was better than being doubted, so she took the plunge.
Given that, not being disliked is not a bad situation. Lithia felt quite positive.
(The first meeting was a failure. But I managed to mislead you…) (Lithia)
She didn’t plan on sneaking under Ars’ covers.
She said she wanted to see his surprised face at that time, but it wasn’t true. When she thought that Ars was going to be sleeping on the bed, she suddenly wanted to get in it very, very much, so she went in. She had a feeling that it was a bad idea, but she could not control it.
While entering, as soon as Ars came into the room, Lithia became nervous, but there was a delay before he got into the bed, so she was able to figure out how to deal with him.
By the way, she thought that Ars’ surprised face was cute.
Lithia remembered the smell she when she dived into Ars’s bed and his surprised face. She smoothed her expression again and went back to the room where she was supposed to stay today.