Chapter : 136

"Are you using teleportation magic right now?"

The Viscount's bewildered voice echoed in the office.

...I decided to just be brazen about it.

"So what if I am?"

"Like father, like son..."

"Don't insult me. I'll really tell my father."

"It's a compliment, not an insult.

I heard Count Lisitoel also used teleportation magic by the end of his first year... You're even faster."

Is this really a compliment?

Judging by his tone, it sounds more like an insult than a compliment…

Well, I hope it's just my imagination. If not, I don't know what I'll do.

"The viscounty castle seemed to be in an uproar. What on earth were you up to?"

"The ones up to something weren't me, but you and Cecilia-sunbae!"

Does he know how much more infuriating that clueless face of his is?

Just then, the door burst open and Cecilia-sunbae came in.

She looked back and forth between me and the Viscount with a face like the world was ending.

...It seems this was a case of meddling I should have stayed out of.

But, I can't back down now.

"Lou!"

At my call, paat! light burst from the sky and Lou, appearing from thin air, struck a cool pose.

"Pyaaaaak!"

As if on cue, Lou flew at the Viscount's face.

Thwack!

There was a sound of a head and body colliding, but no one was worried about the Viscount.

Even though he must have felt an intense pain on his forehead, the Viscount placed the dazed and staggering Lou on his palm and looked at him with worried eyes.

"Is your bird alright?"

Purrrrr.

Lou shook his head a few times to clear it and chirped, pyak pyak.

"There, there, good job."

Seeing Lou playing on his palm, Cecilia looked back and forth between the Viscount and Lou with disbelieving eyes.

"Please, just talk, talk. Lou, let's go."

As soon as I called, Lou flew back to me as if he'd been waiting and settled on my head.

I need to escape before they ask about Lou suddenly appearing out of thin air.

As I left the office, Lou's eyes sparkled as he chirped, pyak pyak.

"Yeah, you did great. I'll get you some dried sweet potato strips later."

"Pyaaaak!"

He was cute, dancing around in joy.

I really hope I don't face a murder threat the next time I see Cecilia-sunbae.

"Ugh, how am I supposed to explain this to Yuno?"

And what about the glass I broke?

Seriously, all this trouble because of a father and daughter's lack of communication.

"Peep?"

Lou seemed to be asking, 'Isn't it partly your fault too?'

"I did nothing wrong."

"Peeeeek..."

This time it felt like he was calling me shameless.

Anyway, I felt wronged.

"I have to go to work."

Lou, who had been glancing at me, immediately returned to the room.

He wouldn't steal or get snacks from somewhere else, would he?

A fat light spirit... The thought of it was kind of funny.

If Lou knew what I was thinking, he would have pecked my head.

"Ah, I don't want to work."

I was saddened by the unbelievable fact that only 3 days of the month had passed.

* * *

I should have left when Theo did.

Cecilia regretted not leaving the room after witnessing such a shocking scene.

"......"

An awkward silence flowed between the two.

But, at the same time, the words that came to mind were Theo's plea for them to just talk.

As if convinced that all their problems could be solved just by talking, Cecilia couldn't easily say anything.

"I apologize for troubling you with an unnecessary matter."

His daughter's way of speaking was so stiff.

He still couldn't believe Theo's words.

But, he had to at least try.

After a moment's hesitation, the Viscount asked.

"If you like cute things, can you tell me honestly?"

"I've never..."

Viscount Loren slyly took out a teddy bear he had hidden in a drawer.

Is it normal to have a teddy bear in a drawer?

Cecilia's body jerked violently.

Ah, that's a flustered expression.

At a loss for words, Cecilia looked back and forth between her father and the teddy bear in disbelief.

"It's a gift your mother gave me when she proposed."

"Mother did?"

"She said it looked like me."

For that to be true, isn't the teddy bear too cute?

Cecilia's mind was filled with questions.

No matter how she looked at it, the small, cute teddy bear and Viscount Loren didn't match.

"People think I cherish this doll so much because it was a gift from my wife, but—"

Starting with the teddy bear, small but cute dolls began to line up on the desk one by one.

As the dolls piled up, Cecilia's flustered expression became so obvious that it could no longer be hidden.

"The truth is, I also like cute things. So, if it's true that you like cute things..."

"......"

"If you're uncomfortable talking about it, you don't have to.

If you want to hide it, you can hide it. But, I hope the reason isn't because of the family or me, your father."

Viscount Loren handed her a bird-shaped doll from the line of dolls.

It was a doll that resembled the Lou that Theo had called.

Cecilia's expression, as she received the doll that filled her palm, contorted even more strangely than before.

Is this right...?

I received a doll from my father?

He's only ever given me wooden swords since I was a child...

"Should I prepare a new one?"

"No, it's alright."

The fluffy texture that was so clear in both her palms felt quite unfamiliar.

"Then don't trouble your junior for no reason. I'll take care of the mansion's repairs."

"Yes... I understand."

Am I actually being possessed by a monster?

Cecilia lightly bit her tongue, the simplest way to escape an illusion.

It hurts. It's real?

This is reality?

Really...? Cecilia blinked her eyes several times.

"I'll be... taking my leave now."

Cecilia, who had bowed her head, escaped the office as if running away.

As soon as Cecilia left, the butler came in as if he had been waiting.

He looked at the line of dolls on the office desk and asked.

"Have you shown your collection to the young lady, my lord?"

"Butler..."

"It seems the two of you have finally had a conversation."

"You knew all along?"

The butler smiled silently.

Silence was affirmation.

At that affirmation, the Viscount let out a groan.

If the butler knew, there was no way his wife didn't... In that case, I must have been doing something truly ridiculous.

The Viscount, who had belatedly realized the truth, now wanted to just bite his tongue and die.

"So, only Cecil and I didn't know, is that it?"

Isn't that too much?

It would have been one thing if it were someone else, but for even his wife not to tell him was truly too much.

I'm really upset.

The Viscount covered his face with both hands.

"Don't act cute, my lord."

The butler said to the Viscount harshly.

* * *

Am I really dreaming right now?

Cecilia staggered for a while before dropping the bird doll.

Ah! No! Before Cecilia could catch the doll, someone else caught it first.

"Wow! I caught it just in time!"

At the cheerful smile, Cecilia called her name.

"Laurel Arens."

"Long time no see, Cecilia-sunbae!

This is yours, right?"

Laurel's cheerful demeanor as she handed over the doll was a stark contrast to her father, who had shyly handed her the doll just a moment ago.

No, my father was shy?

Once again, cognitive dissonance occurred in Cecilia's head.

At the sight of Cecilia lost in her own world, Laurel waved her hand in front of Cecilia's eyes.

"Sunbae, hello? Sunbae! Cecilia-sunbae!!"

Clap! At the sound of Laurel clapping her hands, Cecilia came to her senses and looked at Laurel with a still-dazed expression.

Pink hair and eyes that looked like they would taste sweet, a face that wasn't pure white but was all the more lovely because of it.

Everything was what Cecilia admired.

"What about Lilia Bellone?"

Laurel, who had been asked while receiving the doll, scratched her cheek.

"She said that with me and you, Cecilia-sunbae, most things would work out, and to call her later if things got really bad."

Lilia certainly has that tendency.

I did take that into account... but I should have called her somehow.

Then I could have at least consulted with her.

I want to ask for someone's opinion, but there's no one like that anywhere.

"It seems precious, so take good care of it."

No, is it that there isn't anyone...?

Cecilia asked quietly.

"You... don't you laugh at it?"

"At what?"

Laurel tilted her head. She truly looked clueless.

Seeing that gave her the confidence to speak.

"An adult liking cute dolls."

"It's their own preference, is there a need to laugh?"

Laurel was still tilting her head.

There was no hypocrisy or falsehood in her smile.

She was truly speaking from the heart.

"But it's still strange."

"What's strange!

The really strange thing is that damn magical girl. Ugh, seriously!"

Laurel's face crumpled in annoyance.

"The magical girl outfit is cute, though."

She wanted to ask if she was being serious, but she quietly closed her mouth.

So Cecilia-sunbae's eyes could sparkle like this. These were 100% sincere eyes.

Laurel, who had realized a new fact, mumbled lightly.

"It might be cute, but it's not great for combat.

The poses are embarrassing, and shouting the names of the techniques—"

As if the mere thought was horrifying, Laurel's body shuddered.

"It's a bit horrifying."

"But it's really cute."

Wow, is this the time to do some sales pitching?

As she was gauging the situation, she remembered Lilia telling her not to pitch to Cecilia if she could help it.

She was curious why she said that, but there must have been a reason, right?

Laurel barely swallowed the words that were about to come out instinctively from her years of scamming, no, sales experience.

"In any case, isn't it better than a girl my age having pigtails and calling herself a magical girl?"

"You can just change your hairstyle."

"A cute-type magical girl has to have pigtails."

Laurel looked up at the sky, looking bitter.

Seeing the sorrowful tears in her junior's eyes, she felt that she absolutely should not ask any more questions here.

If she asked something more here, wouldn't she really burst into sobs?

"Hehe, I'll be free in two and a half years."

At Laurel's half-crazed mumbling, Cecilia was at a loss for words.

"What I'm trying to say is, if someone gives you a hard time for liking cute things, they're the crazy one!"

"What if that someone is my father?"

"Maybe hitting him once wouldn't be considered patricide...?"

At Laurel's serious mumbling, Cecilia burst out laughing, puha!

"Haha, I think I know why Lilia treasures you."

"Lilia, treasures me...?"

At the face that looked as if it had heard the most bizarre thing in the world, Cecilia just laughed.

"Yeah, she does."

Cecilia hugged the bird doll she had taken from Laurel's hands tightly.

It's not like she'd suddenly start confessing her love for cute things in public.

But at least she wouldn't desperately hide it anymore.

"I'll still be mad, though."

"Pardon?"

Cecilia smiled and patted the head of Laurel, who tilted her head with a question mark.