TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 143
“Sob…”
Yuria was crying.
Her trembling shoulders quivered like tree branches swaying in a fierce storm, and her sobbing echoed faintly in the night sky that had quietly arrived.
As I moved toward the veranda, Yuria’s figure bathed in moonlight appeared as though she was performing a sorrowful dance.
Not knowing what to do.
She seemed sorrowful, as if in pain.
-I don’t want to show this…
-I don’t want to show this side of me…
-Why did you notice?
-No one else noticed, so how did you figure it out… Sob.
Muttering in a sorrowful voice, Yuria clenched the hem of her dress in her fist and stomped her foot. Just as people throw tantrums when they’re deeply upset, Yuria seemed to be throwing such a tantrum herself.
With a small smile, I began walking toward the veranda where Yuria stood.
As the sound of my footsteps, “Plod,” echoed in the silent space, Yuria, who had been trembling, hastily began wiping away her flowing tears.
From a distance, I watched Yuria rub her eyes with hands covered in bandage tape and paused briefly to give her some time to prepare.
Because Yuria wouldn’t want to show this side of herself.
As a gentleman, one must know how to be considerate of a lady. Barging in and asking, “Why are you crying?” would be an inconsiderate act toward her feelings.
So, I waited until Yuria lifted her head.
When the sound of her sniffing echoed once, and she slowly began to lift her head, I resumed the steps I had paused.
“Have you calmed down…?”
“Don’t come any closer.”
Looking at the garden with sorrowful eyes, Yuria spoke in a firm voice.
With a small smile, I took another step toward Yuria and said,
“Why are you telling me not to come closer?”
At my question, Yuria tightly clenched the hem of her dress and took a deep breath. From her trembling back figure, I could tell that Yuria was still crying.
Yuria shouted in a hollow voice.
“I am not the person you think I am.”
“Why do you think that? You might be the person I’m looking for.”
“That’s impossible!”
Yuria shouted, clenching her fists tightly. Her voice resounded sorrowfully, echoing loudly within the veranda.
“I said it’s impossible…”
Yuria’s voice grew endlessly smaller.
I didn’t feel good.
In a trembling voice, Yuria began to make excuses. Biting her lips tightly, she questioned why she was saying such things and rejecting me.
“I’m neither pretty nor charming. I’m a woman full of freckles who gets called ugly by others.”
“Hmm… So what about that?”
“Don’t say it so easily! What do you know?”
“That’s true. I don’t know much about you, but it seems like you’re making a wrong assumption.”
“What?”
“The person I’m looking for isn’t someone who’s pretty or charming. I’m searching for a kind friend whose smile suits them well.”
“Don’t lie!”
Yuria shouted in a voice that didn’t hide her emotions.
“I said, don’t lie…”
As if she didn’t want to continue the conversation, Yuria shook her head and muttered gloomy words. Seeing her like this, I let out a bitter smile and sighed deeply.
‘Is this the time to accept her complaints?’
Timing is crucial in conversations.
There’s a time to interrupt and a time to listen. It seemed like now was the time to take a step back and listen to Yuria’s whiny complaints.
Thinking that Yuria needed time to vent her injustice and empty her heart, I silently watched her and focused on her words.
“When I came to the banquet hall, people said this to me: ‘She’s incredibly ugly. Yet, her dress is so fancy.’ And every time I attended a ball, I heard things like, ‘She knows how to dress up despite her looks.'”
“…”
“At first, it hurt, and my heart ached. At first, I mean…”
Overwhelmed by swirling emotions, Yuria lowered her head to the ground.
Even now, Yuria’s fists were tightly gripping the hem of her dress, unmoving.
“I hated hearing it, and I often wondered why I had to be treated like this. But, strangely enough, people end up adapting. Do you know what’s funny? Even though my heart tells me it’s okay and that they’re the strange ones, a deeper part of me acknowledges it. That I’m not someone who deserves to wear such expensive clothes, that dresses don’t suit me.”
Yuria spoke as if she had resigned herself. Her powerless voice sounded sorrowful, and at this moment, Yuria slowly turned around and looked at me.
Covered in freckles and swollen red from crying so much, Yuria’s face seemed like it would have looked unattractive even without the magic’s influence, a thought that briefly crossed my mind.
Not that her face was unattractive.
It was her tear-streaked face that made her look unattractive.
Personally, I don’t like seeing anyone cry. It makes me feel unnecessarily guilty and puts me in a bad mood. Who would enjoy seeing someone sad? Others must feel the same as I do.
Seeing my bitter smile, Yuria let out a deep sigh.
“You think that way about me too, don’t you?”
“What?”
“You think I’m someone who doesn’t suit these clothes. That I’m a commoner wearing inappropriate clothes and look ridiculous, don’t you?”
“I don’t.”
“Liar.”
“If that were a lie, I wouldn’t have had any reason to come all the way to the veranda to find you.”
“You just came to comfort me, didn’t you? Because you pity me.”
“Pity, huh. I think I’m the most pitiful person in the world, though.”
That’s the truth.
I genuinely believe there’s no one in the world more pitiful than me.
The protagonist refuses to grow.
The young lady complains about her side dishes.
My salary is delayed.
At this point, I’m not just pitiful; I might as well qualify as a disadvantaged neighbor.
Of course, there are countless people more unfortunate than me, but selfish as I am, I’m one of those who think of themselves as pitiful.
Well, life is still happy, though.
I kindly addressed Yuria’s objection.
Now it was my turn to speak.
Even if I continued to listen to Yuria’s story, nothing would change, and it felt like it would only make me more uncomfortable. So, I slowly began to open the mouth I had kept shut.
“I have never once thought of you as pitiful.”
“…”
“Why would I think someone bold and loved by others is pitiful? Even putting aside such trivial things, I do not think of you as pitiful.”
“I don’t believe such lies anymore.”
“I’m not forcing you to believe me. I’m just saying what I want to say. It’s like this: I wouldn’t be able to live like a push-over, but you’re amazing. Ah, is this sarcasm?”
“…”
“Anyway, every time I see you beautifully dressed up, I can’t help but admire you. Isn’t it funny? While people say, ‘That poor commoner woman in a fancy dress is disgusting,’ I think, ‘How can someone be so beautiful?’ Of course, not as much as Lady Olivia, whom I serve.”
“What does that even mean?”
“It’s an occupational habit.”
I looked at the bright moon hanging in the night sky and took a step forward.
Plod, even though the distance had decreased, Yuria didn’t say, “Don’t come closer.”
It must mean that my cheesy words had provided Yuria with a little bit of comfort.
I took another step forward, stood beside Yuria, and looked at the stars in the night sky as I spoke in a quiet voice.
“You said I’m not the person you’re looking for, right?”
“…”
“But what should I do?”
The moon was particularly bright tonight.
The number of stars in the sky.
The Milky Way stretched out like a watercolor painting, bright and beautiful, seemed to stir up emotions.
I turned my head to look at Yuria.
Though the magic hadn’t been undone, I strangely felt as if I could see Yuria’s figure clearly. Was this presbyopia? No, it must be the miracle granted by the magic of the atmosphere.
Averting my gaze from Yuria, who was staring intently at me, I said.
“In my eyes, at this very moment, you look so incredibly beautiful.”
“…What?”
“Your freckled face and even your tear-streaked expression remind me of the habits of the person I’m searching for. There are so many things I want to ask about what happened….”
I took off my jacket, draped it over Yuria’s shoulders, and smiled.
“The weather is too cold to leave you outside for long.”
“Don’t you think so?”
“Miss Yuria.”
“…Please don’t do this. I…”
“Let’s end this game of hide-and-seek here.”
-Would you like to select ‘Yuria’ as your target?
‘Yes.’
[Selection has been completed.]
***
[You have successfully found ‘Yuria Who Lost Her Beauty.’]
-The restrictions on the Affinity Window will be lifted.
-The curse on Yuria will be undone.
-As part of the reward, ‘Hidden Magical Talent’ will be unlocked.
[Unique Magic: Thunderbolt] has been unlocked.
*
-Protect Yuria.