Chapter 5

Thus, Nocton Edgar hypnotized Sheryl Bornaine, who was about the same age as Valrose, and the result was she fell in love with the boy she was trying to mock.

Nocton spent a few days with Bornaine. But to put it to the conclusion, he wasn’t happy at all.

He felt like he was looking at a doll that was making him feel remorse.

‘What am I doing now?’

He sent Sheryl Bornaine back, and stared down at the lake.

Originally, it’s a place that has no meaning, but since Roa Valrose leave that place, Nocton found himself stared at the lake repeatedly.

He felt so lonely that he get even more confused.

As he watched the flow of the water, he suddenly felt as if he had seen a soft purple light, and he reached out his hand.

But there was nothing in the grasp of his hand that came out of the water.

Nocton Edgar turned away, frowned on his feelings. He bit his lips again and jumped into the lake impulsively.

He only realized that he didn’t take off his shoes when the sound of the cavalry came out, but it’s still a good thing.

He has never been able to swim properly, but it was not difficult.

The water was strange. His eyes didn’t open properly and the ears were eaten by the water.

It wasn’t very pleasant, but something occurred to him.

Valrose was watching this same scene at the time.

As soon as he activated his Mana, his senses were much clearer, but there was a different outside the water.

When he wandered about in the water, Nocton suddenly stopped.

The lake was not very big and not very deep. But it was a small size bigger than a pool of water. Since it’s not the sea, the water flows rather slowly, so it still remained there.

Strangely enough, a cuff button came into his eyes.

A lotus-purple cuff lying on the floor.

The dark, lonely, abandoned cuff button looked like his own.

It’s funny.

He was the one who threw it out, and now he’s drunk with self-pity.

He could not stay underwater just because he had better physical abilities than others, and he started to run out of breath.

Nocton hesitated for a moment, but soon reached out and grabbed the button.

‘Why did you pick this up?’

He came out of the water and laughed in vain, but nevertheless he carefully wiped the cuff button’s water and put it in the box he had previously picked up.

The thing seemed more meaningful at that time, as he thought he would never be able to get close to her again.

Then, at a party a few days later, he had an eye-to-eye encounter with Roa Valrose.

And another few days later, the day after that, Roa Valrose visited the Duke again.

“Umh … Hi, Nocton.”

Maybe the hypnosis hasn’t gone yet, if it’s not….

However, it was quite strange.

Even after that incident, Valrose still came back, and even though his attempt to drive Valrose away failed, he was not angry.

Even though Valrose dropped his hard-earned old book into the lake, he didn’t care a bit.

He was more worried about Valrose drowning than a mere book.

And when Valrose laughed after she saw he was drenched in water, he is not angry even though his mouth was clenched and he is not aware of the fact that he was involved in the whole thing with Valrose.

It was full of strange things, as if he was the one who’s under hypnosis.

✴️✴️✴️

That happened, but it turned out that Nocton had no favorable opinion of Sheryl Bornaine.

I’m an idiot for that formal smile.

But the incident made us more honest.

I believed that I had become a closer friend. Whether Nocton knew or didn’t know I was approached him for a purpose, I thought so.

But my feelings for Nocton never flowed so smoothly that I met the reef again.

The ill-fated process was directed at the same time.

There was a day when Nocton said he wanted to drink the tea I make on my own, and I was charmed by his smile, then saying I’m willing to do so.

Nocton kept me occupied by the tea ceremony for nearly a month.

Then after a few life-or-death hardship, I managed to make a perfect tea.

“You’ve become very skilled.”

“That’s right!”

“I think the tea will taste very delicious, but Valrose, if you don’t mind … I think I’m not worthy enough to enjoy this nice tea.”

He said something like this with a smile.

“I want to give it to my servant.”

He always looked at me as if I were getting out of the blue, and declined several times.

In the end, he drank the tea in haste and ran out his tongue.

My heart was filled with joy, with the thought that he had treated me like a friend in his heart, even though he had a fault in his character.

Perhaps it wasn’t a big deal, but emotionally there was a big crack.

It’s because after the cuff button incident, the illusion that he and I are truly getting closer has been shattered.

Since then, I’ve never been able to like Nocton completely.

No one would be happy with the unrequited kindness.

Perhaps my subconscious has figured out what our relationship will be, and I prepared to get away from it.

✴️✴️✴️

Nocton Edgar’s talent was outstanding at a young age, but as he grew older, he grew even more refined.

Upward, there were two older brother, but the gap between brothers widened day by day.

Even those who laughed at him for being the successor, who were tricked by his appearance, were wary of what he said or did, and his position became stronger and stronger.

Was he impatient or does he feel less guilty when he grows up a little?

His mother, Patricia Edgar, who was hoping for Nocton’s fall more than anyone else, began to use her own hands.

Suddenly an agitated horse overturned the carriage, and when he stood by the window, someone fell over and pushed his back.

The ivory fell, and the wild animals brought in from abroad were released from their cages.

It was a difficult time without magic, even though he could feel the hostility of others and his physical talent was outstanding.

At that time when he became increasingly sensitive to black magic, Roa Valrose visited the mansion as usual.

When he saw the face that resembled a little cat, he exhaled.

His mother’s attack used to vanish completely when a guest arrived because she’s trying to save her face.

No matter how he got killed, at least Nocton’s death should have been the form of an accident.

Whether or not she know the tension in Nocton has eased, Valrose entered the study and began her chatter as usual.

“So I had to make a tea for Terrops and he didn’t like it. I don’t know why, but he frowned upon a tea made by a 12 years old. Alloe must be blind. When I become an adult….”

Roa Valrose was telling him about how she made a tea for the first time in her life, for her sister’s prospective fiance. He brought a good tea leaf as a gift, but her sister’s hand was hurt, and she took it out on her as an excuse.

As he listened to the story, he quietly closed his book.

“I’d like to try your tea, too.”

As he said that with the smile she liked the most, the girl who bit her face paused for a moment, and then nodded her head.

On the day, Roa Valrose brought the tea leaves. They used the tea pot and tea cup owned by Duke Edgar.

But….

Nocton stared down at the tea, which was almost colorless.

“….How can we get on the tea leaves?”

“What— Don’t be so picky about the temperature! This is the right temperature where people tastes their tea. Or, is it a cat tongue?”

“It’s human tongue. It’s not even about the temperature. What the hell do you do….”

No, it’s his fault. He asked her to get him the tea.

It’s a good thing he got in the tea the other day. Nocton sighed and now tried to say he was fine.

But whether his wild sigh irritated her or provoked a misunderstanding, Valrose took the tea leaves she had brought and jumped up.

“All right, I’ll try again! We can try again! You had a lot of requirements, and you’re the one who asked me to do this.”

If he refused, she would be complaining. Nocton nodded reluctantly, and a few days later, Valrose came back with the tea leaves.

Nocton stared down at the red colored tea before him.

“The tea leaves … I think they’re rotten.”

“What? Don’t be ridiculous!”

“But it smells strange. Don’t you smell it?”

“Isn’t your nose rotten? I’ll take it. Give it to me… well, umh… it doesn’t smell so great! The smell of the tea is like this!”

“That’s wonderful, Valrose. It was a perfect insult to tea culture. I know Marquis Valrose enjoys his tea, but I will give your opinion to him if I have to.”

“My father is fine. If it’s not just my mother— no, but it’s really mean! I couldn’t make it like that? Okay, I’ll make it again! Again!”

“No, now—”

You don’t have to get the tea.

Stimulating or not, Nocton wanted to say so, but Valrose had already stomped out of the study.

In the meantime, the tea leaves were taken as well.

Do you think I’m rotten even by myself?

Although the smell left on the tip on his not was not pleasant, the funny look made Nocton shrugged his mouth several times.

It has been so many times since then.

Valrose was doing all sorts of weird thing at first, and later on, she knew how to make a decent tea. But at the point, he changed his mind to refuse it.

It’s a little fun to look at her angry face, and it seemed like her tea wasn’t that dangerous anymore.

And finally.

“Everything is perfect today.”

With a determined face that she can overcome no matter how he finds fault with it, Valrose found Nocton.

He was so nervous that even though he brought along the right refreshments, he broke the cups when he was looking for them.

Fortunately, the teapot was safe and Valrose had come out with a new cup, so she could have tea.

She put the leaves inside, cooled the boiling water a little, and poured them into the leaves.

After a few minutes and a few seconds, Valrose tilted the teapot.

“Dazling, it’s the finest finding leaf of Mount Romeran. As you’ve just seen, it’s exactly 85 degrees of water, and the find leaves are a little less than quantified, as you like.”

The color of the cup even looked bright.

The clean, reddish black tea might not be as good as the usual user’s, but Nocton was slightly overwhelmed by the atmosphere.

He smiled unconsciously as he looked at Valrose, who was pushing his cup with a high air of triumph.

Nocton’s hand headed for the teacup.

But just before he could pull the handle of the cup, he felt an intense tension.

It can’t be Valrose, but it’s not his.

The smile on his mouth lifted, and the lotus-purple eyes rolled slowly toward the servant.