Leisha looked at the maid submerged in the water.
The water floating in the air formed an ellipse the size of a person, swaying gently, and the maid inside was swimming through it.
A spirit technique called “Aqua Coffin,” something only a Spirit Master who had contracted with a high-level Water Spirit could perform.
Depending on the rank of the spirit, it was one of the ultimate spirit techniques that could heal anything as long as the person wasn’t dead.
A spirit technique so rare across the entire continent that those who could perform it were treated as honored guests wherever they went, capable of healing not only physical wounds but also mental scars over time.
But for Leisha, it had been a simple task since she was a child.
“Thank you for helping Sally, Princess Leisha.”
“……It’s nothing. It’s between me and Kyle.”
“Board game friends really are the best.”
“………….”
How could she make sure that only her name came out of his mouth, not “board game”?
If Kyle Byron could sync with a spirit, maybe he could become her one and only “friend”?
Though she had let the maid and the magician into the turret, Leisha was still afraid of people. More than fear, she didn’t want to meet them.
──You’re Leisha? Cute.
──Who are you?
──I’m… your uncle.
──Again.
Every time she saw someone who wasn’t a spirit, that memory resurfaced. Like a deeply embedded thorn, it kept coming back.
Even her father was no exception. The only one who had escaped that was Kyle Byron.
Leisha didn’t know why.
Why was it okay when she looked at Kyle? Why could she get close to him?
She didn’t know the reason, but it didn’t matter anyway.
It was clear that only Kyle could be Leisha’s one and only “friend.”
Different from the spirits she considered family.
Friend.
‘Friend, friend, friend.’
Board game friend.
That’s…
The same, right? Kyle must think of me the same way I think of him, right?
Leisha, who believed that without a doubt.
Looked past Kyle, who was gazing at the maid with concern, and saw the magician behind him.
‘Magician.’
Truthfully, that woman was the most ambiguous of all.
The maid was blind in her devotion. And because of that, she was easy to understand. Though her overwhelming loyalty made it seem difficult to remove her from Kyle’s side, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
But that magician was different.
As a High Magician and Archmage of the Magic Tower, she expressed her displeasure indirectly, unlike the straightforward maid, and her attitude was hard to read.
Moreover, her intentions were unclear.
‘She does care about Kyle. But…’
Her direction was different from the maid or Leisha.
It wasn’t blind devotion, nor was it pure friendship.
And her expression barely changed, making her truly ambiguous.
Would it be okay to leave that magician by Kyle’s side?
‘No way.’
Even with her severely lacking social experience, Leisha vaguely understood. Someone like Kyle Byron was a shining person.
There was no woman by his side who wouldn’t fall for him, except for Leisha.
Because Leisha and Kyle were “friends” connected by “friendship.”
In the end, both the maid and the magician were disqualified.
‘If that’s the case…’
She had no choice but to remain by his side as his friend.
And for that.
Kyle couldn’t leave the duchy.
“……Kyle, I just heard from the spirits that your father is looking for you.”
“Huh? The Duke is? Why all of a sudden…”
“Maybe he wants to play a board game.”
“I’ll go right away.”
Kyle immediately stood up and looked at the maid sleeping in the water and the magician beside her.
“Then Sally and Adela───”
“Leave them here for now.”
“Princess, are you sure?”
“Alright. So, there’s this board game Kyle made for me, right? It’s not like we have nothing to talk about.”
For example.
Things that only women should talk about.
“So, go ahead.”
“Princess…!!”
Kyle seemed genuinely happy. It seemed like he thought Leisha had shown great courage.
Or maybe he was just excited about the board game.
Honestly, it didn’t matter which. Just moments ago, Kyle had been staring at that maid, but now his gaze was fixed on Leisha.
That look, that smile.
Someday, even that warmth.
“Magician, you too, right?”
“…Yes.”
“Even Adela… I get it! Have fun with the board game!”
As the magician, who had been watching Kyle until the end, nodded, Kyle waved with a bright smile and hurried down the turret.
On the way back, he had the spirits escort him. Even if any sounds were heard, they would block them.
Now, what’s left.
“Stop pretending and get up.”
*Splash!*
“…Damn bitch.”
“Should I do it alone?”
“………….”
Dropping the maid, who had already come to her senses, into the water.
And just glaring at the still expressionless magician.
And so, the three of them gathered.
They had already recognized each other, but back then, because Leisha had synced with them, they could only see each other indirectly.
They had been hostile, stabbed each other with knives, and insulted each other.
Three women who were so different from each other.
The maid, the Spirit Master, and the magician faced each other.
One was caressing a dagger, another had all sorts of spirits behind her, and the last remained expressionless.
The Spirit Master pulled out a card.
“That is…”
“Th-the one Young Master made…”
“Spirit Poker. A game too good for you.”
“What’s your purpose?”
“I hate breaking promises. I told Kyle, didn’t I? That we girls would stay and play a board game or something.”
The magician’s eyebrow twitched slightly. It seemed she didn’t believe that was the real reason.
The maid also looked displeased… but she was still catching her breath, and above all, she couldn’t take her eyes off the cards Kyle had made.
“So, are you not going to play?”
“…………”
“…………”
The answer was already decided.
With one more chair brought by the spirits from somewhere, three chairs were placed in a circle around the table.
Without a word, the three women sat down.
This might be the coldest board game in the world.
Not a single word was spoken until the Spirit Master shuffled and dealt the Spirit Poker cards.
Naturally, the Spirit Master was the first to pick up her cards.
“…………”
Since they had played once before, the maid and the magician should know the rules. They might be annoying, but they weren’t stupid.
The maid seemed to doubt the current situation, while the magician remained expressionless.
In a tension so thick it could explode any moment.
The Spirit Master placed a card in front of the maid.
“This is.”
And then, as expected.
“It’s love.”
“………!!”
The Spirit Master.
Had no intention of playing a board game with these two.
…Let alone her precious Spirit Poker.
“Wh-what are you doing…?”
“Why? You know the rules of Spirit Poker, right? Just guess if what I said is a lie or not. Simple, isn’t it?”
“…………”
This was Spirit Poker, but it wasn’t Spirit Poker.
Rather, the Spirit Master had bound the maid and the magician in the form of a board game.
If they ran from the question? Even better. It just proves they’re nothing more than that. Unacceptable as friends.
If they answered the question? They would have to respond to the Spirit Master’s words. No matter what answer came out, as friends, it was…
Unacceptable.
And at the point where the question was about “love.”
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say there was no chance this blind maid would run away.
“L-love? Y-young Master?”
“Just answer. Whether it’s true or false.”
“Ha.”
‘Of course, she’d say yes.’
Making her answer in the form of Spirit Poker was a warning.
It was the Spirit Master who suggested playing Spirit Poker, and it was also her who broke the rules.
It was a warning to leave Kyle’s side while she still could.
At that warning, the maid tilted her head for a moment.
“………….”
She pulled out the dagger hidden inside her maid uniform and stroked it.
As if enchanted, she caressed the blade that was always sharpened.
*Thud!*
“W-what a stupid question. Y-you peeping pervert beast.”
“……….”
“D-do I l-love the Young Master?”
The maid laughed. At the same time, her breathing grew heavier.
Unlike the panic she showed just moments ago, this time, it was as if she genuinely found it ridiculous.
“No.”
“…………What?”
She denied it.
The Spirit Master was puzzled by the unexpected answer. Only the expressionless Magician remained unfazed.
‘Is that not love?’
Even if the Magician had answered that way, the maid was more blindly devoted and easier to understand than anyone else.
The maid, who had stabbed the dagger into the center of the table, continued with a torn smile.
“T-this isn’t just l-love or something. L-love? Ha! W-what a joke.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“T-that’s the l-limit of someone like you, you b-bitch. D-defining my feelings as mere l-love.”
*Thud.*
The maid pulled out the dagger.
She lovingly stroked the blade and the handle.
“This is.”
After correcting her stumbling words, the maid, who had turned expressionless from endless ecstasy, concluded.
“Awe.”
“………….”
“…………….”
“Young Master, Young Master, Young Master. Young Master Kyle. The great Young Master Kyle. The magnificent Young Master Kyle. The splendid Young Master Kyle.”
──The feelings for such a person.
“What else could it be but awe? Love is small. Too small. Such a trivial emotion could never express everything I feel!!!”
*Thud!*
“So, the answer for a lowly beast like you… is a lie.”
“………….”
She looked at the dagger, now completely piercing through the table.
It was clearly an unexpected answer, but.
Somehow.
“But, you.”
“…………….”
“You left a scar on Kyle, didn’t you?”
The Spirit Master found the maid amusing.
To spout such words after leaving a scar on Kyle.
It was truly laughable.
“………Y-yes.”
“Really?”
“T-that’s why… I c-can never forgive myself from that time.”
“Why not kill your past self? Then the current you wouldn’t exist.”
“H-hehe. T-that’s an interesting thought, you beast. T-then.”
*Flick.*
Next turn.
The maid threw the flipped card at the Spirit Master.
As if it didn’t matter if the front was visible.
“H-how about you?”
“………….”
“I-is it love?”
“Of course not.”
Love.
The Spirit Master denied it instantly. After all.
She had seen the emotion called love before.
Not from herself, but as the target.
She knew well how ugly and twisted that emotion could be.
‘Disgusting and…’
“That’s why she was even more hostile to the maid and the magician. If they harbored feelings of love for Kyle, surely… the same tragedy that happened to her would occur.”
“A feeling that shouldn’t exist in this world, and above all, a disgusting and ugly emotion.”
“That, the Spirit Master was certain, was love.”
“So.”
“This is friendship.”
“F-Friendship?”
“Of course, it’s a noble friendship that you lot could never imitate.”
She could answer without a hint of hesitation.
Even as the maid’s eyes narrowed and a sneer crept onto her lips.
The Spirit Master found it amusing that the maid didn’t understand love or friendship.
“Then.”
The Spirit Master received the card. So, it was her turn next.
She placed a card that might very well be the last one.
In front of the magician, who remained expressionless throughout all this.
“What about you, Magician?”
“…………….”
“Is this love?”
What would the magician say in response?
It seemed the Spirit Master wasn’t the only one curious, as the maid also turned her head toward the magician.
The magician, who had maintained a blank expression the entire time.
“As expected, just as I thought.”
“What?”
“………W-What?”
“You two are dangerous people to have by that man’s side.”
“……….”
“………….”
“I have no choice but to protect him myself.”
“Y-You? With what right? You wench who threatened the Young Master.”
“More importantly, can you even protect him? Really?”
The maid sneered, and the Spirit Master warned.
It seemed like daggers and spirits were about to be directed at the magician.
But the magician remained indifferent.
“That is my atonement for him, so don’t worry about it. And I have enough strength.”
“Y-You damn bitches…….”
“Both of you are ridiculous.”
In the end, everyone answered ‘no’ to the question of whether it was love.
So, the Spirit Poker ended in a draw with no one ahead.
Awe, friendship, atonement.
The maid, the Spirit Master, and the magician, each with vastly different hearts, glared at each other.
……Until the day Kyle Byron returned to the turret.
Without a word.
They continued.
*
“This is the Fire Spirit!”
“……No, it’s not!”
“No, you’re guessing this!? Oh no….”
“Hoho, that makes it one win and one loss. By the way, Kyle Byron, shouldn’t you be heading back to the turret soon? As I said earlier, I never called for you.”
“Duke, you’re quite oblivious in this regard. Right now, Princess Leisha is happily making friends with her peers. Sally and Adela are good people, and above all, anyone can become friends over a board game.”
“Since you got close to Leisha through that board game, I have nothing to say.”
“That’s right. By the way, since it’s one-on-one, shouldn’t we play one more round?”
“……Fine. Since it’s a game you made for your daughter.”
“Great!”
“Alright! Oh, but when do you plan to return to the turret?”
“Hmm, well.”
“Probably around evening, I guess.”
