How much time has passed since I held Arien in my embrace?
With one hand clasped with hers, I carefully stroked her back with my other hand, gently patting her.
“It’s okay. It’s not Lady Kaltree’s fault.”
At first, Arien had awkwardly stiffened in my arms, but soon she was leaning against my shoulder, releasing trembling breaths.
How much had she endured until now?
She, who had walked only the path of the sword, had faced scorn and ridicule from countless nobles in high society.
The hardened shell she displayed must have been in shambles within.
Loneliness is something that seeps in like poison, regardless of who you are.
But Arien had no place to voice her pains.
Of course, she couldn’t confide in the gentle Lilian, and she didn’t want to be a burden to her family either.
That must be why she was so shaken by my words. I was bringing to light the suffering she had tucked away deep inside.
“It’s, it’s getting late. We should start heading back, Young Lady.”
The moment Arien, nestled in my arms like a baby bird, gently pushed me away.
The tips of her ears were flushed, and she avoided making eye contact with me, fidgeting nervously.
Was she embarrassed to be embraced by someone smaller than her?
Yet still, Arien did not let go of our interlocked hands.
It was as if she was holding onto the warm connection shared between our fingers, and our hands remained touching.
‘How cute,’
I smiled at her, which made me realize how lovely she looked.
“Lady Kaltree… may I ask your age?”
“…Why do you ask about my age?”
“I wanted to get closer to you, Young Lady. And if you permit it, I wish to call you by name.”
“…I’m twenty this year.”
“Ah…! Then you’re my older sister. May I call you Arien?”
“…As you wish.”
“Hehe, then please feel free to speak casually with me too. You are of a higher status than I, after all.”
“U-umm…”
I am the daughter of a Baron, but Arien is the Young Lady of a Marquis family.
And with her being older too, there was absolutely no reason for her to treat me with formality.
However, her respectful demeanor towards me likely stemmed from deeply ingrained manners.
“Arien, may I stay here tonight?”
I leaned towards Arien, intertwining my arms around hers. Her eyes widened in surprise at my sparkling gaze.
“Y-you want to stay?!”
“Was it too sudden…? I know it’s an inconvenience, but I just want to spend more time with you. I feel happy being with you…”
“……”
“Do you… not want that, Arien…?”
As my gaze fell, her body began to tremble in response.
“R-requests involving guests need to be approved by my mother. Please wait a moment.”
In the end, Arien surrendered, raising her hands in defeat under the intensity of my longing eyes.
“Then may I accompany you to greet her?”
“…If you wish.”
“Thank you, Arien.”
I buried my face in her shoulder and gently rubbed my head back and forth.
After hesitating for a long moment, Arien finally reached out awkwardly and started to pat my head.
Slowly, and gently.
*
The intricate moonlight softly enveloped the bedroom, and I looked at Arien with open arms.
“Hehe, don’t you think Arien’s clothes are a bit big for me?”
Arien silently stared at me, then looked away, clearing her throat awkwardly.
“C-cough.”
“It’s because Arien is so well built.”
Having not brought my own pajamas, I borrowed Arien’s nightgown to wear.
The difference in our physiques was greater than expected, and the garment hung loosely on me, revealing bits of my skin through the thin fabric.
Arien glanced at me, her body stiffening slightly as she averted her gaze.
“Arien, could you spread your arms a bit?”
“…Huh? Like this?”
Without saying much, Arien opened her arms on the bed. I quickly dashed over and jumped into her embrace.
My plan was to lay her down on the bed, but Arien’s body was surprisingly firm and didn’t budge an inch. Instead, her embrace welcomed me fully.
“T-Tina…”
“Hehe, I’m so happy to be here with you all night, Arien.”
“I feel like this is too close…”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“A-aah, not really… it’s just…”
As you can see, we had grown significantly closer than when we first met.
While enjoying dinner and chatting, Arien had also begun to address me more casually.
It wasn’t difficult at all.
For two years, I had lived as the pet of many Young Ladies.
Visiting the mansions of countless noble girls, I had acted obediently while making a fuss during late-night hours.
So, getting close to Arien, who was hurting inside, was nothing out of the ordinary.
“You always seem so blunt, Arien. I want to see you smile…”
“I’m not really the type to smile much.”
“Really? Then can I test that?”
“Test? How?”
“Ummm… let’s see?”
Laughing playfully, I rushed at her.
“Like this? Surprise tickle attack!”
“H-Hey! W-wait! Ahh! That tickles!”
“Hey! You laughed! Oh my, your smile is so beautiful, Arien!”
As she looked flustered, Arien’s face turned redder by the second. Watching her, I felt a silly grin spread across my face.
“I feel like I could fall for you even though you’re a girl. Is it alright if you keep smiling like that?”
Her face, unaccustomed to compliments, blushed easily, and her gaze timidly dropped to the floor.
“T-that’s a bit of an exaggeration…”
“Hehe, but I really mean it.”
After that, we spent a long time playfully tickling each other on the bed until we were too exhausted to continue and lay side by side, catching our breath while gazing at one another.
In this quiet moment, with our eyes locked, the distance between us no longer felt so far apart.
It was about time to bring up something serious.
As our playful banter faded, a solemn atmosphere enveloped the room.
I smiled sadly and cautiously met Arien’s gaze.
“Arien… you’re going through a lot, aren’t you?”
“…Huh?”
“You’ve probably heard all those bad rumors about the Saint lately. You’ve been caught up in them too, haven’t you?”
She looked at me silently. I felt a lump in my throat and lowered my head.
“I really can’t understand who spreads such rumors. Surely, you shouldn’t have to hear such things, Arien…”
As Arien listened to my words, she tilted her head slightly and asked,
“Tina… you don’t know?”
“I don’t. If I had known, I would have set them straight already. You shouldn’t have to be in such pain, Arien.”
“Fufu…”
Despite her struggling expression, a slight smile appeared on her lips.
After fidgeting with her fingers for a while, Arien finally took a deep breath and looked at me.
“Actually… I had doubts about you too.”
“…Me?”
“Yeah. After I got to know you, there were times I thought to myself; if Tina were to harbor any ill intentions, it would be truly frightening. So when the rumors about the Saint surfaced… oddly enough, you were the first person I thought of.”
I was left speechless by her words. Strange feelings welled up inside of me, but I simply waited for her to continue.
“But that’s not how I feel anymore.”
“…Is that so?”
“I was mistaken. After talking face to face with you today, I’m certain. You’re not someone with malicious intent.”
Arien smiled kindly and patted my head. I instinctively settled my head closer to her chest.
Mmm… this feels strangely poignant.
After all, I was the one who spread the rumors about the Saint. I felt terrible about it.
Sure, another Young Lady directly slandered the Saint, but I had laid the groundwork for it long before that came up.
By the way, Arien does seem quite perceptive.
“Tina… actually, there’s something I need to tell you…”
As the night deepened, people’s hearts always grow emotional and honest.
In such an atmosphere, if someone is beside you, most noble girls would open up about the secrets they’ve been keeping.
I had heard so many secrets from noble girls that I couldn’t even count them, and a book could likely be filled with them if compiled.
Arien was a person too; she must want to share her burdens like this.
“My father recently revoked the order to watch over the Saint.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. As bad rumors about the Saint began to spread, our Kaltree Marquis family’s reputation started to fall.”
“I didn’t know that. You’ve continued to protect the Saint all this time.”
Arien sighed slightly.
“No matter if it was my father’s order, how could I just abandon her like that? Right now, I’m all she has.”
“Still, you’re struggling, Arien.”
“Yeah… To be honest, it has been really hard. I thought I could brush it off at first, but when everyone began to blame me, it hurt.”
“Have you spoken with the Saint?”
“Of course I couldn’t. How could I tell Lilian, ‘I’m suffering because of you’?”
“……”
“Despite that, I believe it’s the right thing to do. Lilian isn’t a bad person, and she was chosen by the goddess herself as the Saint.”
Arien wrapped her arms around my waist and pulled me closer into her embrace.
With our breaths almost touching, her face flushed as she looked at me.
“And it’s not hard for me anymore. Knowing that you value me gives me a lot of comfort.”
“Is that so…?”
“Yes. As long as you’re by my side, I feel like I can withstand any slander from the nobles. Will you stay with me going forward?”
The atmosphere was almost like a marriage proposal.
“Arien, may I ask you something?”
“Of course, anything.”
“You’ve given the Saint so much comfort. Is it, conversely, the same for her?”
“Conversely?”
“Is the Saint a source of comfort for you?”
“That’s…”
The corners of Arien’s eyes began to tremble. Unable to easily respond, I spoke up first.
“You might think I’m overstepping, but… it seems to me that the relationship between you and the Saint is quite unfair.”
“Unfair?”
“Yes. The Saint relies on you and finds solace, but you seem to be the one suffering because of it.”
“…..”
“It’s not right for one side to freely depend on the other while the other only faces harm.”
“….That’s not true.”
“And the Saint is well aware of that. She’s a person with a deep essence. Yet, she continues to lean on you without pushing you away.”
“That’s just the situation…”
“If I were in your place, I would’ve distanced myself. I wouldn’t want to see you getting hurt because of me, even if it broke my heart. I would do whatever it takes to protect you.”
“…..”
It’s not surprising that doubts would arise.
No matter how innocent Lilian is, she must have some inkling that Arien is also suffering because of her.
In the game, Lilian always treated Arien as a companion.
There was no particular reason for it.
She kept Arien close as a way of paying her debt of gratitude.
Lilian, who received endless favor from Arien for standing by her side, would surely harbor sincere gratitude towards her deep inside.
A resolve to one day repay her benefactor.
And that resolve would be one of the significant factors for Lilian to fully awaken as the Saint.
In the end, as Lilian awakened as the Saint, she repaid her debt.
Throughout the latter part of the game, she contributed to the Kaltree Marquis family, helping elevate Arien’s reputation to the top of the heavens.
“…Arien, forgive me if I’m being careless.”
Of course, those were the circumstances.
But the emotions Arien feels in the present moment might be quite different.
“Perhaps the Saint is seeing you not as someone precious, but as a useful tool.”
“…Tina.”
Arien’s expression hardened.
Her silenced voice seemed to warn me not to cross a line, but I held her hand tighter with a sorrowful face.
“I’m going to speak up. I don’t want to see you in pain any longer, Arien. You must have an inkling of this too.”
“…No, Lilian has no other choice; she really needs my help.”
“But right now, you’re the only one suffering. If the Saint truly values you, she couldn’t treat you like this…! If I were the Saint, I would never allow you to be slandered.”
Though it was an utterly untrue statement, my voice came out filled with earnestness.
“Tina, you’re lovable, and you have many people willing to help you, but Lilian currently has no one around her.”
“…Arien, you’re still siding with the Saint. My concerns feel insignificant in comparison.”
I released my grasp from Arien’s hand, trying to distance myself from her. I bowed my head to hide my expression, but Arien hurriedly seized my hand again.
“I-I didn’t mean it like that, Tina!”
“Do you really think so highly of the Saint…? She’s the one making you suffer so much!”
“It’s a situation I can’t avoid, Tina. Lilian is suffering tremendously too.”
“I hate the Saint. I detest that she’s making you suffer like this yet won’t let you go.”
“Tina…!”
“…Enough.”
In the end, I sighed and stood up from the bed.
I started to head for the door, but Arien rushed to me and pulled me back.
“Where are you going, Tina?!”
“To the guest room. I’m not feeling well being with you right now.”
I looked at Arien with a dry emotion. Seeing my expression made her eyes tremble like aspen leaves.
“T-Tina, why are you looking at me like that?”
“Now that I think about it, you seem to look at Arien just like the Saint does. You may see me merely as a source of comfort.”
“What?! That couldn’t be true…!”
“I might have been overstepping my bounds. I’ll return to the Kaltree mansion as soon as dawn breaks, Lady Kaltree.”
“D-Don’t go! And don’t call me Lady out of the blue!”
Just as I turned my back coldly, Arien gripped my hand tightly.
“Please don’t, Tina. I need you.”
“You only worship the Saint and ignore my concerns for your well-being.”
“No, Tina…!”
“No, it seems like you only need the Saint.”
Although I had only known her for a day, she acted as if she would perish without me.
What a ridiculous situation it was.
In the end, she, just like me, had become addicted to the poison of loneliness and was desperately craving human affection and attention.
In that circumstance, there appeared someone who would stand firmly by her side.
Just as my mother had offered me, I must have seemed like a lifeline to Arien.
The poison of loneliness makes individuals incredibly vulnerable, and once one becomes addicted to the feeling of love, there’s no way to escape from that drug-like mire.
Just like I had.
“I need you, not Lilian…!”
In her desperate and heartfelt words, I turned back for a moment to look at her.
How terrified she must have been; tears of anxiety brimmed in Arien’s eyes, which had often appeared strong.
“Then please choose.”
“Choose…?”
I took a step closer to Arien.
I intertwined my fingers with hers once more, resting my forehead against hers.
“I will make you happy, Arien. I’ll convince everyone to put an end to the rumors surrounding you as quickly as possible.”
“……”
“But if you continue to disregard my concerns and stay by the Saint’s side, I’ll have no choice but to give up.”
“Th-that’s…”
“So please choose.”
I envisioned my mother abandoning me in my mind.
Naturally, my emotions became heated, and a single tear formed in my eyes.
Seeing my tear, Arien’s eyes began to tremble.
With a quivering voice, I choked up and addressed her.
“Is it me, or the Saint?”
The one whom I kept by my side out of a sense of justice and loyalty, while causing me endless pain.
And the one who stood by me during the most distressing times, offering warm words of comfort and relentless support.
It was abundantly clear who I would choose.
“I, I…”
And after that moment.
Lilian no longer made appearances in high society.
