Father, I Won’t Do Anything

“Will you be going somewhere far away, Your Highness?”

“In fact, I will be attending the Melbel Academy.”

The Melbel Academy.

Founded by the great sage Melbel, it was an institution where his disciples upheld his teachings and educated students.

“It is a long-standing tradition for members of the Delaide imperial family to graduate from the Melbel Academy before entering public service. The great sage Melbel was apparently on close terms with our ancestors.”

“I see…”

“With minimal outside contact, it will likely be years before I can see Miss Jaina again after enrolling, such are the rigorous graduation requirements.”

“But we can still exchange letters, can’t we?”

“Will you reply to them?”

“Of course.”

“…Hah, I worry about the type of unsavory characters Miss Jaina might encounter during my absence.”

For some reason, Rosian avoided meeting Jaina’s eyes, his head hanging low.

“You won’t forget me while I’m away, will you?”

Taking his hand, Jaina replied matter-of-factly:

“What kind of younger sister would forget her older brother?”

Only then did a faint smile grace Rosian’s features.

* * *

With Rosian, who used to frequently visit the Magic Tower or summon Jaina to the capital, now departing for the academy, Jaina found herself with an abundance of free time these days.

“Phew.”

Pondering how to spend her newly available hours one day:

“Meow.”

“Hmm?”

Izren approached carrying a letter in his mouth. Jaina tilted her head quizzically at the unexpected correspondence.

“I can’t think of anyone who would send me a letter…”

Could it be from Rosian?

-I’ll write you often.

Recalling Rosian’s words, Jaina allowed herself a momentary flicker of anticipation before shaking her head dismissively.

It had hardly been long since Rosian’s departure – he would surely still be preoccupied settling in.

‘Then who could it be from?’

Jaina tore open the unlabeled envelope.

[I am Marilyn Bondrewd. Since you have read this letter, don’t attempt to evade me.]

Upon seeing the name ‘Marilyn,’ Jaina could vividly picture the young lady in question.

[Unlike last time, don’t cower behind knightly escorts! Let us engage in a proper duel between just the two of us.]

‘But she was the one who initially proposed this duel…’

However, unlike the underhanded dispatching of mercenaries by the Newin household, Jaina appreciated Marilyn’s forthright approach.

‘She had even taken my side against Chloe Newin before… Perhaps I should pay her a visit?’

Jaina promptly sent a reply agreeing to visit the Count Bondrewd’s estate.

* * *

Thus, time passed until the scheduled duel.

-In any duel, formidable weaponry and defenses are of paramount importance!

Upon learning Jaina would be dueling her peer, Mikael, while naturally assuming her victory, still fretted enough to meticulously equip her with various enchanted items.

As a result, Jaina found herself adorned with ten magic rings on her fingers, six magic bracelets on her wrists, and a magic necklace around her neck.

“Heheh, you’ve arrived! I commend your boldness, if nothing else!”

As Jaina entered the estate grounds, Marilyn stood with folded arms, chin raised in haughty confidence.

“Of course, you’ll soon come to regret this foolish decision!”

Without a word, Jaina simply lowered her hood.

The chilling intensity emanating from Jaina caused Marilyn’s pupils to tremble violently.

“Who shall preside as the duel’s observer? And how will injuries be handled?”

“Wh-What, what is…”

Seemingly rattled, Marilyn’s earlier bravado had evaporated, leaving her flustered and at a loss.

“You’re Marilyn Bondrewd, correct? I wasn’t aware you practiced magic or swordsmanship.”

Speaking calmly, Jaina summoned a swirling breeze around her fingertips.

Yelping in alarm, Marilyn leapt back as she raised her voice:

“Have you lost your mind? I have no such uncouth hobbies!”

“Yet you issued a duel challenge despite lacking magic or sword skills?”

“None of those barbaric pursuits for me! I meant a more genteel form of dueling!”

Seemingly fearing Jaina might resort to force, Marilyn swiftly retreated further into the estate while shouting:

“Emily, bring me what I mentioned earlier!”

“Yes, milady!”

“At our age, we should engage in refined intellectual contests rather than brute force, should we not?”

This was an unexpected turn of events for Jaina.

“And the loser must address the winner as ‘older sister’!”

With those words, Marilyn presented a chessboard before Jaina.

* * *

“Hueeng. So you’re thirteen years old as well?”

Clack.

“I hadn’t realized we were the same age.”

Clack.

As they played chess, conversation naturally flowed between them.

Chocolate chip cookies, cheese sables, cream pound cakes, cream puffs… Vibrant, pretty, and adorable desserts adorned the table beside the young ladies.

The Bondrewd estate’s head chef clearly possessed no small skill in confectionery.

“Well? Not going to eat any?”

When Jaina’s hand stilled, Marilyn glanced at the plates before addressing a maid:

“The desserts seem to be depleting. Ellie, if you have a moment, I have another request.”

Despite Jaina outpacing her in consumption, Marilyn seemed entirely unbothered.

Jaina found herself touched by her demeanor.

‘I had expected greediness, but it appears I misjudged her.’

Despite their less-than-amiable first encounter, Marilyn treated Jaina with the same warmth extended towards close noble friends.

Conventional wisdom dictates those who behave deplorably over food are the worst sort of people. Yet Marilyn’s generosity suggested she was hardly ill-natured.

As they indulged in the sweet desserts, the pair gradually wore increasingly drowsy expressions.

Their combative spirits had seemingly dissolved into the sugary treats, rendering them languid.

Before long, their initially intended duel had devolved into idle chatter.

“So you live with your cousin brother?”

“Yes.”

“Is your brother handsome?”

Jaina answered reflexively without a second thought:

“Very.”

“You must introduce him to me sometime.”

“Then my brother might get arrested.”

Jaina’s response envisioned Mikael.

“Why would he get arrested?”

“My brother is twenty-one. An adult, you see.”

“But why isn’t he betrothed yet? All my cousin brothers were engaged in their teens.”

Jaina recalled posing a similar query to Mikael before.

-What? Why don’t you have a girlfriend?

-Apparently it’s common for nobles to be betrothed in their teens…

-That may be true for ‘regular nobles’! But for magicians pursuing enlightenment, absolutely no betrothals until reaching a certain level of mastery.

-What level would that be, exactly?

-Say, thirty years from now?

Around that time, Mikael would be in his fifties.

After furtively checking for Diamid’s presence, Mikael had leaned in to whisper conspiratorially:

-Truthfully, I think your father lost his marbles. Not only did he engage in romance in his twenties, but he even produced a child!

Jaina found herself uncertain whether Diamid or Mikael represented the norm.

“I suppose magicians tend to be unconventional in that regard.”

“Then your father must be an elderly grandfather figure?”

Instinctively envisioning Diamid, Jaina shook her head again.

“I don’t have a father figure.”

“Did he pass away?”

“No, I didn’t have one to begin with.”

Noting Marilyn’s puzzled expression, Jaina swiftly changed the subject:

“In any case, your parents must be quite young then.”

Fortunately, Marilyn readily followed Jaina’s conversational shift without further comment.

“My father is thirty-one. My mother is thirty.”

Thus far, the chess game had consistently favored Jaina’s side. While Marilyn’s skills were far from poor, she consistently faltered in the later stages, enabling Jaina to gain the upper hand.

“Aah, why am I getting so worked up over this!”

Exasperated, Marilyn abruptly produced a deck of cards, offering them to Jaina.

“Let’s settle this with a card game instead!”

However, Jaina’s performance in card games fell short of her chess prowess.

With luck being a pivotal factor, Jaina’s expression soured whenever dealt an unfavorable hand – an occurrence that seemed improbably frequent.

“Sheesh, you could at least try a little harder.”

As Jaina’s losing streak persisted, Marilyn’s taunts grew increasingly smug.

“But this time… a bit different.”

“Huh?”

Jaina rapidly laid out her cards in succession.

Upon seeing them, Marilyn’s complexion paled drastically.

“A rematch!”

“I will accept that request.”

Back and forth, round after round.

Between chess, card games, and various other diversions, the day had gradually waned into evening before they knew it.

“Oh my, how adorable.”

“It seems our young lady has finally found a kindred friend, having lacked companionship until now.”

Without regard for who had succumbed first, Jaina and Marilyn had both dozed off atop the table.

Chuckling softly, the maids draped a blanket over the slumbering pair.

“They’re both such cuties.”

It was a night adorned with an unusually dazzling array of twinkling stars.

* * *

Having unintentionally spent the night, Jaina returned to the Magic Tower at first light the following day.

‘I nodded off without informing anyone.’

Apparently, Mikael had barged into the Bondrewd estate in the middle of the night, causing quite a commotion.

-Where is my sister? Have you lot hidden her away?

Thankfully, upon realizing Jaina had merely fallen asleep while visiting Marilyn, he had departed.

‘I suppose the tracking bracelet proved fortuitous after all?’

Jaina gazed down at the sapphire bracelet adorning her wrist.

‘From what I’ve heard, both Mikael and Hilvenzia were utterly beside themselves with worry…’

She should have provided advance notice, regardless of how late – it was entirely her own lapse.

Jaina fretted over potential curfews or restrictions on her outings as penance.

‘I’ll need to sneak back in discreetly.’

Cautiously surveying her surroundings, Jaina tiptoed towards the Magic Tower’s entrance.

“Sir Izren…”

Jaina had begun greeting Izren when she noticed Diamid standing beside him, abruptly falling silent.

“Good day to you, Tower Lord .”

They seemed to have been conversing when she arrived.

After politely acknowledging Diamid, Jaina made to head upstairs.

“And where have you been?”

However, Diamid’s sudden query caused Jaina to halt mid-step and turn around.