[Intermission] Sealed Feelings
Lake Gallard.
It had been a long time since I last saw him, but he had definitely grown—more boyish, more mature. No matter what, I could tell that he had changed.
Still, that gentle smile of his remained the same as when we were children.
That smile had saved me countless times.
Maybe that's why… by the time I realized it, I had already fallen for him.
We didn’t get to meet often, but even so, I was happy.
—Until that day came.
When I turned six, on the way back from a trip to town, bandits attacked our carriage, aiming for our wealth. They slaughtered the knights escorting us and then kidnapped me.
The culprits were soon caught and executed, but for my young self, the psychological trauma was overwhelming. From then on, I became terrified of meeting people.
I begged to see Lake, but my father objected, saying I was in no state for it. In the end, I spent my days locked away in my room.
Some time later, my father asked me to prepare magic herbal medicines.
Even if I couldn’t meet people, I could at least make medicine in my room. I followed his instructions and crafted potions with the intended effects, handing them over to my father.
The result—my potions were credited to my brother, and despite being told he had no chance of getting in due to poor grades, he was accepted into the Royal Academy.
After that, Father ordered me to become my brother’s shadow.
My family started acting as if I had never existed in the first place.
But I didn’t particularly mind.
If anything, I felt relieved that I wouldn’t have to interact with anyone.
Father sent me off with a casual "At least graduate from the academy," but in truth, he only wanted me there because I would be useful to my brother.
I had nothing better to do, so I agreed, passed the entrance exam, and was given a hastily prepared archive arranged in secret by my father through academy officials.
Aside from somehow being favored by the student council president, everything went as expected—until that day suddenly arrived.
"It's me. Lake Gallard from the Gallard Company. We've met a few times at each other's estates, right?"
There was no way I could forget.
The face of the person I had longed to see.
Of course, at first, neither of us recognized each other—it had been years since we last met. That was only natural.
But just knowing he remembered me made me so happy.
Though, having a beautiful secretary and an adorable classmate around him was a little frustrating.
Still, more than anything, knowing I could be with him again made me truly—
"Hey! Are you in there, Claire?!"
My brother Walton’s furious voice shattered my fleeting joy, dragging me back to reality.
"You’ve finished the report due tomorrow, haven’t you?"
As soon as he barged into the archive, he barked out his demands. I silently handed him the report I had prepared.
"Tch! If you’re here, then hurry up and hand it over. Useless."
Snatching the report with his usual insults, he turned to leave. But today, for some reason, he stopped in his tracks.
"I heard that Lake Gallard has enrolled in this academy."
"…!"
Hearing Lake’s name so suddenly, I couldn’t hide my shock.
My brother, of course, didn’t miss my reaction.
"So, you’ve already met him, huh?"
"T-That’s…"
"He’s been making a name for himself right from the start, drawing all sorts of attention… I don’t like it. He should just stick to selling goods and flattering people like a proper merchant."
"W-What are you planning to do to him?!"
I couldn’t help but raise my voice.
My defiance only fueled my brother’s anger.
"Oh? So you still have feelings for that guy? … Interesting. Then I’ll deal with him personally. I already found him irritating anyway."
The twisted smile on his face told me exactly what he was thinking.
I tried to plead with him, but he roughly grabbed my hair.
"Listen up! Don’t get any foolish ideas! You are my shadow! A shadow should stay in the darkness of this archive, using its power for my sake and my sake alone!"
Shouting in fury, he stormed out, throwing a final warning over his shoulder—"Don’t think you can escape from me!"
"Ugh…"
Left behind, I curled up on the floor, unable to do anything but sob.
"Help me… Lake…"
I whispered his name over and over.
Even though I knew he wouldn’t come to save me, I couldn’t stop clinging to the memory of his smile.
What do you think about this chapter?
