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Chapter 106
Fortunately, my plan worked.
“Ah.”
“Eh.”
The twins, who thought the invitation was only for themselves, ran into each other at the promised location, creating a tense atmosphere.
Ciel was the first to show discomfort.
“Arellirin, did you invite Noel too?”
Noel didn’t back down.
“Arellel, you should have told me if we were going to hang out together with Ciel.”
I felt awkward watching the twins express their disappointment. They seemed ready to fight again. What should I do? Could I actually make them reconcile?
“If it’s uncomfortable, go home.”
Pession sorted out the situation.
“We came here to have fun. We’re going to watch the founding festival. If it’s uncomfortable, you should leave.”
Pession drew a clear line as he pulled me away from between the twins.
Ciel and Noel looked a bit wronged for a moment, but then they clung to me.
“That’s not allowed!”
“Yeah, it’s the first time Arellel invited us.”
I glared at the twins, who were sulking and clinging to my arms.
“Call me properly by my name.”
The twins looked at me simultaneously.
“Then let me call you by a nickname like Your Highness.”
“Me too.”
They only got along at times like this.
“Alright.”
“Arel, that’s—!”
Pession immediately frowned.
“Why?”
“……”
I tilted my head, watching Pession hesitate as if he wanted to say something.
“It’s better if everyone’s friendly, isn’t it?”
“……”
Pession tried to communicate through expressions. Expression language—he hadn’t even mastered Harun’s eye-language yet.
As I struggled with interpreting it, the twins grinned.
“Your Highness is jealous.”
“They’re annoyed. Do we annoy them?”
“You all get lost right now.”
“Ugh, no!”
I just blinked at the suddenly started game of tag between the twins and Pession.
“……”
And another victim in this scenario.
“Thanks for coming, Harun.”
A nod.
“Harun, you can use a nickname too.”
Another nod.
It felt healing. Harun was truly the best friend.
“Why did you call Harun?”
Pession, who returned after disciplining the twins, grumbled.
“Because Harun is my friend too.”
Pession’s smile faded.
“I wish everyone would just go away.”
“Excuse me? What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
I didn’t hear it, but the twins and Harun seemed to, and their expressions subtly changed.
The twins pretended not to notice, and Harun looked like he wanted to run away. What had Pession said?
“Call me by a nickname too.”
Pession pouted and begged.
“Try calling me Sion.”
That was a bit embarrassing.
“Si…on.”
“Properly.”
“Sion.”
Feeling a strange flutter in my chest, I bit my lip. Only then did Pession’s face break into a full smile.
“Yeah, Arel!”
It felt like Pession had finally returned to the one I knew.
“Let’s go watch the festival.”
With a suddenly bright expression, Pession held out his hand. I took it and offered my other hand; the twins reached out and their hands collided.
Then they glared at each other again.
Sigh… those precious little ones.
“Ah.”
Leaving the twins behind, I held Harun’s hand. Only then did the twins follow, pouting.
“……”
Harun seemed uncomfortable, fidgeting with our joined hands. Pession kept glancing at our hands.
I pretended not to notice.
“This is my first time watching a festival with friends.”
For a moment, everyone’s attention focused on me.
“They’re my first friends, and it’s also the first time I’ve left the mansion alone. They never let me go out alone.”
The twins blinked, surprised, and Pession’s expression subtly changed as well.
“Ah! Mehen even gave me allowance? I’ve never gotten allowance before.”
In my previous life, my mother was always around, and afterward, I only used cards. Using cash felt exciting.
“……”
“……”
The four of them exchanged glances, momentarily taken aback. Why were they looking at me with such pitiful expressions?
“Arel, we’ll do our best.”
“Do you want to do anything? Just say it.”
“I’ll behave today!”
The now well-behaved twins, Pession eager as always to do anything for me, and Harun quietly nodding—it made me smile.
Today might not be so bad after all.
The northern part of the Halbern Mansion’s territory was elevated, offering a great view of the Sky Tower descending into the troposphere.
When we actually reached the bustling streets and looked up at the Sky Tower…
“Wow.”
“What is that?”
“Incredible.”
Perhaps because the Sky Tower stood directly above the central magic tower of the capital, it seemed to rise endlessly from the ground to the heavens, like the legendary Tower of Babel.
“Tourists from abroad flock here just to see this.”
“So our family merchants are thrilled to sell magic tower-related goods.”
Seeing this majestic sight, the twins immediately talked about money.
“Harun, can we ring that?”
“If it’s at a master level, probably yes.”
“Master? If it’s a master, then surely.”
Pession and Harun discussed whether the Sky Tower could be rung. Was I the only one genuinely moved?
Even having grown up seeing countless modern skyscrapers, the Sky Tower—made of marble, not steel—felt entirely different.
“Oh, they’re selling food over there!”
“Arel, food?”
“Yeah. Just one bite.”
The festival crowd reminded me of subway Line 2 nightmares, but the lively atmosphere made it enjoyable.
While Harun and Ciel went to buy skewers, Pession and I exchanged glances.
“Next, Noel?”
“Yeah. I already talked to Ciel.”
“Got it.”
I hadn’t forgotten why we had ended up watching the festival together.
Noel blinked. I could sense Harun watching from the side, but I didn’t feel like being considerate, so I teased him even more.
‘Normally, I’d be with Ciel…’
Harun was fine but quiet, so playing with him alone was a bit boring.
‘I need to reconcile them.’
Noel knew it too, but since it was their first fight, he didn’t know how to.
Born together, they had always known each other’s thoughts without speaking, but this was the first time they had fought over differing opinions.
Noel glanced at Ciel playing with Pession from afar. Seeing Ciel after so long felt unfamiliar.
“Noel.”
I leaned toward him.
“Still haven’t reconciled?”
Noel glared at me.
“I’m Ciel.”
“Right, Ciel.”
“Actually, I’m Noel.”
“I know, Noel.”
“Sorry, I lied. I’m Ciel.”
“I know you’re Noel.”
I replied indifferently. Noel looked at me, frowning.
“Nope? How do you know?”
I smiled and tapped his forehead.
“There’s always a way to know.”
“……”
Caught off guard, Noel blinked. It felt strange.
Confusing someone as Ciel or Noel was a foolproof way to fluster and disorient them, yet this was the first time he’d been seen through.
Even their parents couldn’t distinguish them.
Especially today, since the twins were dressed identically, it should have been impossible.
How did I recognize them?
“Noel’s voice is a half-tone lower than Ciel’s.”
“Huh?”
“Not exactly half a tone, but still, you can tell in conversation.”
Was that something only I could notice?
Noel’s expression subtly changed.
“That’s why I knew from the start.”
Noel blinked.
For someone always treated as one half of a Ciel-Noel set, experiencing such distinct individuality was a first.
Did Noel feel self-conscious because it became strangely quiet? I tilted my head.
Even that looked endearing, and I began to understand why Pession clung to me… and felt that fluttery, ticklish sensation again.
