Chapter 162 - Recognition (6)

Georgia, the art club advisor and professor of herbology, was watering greenhouse plants in her calm attire. It was a peaceful evening with red sunset light pouring in. The students' easels were neatly arranged in one corner, and five paintings by someone were displayed in a row in the center of the greenhouse.

While Georgia was quietly humming, a girl knocked on the greenhouse door. She turned her eyes to check the door. Being glass, there was no need to look carefully.

She recognized the girl's face and said, "Come in."

The girl was the owner of the five paintings arranged in the center of the greenhouse. They were placed there because Georgia had something to discuss while looking at the paintings.

The girl entered and greeted Georgia politely, clasping her hands and bowing her head.

"...You called for me, Professor."

"Yes. Wait a moment. Sit down. I'll bring some tea. You liked jasmine tea, right?"

"No, Elcanto."

"Ah, that's right. Very well."

Georgia put down her watering can and walked to where dried tea leaves were stored in one corner of the greenhouse.

Soon after, she came to where the girl was with two teacups in her hands and placed them on a paint-stained side table.

The girl bowed her head and took a sip from her teacup.

Georgia watched her and said, "It's too obvious to say in front of others, but I think our art club has three truly beautiful members—Haley, first-year Lilith, and you."

"...Thank you."

"You especially remind me of snow crystals. So white they appear blue."

"...Was there a reason you called me separately?"

"Ah, yes, you've been consistently producing work lately, attending well, and so... quite a collection has built up. They're excellent pieces worthy of immediate exhibition... but I felt we should talk first."

"...Yes."

"Have you heard the saying that art is a mirror of the soul?"

"Yes."

"Right. Whether intended or not, sometimes the artist's soul seeps into their work. That's art's greatest aspect. I... love children's drawings. They contain pure, innocent, raw vitality untainted by the world."

"..."

The girl listened quietly without any change in expression.

"Just as most of life is pain, I often see paintings filled with suffering hearts. An artist's life tends to be poor and difficult, after all."

"..."

"And..."

Georgia looked at the girl's paintings lined up on the left with a troubled expression.

"I feel something similar in your paintings."

It wasn't simple loneliness or sadness.

Forms melting away, decomposing, smeared with dark colors, and twisted backgrounds.

This wasn't something one could imitate by copying others.

The girl's inner state was close to pathological. What could have happened to twist her inner world so severely despite her beautiful face? Georgia found it painful just looking at these paintings.

"Fabella... are you really alright?"

***

Bibi and I boarded the carriage returning to the castle. Since I wouldn't show my forehead, Bibi seemed upset and sat diagonally opposite from me, pressing down her wide-brimmed hat and only staring out the window.

After arriving at the hilltop castle, Bibi pressed me with several questions about Silveryn, but I avoided giving proper answers.

"It was a pleasant outing. I'll visit again this evening, so wait for me."

"I agreed to be with Teacher then."

Bibi's pink lips twitched irritably. Then she spoke as if saying do as you please, "Fine, do what you want."

Then she left the carriage and departed swiftly, trailing servants following like a tail.

After briefly parting with Bibi, I also went up to the castle, returning to my original room with the good view.

That evening, contrary to my expectations, Silveryn didn't come.

Could it be something important? 

Silveryn rarely failed to keep promises.

Well, given that she traveled from the Holy City to the Principality, it probably wasn't a simple matter that could be finished in half a day.

Before dinner, a tailor unexpectedly visited to measure me. They left saying they would provide clothes needed for the ceremony and hoped I wouldn't increase my waist measurements by overeating.

The servants brought dinner, and I finished my meal alone modestly.

Even after that, Silveryn didn't come. If I'd known this would happen, I would have at least listened to Bibi's business.

After waiting and waiting until moonrise, I finally fell asleep.

I lost consciousness deeply, losing track of time, when suddenly I awoke to a tingling sensation in my nose.

It was still dark around me, and above my head, a fist-sized red light was spinning in circles.

Only after moisture returned to my dry eyelids did I realize it was my spirit familiar.

"Ppiyak!"

Then something brushed down my nose bridge. At first glance, it looked like a brush, but looking closer, it was hair rolled up like a brush in someone's hand.

That hair tickled my face, brushing across it like painting strokes.

I turned my head. Beside me laid Silveryn, watching me while playing with her hair like a brush.

Her face wore a smile full of mischief.

"Tea… cher?"

"Swoosh swoosh."

She continued brushing my face while making sound effects with her mouth.

"...This isn't a dream."

I thought we'd meet in the morning at the earliest. I never expected her to visit at dawn like this.

Silveryn spoke while tickling every corner of my face, "Have I ever appeared in your dreams?"

"Of course."

"Don't boys your age often have strange dreams...?"

"...What kind of strange dreams?"

"Hmm... dreams with attractive people of the opposite sex?"

"Prophetic dreams did have people of the opposite sex, but... I'm not sure if they were strange."

"How did I appear in your dreams?"

"We were spreading a mat and admiring a lake."

"That's all? That's rather bland."

"I liked it."

"Really?"

I turned my attention to the spirit familiar spinning intently in the air.

"Why is it doing that?"

"Ppiyak!"

"I was making it exercise. When I saw it after so long, it had gotten fat."

Maybe because Silveryn ordered it. I've never seen that one move so nimbly before.

"...Aren't you tired, Teacher? How did you end up coming so late?"

Silveryn stopped her brushing and continued, "Well. Why are there so many people in the world who need my help?"

"..."

"I tried to come to you early in the evening, but things kept coming up. How should I put it? It felt like they weren't real problems but ones created deliberately to keep me from you. Even the Principality's highest leader seemed to join in preventing me from coming to your side. Though not openly, of course."

"...Is the Principality treating you poorly?"

"No, they're treating me too well, that's what bothers me. After finishing work, they gave me the best mansion in the city as lodging, but I realized it was the farthest from your room. What's that about?"

"..."

"So I got increasingly angry. Why does it feel like they're trying to prevent me from going to my disciple?"

"..."

Thinking about it again seemed to make her anger rise.

"My precious disciple. The disciple I raised with such affection... I got so angry at them interfering with me going to my disciple... I just threw everything aside and came."

"I was waiting."

Then Silveryn suddenly pinched my cheek.

"You were wrong too. If I didn't come, you should have come to find me."

"...?"

That was beyond my authority. How could I visit such distinguished people's quarters? It would only cause trouble for Silveryn too.

"Without Teacher, I'm sad. Without Teacher, I feel like I'll die. Please let me see Teacher. I miss Teacher. You should have come pleading like that to find me."

Silveryn seemed to be half-joking.

"...Next time I'll come making a huge fuss."

At that, her pinching grip loosened and she gently stroked my cheek. Fortunately, it seemed to have been the right answer.

Now I notice Silveryn hadn't even changed out of her formal wear or removed her accessories. She really must have rushed straight here after finishing her work and laid on my bed.

"And do you know how much trouble I went through to sneak into your room?"

"Couldn't you just come in normally?"

"It's not as simple as you think. This resort castle or whatever has a stupid tradition. If an unmarried woman enters a lone knight's room after evening, they write about them spending the night together on a banner and hang it on the castle walls."

"Couldn't someone like you... ignore such traditions?"

"I thought so too, but there are no exceptions, even for kings or princesses."

"Why is there such a tradition?"

"The castle's first owner was a historical record keeper. He was renowned for keeping accurate records of the Principality's history, but his only errors were regarding the secret relationships of the ruling class. That grudge led him to play occasional pranks, which eventually became tradition."

"..."

I briefly recall Bibi's face as she glared at me yesterday with that “just you try it” expression.

Silveryn tapped the tip of my nose with her index finger and said, "If rumors spread about me and my disciple... it might be fun, but I needed to protect you for tomorrow's ceremony."

She spoke too lightly of this. It was not a matter of fun. Silveryn's honor was far more important than my insignificant reputation.

"Do you know what kind of ceremony it is, Teacher?"

She smiled lightly and said, "It seems the Principality wants to reward you somehow."

Just then, the sound of clicking heels approached from the corridor.

The sound grew closer to my door.

"Oh my."

Silveryn made a mischievous expression and covered my mouth with her hand.

I thought it would just be a maid passing by, but when the sound stopped in front of my door, the atmosphere turned strange.

The sound of deep breathing came from outside the door, followed by a knock.

"Are you... asleep?"

It was Bibi's voice.