Chapter 10

As cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

Why is Yuno bringing this up now, even though she was disowned?

Then she realized. She had thought that everything was the same as four years ago, but it wasn't. The clothes the two of them were wearing were the same as what she had seen four years ago.

She found it strange. Her mother and Cindy loved dressing up. They always wore new clothes and chased after the latest trends—yet here they were, wearing the same old clothes.

Then it hit her. Could it be that the Berister family was on the verge of ruin? After all, since her father's death, her mother had been unable to maintain the family's status. That was why she had been so desperate to regain her reputation, even going so far as to treat Yuno coldly.

And she thought that the current Yuno could be useful in achieving that.

The past mistreatment of Yuno was irrelevant to them. Or perhaps they had forgotten about it. They didn't think they had done anything wrong, which was why they were now trying to get close to Yuno.

(What is this...?)

A surge of anger welled up inside her.

It was different from four years ago. Yuno could manage to live on her own. Keira was kind to her, she had become friends with Reuben, and she could see Lily's happy face. Things were different now.

Moreover, the current Yuno couldn't use magic—she wasn't the "worthless child" that her mother and Cindy thought she was.

Just as she was about to speak, overwhelmed by her emotions,

"I heard Diluc is here. That dull blonde maid said he's 'an old acquaintance of Yuno's.' So it's the Diluc I know. I never thought he'd be a prince. That's amazing. I know Diluc too, so I'm sure he'll be kind and treat me specially."

Those words made her throat tighten.

That was true. Moreover, Cindy, unlike Yuno who had refused the engagement, had always been on good terms with Diluc. Despair washed over her.

Then,

"It's been a while."

Diluc entered with a smile. She was surprised to see him here, but she knew he was an old acquaintance of Yuno's family.

In the dining room where only Yuno and the others were, Diluc sat down in the round chair next to Yuno without hesitation. Her mother and Cindy looked momentarily displeased but then their faces lit up. They seemed relieved that everything would work out.

No... Yuno lowered her head and clenched her fists tightly.

Her mother smiled her best smile.

"It's been a while. I always thought you were a fine young man, but I never imagined you were royalty. The Sascals are so formal. They should have told us."

"Diluc, I'm so glad to see you again. I heard you're a prince. That's amazing!"

Cindy's coquettish voice echoed, and her mother nodded in satisfaction.

"I never thought Yuno could use magic. I've been worried about her, so I'm relieved."

"Is it true, Your Highness, that your sister has a rare magical ability and will be highly valued at the palace?"

"That's right. Yuno is believed to have the power of a 'Holy Maiden,' which was thought to have been lost long ago. That's why the Grand Cathedral and the king are paying attention to her. In fact, the king once granted a title to a Holy Maiden in the past, but no one could inherit it after her, so the name is now forgotten. But because I recommended it, I think Yuno will inherit it soon. When that happens, her family will become one of the most prestigious magical families."

Cindy showed a fleeting look of regret, but her mother smiled with satisfaction, as if her long-held wish had finally been fulfilled.

"Oh, that's wonderful. Yuno is my daughter, so this is also a great achievement for the Berister family."

Cindy smiled sarcastically, Diluc smiled calmly, and the three of them laughed together.

Despair deepened. Diluc didn't know the true state of Yuno's family. He thought they were a normal family, a good household that cared for their eldest daughter, Yuno.

Her chest felt heavy. No, it wasn't true. But she had never been able to tell Diluc the truth because she didn't want him to dislike her. It wasn't true, but it was too late.

Ah, it's no use—.

Just as Yuno was overwhelmed by despair, Diluc's cold voice suddenly rang out.

"But you disowned Yuno, didn't you?"

(Huh...?)

Yuno's face shot up in disbelief. She looked at Diluc in shock. He was staring at her mother and Cindy with a severe, almost hostile gaze.

(How does he know...?)

About Yuno's past of being mistreated.

"You disowned Yuno. You cut ties with her. You're no longer family. You hurt Yuno and drove her away, and now you're trying to get close to her again. That's too much. Yuno has a rare purifying power, but it has nothing to do with you."

His tone was harsh, allowing no room for argument.

Yuno bit her lip. She was happy to learn she could use magic. It made her feel she wasn't the "worthless child" her mother and Cindy called her. But—

(No...)

She felt it acutely. She remembered Diluc's words from the past. "It's okay if you can't use magic. I like you, Yuno." Those words had saved her.

—That's right. That's the truth.

Yuno bit her lip and then raised her head. She looked directly at her mother and Cindy. It felt like the first time she had faced them head-on.

"What is it?"

Cindy smiled sarcastically, trying to assert her position in the face of Yuno's sudden resolve.

Yuno stared at Cindy.

"I won't return home."

She said it clearly, though her voice was small. It was a declaration of her resolve. For the first time, she clearly understood her feelings. She could use magic. She wasn't the "worthless child" her mother and Cindy said she was.

But that wasn't the most important thing. It wasn't about whether she could use magic or not.

It was what Diluc had always told her.

Now that she knew she could use magic, she understood. Even if she couldn't use magic, she wasn't a worthless person.

"I won't return home, and I have no intention of living with you in the palace...!"

Her voice trembled, but she spoke firmly.

But her mother and Cindy's anger exploded instantly.

"Yuno, what are you saying—!"

"Yuno, do you know your place? We're trying to reach out to you!"

It was the same as before. They hadn't changed at all from four years ago.

But Yuno didn't look away. It was different from four years ago.

"Please leave."

Diluc's voice was cold and chilling, addressing the two women who were trembling with anger.

"I said it before, didn't I? Yuno is no longer related to you in any way."

His tone was merciless, reiterating the current situation and their positions.

The two women looked regretful, but it was clear who was in charge from the start.

Cindy tried to smile ingratiatingly at Diluc, but his cold expression made her flinch.

Her mother stood up, pale and lifeless, like a puppet.

They walked weakly toward the door. On the way, her mother, unable to hold back, turned and trembled, saying,

"Your Highness, you don't understand...! After my husband's death, it was so difficult to maintain the prestigious family. As soon as they found out the head of the household was a woman, the people who had been fawning over us turned their backs. I had to protect the family that had been passed down for generations!"

"—Is the family that important to you?"

"Of course! For my daughters and for myself, it was everything, my goal in life!"

Her mother's face was fierce.

There was nothing Yuno could say to that. No, her mind was screaming that it was different, but the words wouldn't come out.

In front of Yuno, Diluc began to speak in a calm voice.

"One winter morning, when I visited your home with the Sascal couple, you said you had a cold. It was true; you were coughing occasionally. Do you remember?"

Her mother and Cindy, as well as Yuno, were taken aback by this unexpected story from the past.

"Yuno suddenly left the house after seeing you. I didn't understand what was going on. You all just laughed and said, 'Yuno is a strange child.'"

The memory came flooding back. Yes, that was the early winter when Yuno turned twelve. She remembered.

But what was Diluc trying to say?

"Yuno finally returned in the evening. When I went to check, she had several pieces of ginger in her hand. It was a year of poor ginger harvest due to lack of rain, and Yuno said, 'I went to the farthest market to find them.' She smiled and said, 'This will help Mother's cold.'"

Her mother gasped.

"I only saw it once, but it must have happened many times. —You said the family was the most important thing to you, but what truly cherished and made you happy, was it the family, or was it the daughter you treated coldly?"

(He knew...)

A warm feeling welled up inside her.

Yuno had tried so hard to be recognized as a part of the family, but her mother and Cindy had never noticed. Diluc had noticed.

She felt as if her childhood, when she cried alone and no one noticed, had been acknowledged—

"You have no reason to come here again. This is the palace. Unrelated people are not allowed to enter. If you come again, you will be charged with treason against the royal family."

The mention of treason made her mother stand still, and Cindy turned pale.

The knights waiting outside the dining room led the two women out, who left weakly.