I’m Home
Even the day after she had safely reconciled with her friends, Sheila was still in a flurry of activity.
Currently, she was at Felix’s mansion.
Her nerves were still somewhat on edge, and Sheila was more than eager to grasp the current situation of her loved ones than to get a good rest. Even if her body was tired, she wanted to catch a glimpse of her brother’s face first.
First of all, Sheila checked in with Richard, who welcomed her at the entrance.
“I’m really glad that Richard-san and the others are safe.”
“That’s my line. Even though you’re still a student, you did such a reckless thing.”
“Eh? Are you upset with me?”
“Of course not. What can a servant say to a young lady who is the Lord’s sister?”
“You’re angry after all….”
Feeling the intimidation contained in his smile, Sheila shuddered. She had come to know him intimately, but he was being extremely polite.
Richard suddenly softened his expression.
“I’m just kidding… I am truly glad you are safe. Not only because you are the Lord’s sister, but because I myself was sincerely worried about you.”
“Richard-san….”
They considered each other important.
Sheila could see that, so she accepted his thoughts with a feeling of empathy.
But Richard didn’t stop there.
“However, Felix-sama’s worries were incomparable to mine. I think you need to be prepared for a bit of a lecture.”
“…. Don’t worry. I came here prepared to be worn down for a whole day.”
Sheila’s shoulders slumped at the spiteful smile that appeared under his mustache.
He led her to the usual office.
There was a certain amount of fear. But more than that, Sheila wanted to feel relieved, so she knocked on the door without hesitation.
Without even hearing a reply, she rushed into the room.
Felix was standing by the window. Perhaps he was taking a break from his busy work to admire the view of the courtyard.
It hadn’t been long since they last met. And yet, Sheila felt as if she had been waiting for him for a long time.
Her brother’s angelic silver hair swayed silently as he turned his head around. His unchanging good looks showed a slight hint of fatigue.
“Felix… I’m home.”
The moment their eyes met, his face contorted in sadness that she could only utter such bland words.
Felix seemed to approach with a rough gait, and with the same momentum, he embraced Sheila.
A fragrance as clear as spring water, and a familiar warmth.
Her heart was filled with emotions, and Sheila immediately hugged him back.
“Brother…. I’m home.”
“Welcome back. Welcome home, Sheila….”
His voice sounded a little muffled as Felix buried his face in her shoulder.
“――When you said you were going to be a knight, I thought I was ready for it, but…. I got scared. I couldn’t stand still, worried that something might happen to Sheila.”
His voice was gentle and soothing. It almost made her teared up
Sheila stood up without hesitation to protect the royal capital, but even she was scared.
She might never see her loved ones again. How painful was death?
Would Felix be distressed and miserable?
Sheila felt as if she was finally free from all the fears she had been pushing deep down inside.
She was relieved when she returned to the academy, but the place Sheila should return to was still here. With Felix.
He leaned away a little and smiled sadly.
“But you will go back to the battlefield in the future, won’t you? To protect what needs to be protected. I know it’s useless no matter how much I try to hold you back….”
“It’s not useless.”
Sheila hastily interrupted his words.
She looked straight back into his trembling gray eyes and smiled.
“I realized this time that I can go home alive because there is someone waiting for me. Felix’s thoughts and feelings saved me many times.”
There were many times when Sheila thought she was done for.
However, just when she was about to give up, the faces of her family came to mind. Each time, she was reminded that she must not let go of her sword.
Those who were important to her became a source of strength.
Cody and Zechs. Seiryuu and Axe. Her friends at the academy, Amy, and everyone in town.
While Richard and Lulu were preparing the tea, Sheila thought about the current situation in the city.
There might not have been much damage, but it might not have been as lively as it should have been. Would the people in town look gloomy?
After settling into her seat, Sheila opened her mouth.
“Clauschezade-sensei has been summoned to the castle, so we won’t be having any training tomorrow. I think I’ll go to the pharmacy to see what’s going on in town. I don’t think anyone was injured, but I’d like to know how Amy-san is doing.”
The sweet tea with honey that was prepared tasted of apples and ginger.
Winter was the time for delicious honeyed apples.
On the table were custard tarts decorated with apple slices like flower petals, and crepes topped with apple compote and whipped cream. There were also cookies with apple cubes sprinkled generously on them. It was truly an apple-filled meal.
It was probably her brother’s instructions, who knew her favorite food. Even though Sheila was in the middle of a conversation, her eyes couldn’t help but be glued to the table.
“Don’t hesitate to eat. It’s my way of rewarding Sheila for her hard work. We can talk while you eat.”
“A-Are you sure? I’m probably going to finish all of this, you know?”
“Yes, of course, you can have as many as you want. I’ve also prepared some that don’t have apples in them.”
Sheila clasped her hands together in front of her chest at his pampering.
“I offer my joy and gratitude to all the gods for being able to eat the blessings of the earth―”
“――Sheila. I beg you, please don’t pray carelessly. I’ve heard the details from Clauschezade, but there are still too many uncertainties regarding the conditions for the occurrence of holy arts.”
Felix stopped Sheila from praying. Seeing the unusually hasty look on his face, she stopped herself from continuing.
“It’s okay. I don’t think it would be a problem as long as it’s not in the ancient language. I still pray every morning and evening, but nothing happens.”
“Really, you pray a lot….”
In order to cheer up Felix, who had been holding his head, Sheila continued to speak while stuffing her mouth with tarts.
“I think it’s pretty easy to tell when it’s triggered or not, because I felt a kind of pressure with every word I pronounced at that time. I bet it works for Felix too, so you might want to practice a little.”
“I. Absolutely. Refuse.”
He sighed exaggeratedly as he uttered every word.
“Please, don’t add more troublesome secrets, okay? Good grief, even the spirit arts alone is a problem…”
“Ah.”
Sheila processed the words that almost passed through her mind. Come to think of it, she had something important to tell him.
“I’m sorry, Felix…. Actually, I told my friends about the spirit arts.”
She had completely forgotten that he had given her strict orders not to tell anyone.
“I’m sorry I broke my promise. I had to tell them the truth in order to make up with them. And…. I didn’t want to continue deceiving my friends any longer.”
Cody, Zechs, and Leidyrune.
They were all important friends who Sheila could trust with her back and fight together with. It was impossible to keep it hidden anymore.
“Everyone accepted me. I was confused. Why did I have to hide it so desperately?”
Sheila didn’t understand how problematic it was to overthrow the country’s system. Why was it such a big deal?
“It’s because I don’t want to cause any trouble to the village, just in case. But I’m sorry. I’m making you work too hard, even though you’re not very good at lying.”
Felix, who was sipping his tea, laughed as he let out a sigh.
The pained, yet somewhat dismissive smile made Sheila feel a little worried.
She had seen this kind of expression many times since she was a child.
It was only recently that she learned of it. Felix’s face darkened whenever he talked about his past experiences—especially those related to the political upheaval.
“…. I don’t know what will happen to the village if you’re perceived as an unknown element. For example, the worst thing that could happen is a misunderstanding that I’m trying to usurp the throne by hiding such a powerful power.”
“That’s outlandish.”
Those gentle villagers were so laid back that they didn’t even know what kind of place the royal capital was.
But Felix shook his head elegantly.
“It’s the very possibility of it that gives me a headache. If they suspect even the slightest hint of treason, they’ll probably try to get rid of me. Because I’m in a delicate position in the royal family.”
Sheila tried to smile and failed.
Her brother’s face was too serious to laugh it off.
“Since we’re at this point, I’ll tell Sheila more about it.”
Snow was starting to flutter outside the window, and it seemed as if they were alone in the world.
Felix slowly set down his saucer.
Underneath the silvery eyelashes that shone brighter than the snow, gray eyes shot up at Sheila.
“‘Do not behave in any suspicious manner, serve the royal family, and devote your life to obedience.’ ――That’s what was imposed on me.”
