My sister, slightly older than me, is soon to celebrate her fifteenth birthday. In this country, this is the age that marks the entrance of a noble into high society. The Claes house was busy with the preparations for her birthday party, which would double as the venue for her social debut.
Katarina has really grown up since we first met, but, unfortunately, only on the outside. For better or worse, on the inside she is exactly the same as she used to be seven years ago. One could say that she is still innocent... or still immature.
During tea parties and other public events she is able to behave as a proper lady, but when she is with relatives or close friends, she immediately loses all restraint.
In particular, she often seems to forget that I, one of her closest relatives, am a man. She doesn’t hug me out of the blue or try to bathe with me anymore (I probably have Mother to thank for that), but she still lingers around me in little more than a nightgown, showing a complete lack of modesty... exactly as she did when she was eight years old.
A lot of people are attracted by this innocence: her fiancé Prince Jeord, Prince Alan and his fiancée Mary, the chancellor’s son Nicol and his sister Sophia, and the number of her fans grew every year.
Jeord is particularly aggressive in his approach, but Katarina is completely oblivious to his feelings. On the contrary, she has convinced herself that her fiancé is only engaged to her to keep all other noblewomen at bay.
In that sense, Jeord, whose feelings are being ignored, is in the same position as me. That should be a relief, but it worries me all the same. Katarina, never thinking of Jeord as a man, always has her guard down around him. Of course, he takes advantage of that to get intimate with her at every opportunity.
Every day that passes, my hate towards that sly, sordid prince grows fiercer... as does, to be honest, my envy for how nonchalant he can stay while getting close with her.
Katarina always taught me that I should be kind and considerate of women, and I took that to heart. Escorting ladies has never been a problem. If anything, if I may say so myself, I am somewhat popular with girls.
But when it comes to her, I just can’t approach her as naturally as Jeord does. And actively trying to get... physically... intimate with her...? Impossible.
The reason for this, I believe, lies with Katarina herself. During that most shy of ages, when boys bloom into men, she tried to become close with me and often let her body, growing ripe with womanhood, go uncovered but for the lightest of garments.
Before long, the tension that I felt around Katarina, amplified by the feelings I already had for her, had grown to the point that I withdrew most of my physical interactions with her.
Despite being the closest to her, I am unable to close that small remaining distance. All I can do is look at her and despise Jeord.
Katarina’s birthday had finally arrived. To my disappointment, Jeord would be the one to escort her at the party. I had to keep my eyes peeled, lest he make a move on her.
The two of them were dancing, surrounded by me, Mary, and the others who shared my concerns, and the rest of the attendees. Surely, we all thought, he wouldn’t try anything improper in front of such a crowd.
Surely enough, he did.
During their dance, Katarina lost her balance, and Jeord brought her in close to his body so that she wouldn’t fall. At least that was what all the others had thought, but I wasn’t fooled. He had drawn her in on purpose.
I wanted to jump in and pull them apart, but, difficult as it was, I maintained the restraint befitting the son of a duke. I decided I would at least wait until the song was over.
How long is he going to hug her? Let her go already! I screamed in my head, burning holes into Jeord’s back with my eyes... until... he kissed her neck!
That’s going too far!
I started running towards Katarina, but before I could reach her, the song was over and it was time to exchange dance partners. Seeing the mocking smile Jeord directed at me while walking away made my face turn red with anger.
And she... she probably had no clue, did she? She hadn’t even noticed the mark left on her neck.
“If you would, Big Sister...” I called out to her, and tried to clean it off with my handkerchief.
As expected, she had no idea of what had happened and asked me what I was doing. I didn’t want to tell her, of course, nor would I let Jeord do anything like this ever again.
“A small bug landed on your neck, and I was just... cleaning that up for you.”
“Oh, really? Thank you, Keith,” she said with a nonchalant smile.
Seeing her smile like that, so innocently, took away some of the anger Jeord’s deplorable feat had instilled in me. And now, looking at her so closely, I realized just how beautiful she looked today, even more than usual as she was embellished for the party.
“You look so beautiful, Big Sister,” I said with a smile, inviting her to dance.
“Thank you, Keith,” she accepted.
Dancing was not one of her talents, but she had practiced for this day, and it showed. Being so close to her as we moved through the air, looking at a Katarina who was even more beautiful than usual... I could almost understand why Jeord would do what he did.
She really kept her guard too low, though...
“You know, Big Sister... You really should be a little more aware of the dangers that surround you.”
“...Hmm? Aware of... dangers?”
“Yes. Especially when it comes to Prince Jeord,” I explained, hoping that she would realize how much he was targeting her.
“Don’t worry! I’m all about sensing danger when it comes to Prince Jeord!” she replied, leaving me appalled.
“...Really, Big Sister? To be honest, it doesn’t quite come across that way...” I reprimanded her, but she just continued, proud of her supposed danger-awareness.
“Yes, things are perfect! I am absolutely prepared to call off the whole engagement at any time! I even told him just now that I would, and that I would never get in the way of his true love!”
She really has no idea of what I’m talking about. “...How is that... perfect, Big Sister? No... this will not do at all. Did you not see what happened just now? How could you be... saying...?”
Katarina was just so oblivious that I almost felt bad for Jeord and his genuine attempts. “I could even prepare documents, you know? To call off the engagement. And then all I’d have to do is show them to Prince Jeord...” she said, seeing my disconcerted reaction.
“No! No, you mustn’t! If you provoke him any further... there may be no telling what he would do...”
What is she even thinking?! First of all, how could she possibly fail to notice advances as heavy-handed as Jeord’s? Are we sure that hit to the forehead didn’t damage anything important?
For the time being, I just instructed her not to find herself alone with Jeord. She nodded, but I hardly believed that she had understood as well as she said.
Having to look after my sister has made my seven years in the Claes family extremely busy. Busy, but blessed. Here, near Katarina, is where I have found my happiness.
Chapter 3: Alan’s Afternoon of Bliss
Time in the Academy of Magic went by in a flash. In a few more months, I would become Alan Stuart, academy graduate.
I was spending a relaxing holiday afternoon in the courtyard, thinking back on the memories of my two years here. So much happened in so little time. With highlights like the disappearance during the fall of my first year and the kidnapping during my second year, I’d seen enough trouble for a lifetime.
But what surprised me most was the reaction, or lack thereof, from the center of all this trouble: Katarina. You’d think that after being knocked unconscious by Dark Magic and then kidnapped the next year, you’d end up pretty damn freaked out. But she was so impervious to these misadventures that she barely remembered them. “Something like that happened? Really?” was her average response.
Now that I’ve only got
a few months left here, I hope I can enjoy them in peace...
The wind interrupted my thoughts by bringing a delicious smell into the courtyard. What’s that? It was the first day of the holiday break at the academy, so most students had gone back home, including my brother Jeord and my friends from the student council.
With so few people left, where could the scent be coming from? I guessed that it was some kind of food, but it’s not like anyone would be hosting a tea party at the academy during the holiday.
I went to investigate the source of the smell and ended up near a few trees in a corner of the courtyard. Someone was sitting, barricaded by foods in all sorts of containers that were laid atop a large piece of cloth spread onto the ground. I couldn’t see the person’s face, but it didn’t matter. There was only one person amongst all the nobles in the academy who would do something like this...
“Katarina Claes. What’re you doing here?”
“Hmfoo?!”
She turned back to face me and let out a nonsensical yell. Surprisingly (yet somehow predictably), her mouth was stuffed with food, and it still was when she first attempted a reply.
“Uoccha ew jooin ear, pweensh awam?”
Huh? “I have no clue what you just said. Swallow before trying to speak...”
“Gah, iesh. Nom nom nom nom...” She finished chewing and then tried to answer again. “What are you doing here, Prince Alan?”
“That’s what I was asking you.”
Katarina said she’d go back home for the holidays like everyone else. So why was she still here? And more importantly, why was she having a picnic in a place like this?
“Aren’t you supposed to be home right now?”
“I was... but this morning I decided to sleep a little longer since we don’t have lessons anyway, and before I knew it, it was afternoon.”
Typical Katarina... But what about that brother of hers who’s always following her around?
“Does that mean that Keith’s still here too?”
“No, he went back home first thing in the morning to help Father with his work. I told him that I’d follow him later, but I slept too long...”
That explained why she was still at the academy, but...
“Why’re you here all alone? What about your maid?”
“You mean Anne? She went back with Keith to help with the preparations for the wedding of one of our other maids.”
“Who prepared this feast, then?”
“The old lady that runs the school kitchen gave it to me! She said that since the dining hall will be closed for the holidays, she wanted to cook all the leftover ingredients so nothing goes to waste. So I asked if I could eat some, and she went to the trouble of packing all of this for me! Isn’t she wonderful? But she also said that students don’t usually ask to eat any of the pre-vacation leftover meals... maybe they just don’t know about them? It’s such a waste either way!” she said with sparkling eyes, holding one of the many food-filled containers in her hands.
It was pretty obvious that at this academy, where virtually all the students were nobles, nobody would go out of their way to ask for food made with leftover ingredients. The exception to that rule, who was sitting right in front of me, was the daughter of a duke — one of the most important people in the country. I was sure that the poor old lady had desperately tried to turn the leftovers into the best-looking dishes she could... and she’d definitely succeeded. Katarina’s food didn’t look like it was made from scraps at all.
“She cooked all of this for me, and since the weather’s good, I thought I’d eat outside!” she said, visibly happy as she cleared all the questions I had about her being there.
I guessed that since she was supposed to leave the academy soon after her brother, there probably wasn’t any lunch prepared for her. Hungry, she had then started wandering around, eventually stumbling onto the cooks as they made food from the leftovers. She had asked them for something to eat and they had rushed to plate what little they had in a luxurious enough way for a noble lady.
And there she was, sitting on a large piece of cloth, with all that food around her, enjoying the nice weather in the courtyard.
This girl... I should be used to it by now, but her antics really are... Wait, is that piece of cloth one of those things used to cover flower beds?
Come to think of it, this courtyard was the exact place where Katarina had been attacked with Dark Magic last year. Yet here she was, having a picnic. Despite having been kidnapped recently, she was smiling like a sunflower in May. Just where did she get such nerve?
“Are you practicing the violin?” she said, pointing her ever-carefree gaze at the instrument case in my hand.
“Yeah. The weather’s good, so...”
“So you’re out enjoying this beautiful afternoon, just like me!”
That was true, but I’d rather not compare my decisions with someone as airheaded as her.
I was supposed to go back to the castle with Jeord that morning. But when I woke up, I saw the clear sky and felt like I wanted to stay here. I didn’t hate being at the castle, and I didn’t have any problems with my family like I used to. Actually, I was looking forward to learning about royal diplomacy.
But the problem was that ever since I came of age, I’d been involved in the fuss about who was going to succeed my father. It used to be only my two oldest brothers and their supporters who were involved, but lately, Jeord and I had been included too. I personally couldn’t care less about becoming king, but the people around me just wouldn’t listen.
I couldn’t bring myself to waste such a pretty, sunny day dealing with the boring quarrels of nobles and their factions. I wanted to spend it doing something I loved. So I’d decided to stay at the academy and spend the afternoon playing the violin in the courtyard.
Because of this sudden change of plans, I got to see Katarina... I was sure that the folks at the castle would have their complaints, but I was happy I hadn’t gone.
“Have you already had lunch, Prince Alan?”
“I haven’t, come to think of it.”
I had been here in the courtyard for so long that I hadn’t even bothered eating. I just thought I’d go back to my room and eat whenever I felt hungry.
“That’s perfect! Why don’t you join me, then? I’ve got so much here that I could never manage to eat all of it by myself,” she said, showing me one of the containers which was indeed brimming with food.
Nobles normally just nibble all the different dishes and, once they’re satisfied, just throw away the leftovers. The academy’s cooks probably prepared all of this imagining that she would do the same. Little did they know that Katarina Claes, the duke’s daughter, always eats everything in front of her to keep it from going to waste...
As for me, I was starting to get a little hungry, so I gladly accepted her invitation.
“This is so delicious! It tastes zippy but rounded, without being too sharp!”
“I have no idea what you mean by that, but I’ll agree that it’s delicious.”
“Try this one too! The crust is crumbly and zingy, and on the inside it’s slushy and cushy!”
“What? Well... it does taste good...”
We went on chatting while eating together under the clear blue sky. This lunch was hastily made from leftover ingredients, but enjoying it with Katarina on such a beautiful day made it feel like an exquisite banquet.
“Ahhh, I’m so full! I can’t take another bite,” she said, flopping down on the cloth after she’d left not a single crumb behind.
Most people in high society wouldn’t approve of another noble slouching on the ground like that, but since it was only the two of us, I followed her example and lay down as well.
The afternoon sun was starting to inch westward, but it still shone warmly over the courtyard’s well-trimmed grass. Relaxing like that while looking at the sky slowly turning red made me feel at peace.
If I hadn’t met Katarina as a child, maybe I wouldn’t have bee
n able to enjoy this serene fulfillment. I was happy. Happy... and grateful.
“Ahhh, I can’t resist! I don’t care anymore!” she shouted all of a sudden, driving away any peace or serenity.
I looked at her, surprised, and saw that she was untying her shoes. Now barefoot, she stepped off of the cloth and onto the courtyard lawn.
“Whoo! Nothing feels better than feeling the grass under my feet!” she said, stretching out her arms in elation. That was a bit too much.
“Do you think that’s an appropriate thing for a lady to do?” I reprimanded her. Usually this would be Jeord or Keith’s job...
“But nobody’s looking! And it really feels good. You should try it yourself!”
Not only had she completely ignored me, but she even suggested I join her. If I were used to scolding Katarina, like Jeord and Keith were, maybe I could have managed to stop her... but this was a rare thing for me.
And also... she looked so happy with her bare feet on the grass, walking around under the sun... enticingly so. As a prince, I normally wouldn’t do anything unbefitting of a noble, but I couldn’t resist the temptation of sharing something so unusual, improper even, with Katarina.
I found myself barefoot, stepping onto the grass. It really felt good... I couldn’t blame her. I lost myself in the moment and, when I looked to the side, she wasn’t there anymore.
She was here seconds ago! What happened?! Did she get kidnapped again?!
“Katarina! Where are you?!” I shouted while frantically looking for her.
“Prince Alan! Over here!” came a casual voice from above.
I looked up and was shocked to find Katarina sitting on a tree branch.
“What are you doing up there?! I thought you were done with tree climbing!”
As a kid she’d spent more time atop trees than she did on the ground, but after her debut in society, the people around her insisted on it strongly enough that she decided to stop playing in trees... or at least, that’s what she’d said.
“I’ve been resisting the temptation all this time! But I was barefoot, and there happened to be a tree next to me, so...”
My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! Volume 5 Page 6
