Chapter 231 - Norn's Little Love Song, Part Three

Norn's Perspective:

The fourth day after returning to the Asura Kingdom.

The snow outside still hadn't stopped.

A thin layer of white frost had already gathered along the windowsill.

I sat in the small parlor on the second floor of the mansion, holding a warm cup of tea and staring at nothing in particular. Ariel sat across from me, perfectly composed as always.

Today she'd come simply to talk. No guards. No ministers. Not even Luke.

The room was so quiet all I could hear was the fireplace crackling.

"So—"

Ariel set her teacup down with a soft clink.

That familiar smile settled on her face.

"Miss Norn seems to be in quite a good mood lately?"

I went still.

"Have I?"

"You have."

She answered without a beat of hesitation.

"Since we got back, you've spaced out more times than I can count."

"Oh......"

How does she even notice things like that......

I lowered my head and took a sip of tea, trying to look calm.

Then her next sentence nearly made me choke on it.

"Are things progressing smoothly with Ruijerd?"

"Pfft—"

I slapped a hand over my mouth.

My ears went hot instantly.

"Y-Your Majesty Ariel?!"

"Hehe~"

She looked thoroughly pleased with herself.

"So I guessed correctly?"

"How on earth did you figure it out......?"

"Because it's far too obvious~"

She propped her cheek on one hand, perfectly at ease.

"Miss Norn never used to make that kind of expression when she was interacting with Ruijerd back in the Student Council."

"What kind of expression......?"

"The expression of a maiden in love."

"......"

I had nothing to say to that.

My face was getting hotter by the second.

Ariel simply continued sipping her tea, unhurried, looking entirely in control of the situation.

"I'll admit, though — I'm a little surprised."

"Surprised about what?"

"That Miss Norn would fall for Ruijerd."

"Why do you say that......?"

"Hmm~ Well, when you first joined the Student Council, didn't you and Ruijerd have a bit of a conflict right at the start?"

"That...... we made up the very next day......"

"True. But there's a saying, isn't there? [First impressions are the most important.] At the time, I thought Miss Norn might end up disliking Ruijerd because of how that first meeting went."

"I'm not that petty......"

Ariel laughed softly.

"No, I suppose you're not."

Then, as if something had just occurred to her, she let her eyes drift half-shut.

"But the current Ruijerd really is quite charming, isn't he."

I paused.

Then slowly lowered my head.

"......Mm."

He really is.

Serious. Reliable. Gentle.

Not particularly good at saying what he means. Sometimes so oblivious it makes my head hurt.

But whenever I'm near him, I feel calm. Like nothing bad can touch me.

The corner of my mouth lifted before I even realized it.

The very next second, Ariel tapped the table lightly.

"Oh my~ what a happy little smile."

"Your Majesty Ariel!"

"Sorry, sorry~"

She said it, but the smile on her face didn't shrink even slightly.

Then she sat up a little straighter and looked at me.

"But, Miss Norn."

"Mm?"

"Have you seriously thought about what comes next?"

"Next?"

"Mm." Her tone softened. "For example...... what kind of relationship do you hope to have with Ruijerd?"

The room went quiet.

The fire swayed gently in the hearth.

I looked down at the steam curling off my tea and stayed silent for a long time.

Finally, I spoke quietly.

"......I want to be with him. Always."

That was the truth.

During the journey. After returning to the capital. Even when I was spacing out in the middle of writing, the person filling my thoughts was always him.

Ariel listened without a word.

Then she smiled softly.

"Isn't that a wonderful thing?"

"But......"

I tightened my grip on the cup. My voice dropped.

"I'm not really sure what Ruijerd actually thinks."

"Oh?"

"He's very good to me."

"Mm."

"He looks after me, protects me, remembers things I say in passing."

"Mm mm."

"But......"

I trailed off, then let my head dip, a little deflated.

"I keep feeling like it's more out of a sense of responsibility. Maybe because my brother's debt of gratitude weighs so heavily on him, so he protects me, because I'm Rudeus's little sister......"

A few seconds of silence.

Ariel looked at me.

"Miss Norn," she said slowly, "matters of the heart are never something you can sort out all at once."

"Is that so......?"

"It is. Choosing someone out of a sense of responsibility isn't wrong. Love can grow from that, given time."

"......You're better at this than I am, and I'm the one who writes novels."

She rested her chin lightly on her hand. Her tone shifted, just a little more earnest.

"He's lived a very long time, and he's lost a great deal. So sometimes, he may not even be able to recognize his own feelings right away."

I stared at her.

Ariel continued.

"But there is one thing I can say with certainty."

"What?"

"If he truly only saw you as someone to protect, his eyes wouldn't look the way they do now."

"His eyes?"

"Mm." She smiled. "The way a man looks at someone he cares about, it's different. It's nothing like the way he looks at anyone else."

"Really......?"

My heartbeat kicked up.

"Is-Is it that obvious?"

"Extremely obvious." She lifted her teacup. "I am the Queen of the Asura Kingdom. Countless men have been drawn to me. And I have always known which ones truly felt something, and which ones only wanted my body."

"Then you still...... act like that......"

"Because I want their bodies too~"

I could not look up.

Ariel seemed to find that hilarious. She let out another soft laugh, then smoothly shifted topics.

"Speaking of which."

"Mm?"

"Do you know which of Lord Rudeus's wives took the initiative first?"

"Eh?"

That came out of nowhere.

I turned it over in my mind, trying to remember.

While I was thinking, Ariel continued at her own unhurried pace.

"Miss Sylphie was quite diligent back then, you know."

"......"

"Miss Eris goes without saying."

"......"

"As for Miss Roxy, "

She paused.

A knowing smile spread across her face.

"That teacher is actually surprisingly bold."

Oh. She wasn't talking about who confessed first......

I'd thought......

I could feel my face going redder by the moment.

"Why is Your Majesty Ariel suddenly bringing this up......"

"Because I want to tell you~ sometimes, taking a little initiative isn't a bad thing at all. Especially you, Great Author Norn~ The heroines in your books are bolder than the last, aren't they? Suddenly holding hands~ patting his head~ touching his cheek, or even......"

"That's just fiction!"

The snow outside drifted quietly past the window.

I kept my head down, but my thoughts were spinning.

Take a little initiative......

These past few days, I'd already begun to feel it, vaguely. If things stayed exactly as they were, Ruijerd would probably stay right where he was forever, at the stage of simply protecting me.

Not because he didn't care.

But because he was too earnest. So earnest that he wouldn't even let himself think in that direction.

A small, stubborn feeling stirred in my chest.

I already like him this much......

And then Ariel spoke again.

"Miss Norn."

"Mm?"

"If it were me, "

Her eyes narrowed slightly. The smile on her lips was elegant and just a little dangerous.

"I would simply lure the person somewhere secluded, and then slip something into their drink."

"Pfft, Your Majesty Ariel?!"

"Hehe~ I'm not joking. He may be very strong, but at the end of the day, he is still a man. Given his history, it's been several hundred years since he's been with a woman, hasn't it? Miss Norn, you are so lovely and charming, I refuse to believe he hasn't thought about it."

Ariel took a calm, satisfied sip of tea.

Then added, as if it were nothing at all:

"That hot spring inn on the mountaintop happens to be vacant right now."

"......"

My hand stopped moving.

"The scenery is lovely," Ariel continued unhurriedly.

"......"

"The cuisine is quite good."

"......"

"And most importantly, it's very quiet. No one will disturb you. After all, it was built for Lord Rudeus."

The room went completely still.

The image had already begun forming in my head.

Just the two of us. Ruijerd and me.

No one else. No guards. No maids.

Only the hot spring, and the snow outside.

My heartbeat started climbing, little by little.

Ariel smiled, soft and certain, as if she already had her answer.

"It seems Miss Norn has already thought of something."

"I-I haven't said anything yet!"

"Mm mm~"

She looked utterly unconvinced.

Then she stood, smoothed out her skirt, and said lightly, "Well. I won't keep bothering you today."

"Eh?"

"After all, "

Ariel glanced back at me over her shoulder. Her smile was gentle, and just a little wicked.

"A maiden always needs a little time alone before she makes up her mind."

And with that, she left, unhurried, the door closing softly behind her.

I stayed where I was.

The snow kept falling outside. The fire swayed in the hearth. I looked down at the surface of my tea and watched my own reflection ripple, my face growing warmer and warmer.

After a long, long moment, I slowly buried my face in my arms.

"......A hot spring inn, huh."

➤ Next: Norn's Little Love Song, Finale