A young boy can be seen gazing at the moon absent-mindedly, his attention is faint but still sharply keeping an eye on the surroundings.
As he pondered about a lot of things that’re swirling in his mind, a familiar-yet-not-so-familiar girl came out, surprising the boy.
“Hmmm, so you can make that kind of face.”
In a somewhat teasing voice, the girl exclaimed as she took a seat opposite of the boy, only thing separating them was the campfire that still burned brightly between them, giving them warmth in the otherwise cold night.
The boy was somewhat caught off-guard and got flustered for a second, though he soon regained his composure and put on the ‘mask’ he’s always wearing.
“Haha! There are nights where even this me would feel melancholic.”
It was a voice full of confidence, accompanied with a tinge of charming appeal that would make any normal girls squeal.
“I see, so what you’re saying is you’re not a total idiot. That’s surprising.”
Of course his opponent this time was just not any normal girl, as she casually casually gave a sarcastic remark along with a slight grin.
The boy was at a complete loss as he was not used to being given this kind of treatment, especially from one that is opposite of his gender.
After all, he had a captivating look, captivating voice, and even his swordsmanship was elegant and captivating, his whole life it had been the norm for any girl his age to fall head over heels for him.
Again though, the one in front of her was not any girl.
Even though she’s commoner, her natural beauty far surpassed any other girls he knew.
Her dark violet hair had a certain glossy luster, emphasized even more now in night by the moonlight.
Her eyes were like amethyst, her skin was fair and unblemished, and the way she moved had a certain elegance despite their casual nature.
He was already captivated by her when he laid his eyes on her for the first time just from her looks, and seeing how she acted throughout the day had only made him fall for her even more.
Suddenly out of nowhere, the girl let out a sigh.
“Even you had fallen. Shouldn’t you have a higher standard?”
“Wha…..?”
The boy could only gasp in surprise as he was caught completely off-guard, the façade he always put up crumbling.
The girl was staring at the boy without much emotion, not quite to the point of looking at him coldly but close to it.
“How many times do you think I’ve been looked at like that? Not trying to be narcissistic but I know that my beauty is way above standard, it’s something I inherit from my mother after all.”
Her tone did indeed have no hint of bragging at all, she said it like it was a simple matter of fact.
A lot would still be offended if she were to say that normally though, especially those of the same gender. After all, her unwavering confidence about her looks itself could be seen as bragging even if she didn’t have any intention to.
The boy eventually recovered and donned back the ‘mask’ he’s so used to wearing.
“Fuh, on top of your otherworldly beauty you also have the confidence to back it up, truly a…..”
“Geez, can you stop that? I’m not really amused with that way of talking, way too pretentious.”
He was cut off mercilessly by the girl who looked at him annoyed.
Again he was at a loss, this was the first time he was ever shut downed this mercilessly by the opposite gender.
You could say it’s because he’s sheltered but the fact that his good looks and his gentlemanly tone with a mixed of playfulness in them had swoon over all the girls he met in the past was the truth.
Admittedly he never really went for the clearly hard to impress girls but even so, he didn’t expect it to be failing so badly like this.
“If you’re not going to drop that act then I’m just going to leave, you’re strong and capable enough on your own after all.”
Hearing the words of the girl, he took off his mask and let out a small laugh as he drowned in self-mockery.
“Ahaha, me? Strong and capable? You must be joking.”
“….? Not really? That’s honestly what I thought after seeing how you are the whole day, even if you can be a bit too playful for your own good.”
The girl shrugged, not really caring to give any sympathy from hearing the boy’s self-mocking tone and just told him what she really thought of.
It was truly a straightforward and honest reply, one so unlike any interaction the boy ever had up to this point.
Maybe it was because of such, that the boy finally cracked and put off his mask completely.
“You don’t know anything about me, someone like me don’t deserve those words you just used to describe me.”
“Hmmm? Of course I don’t know you, we only just met today after all. What are you doing, stating the obvious like that?”
Again, the girl was completely unfazed by the boy’s outlash, her reply could be seen as insensitive and completely disregarded the boy’s emotion.
Still, the girl was doing the right thing, as the last thing the boy needed was another voice filled with sympathy.
“Then let me tell you. I’m nothing compared to my father and my brother. Even after I worked so hard and put my all into it, I still couldn’t hold a candle to them. Someone like me don’t deserve…..”
“And what of it?”
Again, the girl’s voice cut off the self-wallow of the boy as she looked at him with a serious expression.
“I’m not your personal babysitter. I’m willing to listen but I will not sympathize and praise you without reason. So far all I’m hearing from your sob story is nonsense.”
The girl very straightforwardly told the boy what she thought, it was truly the complete opposite of all the girls he had met who speak in a roundabout way trying to curry his favor.
That directness was like a splash of cold water to the boy’s face, as he started to get the girl to understand his struggle.
“No, I mean no matter how hard I worked, I couldn’t compare…..”
“And why is it necessary exactly to be comparing yourself to them?”
She crossed her arms with mild annoyance on her voice now.
“The one who is here now with me is you, not your father nor your brother. The one I’m praising is also you, so why do you feel that it’s necessary to bring them up?”
“T-That….”
“You remind me of the brats around my neighborhood trying to act like an adult. That’s just how you are now.”
“What….?”
The boy was completely bewildered by the reaction that the girl, he truly didn’t expect himself to get told off so harshly when he decided to open up.
“I don’t know about noble’s lifestyle and what expectations they placed on you and all that stuffs so let me tell you this at least. Stop comparing yourself to others and value yourself more. Just because a spear has a longer reach than a sword, doesn’t mean the sword is useless in comparison right?”
“But they serve a different purpose, of course…..”
“You can say that and yet you still don’t see my point. They’re both classified as weapons, just like how you and your father and your brother are all humans too. If you only look at it from one point of view while completely ignoring everything else, you can say the sword is just completely inferior compared to the spear since it has shorter reach. That’s what you’re doing now right? You’re only comparing yourself to your father and brother using swordsmanship. Is that all the value a noble.....no, a person have?”
As the girl gave her reasoning, the boy’s eyes started to open more and more.
Her words were all true, all of them were obvious enough when you think about it and yet they boy had never realized this before.
“Tell me. Are your father and brother truly better than you at everything? Are they that kind of perfect human beings you see them as?”
“N-No, my father is no good at strategizing and always charges ahead, and my brother is completely no good with women.”
“See? You’re way better at them in that regard. Have I opened your eyes now?”
“Yes…..you truly have.”
The boy could only laugh at the revelation the girl gave.
What had he been worried about all this time?
It was truly so simple and yet he even never bothered to think about it.
His father was a hopeless battle maniac who loves charging ahead without much of a thought so when they went out on subjugations together, he was always the one who held his father in check from going off on his own.
His brother too was completely hopeless with women and if it was not for him, his brother wouldn’t even have any female acquaintance at all.
Why had he only been looking at the things he’s lacking, and not at all at the things he had over them?
Of course other nobles would still mock him from time to time but let them, even if he knew he was weaker than his father and brother, he’s still way stronger than the average people.
His eyes were finally opened.
“Thank you.”
The word came out of his mouth before he realized, as he looked at the girl again with a small smile on his face.
“I did nothing that deserve your gratitude. I’m merely meddling for no reason and giving you my honest opinion.”
The girl shrugged and looked away as she waited for the boy to sort his feelings more.
The two only sat in silence for a while, only the occasional sound of the leaves rustling could be heard.
The first one to break the silence was once again the boy.
“Truly, thank you. Still, if I may ask, for what reason would you go out of your way to help console me like that?”
His way of talking now was more sincere, none of his fake womanizer tone he had were present anymore.
“Hmmm? There’s really no particular reason, we got the night to ourselves after all and I would rather not spend all those time with that sham personality you made. Rather, why did you suddenly decide to open up in the first place?”
He was surprised from being questioned back, but at this point he really didn't have anything to hide anymore.
“Ahaha, it’s because you’re a commoner. I thought, that even if I were to open up to you, we would most likely never have the opportunity to meet each other again.”
“Huh, you must be quite desperate to just blow up like that to the first convenient person you see.”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing for you to apologize for, right? Like I said, I’m also doing this for my own good. Just so happens that your insecurities were so fragile that it can be broken just by me saying my true opinions on the matter. I’m more impressed no one had told you off like this before.”
Again, she shrugged and looked at the boy with a somewhat questioning gaze.
“Yeah, that’s how nobles are in general after all. Looking back, my father and brother always tried to cheer me up and yet I was only able see those action as them pitying, or even insulting my effort.”
“Jealousy can be a truly frightening right?”
Her tone was more attached this time as if she was speaking from her personal experience.
“Sometimes you’re so blind with envy that you lose sight of everything else, forgetting the fact that the person you’re envying might have something they’re envious about to you themselves.”
She continued, with a tinge of melancholy in her tone.
“Did you….”
The boy of course got curious by the sudden change in tone, but the girl only shook her head before giving a smile.
“That’s not for you to know. Unlike you, I only tell my secrets to those I trust, not some random person I met for the first time and probably won’t meet again ever.”
Her words stabbed the boy, though he didn’t retaliate and only let out a sigh.
“So it’ll be fine if we become close enough friends that you’re willing to tell me right?”
“Like we would ever meet again after this whole thing. I’m a commoner and you’re a noble, we’re worlds apart. And I don’t plan on taking a job as a noble’s servant just to meet you so no thank you.”
The girl mercilessly shut down the approach he tried to make, not giving any room for the boy to argue.
“Either way, the sun is about to rise so let’s stop this nonsense. You’re feeling better now right? Then properly protect us for the next 2 days.”
He chuckled before putting back on his ‘mask’.
“Of course milady. As the gentleman that I am, I shall protect everyone as you ordered.”
A small silence ensued before both of them chuckled and laughed.
“Hahaha, that mask is so obviously fake that I’m not sure how anyone even got tricked by it.”
“And yet a lot does, even the other 4 in our group that's currently sleeping right now.”
“True enough. Ru would get tricked by practically anything but to think the other 3 also didn't see through such an obvious sham. At the very least when it’s the two of us, you don’t need to put that up. Well, there’s not much time for us to be together either way but to the best for both of us over the next 2 days.”
The girl truly thought that after this expedition was over, they would never meet each other ever again.
Why would she think otherwise in the first place? As she mentioned, they’re practically worlds apart just from a social standing point of view, there would never be any opportunity for them to meet after this was over.
And yet the boy had a different plan, after all he didn't plan to just let go and gave up on the girl he fell for that easily.
But still, that’s a story for another time.
Aww so cute. Ty for chapter ~