“Why? It’s simple. Because you’re making a face like that, little girl.” Miledi had no idea what he was talking about. He’d done it because of her expression? That didn’t make any sense chronologically, let alone logically.
Was he messing with her? Or had the torture addled his wits?
Either way, it didn’t seem he was going to open up to her.
In that case, she’d just end it. Like she always did.
Her father had only told her to try it and see what happened, after all. She’d fulfilled those orders.
“What worth is there in a world where children can’t smile?”
“Ah...” He spoke again before Miledi could condemn him.
She didn’t have an answer for him. For once, she was dumbfounded. It felt as though something had stabbed her through the chest. By the time she returned to her senses, Davy had stood up and was standing at the edge of the platform.
How can he stand with wounds that bad?
“Sorry, but I can’t answer what you really want to know.” He tottered unsteadily. One more step and he’d fall into the abyss.
Yet Davy’s eyes burned with life.
“But I believe. One day, the world will be free.”
“Free?” She spoke it hesitantly, like she’d never heard it before. Davy’s words didn’t make sense to her.
Davy coughed up another mouthful of blood. He was practically dead. And yet... he smiled.
“Hey, little girl. Don’t you want to live your life smiling?”
“Ah—”
Davy leaned backward and fell into the gorge.
He put an end to his own life, as if denying the right to let Miledi execute him.
The wind blew across the empty platform. No one was standing on it now. For a while, Miledi just stood there.
From then on, Miledi often sunk deep into thought. She continued fulfilling her duty, but she would spend just a little more time talking to the condemned, asking questions her job didn’t require her to. She came to learn what kinds of people these criminals were.
Even she wasn’t sure why she did it. As she continued, though, something began building inside of her.
One of the criminals was a man who’d lived by the northern lake. He had loved that lake, and prayed to the creature living inside it every day. That was a sin.
Another criminal was a merchant. He had given medicine to a wounded demon. The demon had been grateful for his aid, and the two had formed a lasting friendship. That was a sin.
Yet another was a mother. She had begged the Holy Church not to take her gifted child, at least not until they’d grown into an adult. That was a sin.
Yet another had been a beastman youth. That was a sin.
Were they really sins, though? Some of the condemned were certainly criminals, and many of them deserved to be punished. But were their crimes truly deserving of death? Miledi couldn’t allow herself to ask such questions. One did not question absolutes. Especially not if they were a Reisen.
Though Miledi kept telling herself that, the doubt that had been planted in her mind that day continued to grow.
One day, a maid walked up to Miledi.
“From today onward, I will be your personal attendant. My name is Belle. It is a pleasure to serve you, Milady.” The maid’s curtsy was perfect. Her red hair was tied neatly behind her back with a ribbon. She was, without a doubt, beautiful.
When Miledi asked why she had been given a maid, Colt answered. According to him, by the age of ten she had acquired most of the knowledge necessary to be considered a full-fledged member of the Reisen family.
In a few years, he would no longer act as an intermediary for her duties. She would be expected to deal with the emperor and the Holy Church on her own.
Belle was the daughter of a nobleman’s mistress, but she had been brought up with a proper noble’s education, so she would act as both Miledi’s maid, and her tutor, filling in the last few remaining gaps in Miledi’s knowledge.
Miledi knew this day would come. She had no right to refuse, nor did she have any reason to. However, she wasn’t the same girl she had been. With all the thinking she’d been doing recently, she found having a maid teaching her proper grace and refinement distracting.
Still, after spending one month with Belle, Miledi had to admit she was an efficient teacher. No matter the situation, Belle never let her facade of elegance fade. Though it made her appear a bit stiff at times, it was still impressive.
In time, Miledi learned to conduct herself in the same manner.
Miledi was grateful for the fact that though Belle was with her at all times, she only spoke when necessary.
However, she could feel that Belle’s eyes were always on her... though maybe that was just because she wanted to do her job as a tutor properly. After all, it is a teacher’s duty to watch her pupil’s actions closely.
Though at times it felt like Belle’s gaze had some other meaning behind it. Miledi shook those thoughts off, deciding not to get in the way of Belle’s job. She had no interest in getting close to her, so there was no reason to think too deeply about Belle’s actions.
The day after Miledi came to that decision, something happened. For once, Belle hadn’t followed her around all day. After she finished her work, Miledi returned to her room. She casually opened the door to her bedroom and found—
“Oh, welcome back, Miledi-tan~ You sure work hard for someone so small~” Belle was waiting for her.
And she’d greeted Miledi in a ridiculously cutesy way. Belle was sitting on Miledi’s table eating some cake.
Did she just call me Miledi...tan?
“......”
“Oh? Oh my, what’s wrong, Miledi-tan? It looks like you’re wondering why your prim and proper tutor is acting like this.”
“......”
Belle grinned at Miledi. This was the first time she had seen her tutor smile. Belle looked satisfied, as if she’d pulled off the biggest prank.
Once the shock had worn off, Miledi found herself...
“Hello? Earth to Miledi-tan? Squishy-cheeked Miledi-tan~ If you’re in there, then say something~ You’re going to make me cry~”
Disgusted. She found herself disgusted.
Belle wrapped an arm around Miledi’s shoulder and pinched her cheeks.
Miledi had never been treated like this before. Though she was irritated, she was at a loss for how to react.
Belle was being exceedingly rude. She was the illegitimate daughter of a noble, while Miledi was a member of the powerful Reisen family.
Someone of Belle’s station could be executed for acting so casually, given the difference in status.
“Do you want to die?” It seemed Miledi had been even angrier than she’d realized. Normally, she would never have retaliated like that.
The threat had a different level of weight when it was muttered by an executioner.
However, Belle didn’t seem to mind.
“Come on, don’t be so glum. Are you this cranky because your boobs are small?”
“Shut up!” This was the first time Miledi had ever yelled at anyone, and it had been over a stupid jab at her chest size.
Though Belle’s breasts were certainly something to envy. They were two mountains of enormous proportions.
Miledi was still a child, so naturally hers hadn’t developed yet, but that didn’t make the insult sting any less. She was honestly surprised she cared that much about being feminine.
Belle shrank back and stared joyfully at Miledi.
“She got mad... Our Miledi-tan actually got mad!”
Miledi took a deep breath to calm herself down.
“Is this what you’re really like?”
“Yep!” Belle grinned mischievously. Miledi did her best to hold in her mounting anger.
“I have no idea what you hoped to achieve by doing this, but do you really think such rudeness will go unpunished?”
“I do!”
Miledi activated her gravity magic, and Belle sunk to the floor. Unfortunately, the floor in this instance was a very luxurious carpet. It probably felt good to lay on it.
“What were you thinking?” Exasperated, Miledi canceled her magic. Belle continued rolling contentedly on the floor, heedless of Miledi’s glare.
“I wanted to be your friend, Miledi-tan.”
“......” Miledi blinked in confusion.
“I’ve been watching you for this past month, and I’ve decided I like you quite a bit, so I figured we might as well be friends. What’s so weird about that?”
Am I supposed to laugh at that? I wasn’t taught how to deal with this situation. The teachings of the Reisen family had no wisdom to offer Miledi. Without them to fall back on, she found herself confused.
“Hey, Miledi-tan, say something. Come here. Come on, it feels good.” Belle spread herself out on the carpet and patted it invitingly.
Do you realize how unbecoming it would be for someone of my station to do something so ridiculous? Miledi knew she should report Belle for acting improperly and have her dismissed.
“Hehehe. Welcome, Miledi-tan.”
“Stop calling me that.”
But before she knew it, she’d walked up to Belle. She spread herself over the carpet, her instincts ignoring the voice of reason that was screaming at her to stop.
It was quite fluffy. This was the first time she’d ever lain on it. Sleeping on the floor was something a noble lady should never do, after all. However—
“Well? Comfy, right?” Miledi ignored Belle, who had ruined the moment. She could see Belle grinning again out of the corner of her eye. A strange, indescribable feeling welled up within Miledi.
Miledi pouted and turned away from Belle.
Still, she couldn’t deny what she’d discovered.
Being on the floor like this was exhilarating.