Frey, who returned home through Joy’s magic, was warmly welcomed by her family and servants.
Even though her head was filled with the thought that it was annoying, she didn’t run away.
From her past experiences, she knew that if she ran away, she’d have to endure several times more hardship later.
“Just wait a bit! I’ll bring some great food!”
As Lady Kent busily moved about with several servants, Parnah stuck close to Frey, gazing at her with wide eyes.
The sparkle in her eyes showed her curiosity, but strangely, she didn’t open her mouth.
Yawning and killing some time, Frey felt puzzled by Parnah’s unusual behavior.
Normally, she’d have been pestering her about the events of the day.
“Why are you like this?”
“Me? Why? Am I not being good?”
“So why are you being good?”
“How can you ask that! I’ve always been good!”
“No. You weren’t typically good.”
“I was good!?”
“That’s a lie.”
“…Maybe I was a bit of a tomboy, but I was still good!”
“A bit?”
Is it really okay to say “a bit” when Lucy would get annoyed?
As Frey openly questioned, Parnah puffed up her cheeks.
“I was being mature! Can’t you just compliment me!?”
“You just said it yourself. Parnah, you’re a fool.”
“You’re the bigger fool! You’re the king of fools!”
Frey reflected on herself while faced with her pouting little sister.
Knowing that Lucy would get annoyed, she had yammered on just to spend a little more time with her. Was Parnah the same?
“Ugh. I’m sorry for being annoying, sis. But I…”
“What are you curious about?”
“…Sis? What did you just say?”
“If you’re curious, just ask.”
“Really!? Can I ask?! You’re giving me permission! First of all, I heard this from Chester! Today…”
As if waiting for the signal, Parnah began firing off questions, and Frey furrowed her brow as she recalled today.
All she’d done was cut and slice what was right in front of her, but she tried her best to describe the situation.
Her vocabulary was so limited that most of her explanation was full of swoosh, boom, crash, and sparkle-like sound effects, but Parnah seemed thrilled and couldn’t contain her excitement from that description alone.
“So? So? What happened next?”
“You should go to Father since you look so tired.”
“But I fought at the front line alongside Frey!”
“You’re used to that sort of thing.”
“That’s true, but…”
“I know. You must be really tired. But our Frey faced the Evil God up front, right? You might seem okay now, but inside, you must feel like collapsing!”
Not really. She felt like she could wield her sword as much as she wanted even now. She thought she might secretly sneak outside later to swing her sword.
“Father, am I that annoying?”
“I get it! Ask me anything! I, this father, will do my best to answer!”
“Wow! Father is the best!”
While Count Kent was making a pitiful face as he laughed, defeated by his daughter’s charm, Lady Kent lowered herself to meet Frey’s gaze.
“Thank you for growing up well, our daughter.”
“All of a sudden?”
“I’m just saying what I feel. There’s no such thing as suddenly.”
“Am I grown up well?”
“Of course. The Frey now is our kind daughter.”
“Is that so? I’m not so sure.”
“Hahaha. It’s okay if you don’t know. But later, could you invite Lady Allen over? I want to express my gratitude to her.”
“I’ll do my best.”
The party held that night concluded only as the moon began to set.
After everyone had gone to sleep, Frey reflected on the enemies faced today while swinging her sword and eventually sat down on the ground.
Looking at the slanting moon, the words that came to Frey’s mind were those of Lady Kent.
Have I really changed so much since back then? As Frey pouted her lips, she looked back at her past.
Frey didn’t really understand emotion.
She hadn’t felt joy, sadness, pleasure, anger, fear, or any other kind of emotion.
She had looked up emotion in the dictionary, but knowing didn’t mean understanding.
Frey wasn’t smart enough to understand something she had never felt even once.
The only emotion she knew was one.
The color felt when facing a strong enemy, when approaching a precarious danger.
Not knowing anything else, Frey immersed herself in that color.
She fought, fought, and fought again, striving to find an even deeper hue.
She began to change when she met Lucy Allen, a girl.
“Lucy showed me various colors.”
Frey’s world, once gray, changed because of that one person, Lucy.
Hearing Lucy’s laughter, she realized she could feel anger. She learned enjoyment while dueling with her.
When Lucy had to step away for unavoidable reasons, she experienced something called sadness.
When Lucy praised her, she felt happy about that emotion.
Now that those emotions had piled up, Frey understood that the world shone with various colors.
Thanks to Lucy, who painted colors into her life, Frey could live in a world that sparkled always.
“Lucy.”
Now Frey could feel many colors even while being with others, but still, she liked having Lucy by her side the most.
Even while making a face of disgust, Lucy couldn’t push her away and accepted her; that was the warmest place of all.
“Are you feeling lonely like a puppy?”
Startled by the voice coming from behind, Frey quickly turned her head and, upon spotting Lucy illuminated by moonlight, dashed towards her.
Lucy looked a bit uncomfortable with Frey’s charge but didn’t dodge.
“Lucy!”
“You really are like a dog. I can see your tail wagging.”
“I don’t have a tail!”
“That’s just a saying. Do you not get that, Frey?”
“…Aren’t I ‘Fool Frey’?”
“If you don’t like it, just go back to normal.”
“Ugh! No! I like Frey!”
Seeing Frey desperately shake her head, Lucy chuckled, lifted her off her shoulder, and sat in the field.
Frey seemed disappointed but instead of lunging at Lucy, she settled next to her.
“What did you come for? To duel me?”
“Do you want to duel right after fighting?”
“Yeah. It’s fun doing it with Lucy.”
“That’s just ’cause you want to be with me, right? Silly.”
“…Is that so?”
Hearing Lucy’s words made Frey think carefully.
The reason she insisted on dueling with Lucy was that she could fully swing her sword only against her as the opponent.
It was hard to give it her all against others.
The First Prince was still a fun opponent, but it felt a bit ambiguous now.
Still, that wasn’t entirely wrong.
Though she usually paid attention to others, during a duel, Lucy only focused on her.
That’s why perhaps she clung to Lucy more.
…Honestly, she wasn’t sure. Which did she want more when hoping to duel with Lucy?
“What do you think, Lucy?”
“What do I think? Well, it’s just both. I like you and want to duel.”
“As I thought! Lucy is right! Yes! I liked both! Because it’s Lucy!”
Everything was fun with Lucy.
So, she had dueled with Lucy! Yes! That’s right! Lucy is a genius!
As Frey gazed at the stars, Lucy subtly averted her eyes.
“Anyway, I came here to just say thank you.”
“Huh? You, Lucy? To me? Why?”
“You’ve been through so many dangerous situations because of me. And yet, you stayed by my side without complaint.”
“That was because Lucy wanted to!”
Upon Frey’s blunt remark, Lucy blankly stared at her before turning her head away with a light laugh.
“Is that so? I must have liked you that much.”
“Yeah. I totally like you.”
“Uh, okay.”
“Why does your voice tremble? Are you not feeling well?”
“It’s nothing! Don’t pay attention!”
After some time passed, Lucy coughed lightly and turned her head again, standing up to dust off her bottom.
“Let’s go eat something delicious later. I’ll treat you to a lot.”
“Really?”
“You can eat until you’re full. I have plenty of money anyway. Although I’m a bit worried about how much I can earn.”
Frey sensed that Lucy was about to leave and tried to grab her arm but then withdrew her hand.
After all, she could meet Lucy again.
They made a promise. Lucy would never break a promise.
“I’ll see you again soon, Frey.”
“I’ll be waiting!”
After Lucy vanished into the light of the fairy, Frey leaned against the greenery.
Even after just a short chat, a smile kept creeping onto her face.
I’m really glad I became friends with Lucy.
*
Following the guidance of the fairy, Lucy arrived at the royal castle’s chamber.
This had been the place where a woman, once known as the First Queen, had stayed, and now it was where the First Prince Rene stayed, handling royal affairs in place of the Second Prince, the public face of the castle.
Having finished the banquet with the knights, rather than resting, the First Prince Rene had come to handle work when he suddenly froze upon spotting the girl appearing from the darkness.
“You said you’d give me something delicious?”
“…I did make such a promise, but it’s problematic for you to just appear like this. Lucy Allen.”
