Beautiful
A jolt of fierce bloodlust surged from behind, and I spun around on instinct… but there was nothing menacing at all, just Siana, smiling softly—kindly—right at me.
“Master, is something troubling you?”
“N-No, it’s nothing, really.”
Maybe I imagined it… Siana didn’t seem to notice anything either. It must’ve just been my nerves.
With that in mind, I turned back to face Florence-san once more.
“Um… the question was, what I would do if Florence-san proposed to me, right?”
“Yes, precisely.”
The moment Florence-san responded with her usual gentle, serene expression, the bloodlust surged again—sharp and unmistakable. I turned, heart pounding, but once again, all I saw was Siana, smiling sweetly at me like before.
“Master? Is something bothering you?”
“No… Sorry. Again.”
…That sensation was far too intense to be a figment of my imagination. Still, worrying about it now wouldn’t help, so I pushed the thought aside.
This time, determined to focus, I turned to Florence-san and decided to move the conversation forward.
“We’ve only just met, and I don’t think we really know each other yet. So even if I were to accept your proposal now, I think I’d have to either postpone it… or decline.”
“You say we don’t know each other… In your view, Lux Rodwell-sama, what does it mean to truly know someone?”
“Their personality, how they think… what they like or dislike, what they want to do—or don’t. I think if you get to know all those things, and still come to like them, then that’s when it’s right to consider an engagement.”
“That is a beautifully sincere outlook.”
“It’s nothing special… But Florence-san, what do you think about all this?”
“What I think, hm…”
After a brief pause, Florence-san’s ever-gentle smile faded just slightly, her gaze drifting to some distant point as she spoke.
“I… don’t believe the day will ever come when we can truly say we understand each other.”
The weight of those words, coming from someone as composed and kind as Florence-san, struck me. But it was clear—she’d thought deeply about this.
“May I ask why you think that?”
“No matter how much time you spend together, how many days you share under the same roof… in the end, you can’t completely understand another person. Only you can truly know yourself.”
As she spoke, Florence-san glanced briefly behind me, then returned her gaze to mine.
“That’s why I don’t base my relationships on whether we understand each other or not. The standard I use is whether someone is lying, or pretending.”
“Pretending…?”
“Of course, I think it’s sometimes necessary to tell small lies in daily life. But people who constantly wear a mask, who pretend to be someone they’re not—I don’t care for that. In that sense, Lux Rodwell-sama, you are one of the most honest, straightforward, and pure-hearted people I’ve ever met. That’s why I find you so captivating. Simply put, I love beautiful things. Buildings, flowers, people—it doesn’t matter what form they take.”
As she said this, Florence-san offered me her usual gentle, serene smile… but then, once more, her eyes flicked behind me.
“And so, it troubles me to see someone I judge as not beautiful—someone who pretends—lingering near someone as genuinely beautiful as you.”
With that, she looked back at me and smiled again, calm and kind as ever.
…Through this whole conversation, I felt like I’d learned a great deal about Florence-san—but still…
“I don’t know much about what is or isn’t beautiful. But I think lying or pretending is okay, if it doesn’t hurt anyone else.”
“…Even if it’s for selfish reasons?”
“Yes. I think the determination to go that far for something you truly want—that, too, can be beautiful.”
When I said that, Florence-san’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, and then, with a blush rising to her cheeks, she smiled softly.
“To declare something beautiful simply because you believe it is, without concern for how others may judge you… Lux Rodwell-sama, I find that truly admirable.”
“Thank you.”
Afterward, we sipped tea and nibbled on sweets, letting the conversation drift into lighthearted chatter, until Florence-san glanced at the clock and spoke.
“Shall we end here for today?”
“Yes, I think that’s a good idea.”
Florence-san and I rose from our chairs and faced each other.
Smiling gently, she spoke.
“This time we spent together… it was both delightful and meaningful.”
“I had a wonderful time too.”
Then, the three of us—Siana, Florence-san, and I—walked to the front gate, where our carriage awaited. I gave Florence-san a small bow and said,
“Well then, Florence-san. I’ll see you again at school.”
Just as I turned to step into the carriage, Florence-san spoke in that clear, beautiful voice of hers, wearing a lighthearted smile.
“Lux-sama… would it be alright if I asked to spend time with you again, like today?”
I was a little surprised to realize that Florence-san had stopped calling me by my full name, and was now simply saying “Lux.” But more than that, I was happy—so happy that I didn’t even think to question it as I replied, loud and clear.
“Yes! I’m already looking forward to it!”
When I said that, Florence-san looked at me with such a joyful expression, and as Siana and I rode away in the carriage, she waved, gently and steadily, until we were out of sight.
I really felt like I’d grown closer to Florence-san today, and it made me so happy… I’m already looking forward to the next time we get to spend time together.
As I sat in the carriage, riding home with that warm, excited feeling still lingering inside me, beside me, Siana looked deep in thought, as though something had been weighing on her all along.