Time Healer Ceres - Chapter 76

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“You said you went looking for that young lady before, didn’t you?”
“Well, yes.”
“You didn’t make some sort of blunder, I hope.”
“That is…….”
Lucia, the Countess, couldn’t quite form her words under her husband’s interrogation. How could she explain that she’d gone there that day, heard every insult imaginable, and been practically chased out?
Who could have guessed that the woman running such a shabby little shop was so well acquainted with Grand Duke Persha?
“Mother…….”
At the murmuring of those around her, Christine’s face went completely blank, the smile vanishing entirely.
Where before she had commanded the attention of everyone near Grand Duke Persha, now it was Yulia who drew every eye—and Christine’s small face crumpled at the sight.
* * *
“And so Ellie set off to her grandmother’s house on her mother’s errand.”
True to its status as an Academy sponsored by the Imperial Court, the Grand Hall where the children performed was magnificently appointed.
Though the play’s content was simple enough, the stage costumes and sets were convincing enough to make it engaging to watch.
“Grandmother’s house is beyond that mountain, isn’t it?”
The moment the child narrator finished speaking, Yulia swept onto the center of the stage in a lovely cloak and began to recite her lines.
“She’s incredible.”
“What is?”
“Our Yulia—isn’t she such a talented actress? Should we keep having her perform from now on?”
“…….”
Seres continued to pour out exclamations of admiration as she watched the child’s performance.
Kainel, who had been studying her intently, seemed to swallow whatever he’d been about to say.
Though he’d been shut away in the duchy for years, rarely leaving his quarters, surely he’d seen a play or two in all his years.
This, no matter how generously you judged it, was nothing more than a School Performance Festival put on by young children.
It was endearing enough, the way she scurried about in her cloak, but it hardly warranted calling her a genius, did it?
“Her pronunciation is so precise.”
“The other children have precise pronunciation too.”
“And what does ‘cute’ have to do with any of this?”
She wasn’t listening at all.
Kainel closed his mouth and simply listened quietly to Seres’ gasps of wonder.
“Just then, a terrifying wolf appeared before Ellie.”
“You there! What’s in that basket? You have to give it all to me if you want to pass through here!”
…So you were the wolf?
Seres caught sight of Christine emerging in a wolf costume and had to suppress a laugh that threatened to burst out.
She’d noticed Christine standing beside Countess Lucia moments before and hadn’t been able to look away.
The girl had been dressed so elaborately from head to toe that Seres had assumed she must be playing a princess.
‘But a wolf?’
Why bother styling her hair so carefully when she’d need to wear a Wolf Ear Hat? It must have taken at least hours to arrange like that.
Seres shook her head slightly.
“I can’t do that. I have to give them to my grandmother.”
“Then you can’t get past me!”
Christine stretched both arms out toward Yulia with all her strength.
Crack!
“Ah……?”
What was supposed to be a gentle shove sent Yulia staggering backward with the force of it.
The problem was that Yulia had been standing with her back to the audience.
She stumbled and fell, tumbling right off the stage—from its considerable height.
“Yulia!”
In an instant, two figures shot up from their seats: Seres and Kainel.
Both rushed toward the child, reaching out their arms to catch her.
Whoosh!
“Ah……? Ah, ah?”
The child was enveloped in a faint light and rose gently into the air, then floated back onto the stage.
“……?”
Once Seres realized the child hadn’t been hurt, she quickly glanced back.
That was definitely magic.
Could it be……?
“Wow, are School Performance Festivals always this violent?”
It was Chaien, the Arcane Tower Master.
Seeing that Yulia was safe, he smiled faintly and waved his hand playfully at the child.
“Chaien?”
“Yeah. I’m here… Seres?”
Chaien’s eyes had gone blank for a moment, his bright greeting catching in his throat.
“Who are you?”
“Don’t joke. What are you doing here?”
“…Seres?”
Chaien fell silent, unable to form a proper response.
He’d never seen Seres so elegantly dressed before.
“I’m asking how you got here.”
“Me? I was bored, so I came to see what’s going on.”
…Did you two plan this?
Seres let out a soft laugh as Chaien gave her the exact same answer Kainel had just moments before.
When did the Academy’s School Performance Festival become a place people visit when they’re bored?
“Hey, that person over there…”
“Yeah, yeah! Right?”
“Isn’t it?”
The murmuring grew louder.
Especially from where the children had gathered, an excited commotion began to ripple outward.
“Magic!”
And then came someone’s loud cry.
“It’s not difficult!”
Immediately followed by the children echoing the words.
“That’s right! It’s that magician!”
“Waah!”
The children swarmed toward Chaien in an instant.
“Sir, you’re a magician, right?”
“I have that book he wrote!”
“Me too!”
After a moment of being taken aback by the children’s cheers, Chaien quickly recovered, crossing his arms with an air of haughty composure and nodding.
“That’s right. I’m the magician who wrote that remarkable book.”
“Waah!”
“Do you all want to become magicians?”
“No.”
“…Huh?”
“We don’t want to.”
“…You’re all friends of Yulia’s, aren’t you?”
How do they all say the exact same things?
Chaien, now wearing an expression of enlightened resignation, found himself surrounded by the children for some time.
After witnessing once more that the Arcane Tower’s master was popular only with children, Seres turned her attention back to the stage.
She’d clearly seen Christine deliberately push Yulia off it just moments before.
Even if she was just a child, it wasn’t something to overlook.
“…Tsk.”
But when Seres caught sight of Christine on the stage, she let out a short click of her tongue.
Christine was frozen in fear, far more terrified than Yulia, who’d nearly fallen.
“Christine, are you all right?”
“I… I’m… I’m just…”
Rather, it was Yulia who turned to examine the girl’s pallid face with concern.
“I’m fine. I didn’t get hurt.”
“…”
Christine stared blankly at Yulia, who smiled brightly as if nothing had happened.
Then, moments later, tears began to well rapidly in the child’s eyes.
Christine’s voice trembled as tears spilled down her cheeks.
“…I’m sorry.”
“What did you say?”
“I’m sorry… I just… sniff… I was jealous that you were the lead… wah…”
She truly hadn’t meant for Yulia to fall off the stage.
She’d only meant to make her stumble…
“Wah… wah…”
A small hand reached up and rested gently on top of Christine’s head as she continued to cry.
Pat, pat.
Yulia gently stroked Christine’s hair, recalling what her older sister Seres always did for her.
“Wolves suit you fine. That spiteful, wicked temperament of yours—it fits perfectly.”
“I’m… sorry… *sniffle*…”
Watching the two children, Seres allowed herself a satisfied smile.
“My Yulia knows how to comfort a friend. You’ve grown up so much, truly.”
Then, feeling a gaze from beside her, she turned to find Kainel standing there with an expression that suggested he had rather a lot to say.
“…? What?”
“Does that really look like consoling to you?”
“If it’s not consoling, what else would it be? Why are you stating the obvious?”
“…I was wondering who taught the child to talk like that.”
“What are you on about?”
Kainel merely shook his head lightly, offering no further remark.
“We shall resume the performance after a brief intermission.”
Moments later, an Academy staff member took the stage and began clearing away the commotion.
Seres watched as Yulia led the sniffling Christine offstage, then returned to her seat to wait for the performance to begin again.
* * *
“What brings everyone here?”
Not long after the performance resumed, their group had grown in number.
Seres spoke softly to Chaien, who had taken the seat beside her.
“I stopped by the Shop earlier, and they said you were here.”
“You went to the Shop?”
“Yes. This one hadn’t tried the food there before, so…”
Before she could finish, a cheerful face leaned forward with a wave of the hand.
It was Aleks, Chaien’s younger brother.
“Good to see you again.”
“Indeed it is.”
Still beautiful, though.
Two such lovely faces together—the effect was extraordinary.
One might say the very air around them seemed to shimmer.
The eyes of everyone nearby refused to wander.
‘And then…’
Seres glanced sideways at the other man seated next to her.
Kainel—this one was quite the figure himself. Our Kainel certainly wouldn’t fade into the background anywhere either.
“Stop staring.”
…His personality, though—was it lacking in some way?
“If you want to look, look openly instead of peeking.”
…No, not lacking—severely lacking?
‘Has this one always been this shameless?’
It didn’t seem like this before.
Where did my pure, innocent Kainel go?
‘No, no! Master Kainel was always like that! You know he only behaved properly in front of Mistress Grace—why are you saying such harsh things?’
…Was he?
She could almost hear her student’s startled voice protesting in her mind.
“Seres, shall we trade seats?”
Chaien’s eyes narrowed as he watched Kainel lean toward Seres, speaking in low tones pressed close against her side.
“No, I’m fine.”
It bothered him more that these two were sitting so close together.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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