AN: Sorry for the wait, I'd planned to at least make it to chapter 10 and then start releasing normally, and then eeeeveryone got sick lol. So here, lemme go do that now ^^;
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Siffia’s eyes grew wide, her head suddenly snapping to meet the steady gaze that Eris had been levelling onto her. The guess was so perfect, so astute, that Siffia almost didn’t know what to say back. At first, all she could do was nod along, dumbfounded. However, as she continued to look into Eris’s unwavering eyes, her mouth slowly trembled open, unwittingly spilling out the truth.
“Ah… Yes… You are correct, Lady Eris. That is indeed why I joined the war effort.”
Her hands repeatedly fisted and released the skirt of her dress, with her heart beating loudly in her ears. Her eyes began to timidly swim away from where Eris had previously held them locked, both from nerves and the remembrance of memories.
“It was a time when my father was adamant that I was done growing, and that my looks would become no better. He’d said he was searching for someone who would finally take me away, but that no one was willing to take someone as ugly as I am. I couldn’t tell you why, but he was particularly ornery at the time, constantly yelling and throwing things… Were I not so decent with magic, there were a number of times where… where I…”
Her hands clenched more tightly than before, drastically wrinkling the nice fabric of the dress. Even with it in the way, her palms still stung from the force of her nails attempting to drive into them through it. Whether from the pain of her memories or her hands, something was causing her eyes to once again well up with tears.
Just as a watery gasp leaked from between Siffia’s lips, a light, bubbly, silvery goblet of juice was suddenly thrust towards her. Her head pulled back in surprise, and she blinked in confusion, but she still naturally took the offered cup. A curious glance towards Eris revealed a stern look coming her way, one that wordlessly demanded that she drink it. It left absolutely no room for argument.
Siffia quietly did as she was told, feeling a bit better as the bubbling liquid tickled its way down her throat, refreshing her.
She moved to put the goblet back onto the coffee table that it had been plucked from, and opened her mouth to offer her thanks to Eris, but before she could even mutter a single word a plate was suddenly thrust towards her, just as the goblet had been. This time, however, instead of a thin cup only big enough to be held with one hand, the plate was just large and heavy enough that Siffia had to use both hands to hold it. It was almost certainly not the kind meant to be held while eating off of.
“Eh?! Um, what-”
“Eat a few of them. Our chefs would feel shamed if we didn’t touch even a single one of the desserts that they'd prepared.”
Siffia blinked, looking back and forth dumbfoundedly between Eris and the plate of small tasteful desserts that had sat forgotten on the table all this time. Confused though she was, she simply couldn’t fight against Eris’s authoritative gaze, quickly caving in and placing the plate on her lap so that she could pick up a few of the desserts to try. Unsurprisingly, they were just as delicious as the spread of food that they’d been eating only a short while ago. It was as if their scrumptious flavor was somehow washing away the memory of the pain that had just been plaguing her.
The desserts were so appetizing that she couldn’t help but offer the plate up to Eris, excitedly holding it out to her for her to also choose from.
“Lady Eris, you simply have to try these! These creamy ones with the little bits of cheese are absolutely divine!”
She smiled wide with glee, even wider than she had while she'd been out enjoying herself with Eris earlier. It was as if all of the happiness that she’d accrued throughout the day had somehow been placed within that one, radiant smile.
Eris couldn’t help but freeze in place for a moment and stare, her eyes growing wider as if she’d seen something incredible. It was the most surprised and dazed expression that she’d made in a long, long time.
She stopped and stared for so long, in fact, that Siffia’s arms began to tremble from strain.
“Um, L-lady Eris? P-please choose something soon… My arms, t-they-”
Before she could finish talking, Eris swiftly plucked up a dessert, using her other hand to take the plate away from Siffia and gently place it back onto the table.
“Goodness… You mages are simply too weak. You weren’t even holding it up for but a few minutes... Perhaps I should have had you hold it using magic instead.”
She quickly ate the dessert, narrowing her eyes in criticism of Siffia all the while. However, a moment later, just as Eris seemed to finish eating the bite-sized morsel, her face abruptly perked up as if she'd remembered something, and then relaxed, turning into something much more gentle, yet filled with conviction.
“You know, I'd been attempting to listen to your story without interruption, but now that we've found ourselves here, I really do think I must interject, Lady Siffia... No matter what your subgender may be or what your father might have said, never let anyone tell you, a person as beautiful and kind as you are, that you are ugly.”
“...”
Siffia blinked. Then she blinked again. No matter how many times she blinked, she just couldn’t seem to put together what it was that Eris had just said to her. She was beautiful? Her? With her muted colors and gloomy looks? She was supposedly beautiful?!
“What…? You mean… You mean me? You’re telling me that I’m beautiful?”
Something similar had been said to her earlier on in the day perhaps, but upon closer inspection, Eris had actually said that the ‘dresses’ were what had looked beautiful while she wore them. Though still an incredible compliment for an ugly duckling like Siffia, it was still nowhere as big as her beauty directly being complimented! And by someone as gorgeous and amazing as Eris, no less!
“Yes, of course... What, did your father also not allow you any mirrors either? Really, the things you do and don’t comprehend are quite baffling. I’ve always been told one has to be quite clever to understand the level of magic that you use, but-”
Siffia’s disbelieving eyes grew larger and larger by the second. Her mouth flapped like a fish, too confounded to form words. It was like something impossible had just happened. It was as if she’d slipped into some alternate dimension. Her brain screamed at her that she’d just heard something that no one would ever possibly utter, and yet the composed, almost annoyed look on Eris’s face as she'd replied to her question made it all too real.
Though there were dozens of things racing through Siffia’s mind, she could only shriek out one baffled question, interrupting Eris's rambling lecturing.
“B-but how can someone as amazingly beautiful as you are believe such a thing?!”
“Hah... Yes, of course I’m beautiful. It would be more shocking if I wasn’t, considering who my parents were. But just because I’m as beautiful as I am doesn't mean that there’s no room for you to be beautiful as well, now does it?”
Siffia instinctively opened her mouth to protest, but the unrelenting gaze that Eris was leveling upon her practically pinned her down with a look that would allow no argument. Though she was still massively befuddled and full of disbelief, Siffia couldn’t help but nod along, to which Eris gave a lingering stern expression before finally turning away.
“...Good.”
As Siffia let out a small sigh of relief, feeling like she’d just been freed, Eris’s gaze lazily made its way towards the window, before quickly returning to land on Siffia.
“It’s already becoming quite late. I’d promised to send you home after dinner, but with how much time we spent, it seems we should forgo sending you home just yet. Stay the night here for now, and I’ll let you go in the morning.”
“Eh?!”
Siffia’s eyes quickly whipped towards the window. Though it had just been light outside, it was true that the view was rapidly darkening; By the time everything was ready for her to depart, it would already be pitch black outside. That being the case, perhaps Eris was indeed correct that she should just stay… but for some reason the idea made her feel terribly awkward.
Yes, it was true that Siffia was indeed enjoying her time with Eris, and the idea that they were getting closer and closer was almost like a dream to her. But the thought that she would be forcing such a kind person to spend almost an entire day together with her felt like she would be performing a grave injustice towards Eris. How could she possibly inconvenience her further?!
“...It’s true that it has become quite dark, but the Margrave’s carriages are equipped with magnificent lanterns, so I’m sure that-”
“Yes, the lanterns are indeed helpful in seeing through the night, but would you subject my family’s poor drivers to multiple hours of needless eye strain simply because such a wonderful thing exists? I’d rather you not inconvenience them in such a way. Stay here with me for now, and I’m sure that the drivers will be more than happy to navigate you home when they can properly see again.”
Hearing the dreaded word ‘inconvenience’ coming straight from Eris’s lips, Siffia’s still opened mouth quickly shut, and all intentions to make her case completely fell away from her. Easily spotting Siffia’s reluctant acceptance, Eris slightly narrowed her eyes and smirked, knowing she’d won.
“Perfect. Now, if you’re going to be leaving in the morning, then go into the bathroom and get ready for bed. I’ll send the same maids from yesterday to assist you.”
Siffia blankly nodded along, her mind too much of a jumble of awkwardness and confusion to even attempt to speak anymore.