There is no happy ending

***]

From that point on, Bianca and Rayman steadily built their relationship. For Bianca, the stages didn’t mean much, but for him, it was a different story, and they built it up.

It’s a relationship that seems stagnant but changes a little bit every week. It was a relationship that could have been boring at first, but Bianca didn’t find it boring, because she found it comforting.

Preparing for the exam became easier. As the exam approached, Bianca was able to solve Ava’s questions more and more easily. Ava was good at teaching others, and she was good at pacing the questions. Aside from her irritating personality, she was better than any tutor Bianca had ever had.

The problem was Jade. As a rule, in Volona’s circles, high or low status was irrelevant. Commoners and nobles were equal in the eyes of learning. That was the Volona way of thinking, so nobles traveling to Volona were expected to bring their maidservants along for the ride. Jade, however, was not so keen.

Before Eugene and Bianca were born, Jade had received the education of a Morning’s blood. After Eugene’s birth, she was put aside, but her other training continued. The training was meant to protect the heir, but it didn’t pay off. Ava looked at Jade’s sword and shook her head.

‘What use do you have for it?’

This was going to be a life of master and servant, master to master, servant to servant, and that was the worst thing she could imagine. Bianca dug her index finger into Jade’s forehead, causing bruises to grow. Jade smirked, unable to answer. Jade’s eyes looked sad, but it was none of Bianca’s business.

The rest of the day passed, the sun shining brighter than ever, and Bianca took her entrance exams for Volona. It was so hot that Saranen, with its red-roofed houses, looked as if it were on fire. It was also the time when the northern-born Bianca got used to the heat.

Unsurprisingly, she was accepted to Volona. After receiving a small scholarship, Bianca made a generous donation that far exceeded the scholarship and allowed her to study at Volona’s level.

Bianca had successfully completed the beginning of her plan. Barring any interruptions, the end would be perfect. Bianca is no longer a perfect human being, but she can finish a set meal neatly.

The eerily similar master and servant who entered the school together are destined to become famous. The master’s occasional abuse of his servant, and the servant’s occasional tears, will give rise to a small legend. ……. but it will be nothing compared to the story of a servant who loves his master with all his heart.

Therefore, Bianca would live well. Everyone thought so.

The evening after the news of Bianca’s acceptance came, Rayman and Bianca went to the House of the Soft Roof. Rayman’s face was flushed with joy. On the empty chair next to Bianca’s was a bouquet of flowers that Rayman had given her.

It was a bunch of red roses, rich and colorful, rarely changing color.

‘Congratulations on your acceptance, Bianca.’

‘Why celebrate the obvious?’

‘Ava said you should be recognized for your persistence.’

‘That doesn’t sound like a compliment, Rayman. Am I supposed to be happy to hear that?’

‘Ava can be a bit of a prick.’

In a town of bright red roofs, Saranen’s is the only one with a faded roof. The dining room was quiet and clean, a regular haunt of Reiman’s, which specializes in summer cuisine.

The agrodolce, pasta with aubergine and cheese, a light steak made with swordfish, and wine from Osiria were just right for Bianca. Even Bianca, who had lost her appetite in the heat, ate as well as she did at the House with the Soft Roof.

Maybe it was the presence of Rayman, but who cares?

‘Aha, so you’re passing on the pouty man’s words to me?’

Bianca asked, wiping the corner of her mouth with one corner of her napkin. Rayman was still smiling broadly.

‘I guess so.’

Rayman’s voice sounded like a wind leak.

It had been almost two weeks on the ship and just over two months in Saranen since they met in Banog. Bianca and Rayman have been together for three months now. And Bianca’s impression of him is, well…… Raymond Oswald isn’t exactly precious. I think so.

Sometimes, hook, line, and sinker, he comes through, and it ripples through my mind like a pebble in a calm lake. But that’s it. The lake quickly calms down. So does Bianca’s heart.

‘I don’t like her,’ she said, ’so I’m not going to talk about her.’

‘Why?’

Favour is there. But there is no affection. That’s the way Bianca sees him. She’d thought him a perfect stallion too soon to have affection. It was lukewarm.

Sometimes I wondered if he would be more complete if he were sweeter, but he wasn’t quite there yet, but when he looked at Bianca with those loving golden eyes, it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter.

Bianca’s purpose and heart have not changed much from when she first met Rayman. It’s not love, but it’s a choice, and that’s all that matters.

‘Tell me why, Bianca.’

When Ava said no, Rayman asked her innocently. The smile on his face quickly fades. His affection was pure and deep. Looking at his face, Bianca thought of many reasons.

I don’t know how to treat her, she’s mean, she’s condescending, I don’t like her, and there were many reasons to dislike her. But she didn’t say it out loud. It didn’t seem like the right thing to say. Bianca came up with a suitable excuse.

‘……I don’t like the sound of other people’s names coming out of your mouth.’

It wasn’t exactly a lie, but it wasn’t the truth either. Bianca didn’t tell me why she hated the tone and it was condescending I didn’t want to expose my petulant side. I preferred to use love as an excuse.

Rayman was quick to see through it, but he didn’t know Bianca well enough yet to be able to fool her. Bianca wasn’t a bad person, she just pretended to be, or at least that’s what she believed.

It didn’t mean that a lie was the truth, and if you could pretend to be something you weren’t, that was fine. It was something like that.

Bianca’s words made him blush almost as much as his red hair. Rayman averted his gaze from her for a moment, embarrassed to say something like this, even though he could spit out a tongue-rooting sweet phrase with aplomb.

This is kind of cute……, Bianca thought.

‘Well, I guess so.’

Rayman put down the utensils he was holding gently and turned his head to drink the wine. Judging by the lump in his throat and the flush that still had a long way to go to subside, Bianca felt satisfied.

The corners of Bianca’s mouth twitched upward. A part of her wanted to tease, torment, and make him cry. Seeing Rayman like that would make her feel even better.

‘So you don’t mind what you say, but you don’t like what you hear?’

‘What? I said, uh, when?’

‘You’re turning your head away.’

Bianca didn’t care about Rayman, but Rayman cared about Bianca. It can’t be helped. Even if it was only for three short months, she was someone he could cherish, even if it was only for a day. For him, three months with Bianca was never short.

Rayman was timid but affectionate and gentle at the same time. He didn’t hesitate to love others if he was sure of it. Time was not of the essence, and that was the biggest difference between him and Bliss.

Hearing Bianca’s words, Rayman finally turned his head to look at her again, but his eyes quickly lost focus. Bianca couldn’t help but laugh.

‘He’s a very shy person, isn’t he?’

‘You’ve said something embarrassing, Bianca. Go on, where’s your right to barge in like that?’

‘If you don’t like it, say so, you have every right to.’

Rayman said. After a moment’s hesitation, Rayman gulped down the glass of wine in his hand and finally regained his composure. As he cooled his still-burning cheeks, he spoke.

‘You’re being shy because you don’t ……hate it.’

Despite what Bianca thought, …… Rayman had a good read on her. It meant that she also knew that Bianca didn’t mean what she said.

‘Can I ask you a weird question?’

‘……Anything.’

But Rayman was sure. Bianca wouldn’t abandon him unless the worst happened. Then it was just a matter of enduring.

Rayman didn’t believe in love at first sight, but he did believe in love that grows on you. He had been confident for years, so he closed his eyes to Bianca’s lies.

‘Bianca, why do you like me?’

Raymond wanted to know what Bianca liked about him, and why she liked him, and he would stick by her side, knowing it and nurturing it. Years and years and years…… until Bianca would love herself.

‘I like ……because I like your eyes.’

‘That’s a good answer, but I like your heart, Bianca.’

What did Bianca like about Rayman? The eyes weren’t the reason.

‘Why do you ask?’

‘Because, Bianca, I want you to like me more than you do now, and I’m going to try, and I want to try, and that’s why I asked because if I ask and hear the answer, I can try harder.’

Bianca chose her words carefully as she stuck a fork into the fried aubergine. As she thought, her actions slowed. Very slowly, Bianca’s mouth opened.

Perhaps, in time, she would come to cherish Rayman Oswald. She would cherish him, squeeze him tightly, and not let him go. Bliss was a man who took too much for granted, but Rayman was a man who believed in taking things for granted.

‘Because you’re Oswald.’

‘Even if I’m not the firstborn?’

‘……It’s better for me that you’re not the firstborn, because I like it when I’m in the morning.’

‘That’s good because I’ll probably be Oswald until I die. I’ve never been so happy to be a third son.’

There was no falsehood in Rayman’s face as he said it, which meant he really, truly meant it.

‘But what about before that? You weren’t Oswald when we first met.’

Bianca felt she could answer this one honestly.

‘……because I’m stupid.’

She acted like I knew everything, but there were a lot of things Bianca didn’t know. How not to break down in the face of such pure affection? Of course, even then, Bianca’s priority would always be herself and no one else.

But you can’t help but waver, can you?

‘Because she’s stupidly nice, stupidly pure, stupidly sweet.’

Instinctive. Bianca also knew that Raymond Oswald would accept that kind of love. He would be reluctant to be Bianca’s first love.

So much for pure love. The kind of love that just gives and gives and gives. …….

‘So you’ll like me more if I’m nicer, more pure, more sweet, more stupid?’

How perfect.

What a perfect future lies ahead for Bianca.

Bianca and Rayman weren’t going to let the distance get in the way of their relationship. They will be together for many years. So, of course, their relationship will evolve.

Like a master and servant who look alike, the pairing of two unlikely lovers would become famous.

‘To hell with Bliss Winston.

Bianca laughed.