Rayish
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Chapter 117
🕑 Added 2025-03-26 08:02:31 +0000 UTCAlthough Lefiya was her rival in love, Riveria remained her mentor. She gazed softly at her student before extending her hand, patting Lefiya's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Don't think like that. Shirou isn't the kind of person who easily forgets someone's kindness. I'm sure he still deeply cherishes the time when you were his mentor," Riveria said with unwavering confidence.
Hearing those words, Lefiya flinched momentarily before her face gradually brightened. She nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! In fact, Shirou still keeps the beginner's equipment I bought for him back then," she said proudly, her eyes sparkling as she recalled the memory.
Riveria smiled faintly, remembering how Shirou had once been so secretive about his abilities. "When he first joined the Loki Familia, Shirou hid almost all of his skills, including his Magecraft Projection. Even though, with his ability to replicate and summon weapons, he didn't really need that beginner's gear, right?" she teased.
Lefiya huffed and puffed her cheeks in annoyance. "You're right! I thought the same thing after learning about his Projection! But still, it wasn't a waste," she said in a slightly childish tone. Soon after, however, she smiled sweetly and added, "Because now, that equipment is displayed as a decoration in his room. Shirou didn't throw it away—he hung it on the wall!"
Hearing this, Riveria couldn't suppress a small surge of surprise in her heart. Her mind flashed back to a night some time ago. Standing in front of Shirou's door, she slipped a small note under it—an invitation to meet at their "usual spot." But before leaving, she had peeked inside through the slightly ajar door.
In that simple room, her eyes caught sight of various pieces of equipment hanging on the wall. A small bow, a pair of daggers, and a set of armor that seemed long unused. And now, she realized—those were all gifts from Lefiya.
"So those were from Lefiya..." she murmured inwardly.
Unconsciously, a flicker of jealousy began to bubble in her chest. The feeling she had been trying to suppress slowly resurfaced, tightening around her heart like a small flame that refused to be extinguished. Yet, as always, Riveria concealed it behind her calm expression, offering only a faint smile as she turned her gaze back to Lefiya, who was still talking animatedly.
Lefiya smiled softly, her eyes filled with nostalgia as old memories resurfaced. "Back then, when I was at my lowest, Shirou comforted me... just like you're doing now, Lady Riveria," she said quietly, her voice warm with reminiscence.
Riveria, who had now steadied her own emotions, glanced at Lefiya with curiosity. "Hah? When exactly did you feel so down? Doesn't your mood swing up and down all the time?" she teased, raising an eyebrow.
"L-Lady Riveriaaa!!" Lefiya whined, her cheeks puffing out in frustration. Unfortunately, her exaggerated reaction only proved Riveria's point. Riveria covered her mouth with her hand, stifling a small laugh that nearly escaped.
"See? You just proved my point," she said, amused.
Lefiya let out a long sigh, trying to regain control of her emotions before continuing. "I'm talking about that night... during the celebration of Shirou's level-up at Twilight Manor."
Riveria immediately recalled the event. It was a grand celebration marking Shirou's rise to Level 3—an unprecedented achievement in such a short time. But for Riveria, the reason behind his accomplishment was far more memorable.
"Of course I remember. Shirou leveled up after recklessly saving you and Aiz from Revis... even though he was still Level 1 at the time," Riveria said, sighing slightly as she recalled how the young man had risked his life without hesitation.
Lefiya nodded. "Yes... but what really crushed me wasn't that." She bit her lip for a moment before revealing something she had long kept in her heart. "I felt guilty... I was the one who forbade him from exploring the Dungeon alone below the 4th floor, but it turned out he was far stronger than I thought. It was like I was holding him back for no good reason."
Hearing this, Riveria let out a soft sigh. "Lefiya... you weren't wrong. The one at fault here is Shirou. He chose to hide his strength, even from us." There was a hint of firmness in her tone. While she respected Shirou, concealing his abilities to such an extent was still a mistake.
Lefiya lowered her head briefly before smiling faintly. "Even so... that night, while the celebration party was going on, I ended up sitting alone in the garden. I felt left behind, like I was just a burden to everyone."
The image of herself sitting alone, accompanied only by the night breeze and the dim glow of garden lights, felt vivid in her mind.
"And then... Shirou came."
Riveria could easily picture the scene. Shirou calmly approached Lefiya, sat beside her, and spoke in his usual warm and gentle tone.
"He said... we'll grow stronger together." Lefiya's voice was soft, almost a whisper.
As she spoke, her face began to flush, a delicate hue she couldn't hide. She covered her face with her hands, trying to suppress her own smile. "I think... that was the moment my heart was stolen by him too."
Riveria smiled as she listened, but deep inside, she felt something different—a small, piercing tightness in her chest, something she didn't want to acknowledge but couldn't deny. She remained silent, letting Lefiya bask in her own feelings while she herself... had to accept the reality that they both loved the same man.
Lefiya clutched the hem of her shorts, lowering her head slightly before continuing her story. A shy smile lingered on her lips, and her eyes sparkled as memories flooded her mind.
"Maybe... without realizing it, because of these feelings, I've always wanted to be close to him," she murmured quietly, as if confessing something she had long known but hesitated to voice.
Riveria raised an eyebrow, then smirked slightly. "Like your sudden new habit of helping Shirou cook breakfast every morning?" she teased, making Lefiya turn to her with a startled expression.
"E-Eh... you noticed that too?" Lefiya laughed awkwardly, scratching her cheek. She seemed surprised that Riveria had picked up on such a small detail. "Well... I just want to be near him all the time. It feels nice, you know? Standing beside him, sharing tasks, watching him focus while cooking..." Her voice grew quieter as she spoke.
Riveria gave her a meaningful look. "Before Shirou joined the Loki Familia and took over cooking duties, we had a rotation system for low-level members. But ever since he came and replaced that system, instead of relaxing, you chose to help him every morning. If not because of your feelings, what else could it be?"
Lefiya blushed even harder. She fiddled with the ends of her hair nervously as if searching for a way to divert her embarrassment. "Well... when I'm with him, I feel happy... and besides, helping Shirou cook is also my own tactic to stay close to him," she admitted honestly, unaware that she was only making her feelings more obvious.
Riveria sighed, though the corners of her lips curled slightly. "Shirou is too kind... always ready to help others, which makes him weak against your spoiled antics," she said with a slightly chiding tone, though there was no malice behind it.
Lefiya giggled softly, rubbing the back of her neck. "Shirou really is like that, huh... even the smallest things never escape his notice. That's what makes it harder for me to stay away from him," she said quietly before turning to Riveria with clear eyes. "I can't stay as professional as you, Lady Riveria."
Thud!
It felt like an invisible arrow had pierced Riveria's heart upon hearing those words.
Riveria maintained her calm expression, but inside, her thoughts were in turmoil. Professional? If only Lefiya knew how I really act around Shirou...
In front of the Loki Familia, Riveria always carried herself with grace, composure, and authority as a mentor and high-ranking member. But when she was alone with Shirou, especially in the warehouse where they practiced Magecraft, her demeanor... was completely different.
Riveria bit her lip lightly, remembering how she would lean closer to Shirou, letting the distance between them nearly vanish, observing his every move with rapt attention, and occasionally teasing him in subtle ways when he least expected it.
No... I'm not that professional either, Lefiya.
But those words never left her lips. She simply gazed at the young elf beside her, who was still smiling innocently, unaware of the storm raging in her mentor's heart.
Lefiya looked down at her clasped hands, her face slightly bowed as if weighing something difficult to express. A brief silence enveloped them before, in a hesitant and quiet voice, she asked,
"Lady Riveria... do you think my behavior... always wanting to be near Shirou and sometimes acting spoiled... does that make him see me only as a little sister?"
Her voice was laced with the fear she was trying to hide. There was a weight in her chest—something she had dreaded since realizing her own feelings. If Shirou only saw her as a little sister to protect, not as a woman... then all her hopes might be in vain.
Riveria let out a small sigh, then snorted softly, holding back a laugh. "Lefiya," she said with half-amused exasperation, "a guy like Shirou wouldn't just ignore your charm."
The green-haired elf turned to her student, who sat beside her. The girl's adorable face was filled with worry, her lips slightly pursed, and her pointed ears trembling with anxiety. Riveria felt the urge to pat her head, as she often did to comfort someone, but she restrained herself.
Unconsciously, Riveria's gaze drifted slightly downward, taking in Lefiya's figure clad in a simple shirt. She was slightly startled to realize that the girl... could no longer be called small. Her chest had developed, even... perhaps beginning to rival her own. But Riveria quickly dismissed the thought. That wasn't important right now.
Lefiya, oblivious to her mentor's momentary observation, finally smiled faintly. But before she could fully relax, Riveria spoke again, this time more seriously.
"The problem isn't there, Lefiya."
The young elf turned to her in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Riveria leaned back in her chair, gazing at the sky as the sunlight began to fade. "Shirou is too kind... and that means he treats every girl around him with the same kindness. It's hard to tell what his true feelings are."
She closed her eyes briefly before adding silently, Including how he treats me.
Lefiya fell silent, pondering those words. It was true. Shirou was kind to everyone—especially the girls close to him. Even Ryuu and Syr seemed to share a familiar bond with him.
Lefiya sighed softly. "Then... doesn't that mean I have a lot of rivals?" she murmured.
Riveria glanced at her with a calm expression. "Are you afraid?"
Lefiya bit her lip before shaking her head. "No... it's just..."
Her thoughts drifted to another figure she knew was close to Shirou. "Aiz is close to him too, right? I've never seen anything romantic between them, but... what if there is?"
If Aiz also had feelings for Shirou, how could she compete? Aiz was her idol—a perfect warrior, strong and beautiful. If a girl like that decided to pursue Shirou's heart, could someone as dependent as herself ever rival her charm?
Riveria, seeing the look on her student's face, smirked inwardly. Lefiya, you have no idea what's really going on.
She recalled an incident Lefiya knew nothing about. Before the party at the Apollo Familia's headquarters, Aiz had chosen Shirou as her dance partner for practice. No one knew about it except those present.
But there was one thing even Aiz didn't know. That night, after everything was over, Riveria herself had asked Shirou to dance with her. Not at the manor, but at their "usual spot"—the small warehouse where they practiced Magecraft.
Just the two of them, under the dim glow of lanterns, with no one else watching.
Riveria closed her eyes briefly, letting the memory replay in her mind before turning her gaze back to Lefiya.
"A girl like Aiz isn't someone who falls in love easily," she said calmly. "If there were something between them, we would have known long ago."
Lefiya looked at Riveria with hopeful eyes. "So... I still have a chance?"
Riveria smiled faintly. "That depends on how far you're willing to fight for him."
Lefiya stared at her mentor with eyes full of hope, as if Riveria were the only person in the world who could give her the answer. Her clasped fingers tightened slightly, betraying the anxiety rising within her.
"Lady Riveria..." she called softly, almost in a whisper. "Please... teach me how to make Shirou return my feelings!"
Her voice was filled with sincere pleading, her eyes shining with determination mixed with fear. She truly wanted to know. If there was a way to make Shirou see her as more than just a friend or little sister, she wanted to learn it.
But the request only made Riveria pause for a moment. Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out.
Why should I help my own rival?
In her heart, Riveria groaned. How could she, who secretly also had feelings for Shirou, be asked to advise another girl on how to win his heart? This was beyond unexpected.
Am I too kind? Or am I just too foolish to realize I'm digging my own grave? she thought, sighing inwardly.
While Riveria was lost in her inner turmoil, Lefiya was still waiting for an answer. Her face grew uncertain before she spoke again, this time even quieter.
"Maybe... maybe I'm too childish," she murmured, her head slightly bowed. "I'm not as graceful and mature as Lady Riveria. Maybe that's why I don't look attractive to him..."
Those words made Riveria look at the girl beside her again. There was doubt and sadness on Lefiya's face—something she rarely showed to others.
For a moment, Riveria felt a twinge of guilt. No matter how much she saw Lefiya as a rival in this matter, the girl still relied on her. She couldn't just let her drown in self-doubt.
So, with great effort to suppress the jealousy prickling her chest, Riveria finally spoke gently, "Lefiya, you don't need to become someone else to catch his attention."
Lefiya turned to her with hopeful eyes.
"You have your own charm," Riveria continued. "Just be yourself as you always are. I'm sure sooner or later, Shirou will notice it."
The young elf stared at Riveria with a slightly surprised expression, as if hearing those words for the first time. Slowly, she nodded. "So... I just need to be myself?"
Riveria smiled faintly. "Yes."
But the answer seemed to spark a new question in Lefiya's mind. With an innocent, confused expression, she asked, "Then... what should I do next?"
Riveria fell silent. She knew this was her chance to help Lefiya truly. But at the same time... another idea crossed her mind.
A devious idea.
A way to maintain her own position by Shirou's side while slowing down her student's advances.
Unable to resist, her tongue casually offered dangerous advice. "Don't rush to confess your feelings, Lefiya," she said, as if this were the best suggestion she could give. "If you say it too soon, you might startle Shirou... and the result may not be what you hope for."
Lefiya blinked. "So, I should wait?"
Riveria nodded, her expression calm and composed. "Let him grow more enchanted by you. Show your beauty gradually, and let him unconsciously see another side of you. A guy like Shirou... doesn't easily understand others' feelings. If you rush, he might not even realize what you truly feel."
Lefiya seemed to ponder the words seriously. She bit her lip briefly before nodding firmly. "Alright! Then I'll follow Lady Riveria's advice!"
Riveria smiled slightly. Good.
Lefiya accepted the suggestion wholeheartedly, unaware that her mentor had just sabotaged her own chances.
