[121] A New Encounter (2)
"All right. So I can meet Amy now?"
"Of course. Miss Amy is waiting. Please, get into the carriage."
As the carriage moved off, a beautiful garden of blooming roses spread out beyond the window.
If the Ozent family's house style emphasized strict formality, the Carmis family's was carefree. Eclectic pieces, disregarding uniformity, dotted the grounds.
"This is wonderful. It feels like I've stepped into a dream."
"I'm glad you like it. The Carmis garden always reflects the tastes of every family member. Each section is decorated to suit whoever uses it. It's a house tradition that values individual personality. The artificial fountain you see now was Amy's idea when she was ten. We call it the Rainbow Fountain."
Shirone leaned out the window. When the cone-shaped fountain pumped water into the air, the droplets scattered and a beautiful rainbow bloomed.
"Ha! A rainbow fountain. Very Amy."
Adele watched Shirone admire the garden with kind eyes. She could guess why Amy had returned home at the end of term looking brighter than before.
"The Carmis family has a gift called the Crimson Eye. It makes talents stand out much faster than usual. Knowing that, the family tends not to interfere. There was a report about the Arcane incident, but the head only checked on the young lady's safety and ordered her left alone."
Shirone gaped. It had been an incident that endangered a daughter's life—yet they were told to leave her be? He could feel how boldly the Carmis family regarded the world.
"Of course they love their family. It's just their temperament. As the youngest, Miss Amy sometimes couldn't understand that. When she was younger she wandered a bit."
"Oh—I knew that. I just didn't know the full story."
Shirone remembered his first meeting with Amy. Back then, when she was about twelve and had been bullied in an alley, he'd felt a lot of resentment. But that was all in the past, and knowing the circumstances behind it made him feel closer to her.
"I've noticed these last few days she's very different from when she was little. She seems to enjoy her pursuits now, like the other young masters. It's probably thanks to you, Shirone. Thank you."
From the way Adele bowed her head, Shirone read sincerity. After all, someone who'd cared for Amy since birth wouldn't be a mere servant.
That was part of why Adele had judged Shirone so strictly. No doubt a fair share of it was jealousy at having a beloved granddaughter taken from her care.
"Sorry for the fuss. The head butler shouldn't have come out to meet me."
"Shirone, you're too kind. But don't worry. Miss Amy allowed visitors, I happened to be a butler passing by, and the head simply ordered someone to go at once."
Shirone grew curious about the Carmis family. If even the head butler doted on Amy, how strict would the family be with him? The thought made him nervous.
"Ugh. I'm tense. I hope they don't throw me out at the door."
"Hoho! They'll exceed your expectations. But don't take it the wrong way—it's just their nature."
While they chatted, the carriage arrived at its destination.
Shirone followed Adele into the mansion. A lavish hall, filled with works of art, greeted him. On either side, winding staircases curled up to the fourth floor like snail shells.
"The head—Miss Amy's friend has arrived—"
"Kyaa! No way! He's actually a man!"
A woman who looked exactly like Amy slapped her own cheek and squealed. She was Isis, the lady of the house.
A famed dancer in her youth, she still looked young for her fifties. Perhaps for that reason, a childish energy clung to her every move.
"What? Shirone's a man?"
"Me too! I want to see him!"
Two men ran from a corridor off the living room: the eldest, Daian, and the second son, Ares.
Daian looked far younger than his mid-thirties, and Ares—two years his junior—wore a thick beard that hid his face.
Both stared at Shirone as if they couldn't believe it. The shock in their eyes made clear how bewildered they were.
"Uh—hello. I'm Amy's friend, Shirone—"
"Skip the greetings and come here. Darling, Amy's boyfriend is here."
Isis grabbed Shirone's wrist and planted him on the sofa. Someone was already waiting there—Shacora, head of the Carmis family, a name Shirone even knew.
He had once wielded enormous political influence but was said to have retired in disgust at corruption.
"Hmm."
When Shacora lowered his newspaper, his intellectual bearing showed. He was the tallest of the family, with a well-balanced frame that belied his age.
Shirone broke into a cold sweat, like a rabbit in a lion's den. Their appraising looks felt unbearably uncomfortable, as if he were an artwork under critique.
As the men's gazes glowed red, Shirone swallowed. All three activating their Crimson Eyes at once was genuinely frightening.
'Ugh, they're remembering me. They're storing me in their heads.'
Aware of his own ability to be imprinted on others' memories, Shirone felt shackled. These people would be able to recall this moment across time.
"Um—hello?"
Unable to stand the awkwardness, Shirone forced another greeting. The Crimson Eyes faded from the men's faces, and Isis—seizing the cue—latched on.
"Wow, handsome. Is this for real? Are you really Amy's friend?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Oh? Are you a graduating senior, then?"
"No. I'm in Class Five."
"Huh?"
Isis frowned. The brothers tilted their heads. Feeling compelled to explain more, Shirone added, "But I'll be in Class Four next semester."
"Aha!"
Suddenly the three brightened into identical smiles. Shirone panicked—apparently classes weren't the point at all.
'Where am I? Who are these people…?'
He remembered Adele's words.
- They'll exceed your expectations. Don't be upset.
Adele hadn't lied. But the family exceeded expectations in a different way—cheerful, eccentric, and delightfully odd.
"When did you and Amy meet? You two are dating, right? Do you hold hands at school?"
"Uh? No, that's—"
Shirone tried to stall. Here, Amy's position came first; it was better to be cautious with his words.
"What's all this fuss? The person involved isn't even here and everyone's surrounding them—what's going on?"
A voice from upstairs rescued Shirone, who was on the verge of collapse. Amy peered down from the second-floor spiral stairs.
Ares twitched his beard and said, "Huh? She changed clothes? She must've dashed to her room when she heard Shirone arrived."
Amy cut off any misunderstanding in advance.
"So? Do you want me to meet you in my pajamas? Anyway, everyone disperse. Father, can I talk with my friend?"
"Do as you please. This is the first boyfriend you've brought home, isn't it? Carmis tradition is to try everything so you won't feel wronged later. Ha ha ha!"
Shacora's teasing earned no response from Amy. It was important not to give them an opening; if they found a crack, they'd pry at it relentlessly.
Even as Shirone climbed the spiral stairs, Isis's questions kept coming.
"Amy, be honest. He's your lover, right? You're dating, right?"
Amy quickened her steps as if not to hear. But her mother—who'd passed on her persistence—was relentless.
"Come on, tell us. What's your relationship? You two are dating, right?"
"Hey!"
Unable to hold back, Amy snapped and hurried to her room.
Isis gaped, and even Shacora glanced up the stairs in surprise.
But the two had already vanished from sight.
In Amy's room, Shirone and Amy sat awkwardly across a table from each other.
Shirone looked around. The study was filled with tomes on magic, and in a corner were a few untouched romance novels tossed aside.
"Ha—those must be from Senior Ceriel."
Despite her reputation at school as a capable, no-nonsense woman, Amy's room was surprisingly feminine. A large stuffed toy on the bed caught his eye—a grumpy-looking teddy bear with slanted eyes.
"You have a doll. A teddy bear, too."
"So what? Is it wrong for me to have dolls?"
"No—I just thought it looked like you. Ha ha!"
Amy clicked her tongue and fell quiet. To be honest, Shirone had nothing more to say; it was the first time she'd shown her room to a man outside the family.
"But are you really okay with all this? At school you pretend to be dating, but you don't need to lie to your family."
"Don't worry. They probably don't care. They're just doing it because it amuses them."
True to Amy's words, the family was free-spirited and eccentric. Still, Shirone could sense that where it mattered, their ties were held together by love.
"Enough nonsense. What are you doing in my house? Do you have something to tell me?"
"Well, actually—"
The door slid open and Isis's face peered through the gap.
"Oh my, ruining the moment? Have some tea while you chat."
Isis padded in and set a pot on the table, her eyes never leaving Shirone.
Before he could speak again, the door opened once more and Daian entered.
"I brought some snacks—"
Daian couldn't take his eyes off Shirone either. He walked forward while keeping his head twisted in an awkward, sideways stare.
Amy sighed. She'd never seen this before; from their perspective it must be entertaining.
Her brothers, usually indifferent to anything but the bizarre, had never had their sister bring a boyfriend home.
"All right. Just come in. I know you've all been waiting outside."
At Amy's words the door flew open and Ares stood there holding a plate.
"There's some fruit… ha ha."
"Just come in. Since it's come to this, let's do a proper introduction. Shirone, okay?"
"Ah, of course."
So everyone except Shacora took a seat opposite Shirone.
"This is Shirone, a promising student at the magic academy. And Shirone, this is my mother. She used to be a dancer when she was young."
"I see. No wonder you're so beautiful."
"Hohoho! Amy takes after me. But if you fall for me, you're in trouble. I won't let anyone hurt my daughter."
"Ah, yes."
Shirone said he understood. He couldn't think of anything else to reply.
"And this is our eldest, Daian. He's a Grade 5 public prosecutor and heads the palace archery corps. He came home to consult Father about a political matter."
When Amy finished, the family looked at her in surprise.
Even if someone is a lover, there's no need to mention the family's private affairs. Her casualness only showed she, too, was inwardly tense.