Chapter 20: Talent and Curse

Cyril Ashley, the eldest son of Marquis Highon, was not originally from the Ashley family.

Since the current Marquis Highon only had a daughter, Cyril, as the most talented of their distant relatives, was chosen as his adopted son.

Even though they had a blood relation to the Marquis of Highon family, Cyril's family didn't have any peerage title, which placed them at the bottom rank. Even so, Cyril was so talented to be even chosen as their adoptive son.

Having status like that in his school had made him proud, thinking that he was an outstanding person or was a chosen one.

But Cyril, who was proud and delighted after became the adopted son of the Ashley family, met the Ashley family's daughter…

…and it made him despair.

The daughter of Marquis Highon—Cyril's step sister—had outstanding intellect.

The House of Marquis Highon was said to be a family of "intellectuals". And his step sister was so intellectual that even made such Cyril can't even compare to her.

———If that's the case, why did they adopt him?

Cyril, on the verge of losing the meaning of his own existence, desperately tried to learn about every possible field.

However, the gap between her and his step-sister never seems to be closing. In fact, the more he learned, the more he realized the difference between himself and his step-sister.

It was at this time when he was at the very low, the second prince, Felix Ark Ridill reached out to him.

"Will you lend me your strength? Cyril Ashley."

At that time, Cyril said he didn't have that "intellectuals", but Felix only smiling before gave him a response.

"I didn't choose you because you're from the Ashley family. I chose you because you're you, Cyril."

At that moment, he made up his mind.

From now on, he decided to devote all his life to this person.

＊ ＊ ＊

"As treasurer, your job will become busy at the end of the month and the beginning of the month. I'll list all the things that must be done here, so make sure there are no omissions."

Cyril Ashley was blatantly aggressive towards Monica, but he still explained the job thoroughly.

The only thing that bothered her was that there was one large glass on the table. During his explanation, Cyril would briefly chant an incantation before dropping one or two ice cubes into the empty glass.

Having become curious about the situation, once the explanation was done, Monica spoke up timidly.

"U-Um, what are you going to do with that ice…"

"Each time you make a mistake, one of these ice cubes would be shoved into your mouth."

"Hiieeeee!"

Cyril nervously fiddled with the brooch on his collar with his fingers before he dropped another ice cubes into his glass.

Monica suddenly realized. The cold air that had been scattered around him had subsided during the time Cyril was making the ice cubes.

Could it be the reason he's making these ice cubes was for this…?

"If you have time to look around, look through the documents."

"I'm sorry…"

Monica hurriedly turned back her gaze to the documents, but to be honest, the current job she has was not that complicated.

In the first place, before coming to this school, Monica had been forced to work with all kinds of numbers, such as finances, cashier's records, product sales trends, demographics, and so on. Compared to that, the current accounting work was nothing.

After finishing his explanation, Cyril spun his ice-filled glass around as he snorted in displeasure.

"I've been planning to shove this into your mouth, in case you have bad at memorizing things, but… apparently it was not necessary."

It seems those words meant as the "passing grade" from Cyril.

After Patting her chest in relief, she was glared at by Cyril.

"Why are you acting so jumpy and timid?"

"U-Um… E-Er…"

"In fact, I don't like that servility attitude of yours."

That's something Monica used to be told.

——Why are you being so servile?

——You should be proud of your talent.

——If you despise yourself, what about those who are not even close to your talent?

"You've been chosen by His Highness. And your talent also has been acknowledged by him. So, why don't you show any pride in it?"

Don't be so servility. Don't despise yourself. Have confidence in yourself. You have a talent.

How many times has she been told that when she mastered the no-chanting spell?

Even with that said, Monica couldn't refuse them.

It's not that she denied her pride. Having pride in something you good at is a good thing. Believing in your talent is also a wonderful thing. If it were possible, Monica would want to be like that.

…but she can't do any of those things.

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"I-I'm sorry… I just can't… feel to be proud of myself…"

Monica said in muttering while she shook her head.

"It just… impossible…"

In the past, when she was attending Minerva, Monica had only one boy she could call a friend.

He took care of her because she was shy. Since she couldn't speak well in front of others, he accompanied her to practice her chanting. And it had made Monica happy.

But when Monica mastered no chanting spell and became known as a genius, their friendship began to deviate.

"I bet you've been looking down on me all along, haven't you?"

No, you got it wrong, was what she wanted to say, but those words didn't reach him.

And without being able to reconcile with him, Monica graduated from Minerva and became one of the Seven Sages.

It's a bitter memory that still lingers in Monica's mind, even now.

Monica hung her head down, but Cyril's thin eyebrows furrowed as he bent his lips into "へ" shape.

"The word that I hate the most was ‘impossible'."

"I'm sorry…"

In response to Cyril's denunciation, Monica could only look down and apologize.

He recalled when his father told him. He said talent can sometimes be a curse.

For Monica, talent was a curse. It always took away the things that Monica wanted.

——Her father, her friends.

"Hello, are you progressing well?"

The cheerful voice brought Monica back to her senses. When she turned her gaze, Felix was peering at her desk.

Cyril straightened his back and answered promptly.

"I've explained all of our regular duties and the work to be done at the beginning and end of the month. It just leaves to the things related to events."

"Oh, there will be a chess tournament and a school festival before the winter break. You'll have to tell her about those, too."

"I will."

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As Cyril nodded, Felix looked at the glass on the desk and lifted it lightly. The ice collided with each other, making a rattling sound.

"Are you not feeling well, Cyril?"

"No, I'm fine. Your Highness."

"Well, that's good, but… take it easy, okay?"

What did that conversation mean, she wondered.

Does Lord Ashley feel ill when he makes ice?

The cold air that was being released on a regular basis, the ice that was purposely created in the glass, the brooch that was being touched nervously… To tell the truth, Monica had only one idea of what was going on.

Is he perhaps…

As Monica was staring at Cyril's brooch, a finger reached out from the side poked Monica in the cheek.

If you look from the side, you will see Felix happily poked Monica's soft cheek.

"Don't just look at Cyril, look at me too."

"I-I'm sorryyyyy…"

"You! How dare you show such disrespect to His Highness!"

"I-I-I-I… I'm sorryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy…"

When Monica apologized, Cyril smacked the desk with his palms.

"Can't you speak clearly!?"

"I-I-I'm so-sorry…"

"Who said you could speak in stuttering?!"

"Cyril, don't bully her too much, okay?"

Felix calmly restrained Cyril from shouting at her, but he said in a stern voice.

"I'm not bullying her, Your Highness! I'm disciplining her!"

"I thought disciplining was the owner's job. If so, it's my job."

She felt that her human rights were being taken away without a second thought.

For now, Monica decided to immerse herself in the task of counting Felix's eyelashes in order to escape from reality.

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