Chapter 5: 5

Just as the marquis was about to say something, Jupiter grabbed Juno’s hand. She looked at him in surprise.

With an innocent face, completely different from the maturity Juno saw before, Jupiter said, “Can you take me to my room? I’m not quite familiar with the mansion yet.”

Still shocked by his current demeanor, Juno soon realized that by holding her hand, he was trying to help her. She nodded, dragging Jupiter away. She felt the marquis’s gaze behind them, but neither Juno nor Jupiter looked back.

Juno, having reached the second floor while holding hands with someone like a seven-year-old, cautiously let go of Jupiter when the marquis was out of sight. “Thank you for your help.”

“Huh?”

Juno moved around her fingers as the warmth from Jupiter’s hand disappeared. “You did it on purpose, didn’t you? You have my thanks.”

A little surprised, Jupiter grinned.

So I was right. Staring at his smiling face, Juno said, “…Then I’ll be going now.”

She turned around, but then Jupiter asked, “Why are you leaving?”

“What do you mean?”

Jupiter tilted his head to the side. “You said you’d take me to my room.”

“It was an excuse.”

“But it’s on the same floor as your room. We’re living in the same mansion from now on.”

Juno gave him a baffled expression, yet Jupiter outstretched his hand.

What are you trying to do? Does he really want to be friends? Or does he have other ideas? Juno scrutinized him. Unlike before, there was a fake smile on his face. After agonizing about it, Juno had no choice but to hold his hand again.

I don’t know what you’re up to, but… They didn’t argue about useless things, and Jupiter’s room wasn’t far away. Their time together was short.

Juno let go of his hand to open the door. With that done, she said, “Then, I’ll actually be going now.”

“See you tomorrow, Juno,” Jupiter said in an amused tone.

If she turned around, she would see him smile. So, Juno didn’t look back. She didn’t want to know if his smile was sincere or not. It’s been a long time since Juno had to say goodbye like this, so she felt slightly awkward.

“…All right, see you tomorrow.”

Jupiter Trish was a little weird.

***

Juno stared out the window and thought about her age. “I’m still only fifteen.”

She had to wait three years to become an adult.

“Even so, nothing will change,” Juno muttered, glancing at the large pile of books on the desk.

Is it because she was the only daughter of Marquis Robert? Nusrion made her take lessons that a legitimate successor would take. Originally, she planned to persuade her relatives to allow her to take lessons, but before she even asked, they took the initiative on her education.

“It’s like you want me to be smart.” Juno didn’t understand. For them, the more stupid Juno was, the easier it was to control her.

“I can’t even become the head of the family.” As a woman, she wasn’t able to inherit the noble title. Even then, someone from a branch family would be the ideal heir.

No, perhaps it’s to educate Jupiter… Thinking of his clear blue eyes, Juno heard a knock on the door.

“My lady.”

“Mr. Nereus.”

Juno opened the door and smiled at Nereus, the old butler. In these five years, his face has gotten more wrinkles. Nevertheless, he was a parental figure and her friend. When Nereus looked at her affectionately, Juno naturally smiled. Unfortunately, the moment she saw the person behind Nereus, that smile disappeared.

“Lord Jupiter is here as well.” When Nereus finished speaking, Jupiter walked into the room.

“Hello, Juno.”

Jupiter, Nusrion’s son. Like Nusrion, he can be named the heir. He was also her playmate supported by the branch families.

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“My lady, I must take my leave.”

Once Nereus left, Jupiter approached her and said, “The teacher will be here any minute.”

Nusrion had Jupiter stay by Juno’s side out of concern for her mental state, but no one actually believed Nusrion sent him to the mansion because he was worried about Juno.

I suppose it’s necessary for Jupiter to learn how to be a proper heir. Like Marquis Trish, the heir to a prestigious, old aristocratic family needed an extensive education different from ordinary nobles. Ordinary nobles can only be taught certain things.

And Jupiter, who was originally from a family of distant relatives, wouldn’t receive such an education. However, because he lived with Juno, he took the same classes she did under the excuse of helping her study.

But why do you want to show off and be my tutor? Unlike Jupiter, who was called a genius, Juno was only clever and often couldn’t keep up during class. When that happened, Jupiter helped her understand the information.

Juno narrowed her eyes at him. Jupiter smiled softly.

Well, it’s thanks to you that I’ve lived a comfortable life for the past five years. It’s not like she wasn’t ignored, but because Jupiter was acting as the eyes of the family relatives, the marquis, Lilith, and other servants treated Juno like the daughter of a noble.

“What’s wrong, Juno?” With a worried expression, he looked pitiful. Jupiter wasn’t a gentle person, but on the surface, he was the prince all noblewomen dreamed of.

“What’s wrong? Sit down.” Juno pointed to the chair next to her.

Despite living with him for five years, Juno didn’t know who he was. Jupiter, only three years older than her, was born to be a noble. Every action of his was elegant; his exceptional looks and swordsmanship made him shine. In fact, Juno wouldn’t mind if Jupiter became the next marquis. If anything, his flaws lie in that pretentious expression and personality I don’t understand.

When Jupiter met her gaze, he grinned.

He’s becoming harder to read. Juno thought about her own appearance. She had green eyes and red hair like her mother. From a young age, Juno had been told that when she was older, she would have a bright future. She grew up beautifully as the family relatives and other people expected. Yet Jupiter was more beautiful than her.

He’s quite well-known in high society, isn’t he? She heard Jupiter was popular for his handsome face and friendly smile. But I can see it’s a mask. Why hasn’t anyone else noticed?

No matter how lovely that smile is, it’s nothing compared to a real smile. She tried to guess what he was thinking by looking at his mouth, but all she found was a platonic affection for her.

Ah yes, friendship. Surprisingly, Jupiter was fond of Juno. And I don’t know why.

Juno was good at noticing people’s expressions and behaviors, most likely because she had to read the room from an early age. Jupiter was different from those who wanted to use her. For Jupiter, she was a tolerable existence, so his kindness was understandable. However, many people were tolerable like Juno.

I mean, there are a lot of people who want to look good. Nusrion trusted Jupiter, and Jupiter was often involved in other activities. Nusrion’s allies frequently visited the mansion to speak to Jupiter.

However, the smile they saw and the smile Juno saw were slightly different. This nuance bothered her. Why aren’t they the same?

Juno wouldn’t have cared so much if he treated her differently from the others. It was a small detail that even Jupiter had yet to realize. Why…

Tilting his head to the side, Jupiter said, “Juno, you’re acting strange today.”

She replied with a smile. “No, I just don’t want to study.” There was no need to tell him.

“Why don’t you want to study?” He looked at her as if she was cute.

Juno got goosebumps seeing his sincere expression.

“Did you figure out the part you didn’t understand from last time?”

Juno coughed and nodded. “Ah, yes. Thank you.”

“I’m glad I could help.”

Juno shrugged and returned her attention to a book. Jupiter’s kindness wasn’t bad. Since the future marquis was being friendly to her, her own future would benefit from it. If things continue the way they are now, Jupiter actually will be named the next marquis.

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Originally, the branch families put their hopes on Jupiter as the heir, but now he was well-liked by other nobles.

There’s also the fact I don’t have a younger sibling. A woman couldn’t become the head of the family, but Marquis Robert had neither a new wife nor a son. His power was growing weaker, while Nusrion, who had a good heir candidate, became stronger.

Juno smiled at Jupiter. At least you won’t sell me to an old man. She had an idea, but she put it in the back of her mind as the teacher entered the room. As stated before, Juno wasn’t a genius like Jupiter, but she was clever. If she was thinking about something else during class, she ended up falling behind.

Knowledge is power. Whatever Nusrion was thinking, this opportunity was perfect for her. So, she’ll take it.

Juno’s mood improved, and Jupiter, who was looking at her, had a strange light in his eyes.

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