"You knew he would send you something like that all along?"
After a very delicious lunch, Kuro, pushing Noah's wheelchair, suddenly asked.
"That poetry collection, it wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision of yours, was it?"
"No, I had planned to give him that gift all along. And as I said, I didn't tell a single lie."
Noah replied, her attitude surprisingly calm.
"I genuinely believe Mackey is the one who can correctly understand the meaning of Viviana's poetry collection, and he indeed has the qualification to receive this 'gift.' I wouldn't use a friend's gift as a bargaining chip, Kuro."
"I just found it very surprising…"
Kuro shook her head. When she had just received those glasses from Mackey, she had indeed wanted to return the gift, but Noah acted as if nothing had happened, very calmly—even somewhat eerily—accepting the gift.
"What should I have done? Become hysterical? Throw the gift into the hotpot in front of me right there? And then ruin the banquet, ending on bad terms?" Noah shook her head. "That would be meaningless, it would only make more people laugh, and… I don't dislike glasses."
"I just thought you could care a little more—" Kuro replied. "Bottling things up isn't good."
"Don't just talk—help me put them on," Noah said with a smile. "Those Commercial Federation people are probably still watching. Help me put them on and see if they look good."
"…Alright."
Kuro had always been unable to say no to Noah. This girl always surprised her in various ways, just like the first time they met when Kuro was covered in blood, and Noah merely wrinkled her nose and said,
"Are you hurt?"
"I can contact a doctor I know. Do you want my help?"
She couldn't possibly have been unaware of the trouble she would get into at that time, but what Kuro found strange was that she didn't seem to care about trouble. She was like a body of water, with an almost indifferent attitude towards everything external, yet she wasn't a complete bystander. Just as Kuro felt that her birth in this city was a mistake, she was indeed out of place in this world, but from beginning to end, she showed that she seemed to love this world—
She loved this world that had left her incomplete—
Kuro took out the glasses and helped Noah put them on. Noah's eyes were pure black, devoid of light, like deep obsidian set in her eye sockets, or like black holes that could absorb all light. One felt that by staring into those eyes, their soul would be drawn out of their body, perhaps even devoured by her. Those obsidian-like eyes quietly hid behind the crystal lenses of the glasses. It must be said—she truly suited glasses, even though she didn't need such useless things.
However, with the glasses on, her eyes, seen through the lenses, no longer felt uncomfortable; instead, they gained a few touches of the serene quietness of a literary girl.
She blinked and said with a smile,
"Do they look good?"
"Mm."
"Kuro, you're no fun—if it were Maria, she would surely use many, many words to describe them," Noah pouted. "It's a pity, I really want to look in a mirror too."
"They look very good."
"Say more?"
"It's very beautiful."
"…Are those the only lines you know?"
"But I prefer looking into your eyes—"
"…Alright, that line does have some charm."
Noah suddenly paused, a blush inexplicably spreading across her face. She slowly turned her head, adjusted her hair, as if shy. Or perhaps she was organizing her thoughts. She was probably somewhat used to Kuro's blunt remarks, but for Kuro, who usually got flustered so easily, to suddenly say something that even made her feel a little embarrassed, it was truly unexpected.
"Thank you for liking my eyes." Although shy, Noah's reply was very clear. "I'm very happy, truly."
"The pleasure is all mine."
Kuro pushed Noah's wheelchair, walking slowly. The girl's smile lingered on her lips, and though the dark eyes behind her glasses held no light, they were still enough to captivate anyone.
—
People always have reasons when they go to war. Some fight for their country and its righteousness, some for honor, some for the myriad lights behind them—and some simply muster up courage.
Just like Maria Nearl, who took a deep breath, slapped her cheeks, and then walked step by step onto the arena. The atmosphere of the arena made her feel a little suffocated, but the side effects of this nervousness quickly dissipated from her. Perhaps the brilliance she had witnessed in her Sister Magarette was still etched in her eyes, or so she thought. At least now, Maria Nearl didn't feel that nervousness had stiffened her movements much.
On the contrary, when she stood on the arena under the title of [Shining Knight Returns], only one thought seemed to remain in her mind—
I can't disgrace Sister!
She held her head high, her expression serious. Compared to her Sister, her figure still appeared a bit slender, but she indeed possessed the dazzling brilliance of the Nearl family. This splendor came from the era of the divine people, traversing time and history. Even today, it could still shine in this era, the bloodline of the Golden Pegasus. For a long time, the name Nearl was a symbol of Kazimierz's most dazzling star.
Margaret Nearl successfully became the youngest champion of the Knight's Tournament. So, what kind of spectacle would her younger sister, Maria Nearl, bring to the Knight's Tournament?
No one knew, and no one could predict.
But there was no doubt that the moment she stepped onto the arena, she had already moved from backstage to center stage—just as a noble's debut is celebrated at a ball, a knight's first appearance is also worth commemorating.
"How is she? The sound is a bit noisy, I can't hear clearly."
"Her? She looks… a bit like her Sister."
"…That's a real shame, I really wanted to see what that looked like." Noah said with a smile, "She must be impressive, right?"
"Perhaps."
—Buzz buzz buzz—
Noah's headphones rang. Noah gave a wry smile, then answered the call.
"How could you let Maria go into the arena!!!!"
Although she had already prepared herself mentally, the other person's loud voice still made her pause slightly. It was the first time she had heard Zofia speak so loudly—it was like discovering an unknown side of the respected Miss Zofia. She shook her head to clear the dizziness before speaking.
"You'll understand after this match is over. Trust me—Miss Zofia."
"…You better be right!"
The other person hung up the phone. Noah blinked, then shook her head with a wry smile.
"Maria better win beautifully… otherwise, I'm definitely going to get scolded to death."
"You brought it upon yourself."