Under the Moonlight
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After the victory celebration had ended, some time had passed, and I found myself on the balcony of the Cloudel family mansion.
By the way, thanks to Marius' kindness, we were able to stay in a room of the Cloudel mansion for the night.
"Oh, Orn-san, good evening! I’m sorry to call you out at such a late hour."
When I arrived on the balcony, Sophia, who had been gazing at the moon, noticed me and called out.
"Not at all. But you really do love the moon, don’t you?"
"Yes, the moon is the motif of the 'Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky,' after all. And whenever I look up at it, I feel like I’m being given strength."
Sophia’s expression was incredibly bright as she said this.
"...I’m sure you’ve already figured it out, but I was just talking to my older brother—ah, Marius-san. This might have been the first time I’ve had a proper conversation with him."
"...The one you were called to during the celebration, huh. The fact that you call him 'older brother' means you’ve reconciled with Marius-san?"
"Yes. I always thought my older brother hated me. But after talking to him, I realized that he had actually been helping me all along."
Sophia then explained to me what she had talked about with Marius-san.
It seems Marius-san was actually a deeply emotional person.
He had built a good sibling relationship with Selma-san and had wanted to do the same with Sophia, but the circumstances never allowed it.
Marius-san and Selma-san’s biological mother was a former countess, while Sophia’s real mother had been a servant and passed away during childbirth.
The former countess, who had a tendency to be obsessed with bloodlines, didn’t find it amusing that common blood had entered the Cloudel family.
Considering that Marius-san and Sophia were getting along so well, he feared it would worsen Sophia’s position, so he remained indifferent, while subtly acting behind the scenes to prevent his parents' negative feelings from being directed at Sophia.
"...I thought I only had an older sister in my family, but I was wrong. From the moment I was born, I had not just an older sister, but an older brother as well. Now that I understand that, I feel so happy! My place, my home, has always been with the Night Sky Silver Rabbit, but now, I have another place like that."
"I’m glad to hear that."
"Yes!"
I don’t have any family left, so the concept of family relations isn’t something I fully understand.
However, I can imagine how painful it must be for someone who has family, but has become estranged from them.
"That’s why I called you out here, Orn-san. There’s something I want to tell you."
"Something you want to tell me...?"
Not fully understanding the intent behind Sophia’s words, I repeated them back to her. She nodded once before speaking.
"On the day you became our teacher, you asked us a question, right? You asked us to tell you about our dreams and goals."
"Ah, I remember that. You told me that you became an explorer to find your dreams and goals. ...So, the fact that we’re talking about this now means you’ve found yours?"
"Yes, I have. —I want to become someone who can shine like the moon, illuminating others."
Sophia answered my question with a beaming smile.
"...I believe there are many people who, like me and Carol, have experienced hardships in the past. And as the war between the Kingdom and the Empire intensifies, there will likely be a harsh environment waiting for the children of today and those who will be born in the future. I want to be someone who can dispel the darkness for them and guide them."
"You want to be someone who leads others, huh? That’s a noble dream. But it’s going to be a tough road."
"Yes. I understand that, or at least, I think I do. But I’ve made my decision. I will become stronger, both in mind and body, for that. And I’ll surpass you, Orn-san, and my sister!"
Sophia looked at me with eyes that were completely sincere.
Those eyes were unimaginable when I first met her.
I see now. Sophia has gained enough strength to move forward on her own.
She’s reached a point where she doesn’t need my help anymore.
It’s a little lonely, but I suppose it’s something to be happy about.
"You’ve really come a long way. But don’t think I’ll let you surpass me easily, alright?"
"Well, if it were easy, it wouldn’t be worth chasing after. I actually welcome the challenge!"
Under the brilliantly shining moon, Sophia’s expression was the most radiant I had ever seen from her.