For me—Shion—My first impression of Zechs-sama was that she wasn't a very cute child.
It was my first mission, and while I had entered the Foranada with great enthusiasm, I had made my usual string of careless mistakes, leaving me frustrated. It was fortuitous that I was entrusted with the care of the heir, Zechs-sama. At the time, I remember being innocently happy, thinking that some information would roll in.
…However, the reality was merciless.
Even though he was three years old, Zechs-sama was able to take care of almost everything by himself. Because of this, I was left with work that I'm sure even a local child would be able to take care of it. It was understandable that I was given the job.
Me, being a spy wasn't looking good either. This may sound rude, but Zechs-sama was "Colorless." I wouldn't go so far as to say that magic was the supremacy for him, who has lost his future as a magician, but the current society, which was strongly colored, must be a headwind. The fact that his younger sister, Caroline-sama, has the light attribute was even more unruly. In other words, there was little chance of such a Zechs-sama becoming the next head of the family, and even if he did, he would have to wait for the puppet government to take over. No good information would be forthcoming.
It was truly a situation of treading on toes and kicking. If Zechs-sama were an adorable child, I would be comforted by it, but his adorableness was limited to his appearance, and his personality was that of a realist who was as much a realist as an adult. Furthermore, he follows up on every mistake I make. I know I shouldn't say this, but he wasn't a cute kid at all.
However, one day, that perception changed. It was the evening of the day Caroline-sama manifested her Light Magic, a day that could be described as a fateful day in a sense. My impression of Zechs-sama tilted even further in the wrong direction.
"How about it? Will you accept my proposal?"
Zechs-sama, who said so with a smile on his face, was truly the devil.
He had already figured out who I am—not only as a spy but even as an elf—and made a proposal. Even if I suggested a future in which the country would be overthrown, he replied as if he didn't care about it. There was no way in my hands to dispel that, which was tantamount to blackmail.
The clever thing about him in this matter was that he did not forbid everything. He said that as long as I didn't talk about Caroline-sama's manifestation of Light Magic or Zechs-sama's own magic, he would allow anything else to be passed on to the royal court. Furthermore, he stated that if I waited for the right time, I would be able to reveal information that was previously restricted to the public. This conditionality to minimize the harm to me was both devious and repulsive.
In the end, I chose to be his pawn, and I was made to sign a contract with unknown magic.
Then from that day on, I learned the many secrets that Zechs-sama held.
— — —
The busy days flew by.
Since that fateful day, there had been a series of surprises. Research and experiments in the new category of Spiritual Magic, the true value of non-attribute magic, the advanced knowledge that Zech-sama taught Caroline-sama, his fighting ability that was hard to believe for a four-year-old boy, and so on. My common sense was destroyed at every turn, to the point where I thought that nothing was impossible with him.
At the same time, I also understood something. To me, Zechs-sama was the authority of fear and a cunning demon. However, his compassion for his little sister, Caroline-sama, seems to be genuine. He adores her, loves her, and treats her with genuine affection.
Perhaps, the original Zechs-sama was a kind-hearted person. I felt that his position as the heir apparent of a Count's family did not allow him to do so, but that he was in fact a benevolent person. Looking back, he never gave me any unreasonable orders after we signed the contract, and when he did, he always double-checked with me to see if there were any issues.
I was imbued with a fixed mindset as a result of being threatened, but after standing next to Zechs-sama for several years, I believe I have finally discovered his true nature.
I thought his inability to become cold-hearted was very cute. It was an impression I was finally able to have after the past four years.
Perhaps that's why. It seems that I had unintentionally shown emotion on my face, so Zechs-sama inquired about it quizzically.
I hurriedly tried to cover it up, but he wasn't the type that could be deceived. In the end, I had to tell him everything.
When Zechs-sama heard my feelings, he made a complicated expression that is hard to describe. Perhaps he was embarrassed because I had hit the mark?
I had hoped so, but the words that came back to me were completely different from what I had expected.
"Is that how you thought of me? How should I put it…Shion's generally soft, I guess?"
Soft.
The head (Father) once described me that as well.
Because of it, the bitter memory comes back to me and I furrow my brow slightly.
Seeing me like this, Zechs-sama shrugged his shoulders. Then, he held out several sheets of paper to me.
I took them and read the contents. Apparently, they were documents about the complaints of other nobles who had stopped by the Foranada and the results of investigations.
I wondered what he intended by suddenly handing me something like this.
"This is…?"
"...Do you remember when you were pickpocketed by a five-year-old girl when you went out to town with us?"
"Umm, what are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"Just remember it."
The abrupt topic left me confused.
But Zechs-sama insists on remembering it. I had no choice but to dig up my memory.
I vaguely remember it. It was, as I recall, the day the three of them went out to play with the children in the castle town—