Light and Curses.
Seeing Riley’s little sister for the first time, both Seo and Rose had only one thought in their minds.
‘Cute~’
It was undeniable. Reina was not just cute— she was almost ethereal, a perfect mirror of Riley but in a delicate, feminine form.
The resemblance between them was striking.
Reina stood there, an embodiment of grace and beauty, with her large, deep blue eyes shimmering like the clearest ocean and her long golden hair flowing in the wind like strands of sunlight.
The soft breeze played with her hair, making it sway gently, adding to the charm of her innocent, slightly confused expression.
Her presence was like a gift to their eyes, too pure, too perfect to be real.
‘Hah~ I want to keep her…’ thought Rose, her gaze locked onto Reina, her lips curling into a warm, but ever so slightly predatory, smile.
The more she looked, the more she felt drawn to the idea of taking care of this beautiful creature-of having her around like a treasured little sister.
Meanwhile, Seo had a different but equally strong urge.
‘I want to squeeze her cheeks…
To Seo, Reina was like a small, precious thing that needed to be squished and prodded, as if her cuteness demanded some form of tangible expression.
Her emotionless face gave no hint of what she was thinking, but her inner desire to indulge in Reina’s adorableness was bubbling over.
The two girls had entirely different
mindsets, yet they were both drawn in by
Reina’s charm, unable to resist the
temptation to interact with her.
Without a second thought, Seo acted first.
She couldn’t hold back any longer.
Her hand shot out toward Reina’s face, gently pinching one of her soft cheeks.
It was as if the cuteness overload had short-circuited Seo’s normally reserved behavior, and she just had to touch her.
Reina’s eyes widened in shock, her mind struggling to process what was happening.
‘What’s going on?’
At the same time, Rose’s gaze had
grown…
intense.
Though her smile remained, there was
something dark in her eyes now, a gleam that made it clear she was completely enraptured by Reina’s presence.
Her eyes darkened with each passing second, the intensity of her stare growing so palpable that it made Reina visibly tremble under the weight of Rose’s gaze.
“P-Please stop!” Reina’s frustration finally boiled over, and with a quick, panicked slap, she knocked Seo’s hand off her cheek and bolted toward the only safe place she could think of—her brother.
She hid behind Riley, her small frame
trembling slightly as she peered out from behind him, her cheeks flushed red, not from the pinch but from sheer embarrassment and confusion.
Her wide eyes filled with a mixture of
disbelief and indignation, she glared at the two girls who were now staring at her like they hadn’t just invaded her personal
space.
“W-Who are you two…!?”
Seo blinked, her expression as neutral as
ever despite the fact that she had just been smacked away.
It didn’t seem to bother her in the slightest.
In fact, she looked almost confused as to
why Reina had reacted so strongly.
Rose, on the other hand, let out a soft
giggle, her dark eyes lightening back to their usual playful warmth.
Riley seeing the tension opened his mouth
to try and introduce the two but before he could do so Rose spoke first.
“Oh my… it would seem my excitement got
the better of me. I even forgot to introduce myself,” Rose said with a soft chuckle, noticing Reina’s growing distress.
Her usual confident aura softened as she
recognized the need for a more formal approach.
Adopting a more polite demeanor, Rose
gently grabbed the hems of her skirt, lifting it slightly before bending into a graceful
bow.
The gesture was elegant, refined—like
something straight out of a noble etiquette
book.
“My name is Rose Brilliance, a second-year student in the Magic Department here at the academy. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Reina~”
Reina’s eyes widened, her confusion deepening as she processed the name she
had just heard.
“Rose… Brilliance?” she mumbled, the
words barely escaping her lips as she
repeated the name slowly, trying to match the face in front of her with the name now echoing in her head.
There was no mistaking it, no chance of misunderstanding—that name belonged to only one person, and the realization hit her
like a thunderclap.
“Yes, please don’t be too afraid. I’m a very CLOSE~ friend of your brother,”
“I-Is that so?”
Behind Reina, her group of friends-Emilia,
Vanessa, Stacia, and Flamme—were equally dumbstruck, their eyes widening as Rose’s identity dawned on them.
They shared Reina’s shock and confusion,
exchanging silent glances as they tried to make sense of the situation.
The name Rose Brilliance wasn’t just
famous—it was practically legendary.
To them, meeting her in person was like
suddenly standing in the presence of a living myth.
After all, the name Rose Brilliance belonged
to none other than the most powerful and talented genius of the current era. She was known far and wide as the Golden
mages
Child of Magic-one of the three young of the current generation, who was already being hailed as a future Archon, the highest-ranking mage in the world. Her magical prowess was said to be
unmatched, her talent nothing short of miraculous.
Seo, who had remained quiet and almost
invisible in the corner, suddenly moved with her signature subtlety, approaching Reina without so much as a whisper of her presence.
In her usual calm and composed manner, Seo gently reached for Reina’s delicate
hands, the movement so graceful that Reina only realized Seo was beside her
when she felt the soft, yet firm grip. Without warning, Seo bowed her head
slightly, a gesture of both respect and humility that took Reina completely by surprise.
my
“In behalf of the Gyeoul clan, I offer apologies, Miss Reina…” Seo said, her voice as calm as a still lake.
The words seemed almost ceremonial, as if
this was something deeply ingrained in
Seo’s upbringing—a noble act steeped in tradition.
“H-Huh?” Reina’s confusion only deepened as her wide eyes darted between Seo’s face
and her own hands, which Seo still held in her delicate, yet unyielding grip. There was no malice, no ill intention in Seo’s action—just a quiet, graceful offering of respect that Reina couldn’t immediately
process. Before she could even think of a response, Seo continued. “My name is Seo Gyeoul, also a second-year in the academy, and a fellow classmate and friend of brother. Once
your
again, it’s nice to meet you, Reina. You can
call me ‘big sis’ if you like.”
“B-Big sis?”
Reina’s mind raced as she tried to process
everything. Seo’s name wasn’t exactly obscure either.
In fact, for anyone even remotely interested in swordsmanship, Seo Gyeoul was something of a legend in her own
right.
Known in certain circles as the Hidden Blade, her swordsmanship was said to be so fast and efficient that her blade could
strike before her opponent even had a chance to see it.
Stories told of her sheathing her sword
before the battle had even begun, her opponents falling one by one before they even realized they’d been struck. This was a girl who carried the reputation of being an unstoppable force in the world of martial arts, yet here she was, offering
Reina an apology and calling herself a friend of her brother.
‘How is my brother… affiliated with them?’
No….
Her thoughts spiraled as she struggled to comprehend how Riley—her relatively low-profile brother who had always been somewhat of a mystery-was connected to not just one, but two legendary figures.
‘They said they were his friends, right? When? How? Why?’
‘He never even told me about any of this!
What happened during his time at the academy?’
Reina suddenly recalled the winter vacation they had spent together. ‘Does Mom and Dad already know about
this? What about Grandpa? How about
Sister Liyana? Don’t tell me I’m the only one he hasn’t told, right?’
Her confusion, frustration, and panic all
culminated in a single sharp look-directed
squarely at Riley.
Her deep blue eyes, so similar to her
brother’s, locked onto his, silently demanding answers.
‘Damn, she’s mad at me…’
Looking at Reina’s annoyed face, I could
tell instantly that she was beyond just irritated.
She looked like someone who had just been
betrayed by the person she trusted most
in life.
Her expression carried the weight of confusion and frustration, and there was
no mistaking that her anger was directed
squarely at me.
She’s probably furious because I didn’t
mention Rose or Seo to her-not in my letters, not during my last visit home.
‘She’ll probably get even more mad once
she learns about Senior Alice and Snow as well….’
And to be fair,
I
had
my reasons.
It wasn’t as if I could just casually write to
her about these two, not when Liyana was always hovering around, ready to scrutinize every word. Reina wasn’t exactly the easiest to talk to
back then either.
I sighed inwardly, knowing that trying to
explain everything in the middle of this
situation was a disaster waiting to happen. Reina’s puffed-up cheeks and the way her brow twitched in agitation should have
made me feel bad-except that right now,
she just looked… well, cute. Dangerously cute, to be precise. But if I made a joke about how adorable she
looked, she’d probably punch me in the gut
right here on the spot.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to defuse the situation as best as I could.
“As they’ve explained, these two are my
friends, Reina. Please, get along well with
them,”
Her brow arched even higher, and the confusion and frustration deepened in her
eyes.
It was clear that she wanted a proper
explanation.
But now wasn’t the time to get into all that.
The last thing I wanted was to complicate
things further, especially with a crowd of
students starting to gather around us.
We were already drawing too much attention.
After all, the names Rose Brilliance and Seo
Gyeoul were practically legends at the academy.
Just hearing their names in a casual
conversation was bound to catch the interest of anyone passing by.
I could feel the curious stares of students
from all directions, some whispering to
each other as they passed.
“Now that you’ve introduced yourselves,” I
said, sensing the unease starting to ease,
“why don’t we head out? You wanted to see
the shops I told you about last time, right?”
Reina hesitated, her arms still crossed
defensively. “B-But…”
It was clear she wasn’t entirely satisfied,
but the growing number of curious students gathering around us was making
her second-guess continuing the
conversation.
The influx of stares from passersby had put
her on edge, and her face turned slightly
pink from the attention.
So, without further ado, I reached out and
gently grabbed her arm, flashing a
reassuring smile. “Come on, let’s get going. I promise it’ll be
fun. I’m about to give you the grand tour of
a lifetime.”
Her lips twitched, trying to suppress a
smile.
Despite her lingering frustration, she couldn’t help but feel excited. Although having Seo and Rose tag along
wasn’t
part of the original plan, I figured
they’d help keep Reina entertained. They had already made an impression,
even if it was an overwhelming one.
With
any
luck, this will be a distraction for her-plus, they’ll probably get along
eventually… hopefully.
Now then…. All that’s left is for her to make
her move….
“U-Uhm…”
Bingo.
Turning around, I found myself face to face
with a beautiful girl with long, flowing
black hair and sky-blue eyes.
She stood nervously, shifting on her feet as
she
fidgeted with the hem of her skirt,
while a small
group of familiar-looking girls
trailed behind her.
“C-Can we tag along with you as well,
M-Mr. Big Brother sir!?”
“And
you
are…?”
The girl quickly straightened up, clearly trying to steady her nerves before
responding.
“Ah, yes! My name is Enna, sir brother! I’m
a friend of Reina’s.” She pointed to the girls
behind her, one by one. “This is Vanessa,
and this is Flamme, and the one behind me
is Stacia. We’re all Reina’s friends, sir!”
Flamme and Stacia behind her gave me a familiar wave knowing I’ve already been acquainted with them, but didn’t seem to
bother telling as they didn’t want to ruin Enna’s enthusiasm.
“I see Reina’s friend’s huh….” I said
nonchalantly as I reached out my hand to
Enna with a friendly smile. “Nice to meet
you, Enna.”
Her eyes widened in surprise, and for a
second, she looked as if she didn’t know what to do.
But then, as if something clicked, her face
brightened into a radiant smile, and she
eagerly took my hand, shaking it with far more enthusiasm than I expected.
“Yes! Nice to meet you as well, Reina’s big
brother, sir!”
As she continued to shook my hand with
increasing fervor, I couldn’t help but try to
hold back the creping smile within me as I
eyes-a
caught the subtle flicker in her barely perceptible shift her expressions
changing in mere moments as her
emotions fluctuated in real time…
Good….
‘Looks like her eyes are working properly’
