An untainted “ornament”
To describe Kirsch Beusen in one word, he was a remarkable man who truly enjoyed the favor of God.
His family was originally a lineage of talented magicians, and as such, the expectations for his unborn child were extraordinary.
However, Kyelse was blessed with all sorts of talents, so even such expectations were no burden.
Not only was she good at magic, but she was also better at studying and sports than anyone else. Even as a child, she was beautiful and looked like a doll, and was praised by those around her.
“Well done, Kyelse. You’re truly the son I’m proud of!”
“You look great today too. My child is the most beautiful and adorable in the world.”
His parents doted on him and praised him almost every day, as he was a perfect, flawless son who they could be proud of no matter where they were shown.
It was not surprising that someone would become a narcissist if they were raised in such an environment. For Kyelse, the fact that she was the most beautiful person, smarter and more talented than anyone else was not an arrogance or anything like that, it was an undeniable fact.
“Of course. I’m your son, after all.”
From the outside, they seemed like the ideal family, blessed with everything they could possibly want.
But the family was unusual in one respect.
The trigger for this went back to a certain incident that occurred when Kyelse was just born.
Kyelse’s mother, who was already in poor health, had a hard time regaining her strength after giving birth. And just as the doctors had feared, she began to weaken with each passing day.
“I don’t want to die yet… I want to be with you, with Kyelse… I want to be with you more…”
“Ahh…Krenhilde…”
No matter what remedies or spells they tried, her condition only got worse, not better.
The couple, who should have been filled with happiness after giving birth to the child they had always wanted, were instead faced with heartbreak on a daily basis.
“If you’ve become this weak… there’s nothing I can do. Please say your goodbyes so that you won’t have any regrets…”
The time to say goodbye came quickly, and Kyelse’s father nodded weakly in response to the doctor’s cruel pronouncement.
Taking his wife’s hand, whose breathing was so irregular and weak that it seemed as if she might stop breathing at any moment, he gently let her touch their newborn son.
“…Kiri, She…”
Feeling regret at the tiny pulse of life that was transmitted from her palm, Kyelse’s mother softly murmured. Even though she desperately tried to breathe and wished to gaze at her beloved son, her body was losing strength on its own.
I was feeling regretful that this was how it had to end.
“――――”
The baby gripped her fingertips tightly, and she was instantly enveloped in a pale light. At the same time, her weak breathing gradually became more stable, and the sensations in her limp body became clearer.
When she opened her eyes, she could clearly see her beloved family, and her hearing, which had become weak, was now able to pick up their voices.
“this is……?”
Just as the couple were shocked and their eyes widened, the doctor watching the scene also exclaimed in surprise at how surreal the situation was.
“Could it be life activity…? But there have been examples of something this powerful in the past…”
The doctor’s eyes fell on the baby sleeping peacefully in his father’s arms, and slowly it dawned on him that it was he who had caused this miracle to happen.
“That’s right, the power of a miracle…!”
This incident became a major turning point.
Thanks to Kyelse’s secret art of vitality, Kyelse’s mother managed to survive. The strength she had lost during childbirth was completely restored, and the family was able to return to their normal, happy daily lives.
And through this miraculous event, the bond between our family grew deeper than anything else.
Her mother, Krenhilde, loved Kyelse, who had saved her life, more than anything else.
His father, Jannat, also respected his proud son more than anyone else for keeping his beloved wife alive.
To them, their beloved son, Kyelse, was not just a child of their own blood, but a precious being equal to a god.
That was why they tried to treat Kyelse as a special person and cherish her more than anything else.
“Mother! Please look!”
Growing with each passing day, the young Kyelse was now able to practice swordsmanship outside. She waved to her mother, who had come to check on her. She had a bright smile on her face, as if showing off the target she had beautifully cut in half.
However, his mother, seeing this, came running over with a pale face, and when she saw his hands, ripped and worn down from swordsmanship practice, her face turned pale.
“Kyelse! Why did you hurt your hand so much!”
“picture?”
“You are not to practice sword fighting from now on! You are not needed!”
“B-But, I can heal wounds.”
No matter what kind of wounds she got, she could heal them with her own powers. So there was nothing to be too worried about, Kyelse tried to tell her mother.
But she wasn’t convinced.
“You must not waste your precious power on something like this! Besides, magic is not omnipotent. What if these beautiful hands end up with scars…!”
“……sorry”
“I shouldn’t have let you out after all. If you’d stayed inside you wouldn’t have gotten hurt. From now on, try to stay indoors as much as possible.”
Seeing his mother reacting hypersensitively to Kyelse’s wounds, he looked down sadly.
Her mother was extremely overprotective and had refused to let Kyelse leave the mansion for a long time. Kyelse had somehow managed to persuade her father and get her mother to agree to let her train in swordsmanship, but just then, this happened.
I’ll talk to my father and ask him to persuade me again. With that thought, Kyelse headed towards her father.
But my father’s reaction was the same.
“What were you doing as the instructor, causing Kyelse such injuries?”
“I’m sorry.”
“You’re fired. You don’t need to come here anymore. We don’t need some incompetent person hurting our precious son.”
Her father fired Kyelse’s swordsmanship teacher and kicked her out of the mansion. Kyelse was shocked by the sudden departure, but she couldn’t bring herself to complain to her parents who were worried about her.
And her parents’ overprotectiveness only got worse every time Kyelse was able to do something on her own.
“Kyelse! You mustn’t touch such a filthy thing! You don’t need to do such a thing!”
Mother said this to Kyelse, who was cleaning the room with the servant. After carefully washing his dirty hands, she severely scolded the servant who had helped her with the cleaning.
The servant was later evicted from the house as well.
“You should cut ties with such a dim-witted and vulgar friend. He is not worthy of my beautiful and intelligent son. Do you understand, Kyelse?”
Her father was extremely angry at the friend who tried to take Kyelse out. He even protested to the friend’s parents, yelling at them not to let her have anything to do with Kyelse ever again.
I never saw that friend again.
“Kyelse, let’s wear something nice. You just need to be beautiful.”
“You are more talented than anyone else. I am your proud son. You need to be aware that you are different from the rest of us.”
Her parents’ love was abnormal, but there was no denying that they loved Kyelse more than anything else.
They simply cherished their precious son, who had saved their family from what was supposed to be death and given them happiness.
She dismissed pain, dirt, and ugliness as unnecessary, and simply wanted to give her beloved son only beautiful and pretty things.
“Just having you here, healthy, beautiful, and pure… makes us so happy”
“If we can stay a family of three forever, we don’t need anything else. Right?”
So they kept their beloved son away from all impurity, even from anyone touching him.
On the contrary, they felt it was inappropriate for them to touch Kyelse, who was an extremely sacred being, so they didn’t even pat their son on the head, let alone hug him.
Having been subjected to such ostentatious affection, Kyelse eventually stopped feeling uncomfortable.
After all, it wasn’t like his parents looked down on Kyelse. They didn’t shun him or hate him.
Quite the opposite. Kyelse also knew that her parents treasured her more than anything else, and loved her deeply.
So Kyelse accepted everything about her parents.
“Don’t touch me so casually, you disgusting bastard!”
At some point, I began to have a strong aversion to touching or being touched by other people.
“I’m not like you ordinary people. Don’t lump me in there.”
He believed that he was superior to everyone else and hated being spoken of or treated as an equal.
“My secret art of vitalization is not meant to heal trivial wounds. If you really want me to heal you, then bow your head respectfully to this beautiful and intelligent me and beg!”
He looked down on those who approached him arrogantly and haughtily. He began to force everyone around him to respect him as if it were natural.
As he continued to live like that, people began to distance themselves from him, and the only person who remained close to him was the beautiful Istaria, a childhood friend and a favorite of his parents.
“Kyelse, you don’t need friends.”
“I can do anything on my own. So there’s no need for me to get along with others.”
“That’s right.”
The intelligent Istaria felt pity for Kyelse, who was becoming distorted due to her parents’ excessive interference, but was also astonished by his arrogant attitude. The reason she was close to him was because they were family friends.
“As long as I’m always beautiful and excellent, and have Mom and Dad by my side, that’s fine.”
But in my heart, I felt a little lonely.
Deep down, Kyelse longed for someone to hold her like other children, stroke her head, hug her.
Moreover, although her parents didn’t touch Kyelse, they were very fond of the lovely Istaria and would often stroke her head.
Feeling as though her beloved parents had been taken away by Istaria, Kyelse was jealous of her and longed for the day when her parents would touch and love her too.
But I thought that was only if I could become an even better person than I am now.
She thought that if she became an even more wonderful person – beautiful, intelligent, versatile, and with many accomplishments – her parents would pat her on the head.
(Someday, that day will come――)
But.
Kyelse’s vague dreams were shattered when she was suddenly separated from her parents.
“Young Kyelse…I’m afraid that Jannat-sama and Krenhilde-sama are――”
A carriage accident in bad weather. Kyelse’s parents had suddenly lost their lives in such a common disaster.
At first, it didn’t really hit him. He thought that if he had the secret art of vitality he could still be saved, so he rushed to his parents’ side, but when he held their already cold hands, he finally realized that he was powerless.
Realizing that her dream would never come true, that she would never have her parents pat her on the head again, Kyelse fell into despair. She lamented and grieved.
While I was suffering the pain of loss, time passed mercilessly.
After her parents died, Kyelse’s life became filled with hardship and pain.
As a young boy, he was increasingly looked after by the Istaria family, but he had been treated so well that he was unable to adapt to life in someone else’s home.
“Maybe you should try to get over your obsession with cleanliness a little? If you’re that selfish, no one will pay you any attention no matter how good you look on the outside.”
“Shut up! This isn’t about being a germaphobe, nor is it selfish! What’s wrong with trying to keep a beautiful me clean!”
“Hmm…”
He annoyed the Istarias by complaining about their clothing, bedding, and food, and gradually he became isolated.
“Kyelse’s obsession with cleanliness is really troublesome…”
“I wonder if there’s anything we can do about that personality…”
Previously, she would not have minded such comments from those around her, but now Kyelse had become hypersensitive.
It’s natural that they should be treated with care. It’s natural that they should be kept beautiful. It’s natural that they shouldn’t be allowed to get any dirt on them. So why don’t other people understand that?
So I tried desperately to prove my worth by showing off my beauty and excellence. I kept asking people to treat me like my parents, who loved me so dearly.
However, his attitude only alienated people, and the more he tried to gain understanding from those around him, the more futile it became.
“Father and Mother have always accepted me and praised me…!”
The loss of his parents, who had always accepted and loved him, was too much for him to bear.
The sad thing is, at that time he honestly had no idea what the problem was with him.
“I… I’m beautiful, intelligent, and talented… but… why doesn’t anyone understand?”
He couldn’t even cry out in anguish to anyone, because his pride would not allow him to do such a shameful thing.
“I’m not lonely… I can live… on my own…”
Still, the pain in my chest didn’t go away.
For someone like him who had never known the warmth of others and who was merely an ornament beautifully preserved to avoid tainting it, it was completely impossible for him to live in harmony with anyone at this point.
But Kyelse continued to struggle in her solitude.
◆
“Your parents loved you so much that they wanted you to remain pure and untainted.”
Having heard the story of Kyelse’s childhood, which was objectively abnormal, Mitina muttered with understanding.
He said that if one is treated like an earthly treasure throughout one’s childhood, one would naturally develop an extreme obsession with cleanliness and that sort of personality.
I suddenly remembered that he had said before that it wasn’t because he was a germaphobe, but because he had little experience with physical contact. At first, I wondered what kind of excuse it was, but it seems to be true.
(I’m sure that’s why Kyelse-dono loved me.)
No one was allowed to touch him, not even his own biological parents could give him warmth.
Thinking about it like that, it made sense why Kyelse had wanted to touch Mitina. He must have been strongly drawn to the warmth of a stranger, something he had never experienced before.
“Your parents simply loved Kyelse very deeply… it’s so sad.”
“Even so, it’s still a nuisance. Kyelse’s parents ended up making her unhappy. I don’t want to call that love.”
Istaria was once again speaking frankly, and Kyelse couldn’t help but smile bitterly. She must have treated talking about her parents as taboo because they had been criticized in this way.
I can understand what Istaria is saying. If Kyelse had been loved normally, he wouldn’t have been so warped, and he wouldn’t have had to endure the pain he had experienced up until now.
However, what Mitina felt when she heard about Kyelse’s past was relief.
“But I think it’s good that you were loved by your parents, even if they were warped.”
“yes?”
“Yes. After all, the reason why Kyelse-dono was able to become someone who worked hard for his ideals is because his parents didn’t just spoil him, but taught him how to grow.”
Kyelse’s kindness, caring nature, and nobility were all gifts from her parents’ love. Above all, her absolute confidence in herself, and her determination to remain an ideal version of herself that was equal to that confidence, were what made her an outstanding person.
What made Mitina even happier was that after hearing about Kyelse’s parents, something more made sense to her than her personality and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
“It is because you have been cherished and loved that much… that Kyelse-dono can also cherish someone like that, like a treasure. When I think about it, somehow, I feel happy.”
Remembering Kyelse taking care of her, a smile naturally appeared on Mitina’s face.
The careful care they took of Mitina’s hair and skin, the beautiful clothes and accessories they chose for her – all of these diligent cares for her were probably all ways of expressing the love that Kyelse received from her beloved parents.
Thinking about it like that, he realized that Kyelse had loved him deeply for quite some time, and a feeling of joy and warmth spread in his heart. At the same time, he felt a warmth similar to longing.
“Just as Lady Istaria said, Kyelse is very proud of her parents and really loves them.”
“…………”
Istaria’s eyes widened in surprise at Mitina’s gentle words, as if to say that it was a perspective she had never seen before.
“…I can understand why Kyelse is so infatuated with Mitina.”
“picture?”
“If there’s someone who is this honest with you and understands you, you’d want them to be by your side forever. Ever since your parents died, you’ve been all alone…”
Istaria spoke with a hint of regret. She must have been thinking that, as a childhood friend, she should have cherished Kyelse more and been closer to her.
“I’m sure the reason he decided to become a knight was because he wanted to be recognized, understood, and loved by others.”
Hearing that comment, Mitina also agreed.
Kyelse herself said that she wanted to become a knight so that others would understand her greatness. But in reality, she probably wanted to become someone so great that everyone had to acknowledge her, and accept her.
That’s why he wanted to become a Black Iron Knight with the strength and achievements of Zeffen. Furthermore, he wanted to be a knight who valued loyalty and was more proud than anyone else.
Mitina hung her head as she silently imagined the pain Kyelse had been through. Then, with her usual smile on her face, Istaria lightly tapped her on the shoulder.
“Kyelse has changed a lot now. Thanks to Mitina.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I’m still a narcissist, but I feel like I’ve lost my thorns. I think that’s because Mitina is by my side, accepting and acknowledging me as I am.”
Istaria said this innocently, as if happy that she had finally found someone to rely on in Kyelse. However, seeing her pure expression, Mitina felt guilty again.
What he had done was not something to be praised for. The fact that Kyelse had changed was his own achievement. He hadn’t done anything.
“I… I was just doing it because it was my duty…”
“Even if it was a mission, it doesn’t change the fact that Mitina took the time to face Kyelse.”
Kyelse must have realized that, which is why she fell in love with Mitina. Istaria spoke with a loving expression as she threaded a hair ornament through Mitina’s hair.
“So, I like Kyelse, who loves Mitina so much now. I’m sure if I had met him now for the first time, I might have fallen in love.”
“Lady Istaria…”
Smiling with satisfaction at the image of Mitina reflected in the mirror, Istaria embraced her tenderly and in a soft voice repeated the words Mitina had once said to her.
“I think you two are a perfect match.”
“…!”
“Since you have guided Kyelse this far, I want Mitina to be happy. And I want Kyelse, who has been struggling for so long, to be happy as well.”
When she looked up, Istaria smiled sweetly at her. Mitina couldn’t take that smile seriously either.
“But I’m such a worthless person… I hurt Kyelse-dono…”
“Mitina, you’re surprisingly lacking in confidence. Maybe you should learn a bit from Kyelse’s narcissism and way of being open about things.”
”Besides that,” Istaria continued, looking troubled.
“If you think you’ve hurt someone, you should apologize sincerely. That’s how it works, isn’t it? It’s much more constructive than just agonizing over it forever.”
Mitina gasped at the admonishing reprimand.
Certainly, up until now, whenever she felt that she had hurt Kyelse, she had apologized, however clumsily. Surely, Kyelse had accepted that and forgiven her.
(I see… the first thing I should have done was apologize…)
Mitina couldn’t help but smile wryly, wondering why she had forgotten such an important thing. Once she realized this, she naturally wanted to meet Kyelse and talk to her.
I don’t need to be forgiven. But I still want to apologize for hurting him. I absolutely don’t want to leave him alone after hurting him.
(The reason I think so is because Kyelse-dono is important to me… and I’m sure that he is――)
Seeing the hesitation naturally disappear from Mitina’s expression, Istaria smiled softly and spoke to her gently again.
“Please take care of Kyelse, Mitina. It’ll be fine, if Kyelse bullies you, I’ll punish her.”
Just as Istaria was laughing mischievously, there was a knock on the door. As Istaria answered, a servant’s voice announced that a visitor had arrived.
“Kyelse-sama has arrived.”
Mitina was taken aback by those words and her shoulders shook slightly.
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