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Chapter 6: Burn with Jealousy (Part 1)
The story so far...
Elina went to rescue Michel—after being taken away by Echidna—along with the cooperation of Melona, who became her “friend”. Together, they defeated Echidna’s disciple, Irma, and reached the mercenary’s hideout.
However, the elf had already set the boy free. He was being looked after in the house of the Weapon Merchant Cattleya and her son, Rana... but then the wife became attracted by his magic flute, losing herself in the process.
Rana’s Jealousy
[Booring.]
That was how Rana honestly felt at the moment.
His mother Cattleya and the Fighting Master Alleyne had gone to rescue Michel based on the message recorded on the magic talisman, but ever since he came with them... Rana couldn’t help feeling like he was being kept out of the loop.
Though the other boy seemed to have a bit of a fever, he didn’t need to lay down for long, he could even talk normally. It certainly wasn’t so bad as to require constant supervision.
And yet, her mother wasn’t spending as much time with Rana as she used to. She had left him aside, devoting her time to take care of Michel.
For example, when taking baths. She used to go in with him up till now, but recently she went in with the new boy.
At the beginning, he had heard the boy panicking, but not lately. Michel might have ended up surrendering somehow, since it had gotten rather quiet recently.
Besides, how his mother behaved in the middle of the night was sometimes worrying.
If one were to put it simply, this would be jealousy, but Rana wasn’t mature enough as to know how to handle these emotions.
“Mom, how much longer will Michel be with us?”
Rana dared to take the plunge at dinner.
“What’s wrong, Rana? Why do you say that?”
“Because... you’ve been weird ever since he came.”
“Oh my oh my, what’s this about? What makes you say that?”
“Mom, you don’t spend time with me anymore...”
The boy cast his face down; he didn’t want to be seen crying. He might be a spoiled kid, but he was still a boy; he had some pride.
“Oh my oh my, I wonder if something happened to you?”
The mother tilted her neck in puzzlement, as if she wasn’t paying him any heed.
“Nothing happened to me. It’s you who got weird!”
The boy finally raised his voice.
“E-Err, Miss Cattleya, I’ll be okay, you can play with Rana more...”
“Oh my, it’s fine, Michel, don’t worry. You silly Rana, have you gotten lonely?”
“That’s not it!”
He countered loudly.
It was actually true, though. Frustrating as it was, her mother had been stolen by Michel.
And, with her worrying more about the new boy than anything else, Rana could feel the unpleasant feelings he couldn’t bear increasing.
That was why he put them into words:
“If Michel went away... it would all be back to how it was.”
“Rana!”
Cattleya screamed, angry.
Rana stood strong against the thunderous cry that abruptly shook the air, and...
“Mom, you dummyyy!”
He screamed, jumping out of the room.
“Miss Cattleya! We have to run after him!”
“It’s okay. I’m sure he’ll come back soon.”
The mother shrugged her shoulders, and offered him another helping of soup.
“It’s night out already; even if he gets out of the store, there’s nowhere to go to.”
***
“Miss Cattleya... you told Lady Elina that I’m here, right?”
After dinner, Michel asked the merchant just to make sure.
Her answer every time was ’I sent the Vance Earldom a letter, but I didn’t get a reply’.
“I see.”
He didn’t know all the details, but the Vance territory should be far from where they were. It wasn’t a distance that easily allowed for communications.
“You’d better not go looking for her or anything.”
She admonished him while serving breakfast.
“If you miss each other, you won’t be able to meet anymore.”
The Continent was a wide place. If two people got separated, and they kept searching for each other without having decided on a meeting place, they’d never have any chance to reunite.
That was why Cattleya herself had decided not to leave her shop, dreaming of meeting her husband again.
“So, tonight too... okay?”
The mother gently piled up her hands on top of his. It was a sign that she was seeking for the effect of the magic flute Cathedral to heal the day-to-day tiredness.
Given that he was kept under her care, Michel couldn’t bring himself to refuse.
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