315 – If it’s the lady’s command, the butler will fetch the stars

It was night.

“Hmnyari…”

A night where the Milky Way spreads across the sky.

In my past life, I had never seen such a night view.

The stars are dancing.

“Uwoooh…!”

A night filled with stars sparkling like the North Star.

“Twinkle! Twinkle!”

I had rarely seen such a beautiful watercolor of the night in my previous life. It was partly because the city was bright, but also because I was working until dawn, leaving no time to admire the night sky.

Perhaps that’s why I liked the night in this world, where I could accept the truths of life.

So leisurely.

This languid night.

“Oh…”

The young lady, sitting on the bed and gazing at the night sky, flared her nostrils and naturally pulled a piece of chocolate from her treasure pouch.

“Mmnya…”

“Miss, can I have some too?”

“Ugh?!”

The young lady, clutching the chocolate to her chest, frowned like a cat and shook her head.

“No.”

“That’s disappointing.”

“Even if you’re disappointed, no chocolate.”

“But it came from my wallet!”

“Ugh… still no.”

“…”

Ignoring the butler’s disappointed feelings, the young lady glanced at me, then timidly extended a piece of chocolate with trembling hands, squeezing her eyes shut.

“Here…!”

“…”

“I can’t give you any more!”

“Thank you.”

Truly, she was a young lady who loved chocolate more than anyone else.

Had we been staring at the stars for a while? The young lady spoke to me with a dazed expression.

“Ricardo.”

“Yes.”

“That one…”

The young lady pointed to the brightest star in the night sky, her nostrils flaring as she spoke.

“That one is incredibly bright.”

“Indeed.”

“It looks like it would sparkle and taste delicious.”

“Why do you associate it with food?”

“Hehe… It just seems like it would be tasty.”

With a bright smile, the young lady lightly dismissed my question. Then she let out her simple yet sinister wish.

“I want to drop it.”

“What…?”

I flinched at her unexpectedly bold statement. I wondered if she was finally revealing her true nature.

As expected of the strongest villainess in this world, her perspective on stargazing was anything but ordinary. I let out a hollow laugh at her fierce words and replied.

“What do you mean you want to drop it? What does that even mean?”

“I’m curious… I want to see it up close, but it keeps being so far away…”

“That’s true, but isn’t dropping it a bit much?”

“Why not?”

With a giant question mark hovering above her head, the young lady looked at me and asked.

“Why can’t I drop it?”

Faced with her innocent inquiry about the end of the world, I couldn’t bring myself to say, “That star is much bigger than you think.” I squeezed my eyes shut and sighed. I didn’t want to shatter her childlike wonder.

‘What should I say…’

Preserve her innocence.

What plausible excuse could I come up with?

‘Ah…’

An idea popped into my head, and I smiled slightly as I brought my finger toward the star she was pointing at. Unlike in my past life, that star probably wasn’t Polaris, but I thought of a romantic phrase that could help her understand.

“Ahem. You see…”

“Yes.”

“That star isn’t just for us to see, is it?”

“Right…?”

“Surely, somewhere out there, there are people looking at that star and saying how beautiful it is, just like us.”

“Are you a time-rich person?”

“…Let’s say I’m someone who pursues romance in a good way.”

“Uh-huh.”

I was momentarily at a loss for words at the honest remark from a lady who didn’t know how to enjoy romance, but as a good phrase popped into my head, I awkwardly smiled and continued with the quote.

“Anyway, there are people like us who look at that star and find it beautiful.”

“Hmm…”

“If we were to take that star away completely, the people who enjoy stargazing wouldn’t be able to see it anymore, would they?”

“That’s true.”

“So, we don’t take it.”

The lady nodded slightly and her eyes sparkled brightly.

“Right… It would be too wasteful to see it alone…”

“Exactly?”

“Uh-huh.”

“If you say so, I could probably bring down that star.”

“Really?”

The lady looked at me with her round eyes, stuffed the remaining chocolate into her mouth, and swallowed it down.

-Wham.

As her expectant gaze pierced through me, I awkwardly nodded and replied to her.

“Of course. What’s so hard about bringing down a star…?”

“Oh ho…”

-Grab.

“Huh?”

The lady, holding onto my collar, sent me a sparkling gaze and said without a hint of hesitation.

“Get it for me!”

“What?”

“Bring me a star! I want to see it up close.”

“Where did you hear my earlier quote from right in front of you?”

“I don’t know! I can look at pretty things all by myself!!”

With such a wicked desire, I shook my head and let out a hollow laugh. Then, rolling up my sleeves, I prepared to go get the star.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes!”

“Then I’ll go and get it.”

“Yes!”

“It’s too big to say anything about.”

“Yes! If it’s big, it’ll be even prettier!”

“Well… then I’ll be off.”

“Okay!”

I rummaged through my pockets. And in a small voice, I counted. One. Two. Three. I stretched out my hand.

-Thud

“Huh?”

With the lady’s eyes, that is.

The lady, whose vision was obscured, flailed in the darkness.

“Ugh! I can’t see anything!”

“Ha ha ha! How can you pick a star? It’s so far away!”

“Ricardo, you liar!”

I gently opened the lady’s eyes, which I had covered. She glared at me with a sulky look, puffing out her cheeks, while I wore an awkward smile.

“Liar.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Ugh…”

I shot a sidelong glance at the lady’s eyes and then said with a small smile again.

“It’s just a joke. This time, I’ll really go and get one.”

“I’m not falling for it anymore.”

“No, really. This time, I’ll truly bring one back. It may not be a star that shines that brightly, but I’ll still bring back a small one.”

“Really…?”

“Yes.”

“Really, really?”

“Yes.”

“If you’re lying, it’s a hundred chocolates.”

“Ha ha ha! Deal.”

The lady, who had been looking at me with a playful expression, spoke to me with eyes full of suspicion.

“Then catch it for me.”

“Let’s do it as instructed.”

I reached out my hand again towards the stars. Carefully, I brushed the edge of the lady’s cheek and extended my hand towards the brightest star she was gazing at.

“Ugh…”

The lady, filled with doubt, huffed, thinking I was just playing a trick.

“You said if it’s a lie, it would be a hundred chocolates.”

“Yes.”

I leaned my face closer to her shoulder and whispered softly.

“Watch closely.”

My outstretched fingers obscured the most radiant star. The star, which had been shining brightly within the palm of my hand, vanished behind the shadow cast by my fingers.

– Splash.

A small golden star fell from beneath my open palm, landing right in front of the lady’s eyes.

“Uh… a star…?”

Her eyes were trembling.

Startled by the sudden appearance of the star, the lady merely shivered her shoulders. Though her expression was hard to read, she seemed surprised.

I hoped that reaction wasn’t disappointment.

“It’s a star…”

I spoke in a hushed tone, echoing the lady’s voice that lingered in my ear.

“It’s small, but it’s a star.”

“…”

“Lady…?”

Surprised by her silence, I turned my head to look at her face.

“…”

The side profile of the lady, biting her lip and puffing air into her cheeks.

“Sniff…”

Seeing her eyes glisten with unshed tears made my own heart tremble.

“Uh… uh…?”

The lady gazed at the golden star-shaped bracelet dangling from her fingers, biting her lip with a quivering expression.

“It’s a real star.”

“…”

“Really, really a star.”

“Of course. Didn’t I say I would get it for you?”

The young lady received the falling bracelet with both hands, cradling it delicately, and offered a small smile.

“…Sniff”

“…”

“Really… a star.”

Seeing the gentle smile of the young lady, who looked as if she had received a real star, I let out a sigh of relief. What if she got angry, thinking it wasn’t a star? What if she was disappointed because she didn’t like the design? I had worried about that.

I felt a sense of pride in her expression as she held it carefully in her hands, gazing at it intently.

“I bought it because it looked pretty on the way.”

“…”

“…I’m glad you like it.”

The young lady, holding the bracelet, extended her white wrist towards me and spoke in a shy voice.

“Ricardo.”

“Yes?”

“Put it on for me….”

“Shall I?”

“Yes.”

I felt a tremor.

Her white wrist looked strangely alluring.

The moonlight made it appear even more transparent, and the white hair that framed her face seemed to shine brighter.

Just then.

“Sniff… Hic…”

“…”

“Sniff… Hic… gulp.”

“…”

The problem was that her sniffles, which seemed to torment her, felt oddly cute.

Biting my lip, I focused on the bracelet as I fastened it around her wrist, and I looked down at her wrist with a small smile.

“…All done.”

“Mm… is it really done?”

“Yes.”

The young lady with the bracelet spoke in a soft voice.

“It’s pretty.”

“…”

“I really like it… truly.”

I bowed my head with a small smile at her greeting.

“I’m glad to hear that.”

– Bear!! Bear!!

Gomtang was running around the yard.

– Go go go go bear!

Just like a bear that really wants to pick that star.

“Puha!”

Watching Gomtang dash around the yard, the young lady smiled gently, tucking her white hair behind her ear.

Her eyes sparkled with a moist smile.

“Thank you so much.”

As her shy smile was illuminated by the moonlight, the young lady’s white hair danced softly, making her smile even brighter. Like a watercolor painting.

Indeed.

“Isn’t that unfair?”

The young lady tilted her head and laughed.

“Huh?”

I shook my head and spoke to her, filled with gratitude for the young lady who cherished the gift.

“No, I said I would give you something even better next time.”

“Um… no, I’m fine with this…”

The young lady hugged the bracelet on her wrist tightly, smiling.

“Thank you, Ricardo.”