“Life is precious, isn’t it? Whether you’re a wretch, a bastard, an illiterate fool, or an orphan…”

Maybe I had sensed it back then.

That this kid was truly different from me.

And Rosie had known that too.

“Then… did you come here just because you thought I might get hurt? How did you even know?”

“Mm, well, you hate the Temple, and you’re also my friend, so I’ll tell you. Athena told me earlier.”

“…What? Athena did?”

“I can talk to the Divine Beast a little. Just… it turned out that way. I went through some experiments when I was at the Temple.”

Ray’s eyes widened.

“I really hate getting hurt. And others shouldn’t get hurt either.”

Experiments… she said experiments.

“I figured it all out. Both you and Athena planned the rampage together. It would’ve been painful for both of you, but you must’ve thought it was the best option.”

Ray said nothing and blankly stared at the droplets of water dripping from the ends of Rosie’s hair.

She was right.

Today, when his parents didn’t show up because of the landslide, Ray made up his mind.

The repeated earthquakes and landslides.

Obviously, they were the work of the Divine Beast of Earth, under the Temple’s influence.

Two coincidences don’t happen in a row.

If Rihardt had joined hands with the Temple and even brought in the Earth Divine Beast, then Ray had no choice but to become Athena’s master.

He couldn’t let Athena end up in the Temple’s hands through Rihardt.

Even if he would get seriously hurt in the process—even if it might cost him his life.

At the very least, if it came to that, Rihardt would go down with him.

“Using yourself as a means to an end… you’re really just like Athena. Maybe that’s why Athena chose you.”

Rosie grinned and gently stroked Athena.

“They say Divine Beasts choose the master who resembles themselves the most.”

“…You wouldn’t understand.”

Ray muttered with a sigh.

“Why someone would go this far.”

“Sure, you’re very different from me—but not that different.”

Rosie shook her head.

“You’ve been under threat from your brother since birth. And your parents aren’t entirely on your side either…”

Her green eyes calmly rested on him.

“So for you, this must’ve been the most logical outcome. I understand.”

The word understand made his heart beat suddenly.

She was someone entirely different from him, yet she still said she understood—that feeling… oddly made his heart flutter.

If she were someone just like him, he might’ve felt a kind of self-loathing instead.

But hearing it from Rosie made his heart feel strangely warm.

“…Thank you, Rosie.”

Ray murmured hoarsely.

“Thank you so much for coming.”

“Eek, what’s with the sudden sincerity?”

“It’s just… the fact that you didn’t come expecting something in return… I don’t know what else to say. I mean, I could ask what you want from me, but right now, I really don’t want to say that.”

Rosie might not have realized it, but this was Ray’s first real expression of genuine gratitude in his entire life.

“No matter what was happening, or where it was… the fact that you came… it meant a lot to me.”

“Ah, wait a second.”

Rosie smiled awkwardly.

“If it had been a narrow, enclosed place, I wouldn’t have come. Sorry, but it’s not anywhere.”

“…Right. Yeah… you didn’t have to be that honest, but okay.”

The conversation paused for a moment there.

While Ray briefly closed his eyes, Rosie tilted her head and began scolding Athena.

“Why did you tell him I could stop it? Huh? Why aren’t you answering?”

She looked incredibly frustrated, maybe due to some communication issue.

“You talked fine earlier. Why aren’t you saying anything now? Huh? What? You’re saying this was the best option? Okay, but why can’t you say anything else? Huh? Come on, make an effort, you birdbrain. Huh?”

It seemed like she didn’t even understand how she managed to stop Athena’s rampage…

Well, who would know how someone not even the master managed to stop it?

Ray’s eyes suddenly snapped open.

Master.

Divine Beast’s master…

“I heard… the High Priest wants to be your Divine Beast’s master.”

The Temple coveted the four Divine Beasts.

“It’s a relief they don’t know how yet.”

Fire was panting beside Rosie.

Fire was Zahid’s Divine Beast. But the fact that he was listening to Rosie’s words…

But Rosie was a wretch? The lowest status in the Temple?

“Wait, Rosie. Just wait.”

Ray turned around and urgently grabbed the hem of Rosie’s skirt.

If someone becomes the master of a Divine Beast, a fingernail-sized mark appears on their thigh.

Red for Fire, blue for Water, green for Grass, brown for Earth.

It was a secret only known to ducal families.

Because there was never any reason to show one’s thigh.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“Huh?”

“Just wait, I need to check something.”

“No! I’m engaged!”

“That’s not what this is!”

“Still… no, we’re too young!”

“That’s not it either aaaaah!”

Rosie screamed in shock, but Ray immediately lifted her skirt.

“…Ha.”

Ray’s mouth fell open as he saw the blue mark on Rosie’s thigh.

And then—

“What the hell! You pervert! How dare you touch our Rosie!”

A thunderous old man’s voice rang out from the rooftop entrance. And a boy’s furious voice followed.

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

At the same time, stars burst in front of Ray’s eyes. He’d taken a solid punch.

Zahid grabbed him by the collar, ready to hit again, but Rosie grabbed him in a panic.

“Zahid, stop! No more love triangles! We’re still too young!”

At the same time, a cold, flat voice joined the chaos.

“Ray Lavendal, 1000 points deducted. I’ll think about the reason later.”

That was Theo’s voice. And then…

“F**k, that little brat—aaaaaagh!”

Julian, with a bandage around his foot, limped in last. He kicked the rooftop door open—and then immediately got slammed in the head as the door rebounded shut.

“Aaaaaagh! It hurts! F**k!”

It was complete chaos.

“Hahaha…”

Ray got to his feet and stood in front of Zahid.

Zahid’s furious face was just funny now.

“Unlike you, I’m already the head of my house. I have to act with gravity. If I were just an ordinary son of Dyfenril like you, I’d have punched you back already. Don’t forget that.”

Standing behind him was the Count of Noart. Did he think being a guardian let him act like an ordinary Dyfenril heir right now?

“In times like this, you have to hide your true self and grow stronger in secret.”

The advice Ray gave Zahid was sincere.

He had made himself a target of the Temple too early because he hadn’t known how to hide.

He was still just thirteen.

There was a long way to go before he had real power. And sometimes he wondered how he would survive until then.

“We’re the same age, in the same kind of environment. Wouldn’t it be nice if we were friends?”

He said it because he didn’t want Zahid to go through what he did.

To hide for now—until he was no longer the Temple’s target.

Zahid was two years younger than him, yet their heights were ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) almost the same.

Ray rubbed his stinging cheek and leaned in to whisper quietly to Zahid.

This time, not advice—but a declaration.

“You know, Zahid… I really hope you break off the engagement.”

“What?”

“Like I said before, marry Lady Linna Idra and swallow the entire Idra Duchy.”

“What the hell are you even saying…”

Zahid looked utterly dumbfounded, but Ray added one more sentence directly into his ear.

“At this rate, we’re gonna end up in a real love triangle drama when we grow up.”

Zahid’s eyes widened. At the same time, Ray turned and spoke to Rosie with a soft smile.

“Let’s have tea together sometime, Rosie.”

“Huh?”

“If it’s tea you brewed, I’ll gladly drink it.”

There was a moment of silence among those who understood the meaning of those words.

Surprisingly, it was Theo who broke it.

“In any case, he’ll probably still carry his personal water bottle after tea time.”

He said it in the most serious tone imaginable.

“Because Rosie’s tea tastes absolutely terrible.”

At that, Caliban shouted.

“You dare drink Rosie’s tea before even I’ve had the honor?! What kind of unfilial scoundrel are you?!”

In the middle of the now-boisterous rooftop, surrounded by the chaos of the Noart household, Ray quietly smiled.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep