(unedited)

‘I’m going to have to stop doing this.’

Liel muttered to himself as Dioletta sat in front of him, chattering nonstop.

He had already spent nearly an hour with Dioletta.

His face was twitching from all the smiling and imitating Lucy, and he was already exhausted from the endless chatter.

But he couldn’t let her guard down.

Dioletta knew Lucy as well as she knew Liel, so he needed to be more attentive than he does with the other occupants of the mansion.

“Lucy, is something wrong?”

Whenever Liel looked unconsciously exhausted like this, Dioletta worried about his well-being.

More accurately, she was worried about Lucy, who was uncharacteristically quiet.

Out of habit, Liel was about to say that he was fine, but then he paused and reconsidered. Finally, he nodded and replied.

“I’ve been feeling a little under the weather for a few days now…….”

As Liel trailed off, Dioletta’s face darkened instantly. She was the caring older sister who was worried about her close younger friend.

“Yes, I heard you had a sudden collapse not long ago.”

That’s why I came to see you, and also because I was worried about you…….

Dioletta’s voice trailed off. After a moment of silence, Dioletta curled her lips into a bite and spoke again.

“I heard that Liel wasn’t feeling well either……? I wanted to ask him myself, but he wouldn’t tell me where he lived, so I never got a chance to contact him.”

I was so worried that you were both suddenly sick.

Dioletta’s eyebrows drooped as she said the last word. Looking at her, Liel made a numb face and tucked his unruly hair behind his ear.

A sweet, good person.

Dioletta was a person to whom all sorts of good descriptors could be applied, which is why Lucy had been so fond of her since childhood.

Even when she was with Liel, she would rush over to her whenever she was nearby.

Not only that, but Lucy, who was often bored with her own conversations, would show rare emotion when she talked to Dioletta.

As a result, Liel sometimes found himself hating Dioletta.

Whenever Lucy showed more interest in Dioletta than in him, his jealousy would flare up.

But she’s a good person.

He always calmed his raging emotions with the same thought.

“Lucy, do you know where Liel’s house is?”

She was overly cautious to ask for her brother’s address. Perhaps Dioletta knows.

That Liel had decided to run away from home.

“Yeah, but he said it was a secret.”

Liel smiled apologetically. Then Dioletta blinked her large eyes several times.

Soon there was a warm glow in her eyes.

“Okay. I guess I can’t help it.”

Without thinking, Dioletta obediently backed away. Not only that, but she seemed to be pleased.

Not understanding Dioletta’s reaction, Liel frowned briefly behind her back.

“This reminds me of when you were younger.”

Not knowing which childhood she was referring to, Liel didn’t answer. Luckily, Dioletta didn’t seem to mind and continued.

“Do you remember when, around this time, I asked you when your birthday was?”

“……No.”

Liel shook his head at Dioletta as she dredged up a faded memory.

Perhaps because she had known Lucy so long, Dioletta was particularly fond of talking about her childhood.

Maybe it’s because she has nothing but fond memories, but Dioletta is always happy to tell them.

“Well, it’s been a long time. I don’t remember much either, but your birthday was probably in the winter……?”

“…….”

Liel couldn’t say anything in response, and he shouldn’t have. Liel didn’t know when Lucy’s birthday was.

It’s not that he didn’t want to know.

It’s just that he was afraid that if he asked her, she would ask him.

Luckily, Lucy doesn’t pay much attention to her own birthday, let alone Liel’s, so the conversation never drifted in that direction.

“And then you said, ‘When’s Liel’s birthday?’”

As such, it took him a moment to comprehend the words that came out of Dioletta’s mouth.

“Because I asked him before I asked you.”

He barely restrained himself from nodding in agreement. He remembered the day she asked him when his birthday was.

He must have replied something like this.

‘What’s that?’

“But apparently he didn’t really know what a birthday was at the time. Well, he had a hard time growing up, so I figured he deserved it.”

She’s right. As a child, Liel didn’t know what his birthday was. He and Arinel had never talked about it when they were together.

In retrospect, it’s likely she didn’t tell him on purpose: She wanted to hide his existence from the demons, from people.

She didn’t want to talk about the day she brought back to life a demon.

Anyway, it was only then that he realized what it was, as Dioletta, surprised by Liel’s answer, told him exactly what his birthday was.

“So, I had no choice but to stumble over your question about when Liel’s birthday was, but you picked up on it like a ghost. Do you remember the first time I made a secret with you?”

“Yeah, I remember now that you mention it.”

It was an unforgettable day for Liel.

He had witnessed the two of them making a promise that meant so much to her. He didn’t know exactly what had happened because Dioletta hadn’t told him.

“I told you never to tell Liel about your birthday, that if he doesn’t know it, he won’t remember yours.”

Finally, Liel realized what Lucy and Dioletta had been keeping from him.

“I thought you were just being nice, but every year I’m surprised at this time of year when I realize you’ve never forgotten his birthday.”

Liel inclined his head slightly without speaking. His eyes were naturally hidden by his bangs.

“But you don’t know that, do you? He was actually listening to our conversation that day. After you left, he asked me a lot of questions about my secret.”

But Dioletta wouldn’t let Liel in on the secret until the end.

Dioletta’s insistence made Liel give up, but he was still annoyed that the two of them had a secret that he didn’t know.

So this is why.

That’s why Liel told Lucy his secret.

He wanted to be like Dioletta and keep it to himself, even if it meant showing her the tattoo that Arinel had told him never to show anyone else.

“I’m sure it’s very embarrassing for Liel, but I think he’ll be very touched to know that you’re being so considerate. Oh, right……! You told me you weren’t feeling well. I’m sorry, I got carried away.”

Dioletta folded her eyes in apology, smiled, and stood up. It was only then that Liel raised his bowed head.

“No need to apologize, I had fun too.”

Dioletta rolled her eyes and laughed, too. After that day, Liel stopped disguising herself as Lucy.

Naturally, it was known in Seywint that she had disappeared, not to mention that the manor had been turned upside down a few days later.

* * *

“Now even the doors discriminate against me!”

Part of my daily routine was to fight with doors that wouldn’t open. Not surprisingly, I always lost.

“It opens just fine when Liel and Mamon push it, why are you discriminating against me!”

Despite my grumbling, I dutifully checked the time. I wanted to make sure I knew when Liel would be back.

He usually came in the middle of the night, so it was almost time for him to show up.

“Huh…….”

I took a deep breath and decided to execute the plan I had been preparing for days.

I slipped my hand off the doorknob and ducked into the closet near the door, holding my breath as I waited for Liel to arrive.

My plan was this.

The moment Liel opened the door and walked in, I would run out the open door as soon as he realized I was gone.

Of course, there was a nine-to-one chance that it wouldn’t work, but I figured I might as well try something.

I don’t know how long I’ve been waiting.

I heard the sound of the door opening, followed by a breathless silence. Liel was probably scanning the room for my sudden disappearance.

If so, now!

I pushed open the closet door and quickly ran toward the doorway behind Liel.

I almost tripped and fell in the process, but luckily that didn’t happen.

But if anything else—-

“That’s for people with fast legs to try.”

I didn’t get far before Liel grabbed me. He wrapped his arm around my collarbone and hugged me.

I stared wistfully at the door in front of me, confused.

Why was it open and I couldn’t get out?

“Did you wash?”

Liel asked, his nose buried in the crown of my head. I wondered if he wanted to make sure I was clean by smelling me.

I nodded with a grim face. He swallowed hard and asked.

“Are you mad?”

He could have been angry that I tried to run away. I was scared, so I asked.

“No, I just thought it was a good opportunity to hug you.”

The answer was so vicious that I realized I’d rather him be angry.