The Abandoned Heiress Gets Rich with Alchemy and Buys an Enemy General
Vol. 1 - Ch. 11 - Julius the Flying Dragon Maniac and His Beloved Dragon Helios - 4

I turned my gaze towards the voice that was calling me.

At that moment, I was having a tea party with some friends at the café in Astoria Academy. It felt like there were several friends present, but I couldn't recall their faces or names.

As Chloe Seigrit, the daughter of the Duke, I was quite a timid girl despite my noble status.

Therefore, I was always with someone, and not being in a group made me feel uneasy, as if I stood out from the norm. In terms of social status, I was second only to royalty within Astoria Academy, but I neither carried myself with high arrogance nor displayed confidence, so other nobles didn't pay much attention to me.

Now that I had undergone a class change into the renowned beautiful alchemist Chloe, it made me wish to kick that timid and weak-willed ordinary girl's back and tell her to pull herself together. And by "her", I meant me.

Well, my facial features are reasonably cute, aren't they?

My peach-colored, slightly curly long hair, intense peach-colored eyes, and fair skin---every feature of mine can only be described as cute.  If I had been more confident, I could have easily had men at my beck and call, but alas, my timidity held me back.

Gloomy and timid girls could only stay in the corners of the group, even if their facial features were somewhat attractive. Even though I didn't really know the reason behind that.

"Chloe, we need to talk."

Appearing at the tea party was none other than Cyril.

Cyril had distinctive features---thick, curly golden hair and gray eyes. He looked like a prince straight out of a fairy tale.

He was wearing the school's black fabric uniform adorned with red decorations, his hair neatly styled---short on the sides with longer waves at the center, resulting in a peculiar hairstyle. I wondered if this was a deliberate choice due to his strong, unruly hair, but I never asked. He didn't seem like the type to share such details.

"Yes, what is it?" I replied in a small voice. I was convinced that I could only speak in a soft tone, embodying the image of a timid girl.

"I want to talk with you alone," he said.

Upon Cyril's request, I excused myself from my friends and stood up. They sent exaggerated cheers my way, like "Kyaa!" and "That's great!" With those somewhat forced encouragements, they ushered me towards Cyril.

I believed I was being ridiculed, but at the time, I didn't notice, and even if I did, I would pretend not to. Confronting things head-on was not my strong suit.

Cyril led me to the backyard.

We were just ordinary fiancés---neither close nor distant, simply getting along reasonably well. Perhaps Cyril appreciated my quiet nature because of his more masculine personality. I thought having a good family background, being cute, and being reserved made me quite perfect in my own way. I would have loved to show this side of myself to Julius.

Perhaps he would say that I'm a dull woman, but who knows.

"Chloe, about your sister..."

"What about Aliza-san?"

I shuddered involuntarily.  A nauseating sensation, as if my blood were flowing backward.

My younger sister, just one year younger than me, was someone I found difficult to handle. It had only been a few years since she had arrived at our home. I was thirteen at the time.

She was more of a stranger than a sister. Despite being cheerful, lively, and innocent, I found Aliza frightening.

"No... I don't think Chloe would do such a thing, but... She said that she was being bullied by you."

"I, towards Aliza-san..."

Certainly, I wouldn't do such a thing.

I would never do that. Why would I need to do something so pointless? 

That's what I would think now. I would retort, Don't say such foolish things.

But, being weak-minded, I trembled with fear.

 In reality, ever since Aliza's arrival, I had lost my place in the Duke's household.

Father favored only Aliza, and I was the one always scolded by him. At first, he wasn't interested in me at all, but being scolded felt even worse than being ignored. Aliza sympathized with me, while my stepmother treated me coldly.

If Aliza hadn't sympathized with me, I might not have received enough dresses or meals. I should probably be grateful, but because I was an adult, being in such an environment made me even more anxious all the time.

Poor Chloe-chan. If I could switch places with her, I would've used alchemical weapons for an all-out attack, annihilating everyone into tiny pieces.

But, no, I shouldn't do that. Revenge doesn't pay off. I mustn't engage in futile actions, dear me.

"She said she was scorned as the child of a concubine, and when she addressed you as 'elder sister,' you slapped her on the cheek... That's not true, right...? I thought you were a quiet and graceful person."

"I haven't done such a thing..." 

I said while shaking my head.

Cyril furrowed his brow in a troubled manner.  It didn't seem like he completely doubted me.

"That's right. There's no way you would do such a thing. However, it's pitiful to doubt Aliza for spreading groundless rumors, so I came here to confirm. I'm sorry."

"No, it's alright. Thank you for coming to ask."

Cyril apologized briefly, lightly tapping my shoulder before leaving.

Looking back, from that moment on, it seemed like I had already lost my place.

However, completely unaware of such a thing, I continued my monotonous days. Feeling the suffocation as if being strangled with cotton, yet foolishly believing that I could leave the Duke's house once I graduated and even marry Cyril.

Suddenly, the scene changed.

Perhaps another dream. I had seen it many times and grew tired of it, yet here it was again.

I wished I could stop seeing it, but dreams were uncontrollable.

Someday, I wanted to create an alchemical tool that could guarantee having dreams you liked. However, that could be quite challenging.

It could also be difficult to handle. If it were to be released, there might be a flood of people who wouldn't wake up from their dreams. That could lead to the tool being labeled as a forbidden alchemical tool, and I wouldn't want that. I could end up being marked by the Alchemy Association as a dangerous alchemist known for creating forbidden tools.

Now I found myself in the grand hall of the academy. 

Julius said that my situation was a common occurrence, but was that really true? 

As usual, I attended the academy's graduation ceremony. The ceremony was held as a buffet-style party, so wearing a dress was mandatory. I chose a light peach-colored dress that I had worn several times before.

Since new things weren't easy to obtain, I treasured the few dresses I had. I was quite virtuous in valuing things, unlike the nobles around me who wouldn't wear a dress twice.

Without much thought, I headed to the academy's grand hall.

There, for some reason, I was restrained by soldiers.

Ridiculous, isn't it? I was just an innocent noblewoman. Although I'm now a renowned alchemist, back then, I couldn't use any significant magic. Someone truly harmless, quiet, powerless, unable to use magic well, and cute---aren't these the qualities that should make one worthy of protection? Isn't it normal for people to want to protect someone like me?

Despite these thoughts, the strong soldiers firmly held me as I entered the hall.

"Chloe. You've shown up without trying to escape."

Cyril stood in front of me.

His expression showed a mix of pity and anger.

"Cyril-sama...? What in the world..."

I asked him while being bent over, my arms twisted behind me.

I truly had no idea. Even when trying to think of a reason, nothing came to mind.

Centered around Cyril and me, guests and students formed a circle, watching us. There was no one to help. People I considered friends whispered among themselves while looking at me being restrained.

"The Seigrit family appears to have a long history of wrongdoing. Aliza exposed their sins, and I learned about it. I couldn't believe that you were involved, but the sin of knowing and remaining silent is heavy. You were living a luxurious life with blood-stained gold, and it's not something that should be forgiven."

"What are you talking about...?"

I truly didn't understand what was happening.

Behind Cyril stood Aliza, her hands clasped in front of her chest, looking at me.

Her face seemed on the verge of tears, presenting the appearance of an unfortunate girl who had to expose her elder sister's sins.

Aliza, with her blue hair and light blue eyes, had a charming appearance. She was popular at the academy, and many were there to support her as she trembled in apparent distress.

"Take her away," Cyril ordered the soldiers.

And then, I was imprisoned in the dungeon inside the royal palace.

I spent a few days there. When someone came to visit me, it wasn't Cyril but just a regular soldier.

"...Your father was executed. Considering the crimes of the Seigrit family, preserving the family name was not allowed. Originally, you should have been executed as well. However, Cyril-sama's generous heart spared you from that. Be grateful."

After these events, without understanding anything, I found myself, still in the dress I wore for the graduation ceremony, discarded in an alley of the royal capital.

And then, from that point on...

Oh no, I don't want to see the rest of the dream. I want to wake up soon. 

I had wanted to wake up ever since, but I was never able to.

"...Hey, Chloe."

I felt a distant voice calling out to me.

Somehow, the voice sounded very angry. If I didn't wake up soon, I had a feeling my cheeks would be pinched.

It seems painful, so I don't want that.

"Wake up, Chloe. I told you not to sleep."

"...Julius-san."

As I opened my eyes, Julius's well-defined face glared at me from up close.

I was no longer facing Julius's back. Somehow, I had been sleeping while being held in his arms.

I must have fallen asleep, entrusting my entire body to Julius.

Meanwhile, Helios was still flying high in the sky as Julius held me with one hand and controlled the reins with the other.

Julius looked really angry. What should I do?

"Looks like I fell asleep, haha," I said.

It didn't really have any meaning, but I just felt the need to say something.

"You almost kept falling off, so I had to carry you. I told you to wake up, but you wouldn't, so I considered dropping you for real."

"That's... Well, thank you for not dropping me."

"We're landing, Chloe. It's going to be a rapid descent, so hold on tight."

When Julius said that, I hugged him without hesitation.

Even if it was Julius I was clinging onto, I felt a bit calmer after having such an unpleasant dream.

Even though he seemed grumpy, he was kind enough to carry me so I wouldn't fall.

Come to think of it, it was for the sake of his beloved Helios that he didn't want me to fall.

But, well, whatever. It was still kind of him, no matter how you look at it.

Helios gradually descended toward the ground.

Below us, a beautiful snowy landscape covered the steep Northern Demon Mountain.