Looking Up

"Luna, let me introduce you properly. This is Cynthia, and this is Lilith."

It was lunch break the following day.

I was currently at the Noblesse Cafeteria, introducing Luna to the two of them. She peered up at them timidly, her eyes darting through the gaps in her bangs with that classic, upturned gaze.

Cynthia and Lilith greeted her with their usual, flawless smiles.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Luna-san."

"Oh my gosh, you’re so incredibly cute! It’s a pleasure!"

"Ah, u-um... It’s a pleasure to meet you, too."

Faced with their genuinely kind demeanor—completely devoid of any ulterior motives—Luna managed to return the greeting in a quiet voice.

The surrounding students were buzzing.

I suppose it made sense. Luna and I had never had anything to do with each other before now, and most people only knew her as the girl who ate her meals in total isolation in the corners of the cafeteria or out in the courtyard.

At Noblesse, if you lack magnetism, you’re looked down upon. This is a place designed to groom those who will stand at the top of society. Being timid is a liability here, and to the rest of the nobility, her behavior is likely beyond their comprehension.

That night, I hadn't been able to give Luna a real answer.

Well, to be fair, what could I have possibly said that would’ve been "appropriate"?

I had eventually confessed everything to Cynthia and Lilith. I was flash-frozen for my honesty and got close enough to the afterlife to see the "Game Over" screen flickering into existence, but I’ll spare you the details of that particular trauma.

Once I survived the thawing process, I made a request. I told them I wanted to introduce Luna to them.

I had already told Luna that she didn't need to force herself to talk. As she quietly ate her omelet rice, she would occasionally steal glances at us with those upturned eyes.

She had been ridiculed as the "Liquid Metal Slime" of Noblesse, but there was a significant reason for her elusive nature. Due to the severe bullying she'd endured, she found it impossible to trust anyone; she was perpetually suspicious, convinced that everyone had a hidden agenda.

In a way, the original Weiss was probably the only one she trusted because he was so straightforwardly awful. He didn't have a duplicitous bone in his body; he was just a jerk through and through.

I’m not that guy, but from Luna’s perspective, there’s no way to know that.

That’s why I have to do what I can. I’ll do what I must.