"It’s so hot..."
Maria trudged toward the venue, all alone. Truth be told, she didn't want to dress like this either.
She wanted nothing more than to spend this boiling, scorching summer in comfort, but as an albino, she had no choice but to take precautions.
Upon arriving at the venue, she intended to head straight inside, but her eyes caught a shop where a massive line had formed.
"What is that? Whoa," Maria murmured.
It was a sight to behold.
The queue had swelled to four rows, seemingly unable to fit in a single line. A truly wonderful aroma wafted from the stall.
Humans are strange creatures; they tend to assume a place is popular just because there's a crowd. While some shops hire decoys to create such an effect, this was on an entirely different scale.
"That was delicious!"
"Yeah! And they were super cute, right? Who was your favorite?"
"I think the tall, beautiful one for me~"
"I liked the girl with the twin-tails. But the quiet one was also incredibly cute... man, that was really something."
The people chatting passed by Maria.
She glanced at the small wristwatch on her left wrist.
"I still have... time."
Since her seat was already reserved, there was no need to be there too early.
Drawn in by curiosity, Maria joined the line. Even in this heat, her interest had been piqued. She had attended the Magics Chevalier many times before, but she had never seen a line quite like this.
As Maria waited, a pair of frivolous-looking men approached her.
"Hey there, you’re pretty cute, miss~"
"Yeah, definitely. Want to go somewhere nice with us later?"
──Not another pick-up attempt... Sigh, this is such a drag...
There were certainly those who kept their distance from Maria. Conversely, there were many who were naturally drawn to her ethereal, mysterious appearance.
Resembling her older sister, Rebecca, her features were inherently striking. Combined with her pure white appearance, she looked like nothing less than an angel. There were even those who referred to her as the Angel of the Three Great Noble Families.
While Maria put on a brave front, being cornered by men she didn't know still terrified her.
──Crap, what should I do...
The hand holding her parasol trembled.
In times like these, most people nearby would simply look the other way. She knew this all too well from experience.
"Va-lu-ed cus-to-mer~☆"
Suddenly, someone cut between them. It was Ray—or rather, it wasn't Ray right now. It was the shop's star attraction, Lily.
The moment Maria laid eyes on her, she felt as if her heart had been struck. A tall, beautiful woman had gallantly come to her rescue.
Her appearance was stunning, of course, but more than anything, Maria was moved by the fact that she had saved her.
After a brief exchange, Maria gathered her courage to ask for a name.
"U-Um! May I... ask your name?"
"I’m Lily White! ☆"
Lily White.
It was a pseudonym, but Maria committed it to memory instantly.
"U-Um!"
"Yes? Is something the matter?"
"May I call you... Lily-oneesama?"
"Let me see... I don't mind at all. May I call you Maria-san as well?"
"Y-Yes! Lily-oneesama..."
She was completely captivated. Not only was this woman beautiful, but she was kind enough to help someone like Maria. Most importantly, she didn't gawk at Maria for being an albino. She simply treated her like anyone else.
That alone was more than enough reason for Maria to fall for Lily.
Later, after learning that Lily was Rebecca's junior, Maria made a life-changing choice. Originally, due to her sense of inferiority and the certainty that she would always be compared to her sister, she had no intention of enrolling in Arnold Magic Academy.
However, knowing Lily was there changed everything. Maria decided then and there that she would enroll in Arnold Magic Academy.
◇
Following that fateful encounter, Maria attended every single one of Rebecca's matches. In the sweltering heat, she held her parasol carefully so as not to obstruct others, her fists clenched tight.
"Good luck... You can do it, Big Sis!"
Since Rebecca had moved into the dorms a few years ago, their opportunities to see each other had grown sparse.
Even so, Maria loved her sister. Rebecca would return home occasionally and they would talk for a while. Maria cherished those moments above all else.
She still struggled with her feelings of inadequacy, but she was slowly processing them. She cheered for Rebecca's success from the bottom of her heart.
And then, the Main Tournament final finally arrived.
The opponent was Lucas Forst. He was a Sorcerer hailed as the strongest in the competition, having made a terrifying name for himself throughout this Magics Chevalier. Maria knew people were already whispering that Rebecca’s defeat was all but certain.
But Maria didn't stop cheering.
Rebecca had to be suffering too. Despite the pressure, Maria was incredibly proud of her sister for making it this far. She was more proud of her than anyone else in the world.
"Ah..."
Defeat.
Though Rebecca fought valiantly, she was defeated decisively.
"Big Sis..."
From a corner of the venue, Maria watched her sister lie on the ground.
But she didn't offer pity.
Clapping quietly by herself, she seared her sister's courageous figure into her memory.
When summer vacation began, Rebecca returned to the family estate. Their conversations remained minimal, but Maria was secretly happy just to see her again.
Following the tournament, their schedule became a blur of activity, including Magic Association galas and parties hosted by other noble houses.
Then, that day finally came.
"Big Sis is engaged!?"
"Correct," her father replied.
"Father, what is the meaning of this!?"
"Exactly what I said."
"Is it true, Mother!?"
"Yes... Rebecca is engaged to Evan Bernstein. The wedding won't be until after graduation, though."
"No way... isn't that too soon!? And what about Big Sis's feelings!?"
"Maria. Listen to reason. This is the duty of the eldest children of the Three Great Noble Families."
"But!"
"There is nothing more to discuss."
Summoned to the study, Maria listened as her parents calmly and flatly delivered the news.
Maria was in a rebellious phase, but she was still a daughter of the Three Great Noble Families. She should have been able to accept it as an inevitability of their station.
But... ever since that Magic Association party, Rebecca had been noticeably despondent. Maria had gathered her courage to ask about it, but she had been brushed off. Then it clicked.
Rebecca was depressed because of this engagement.
And yet, something felt wrong.
──It’s not right for Big Sis to be this visibly shaken. If it were just a political engagement, she would usually just accept it as her duty... Why is she acting like this?
Having grown up by Rebecca's side, Maria knew her better than anyone.
Rebecca surely would have been prepared for an engagement. No matter who the partner was, she would have accepted it. And yet, for the past few days, she had been desperately trying to hide a look of total exhaustion.
It was just a hunch.
But Maria trusted her intuition.
"Big Sis!"
Maria left the study and rushed to Rebecca's room. She found her sister at her desk, buried in her studies.
"Maria... I see. You found out."
"Big Sis, are you really okay with this!? An engagement...!"
"It’s fine. I was prepared for this from the beginning..."
"──Are you hiding something from me?"
"..."
Rebecca quickly looked away. She clearly thought that if she looked Maria in the eye, her facade would crumble. Her attempt at avoidance only confirmed Maria's suspicions.
"I knew it... If it were just a normal engagement, there's no way you'd be this miserable. What happened?"
"It doesn't concern you."
Stating this with a firm, resolute tone, Rebecca forcibly pushed Maria out of the room.
"Wait! Big Sis!"
"Maria. This matter is settled. I'm fine."
"Wait! Big Sis!"
The door slammed shut. Maria heard the click of the lock from the other side.
"Big Sis..."
Maria had never seen Rebecca look so vulnerable.
──There’s definitely something going on. Something she can't talk about...!
Whether it was a sense of justice or some other emotion, it was best described as sisterly love.
Her sister had always supported her; now, Maria wanted to be the one to support Rebecca.
And so, Maria began her own independent investigation for the sake of her sister.