Masters, Are You Going To Imprison My Sister? - Side Story 5

The store where Isley and Layla disappeared was frozen. Emma and Yuria were fiddling with the dishes, looking at Michaela.

‘What? I think there was a circumstance, but Master Isley said it casually. Could it be that Michaela was offended?’

Yuria looked at Michaela with an awkward smile. He mumbled as he ate his meal in a casual manner.

“Aren’t you going to listen?”

The murmur was so small that no one present could hear Michaela’s voice. He said this for the two people who looked into him.

“… Don’t you think you should eat dessert after eating? Would you like to go out to a cafe? It’s still lunchtime, isn’t it?”

“Ah? Yes, of course. Michaela.”

“Today, I’m going to live my life. Right?”

At that moment, the atmosphere inside the store began to loosen.

The three of them enjoyed a brief break at the cafe and then returned to the store. I really enjoyed the trivial everyday stories and outdated jokes we had at the cafe. It was so much fun that the suffocating silence that had taken place in the store was completely forgotten.

Yuria could also forget about that time.

“First boss. That man is the second Confucius of the Emers, isn’t he?”

If only Michaela, who was lying on the sofa as soon as she came up to the second floor, had not suddenly said this.

“He’s Isley Emers.”

He said with the notebook he had been using in class on his face.

When she heard the name ‘Isley Emers’, Yuria stiffened. She tried to hide Isley’s identity as much as possible. Because she thought it could cause chaos in this peaceful place, and he didn’t seem willing to reveal himself,too. For that reason, when the story about the Emers family came out, it reflexively froze. Imagining the startled expression on people’s faces when Isley is revealed to be the son of the Duke of Emers, Yuria remembers the first time he came here.

‘I was really surprised then. Maybe I had a look of astonishment as I just imagined?’

That day, Yuria lost strength in her legs and almost collapsed in the place. Numerous thoughts and anxieties were overflowing in her head. Why did the master come all of a sudden? For what reason? Maybe it’s because of Layla? She already knew that the young master was paying attention to her sister. Rumors spread when something happened to the mansion, and they were teasing her. It’s not like they were interested, so she couldn’t be ignorant. Before her departure, she could have guessed that Layla had addressed her concerns in her own way. Even if you promise not to hide anything from each other, you can’t tell each other everything. In fact, didn’t she reveal that Yuria also crushed the tongue of Count Nigor?

Only when Layla reassured her that it was okay did Yuria calm her anxiety. Because when she said she was okay, she felt like everything was going to be okay. And she actually did. Because she was never wrong with Layla. Layla and Isley went out to chat. She never waited for anyone inside the store, and Yuria thought she was going to follow her thoughts of Layla as she was thinking of Isley. She tells Layla that if she rejects Isley, either she will slap him coldly and if she does the opposite she will accept it.

Layla accepted Isley. So Yuria also accepted him.

After finishing the flashback, she returned to reality.

‘I think Michaela already knows the master. It would be natural. ‘cause you’ve seen him, Then she wouldn’t have to hide it.’

Yuria nodded her head.

“… Yes. Yes.”

“I recognized it when I first saw him. I thought it was amazing to see a person of that size pretending to be a commoner and hanging out with the bosses. Did the bosses already know the person’s identity?”

“That’s right too.”

“I pretended not to know because I thought he had a reason to hide his identity. He thought I was acting like I didn’t know him. I didn’t know that the master would remember me at all, but….”

Yuria smiled awkwardly.

‘Perhaps the master didn’t pay much attention to Michaela. He’s only interested in Layla.’

“Now he is, no… Isley is not a young master. He came here after giving up his nobility. Now he’s a commoner.”

“Really? But… You can’t cut a bloodline just because you’re trying to cut it, isn’t it? The Duke of Emers is still alive and well. Even if he now pretends to be a commoner, he can live as a duke, as long as he returns to the Empire again.”

“Isley… I don’t think he will go back. He will not go back.”

Yuria just had that certainty.

Michaela chuckled and laughed.

“Then why did the master go away? Thanks to him, the time I was thinking about how to respond has become meaningless.”

Yuria heard that and widened her eyes.

‘It’s like….’

“… Did you want someone to ask? Why are you here?”

Doesn’t he seem like someone who wants to ask?

“Yes.”

Michaela is obediently telling the truth.

Suddenly, Yuria wanted to see his face covered in a book. What expression does he have now?

“Isn’t that what you wanted to hide? Michaela never, seriously, revealed that you himself was a disciple of Ariancia like this. So I thought it was rude to ask for details.”

“It was. Still, I just wanted to confide in someone at least once.”

Yuria hesitated and said.

“… If it’s okay with you, can I ask you a question?”

“Yeaj.”

“Why did you come here?”

“Where should I begin… Yes, it would be better to talk about it from the moment I met Ariancia.”

Michaela wiggled his long legs.

“The first time I met Ariancia was at an orphanage. Having become the richest woman in the empire, she started supporting children who had been struggling like herself. The orphanage where I lived was one of them. Back then, I loved making clothes. I used to cut and sew fabric to make pretty clothes for the dolls.”

He spoke in a dreamy voice.

“Maybe…  I guess that’s what caught Ariancia’s attention. She came over to me and watched me make doll clothes. She watched the clothes finish and she patted my hair and she told me I was a genius. And then, smiling brighter than the sun, she told me to come to her own workshop someday. I look forward to that time. So I didn’t sleep at night, and I worked so hard that I spilled my coffee, and got a job at Ariancia’s workshop. Eventually, I get to the rank of Discipleship.”

“Awesome.”

“Then one day… I met a genius. Really, he was a genius. Ariancia was also surprised. I knew it the moment I saw the first clothes the child had made. He is a monster. Compared to a monster, I… I wasn’t a genius. What Aeruncia said that day was just to cheer up the poor orphan’s dreams….”

Michaela’s voice began to tremble like a frightened man.

“It felt like the world was falling apart. I couldn’t even draw properly. Making clothes… I didn’t feel happy anymore. That’s why I fled here, leaving only a single note telling her not to look for me. Just because it’s scary.”

“……”

“I was scared to realize that I wasn’t a genius. I hated knowing my limits. I was afraid that a real genius would take away everything I had accomplished. I was afraid that Ariancia would disappoint me. I ran away. I ran away to a place I didn’t know and ran away… I got here. Am I pathetic?”

“I’m sorry.”

At Yuria’s words, Michaela flinched.

“It’s okay to run away.”

Yuria said firmly.

Why is it that running away is pathetic? Yuria ran away several times.

She abandoned Layla and ran away, and she ran away because she was afraid of Count Nigor.

“There is absolutely nothing shameful about running away. It’s really embarrassing to give up. Isn’t the fact that you ran away without giving up because you wanted to do well? Even when you realized you weren’t a genius, you wanted to keep working even though you were desperate and distressed.”

“……”

“… Michaela still loves making clothes, right? So you didn’t come to our store? You don’t need money, as long as you have a meal and a place to sleep, so it doesn’t matter… I asked you to work here.”

“……”

“Do you want to go back to the workshop again? So did you always refer to yourself as a disciple of Ariancia? You miss the time you spent there, and you want to go back to when you were a student.”

“Yes…”

“If that feeling remains, I will be able to return to the workshop someday. To love something… It gives people courage.”

Yuria knew that fact better than anyone else. She loved Layla, so she was able to overcome the fear that she ate herself up for her sake. She could even commit acts of ruining others without any hesitation. It remains the same even now. She can do anything for Layla.

‘It would be the same for Layla. Because we are family, we know because we have the same heart.’

Michaela said softly.

“… Right. It might be.”

He said as he put down the book covering his face.

“It makes me feel a little bit sad when I tell others. May I ask you something?”

“Yes? What is it?”

“Boss… How do you know the Emers master? I wonder how you got that much money at such a young age. Because it doesn’t seem like it was acquired by inheritance. To me, people are just ordinary commoners.”

“That… I think it will be difficult because it is a long and complicated story.”

Yuria was speechless.

“It takes a lot of courage to tell that story. But I think it will be difficult now because I used up all that courage when I left my place of residence.”

“Really?”

“But someday… There will come a day when I will be able to talk to others casually. When that time comes, Michaela will be the first.”

“It’s an honor.”

Yuria laughed. She smiled beautifully.

Even if someone who sees that smile will fall in love with her, it’s not strange at all…