“Ugh… Uuuuuuuuhhhhhh~~!!”
I was being glared at.
I was being glared at with incredible intensity.
Alisa was staring at me, her eyes filled with tears.
I knew I had acted in an immature way during the fight.
Maybe I should have fought her head-on, without relying on cheap tricks.
Alisa seemed like she wanted to say something, but she remained silent.
Before I knew it, Mel-san had come over and patted her on the shoulder.
“In a fight, there are only two outcomes: win or lose… Do you understand, Alisa?”
“Uuuhhh~~!!”
“Stop growling and answer me.”
“U… yes.”
“This time, you lost. Accept your defeat properly.”
“… Yes.”
She seemed dissatisfied but didn’t appear to be planning to complain.
She slumped her shoulders and looked down, then turned on her heel.
As she left, she wasn’t glaring at me anymore.
Looking somewhat deflated, she slowly made her way back to her room.
“Looks like she won’t be able to attend the lesson… Sorry, Kuun. She’s a bit of a spoiled child.”
“No, I also fought in a rather childish way.”
The way I fought this time was like using a cheap combo move in a fighting game, depleting her HP bar. She didn’t know how to counter it, so she was helpless.
Even though I had no other choice, Alisa probably wasn’t feeling too great about it.
“But… thank you, Kuun.”
“Huh?”
I had no idea why she was thanking me.
I thought she would be angry since I beat her using underhanded tactics.
Mel-san looked at where Alisa had gone, placing a hand on her cheek, her face thoughtful.
“That girl… she’s strong-willed, you know? She’s always been like that since she was little, but because there hasn’t been anyone around who can use magic at her level, and no stronger rival in recent years, she got a bit too cocky. That’s why she hasn’t been putting much effort into her training. You really helped by knocking her down a peg.”
I wouldn’t say she’s just strong-willed… but I get it.
After all, she’s twelve, just like me, and can use advanced magic.
She probably had no competition among her peers.
And unlike me, she doesn’t have memories from a past life, so it’s understandable she’d get carried away.
But, yeah… I’ve been a bit stubborn too because of her distant attitude.
Now that I think about it, Alisa is just a twelve-year-old girl.
Why was I trying to compete and act all high and mighty?
If anyone was getting carried away, it was probably me.
Just because I’ve been reincarnated and have knowledge from my past life, I got cocky, thinking that tweaking magic here and there gave me the upper hand…
“—I’m going to go for a bit.”
“Make sure to come back before dinner.”
Unable to stay still, I decided to follow Alisa.
I nodded lightly at Mel-san’s words and made my way back to the mansion.
I was troubled about what I should say to Alisa.
I racked my brain but couldn’t come up with anything good.
I’m not exactly great with people…
Before I knew it, I had reached Alisa’s room.
I knocked, but there was no response.
Since I knew I wouldn’t get permission, I just walked in without saying anything.
Alisa’s room, which I was seeing for the first time, was much more feminine than I had expected.
The curtains were adorned with frills, and the bed sheets were pink.
There were stuffed bears, heart-shaped cushions, and even a small potted plant on top of the dresser.
Alisa was sitting in the corner of the bed, hugging her knees.
She hadn’t even had the chance to change into pajamas, still dressed in her dirty clothes.
“…”
Alisa looked at me.
But there was none of her usual strength in her gaze.
Her face seemed weak, and she lowered her head.
“…”
What should I say?
Maybe I should just talk about the weather to keep things neutral.
“It’s nice weather today.”
“What? You came to laugh at me? After getting cocky and losing so pathetically?”
She clearly wasn’t her usual energetic self.
It seemed like she had entered a negative spiral, and anything I said might be taken the wrong way.
Maybe it’s best not to say anything. I kept my mouth shut.
I could hear the sound of birds chirping from outside.
Since it was spring, birds like kingfishers were singing in chorus.
“I…”
“Yeah?”
“I’ve never lost to anyone other than my mom and dad.”
“Well, that makes sense.”
After a while, Alisa started speaking slowly.
Her voice lacked energy, and she seemed downcast.
Since the room was dark, I thought it might help to lighten the mood with some light magic, so I created a light to illuminate the room.
“I’ve fought people much older than me many times, but I’ve never lost.”
“I see.”
“Yeah.”
And yet, I shattered her confidence.
From Mel-san’s perspective, this might have been the result she had hoped for, but for Alisa, it was probably unforgivable.
Not only had I beaten her, but I did it using underhanded tactics, not through pure strength.
It’s no wonder she couldn’t accept it.
“Alisa is… strong.”
“I don’t need comforting.”
“If we had fought head-on, I think I would’ve lost.”
“The result is everything. I lost, and you won. Just like my mom said, in the world of competition, there’s only winning or losing. I… lost.”
It seems that for Alisa, this was how she saw things, having been taught by Mel-san.
Her shoulders trembled slightly as she buried her face in her knees.
It felt like offering false comfort would only make things worse.
What she needed right now was time to process what had happened.
Should I leave, then?
I hesitated but decided to stay put.
I sat down on the carpet without saying anything, just waiting quietly.
If she told me to leave, I’d go without complaint.
I thought to myself as I waited.
