Althea: The Legendary Saintess [Shoujo]

"Um... It feels like I've finally come back home..."

As Althea Monclair stretched by the window in her room, she was scolded by Ana, who was tidying up with Laila, "Miss, you are quite careless. I thought you might have grown up a bit..." Ana sighed, mixed with reproach.

Even being scolded, Althea couldn't help but feel nostalgic and happy. She answered with a smile, "I'm sorry."

During the summer vacation, Althea spent her time not only working on assignments but also training with the security guards of her territory and helping out at the orphanage within her domain.

She also tried enchanting sweets with magic before returning to her territory. She made sweets several times, but it turned out that only the magic cast by Althea herself could affect the sweets. However, the effect seemed to only recover about half as much as when casting the same spell directly.

As an experiment, she even tried having Regalus, who could use stronger healing magic, cast the spell, but it had no effect at all.

The sweets enchanted with healing magic showed a slight increase in effectiveness with each additional piece eaten, but beyond three pieces, no further change was observed. It seemed that eating more didn't necessarily increase the effect.

Incidentally, she also tried defensive magic besides healing magic, but she couldn't feel any noticeable effect.

"I've never heard of enchanting sweets with magic."

"I think it's wonderful though..."

Thomas and Clara, who had eaten Althea's sweets, said as they looked at each other.

It was during tea time after a meal, towards the end of the summer vacation.

"Regalus, who else knows about this?"

Regalus answered Thomas's question.

"Just me, Laila, and His Highness Siegfried."

"I see, His Highness... I hope it doesn't become a topic somewhere..."

"He probably won't mention it."

"Why do you think that?"

"His Highness was the first to feel something strange when eating the sweets. Then he asked me for confirmation and instructed me to keep it a secret."

"Hmm, His Highness seems to have quite a foresight... Althea."

"Yes?"

"Don't stop making sweets, but try not to chant spells while making them. It's better to avoid speaking words altogether if possible."

"Not even spells?"

"Yeah, there's a possibility that unknown spells might be included. It's better not to utter any incantations."

"What about the sweets for you and our parents?"

Thomas and Clara exchanged glances, then lightly exhaled before answering.

"...If we can say that only those who know about this can eat them..."

"Is it something that others shouldn't know? If everyone can feel better with the sweets I make—"

"Althea."

Interrupting her, Thomas stared straight at Althea as he began to speak.

"There have been no cases of supplementing magic in food before. It would be better to investigate and utilize it properly. However... in Althea's case, there must be other secrets, right?"

Althea's Secrets.

She possesses something transparent with 100% magical power, while her true magical power is 280%. This was decided as a family secret under the cooperation of the Pope during magical power measurements.

This was to prevent Althea from becoming a research subject, and the Pope agreed to keep it a secret.

Therefore, she is careful not to stand out as much as possible even within the academy. She wants to remain just a beautiful noble daughter with slightly higher magical power.

"If it's just researching the ability to enchant magic, it's fine. But if, by any chance, Althea's secret is revealed in the process, she won't be able to lead a normal life anymore."

Thomas said to the silent Althea.

Althea hung her head at Thomas's words.

If I have the power to help, I want to use it. But... I don't want to lose the ability to be with my family... Such selfish thoughts. Above all, thinking about such selfish things makes me... deceitful... and I hate it...

Althea tightly squeezed her hand.

Upon seeing that, Thomas approached Althea and continued speaking while gently patting her head.

"Althea, there's no need for you to worry. This is what Monclair wants."

"...Monclair's?"

"Yeah. We don't want to let you go."

When Althea looked around, her mother, brother, and personal maid were all smiling gently and nodding.

"Someday... there will come a time when we have to let you go... I don't want to think about it. But until then, could you just be the adorable Monclair lady?"

Her father was unusually looking at her with a tearful expression.

"Y-yes, yes. I also want to remain as your daughter, Father."

Unable to hold back any longer, Althea clung to Thomas, tears streaming down her face.

While holding Althea tightly, Thomas murmured, "Thank you."

---

As the summer vacation, during which they had found a new secret, approached its last ten days, the Monclair family departed from their estate a bit earlier towards the capital city.

There was a reason why the whole family left the estate.

They had actually purchased a new Monclair mansion in the capital city.

Although the procedures took some time, they managed to complete the preparations to use it before the end of the summer vacation.

The size of the mansion was about one-fifth of the main estate's size, but it was spacious enough to serve as a second residence.

Upon arriving at the front entrance, the door opened, and a young man dressed like a butler, not much older than Althea, came out.

"Welcome home."

He bowed his head and welcomed them all.

"Hey, Sol. Sorry to rush you. Thanks for managing to prepare everything in time. We really appreciate it. Everyone, this is Sol, who has taken care of all the preparations for this mansion. He will continue to manage it from now on."

"Well, you must be Sol. We've heard about you from Miles and Regalus. We'll occasionally visit here, and I suppose the children will make more use of it. We're counting on you."

Clara said with a smile, and Althea added while bowing, "Thank you for your assistance. We look forward to working with you."

Sol seemed momentarily surprised but quickly returned to a composed expression and deeply bowed, "It is an honor, Madam, Miss. If there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to ask."

While observing this, Regalus addressed Sol, "I hadn't seen you on the estate; you were preparing here... If you're managing it, I'm relieved. We'll continue to rely on you."

After Regalus's words, Thomas turned to Sol and said, "Everyone has been introduced. Then, Sol, could you guide the children to their rooms? We'll head to our rooms ourselves. Please bring tea after you've finished guiding them."

"Of course... Then, Young Lord, Miss, this way, please."

---

"Is Sol acquainted with you too, brother?"

After being guided to her room, Althea visited Regalus and asked the question that had been bothering her.

"Oh, Sol? He's from the northern orphanage."

"The northern...?"

"The northern orphanage is a bit far. You always go to the southern one, right?... Do you remember? When I and Jean, Laila, and I went on a long ride..."

"Oh! Right, that time, we got the packed lunches..."

"Yeah, exactly."

That was the place where Regalus had cast magic, the day they went to the sea.

"But I've met Sol even before that."

"...Where...?"

Just as Althea was about to ask again, Jean knocked on the door and entered, reporting something to Regalus.

"Althea, sorry, can we postpone this conversation for later?"

Regalus, having heard the report, apologized with a sorry expression.

"Yeah, sure. Laila must be waiting too, I'll go back to my room."

With that, she left Regalus's room.

As she walked back to her room, she pondered Regalus's words about meeting Sol, but she couldn't recall it in her memory. While thinking, she heard a meow and felt something brushing against her feet. When she looked down, she saw a pure white cat rubbing against her legs.

"Oh... you're cute..."

She squatted down on the spot and began to stroke it, and in the distance, she heard Sol's voice. Listening carefully, it sounded like he was repeatedly calling out a name, "Alb."

"...Are you Alb?"

She asked the white cat at her feet, who responded with a "meow."

"So your name is Alb, huh?"

Holding Alb to her chest, she headed towards the source of the voice, where she saw Sol, who had noticed her and hurriedly approached.

"I apologize, Miss. Please forgive me for having this little one. I'll take full responsibility..."

It seemed like he thought he would be scolded for keeping the cat without permission.

Althea smiled at Sol and handed Alb to him.

"It's nothing... I'd rather keep petting this adorable one forever."

"Th-thank you very much. I'm truly grateful to you for helping me so many times..."

Seeming relieved to have obtained permission, Sol held Alb while saying something that caught Althea's attention.

"...Helped...?...Hey, brother mentioned once that I helped you in the past. Is that true?"

Sol's movement paused for a moment at Althea's words.

---

After a moment of silence, Sol began to speak.

"Well, Miss, you were still very young, so I'm sure you don't remember. But Alb and I have been protected by you."

Protected? By me?

As he watched the bewildered Althea, Sol continued.

"When I was four years old, Alb here was being bullied by older kids from the neighborhood in a corner of the town. When I tried to protect Alb, they started kicking me too... I was crouching down, trying to protect Alb, and then suddenly, when I opened my eyes, you were standing in front of me. ...Don't you remember at all?"

...Town... corner of the town... cat... Oh!

"I remember... Well, not very clearly, sorry. I remember being scolded by my brother for getting involved with a kitten and a boy..."

Althea, feeling down at the memory of being scolded, smiled wryly as Sol responded.

"No, you were still very young... But I remember it clearly. The brave girl with silver hair. I didn't know who you were at the time... Actually, I've been searching for you ever since then. My parents passed away, and I was feeling down at the orphanage, and then I saw Lord Regalus who was on an inspection. He was the boy who protected that girl from bullies... That's why I asked about that incident... I've always wanted to thank you, Lord Regalus, and eventually you, Miss. It's a bit late, but... Thank you so much for what you did back then."

"...I didn't do anything. I just stood there... So, there's no need for thanks..."

"No, Lord Regalus said if you hadn't been there, he wouldn't have gone there. So, it's all thanks to you, Miss."

The sparkling eyes looking at her now were far from the polite demeanor Sol had shown at the entrance.

"I don't think so... But you want to express your gratitude, right? Then I'll accept your thanks. Just make that oath for my brother... Since you're already acquainted with my brother and entrusted with this place, you must be a candidate for his right-hand man, right? Also, could you stop calling me 'Miss'? We're close in age, and you're practically part of the Monclair family now, just like my brother. So, could you call me by my name, like my brother does?"

"Uh... Your name...?"

"Yes, my name. ...Do you know it?"

"Uh, y-yes, well... Uh, cough... Then... Lady Althea...?"

"Yes, that's right. Nice to meet you again, Sol. And... Alb."

While petting the white cat in her arms, Althea smiled happily, unaware of Sol's stunned expression.