A Maiden’s Unwanted Heroic Epic

Fili's room had become their studio.

Not only painting, but also collecting various paints, exploring and researching new techniques.

From soft watercolors to oils with beautiful contrasts, various paintings lined the room, and they even had a whole separate room as storage.

How to paint, how to use color.

Every day they would chat about what was good about this and what was beautiful about that.

"FUfu... it's a really beautiful painting."

"Ehehe, thank you. But maybe it would be better if I added a few more colors...?"

In front of where they sit.

In the oil painting that Reine had painted, there were Firi and the servants, and two Reines smiling.

A table and chairs in a forest clearing, with sunlight streaming through the gaps in the trees.

Reine had painted this based on a watercolor painting Fili had once created.

"Well... I guess I can say it's to my liking now. I might as well finish it as it is."

The painting didn’t look like a fictional scene.

It's painted with such beauty and vivid colors that it seems as if it was cut out from a real scene.

It was perfect enough to be considered complete――no one else could replicate it.

Her paintings were always like that.

"But adding more color might make it interesting."

Reine could only paint perfection.

But what she sought was a little different.

"...Color."

"For example...light. You might try emphasizing the expression of light."

Reine preferred clear oils and painted with precision.

But Fili preferred watercolors, leaving a soft ambiguity.

Reine was captivated by Fili's ambiguity, while Firi was charmed by the vividness of Reine's paintings.

Now, in terms of skill, Reine was clearly superior, but their relationship remained unchanged.

Sitting in the chair next to her, Fili tapped her lips with the back of the brush and thought deeply.

Reine also tapped her lips with the end of her brush and tilted her head in thought.

"Light, you say?"

"Yes, emphasizing the expression of light might make it more enchanting."

Fili smiled while gazing at the painting.

"Reine means something that shines. I'm sure that Her Majesty gave Elsreine the same name as herself, because she put a lot of feelings into it. If we could express that in this painting, it might become even more wonderful."

"A lot of thought...?"

"Yes, although emotions are difficult to express with words."

Fili drew in the air with her brush.

Gently, softly.

"But I think sometimes you can express that with a little brush stroke or something. ... I'm drawn to painting because I want to express something that can't be put into words... If I can paint something like that, I'm sure a single painting can express a variety of things much more eloquently than words."

Saying this, she smiled wryly as she looked at Reine, who was contemplating with a serious face.

"Fufu, my apologies. Saying things that are hard to understand."

"...No, it's just that Reine is an idiot."

"Oh my, that's not true at all."

Saying this, Fili tickled Reine's cheek with the tip of her beautiful brush.

Reine laughed, saying it tickled, leaned back, then grasped Fili's arm and sat sideways on her lap.

Then she gazed at her painting, pondered, and nodded.

"Hmm, Reine will think about it a bit more."

"Yes. But... It's really a matter of preference. I think it's already a wonderfully beautiful painting, so don't worry too much. Elsreine-sama is now my teacher... Fufu, these are just the musings of a disciple."

"Fili's paintings are so beautiful. Reine still can't paint like that."

"That's a lovely thing to say... But it's just that I'm covering up for my lack of skill."

"Reine can't even notice those cover-ups, so Fili is still Reine's teacher."

She smiled wryly at Reine's pouting lips, puffed out cheeks, pokes her cheek, and shakes her shoulders.

Indeed, Fili couldn't paint as intricately as Reine, but Fili's paintings had a mysterious charm.

The other servants would look amazed and praise Reine's paintings, but they had a different reaction when they saw Firi's.

Some would look at a landscape painting and say it reminded them of home, and surely, Reine wasn't the only one who found that impressive.

More eloquent than words.

Indeed, there was something indescribable in the colors Fili chose, the way she used her brush, and in the paintings she created.

In comparison, Reine's paintings were much simpler.

She was just extracting images directly from her memory and piecing them together like a puzzle.

What Fili was trying to express was probably much deeper than what Reine was doing.

"Well... In any case, I'm sure Her Majesty the Queen will be pleased. This painting seems to contain many feelings from Elsreine-sama."

"...Do you think so?"

"Yes. Honestly, I was surprised when Elsreine-sama said she wanted to give a painting to Her Majesty. Until now, you had only painted to make me happy."

As Reine blushed, Firi quietly smiled.

"Her Majesty might not be interested in paintings. But knowing that, Elsreine-sama still wishes to make Her Majesty happy and is trying to paint a picture for her. That's a very difficult thing... But it's also wonderful, I think."

"...wonderful."

"Yes, very much so. I'm sure Her Majesty will understand the feelings Elsreine-sama has put into this painting."

As Reine nodded, Fili gently stroked her.

‘Reine hopes it reaches her’, thought Reine.

It was probably just a case of a mismatched button.

Her mother was still a fine, talented person, and she respected and loved her.

Her mother said that everyone except for her and Reine were fools, and were different creatures.

It wasn't that she didn't understand her mother's reasoning at all.

Now Reine knew that there were bad people in the world, and that there were cruel people.

People who raise taxes for their gain, those who fabricate charges to bring others down, those who take pleasure in oppressing others.

Helping with her mother's work and learning about the outside world, Reine realized that such people exist, but not everyone was like that.

At least, Fili wasn't like that, and neither were the servants here.

And surely, there must be many people around the world who weren't like that.

Her mother just misunderstood.

It was an issue that could be resolved by fixing the misunderstanding――Reine hoped so.

"Kaa-sama is having a hard time. She's trying to work while thinking far into the future... But many people don't understand her work."

Fili smiled at her words.

When Reine talked about her country, her work, or her mother, Fili never said it was good or bad.

She just smiled like that.

Fili was vague, like the paintings she painted.

Unlike Reine, she didn't paint anything clear, but she always expressed something vague.

Neither affirming nor denying, she would smile and say that as a mere servant, her job was to believe in and walk the same path as her master.

"I think that would make Kaa-sama much happier. So first, Reine'd like to start by getting along better with Fili and everyone else. Reine is not as good with words as Fili, so when I say such things, Reine get scolded... But Reine hope Kaa-sama understands that, and..."

Fili chuckled and shook her shoulders and stroked her cheek.

Then, tracing Reine's lips with her thumb, she said, ‘That's what painting is’.

"Elsreine-sama overestimates me. ...I'm also quite bad with words. I can't express what's in my head with words. So I draw like this, hoping that I can communicate something without words."

‘Just like Reine-sama’, she said with a happy smile.

Then Fili picked up her brush and drew a red circle on the palette.

"For example, what is this?"

"...A red circle?"

"Then, try to imagine a circle in your head. ...Can you really call this a circle?"

"Huh...?"

For a moment, not understanding the question, she tilted her head.

Fili gave a wry smile and pointed to the circle with the tip of his brush.

"The lines aren't even connected, and in the first place, isn't this not a line, but just red pigment on a board? Why did Elsreine-sama think this was a circle drawn with a line?"

"That's because..."

Reine gazed at the red circle drawn on the palette.

A circle is a circle――however, as Fili said, it wasn't a line but pigment on the board.

Even if it were a line, the start and end points were not connected to say it was a circle.

"Fufu, that was a bit mean. But... for example, would Elsreine-sama be able to draw the actual circle you have in your head on something here?"

She thought for a moment, then quickly shook her head.

The moment they drew it, it became three-dimensional.

To put it bluntly, Reine couldn't draw a ‘line’ in the first place.

"That's the case for everyone. It's not just about shapes; no one can express any thought or emotion exactly as they imagine it in their head, whether it's good or evil, love, hatred, anger, sadness, or joy."

"For anyone..."

"Yes. But I drew a circle here, and Elsreine-sama recognized it as a circle. Whatever medium is in between, I think of it as a circle, and Elsreine also thinks of it as a circle. That's all that matters..."

She put down the brush and gently embraced Reine's waist.

It felt warm and comfortable. Fili smiled gently and narrowed her eyes.

Then she pointed to the picture Reine was drawing.

"At least I was able to understand what Elsreine-sama was trying to convey with that painting. At least, that's what I think, just like Elsreine-sama perceived the circle I drew as a circle."

Fili's talks were always a little difficult.

She was not even sure if her interpretation was correct.

But even so, she always thought that there was something very important that Fili was always trying to convey, and she hoped they would see the same thing.

"That's why that painting is very lovely, a wonderful piece. ...I believe that what Elsreine-sama wishes to convey will surely reach Her Majesty."

"...Yes."

‘I'm looking forward to seeing it completed’, Fiery said, and Reine nodded.

Fili always told Reina that it didn’t matter if it wasn’t perfect, as long as it conveyed her feelings.

Even if her words were awkward, when she spoke to the servants, they would try to understand what Reine wanted to say, and gradually, they began to smile at her.

Fili always told Reina that it was the effort to convey her feelings that was important.

Thanks to Fili, at least Reina's daily life became more enjoyable.

She opened her mouth, remembering what she said in the past.

"I'm thinking of calling it Elsren."

"... Elsren?"

"Yes, the title of this painting... like the painting Fili drew a long time ago."

"My..."

It was unclear if Reine truly understood what Fili once said and expressed in her painting.

But she wanted to try drawing something like that.

Her mother had once said the same words, so Reina believed that such feelings would reach her mother too.

And those who desired such a connection were not just her mother and Reine.

"Kaa-sama once said the same as Fili—"

Just as she was about to say this, there was a knock on the door.

When they looked back, Fili said, ‘Come in’.

"Venure-sama, what brings you here?”

"Well... I just wanted to talk a bit..."

Seeing Venure come in, Reina looked at Fili with a troubled expression.

She had just been kicked out of her mother's room earlier.

But Venure shook her head.

"Don't worry about it, Elsreine-sama. I'm sorry about earlier."

"No, it's fine... oh, I'll make some tea."

Seeing Reine stand up, Fili gave a wry smile, then stood up and helped her, offering Venure a seat by the window.

Venure also smiled at Reine's unbecoming princess appearance, thanked her, and went inside――on the way, she noticed a painting she was working on and stopped.

"This is...Elsreine-sama’s?"

"Yes, she wants to give it to Her Majesty the Queen."

"I see..."

Venure approached the painting and looked at it with narrowed eyes.

The banquet centered around Grabareine and Elsreine, the smiling queen and princess.

Venure and Fili stood by the two of them with smiles on their faces, and the other servants looked on happily.

Though the lush trees covered the edges, the bright sunlight lit up the table and the girls, creating a contrast with the vivid and gorgeous world.

The unrealistic situation and the detailed and precise touch that seemed real.

Gazing at her own image painted there, Venure closed her eyes as if enduring something.

"What do you think...?"

"It's... a very... wonderful painting. Really... very much."

"Ehehe, is that so? I hope Kaa-sama will be pleased..."

Venure stood in front of the painting for a while.

Then she stood up, turned around and smiled.

"Yes, really.... I had no idea that Elsreine-sama had become able to paint such beautiful paintings."

Venure sat down in the offered chair and gazed at the paintings in the room.

Reine, looking pleased, showed her past works.

Some of the servants had come to look at the paintings, but Venure was busy.

She had only shown up once or twice, and didn’t have many opportunities to see Reina’s paintings.

Every time she saw Reine's paintings, her cheeks would light up with joy, and she would chuckle wryly, wishing she had visited more often.

And so, bit by bit, Venure would tell her stories from Reine's past.

From when Reine was a little girl, right up to now.

Since she had said she wanted to talk, Reina wondered if it was something serious, but it didn’t seem to be so.

Venure shared anecdotes about the servants, even venting about how some still made the same mistakes, all while laughing joyfully.

Venure was usually serious and strict, but that day she was strangely gentle, and her smile never stopped.

She continued in this manner until she had taken two cups of tea and stood up.

"It’s about time for dinner. Reine-sama, I will take my leave."

"Yes, hehe... Venure, why don't we draw together next time? It's really fun, and Fili is a great teacher."

"Thank you. But I'm not very good at it."

Venure said, looking at the paradise Reine had drawn.

She narrowed her eyes slightly and smiled.

"I'm too old to start something new."

Reine thought it was strangely lonely, and tilted her head.

Fili began to speak.

"...Venure-sama."

"What is it, Fili?"

"The painting is not finished yet. ...I think it will be wonderful. Both Elsreine-sama and I would love for you to see it."

Without answering, Venure closed her eyes and walked toward the door.

"I truly look forward to seeing it completed."

Then, leaving the words ‘Take care of Elsreine-sama’, she opened the door and left.

"...? Fili?"

Fili looked at the door for a while, then lowered her eyes.

When Reine called out to her again, she shook her head with a wry smile.

"...I hope I'm just overthinking it."

"Um...?"

"No, let's just clean up for now. It's almost dinnertime."

"Oh... I understand."

Reine did as Fili said and cleaned up with her.

After that, Venure was never seen again――the next morning, Venure was found dead in her room, leaving a letter for the queen.

She had plunged a small knife into her own neck.

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