Published: January 24, 2026
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Some time after the victory celebration ended, I found myself on the balcony of the Claudel family mansion.
By the way, thanks to Mr. Marius's kindness, we were allowed to stay in one of the rooms in the Claudel mansion.
"Oh, Mr. Orun, good evening! Sorry for calling you out at such a late hour."
When I arrived at the balcony, Sophie, who had been gazing up at the moon, noticed me and called out.
"It's no problem at all. By the way, Sophie really loves the moon, doesn't she?"
"Yes, the moon is the motif of the silver rabbit of the night sky, and I feel like I gain strength whenever I look up at it."
Sophie’s expression was very bright as she said this.
"...You probably already know, but I was just talking with my big brother—ah, Mr. Marius. It might have been the first time in my life that I had a proper conversation with him."
"...The one invited to the victory celebration, right? Since you call him 'big brother,' does that mean you’ve reconciled with Mr. Marius?"
"Yes. I always thought he hated me, but after talking with him, I realized he had actually been helping me all along."
Sophie then told me about her conversation with Mr. Marius.
It turns out that Mr. Marius is a deeply compassionate person.
He had built a good sibling relationship with Ms. Selma and wanted to have the same with Sophie, but circumstances didn’t allow it.
Mr. Marius and Ms. Selma’s biological mother was a former countess, but Sophie’s biological mother was a servant who died during childbirth.
The former countess, who held bloodline elitism, was displeased that the Claudel family had commoner blood mixed in.
In that situation, if Mr. Marius got close to Sophie, it would have worsened Sophie’s position, so he maintained indifference on the surface but worked quietly behind the scenes to prevent their parents’ negative feelings from being directed at Sophie.
"...I thought my family only included my big sister, but that wasn’t true. Since I was born, I’ve been part of a family with both my big sister and big brother. Now that I understand this, I feel incredibly happy! My place and home is the silver rabbit of the night sky, but now I have another place like that."
"That’s good to hear."
"Yes!"
Since I no longer have a family, I don’t quite understand what it means to have family relationships.
But I can imagine how painful it must be to have a family and still be estranged.
That’s why I’m truly glad Sophie was able to reconcile with her brother.
"So, well. The reason I asked you to come, Mr. Orun, is because I have something I want to tell you."
"Something you want to tell me...?"
I echoed her words, unsure of the meaning behind them, and she nodded once before speaking.
"On the day you became our master, you asked us a question, didn’t you? ‘Please tell me about your dreams and goals.’"
"Ah, yes, I remember. You told me that you became an explorer to find your dreams and goals. ...So, since we’re talking about this now, does that mean you’ve found your dream or goal?"
"Yes. I have. — I want to be someone who shines on everyone like the moon that illuminates the night."
Sophie answered my question with a beaming smile.
"...I think there are many people, like me and Carole, who have experienced hardship in the past. Also, as the war between the kingdom and the empire intensifies, the children now and those yet to be born may face harsh environments. I want to be someone who can dispel their darkness and guide them."
"You want to be someone who leads others. That’s a noble dream. But it will be a tough road."
"Yes. I think I understand that. But I’ve already decided. For that reason, I will become stronger — both in heart and body. And I will surpass you and my big sister!"
Sophie looked straight at me with determined eyes.
Those eyes were unthinkable from the girl I first met.
I see, Sophie already has the strength to move forward all on her own.
So much so that she doesn’t need my power at all.
That feels a bit lonely, but it’s something to be happy about.