My Perfect Omega - Chapter 158
Children who understood society too quickly often wondered, like Zion, why a pretty and impressive noble like Rosalie was being so nice to him.
“…Rosalie, do you really want to play with me?”
“Yes!”
“But you know I don’t know how to do much. Wouldn’t it be better to play with the other kids?”
Zion could feel the gaze of his roommate, who shared the same room, as he spoke. The boy in the same room excitedly interrupted.
“Yeah, Rosalie! I’ll show you something fun! It’s a game we only play in our territory. You’ll like it.”
“But…”
Rosalie pouted, looking displeased.
“Their territory is so poor, they probably don’t have any decent games.”
The boy, puffing out his chest, spoke with confidence, though it was unclear what poverty had to do with games. Everyone believed their own homeland was the best, but Rosalie found such conversations uncomfortable.
My territory is better, my family is more prestigious, and so on.
“…I just want to play with Zion.”
Zion felt a pang of anxiety, worried that Rosalie might go with his roommate after all. But her next words made him feel a wave of relief.
“Then… how about a musical game?”
“Yes!”
“…But only until our parents arrive.”
“Deal.”
Rosalie quickly reached out her hand to Zion. Hesitating for a moment, Zion took her small, delicate hand. Behind them, the roommate glared with displeasure, but Zion didn’t care.
He thought he would never see these kids again once he left.
The two went to the music room and played various instruments by ear. Rosalie discovered that Zion knew a lot about music—perhaps even more than she did.
“What? You can play the piano too, Zion? Why didn’t you show me before?”
“…You play much better than I do. I can only play enough to check the notes.”
“That’s not true. You’re really good.”
Blushing at her praise, Zion felt shy. The old piano at home was the only instrument he knew how to play. But to him, every sound in the world was music.
Among all the sounds, he liked Rosalie’s violin playing the most.
“Rosalie.”
“Yes?”
Rosalie, who had been fiddling around the harp, turned at Zion’s call. To him, the sunlight streaming through the curtains made her look like an angel who had lost her wings and couldn’t return to heaven.
Clutching his chest to calm his pounding heart, Zion impulsively asked,
“Will you play the violin for me even when we grow up?”
Though he knew they might never meet again, he didn’t want to give up hope. A bit of hope might make his life a little happier.
Rosalie tilted her head, then smiled brightly. Her rounded eyes looked like a cat basking in the warm sunlight.
“Of course.”
“…Thank you.”
“I’ll be even better then. Better than my mom.”
Nodding, Zion quietly responded,
“When we meet again, I’ll compose a piece just for you.”
“Really?”
“Yes, a piece just for you.”
“That’s amazing, Zion. You can compose too? That’s amazing!”
Rosalie ran to Zion, grabbing his hands and jumping up and down. Zion looked at her as if trying to imprint her image into his memory—her lovely smile and sweet scent.
It would become an unforgettable memory in Zion’s life.
* * *
“Waaah!”
After Zion left, Rosalie cried her heart out.
“Who made my little puppy cry?”
No matter how much they tried to comfort her, she couldn’t stop crying, leaving the emperor, the crown prince, and the little prince flustered.
Rosalie buried her face in the sofa cushion, thinking about Zion, who had left holding her brother’s hand.
“Grandpa…”
“Yes, tell Grandpa what you want. I’ll do anything.”
“I… I…”
“Hmm?”
“I want a baby sibling too!”
The shocking request left the three men even more bewildered. Later, Rosalie would realize that her sense of loss wasn’t because she wanted a sibling but because she couldn’t see Zion anymore.
This was the beginning of Rosalie’s first love.
