The Blessing of Liefe: Leave This Magical Letdown Alone! Volume 1

Prologue

Even among the noble houses of the great kingdom of Garlant, the O’Brian family had a long and storied history. They once stood at the right hand of the king and had wielded great influence among the nation’s nobility. However, their house was now only a shadow of its former self. In particular, the current head of the family, Count Arthur, could hardly be said to be skilled at politics, business, or even flattery.

It was into this family that Yui had been born. As Arthur’s third child and as the first girl, she should have been doted upon by her father—but reality was not so kind. He considered her a worthless failure. His attitude was absolutely not one that a father would normally have toward his child; it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he bitterly hated her.

Arthur hadn’t ever been someone who especially loved and cherished his family, but while he was strict with Yui’s two older brothers, he at least spoke with them. Yet if she even so much as tried to talk to her father, he would fly into a rage at her. While she was still young, she had understood that he disliked her, even if she hadn’t known why. Yui’s mother and her two brothers had figured she would find out the reason eventually, but perhaps out of some consideration for her, they hadn’t told her, wanting her to spend her days as carefree as possible until then.

Yui was rarely permitted to go outside, so the one place she could relax was the library of her family’s mansion. As a young child, she had learned to acquire new information through books, and it was through those books that she had discovered she was called a Liefe, someone deficient in the ability to use magic.

The O’Brian lineage had always produced great numbers of knights, so for her father and the family’s future as a whole, Yui’s existence was unforgivable. Still, she didn’t give up—if she couldn’t find success in magic, she would achieve results in her studies. After reading all sorts of books, she learned much, and she was even able to score at the top of her class on her written tests at the school for nobles she attended. However, she couldn’t change the reality that she couldn’t use magic, and at school, she was mocked and ridiculed. Her father’s attitude wasn’t swayed at all by her good grades, and he never showed her any love. He would even occasionally hit her, and he only got angrier if she made a fuss, so over time, she learned to not outwardly show any emotion.

One day, that life came to an abrupt end.

Huh? What do you mean, mother? Yui asked.

In contrast with her father, Yui’s mother, Sherina, showed her daughter plenty of affection. With a sad look on her face, she repeated what she had just said to Yui. Your father and I are getting a divorce. You and I are going to have to leave this house.

Why? Yui asked, her voice trailing off. No—somehow, she knew. Is it my fault? Is it because I’m a Liefe and I’m not useful to this family?

No, not at all! Sherina said firmly. You already know that he and I have never been on good terms with each other, right?

Yui nodded hesitantly. Yeah.

The couple’s marital life had started off on the wrong foot and never improved. Their children constantly saw the two arguing. Sherina had originally been a commoner. Her family ran a bakery, so her social standing should have made it impossible for her to marry a noble. That was until Arthur had fallen in love with her at first sight. She had felt no desire to marry him, but after he had threatened to close her family’s bakery, she reluctantly assented.

You’re still a child, and I don’t know whether I ought to tell you this, but since you’re a smart girl, I’m sure you can handle it. He has another woman and no longer has any use for a commoner woman without a noble guardian, so I decided I’m going back home. Will you come with me, Yui?

Of course!

Sherina hugged her tenderly. Thank you. I wanted to take Cecil and Carlo with me too, but...

They aren’t coming with us?

Sherina looked upset. Arthur won’t allow it. ‘They’re this family’s valuable successors,’ he said.

No way... Yui pulled away from her mother and rushed out of the room, running to her brothers’ room. She opened the door without knocking and entered to find her two beloved older brothers, looking just as they always did. Their calm demeanors made her think for a second that they hadn’t yet been told that their parents were separating and that their mother and sister would be leaving.

Cecil, Carlo... she said.

What is it, Yui?

You’re in a hurry. Did something happen?

Yui’s two brothers were twins three years older than her. They looked enough alike to be easily mistaken for each other at first glance, but anyone who knew them well would instantly tell them apart. Cecil had dark-brown hair and brilliant, deep-blue eyes, and his kind, calm presence was just like their mother’s. Carlo’s hair and eye color were the same as his twin’s, but he was much more lively and cheerful. In fact, their personalities were complete opposites.

When Yui saw her two brothers’ faces, the thought that she would soon no longer be able to see them anymore brought tears to her eyes. Seeing this, her brothers were surprised. Their friends often told them they were obsessed with their sister, but that observation only pleased them. They amply demonstrated their brotherly overprotectiveness now as they began to panic.

Wh-What’s wrong?!

Are you hurt somewhere?

Yui falteringly began to explain, holding back sobs. Mother says she’s divorcing father and that she has to leave here. She says you two can’t come with us.

Understanding dawned on the twins’ faces as they realized why she was upset.

Oh, so you heard, Carlo said, unexpectedly nonchalant. Cecil merely offered her a strained smile as he wiped Yui’s face with his handkerchief.

Yui was so shocked to see that they weren’t sad like she was that she burst into tears again. Aren’t you upset? she asked them, an accusatory edge to her voice.

We are! Carlo exclaimed, hurrying to correct her. We’re very sad that we can’t live together with you and mother anymore.

You don’t look it, Yui said, shooting him a reproachful gaze.

Carlo flinched. Cecil, calm as ever, quietly wiped away Yui’s tears and corrected her misunderstanding. Yui, we don’t seem sad because there’s no reason to be, he said.

Why not? Yui asked.

"It’s not like we’re never going to see each other again. If anything, it’s more of a problem for you to stay in this house. Father treats you harshly, and just recently, he hit you across the face."

That was because I talked to him.

That’s what I’m saying. What kind of father hits his daughter just for speaking to him? If you stay, something might happen that you’ll never be able to recover from. I won’t forgive him for cheating on mother, but this might be your only chance to escape from here. Mother thinks the same, which is why, for your sake, she decided to leave without taking us.

So, it is my fault.

Cecil softly patted Yui’s head. Not at all. It’s not your fault. It’s to help you. You mustn’t mistake the two.

It’s to help me? she asked, wanting to be sure. Cecil nodded.

That’s right, Carlo said, showing his toothy grin. Don’t worry about it, and go with mother. We’ll come see you all the time too.

We’ll still be able to meet?

Of course we will, Carlo said.

Yui stopped crying. She had thought she would never see them again.

We’ll see you all the time. It’ll be fine, Cecil said. Yui felt relieved, but then he added, "The issue isn’t us; it’s what he’ll do."

Right? Carlo said.

Yui tilted her head in puzzlement, and her brothers chuckled.

We can’t forget that guy. I’ve already contacted him, so let’s head to his hideaway tomorrow, Carlo said.

Hearing the word hideaway, Yui remembered with a start a person who was very important to her.

The next day, the three siblings arrived at a large, uninhabited mansion in the noble district. No one lived there, but it was regularly maintained, and though the building looked old, it didn’t show any of the usual signs of age. As they headed to the neatly trimmed garden, they caught sight of the person they were meeting, and Yui broke into a run.

El! she cried, leaping into the boy’s outstretched arms.

Yui, he said with a kind smile on his face.

As a Liefe, Yui had been treated with contempt even at the school she went to. She couldn’t make any friends and was often alone. Once she left the O’Brian household, she would also leave that school and transfer to a school for commoners.

Regardless, her experiences at school had left her incredibly wary of others, and the only person around whom she could let her guard down besides her mother and her brothers was the boy standing in front of her. The brilliant green of his eyes suited his jet-black hair, and even Yui, who didn’t pay much attention to physical appearance, could tell that his face was attractive. He was the same age as her brothers, and his looks were still fairly androgynous, but it was clear that once he got a bit older, his features would grow more masculine and women wouldn’t be able to take their eyes off him.

El! Yui cried again.

The boy was startled by Yui’s moistening eyes. Yui? he asked. He hesitated, just as Carlo had the day before, and looked to Cecil and Carlo for help. The twins just waved their hands. We’ll leave the rest to you, one said, and they both left.

Realizing he was on his own, the boy peered into Yui’s eyes. Because of her father, she didn’t like to show her emotions, so it was rare for her to cry. In other words, for Yui, this boy was one of the few people with whom she was able to be up-front about her feelings.

Yui, what’s wrong? he asked.

Um, father and mother are getting divorced, so I have to leave with mother, and my brothers and I are going to have to live separately.

I see, he said. He knew that Yui’s parents had a poor relationship, so he didn’t appear surprised.

In a few days, we’re going away to mother’s parents’ home in the commoner district. I know I won’t be able to meet you here at the hideaway anymore.

She had few people she was close with, so the time she spent with him at the hideaway had become a great source of comfort for her. She was sad that she was no longer going to be able to live with her brothers, but they’d said they were still going to see her, and her belief in them made her feel better about it.

However, the only place where she and this boy had been able to meet was here at the hideaway. Once Yui moved, it would be difficult for El to go visit her in the commoner district, and it’d be equally difficult for her to travel to the noble district to see him. The two parts of the city were divided by a border with inspections at the gate, so it was hard for commoners to enter the noble district. That wasn’t to say that it was impossible, but frequent visits by a commoner to a house that nobody was supposed to be living in would stand out, causing problems for the boy and her brothers, which Yui hardly wanted. Even more than that, though, Yui hated that she wouldn’t be able to see him anymore. Unable to bear it, she began to cry again.

El, she said through tears, I don’t wanna stop seeing you.

Troubled, the boy hugged Yui tightly and patted her on the back. Yui, he said in a kind voice that made her feel calmer. He was like a third brother to her, only different somehow, but she didn’t yet have the words to convey her feelings.

The boy let go of her, then took out a pair of pendants from his pocket. They bore engravings of the Elphie flower, the national flower of Garlant, and when the pendants were held together, the engravings formed a single pattern. There was a stone set in each of them; one was green, like the boy’s eyes, and the other was a light blue, like Yui’s eyes.

Pretty... Yui said.

Do you like them? the boy asked.

Yeah.

These two are a set, he said. They mean that, even though we’ll be separated, we’ll be able to meet again someday, no matter what. This pendant will protect you even when I’m not by your side. He hung the pendant with the stone that matched his eye color around Yui’s neck and fastened the one that matched Yui’s eye color around his own. It’ll be okay. We’ll see each other again, so just wait for me.

Yeah. I’ll be waiting. I’ll try my hardest, so come see me.

I will.

After the two exchanged that promise, they parted.

Chapter One: A New Life

After being practically forced out of the O’Brian residence, Yui and her mother, Sherina, arrived in front of their family’s bakery in the commoner district. It went without saying that the place was small—it wasn’t even remotely comparable to the size of the O’Brian residence.

Yui had kept this a secret from her mother, but she and her brothers had come to the commoner district on several occasions to observe their grandparents. This meant that Yui wasn’t surprised by the vast differences between the ways nobles and commoners lived. Still, knowing that she was going to be living there from now on felt incredibly odd.

Yui, this is my parents’ home, Sherina said. She took a deep breath, taking in the nostalgic atmosphere. The scent of freshly baked bread wafted through the air around them. It smells good. That’s my dad’s bread, she told Yui. All right, let’s go inside.

Prompted by her mother, Yui entered the bakery.

Mom, dad! Sherina shouted, unable to conceal her delight at returning home. An elderly man and woman stepped out from the rear of the building. Yui recognized their kind features. However, this was her first time seeing their faces from up close.

Yui’s grandparents froze, their eyes widening as they laid eyes on their daughter. Sherina, is it really you? Yui’s grandmother asked.

Yes, it is. I sent a letter saying I’d be back soon, didn’t I?

You did, but I didn’t think you’d really come. I thought we’d never see you again.

Yui’s father, Arthur, had banned Sherina from seeing her parents. He also never took her to high society events. In fact, he had hardly ever let her leave the house at all. She had been virtually under house arrest. However, Sherina had maintained written communication with her parents, and Yui and her brothers had noticed that every time their mother received a letter from her parents, she would hide from her children and quietly cry. That was the reason they had wanted to see what their grandparents were like, but they thought introducing themselves to the couple living quietly in the commoner district would have been a bother, so in the end, they’d only watched them from afar.

After a tearful reunion with her mother, Sherina joyfully embraced her father. Yui met her grandfather’s gaze and flinched.

Sherina, is this who I think it is? he asked.

Yes, she’s your granddaughter, Sherina replied. Okay, Yui, say hello to your grandpa and grandma.

Oh, um, my name is Yui O’Brian. Grandfather, grandmother, I’m pleased to make your acquaintance, she said, lowering her head and dipping into a graceful curtsy. It was an entirely typical greeting for a daughter of nobility, but her grandparents’ eyes widened, and they didn’t respond. Yui looked at her mother nervously, wondering if she’d done something strange. Sherina giggled softly.

Yui, you aren’t the daughter of a count anymore, so there’s no need to greet them like a noble would. Besides, it isn’t ‘grandfather’ and ‘grandmother.’ It’s ‘grandpa’ and ‘grandma.’

Grandpa? Grandma?

That’s right. From now on, don’t call me ‘mother’ anymore either. Call me ‘mama.’

Mama... Yui said. The word was unfamiliar to her, and she spoke it as if testing it out.

Her mother smiled happily. Yui had never seen her smile so brilliantly before. Up until then, her smiles had been kind but lonely with a hint of sorrow. Yui had assumed that that was just the way her mother smiled, but seeing her now, Yui realized that she had been quietly suffering the entire time. The O’Brian residence had been Yui’s home, but it had never been that way for her mother. This saddened her, and she lowered her face.

Her grandfather knelt down to meet her gaze once again. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Orso, your grandpa. How old are you?

Twelve.

You’re already that old? He offered her a toothy grin. Welcome, Yui, he said, extending a hand toward her.

Yui felt disoriented, but she still took his hand and shook it. Then her grandmother squatted down in front of her.

Hello. I’m your grandma, Maria.

As her two grandparents gazed at her with kind smiles on their faces, Yui found herself feeling awkward. It’s nice to meet you, she repeated and bowed her head.

Once everyone finished greeting each other, Yui’s grandparents quickly closed up the bakery, then showed Yui and her mother around. The building contained both the bakery and their living quarters, with the living room in the back. Sherina had fond memories of the house, but to Yui, who didn’t know how commoners lived, everything felt brand-new.

Let’s head upstairs, Yui. I’ll show you your room, her grandmother said. With a smile that closely resembled Sherina’s, she directed Yui to the second floor. This is it. When I read the letter saying you’d be coming here, I rushed to clean it out, but if there’s anything not to your liking, just let me know.

Yui’s new bedroom was cramped; although it was a typical size for a commoner’s quarters, it probably wasn’t even half the size of her former room in the O’Brian residence. Commoners lived very differently from nobles, and Yui would have to get used to that. Still, she didn’t feel particularly down about it. Her grandparents were kinder than she had expected, and more than anything, she was filled with relief to have finally been released from her former life. It was reassuring knowing that she would never again be subject to her father’s terrifyingly cold gaze. She had no idea if being a Liefe was truly such a bad thing, but at the very least, her grandparents didn’t seem to hate her for it. It might take time to get used to everything, but she had a feeling that she could do it.

Yui took out the pendant she’d hidden beneath her clothes and squeezed it in her hand. The stone of the same color as the boy’s eyes brought back memories of him.

It’ll be okay, she said to herself. He’d promised he would come see her. Yui knew she could make it until then.

***

Thus Yui’s new life began, but from the very first day, everything was unfamiliar to her. Sherina fit right back into the life she’d once led, but for Yui, things as simple as meals were a struggle. At the O’Brian residence, the servants did everything from preparing their food to setting the table, but here, the family couldn’t eat if they didn’t make their own meals.

Yui had never cooked before, so she wasn’t allowed to use a knife. Instead, she was taught how to set the table and perform various simple chores. It was a wonder to watch her mother and grandmother happily preparing their meals together in the kitchen.

Sherina had become visibly more lively ever since returning home. Given her commoner upbringing, she didn’t have a noble patron besides her husband. However, her relationship with Arthur had been incredibly poor, and even the servants had treated her differently. This was the case for Yui too, but she had at least been able to go outside, and her brothers and El had stood by her for emotional support. Sherina had been all alone. Yui couldn’t imagine how difficult it must have been for her.

Seeing how happy her mother looked now that she could finally live peacefully, Yui knew that leaving had been the right decision. She could only say that about her mother, however, as she herself worried whether she would be able to make it in her new environment.

Mother? Yui said.

Yui, it isn’t ‘mother,’ replied Sherina.

Um, mama?

Yes?

Yui didn’t think that how she addressed her mother was all that important, but none of the other children in the commoner district said mother, so she had to do as they did, lest she be seen as an outsider. She had also been told not to greet others the way nobles did, but if she wasn’t careful, the words would slip out. She still had much to get used to.

Where will I go to school? Yui asked. Now that she was a commoner, it would be impossible for her to return to a school for nobles.