Chapter 5: Sweet Poison’s Identity

Chapter 5: Sweet Poison’s Identity

“Prince Claudio, how are you feeling this morning?” Rosemarie asked her husband in a concerned tone as he entered the room to say good morning.

A few days had passed since she reconciled with Claudio. Due to him having more opportunities to come into contact with Rosemarie, his pale complexion had improved by a few degrees. Nonetheless, it was still worrying.

“Thanks, much better. No need to worry so much. You were in the middle of breakfast, right? Keep eating; don’t mind me.” Claudio curled his lips into a soft smile. Rosemarie had come to call Claudio by his name as a rule. For whatever reason, he seemed to enjoy that more than she did.

That smile was throwing her off since she had never seen it until just a few days ago, so she averted her eyes.

“My apologies. I’ll be finishing up soon.” She shoveled the rest of her mostly-eaten breakfast into her mouth.

“I know that you aren’t able to partake in meals, so I am very sorry, as always.” Upon finishing her meal, Heidi, who had been serving her breakfast this entire time, brought out her after-meal tea. Rosemarie’s shoulders sank under her guilty conscience.

It wasn’t until Claudio had started making his morning visits that she learned he was unable to take in any food other than liquids. This was most likely the effects of the Seed of Mana-Sealing. Apparently, with solid food, even if he took in the moisture, he wouldn’t be able to digest the rest and would quickly throw it back up. According to him, the most he could handle was soup.

Now, knowing she’d even stolen the simple joy of eating from him, she couldn’t bring herself to look him in the face.

“Don’t apologize for that. I’ve come to grips with that already. It’s nothing you should concern yourself with.” When Claudio began showing his softer side to Rosemarie, his speech and manner both lost their biting edge, as though he’d been exorcised of a dark spirit. While she was relieved at that, she also found herself at a loss sometimes as to how she should behave in turn.

“That aside, give me your hand.” Claudio held out his hand from the other side of the table. Rosemarie put her hand atop his without a moment’s hesitation.

They had held hands constantly in the royal office to stabilize Claudio’s health in the days leading up to the Imperial Bout. Now, though, they split it up across the day—morning, noon, and night. Claudio purposely made the trek to Rosemarie’s room. He was being too thoughtful, and it made her sort of antsy.

(If you think about it, it’s like I’m Claudio’s meal. Or, at the least, his medicine...)

Even though he just gave her hand a light squeeze, it made her heart almost jump out of her chest. Maybe it was a result of Claudio mellowing out, but for the past few days, small gestures like this were enough to almost send her over the edge.

“S-So, what is on the agenda for today?”

“Today, I’m going to be inspecting the irrigation work on the land under direct jurisdiction of the royal family. I’ll probably make my return sometime late tonight. Hence why my only intake for today is going to be what I get this morning.”

“Only morning and nothing else... In that case, would you like to rest your head on my lap?”

“I’ll pass. You’re starting to worry me with your zeal for heads on laps...” Claudio unenthusiastically covered his face with his other hand. Rosemarie opened her mouth, seeing her chance.

“Well, I thought that if it helps you sleep so well you drift off without noticing, then it must also help you recover a great deal physically... So, would you?”

“I just told you that I’m not, didn’t I? That’s far from proper morning conduct.”

“In that case, all you gotta do is wait till nighttime, right?”

“You shut up and wait right there, Fritz.”

The abrupt interruption in the conversation startled Rosemarie and made her turn to the door. There, she saw the clergyman with the mole poking his head through. Unlike Rosemarie, Claudio was not startled in the least and gave him a dirty look, signaling for him to butt out.

“Hate to interrupt a tender moment, Your Royal Wifeness, but mind if I borrow His Highness for a second?”

She nodded, albeit still in shock, as the ever-elusive clergyman flashed her a charming smile. She tried to take her hand away from Claudio, but he seized it and clasped it instead.

“Listen, I’m going to be running late today. Don’t stay awake waiting for me like you did the day before yesterday. I’d be in a tough position if your health started to suffer.”

“Okay, I won’t.”

His words were spoken firmly, but only to put emphasis on them. As Claudio looked at her with a tensed brow and a wry smile, Rosemarie squeezed his hand back in confirmation.

***

“You probably should’ve been more direct and told her, ‘Hey, I’m worried, so don’t wait up and go to sleep,’ don’cha think?” Once Claudio exited Rosemarie’s room, Fritz gave an exaggerated shrug and sighed.

“—Do you ever shut up? I hope you didn’t come here just to ask that. I’m short on time. Hurry and say what you’re here for. You’ve made progress on what I had you investigate, I take it?” Claudio pressed Fritz while beginning to walk and glancing at him. Fritz’s face instantly took a more serious turn.

“‘Progress’ is a way to put it, I suppose... But I assume you’re aware that Archbishop Kastner has been sticking his nose into Master Edel’s and your business and sniffing around, right?”

“Yeah, I was even assaulted in town the other day. It didn’t seem they were out to kill me, though.” He had left the assailant in town for the patrol knights to take care of, but had been informed that the prisoner slipped past their defenses and made a getaway. The patrol knights weren’t so incompetent as to let something like that happen. If he had to guess, his assumption was on a second person making the assailant’s escape possible.

“And you were apparently assaulted while walking by yourself after finishing work the day before yesterday, right?”

“Right. We caught him and tried to get him to spill who sent him, but he wouldn’t crack. I mean, not that we don’t know who sent him, of course.” That little fiasco ended up making Rosemarie stay up through the night waiting for him.

“Yeesh, and I’m betting Alto had the honor of trying. Boy, you know his methods can be rather nasty. Him not spilling the beans even after that is impressive.” Fritz gritted his teeth and twitched his cheek, to which Claudio gave a smirk in agreement.

“And so? What is your point here?”

“It would appear that the Archbishop wants to make certain of something.”

“Oh-ho, make certain of something, you say,” Claudio said in a display of forced-sounding adoration. If he was trying to make certain of something, it could had only been one thing. That one thing being: whether Crown Prince Claudio had mana or not.

“The minimum requirement to accede the throne is to be in possession of mana. I haven’t behaved in a way that would say otherwise up until now, but he might have acquired some intel. —In which case, I’m going to have to deal with him.”

“Now you’re speaking my language.” Fritz smiled in earnest enjoyment. He then scanned around them to confirm that no one was around.

“Aah, right, and one more thing. I’m not quite sure what he’s trying to accomplish with this, but... The person that the Archbishop is trying to support for the bid to be crown prince doesn’t seem to have any mana of his own.”

Claudio raised an eyebrow, perplexed.

“What do you mean by that? How is he doing that in spite of blaming me for not having mana? What, is his plot to get a sorcerer on board and pretend that they have magical powers like I’m doing?” However, that was a herculean task made possible only by the presence of Edeltraud, the individual with enough prowess to serve as Archmagus. Even if he did have a sorcerer on his side who could rival Edeltraud, Archbishop Kastner’s extremely vocal distaste for mages made it hard to believe any would be willing to serve him. Plus...

“Still, considering the facts, even if they could accede to the rank of crown prince, they could never accede to the throne.”

“Yeah, and that’s what I’m not gettin’ here.”

Claudio diverted his attention away from Fritz as he shrugged his shoulders, stumped, and folded his arms in a contemplative pose.

Acceding to the throne without possessing mana—if such a feat were possible, then he would have gone through with it a long time ago.

“I can’t really imagine a guy who’s so prejudiced against mages would be knowledgeable about magic...” As he racked his brain, Fritz quickly took some distance, probably picking up on someone coming. It would have been a conflict of interests if Fritz was seen hanging around Claudio when he was supposed to be serving the Archbishop.

“At any rate, we may not be certain that they’re devoid of mana of their own, but he might try to stir something up soon. Just watch your back out there.”

Claudio made a final inquiry toward Fritz as he started to walk away.

“Fritz. Are you really okay with possibly losing your superior?”

“Superior? You’re supposed to be my superior around here, Your Highness, but might y’have any plans of going away?”

“Afraid I don’t.”

Fritz grinned, turned around, and walked off in the opposite direction of Claudio.

***

A sweet aroma filled the room. Rosemarie put the cup to her face as to fully appreciate the aroma of the soothing Kaola, but she let out a small sigh, nevertheless.

“Princess? Whatever is the matter?”

“Prince Claudio really is coming home late, isn’t he?” Heidi, who had already readied for bed, came into the lounge to check on Rosemarie. The princess replied in a dejected tone.

“I understand you must be lonely, but he will be coming home any moment now.”

“It’s not that I’m lonely... exactly...” She was simply worried whether his health had suffered due to going afar. Claudio was the type who hated showing people his vulnerabilities. Alto may have always been by his side, but not even he would have had a hard time noticing Claudio’s poor health.

(Am I lonely, though? I’m not too sure about that...)

Admittedly, she had looked forward to the mindless chit-chat they shared during their morning, noon, and night hand-holding sessions these past few days.

She sighed again. Then, it happened. There was a soft knock at the lounge door.

“See? Your much-awaited Highness has made his return.” Heidi hurried to open the door as Rosemarie put down her cup on the table, trying to keep herself from blushing. As soon as she stood up from the sofa, true to her expectations, a rather worn-out looking Claudio entered the room.

“Welcome back. You must be tired.”

“Were you about to go to bed? I saw that the lights were still on, so I dropped by...”

“Yes, I was, but it’s perfectly fine. It isn’t that late yet, after all.”

Claudio’s black hair was damp, most likely because he’d taken a bath upon returning and come right over. All he had on was a plain shirt and pair of trousers. Gone was the ornate jacket of this morning, with all its buttons and embroidered designs. This was her first time seeing Claudio wearing something more casual that wasn’t his sleepwear. It was filling her heart with the joyful idea that he was letting himself be more relaxed around her.

“Would you care for something to drink?”

“Sure. That’s quite the sweet aroma. You’ve been drinking that ‘Kaola’ or whatever that tea is called, right? You sure do love that stuff.” Claudio sat down on the sofa and looked at the cup sitting on the table. Rosemarie smiled, sitting beside him.

“Yes, because it’s delicious. —Would you care for a spot, Prince Claudio? I’ve heard it helps relieve fatigue. It is a little on the bitter side and does take some getting used to, though...”

“You mean it’s not sweet?” Claudio looked somewhat disappointed upon hearing that and Rosemarie cocked her head, perplexed. She’d never taken him for the kind to like sweet things, but maybe he had a sweet tooth despite appearances.

“You’re more a fan of sweet things? It’s delicious even with some sugar added.”

“I’ll give it a try, if that’s the case.” Claudio nodded to comply. Rosemarie was about to send Heidi to brew him up a cup, but Claudio took the cup that was already on the desk.

“This will do.”

“Huh? But I’ve been drinking out of that one, and it’s not all that swe... Ah!” She tried to stop him, but she was already too late as Claudio took a sip. His brows immediately furrowed as a result.

“What is this? People drink this... I mean, it has an interesting taste.” Claudio tried to smooth things over without badmouthing, despite having the biggest grimace on his face. He was acting funny, and Rosemarie found herself smiling because of it.

“I will bring you some water, okay?” She turned around with the intent of asking Heidi to go fetch a glass, but in the next instant, Claudio suddenly doubled over while holding his throat in pain. Rattle rattle went the cup as it wobbled, spilling Kaola onto the table.

“Prince Claudio?!” Clueless as to what just transpired, she stroked Claudio’s back as he writhed in distress.

“Heidi, send for a doctor!” Rosemarie barked, the all-too-sudden call causing the maid to stand straight up and at attention. She then rushed from the room in a panic.

Once Rosemarie managed to lay the wheezing Claudio down on the couch, she noticed the massive amount of sweat pouring from his forehead.

(What? What went wrong? He drank the Kaola, and then...)

Her mind confused, she held onto Claudio’s large hand. Although she presumably left to go call for a doctor, Heidi soon returned back to the room.

“Heidi, is the doctor here yet?”

“Squire Clausen has gone off to call for him, so he will return shortly. Everything is under control.”

She looked up at Heidi with tears in her eyes. The maid nodded and stroked Rosemarie’s back to reassure her.

Rosemarie glanced at the brown tea spilled over the table, huddling closer to Claudio on her knees as he breathed erratically. The sweet aroma encompassed the room, but at the moment, her patience with the smell was running thin.

(How could drinking the Kaola make his collapse...?)

No matter how much she loved it, she’d never have recommended it to him if she’d known this would happen. It was too late for regrets now, however. She fretted over what she could do now.

“...Make him vomit? Maybe I can relieve him by making him vomit up what he drank.”

“Don’t. Barely conscious, so making vomit would suffocate him.” A voice stopped Rosemarie, and she turned toward it. She had no idea when they had showed up, but there was Archmagus Edeltraud, the same hood still covering their face, practically sliding over to her.

“Claudio passed out, so I came. What happened?”

“It was all my fault. I let him drink Kaola tea...” On the verge of tears, she stared at Edeltraud beseechingly as they looked at Claudio with his pained expression.

“Where is this ‘Kaola’?” As Edeltraud pulled down the skin under Claudio’s eyes, looked at the pigmentation of his tongue, and checked his pulse, Rosemarie presented them with what was left of the Kaola.

“This is a tea that is often drunk in my country. But I have never once heard of a case of someone passing out after drinking Kaola.” After identifying the aroma of the Kaola still left in the cup, Edeltraud took off the black glove they always wore, dipping their fingertip into it and licking it. Their shoulders shuddered.

“This. What is this made out of? Leaves?”

“No, seeds. They produce it by removing the pulp of the fruit and roasting the seeds out of that. You then take the granulated result of those roasted seeds, dissolve it in water, and drink. It’s an item that must be prepared by a trained artisan to be drinkable...”

“Seeds? What kind? Show me.”

Trying to answer each question that Edeltraud shot at her the best she could, Rosemarie had Heidi bring the Kaola seeds over to them.

Looking at the brown, elliptical seeds no bigger than the tip of a pinky contained in the porcelain container, Edeltraud carefully pinched one between their fingers.

“These are Kaola? Positive?” Edeltraud said, their voice cracking. Rosemarie didn’t know what expression they were making, but she did know that they were clearly shaken up. A terrible feeling of apprehension grew in her chest.

“Yes, this is Kaola. I’ve been told they only grow it in Volland soil.”

“No way. Can’t be. These here are... These are Seeds of Mana-Sealing!” Edeltraud almost shouted, sending Rosemarie’s heart racing.

Leaving Rosemarie to freeze up on her own, Edeltraud turned to Claudio as he writhed in a cold sweat and placed their hand atop his abdomen.

“Extra Seed of Mana-Sealing that he took into his body is probably repelling with the one already in his body, causing adverse reaction. It still hasn’t been absorbed yet. It can be taken out. Princess, hold on to Claudio’s hand tight.”

As Rosemarie’s hand shivered, finally comprehending the severity of the situation, she used it to hold on to Claudio’s tightly.

Edeltraud’s hand on Claudio’s abdomen started to glow a faint shade of green. The green light slowly ascended to his chest, passed his throat, and eventually reached his mouth. Claudio began to thrash around as if to resist it, but Rosemarie desperately embraced his hand.

“...!!”

A green light shot out of Claudio’s mouth. The stuff that he threw up turned into a fine brown powder and scattered all over before dispersing in the blink of an eye.

“Prince Claudio!” Rosemarie stroked his shoulders as he hacked violently. His tightly-shut eyes opened weakly, and his blue eyes looked vacantly over at Rosemarie.

“Don’t cry.” His voice was raspy, but it was audible. Claudio’s hand stroked Rosemarie’s head in a slightly unrefined manner as she broke down in tears of relief and guilt. However, his hand soon stopped, and he proceeded to snore gently.

“He’s fine now. Close call, though. Will admit.” Edeltraud breathed a sigh of relief before stretching themselves up to their feet with a nod of their head. On the other hand, Rosemarie was so relieved that she collapsed on her rear right where she was.

“What have I done...”

“You just didn’t know. I didn’t know that the Seeds of Mana-Sealing were commonly drunk under that name, either. Means that the world is brimming with mysteries.” After putting their glove back on, Edeltraud stroked Rosemarie’s head, running their surprisingly slender fingers through her hair. She had been convinced that no good would come if Edeltraud was involved in anything. But right now, she shuddered to think about what might have happened if the sorcerer had not been there.

“It’s okay. Claudio wouldn’t blame you nowadays. It was his own fault for drinking.”

“—Thank you... very much, Mage Edeltraud.” They were right. Claudio wouldn’t have gotten unreasonably angry at her with the way he was nowadays. Even so, she couldn’t help but feel guilty.

“Princess, please keep your chin up. Let us allow His Highness to rest in bed for the time being.”

“Heidi... Yes, you’re right. My bedroom will do, so would you mind getting things ready?”

Heidi nodded with a meek expression and exited the lounge. Upon seeing that she had, Rosemarie turned back toward Edeltraud, who was staring at the Kaola seeds with great interest.

“Master Edel, is there anything else that I can do?” Right now, she felt like she could do anything. In comparison to Claudio having his life in jeopardy due to the Seeds of Mana-Sealing, being able to see people’s animosity was a drop in the bucket. Edeltraud paused for a split second, but then quickly turned around to face Rosemarie.

“—There is. Keep in your arms the whole night. Should get a lot better if you do.”

“Huh? You want me? To do that?” She was to hold Claudio in her arms the entire night through.

Claudio had always been the one pulling her close or clasping his hands over hers, but she had never initiated contact herself.

Just as she was about to chicken out and shake her head, Edeltraud came right over to her. While their eyes may have been behind their hood, she felt their strong gaze upon her.

“Yes. You.”

She hoped that indifferent yet threatening ring to their sentence was all in her imagination.

While Rosemarie was gripped with hesitation, a commotion stirred from the corridor.

“Milady! I have brought you the doctor!” Without so much as knocking, Alto barged through the door and came rushing in with the middle-aged doctor slung over his shoulder like a piece of luggage. A maid carrying the doctor’s things followed soon after, running into the room with panic on her face.

It had almost completely slipped her mind, but that was right. Alto was supposed to be out getting the doctor.

“Squire Clausen, you see...”

“No need for doctor. Claudio was just tired and resting now. Volland princess jumped to conclusions.” Edeltraud jumped in the middle of her hasty efforts to give Alto an excuse.

Alto saw that the sorcerer was there and, still breathing heavily, sank to one knee in exhaustion. Rosemarie saw him fall and slumped her shoulders, feeling extremely apologetic.

***

The crooks of his arms were warm.

Claudio realized he was coming back to his senses as he squeezed that warmth, akin to the genial rays of the sun, so as to make sure it didn’t get away.

He had some problems breathing before—so much so it made him think he was getting his throat crushed—but there wasn’t a trace of those problems left now. Nor was he sweating all over, despite being freezing cold like before.

(What happened to me...?)

His memory after he drank the Kaola tea was hazy, but he assumed that there was some specific reason for his health deteriorating.

He slowly opened his eyes partway. The room was filled with the faint light of early morning. Thanks to his sleepless days and night, the silence of morning was something he wasn’t terribly fond of. Despite the Seed of Mana-Sealing within him craving mana, he felt as if it grew by bathing in the sun due to its plant origins.

As if bothered by the weak light, he pressed his face against whatever it was he was hugging. The somewhat cold and hard sensation Claudio felt as a result made him open his eyes suspiciously.

“...Uh, what?” What appeared before his eyes was a bucket with a beautiful silver gleam. There was not a spot of rust or grime to be found due to it being so well-maintained, no doubt, but the fact remained—it was a bucket. The bright-green ribbon tied to a portion of the handle gave it a rather innocent charm.

(God, what is the world coming to if a bucket has an “innocent charm”?)

Having just woken up, his thoughts weren’t all in order. As he tried to get his gears cranking, the bucket moved slightly. Upon closer inspection, it seemed as though he had been sleeping with someone wearing a bucket on their head in his embrace.

“—Good, um... morning.” He could hear a timid, reserved voice come from under the bucket. He gazed, dumbfounded, at the source of the familiar voice before putting his hand on the bucket. After getting past a tiny bit of resistance, he took off the bucket. What appeared underneath it was a beet-red face topped with a head of mahogany hair and a pair of green eyes—features that, for all intents and purposes, made up his wife.

“...Why am I sleeping with you? Also, what is this bucket all about?”

“I-I’m using it for my mental stability!” Rosemarie nervously explained what happened last night. He was informed on the whole thing. He had collapsed from drinking the Kaola tea. The Kaola seed was the same as the Seed of Mana-Sealing. By drinking it, the Seed that was already in his body had sparked an adverse reaction, which caused him to pass out. After a deep sigh, he held his forehead.

“I see... To think that drink was made up of Seeds of Mana-Sealing...”

“Are you mad at me? I pretty much recommended poison to you.” Rosemarie looked ready to cry. When he stared at her, she twitched her shoulder as though frightened.

“What is the point in getting mad? You didn’t know that this Kaola, or whatever it’s called, was the same as the Seed of Mana-Sealing, right? Getting mad over that would be pointless. That aside, why am I here sleeping with you?”

“Master Edel told me that if I slept with you in my arms the whole night, your condition would improve, so... Not very enjoyable for you, I’m sure.”

“—I never said that.”

With her face beet red, Rosemarie tried to distance herself, but she was tucked even closer into his arms.

It was Rosemarie who most likely found it the least enjoyable out of the two. After all, no matter how much she forgave him, she still had to keep the man who treated her so poorly in her arms the whole time.

“I never said that. I enjoyed your warmth.” He hugged her closer, making sure not to crush her, and her sleek hair grazed his cheek. The aroma of the Kaola that put him through hell last night drifted throughout the room, which caused him to knit his brows for a split second before permitting it once he considered that it belonged to her.

“P-Prince Claudio, are you sleep talking? I hope you know I’m not a talking pillow...”

“A pillow can’t very well talk.”

“In that case, let’s split off, okay? Oh, you can use my lap as a pillow, though. Let’s do that instead.”

“If I use your lap as a pillow, you won’t be able lie down. It’s still rather early in the morning. If you’re worried about my body, then just keep yourself still.” He softly squeezed at Rosemarie, making her squirm a bit. But she put her face against Claudio’s chest, relaxed, and eased her body into his soon enough.

“—Prince Claudio, I will go to your office for your midday replenishment.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“If you had to ask me whether I am or am not sure, I am certainly not sure, but I am sure enough. At least, I think I am sure enough that I can assure that.”

“...Can you even hear the words coming out of your own mouth?” He couldn’t see her face, but she was probably serious. He knew he shouldn’t laugh, but she was acting downright comical.

“I-In any case! I can get over the fact that I see the heads of people who hold animosity as beasts if it will help you get any better, Prince Claudio,” she declared assuredly as her shoulders tensed up. Just thinking of it made her go on the defensive, so the fact that Rosemarie was willing to get over her fear for his sake filled him with a vague, pleasant sense of embarrassment.

“Just so I’m sure, your eyes even make the heads of people you yourself trust turn into beast heads?”

“Huh? Oh, yes. That’s right. Even when Heidi gets angry, she gets a black cat head.” Rosemarie slowly lifted her head, befuddled.

“I see... That must be rough on you.”

Rosemarie gasped in Claudio’s arms.

“—I can’t quite comprehend just how terrifying it must be to be able to see animosity and negative emotions. However, if you see the heads of people you trust as beasts just because they harbor the slightest bit of dissatisfaction, it’s no small wonder why you’d be hurt by that.” He had been so blinded with resentment up until a few days ago that he never even realized this. It wasn’t the type of animosity one encountered when dealing with bureaucrat or aristocrats; it was a matter of having someone you trust enough to allow into your heart, or even a member of your own family, looking like that if they had any negative emotions at all. You were being unintentionally betrayed by someone you trust. That was most likely absolutely mortifying.

“So, really, you don’t need to overexert yourself.”

A teary film started to form over Rosemarie’s green eyes all at once. She pursed her lips as she attempted to keep the tears from spilling from her eyes, but she shook her head regardless.

“No. Please, don’t spoil me so much. It makes me feel uneasy.”

“My intentions aren’t to spoil you, though. I’m just telling you not to overexert yourself. I’m not telling you not make an appearance. —Aah, don’t cry. Your face will get all puffy and homely.”

“Yes... I’m aware of that!” He finally tried to wipe away the tears streaming down her face, but she suddenly turned her face on him. Her versatile expressions were amusing him and made him want to say all sorts of things, which was an issue.

Claudio pulled the angry Rosemarie closer and smiled wryly at that small hang-up in his head while patting his wife comfortingly on the back.