Chapter 11

Why did things end up like this? I feel like I’ve wondered something similar before, but truly, why? …No, it’s probably my fault for getting involved with the kind of person I knew I should have avoided.

「This is dried Kutraal leaf, exposed to sunlight. When you boil it down, it dissolves into a sticky liquid. It’s used as a base for various ointments.」

「I see. Then what about this?」

「This is a Lette fruit. It’s highly nutritious, so it’s used in tonics. When fresh, it’s quite bitter, but if you let it mature for about a month after harvesting, the bitterness fades and the sweetness becomes stronger, so we use it then…」

Right now, I’m in the basement, under my store, where I make medicine, alone with an unidentified nobleman named Kai. I don’t understand. How did this happen?

Answering his questions about medicinal ingredients as politely as possible while he watches with interest is mentally exhausting. There’s no way I can feel happy being alone with a handsome young man who is almost certainly a noble, my stress is just steadily piling up.

(Talking alone like this… the guard who was separated must be having a hard time too…)

The man called Don, who came with him, is standing watch at the shop entrance. Ky had intended to have him stand guard outside, but Don firmly refused. At the very least, he insisted on staying inside, saying that leaving the two of us alone outside would be improper. So he entered the shop, but was ordered not to move from the door, and the fatigue was clearly showing on his face.

He’s pitiful too. Though perhaps I’m even more pitiful, being the one who ended up alone with Ky in the underground workshop.

And if anything were to happen to Ky here, out of sight of anyone else, my head would quite literally roll. I sincerely hope he leaves before I do something wrong.

With a faint smile at his lips, he fires off a new question every time I finish answering, but when he finally looks away from the Lette fruit he had been examining, he fixes his gaze directly on me.

「Hmm. You can see something, can’t you? What is it that you see?」

I froze unnaturally on the spot. He had only been asking about medicinal materials with apparent interest, so I let my guard down, but he is very likely a noble, the kind of person I must be most wary of.

He already knows I have some kind of perceptive ability from when I saved Don, so there’s no hiding that. But I absolutely must not let him find out that I am a healing mage.

Long ago, when many mages were captured by nobles, people with various powers were taken. Among them, those with healing magic were especially coveted by the nobility. It seems that once people gain status and wealth, the next thing they desire is their own lifespan. Even history books say that far more users of healing magic were captured than other kinds of mages.

(Being able to see prediction lines is fine if he knows. I’ll admit that much, but better make it sound insignificant…)

I don’t have just one secret. The first is that I can see prediction lines. The second is that I am a user of healing magic. The latter is my greatest secret, one I haven’t told anyone since losing my family.

People who uncover one secret and find a hidden treasure rarely suspect there is something hidden even deeper. Most are satisfied with discovering the first secret. Their attention becomes fixated on what they can see.

It’s true that I’d rather not make public the fact that I can see prediction lines, but if I present that as my hidden truth, it should act as camouflage to conceal that I’m a healing mage.

What I can see is limited, and it’s not the most convenient ability, but it’s undeniably something special. It’s fine if this secret is exposed, if it distracts him, that’s enough. …Even so, I can’t help feeling uneasy.

Because this noble named Ky is far too good at reading people’s expressions, he doesn’t seem like someone who would let me keep secrets.

「Ah, if it’s that difficult to answer, you don’t have to. I had the guard step away because I wanted to hear your honest thoughts. For now, forget about our respective positions and speak plainly about what you think.」

「…What do you mean?」

「I didn’t come here to pry into your secrets. I’m saying I won’t ask what you’re hiding, so relax. I was simply curious about your abilities. If you want to keep it hidden, you don’t have to tell me.」

This person… He’s just as adept at reading emotions as I am at seeing prediction lines. I try to remain expressionless, yet he can still read what I’m feeling.

He hasn’t revealed his status, but from his manner of speaking, he is clearly a noble. Normally, someone like me, a commoner, would not be allowed to talk back, but by not revealing his status, he seems to be permitting it. He’s quite an unusual noble. …If he revealed his status and ordered me, I wouldn’t be able to refuse.

「This is just a trivial, hypothetical question. If I were to say I wanted to take you in as my exclusive advisor, what would you think?」

This isn’t a joke, he’s seriously trying to recruit me. But I can tell he’s framing it as a joke to make it easier for me to refuse. Ky may be a noble, but he seems to be someone who considers the feelings of commoners like me. Perhaps even if he learned I was a mage, he wouldn’t imprison me. …But even so.

「…If possible… I would like to continue living as a pharmacist.」

This is the shop my parents left behind. I want to live as the pharmacist Bedito for as long as I can. I couldn’t properly repay my parents while they were alive, so at least I want to honor them by building up this shop.

But as I glance at him, wondering if it was really okay to refuse, he gives a wry smile and waves his hand lightly.

「I said it was a hypothetical. I have no intention of spreading this around or forcing you into service, so don’t worry. Besides, if anything happened to you, my friend would fly into a rage.」

At those words, a radiant face came to mind. He had said his best friend was very good at reading people. And he is a knight who can connect with nobles. Even Ky had shown a strange level of interest in me despite it being our first meeting.

Pieces begin to fall into place in my mind.

「Could it be… you mean Hector-sama?」

He didn’t answer, but it seems I was correct. The man in front of me grinned in amusement, and a small yellow line extended above him. …He’s had a yellow line above his head the entire time, so he must have been enjoying himself all along. I, on the other hand, am not enjoying this at all, this is terrible for my heart.

I see. So this is Hector’s best friend. It makes sense, in a way, eccentric people tend to have eccentric friends.

「Your intuition is probably similar to my ability to read people’s expressions. But even so, there will be nobles who want it. Your ability is more useful than you think. …If you want to live here as a pharmacist, you should stop helping just anyone.」

「…That’s…」

That’s difficult. I don’t want to be captured by nobles. But even knowing Don might be one, I couldn’t just stand by and watch him eat poison.

It’s probably just my hopelessly soft-hearted nature. But I don’t think I could live peacefully after abandoning someone to die. Even if I remained free, I wouldn’t be able to bear it. If it meant living comfortably after abandoning someone’s life, I’d rather be a caged bird.

So when that time comes, it can’t be helped. If I end up captured by nobles because I followed my heart, then I’ll accept that as fate. …Just now, I’ve made that resolve.

「Hm, so you can’t. Then, when the time comes, I’ll give you a choice.」

Ky pulled out a ring from somewhere and tossed it toward me. I hurried to catch it, failed, and while chasing after it as it nearly fell to the floor, I slammed my forehead hard against the workbench, but managed to catch it in the end.

Holding my aching forehead, I look at the ring in my hand. It’s set with a rare black gemstone. Something like a crest is engraved on the stone, and the ring itself is intricately crafted and luxurious. I don’t know much about such things, but even I can tell it’s something a commoner like me could never afford. …I truly don’t understand the noble habit of tossing around expensive items like this.

「That is proof of a contract. If someone tries to force you into their service, show them that. If they know you already have a prior agreement, they won’t be able to touch you.」

「What exactly do you mean…?」

「It gives you a choice, whether to become mine or serve some other noble. You will inevitably be taken in by a noble someday. If that’s the case, it’s better to have options, isn’t it?」

I stare at the ring in my hand. It feels less like a ring and more like a collar marking ownership. But there is no contempt for commoners in the colors above Kai’s head, instead, amidst the mix of colors, I can see a faint trace of concern.

So this must be an offer meant to protect me. And more than for me, whom he just met today, it’s probably for his friend Hector’s sake. He believes Hector would be furious if anything happened to me.

(…I wonder what Hector told him about me)

I don’t know what Hector said, but judging from how interested Ky was from the beginning, it couldn’t have been anything bad.

And as promised, he likely didn’t tell even his noble best friend about my abilities. Things had been revealed due to how we met, but it doesn’t seem like Ky learned it from Hector. Based on his tone and the emotions I can see, I’m sure of it.

…If he doesn’t even tell someone he trusts as a best friend, then I can believe he won’t tell anyone. I’m glad he’s someone who keeps his promises.

(And probably… this person too)

A rare noble who dismisses his guard just to hear a commoner’s honest thoughts. The prediction lines look ominous, but judging from his emotions, he’s not a bad person. He even gave me advice, to stop helping people if I want to live here. I think I can trust his words about not spreading this around.

…If I’m destined to serve a noble someday, and if I truly get to choose, then I’d choose this person.

「Thank you very much. I gratefully accept it.」

「That’s fine. …Ah, right. That head of yours, you hit it pretty hard. Make sure you apply some medicine later. That sounded painful.」

After saying that with a small laugh, Ky turned and started to leave the workshop, and I hurriedly followed him. I watched as he left the shop with Don, and once they were gone, I collapsed onto the spot, completely drained.

…Why do I have to be this exhausted on my day off?

Spending time alone with a noble in such a small shop felt unreal. And yet, the pain in my forehead and the weight of the ring tell me it wasn’t a dream. As I relax, the pain from where I hit my head grows stronger.

(Ouch… it’s definitely swollen. I should heal it for now)

I place my hand on my forehead and use magic. A simple healing spell. The pain quickly fades, and when I check in the mirror, there’s no trace left. A visible injury would interfere with dealing with customers, so this is fine.

The ring is too large, so I try wearing it on my thumb, but even then it’s loose and feels like it might slip off.

(…I’m worried I might lose this)

Just thinking about it makes me uneasy. I can’t even judge how important this ring really is. …I want to consult someone. But there’s only one person I can think of.

For now, I decided to carefully store the ring away until next week’s Forest Day.