Volume 2 Chapter 4

The woman responsible for mixing Feferi into the training ground water supply was apparently a noble lady. Since she had remained nearby watching the confusion unfold, she was identified immediately. According to her own account, she had only intended to drug the water she planned to give Hector, but accidentally dropped it into the main supply container instead. Whether that story was true or not was unknown, but since none of the affected knights held noble titles, the matter apparently ended with nothing more than a period of confinement. According to Hector, Kyos had been smiling the whole time while complaining that he had a headache.

「I see. So this is noble society.」

Even nobles are not exempt from punishment when they commit crimes, but in a case like this, where nobody was injured or killed and the victims were all commoners rather than nobles, it apparently did not count as a crime. A reprimand, a period of confinement, and becoming a laughingstock in noble society was enough. Then again, in a world built on appearances, being laughed at may well be a punishment in its own right.

「The difference between being a noble and not being one is huge, isn’t it? It almost makes me want to aim for a title myself.」

Hector was a knight. If one desired it and worked for it, he could obtain a knightly title, and considering his abilities, it was a realistic possibility. Even the lowest-ranking title would make him a noble. He would no longer be expected to simply overlook trouble caused by other nobles. That said, being a noble came with countless obligations. Whether he truly wanted such a position was something only Hector could decide after giving it proper thought.

「By the way, what exactly is this method you mentioned that would let me go out normally? Ever since you brought it up yesterday, I’ve been really curious.」

「Ah, that. Then let’s go get what we need first. …To the herb garden.」

As a court apothecary, I also cared for the plants used in medicines. Most had been provided as seeds or seedlings, but there were also a few plants in the herb garden that I had brought myself. …Since all of them were related to medicine, there should be no problem.

One of them was Shutom, the enchanted flower that beguiled people. What had begun as only a few plants gradually multiplied as I cultivated them, and now there were more than twenty. Creating flowerbeds capable of preventing their hallucinatory magic from leaking out required considerable effort, but the benefits were equally substantial.

「…This flowerbed is where you planted the Shutom, right? It looks bigger than before. Did they multiply? Isn’t that going to cause problems?」

「It’s fine. I’ve taken proper precautions to make sure it doesn’t affect the surroundings. Nobody gets lost on their way here, do they?」

This flower possessed the power to beguile people and keep them from approaching. If it caused people to stay away from this tower, that would arguably help protect me. However, it would also interfere with my work, which would be troublesome. At the same time, it was a flower with tremendous research value, so I wanted to continue cultivating it carefully and increasing its numbers. Then again, Shutom was such a hardy plant that it multiplied on its own even without my intervention. The only thing I really needed to do was expand the specialized flowerbed whenever more of it appeared.

I plucked a fully bloomed Shutom flower from the flowerbed and held it near my chest before turning toward Hector.

「Can you see my face?」

「I can, but… that’s strange. I can’t make out what your face looks like.」

「Just as I expected. If you place it in your breast pocket, the hallucinatory effect should…」

A large concentration of Shutom possessed enough power to make something disappear entirely, but what about a single flower? If a blossom that interfered with recognition was held close to the face, perhaps people would no longer be able to properly perceive facial features. That prediction proved correct, but what I had not predicted was the sad color that began extending above Hector’s head.

「…Why do you look so sad?」

「I can’t recognize your face. It’s not blurry or anything. I can tell your face is there… but I can’t tell what expression you’re making or what you look like at all. I like your expressions, so… somehow it makes me feel sad.」

Hearing those words delivered with a forced smile, I instinctively looked away and hid the white flower behind my back. Doing so weakened the effect, and his perception immediately returned to normal. I knew that because the color of sadness disappeared. …I truly hadn’t expected such a reaction from simply making my face unrecognizable.

「Well, anyway. If you wear this flower near your face… around your chest, perhaps, and take anti-Shutom medicine, I think you’ll be able to go into town without any issues.」

Anti-Shutom medicine. In other words, medicine that nullified Shutom’s hallucinatory effects. I had created it after visiting Shutom Lake with Hector. Once consumed, it prevented a person from being affected by Shutom for an entire day. Since I possessed magic myself, I couldn’t properly test its effectiveness, so it had only been completed thanks to Hector’s cooperation.

Shutom was an enchanted flower, visible only to those possessing magic power. Publicizing its existence would increase the risk of people discovering that I was a mage. Because of that, Hector was the only person I could ask to assist with research related to the flower, but to be honest, I had felt rather guilty asking someone else to test experimental medicines for me, especially since it was my first time asking others for such assistance. Though Hector himself had been delighted by the fact that it was a secret shared only between the two of us.

I had personally confirmed that the medicine wasn’t poisonous, so it should have been safe, even so, I’d worried about him. I felt like I finally understood how Hector felt whenever he worried about me tasting my own medicines. That said, I still had no intention of stopping.

「Yeah. With this, I should be able to go out without hiding my face. …This will be the first time we’ve walked around town together.」

With this arrangement, people in town would no longer be able to properly recognize Hector’s face. Otherwise, he’d be surrounded by women, and if I walked beside him, I’d likely become the target of their jealousy. Ideally, we’d be able to walk together openly without needing any of this. But since that wasn’t possible right now, countermeasures like these were necessary. Even so, the colors he displayed were incredibly happy, and he smiled gently. Seeing that, I found myself smiling a little as well. This would be my first time properly exploring the capital too, and I was looking forward to it. I wanted him to enjoy ordinary shopping for a change.

「But won’t flowers wilt quickly if you don’t keep them in water?」

「I’ve already experimented with that. Shutom is a magic flower. As long as it receives magical power, it neither wilts nor dies.」

「Really? Then are the Shutom here growing from your magic, Cyril-san? …Though now that I think about it, I’ve never actually seen you taking care of them.」

「Shutom gathers nutrients on its own, so it multiplies even if I do nothing.」

I had confirmed that feeding it my magic also caused it to grow, but that had only been for experimental purposes. Normally, I hardly touched them at all. In fact, it was probably better for the herb garden as a whole if I stayed out of Shutom’s care.

At that moment, a butterfly with yellow wings fluttered into view. Hector noticed it as well and followed it with his eyes. However, the instant it landed on a Shutom flower, it vanished from his sight.

「Come to think of it, there aren’t many insects in this herb garden, are there?」

「No. Shutom takes care of them.」

「…What?」

Apparently, while Shutom’s hallucinatory effects repelled larger animals with strong life force, they attracted every small insect nearby. Even though the flowerbed suppressed most of its magic, some inevitably leaked out, and that leakage was actually extremely useful for maintaining the herb garden. From my perspective, roots emerging from the soil had swiftly seized the butterfly and dragged it underground. When I explained that scene to Hector, who couldn’t see it, his smile froze. The color of fear appeared above his head.

「…Is it really safe to wear that thing?」

「Only the roots move, so it’s perfectly safe.」

The true body of Shutom was probably its root system. As long as the roots weren’t damaged, flowers would bloom again and again. Even when cut from the stem, new buds would appear by the next day. The first time I witnessed that regenerative speed, I was astonished. Although I treated it as a plant, perhaps it was actually some variety of magical beast.

Thinking that, I picked another flower for myself. Hector looked uneasy about the flower, and I thought wearing one myself would reassure him that it wasn’t dangerous. Besides, it felt unfair to make only him wear a flower with hallucinatory properties. If he had to hide himself, then I would too. And vice versa.

「You’re wearing one too, Cyril-san?」

「Yes. We’re matching.」

I hadn’t intended any special meaning by it. I had simply remembered customers at my old shop referring to wearing the same thing as 「matching」 and repeated the phrase absentmindedly. Yet the orange color of joy above Hector’s head surged upward with incredible force, and he broke into a smile so genuinely happy that I immediately looked away. …I hadn’t even been trying to make him happy, and yet this man reacted far too strongly to everything I said and did.

「Then let’s get ready to head out. Once the medicine takes effect, we can leave.」

「…Yeah, let’s.」

After we returned to the tower and I gave Hector the anti-Shutom medicine, we each went back to our rooms. The medicine would begin taking effect in about thirty minutes, so I hurried to finish preparing before then.

Even if Shutom prevented people from recognizing our faces, there was little point if we wore conspicuous clothing. The garments provided by the royal castle were obviously expensive, and anyone knowledgeable could immediately identify me as a court apothecary. Wandering around town dressed like that seemed questionable.

So I changed into civilian clothes. Since arriving here, I’d worn pretty much only my work robes, so it had been quite a while since I’d put on the clothes I used to wear when running my apothecary.

(Somehow… this feels nostalgic.)

I’d only been living in the castle for about a month, yet my days as a town apothecary already felt like a distant past. Seeing my reflection dressed like an ordinary woman from town felt strangely unfamiliar.

Now then, today’s shopping objective was earrings. The price of gemstones varied greatly, but usually lovers chose modestly priced stones at first and selected new ones upon becoming engaged. …That was the custom, anyway.

(Hector-san, though…)

I knew very well how enormous his feelings for me were. After all, I could literally see them. Would someone like him really settle for inexpensive stones meant for ordinary lovers? …Probably not. I decided to bring more money than necessary.

When I stepped out of my room, Hector was already standing in the corridor. The moment he spotted me, he smiled and gave a small wave. We lived in the same building and had been together only a short while ago, yet he was like this whenever we spent even a little time apart. The hand waving cheerfully at me began to resemble the wagging tail of a happy dog. …No, that was rude. I should stop thinking that.

「You look nostalgic dressed like that, Cyril-san.」

「…You do too, Hector-san.」

Me, dressed like an ordinary town girl. Hector, wearing plain and simple clothes. If he threw on that old worn cloak of his, we’d look exactly like we had back when I ran the apothecary.

Even so… I’d never paid much attention before because he always wore a cloak, but despite his plain clothing, he still seemed flashy and eye-catching. When someone was that handsome, it apparently didn’t matter what they wore. For the first time, I fully understood why he’d needed to hide his face beneath a cloak just to walk through town.

Hector looked happy just seeing me, but when his gaze shifted to the Shutom flower tucked above my ear, the orange color of joy stretched even farther. Yet strangely, a line of indigo anxiety appeared alongside it.

「Is something wrong with the Shutom?」

「Yeah. I was thinking flowers really suit you because you’re cute… but does saying Shutom suits you actually count as a compliment? Would that upset you?」

「…The flower itself is beautiful, so I don’t think it’s a bad thing.」

I lightly touched the white flower beside my face and looked away. Hector often said he loved me, but he rarely called me cute or beautiful. I suspected that was because he disliked being praised for his own appearance. Though considering how casually he’d just said it, perhaps he simply found such things difficult to say out loud even when he thought them.

To put it simply, I wasn’t used to hearing words like that. So I felt a little embarrassed. My cheeks even seemed to grow warm.

「C-could it be… maybe I should compliment you more?」

「No. There’s no need.」

I could more or less guess what he had been about to say, but there really was no need. I already knew how he felt. When you could literally see someone’s feelings, there was no reason to feel uncertain about them.

「Then… would it be alright if I said things like that once in a while?」

「…That’s not something for me to stop.」

「Thank you.」

There was no reason for him to thank me. Still, he looked so happy that I couldn’t bear it, so I turned away and started walking out first.　

「Let’s go.」　

This was my first outing since arriving in the capital. My heart naturally felt lighter, and my steps seemed to carry me forward on their own.