Volume 2 Chapter 10

How I ended up having tea with Sophia?

　First, I had visited Sophia to teach the Crown Princess’s maids how to brew the tea leaves, and I had indeed taught each of the maids how to handle the different varieties and given them a written summary of everything. After that, just as I was about to leave, the mistress of the room stopped me and invited me with, 「Would you care to join me?」

　Since the Crown Princess herself had asked, it was true that I could hardly refuse, but I could not understand why someone like me, a mere commoner and Court Pharmacist, would be invited to tea by the Crown Princess.……Sophia’s emotions were difficult to read, which made it hard to judge. I had the sense that she viewed me favorably, but I also had the sense that, like Kyos, she might simply enjoy watching my reactions. At any rate, there was no doubt that she was an eccentric.

(They really are quite a well-matched couple in that regard……)

　There could not be many nobles who ate meals or drank tea with commoners. It was surely only this Crown Prince and Crown Princess.

「Cyril-san, you have a mysterious charm about you, wouldn’t you say?」

「Yes?　……Ah, no. I am honored by your praise.」

「Fufu. You have no hidden side to you. That must be why Kyos likes you as well.」

　I both understood and did not understand what Sophia meant. I carried a great secret, so it was not as though I revealed everything about myself, but perhaps Sophia saw me as a straightforward and honest person.

　Normally, I judged what someone was feeling by comparing the lengths of their emotional colors, but that was difficult with Sophia, whose colors were so short. Those colors were invisible to everyone except me, so other people managed to interact without seeing the colors of anyone’s heart, but honestly, I thought that was an incredible thing. I had never imagined that not knowing could make me feel this uneasy.

(I’ve spent so long interacting with people while looking at the colors of their hearts……this feels strange)

　I even found myself reassured when Gray, still displaying her wariness as plainly as ever, entered my field of vision. The translucent orange visible above her head might have had something to do with Yunan. I hope they can make up, I thought, somewhat as a form of escape from reality, but when exactly would I be released from this tea party?

「Have you met His Highness Aegis yet?」

「……No. I have never met anyone of noble rank aside from His Highness Kyos and Your Highness Princess Sophia.」

「I see.……Though it seems that person has taken an interest in you.」

　Since he was addressed as His Highness Aegis, he had to be a member of the royal family. I would very much have preferred not to attract the attention of royalty one after another, but what did it mean that he was interested in me?

　The instant that name came up, the color of vigilance above Gray’s head stretched even farther, so for the moment, I made it clear that I had no intention of becoming involved.

「Unless I am acting under His Highness Kyos’s orders, I spend my time making medicine, so I doubt I will ever meet him.」

「……I hope that is so.」

　The tea party with Sophia did not last very long. We spoke about trivial matters, and once she had finished a single cup of tea, I was prompted to leave. It felt like a very long time to me, but in reality, I suspect it lasted only around ten minutes.

　The moment I was ushered out of her room and the door closed, I let out a deep sigh as the tension drained from me. Hector said, 「Good work」 and when I looked up at his face to answer him, I caught a glimpse of indigo and was slightly surprised. He seemed worried about something, but he probably could not speak about it here. He kept a carefully composed, beautiful smile on his face without showing any sign of forming words.

「……Shall we hurry back?」

「Yeah, let’s do that.」

　After returning quickly to the Pharmacist Tower, Hector suggested that we speak in the herb garden, so we went outside again. The area had a clear view and nowhere for anyone to hide, so he seemed to have judged that it would be a good place to talk.

「His Highness Aegis is Kyos’s younger brother. The second prince, second in line to the throne. The people who want Kyos removed are supporters of that prince, or rather……」

　Someone was always trying to take Kyos’s life. That much was certain from the many predictive lines visible around him, like an exhibition of misfortune, all indicating danger. Apparently, the reason was that some people did not want Kyos to become the next king, and those people supported the second prince.

「Kyos can’t be deceived by lies, so there are people who find that inconvenient.」

「Ah, I see. I think I understand.」

　Although he did not possess an ability like mine to see the colors of emotion, Kyos was far too good at seeing through other people’s feelings. I could imagine that a king with the power to prevent political maneuvering would be a troublesome opponent for ministers who desired authority.

　And conversely, his younger brother Aegis was probably easier to handle. Personally, I had no desire whatsoever to be dragged into a struggle for power within the royal castle, but…….

「……I would feel reassured if His Highness Kyos became King.」

「Yeah. I feel the same way.」

　He played with people, pushed them around, and had a mean streak, but he was a good person. A prince who did not treat even a commoner like me carelessly would surely consider the welfare of his people. I could trust that he would neither impose tyranny nor govern badly.

「Also, His Highness Aegis likes rare things too, though in a different way from Kyos……and Cyril-san’s hair and eyes are both unusual.」

　Hector’s fingers touched my hair. This, apparently, was what he was worried about. From everything I had heard and the emotions I had seen, I could roughly guess what sort of person this prince called Aegis was.

　He was probably not so different from the image I had originally held of nobles. In other words, he was likely a royal who would never consider the circumstances of a commoner and had no hesitation about using his power to bend matters to his will.

「He sounds like someone I would prefer not to meet if possible. I do not like trouble……but I think it will be all right.」

「……You’re not very worried, are you?」

「No. Not particularly.」

　A faint reddish-purple color indicating dissatisfaction stretched above Hector’s head, though rather than dissatisfaction, it looked more as though he could not accept how unconcerned I was acting.

　I did sense the presence of trouble, but there was not much about that prince that made me personally anxious. My protector was Kyos, and he was not the sort of person who would discard me lightly. He would surely help me as much as he could. And more importantly.

「Because you told me that you would protect me for the rest of my life, Hector-san. I trust you, and I believe that as long as I am with you, we can overcome most hardships.」

　He had said that he would protect both my life and my secret. Of course, I did not intend to leave everything to him; I would do everything within my own power as well. Perhaps this could be called reassurance born from trust. As long as Hector was beside me, danger did not make me feel particularly anxious.

「I thought it was unusual that you weren’t very wary of danger……but it’s because you trust me, isn’t it?」

「Yes. Of course, it is not as though I will lower my guard entirely……but as long as you are here, Hector-san, I can remain calm.」

　I did not think there was any need to be needlessly frightened. Still, I would take whatever precautions I could, and I intended to strengthen security around the Pharmacist Tower. This was inside the castle, so security was quite good, but judging from what I had heard, it did not seem impossible that I might be abducted, so it would be better to take precautions.

　The reddish-purple line disappeared from Hector, and in its place, the orange of joy stretched upward. Beside it was a short rose-colored line of embarrassment. He was apparently flustered, but contrary to his emotions, his expression was completely serious, and he gave a solemn nod.

「I really am loved by you, aren’t I?」

「Yes. I love you.」

「Nggh.」

　He had probably made the remark jokingly because he felt a little embarrassed. But since it was true, I agreed, and he abruptly covered his face with one hand and turned away. He had brought it up himself, so what was the meaning of becoming so violently shaken when I admitted it? The peach and orange colors stretching toward the sky had grown so long that I could no longer make sense of them.

　Since he had turned his face away, all I could see were Hector’s ears, dyed bright red, but looking at them made laughter rise inside me, and a small sound escaped my lips.

「Sorry, even though I was the one who said it, I suddenly couldn’t hold back all sorts of things……」

「I find that side of you very endearing, Hector-san.」

「Nngh……Cyril-san, that……that’s finishing me off……」

　Hector did not recover for quite some time after that. Though I thought that I, too, was rather hopeless for being able to watch him like that without growing bored. When Hector finally turned toward me, the redness in his ears and cheeks had not faded, but he had recovered enough to meet my eyes and smile.

「……No matter what happens, I will absolutely protect you. I promise.」

「Yes.……I believe you.」

　A calm, peaceful, comfortable everyday life. Dealing with the Crown Prince and his wife occasionally gave me enough tension to feel as though my stomach were being wrung out, but I did not consider that ominous. I wanted days like these to continue forever.

　――Only a few days after I thought that.

　Kyos summoned me, and I was having dinner with him. Well, rather than dining together, my role was almost entirely that of a poison taster. In order to fulfill the selfish wish of a prince constantly threatened with assassination who wanted to eat his food while it was still warm, someone unusual like me was necessary.

　Before Kyos, above whose head a short black line continued to remain as always, I sampled each of his dishes one bite at a time. When I put the main meat dish into my mouth for the final taste test, I noticed a faint sense of wrongness. As I chewed slowly, trying to identify what it was, he spoke to me.

「What is it?」

　The dark-purple line that was always above Kyos’s head, a sign of failing health, and the black line representing death both remained short and unchanged.……Was that because I was serving as his poison taster?

　There was poison in this dish. A single bite would probably cause no particular abnormality in me, but if I swallowed it, I would surely make Hector worry. I wondered whether it was improper to behave so rudely before royalty, but I took out the leather pouch I had brought for exactly this kind of occasion and spat the food into it while concealing my actions beneath the table.

「Forgive my discourtesy in Your Highness’s presence. This meat dish contains poison. Even one bite would be a lethal dose, so please do not eat it, Your Highness. There was nothing wrong with the other dishes, but……would the meal not feel insufficient without a main course? If another dish is prepared, I can taste that one as well……」

「That is enough, I understand. Stop talking. The poison will spread through your body.……Go rinse your mouth immediately. You do not need to return here. Go and rest at once.」

　The indigo of worry and deep-green guilt appeared above Kyos’s head. Though I had been ordered not to speak, I started to open my mouth because I felt I had to say something, when a familiar beautiful voice said, 「Pardon me」 and in the next instant, my body rose into the air.

　More accurately, Hector had picked me up in his arms. When I looked up in surprise, he was smiling, but his eyes somehow looked stern. A long line of worry stretched above his head, so I realized that even though I had spat it out, the simple fact that poison had entered my mouth was unacceptable, and I closed my lips.……The pale-purple of fear and blue-purple of anguish were stretching as well. His heart looked so painfully distressed that I did not know what to do.

「Please forgive me for appearing before Your Highness in this manner, but I must take Pharmasist-dono away to rest.」

「Fine, go quickly.……I cannot bear to watch.」

　Still carrying me, Hector began walking toward the door, and Dalton, his expression grim, opened it for us. Indigo stretched above his head as well, making me realize that, generally speaking, merely putting poison into one’s mouth was enough to make people worry.

「You don’t need to say anything……I’ll take you to some water right away.」

　I wanted to tell him quickly that I was all right, but he probably would not have accepted it anyway. I answered with a small nod and allowed myself to be carried without protest.

　The nearest source of water seemed to be a well outside, and Hector set me down beside it. Without a word, he immediately drew water for me.……He kept smiling with a face that looked close to tears the entire time I rinsed my mouth, and the sight made my chest ache terribly. I had to say something to reassure him as quickly as possible.

「Hector-san, I am all right. I did not swallow it, and I have a resistance to that poison……there is also an antidote back at the Pharmacist Tower. And……I can heal injuries and illnesses myself, so you do not need to worry. I will be all right.」

　As a final measure, I could use healing magic, so unless I died instantly or passed away while unconscious, I would not lose my life. I also handled medicine regularly and had resistance to poison. Perhaps because of that, my sense of danger regarding poison was rather weak.……I had not thought that an action I personally considered harmless would make him worry this much.

「……Even so, I’m scared. There’s no way I wouldn’t worry……is there?」

　Hector’s hand reached toward me and gently touched my cheek. His honey-colored eyes peered into my face as though checking my condition, trembling with anxiety, and seeing them made my own heart waver.

　So I immediately tried casting magic on myself. The poison used had been one that took effect within a few minutes, so it would not have been strange for symptoms to begin appearing around now. But since I had only held a small amount in my mouth and had resistance to it, the poison had apparently had no effect. As expected, I felt no depletion of my strength.

　Even so, I used magic because I wanted Hector to feel reassured. Hector was not a mage, so he would neither see nor feel anything when I cast it, but perhaps telling him that I had done so would ease his mind a little.……I did not want to see those colors of anxiety and fear that still refused to disappear.

「I am sorry……I healed myself. So I truly am all right.」

「This isn’t something you should apologize for. The one at fault is the person who poisoned the food to target Kyos……but no, I can’t. Sorry, let me hold you for a while.」

　It seemed I had been unable to reassure him. He pulled me close and embraced me tightly, wrapping his arms around my head and back. Hector’s warmth reaching me was comforting, but his body was trembling faintly. I could not see from this position, but surely his anxiety and fear had still not disappeared.

「Can we stay like this for a little while……?」

「……Yes. As long as you need, if it will ease your anxiety, Hector-san.」

　I was small, and Hector was large. Thinking that if our positions were reversed, I could have wrapped him up instead, I put my arms around his back. What could I do to reassure him?

　As I listened to Hector’s heartbeat pounding loudly at a speed unlike its usual rhythm, I began thinking about what I could do.