Volume 2 Chapter 12

「It is a pleasure to make Your acquaintance. My name is Cyril Vedito, Court Pharmacist and Personal Advisor to the First Prince. I offer my greetings to Prince Aegis.」

　Unlike when Sophia had come to the Pharmacist’s Tower, this was a situation where a noble who had taken an interest in me while passing by had spoken to me. And because I alone had been addressed, Hector could not say a word. I needed to get through this on my own.

　Getting his name wrong would be a blunder severe enough to cost me my head, but the man appeared to be Aegis himself, and he raised one eyebrow with interest. Above his head, too, I could see the yellow-green color of interest, but unlike Kyos, there was also a dark brown color indicating contempt. His attitude toward commoners was clearly different. I absolutely could not allow this noble to learn my secret.

「…Oh? So you are the commoner who serves as my brother’s advisor. I heard you remained shut away in the detached tower. Why are you here?」

「Today, I was granted the role of poison taster for Prince Kyos.」

「What? A poison taster?」

　Surprise, then the faintest hint of ultramarine pity, and a pale blue line. Pale blue generally represented loneliness, but judging from the other colors beside it, this was probably regret. …As if saying – such a waste, losing this one.

(…In other words, this man knew there was poison in Prince Kyos’s food)

　And he believed that I, having tasted it, would die as well. But he probably did not know what kind of poison had been used. That poison showed symptoms immediately, so if it had worked, I would not be standing here now.

「To carry out even the duties of a poison taster, what remarkable loyalty. Continue to devote yourself to my brother.」

「…I am deeply honored by Your gracious words.」

　After that, Aegis lost interest in me and walked away without even offering a parting greeting. Perhaps he saw no reason to involve himself with someone who would soon be dead.

　He was not directly responsible, but he clearly thought it would be convenient if Kyos disappeared. That was why he stood by and watched, despite knowing what his supporters were doing to Kyos. I could not say I thought very highly of his character.

「…Shall we head back, Hector-sa… Are you all right?」

「…Ah, yeah. I’m fine.」

　Once Aegis was out of sight, I stood and turned around to find Hector wearing a grim expression. When I spoke to him, it returned to his usual artificial smile, but he could not hide his emotions from me.

　Crimson anger, indigo anxiety, and a line similar to gray caution, though darker and tinged with indigo, an indigo-gray color. Right now, Hector felt hostility toward Aegis. It was also a color containing malice and intent to harm, one Gray had never shown me, no matter how wary he had been. Even if someone was disliked, even if one was on guard against them, this color would not extend unless there was an actual desire to hurt them. And this color often appeared above the heads of those who committed crimes. …I did not want him to feel that way.

「You are not all right. Let’s go home. Once we’re back, I’ll give you a very tight hug, so please put away those dangerous thoughts.」

　Hector choked. And the indigo-gray line vanished as well. While saying, 「No, I’m fine, so don’t worry about it」 the orange color stretched and shrank as if in anticipation, then gradually shortened as though he were restraining himself, while madder red appeared and disappeared. I could see how restless his heart was. When I saw movements like this, it truly struck me how much this person loved me. …Though I already knew perfectly well from the colors.

　My words and actions could easily change the colors of his heart. I could repaint pain and sorrow in brighter colors, but the opposite was also true. I had the power to make this person happy or unhappy.

(…The one thing I never want to do is make this person unhappy)

　So I would live carefully and remain vigilant. Because surely, I was the only one who could make Hector happy.

　We received our lamp from the gatekeeper, and all the way back to the Pharmacist’s Tower, Hector was terribly restless. Of course, it did not show on his face, but the orange line kept stretching and shrinking strangely. He was a very easy person for me to understand, so I stifled another laugh that rose in my throat. …Would it be better to truly hug him once we returned?

「Shall we prepare some warm tea before the meal arrives? Something with a calming effect would be good.」

「Yes, let’s do that. …I feel like I could use some calming down too.」

　I nodded at Hector’s joking words, even though his heart was still unsettled, and decided to brew tea with a relaxing effect.

　My healing magic itself did not affect the mind, but the effects of things I made tended to be enhanced. The relaxing effect of tea leaves I had prepared should be strong. Probably.

「Ah, it really does… calm me down.」

「I’m glad.」

　In fact, Hector’s restless prediction lines had become calm, so it must have worked.

　The prediction lines I saw were always moving, but because the movement of emotional colors reflected the movement of the heart, they appeared to extend and contract gently when the person was calm, and violently when they were not. The usual colors were lined up, and I could see no intense movement, so Hector was now back to normal.

　I also wanted to discuss Aegis, but the indigo-gray color might extend again if I did so now. First, I opened my mouth to ask his opinion about something that had occurred to me concerning Kyos.

「Today’s poison tasting… placed a burden on Prince Kyos’s heart as well. He felt guilty.」

「Ah, yeah. Kyos… shouldn’t have intended to make you eat poison. The poison tasting was only ceremonial. It was more like an excuse to let you eat luxurious food… He probably meant it as a kind of reward.」

　…Oh. I had thought it was some kind of ordeal, but apparently it had been a reward. It certainly was a feast, but the environment was hardly kind to the heart or stomach of someone like me, who was merely an ordinary citizen even among commoners, and I had nearly been too nervous to taste anything. I had never imagined it was meant as a reward.

　And if Kyos did not believe he was truly making me taste for poison, then there was a high chance that he misunderstood my ability.

「I think I should tell Prince Kyos about my power.」

「…That you can see colors?」

「Yes. His Highness may misunderstand my power… and think it is something far more convenient, like you did when we first met, Hector-san.」

　I remembered the first time we had entered the forest together. Hector had casually assumed my ability allowed me to sense danger, while I had let my guard down because I had an escort, and then a magical beast had appeared before us. At the time, it could not be helped because I had not fully trusted Hector yet, but it could be said that the danger might have been avoided if there had not been a discrepancy in our understanding.

　The same applied to Kyos. I believed there were situations that could be avoided if I explained it to him. I knew Kyos’s character, and I considered him a master I could trust. I had no hesitation about telling him about the power of the prediction lines.

「If you’ve decided, then I think it’s fine, but…」

「…You seem slightly unhappy about it. What bothers you?」

　Only a little, but reddish-purple and pale blue-green extended. A faint dissatisfaction, and in this case, the pale blue-green seemed more like possessiveness than jealousy. They disappeared with a movement as though being forced back down, so Hector himself must have considered those feelings improper and suppressed them.

「…Sorry. I just felt a little jealous… I found out by accident, but Kyos gets to have you tell him yourself. It’s silly, isn’t it?」

「I would never think your feelings are silly. Never.」

　Perhaps there was a part of him that believed his own feelings did not need to be considered. Was that why he was able to kill his own emotions so easily? If so, it was sad. Surely it was because those around him had so rarely considered how he felt.

　Hector covered his mouth with one hand as orange extended above him. His inner voice often slipped straight out of his mouth, but this time he seemed to have successfully forced the words back down. I could roughly imagine what he had almost said based on the things that usually escaped him, but he covered it with a cough and smiled.

「Thank you. You’ve always been like that. At first, that part of you was what interested me. …No, maybe it was affection. I don’t know when I started liking you.」

「Let me see… By the week after our first gathering trip into the forest, you already had the color of love. Though it was still short.」

　It was a nostalgic memory. Back then, Hector’s feelings had still been very slight and faint, closer to admiration. Now, they had grown so long that they pierced through the ceiling, and when we were indoors, I could not even see where they ended.

　At the time, I had not thought I was the object of Hector’s affection, and I had believed that love would never come true. Life truly was unpredictable.　

「From that early on? That’s somehow embarrassing. Did you know even then that I liked you?」

「No, I only realized… when you became aware of it yourself, Hector-san.」

「…You can even tell something like that. Your power really is incredible.」

　He was smiling with a composed expression, but the tips of his ears and the color above his head were rose pink. Perhaps because I was looking above him, the rose pink extended even farther. Hector was rather easily embarrassed, or perhaps he simply had a shy side. …Though this might be a reaction limited only to me. Even knowing I could tell, he still tried not to let it show on his face. Such an awkward person. Watching him naturally made my cheeks relax into a smile.

「Yeah. I agree that telling Kyos about your power would reduce the danger. I’m just worried that because he’s sharp, he might realize the truth about your magic.」

「Ah, yes. The fact that I’m a mage… is a secret shared only between us.」

　The orange line stretched the instant I said, 「a secret shared only between us.」 He was a very easy person to read.

　As he said, there was a strong possibility Kyos might realize I was a mage. No, rather, knowing Kyos, he might already have some vague suspicion. He probably did not know what kind of mage I was, but it would not be strange if he had noticed that I was a mage, or at least carried a mage’s blood. That did not mean I intended to confirm it or tell him, however.

　And I trusted that a prince like him would pretend not to notice unless I told him directly. Just as he had left me alone and allowed me to live at that pharmacy until my kidnapping caused an incident. In fact, I had the feeling he might even secretly arrange things behind the scenes to help conceal it. That was why I could safely tell Kyos about the prediction lines. …I did have a feeling he would tease me more because of it, but I would accept that as the price of having him keep my secret.

「I believe Prince Kyos would pretend not to notice even if he understood.」

「Yes, he probably would. …Still, I don’t know. I’m happy that you trust Kyos, but I also have mixed feelings about it.」

　He was glad his closest friend was trusted, but apparently jealous that his fiancée deeply trusted someone other than himself. Watching the movement of those colors, I thought he truly was hopeless. Unlike his expressions, the movements of his heart were so honest and easy to understand.

「I’m telling His Highness for your sake too, Hector-san.」

「…For my sake?」

「Yes. He is your precious closest friend, isn’t he? I want to eliminate as much danger to Prince Kyos as possible, in order to protect your heart as well. …More than anyone else, I want to make you happy.」

　Kyos was a master I could trust, but because he was someone precious to Hector, I wanted to do everything I could for him. Normally, I would never voluntarily tell anyone that I could see prediction lines.

(Ah, the orange is extending. Has the jealousy disappeared now?)

　Previously, when he asked whether I was risking danger for his sake, he had almost lost interest in me, yet now the orange color stretched with delight. It was strange. If I had answered 「for your sake」 back then, perhaps we would never have developed this kind of relationship.

　When had I begun to feel that I would do anything for Hector? Perhaps it was after I came to live in this castle. Just as the color of his love continued to grow, my feelings must also have grown deeper and greater. I could not see my own lines, but I felt certain of it.

　As for Hector, he was covering his eyes with one hand. Perhaps because he had been so shaken today, his heart seemed unusually easy to disturb.

「…I want to make you happy too, Cyril-san…」

「I am already more than happy enough… Are you going to make me even happier?」

「I’ll keep trying for the rest of my life to make that happen. I want you to be happy too.」

　A smile spilled across my face at those murmured words. If we both acted out of a desire for the other’s happiness, surely our future would not become a bad one. Even if something happened, we would be able to overcome it by working together.

　Just then, the bell signaling that dinner had been delivered rang from outside, so we began preparing our late evening meal.

　I was thoroughly hungry, and the warm food tasted wonderful. The dishes served during meals with Kyos were lavish and seemed extremely expensive, but I still felt food tasted better when I ate alone with Hector. It might have been disrespectful toward royalty, but he was the only person around whom I could truly relax.

　I wanted to enjoy that time, so I waited until we had cleared away the dishes before bringing up a topic that might spoil our appetites.

「Regarding Prince Aegis… He knew, didn’t he? About the meal.」

「…Ah, so he did. If you say so, then there’s no doubt.」

　Apparently, it was not unusual for someone to attempt to poison or assassinate Kyos. Each time, gifts of sympathy arrived from Aegis, but there had even been cases where such gifts were sent despite the incident supposedly having been handled in complete secrecy for various reasons. Members of royalty often maintained their own spies, so it would not have been strange for him to obtain information from somewhere, but Hector said he had never trusted Aegis.

　And when disgust and hostility began to appear above his head, I immediately changed the subject. As expected, discussing the Second Prince led his thoughts in a dangerous direction and was not good.

「What should I do if I want to speak privately with Prince Kyos?」

「Hm? Ah, I’ll arrange it for you. I have a feeling he’ll come flying over in delight.」

　Surely not, I nearly said, but considering that mischievous prince, it was not impossible. When I closed my mouth again after beginning to open it, Hector laughed and said, 「You don’t have to look that reluctant.」 I trusted Kyos, and though his mischievousness often tossed me about, I knew he was fundamentally a good person, and I did not dislike his personality. However, when I remembered the cheerful prediction lines that showed he was scheming something, and the smile that revealed them,

「It is not that I dislike him. …My stomach just tightens a little.」

「Kyos has taken a liking to you, Cyril-san. And probably Princess Consort Sophia too.」

　How wonderfully troublesome, honorable, it was to be liked by royalty. And the people in question were the Crown Prince and his wife. Their favor was far too much for someone of my station, enough to bring tears to my eyes.

　Well, for now, I had a means of speaking to Kyos, so that was enough. A great many things had happened today and I was tired, so we agreed to retire early.

　After checking the locks of the Pharmacist’s Tower and the devices meant to prevent intruders, it had become our habit to say goodnight and part outside my room, but.

「Well then, goodnight. I’m right next door, so don’t worry.」

　As Hector said that with a smile, a faint color of loneliness extended above his head. But this happened every time. We lived in the same building, and he was also my personal guard, so we should have spent nearly all our time together, and yet he still became lonely. …Perhaps precisely because we spent so much time together, parting felt lonely.

　While looking at his colors, I suddenly remembered something I had said I would do but had not. It was important to follow through on one’s words. Since I had remembered, I should do it.

　Hector lightly waved, intending to watch me return to my room, and I wrapped my arms around his back and hugged him. I squeezed as tightly as I could. He might already have forgotten, but he had looked expectant on the way home, so he should be pleased.

「I said I would hug you when we returned, but I never did. …Goodnight.」

　When I looked up, both Hector’s smile and his prediction lines had frozen without so much as a twitch, so I thought it might have been a little too effective. I released him and returned to my room just as I was. It would probably be easier for him to calm down if I was not there.

　Then, after closing the door, I was about to take a step toward the bathroom to prepare for a bath when a pink line suddenly appeared from above and nearly sliced me in two. I let out a short scream and bent backward.

「Cyril-san! Did something happen!?」

「Ah, no! …There is no problem.」

　I remembered that something like this had happened before. It was at the inn on the day Hector and the knights rescued me after I was kidnapped.

　After parting from Hector and closing the door, I had cried out in surprise when a line suddenly burst through. The pink line was now far longer than it had been then, emerging from one wall of the room and piercing through the opposite wall, so it had dropped down so forcefully that it seemed about to cut me apart. It did not physically interact with anything, so of course I could not truly be cut.

(…He’s still crouching in front of the door)

　The line that had nearly split me in two disappeared once when Hector called out in concern, perhaps because he had raised his head, but now it once again pierced straight through the room.

　Hector sometimes hid his face in front of me, but he had never allowed me to see him crouched down like that. A part of me wanted to open the door just a little and peek, but if it was a姿 he deliberately kept hidden from me, then I decided that would be wrong.

(Truly… what an utterly precious person)

　I gently stroked the untouchable color of love with one finger and smiled. The line should have had no warmth, yet the finger that touched it felt as though it had grown warm. Was Hector the one utterly captivated by me, or was I the one captivated by him? If I could see my own prediction lines, would I have an equally long color of love?

　The exhaustion I had felt seemed to have vanished before I knew it. I enjoyed my bath in a pleasant mood and was able to sleep comfortably.

　Though Hector, apparently, did not sleep very much. I would learn that the next morning when we saw each other again.