WNC 315

Since I began to cherish Ruben, there had been no shortage of unfamiliar things, but had there ever been anything like this? Astonished, I couldn’t find words. It was difficult to control my expression, so I tightly closed my mouth that had been slightly agape.

As the child tried to burrow into my arms again, I sat up completely.

I couldn’t just indulge him in something like this. What was I to do? I was so confused that my vision blurred.

The spot just beside my left Adam’s apple, where the child’s breath had touched me, still tingled. He had bitten me so lightly that there shouldn’t be any marks, yet my bitten spot still felt numb from how surprised I was. I slowly rubbed the spot my hand had touched and swallowed a gasp.

“⋯Why do you keep doing that⋯.”

“You don’t like it?”

“⋯.”

But then again, how was I supposed to scold him for this?

I should have stopped him from the very beginning. It was my fault for not stopping him at first, simply because he was cute. As I hesitantly met his gaze, his black, shiny eyes looked so pitiful again that my heart ached.

Should I offer my hand to him to bite again? As I looked down at the child lying there demurely, he took my hand. I let him lead me, and he rested his nose on the back of my hand, his shallow breaths making him look pathetic.

⋯My hand. Yes, my hand is fine. I didn’t push him away and just watched. Ruben, who had narrowed his brow in deep thought, let out a soft sigh.

“Perhaps. ⋯Perhaps, I’m asking just in case, Mika.”

“Yes.”

“⋯Perhaps.”

“Please, tell me.”

What was he trying to say? I tensed up with him and quietly observed Ruben’s face.

Ruben couldn’t continue speaking right away. He tightly closed and opened his eyes, sighing heavily. It was a small comfort that he didn’t let go of my wrist, which he had tightly clasped. I held my breath and waited for a long time.

Ruben leaned his forehead against my palm and rubbed it. His forehead was damp with sweat.

Avoiding my gaze, Ruben finally, barely, managed to squeeze out his voice.

“⋯Perhaps, do you have no libido⋯. At all?”

“Excuse me?”

What?

What on earth was he thinking with that little head of his? I was so dumbfounded that I couldn’t reply and just stared. I replayed what I had heard a few more times, but I still couldn’t answer.

Did he even know he was saying something he shouldn’t? His furtive glances at me were both annoying and amusing. I finally managed to reply.

“You say the strangest things.”

“⋯Isn’t that it?”

“⋯.”

“But, we sleep together like this every day⋯. I like you, and you like me, so then⋯.”

I didn’t stop his sigh.

Well, of course⋯. It was understandable that he would think that. My desire to cherish my child and not want to be separated from him had made me act too excessively. I pinched the bridge of his straight nose between my index and middle fingers, then released it, before he could utter any more mischievous words.

His gaze, which looked up at me with clear, dark eyes without even letting out a sound of pain, felt sinful to look at, so I averted my eyes. I stopped him from saying anything more with a wave of my hand and, after thinking for a moment, stood up.

“⋯Ruben is right.”

“⋯Huh?”

“I seem to have thought too⋯. lightly about sharing a bed with Ruben. Even if it’s not between a man and a woman, affection is affection, so it’s not right to act like this.”

“No, that’s not, that’s not what I meant.”

If I were to fall head over heels for Ruben’s cuteness right now, it would lead to repeated trouble in the future. I deliberately acted more sternly. He was so lovely and sweet that I had unknowingly become lax.

I pushed Ruben, who was trying to get up, back onto the bed, pulled the blanket up to his shoulders, and patted him.

“⋯Mikaa.”

“Absolutely not before marriage⋯.”

“Then after marriage?”

“⋯.”

Hmmph.

I couldn’t help but pause, unable to answer. Seeing my reaction, the child stopped struggling to get up and his eyes lit up. He smiled brightly, as white as a cosmos flower. My ear tips involuntarily burned hot.

Why was he looking at me with such a smug, beast-like face?

I hadn’t offered anything as food yet. He sat there like a guard dog with a large chunk of meat, wagging his tail furiously, which was absurd.

As I stared blankly, Ruben stealthily pulled my wrist. He bit and released the tip of my index finger once, then my middle finger once. My toes curled involuntarily, and I couldn’t even breathe properly.

After whining a couple more times, the child let go of my hand and quickly lowered his eyes again, feigning pitifulness. At a distance close enough for his warm breath to reach my fingertips, he murmured in a small voice.

“If that’s the case⋯. I like it. Sleep well, Mika.”

“⋯Yes. Good night⋯.”

Like it, my foot.

I ran to my room like a dog with its tail on fire.

In the end, I didn’t even get to hear what I should give him for his birthday. What was I to do? I needed to arrive in Sierren before Ruben’s birthday to withdraw my battlefield funds.

I stayed up all night with various worries, but I didn’t feel tired.

❖ ❖ ❖

The second Monday in October.

Early in the morning, all three Ranunculuses returned with complete replies.

Uncle Valentia informed me that the southern part of the Empire remained mild with no major incidents. This year’s harvest was as abundant as in previous years, so everyone in the Duke Valentia Family was leisurely enjoying their accumulated food and wealth.

The only peculiar event he mentioned was that fish, which originally lived further north, had all migrated south and then died in large numbers because they couldn’t withstand the warm water temperature.

Duke Withrow was greatly surprised and advised me to return to the ducal family’s residence as soon as possible. He said that although the plan wasn’t originally aimed at the Second Prince, the internal situation of Owen seemed to be more chaotic than he had realized, making him uneasy.

However, he worried that if I returned, I would have to stay within the ducal castle for a while, as there weren’t many troops at the Duke Withrow Family’s residence.

He also mentioned that several more Aventa Bumps had been discovered in the Yuil Mountains, and one of them had been found early, allowing them to successfully use Tracking magic, just as we had.

However, the Black magician who read it was identified as a very small woman, presumed to be a higher Circle magician. Unfortunately, her whereabouts were uncertain.

The Ranunculus from the Sierran Empire’s capital arrived carrying Lucilla’s voice.

“What? Kidnapped? You’re crazy, crazy! You’re really going on all sorts of adventures. When are you planning to come back? Are you planning to come back as a Sword Master? My mother will eat me alive if I don’t!”

Mimicking the hearty laugh, closer to a ‘kwol-kwol’ than a ‘kkall-kkall,’ the Ranunculus fluttered its wings.

From the Ranunculus, which pushed its fluffy chest fur forward and flapped its wings up and down, Lucilla’s expression seemed clear.

A few feathers even fell from its powerful wingbeats.

“The First Prince is really putting on a show right now, it’s hard to watch. The other day, he was sobbing while holding Lady Kiadris’s wrist on the 32nd street where everyone could see! ‘Don’t say such sad things.’ What? Richard? He’s not himself! That’s not his personality!”

She also mentioned that gossip about the First Prince was still ongoing.

“There’s almost no talk of Black magicians in the capital. All the gossip magazines are filled with Richard, Yeldidus, and Kiadris every single day. If this was also a planned act, then they’re either smart or something. That’s why even with the uproar happening right above them, more people are unaware.”

“⋯.”

“Still, there are no Mutated Monsters lurking near the capital. The Duke Grimsbein Family is also surprisingly holding their ground well⋯. They have numbers, but most of them are small to medium-sized monsters, so they don’t seem threatening? I checked with informants just in case, but there wasn’t even a speck of talk about Black Magic.”

She also mentioned the absence of any remnants of Black Magic in the capital.

However, the most interesting and puzzling part was the next piece of news.

“Because their actions were so funny and strange, I met with Hestia separately. And she told me this: if she wanted something, she wouldn’t have acted like this towards the First Prince.”

“⋯As expected.”

As expected, what?

The Ranunculus continued speaking, unbothered by Ruben’s involuntary gasp.

“So I asked her what she wanted so badly, and she said I didn’t need to know. She said she’d tell me when I returned. Seeing that, it seems Yeldidus isn’t entirely on the First Prince’s side either⋯. I don’t know what they promised him to cause such a fuss. Are they planning to backstab him?”

“⋯.”

“Anyway, that’s all I know. Just in case, I checked on our pink friends, but they all seemed fine. The only unusual thing was that Jenny or whatever her name is, beat all the administrative staff with alcohol and became the leader? She’s been going to a lot of company dinners lately.”

Pfft. Marianne covered her mouth with one hand.

When Ruben and Lucilla talked about me⋯. Did they call me pink?

It was natural for them to share personal stories, being siblings. It felt strange and awkward. I was curious about what Ruben had told Lucilla about me, but I pretended not to know and let it pass.

It was good to hear that Jenny was doing well. I would find out the news about the others once I went to Sierren. The chattering Ranunculus shivered and quickly flew to my hand.

“End! That’s all!”

“Alright.”

I readily fed it my aura.

The light green fur on its chest gradually turned a deeper green, which was very cute. I tried to touch it, but it nipped my finger. After a few more casual playful touches, I coaxed the Ranunculus.

Marianne, who had been watching with a smile, stretched her arms high above her head and yawned.

“Hearing about the situation, it’s better to just go to Sierren. You can stay in Withrow for a bit to assess the situation, or return to the capital.”

“If all else fails, we’ll have to split up the personnel again or hire more people.”

“It’s a shame we couldn’t properly tour Owen.”

While Hugh Benson scratched his head with a bored expression, Benjamin made a pointless remark.

Indeed. Owen was a place with many strangely shaped beasts and exotic buildings and decorations. Now that I had regained my composure, I regretted most that Ruben, hidden behind a veil, hadn’t been able to enjoy them properly.

I was also worried about the Sword Master I had secured as a witness. The woman captured without even needing Marianne’s Tracking magic hadn’t escaped. Due to the fabricated excuse of having twelve guards, I couldn’t take her with me as a hostage on the way to Sierren.

When Tedros asked to entrust her safety to some informants, I agreed. However, I sternly warned him to be careful, as she might harm someone if she tried to escape.

And so, disguised as before, we left the mansion under the cover of night on Monday.

[Why! Are you! Coming out now!]

“What? No, what are you talking about.”

[You promised! You promised! Why are you coming out now!]

The greatly angered Spirit rushed into my arms.