By Zephyria 
Since Aegis’s birthday was on a different day, we couldn’t officially celebrate Aska’s birthday. It wasn’t impossible to throw a banquet if we really wanted to, but Aska hated that idea, so we ended up celebrating just the two of us.
“Is there really nothing you want?”
I asked as I lay in bed with Aska after showering together. Aska, who had been rubbing against the soft blanket for a while, said,
“Chicken skewers.”
“Besides that.”
“Why? Then dried fruit.”
“I’ll just get something myself.”
I couldn’t understand why he wanted those as a birthday present when he could eat them any time. I felt drained and sighed, closing my eyes.
I should just give him something like a jewel.
“It seems like it won’t work even if I say it.”
Aska mumbled in a small voice. I looked at Aska with a puzzled expression.
“What is it? I can get almost anything.”
“I don’t think so.”
“What is it? Just tell me.”
If it could be bought with money, there was no way I couldn’t get it. But Aska’s expression remained skeptical.
“What is it?”
I urged him to answer, feeling frustrated, and Aska hesitated before saying,
“Then will you unconditionally grant it?”
“If it can’t be bought with money, I’ll steal it for you.”
“You’re going to steal?”
It was half a joke, but Aska’s expression twisted. I found it funny how much he hated it, so I nodded with a serious face.
“I’m quite skilled at stealing.”
“Is that something to be proud of? Why are you, a member of the Imperial Family, so skilled at stealing?”
“Who’s going to say anything if I want it? Anyway, just tell me what you want. I’ll get it for you somehow.”
“Can you swear?”
I couldn’t help but pause at his cautious question. What on earth was he going to ask for that required an oath? Or did he perhaps have some other ulterior motive?
I stared at Aska for a moment before nodding.
I was suspicious, but I was curious to know what he would ask me for as a birthday present.
“Promise.”
Aska held out his pinky finger in front of my face. I intertwined my finger with his slender finger and made a promise, and Aska’s expression brightened.
“Let’s play outside all day.”
“…….”
“We stopped playing halfway last time we went out. So this time, let’s really eat delicious things, play games, and have fun from morning till night. Let’s also play hide-and-seek or tag.”
Aska’s face began to flush as if he was excited just imagining it. I watched him silently before asking.
“That’s what you want?”
“Yeah. It’s my birthday, so I can do whatever I want, right?”
“Which country’s law says you can do whatever you want because it’s your birthday?”
Aska laughed at my bewildered question.
“I just made it up?”
“That’s not a present…….”
As I muttered with a sigh, Aska grabbed my arm.
“You promised and swore, so no take-backs now.”
I didn’t expect him to just want to go out and play. And what was with hide-and-seek or tag……. He really was like a child.
But since it was his birthday, which only came once a year, I decided to grant his wish.
“Okay. But I don’t like hide-and-seek.”
“Why?”
I didn’t like the idea of Aska hiding somewhere without me knowing. Just thinking about it made me feel unpleasant, but I didn’t want to say it directly.
“You can find me no matter where I hide anyway.”
Aska clicked his tongue briefly at my frown.
“But it’s not the festival season now, so there won’t be as many things to do as last time we went out.”
“Aren’t the restaurants open? We only ate things sold on the street last time, so let’s go inside and eat this time.”
No matter where we ate or what we ate, it couldn’t be more delicious than what we ate here anyway.
“Do you know any famous restaurants? Let’s go to all of them while we’re out.”
“How can we go to all of them?”
“Why can’t we? We can go here, then go there, and then go there too.”
What kind of pig is he?
I poked his soft cheek, which had become plumper than when I first met him, with my fingertip. Aska brushed my arm away as if it were annoying and his eyes sparkled like a child on the day before a picnic.
“When we’re full, we can eat one thing and then walk around until we’re a little less full, and then go eat again.”
“Is there nothing else you want to do besides eat?”
“Climb trees, catch rabbits in the mountains, swim in the stream. And I want to try fishing too. I also want to ride a horse, build a sandcastle, and have a sword fight.”
“Sword fight?”
The other things were fine, but what was with the sword fight? And building a sandcastle was a bit strange too.
“Fighting with wooden swords.”
“Do you want to fight with me?”
“Just play fighting. Haven’t you ever done that?”
Was he talking about sparring? I tilted my head and asked.
“What do you mean by building a sandcastle?”
“It’s easy to make shapes if you pour water on the sand. When it gets a little hard, you make a castle. You can make a castle, or you can make something else.”
It seemed like he was making things out of sand like carving wood or stone. Was it more similar to making pottery out of clay? Anyway, it seemed like he wanted to do a lot of things, from fighting to art.
“Okay, you can do whatever you want. And you can do those things whenever you want, not just on your birthday.”
“You told me not to go out and stay in the room. You always go out and play by yourself.”
“…….”
It was that again. I felt like I was getting calluses on my ears just from hearing it.
Now that the Greenhouse was completed, he could play there as much as he wanted. I was going to tell him, but I thought he would be more surprised if I showed him tomorrow, so I just kept my mouth shut.
“I don’t get caught by anyone even if I go out anyway…….”
“How can you be so sure? It’s already too late when you get caught. So you have to prevent it in advance. And the magic is gone, so you have to be extra careful than before.”
Aska suddenly held out his hand at my serious words.
“Then put it back on now.”
“Not now.”
“Why? Are you afraid I’ll undo it again? I’ll never undo it again. I didn’t know what I was doing back then.”
Aska said with a serious expression, but I didn’t really trust him. He might say that now, but if he panicked or if another problem arose, he would prioritize his own judgment.
Besides, my physical condition wasn’t very good for using magic.
“…….”
But this was just my intuition. I was uneasy, but if a problem did arise, wouldn’t it be okay if Aska, the miracle cure, was by my side?
He saved me even after I vomited so much blood…….
I hesitated for a moment before saying.
“Then I’ll use magic again now, so don’t you ever undo it without my permission.”
“Okay. If I ever undo the magic against your will again, then you can slap me across the face.”
Aska’s expression was serious. I ignored the talk about slapping and raised my upper body. Then Aska sat up, following me. I looked at Aska, who was kneeling with a determined expression, and held out my hand.
As soon as Aska placed his hand on mine, I gathered Mana. No, just as I was about to, Aska suddenly flinched in surprise and pulled his body back.
“Wait.”
“Why?”
I was flustered by his surprised face and asked, and Aska changed his words.
“Just don’t do it.”
“What? You told me to do it?”
“I have a bad feeling.”
“Suddenly?”
“Let’s not do it. Something feels strange.”
If even Aska felt that way, then it seemed like I definitely shouldn’t do it. But I had already decided to use magic even though I knew it was ominous, so I ignored those words.
I moved Mana to use a very simple magic that created a small flame on my palm, not the Sealing Magic that required the other person’s consent.
“Hey!”
Aska’s expression twisted in an instant as if he sensed something. Before I could react to the sharp, scream-like call that pierced my eardrums, something hot surged up my throat.
“…….”
I couldn’t spit out the fishy substance that filled my mouth, nor could I swallow it, and I just frowned, and Aska slapped my back hard.
“What are you doing, you crazy bastard! I told you not to do it!”
“…….”
“Spit it out!”
“…….”
My esophagus and stomach throbbed so much that I got goosebumps, just like when I first vomited blood. Every time I felt the tingling, sharp pain, my fine hairs stood on end.
I staggered to my feet and headed to the bathroom, and Aska followed behind me, nagging.
“Why are you doing it when I told you not to?”
“…….”
“Why don’t you listen to me? Don’t you ever tell me that you don’t listen to me again, you disobedient little frog.”
“…….”
As soon as I barely arrived at the bathroom with my wobbly legs, I spat out all the blood that had filled my mouth.
“Ah, shit…….”
I cursed because it was too painful. Aska sighed beside me.
“Don’t curse.”
“Ugh…….”
I was about to tell him not to copy what I said, but blood surged up again. I was in so much pain, but Aska kept chattering beside me.