Chapter 40
“Why?”
“…Why what?”
“Why were you looking for me?”
“Excuse me?”
Cheian ran a hand roughly through his tangled hair and let out a long sigh.
Was that seriously a question right now?
“You—you went outside even though you knew this place was under the Black Forest’s influence? Are you out of your mind?”
“So what does that have to do with you?”
“What do you mean, what does it—of course it’s…!”
Of course… of course what?
“……”
Cheian suddenly lost his words and pressed his lips shut.
Now that she’d asked him so bluntly, he couldn’t even think of what to say.
“Yeah, exactly?”
Why had he run around like a madman looking for her in the first place?
“Hey!”
But a moment later, he felt a strange sense of injustice and glared at her again.
Hadn’t they gotten pretty close? How many cups of tea had he mooched off her by now?
Wasn’t it natural for them to worry about each other by this point? Seriously?
“Wow, unbelievable!”
As his thoughts built up, his frustration spilled straight out of his mouth.
‘What are you, Yuliani? Why’s your lip sticking out like that?’
Watching him pout like a sulky kid, Seres shook her head lightly.
Annoying. And yet—how can someone his age still look good even when he’s pouting?
“Sit down. I’ll give you some tea.”
“…Tea?”
“Yeah.”
To be honest, she was kind of grateful.
She knew perfectly well why he’d been looking for her. Still, she’d pretended not to know out of awkwardness.
“…For free?”
“If you don’t want it, forget it.”
“No! I’ll drink it!”
Cheian’s mood flipped instantly, a bright smile blooming across his face.
That grin, flashing his teeth—how could it be that charming?
“With lots of honey!”
“……”
Strange, isn’t it? He has a real knack for getting on my nerves, but somehow, I can’t bring myself to hate him.
And yet…
Whenever she looked at him, someone else’s face would come to mind.
Was it because he was also a Tower Master? Or were all Tower Masters this… bright?
“Our Arti used to smile beautifully, too.”
He’d known how pretty he was, and he’d always worn that same easy, playful smile. Kainel used to complain about it constantly.
“Drink.”
“Okay!”
As Cheian took a sip of tea—loaded with honey—and smiled softly, Seres gazed at him for a moment.
Feeling her stare, he tilted his head curiously.
“What?”
“What what?”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I was wondering when you’d ask.”
“Ask what?”
“The defensive stone.”
She’d expected that to be his first question the moment he arrived.
The defensive stone he’d received from the butler, Collin.
She even had an excuse ready.
‘I’ll just say I picked it up on the road.’
That sounded reasonable enough, right? What could she say to that—prove he didn’t?
She’d lost her magic stone on the road, hadn’t she? Who’s to say she couldn’t find a defensive stone the same way?
“If I ask, will you tell me?”
“Yeah.”
“Honestly?”
“No.”
“……”
Cheian’s face went blank for a moment.
How could she say that so confidently!?
“Ha.”
That’s a talent too, honestly.
He couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head.
“That’s why I’m not gonna ask.”
It’d be ridiculous to pry when she wasn’t going to tell the truth anyway.
“But… can you answer one thing?”
“What is it?”
“Do you… have a magician you’re close to?”
“You.”
“……”
At her casual gesture toward him, his eyes widened and he nervously rubbed the corner of his mouth to keep from smiling.
“Besides me.”
“…I did. A long time ago.”
“Who? Are they still part of the Tower?”
“They’re dead.”
“What?”
“They’re dead.”
“Oh…”
The hand at his mouth dropped quietly.
The blue stone, the defensive stone… were they from that person too?
Cheian had a dozen questions, but he kept his mouth shut.
Seres looked calm—too calm—as she said it. That composure stopped him from speaking.
It was like her calmness itself was a shield, warning him not to touch an old wound.
He still owed her for the defensive stone, but right now… it was better not to say anything at all.
“Over here!”
“Hurry!”
“They say people from House Ellesia have arrived!”
While he sat there awkwardly sweating through the silence, commotion broke out outside the shop.
Peeking out, he saw crowds rushing in one direction. Many of them were injured.
“So they’ve finally come.”
“…House Ellesia?”
“Yeah.”
The cleanup had been fast, but given the location, plenty of people had still been injured in the monster attack.
Every healer in the capital was working to treat patients.
And now, finally, even the Ellesia Count’s house had sent people.
“Honestly, those people are so slow.”
Cheian clicked his tongue, clearly unimpressed.
It was obvious he didn’t think highly of House Ellesia.
“They take the most government funding too.”
“Really? Maybe they get more because they’re more skilled.”
“What’s the point of skill if regular people think they’re trash?”
“……”
“All they care about is money—leeches, the lot of them.”
Smack!
“Ah!”
Cheian blinked dumbly as Seres’ hand struck his forehead.
“Why did you hit me?”
“Oh—sorry. Reflex.”
It really was. Her hand had just moved on its own… when he badmouthed House Ellesia.
Sorry. It’s pure instinct.
“Geez…”
“…Hey, I’m the one who got hit. Why are you cursing?”
“I don’t know. I’m just irritated.”
Frowning deeply, Seres looked down at her hand.
Why did it bother her so much, hearing that? What did House Ellesia have to do with her anyway?
This must be a sickness.
It pissed her off.
It grated on her.
Those bastards—why were they the ones being cursed out like this?
Thud!
“Seres? Where are you going?”
“…To check just how much of a mess this so-called disaster has become.”
“What?”
Yeah. Time to see just how bad it really was, huh?
* * *
“Next.”
“Um… Healer, my mother still seems to be having trouble breathing…”
“She’s old. The treatment’s finished. Don’t you see all the people waiting behind you?”
“But still…”
“Next!”
At the irritated shout, the man supporting his frail mother quietly stepped aside.
Even taking a single step looked difficult for her—her breathing was ragged and shallow.
In the temporary clinic, the line of patients waiting for their turn stretched endlessly.
After the Black Forest incident, the place was overflowing with the injured.
“Next.”
And the area most crowded of all—was, of course, the one staffed by healers from House Ellesia.
If they were going to wait anyway, everyone wanted treatment from the best, even if it meant a longer line.
“Please, Healer—how’s my child?”
“……”
“He’s going to be okay, right? Please…”
The man’s face twisted in fear as he looked down at his son, whose fingertips had turned black.
Just a drop of Bakura’s poison had splashed on him—and this was the result.
Would his son never use his hand again?
“We’ll have to amputate up to the wrist.”
“…What?”
“The necrosis has already spread too far.”
“N-Necrosis? D-do we have to do that right now?”
“Yes.”
“There’s… there’s no other way?”
The man’s face drained of color.
In seconds, a storm of thoughts tore through his mind.
His son was still so young. Was he supposed to live the rest of his life without a hand? And he had to decide now?
And not just the fingertips—they had to cut all the way to the wrist?
“Healer, please—there must be some other way—”
“Next.”
“…What?”
“Next patient.”
“W-wait! The treatment isn’t finished yet!”
“If you don’t like my method, go somewhere else.”
“What—! I just needed time to think! Please—”
“Next!”
The man, denied even a moment to decide, stood there helplessly, holding his son.
He wanted to beg, but the healer didn’t even spare him a glance.
Tears welled in his eyes as he held his child tighter.
Smack!
“Ugh!”
That was when it happened.
The healer, who hadn’t even looked up at the departing patient, suddenly let out a grunt of pain.
