TVIOWHFW 46

I was surprised by the fact that I had said such words myself.

“Are you really mine?”

But John didn’t get flustered; instead he asked me.

“Then isn’t it so?”

“That’s…”

I had never once thought of John as mine. In the first place, I hadn’t even imagined that I could take something for myself.

‘Even if you did, it wouldn’t truly become yours.’

John lowered his long lashes and whispered sweetly.

“Of course, you’re mine.”

John’s thumb slowly brushed near my wrist.

“As if you’re mine.”

My hair stood on end. His big hand slowly cupped mine and softly stroked the inside of my slender fingers.

It was a gesture that stimulated the imagination. Red eyes filled with strange longing, a deep, almost hazy, low voice.

“You should have assumed as natural that way. Isn’t that right?”

“I’m in a different position than John.”

We’d only held hands so far. Yet somehow John seemed to caress my entire body. I steadied my racing heart and pulled my hand away from his.

“That’s probably being too greedy…”

“Why can’t I be greedy?”

John spoke as if it were nothing.

“Be greedier with me.”

In that moment, the red eyes I met looked like flames burning me.

‘How could I be greedy…’+

John was someone who should have been completely off-limits to me. He was the one who could ruin me. Yet John didn’t just unlock the bolt on my heart; he awakened a hidden, unknown desire.

“Is that okay?”

My eyes grew moist. His firm fingers brushed against my eyes.

“From now on, don’t ask for permission and do whatever you want. It doesn’t matter if it looks bad, or if you think you might cause harm.”

“…”

“I’m not the kind of person who would hate you for that.”

John tilted his head and lightly pressed his lips to my eye.

“I think I end up liking you more the more you do that.”

Among all the lies and deception around, the John who touched me felt real.

“Because you’re so pretty when you do.”

~·~·*· . ·*· . ·*· . ·*·~·~

Fortunately, I avoided having John wash me.

‘…Instead, there’s a condition that John will have to wash my injured foot on the way down.’

I endured Betty’s bath service, nodding. John wasn’t easy to deal with, after all.

‘He’ll concede to everything, but in the end, he gets what he wants.’

That thought crossed my mind for a moment.

‘But what’s so great about washing my feet anyway…’

I found myself staring at my feet, and an absurd image formed: John tightly grabbing my ankles and slowly rising his lips…

‘Stop thinking that!’

Betty, who was helping bathe me, asked.

“Madam. Is the water temperature okay? It’s very hot.”

“No! It’s fine!”

This was all because John kept saying strange things.

“I guess I got a little tense, thinking we’d do a proper examination.”

Come to think of it, now might not be the time for such thoughts.

‘John might figure out I’m a fairy.’

The tree had said there wasn’t a way to reveal that. But wasn’t it possible that someone would figure it out?

Magic is, after all, a discipline that makes the impossible possible, so I couldn’t be sure.

Then the tree spoke first.

-Today is the day you said you’d do what you mentioned, right?

-Yes, that’s right.

Until now, I had tried not to converse with the trees in front of John as much as possible. John, with his extraordinary talent, might notice.

‘Good. I can do this.’

Before long, bath time ended, and I arrived in front of John’s laboratory.

“John. I’ll go inside.”

When I entered the lab, John greeted me. He wore a white coat as usual, with a uniform cap on his head.

‘Does it look like a military cap?’

When I looked at his cap, he slightly removed the uniform cap and smiled.

‘There’s something different about him…’

Because of this new appearance, my face felt hot. John narrowed his eyes and didn’t miss the moment.

“Do you like how I look?”

“Oh, I was just looking at the hat, it’s interesting.”

“Hm. Do you not like it?”

John’s mouth drooped as if disappointed, and I suddenly felt like I had committed a sin.

“That, um, wasn’t it…”

“If it’s not that, then it’s fine. To assist with the upcoming examination, you’ll need to wear this for a while.”

“Do you need a hat or something?”

“It’s a magical tool, you know.”

John squinted at me.

“I can change it to something else that suits your taste, if you want?”

“I really don’t have such things.”

John reluctantly put the hat back on and led me further into the lab.

‘The lab doesn’t feel like a lab.’

I wasn’t a regular visitor to labs, but the image I had in mind was different. It looked more like a garden, with elegant thorny trees stretching into shaded corners.

“I think magic research is very different from what I imagined. I expected lots of experimental tools and such.”

“If you go to the other side, there are places like that too.”

This lab seemed larger than I thought. At the end of the thorny-tree path, there was a white gauze curtain. An ornate white marble pillar stood in the center, crowned with a semi-circular glass roof with vintage patterns. On the top of the central pillar sat a transparent crystal ball.

‘That crystal ball seems to be a magical tool.’

Black magic circles were drawn beneath the pillar, centered on the crystal ball.

‘If I just follow the plan…’

Earlier, the primary doctor, Henry, had encountered a damaged magical tool during an examination.

The tree had told me:

-You are a child of a god, so you can inadvertently damage things that contain a portion of chaos.

-As your power restores, it will likely happen more.

This examination would likely involve John using magic; otherwise they’d use a magical tool. It looked like the crystal ball was used to measure… so I prepared a plan.

-When measuring, try to use the fairy’s power. While you’re using it, you’ll slip out of the magical tool and might not be detected externally.

-How can you use fairy power?

-The simplest way is to always keep talking with us.

-When you talk, does it use fairy power?

-Yes. You unconsciously use fairy power. It’s not a heavy burden, though.

John patted my shoulder and said:

“Don’t be so tense. It won’t hurt at all.”

“Of course.”

Then I felt something soft near my ankle.

‘A tail?’

I hadn’t noticed when it appeared.

A black leopard demon, with shiny black fur, formidable build, and red eyes that looked very demon-like, approached gracefully in front of me.

Several leopard demons came forward elegantly.

“These are the ones who guard my laboratory.”

“Are they monsters?”

“They’re variations of animals and demons. They’re tricky to tame, but not impossible.”

I clung to John’s hand, recalling the previous attack by a demon. John smiled with a suggestive look.

“However they don’t like people much. Be careful not to get bitten.”

“Is it okay to keep them like this?”

“At least they know that attacking me would be fatal, so don’t worry.”

Then one particularly large demon with a star-like pattern on its forehead stepped forward. It looked like the leader of these leopard demons.

‘What are they going to do?’

Suddenly the demon bowed deeply, even wagging its tail toward me.

“Pet me?”

The leopard demon nodded.

Even though it was huge, it was endearing how much it resembled a cat. I slowly placed my hand on its head and petted it. The leopard demon closed its eyes, purring with pleasure.

I praised its belly and even kissed the star-like mark on its forehead. The leopard demon rolled over, showing its belly and inviting more strokes.

The other demons watched, then came closer, nudging their jaws against my lap as if asking to be noticed too.

John whispered from a distance with a mischievous smile:

“These guys aren’t bad.”

When I stopped stroking, the two demons on my knees pushed their heads into my hands, wanting more.

Other demons also approached, watching those two and sniffing at me.

“Do you like these guys?” John asked with a sheepish smile.

“I can see why you’re keeping them. They’re so affectionate.”

The one that had been on my knee pressed its head into my hand more insistently, wanting to be petted.

“John, what are these demons’ names?”

“They don’t have names. Demons don’t like giving themselves names… but a mistress might like to name them.”

“Really?”

When I looked at the demons again, they pricked up their ears and eyes brightly, as if to say, “I’m sure you’ve never seen me before.”

John, watching my indulgence with the demons, asked:

“If you like them so much, should I bring one into the mansion as well?”

I had been tense a moment ago, but the leopard demon’s presence eased me.

“Then just one. I think it would be nice to have one.”

Now it was really time for the examination to begin.

I stepped away from the fawning demons and stood before the crystal ball, raising my hand.

Wiiing—

Something dark trembled inside the crystal ball.

‘It’s going to be damaged after all!’

It’s completely dark now! I hurriedly spoke to the trees.

-It’s really going to break. Please say anything immediately.

-Really anything?

-Yes! I’m too nervous to think of anything right now.

-Very well, then as promised. Ahem.

The tree cleared its throat and asked in a low voice:

-Didn’t you promise to give us fertilizer before you descend to the ground?

-Oh, yes. I did.

-But the gardener didn’t spread enough fertilizer.

-Of course it’s not because we used the blessing of summer that you’re exhausted.

The tree’s voice grew sad.

-You don’t have to do that. We don’t expect any reward. You can keep using the fertilizer you’ve had.

-If we go up, I’ll tell the gardener straight away.

-No. Don’t worry. You’re having a hard time already. It’s not a problem if we don’t put out that kind of fertilizer.

-Well, I’ll do it.

They kept asking for anything you could say, but this wasn’t right.

-After all, what we use in the Blanite Duchy is used by other noble houses as well; there’s something better, you see…

-I don’t want to impose on you. But—

From a distance, John had come in from outside the gauze curtain.

“Estelle!”

“Huh?”

He grabbed my shoulder with a pale face.

“Do you know who’s right in front of you now?”

“Who? John?”

I tilted my head. John pressed his throat and hugged me tightly.

“That’s right, I’m right beside you. Don’t forget.”

John looked so tender and sad that I blinked.

‘Did I say something strange without realizing it?’

A faint crackle—static electricity—appeared on the crystal ball I was holding.

“Ah!”

As I released the crystal ball, a noticeable surge of electricity ran through the room. A heavy thudding noise grew louder and louder.

‘I was so distracted by John that I missed talking with the trees!’

-Could there be a problem if I briefly lose contact with them?

-We don’t know.

The trees had been irresponsible.

-We told you. It’s a way to drain fairy power as much as possible, but we can’t tell what your condition is now.

-But still…

Magical tools are very expensive. If something like John’s possession of a lab item would be hard to obtain even if you paid for it.

“Is it my fault?”

“No.”

John didn’t even look at my face and patted my back. Meanwhile, not only the pillar with the crystal ball but also the surrounding gauze sprouted white flowers I hadn’t seen before. Soon the white petals tinted red like blood.

‘Hiempathia (the Flower of Peace)?’

I didn’t know how I recognized that flower.

‘I feel like I’ve seen this somewhere before…’

“Estelle.”

John’s red eyes trembled greatly at the sight of the Peace Flower.

“You don’t have to pretend to be okay.”

There’s nothing wrong, but John’s gaze looked utterly devastated.

“Is the blooming of the flower an omen of misfortune?”

Should I pretend to be in pain as well?

Then John hugged me tightly. My eyes rolled again.

‘It wasn’t nothing after all!’

“No. It’s not an ominous omen. It happens like that sometimes.”

“I’m glad I didn’t break it. That’s a relief.”

I smiled and plucked a Peacemaker flower.

‘It looks ominous, but…’

Judging something by its appearance alone is a bad habit.

“I really like this flower. It resembles John’s eyes.”

“My eyes?”

“Yes. Sometimes it becomes lighter than this, but I also like it when it’s this dark.”

Saying that, the flower indeed seemed more beautiful to me.

“Sometimes it’s a little sad or scary, but when I feel that it’s John’s true feelings, I like it because we’ve become closer.”

“How do you do that?”

For a moment John seemed overwhelmed, but he quickly curled a corner of his mouth into a soft smile.

“Is it so charming that I could get angry?”

“Am I charming?”

When I looked at him with hopeful eyes, he pushed me against the lab wall with his body, trapping me between the wall and himself. His forehead touched mine.

A soft, deep gaze looked down at me.

~·~·*· . ·*· . ·*· . ·*·~·~

John held Estelle tight.

‘Estelle’s magic doesn’t flow easily.’

But this gazebo was an apparatus made with that possibility in mind. That’s why they brought her here.

‘Is it because she resists magic too much?’

That would mean magic couldn’t cure Estelle.

‘To let go like this, you…’

Estelle asked John.

“I didn’t do anything wrong, did I?”

She kept asking what she did wrong, apologizing. The suspicion that Estelle had been abused grew stronger.

‘The crystal ball’s color is turning darker.’

The crystal ball expresses the current state.

‘Black means pain.’

She is experiencing pain even a machine could never express.

‘Yet how can she smile like that—’

At that moment Estelle’s expression, while holding the crystal ball, looked strange. Her brow slightly contorted, as if she was struggling.

“I’ll do it as you want…”

John’s heart dropped to his stomach.

Could it be.

~·~·*· . ·**##^^##**· . ·*·~·~

Hey there, It’s Green Rose 😉

Since I human I might have make some mistakes while translating so please if you find them let me know here in the comments or in the Discord group so I can correct them and be careful in the future so they do not repeat.

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

~~~Next Chapter~~~

Next chapter will be released Tomorrow.

See you then!!