HDBMTD 54

~Chapter 54~

After Tita left, I took a matchbox out of my pocket.

I had secretly taken it from the windowsill on the way back earlier — probably for lighting a lamp.

‘I need to find out what Nocturne is thinking.’

It was already a headache that I went through the trouble of drinking poison only to survive, but the bigger problem was Nocturne’s mental state.

A powerful S-rank Eshape being mentally unstable is a huge threat in itself.

I wasn’t trying to act like Nocturne’s partner, but the situation turning out this way was largely my fault.

I hadn’t expected Nocturne to break down so much just because I nearly died. I thought he could still clearly tell me and Aria apart.

It was because I hadn’t fully understood how deep Aria’s death had wounded him.

‘If I want to fix this, I first need to know what Nocturne wants.’

It had been a while since I last looked at fire, so I was a bit nervous.

My body wasn’t in great shape, but there didn’t seem to be a problem with using my ability. The situation was urgent enough that taking a small hit to my health would be worth it.

I held a match in my hand and struck it against the rough strip.

Tick.

But no flame appeared. Even after trying several times, the match head just wore down.

Tick, tick, tick.

I tried another match, but it was the same.

‘Is this defective?’

Maybe I had taken something damp. Frowning, I tried more carefully, and this time a small flame flickered to life.

Whoosh.

But before I could even be happy, it went out, leaving only a thin trail of smoke.

“…?”

The way it went out seemed strange — like it had been pressed down by a hand.

Just as I was feeling suspicious, I heard the click of the hospital room door opening.

“Patient.”

The moment I heard that voice, I knew exactly who had taken my flame away.

“You shouldn’t play with fire in a hospital. It’s dangerous.”

With a quiet voice, Nocturne stepped into the room.

His black hair was neatly combed back, his white shirt sleeves rolled up to the elbows. I looked up at him and said calmly,

“Looks like you’re finally in the mood to talk, Duke.”

“If you put it that way, it sounds like I was avoiding the conversation.”

Nocturne set his bag down next to my bed. I narrowed my eyes at him.

‘You were avoiding it.’

Instead of pointing that out, I asked,

“Was it your ability that put out the flame just now?”

“Yes.”

I frowned. In Aria’s memories, Nocturne didn’t have such an ability.

Maybe reading my thoughts, Nocturne said,

“I got it after that day. Pretty ridiculous, huh.”

“….”

He didn’t need to specify which day — I knew. The day he lost Aria.

Control over creating and extinguishing fire… even among flame-type Eshape, I had never heard of such an ability. It was practically divine power over fire.

But Nocturne didn’t look proud at all.

It must be because the reason he ascended to a higher level was tied to Aria’s death.

To gain the power to stop any flame from hurting someone — only after losing the person he loved. I wondered what he had felt when he realized that.

“I have something to ask you too,” Nocturne said.

“Where did you get the matches? It’s too dangerous for a patient to have something like that.”

I’d expected that question. I replied casually,

“They’re just ordinary matches. Should I tell you what they’re used for? Usually to light a lamp or start a fire in a fireplace—”

“Fork, scissors, shoelaces, necklace, glass cup.”

Nocturne cut me off and listed items.

“Things we don’t keep in this room. Because they could be dangerous.”

He held out his hand to me.

“Matches? Obviously they’re forbidden.”

The way he crooked his finger like give it here was irritating. Seeing my defiant look, he smiled faintly.

“Normally, you’d be isolated in a protective ward under 24-hour watch. It’s only because I took responsibility that it’s this lenient. Would you prefer that situation instead?”

“….”

“Then let’s do that.”

I sighed and held out my hand. All this trouble over a single match.

Nocturne took the match from me and sat down in the chair beside my bed.

“Tell me. What were you going to do with this?”

“I was going to look at the match flame and make a wish. That tonight passes peacefully.”

“Are you really that curious about what’s in my head?”

“…Did Tita tell you?”

The only one who knew that seeing fire could restore my ability was Tita. Frowning, I asked, and Nocturne smirked proudly.

“We got pretty close while you were sleeping. We’re practically comrades now.”

So it was true…

I was a bit shocked. I’d only joked that Tita might become one of Nocturne’s followers, but it actually happened. Even she must find him more dependable than me.

“I was only planning to delay the talk for a few days, but I guess I can’t. The patient is too impatient.”

With a sigh, Nocturne unfolded the small table attached to my bed. Then he opened his bag and took out a chessboard.

I looked at him, feeling déjà vu, and he nodded.

“I heard you played a betting chess game with Minette. Play with me too.”

“Speed chess?”

“I can’t play a speed game against a patient. Let’s play properly. Same rule — winner asks a question, loser answers anything.”

“Are you sure? That would put you at a disadvantage. Or you could come back when it’s time for my painkillers — when my head’s fuzzy, the match would be more fair.”

My provocation made him frown slightly.

“…Should we do that?”

“What are you saying? That’s cowardly.”

“You call it cowardly, but you just said it would be fair.”

“….”

Seeing my expression, Nocturne smiled faintly.

His eyes softened, the corners of his lips curling playfully. A smile I knew so well, yet didn’t know at all.

“Just kidding. You should sleep when you’re sleepy — you’ll recover faster.”

His voice carried warmth. Compared to when we were in the palace, he seemed like a completely different person.

When I first woke up and faced the cold Nocturne, I had been shocked. Until then, the Nocturne I knew was only the gentle lover in Aria’s memories.

But this change stirred me in another way.

The person I love was being so kind, but I couldn’t feel purely happy.

This affection I’d longed for didn’t bring joy — only unease.

The fact that all this kindness came from madness made my heart ache.

Nocturne set the chessboard on the table, and I let him take the white pieces.

Sitting on the bed, and Nocturne on the chair beside it, we faced each other over the board. And so, the hospital chess match began.

Nocturne moved the center pawn forward and said,

“It’s been a while since I played chess. I used to play often as a kid.”

I knew that. I had memories of playing chess with him in childhood.

“Oh, really.”

But I answered like it was someone else’s story — because it was.

I hadn’t chosen to learn about their precious memories, but now that I knew, it was only right to at least pretend ignorance.

Especially now, when Nocturne was confusing me with Aria.

“Aria was the one who taught me chess.”

My hand, reaching for a piece, froze in midair.

It was the first time he had brought up Aria himself.

“I think I was about twelve. Ari had been playing chess with her father since she was little…”

Nocturne’s voice was calm as he continued.

We had talked about Aria before when he told me her last words, but back then, he had seemed deeply pained.

Now, he looked calmer — even with a faint smile.

Hearing the man I loved talk about his dead lover, whom he still missed, was strange.

Aside from the mixed feelings, I was willing to listen and empathize.

Aria had been someone worthy of respect, and I pitied the tragic end of their love.

More than anything, I wanted Nocturne to unburden his heart and feel a little lighter. For that, I could stay up for a night or two.

“Thanks to her, Aria was really good at chess. She even entered tournaments.”

“I see…”

“And when I first picked up a chess piece at twelve, I didn’t win against Aria even once for three years. Do you know what that means?”