“Ah, no. He didn’t come himself. It seems he thought my resting was due to the ball. These were delivered by an errand boy as a sign of apology. I brought them because I thought they might be helpful to Lady Adrian.”
“Th-thank you.”
Not saying that I would like them, but that they would be helpful.
I wonder if she suspects that I’m up to something dessert-related.
She seemed to have absolutely no idea that I had been eating desserts to restore my sense of taste.
But even if it was an apology, why did Elliot send her desserts?
‘No way.’
Did he see me aggressively eating desserts at the ball and assume she liked these kinds of things?
And the healer, feeling pressured to eat all of this, brought it to me?
“……”
“Ah. I checked them with magic before bringing them, but there is no poison or strange magic placed on them.”
Perhaps noticing my strange expression as I stared silently at the desserts, she quickly spoke.
Food certified by the healer herself to be free of poison or magic was very reassuring.
However… that meant she checked for that first thing after receiving them.
‘Elliot… he has no trust.’
When people do things they don’t usually do, it’s impossible to take it purely at face value.
“It’s not exactly a reward, but please take this. You’ll need it more than I do.”
I took out the cloth I had kept in the drawer and placed it in front of her.
The healer, who unwrapped the soft, layered cloth, saw her eyes sparkle.
“It is Seiran. The length of the leaves is appropriate, and the stem is thick; it is a premium quality. The condition is excellent, as the fine roots were carefully dug up. It will make a good medicinal ingredient. Thank you.”
It seems Rodney did not carelessly dig up the herb and then immediately focus on his own business.
Watching her carefully wrap the herb back up with the cloth and place it in the basket made me feel strange.
“Then, I shall return now.”
She finished her tea and immediately stood up.
She had no intention of touching the desserts spread out on the table.
And as she turned around, her gaze lingered on the balcony.
“Are you keeping a bird?”
“A bird came to me recently, but it’s been two days since he went out for a walk, and he hasn’t returned.”
A sigh unconsciously escaped with my words.
“Oh my… poor thing…”
She seemed interested in the pot and walked over to it.
I swallowed hard as I watched her intently observe the branches and the nest.
‘Surely there isn’t any lingering Divine Beast energy, is there?’
The healer soon reached out and placed her hand on the floor.
Her long, slender index finger touching the floor slowly slid, beginning to draw something.
A sparkling light followed her fingertip, encircling the pot once.
It was clearly a spell formation, emitting a subtle and beautiful light.
A word flowed from her mouth, and the light, starting from the spell formation, blossomed and extended to the tips of the branches.
‘What kind of magic is it?’
After the light faded, she stood up.
And she looked at me, giving a warm smile.
“The healer’s magic includes many types that soothe the wounds of others. Not just physical wounds, but emotional ones as well. The spell formation I drew here is of that kind. If that bird considered this place its home, it will serve as a guide to clearly illuminate the way back.”
“Oh? Really?!”
“Yes. The message that you are waiting will have been conveyed, so don’t worry and wait.”
Had I looked so lonely that the healer immediately used such magic?
Her eyes, looking at me, were as warm and gentle as the spring sunshine, as if to reassure me.
I could feel the worry that had been consuming my heart slowly melting away as time passed.
The heavy feeling that had been weighing on me felt slightly lighter.
If the message was properly delivered by her magic, Aren might even turn back from his journey and return to me.
*
Klen returned and stared intently at the medicine vials on the table and the feast of desserts that seemed completely out of place with them.
His questioning gaze soon returned to me.
“The healer visited.”
“She came all the way here? She’s not someone who usually does that.”
It seemed she really didn’t leave the East Tower unless it was a special circumstance.
Perhaps the reason for her visit was largely driven by her strong desire to inform me of the fruit’s effect.
I picked up one of the vials and gently shook it in front of his eyes.
“She said the medicine she made this time should be more effective. Would you like to drink it?”
“……She was told not to make any medicine and to rest quietly. How is there a newly made medicine?”
The same question I had pondered flowed from his mouth.
His expression, as he looked at the vial, was as cold as a statue carved from solid ice.
He made no attempt to hide his reluctance to drink it, which was fully displayed on his face.
“She knew I had brought the medicine, so she purposely came to deliver this one.”
“……”
His eyes flashed so sharply it seemed capable of cracking the glass, and the energy flowing from his body truly looked like it might put a crack on the surface, so I quickly spoke.
“Klen. You look tired.”
“I am not tired at all.”
“Really?”
“……”
“……”
Seeing his rarely displayed, serious, almost childlike expression, he clearly did not want to drink it.
“I thought you would need it because you used too much magic power.”
If he hated it that much, I wouldn’t force him.
It wasn’t something that had to be drunk right now anyway.
I could store it well and drink it when necessary.
I moved the vials one by one to a shelf.
“I will consider it if you feed it to me by mouth like last time.”
“Pardon?”
“I mean, like last time.”
He repeated his words, as if he thought I hadn’t heard, and moved closer.
“I will consider it if you feed it to me by mouth.”
His outstretched hands grabbed my cheeks, and his neatly composed face drew closer to mine.
Come to think of it, kissing him did happen quite frequently, unexpectedly.
Of course, that didn’t mean it was familiar.
My hand, holding the vial, trembled slightly.
Was this a joke? Or was he serious?
He stopped at a distance that felt like a tingly closeness, almost touching but not quite.
Even with just that, heat slowly began to spread across my face.
The fire within me grew larger and larger even without adding wood, and my heart hammered rapidly.
The pounding pulse was similar to when I had swung a sword thousands of times.
Moreover, my mind went completely blank, making it difficult to react properly.
I gripped the vial tightly. My fingertips seemed to be trembling from nervousness.
“……”
Just then, Klen’s eyes, right in front of me, widened.
His round eyes blinked rapidly several times as if flustered.
And as if to reassure me, he slowly detached his fingers one by one from my cheeks, then gently took a step back.
The awkward gesture of raising both hands brought to mind a criminal just about to be arrested by the guards.
Klen carefully lowered his hands, then turned his palms up and held them out to me.
“……?”
Before my mind could understand the action, my hand placed the vial onto his outstretched palm.
Klen opened the stopper and instantly drank the medicine.
