Chapter 19
The Enrillcian from the novel I had read was a character devoid of emotion.
Unlike Ansharielle, whose emotions had been stripped away by force, he had abandoned them himself, as though he had reached enlightenment.
But the Enrillcian I met in person was overflowing with emotion.
He cried when begging for his nanny’s life, and when he found me today, he smiled brilliantly.
Even now, it was the same.
His crimson eyes, fixed on me, were full of life.
He was completely different from the man in the original story who told Ishtar to leave him to die.
Maybe it’s because his nanny survived, so he never fell into deep despair.
As I silently compared him to the original character, he spoke again with an even brighter smile.
“I’m Enrillcian. Call me Enril.”
“Huh? Ah, yes. Understood.”
I was a little startled because in the novel he had only allowed Ishtar to use that nickname, but I tried not to show it.
I guess he feels close to me since I saved his nanny.
Anyway, right now there was something more important than nicknames.
I needed to shut his mouth.
“Lord Enril, could you keep everything you heard today a secret?”
In my panic, I had spilled my circumstances in front of Enrillcian, but at the same time I was certain of one thing:
He would not interfere with my plans.
At present, Enrillcian’s range of activity was limited entirely to his own palace, so even if he wanted to do something, he couldn’t.
“Alright.”
As expected.
I thought exactly that when he answered without the slightest hesitation, but then he continued.
“But don’t ever die.”
“…What?”
“I owe you a debt. So you can’t die. Absolutely not.”
Because he had a debt to repay, I wasn’t allowed to die.
An Enrillcian who had not abandoned his will to live was surprisingly stubborn.
Maybe this is what his original personality was like before his emotions wore away.
His tone was commanding enough to feel overbearing, yet instead of irritating me, it somehow gave me strength.
I smiled brightly at him and answered firmly.
“Don’t worry. I’m struggling desperately to survive. My sister and I will never die.”
“…Okay. I’ll believe you.”
Only then did Enrillcian finally let go of the sleeve of my left arm, as if reassured.
Taking that as my cue, I tried to say goodbye and leave.
“I should get going now—”
Grrrrowl.
If not for the sound that came from Enrillcian’s stomach.
He pressed his lips together in silence, apparently embarrassed, but he couldn’t hide the redness spreading across his cheeks.
“……”
This is so awkward!
I briefly fell into thought, trying to figure out how to smoothly get past this situation.
Then I suddenly remembered something in my pocket.
“Ah, here. You can have this.”
It was a caramel wrapped in yellow packaging.
It had been served as part of the tea party desserts, and since it was neatly wrapped, I had secretly pocketed it.
Once I entered the recovery room, I wouldn’t be able to eat anything, so whenever I saw something cleanly packaged and easy to stash in my pocket, I had gotten into the habit of taking it first.
With flushed cheeks, Enrillcian shyly accepted the caramel.
“…Thank you.”
“Then I’ll see you next time. May glory shine upon the Empire’s sky.”
After the tea party ended, the marquis household looked as though a storm had swept through it.
The moment I stepped out of the carriage, the head maid approached me.
“My lady, the Marquis has summoned you.”
Judging from her dark expression, she must have received a harsh scolding from the Marquis.
Is Cain still in the bathroom?
Since he wasn’t in the lobby, that was likely the case.
Thinking about his suffering put me in a very good mood, but it didn’t last long because I soon arrived at the Marquis’s office and had to manage my expression.
Knock knock.
“Come in.”
As soon as the Marquis granted permission, I stepped inside through the door opened by the head maid.
“The tea party… did it go well?”
Resting his chin on one hand at his desk, he asked lazily.
“Yes.”
I answered dryly and briefly, as though I felt nothing at all.
At that, his eyebrow twitched faintly.
“I told you that if anything happened, you were to report to me immediately. Why did you attend the tea party without giving any report?”
“I thought it would be unacceptable to arrive late to the tea party, so I asked the head maid to report in my stead while I departed directly for the Imperial Palace.”
I countered calmly and logically.
He narrowed his eyes as he examined me.
It looked like he was trying to determine whether the brainwashing was still working properly.
Well, what are you going to do by glaring at me like that?
To begin with, mental magic wasn’t something that could be sensed through mana flow like stealth magic, nor was it something that could be clearly seen with the eyes.
So even if he felt somewhat suspicious, he wouldn’t be able to press further.
Besides, if I had been the only one in the marquis household who didn’t get a stomachache, he might have suspected me immediately.
But since the Marquis himself hadn’t fallen ill either, it was more reasonable to think the kitchen staff had accidentally used spoiled ingredients in the servants’ meals.
“I see. Was everything peaceful at the Imperial Palace?”
Apparently concluding that Cain’s stomach trouble had been caused by spoiled ingredients in the kitchen, he changed the subject exactly as planned.
Since I had anticipated this question, I immediately recited the prepared response without hesitation.
“Lady Achellaid attended today. She briefly spoke to me after taking an interest in my familiar, but that was all. Afterward, the lady conversed with Her Majesty the Empress. It seemed that Her Majesty held great interest in her.”
“Tch, so Lady Achellaid has begun participating in social activities. Very well. You may leave.”
“Yes.”
After leaving the Marquis’s office, changing clothes in my room, and finishing dinner, I finally had some free time.
The tension instantly drained from my body, and I collapsed onto the bed.
“I’m seriously exhausted.”
Too many things had happened in a single day.
“Kkiiing.”
Lira, who had shared in all the hardship, licked my cheek and whimpered softly.
As if cheering me on.
I stroked Lira’s head and spoke.
“Ah, and thanks for behaving so well today.”
“Kkiing.”
I had asked her to stay quiet whenever we went out, and not only during the tea party but also while I spoke with Ishtar and Enrillcian, she had endured it quietly.
Even though it must have been frustrating.
“There’s really not much time left now, so let’s hold on just a little longer.”
Since the heroine herself—the person around whom this world seemed to revolve—had promised to help, there was no reason to keep trembling in fear anymore.
I was curious about the new plan she had devised, but if she was confident enough to say it would save both me and Ansharielle safely, then I should wait patiently instead of rushing.
Still, maybe I should gather more Chromlin fruit?
Not in preparation for failing to escape the marquis household, but to exact a small revenge on the Marquis and Cain.
I couldn’t repay everything they had done to us, but making them suffer in the bathroom all day would at least make me feel a little better.
One day, I’ll definitely get proper revenge.
“Kking!”
Perhaps sensing my thoughts, Lira barked cheerfully in agreement.
“Yeah. Let’s definitely… do it together.”
Sleepiness washed over me, and a yawn unintentionally stretched the end of my sentence.
“Kkiiii.”
Unable to fight off my heavy eyelids, I fell asleep listening to Lira’s cries.
The next day.
“My lady, though sudden, we will end training here for today. Please return to your room immediately.”
“Understood.”
I had been doing my usual morning magic training when Cain abruptly stopped the lesson.
Not understanding what was happening, I was about to return to my room when a servant hurried over to Cain.
“The Archmage sent word that his patience is limited, so he will not wait long.”
“I’ll be there shortly. Escort him to the reception room first.”
“Yes, sir.”
Apparently not caring whether I heard or not, Cain gave his orders openly, and the servant rushed toward the entrance.
The Archmage… Osiris?
Since Ishtar said she would help, I expected something would happen somehow, but I never imagined Osiris would come the very next day.
Her decisiveness was incredible.
While I was marveling inwardly, Cain—after sending the servant away—hurried downstairs without even checking whether I had entered my room.
He was probably heading for the basement.
Is he trying to stop the mental magic in the basement from being detected by Archmage Osiris? Then should I hide in the back garden while I have the chance?
Not wanting to waste this rare opportunity to escape Cain’s surveillance, I searched for a way to make contact with Osiris.
But the head maid delivered bad news.
“You have been ordered to remain in your room until the Marquis gives permission.”
“Alright.”
What a waste.
Osiris’s ability to detect mana flow would surely far surpass that of the Marquis or Cain. I had hoped to use that by having him personally cast stealth magic on me before I hid somewhere secluded.
Still, he’ll probably find his way to my room on his own, right?
After all, he was supposedly the world’s strongest species—a dragon.
Still, sitting around waiting wasn’t in my nature, so I slightly opened the window and sent Lira outside.
I assigned reconnaissance duty to Lira, who was cloaked in stealth magic.
“Be careful and come back safely!”
“Kking!”
Already accustomed to it, Lira answered cheerfully and leapt from the window.
She landed safely on a branch from the tree across the way, then skillfully climbed down.
Only after Lira completely disappeared did I lie down on the bed and close my eyes.
[Sensory Sharing.]
Lira’s vision appeared in my mind.
Instead of entering the mansion, Lira circled around the exterior wall.
She had judged that observing Osiris and the Marquis through the reception room window would be better than trying to eavesdrop from the hallway.
Soon the reception room window came into view.
In front of the room stood a small ornamental tree, just the right height for Lira to climb and peek inside.
Inside sat a man with golden hair like thick honey and matching golden eyes, lounging comfortably as though he were in his own home.
I recognized him instantly.
He was the Archmage and Gold Dragon, Osiris.
He really is ridiculously handsome.
