・・・・・
I mounted the merry-go-round and said while whipping Ilypia.
"Work, slave!"
"Who are you calling a slave?"
The spirit retorted, brushing off the skipping rope that had lightly touched his back as if it were annoying. My silly act didn't seem to amuse him at all.
"If you're bored, go ask the maids to play with you."
What? Was this guy treating me like a niece clinging to him on a holiday? Did he think I was doing this because I wanted to?
I flipped around and sat backward on the horse, resting my chin on its tail.
“Chloe told me to keep an eye on you.”
He was busy crafting a doll that looked exactly like Claudia in my playroom. Whether it was because of Claudia's fantastical, almost otherworldly beauty, or due to the spirit’s affection for her, this doll seemed to be the most intricate among all the ones he’d made.
'Wow, look at the difference in effort.'
As I was watching it, I was hit with a random urge to see Felix. If I didn't see my angel right away, I felt like I might come down with lovesickness. So, without a second thought, I blurted out my feelings.
"Ah, I miss Fel."
"Once this is done, I will make another doll and switch them again, so just be patient."
“Oh? How uncharacteristically thoughtful of you!”
“It’s not for your sake, it’s on Chloe’s orders.”
"Well, that's more like you."
I hadn’t expected much anyway. I hugged the horse's rump and replied indifferently, but the thought of seeing Felix still cheered me up.
“I always carry out the contractor's orders precisely, so there's no need for supervision.”
"You're a foolish spirit who can't even use the tips I personally gave you to win Chloe's heart.”
“...”
When I hit him right where it hurt, Ilypia paused and looked up at me with a gaze full of resentment. He spoke in a trembling voice as if trying to suppress his anger.
“You fraud of a woman... That advice only works if the one doing it is you...”
"My Lady!"
Just as the spirit was about to vent his frustrations at me, I skillfully hopped off the merry-go-round and ran toward the maid who was calling me.
"What’s going on?!”
"Huh? Oh yes, the Lord has summoned you, my lady…”
“Oh no, that sounds serious. Quickly lead the way.”
I hurried off to Hugo without even asking what the matter was.
・・・・・
"Baby.”
Hugo rested his chin on his interlaced hands and spoke in a serious tone. His expression was as solemn as a knight standing in the middle of enemy territory. I dug into my ear.
"What did you say?"
"I said, 'baby.'”
This time, I slapped my ear with my palm. Perhaps some of the bathwater from this morning was still trapped in there.
“Goo goo ga ga?” [1]
"Are you trying to act cute?"
No, this wasn't Hugo. There was no way he would have reacted like that. Could it be that, after what happened with Felix, he aged rapidly due to stress and was now experiencing hallucinations? Although his outward appearance surprisingly hadn’t aged much, maybe his mind was worn down from the emotional toll.
I glanced at Hugo with concern, approached him, and placed my hand on his forehead. Then I checked my own forehead with my other hand. There was no fever.
“As expected, I should call a doctor...”
“Hey! That's enough, so take your hands off!”
Hugo swatted my hand away irritably.
‘Ah, there’s the Hugo I know.’ I thought, feeling a sense of relief.
“Why did you call for me?”
"I have a concern."
"You seem troubled."
He looked like he desperately wanted to smoke a cigarette to calm his nerves. However, as a devoted husband, Hugo had quit smoking long ago, worried it would harm Olivia's fragile health. In fact, he hadn’t touched a cigarette since Felix was born.
I rummaged through my pockets and offered him a piece of candy, noticing his mouth seemed a bit restless. Hugo unwrapped the strawberry candy and popped it into his mouth, but grimaced at its sweetness. He then exhaled a heavy sigh, like smoke from a cigarette, before finally speaking.
“I’m not sure how to approach my son.”
"Ah..."
I was so surprised by the unexpected words that I reacted dumbfoundedly and was momentarily speechless. When I first told Hugo about Felix’s condition, he seemed shocked but accepted it silently. Although it seemed he had much to say, he was simply relieved and happy that Felix had returned. Just like I was.
I thought he was just a little unfamiliar with the situation and nothing more, but perhaps that wasn’t the case after all.
Yes, I suppose it couldn’t be helped. How could that even be possible?
Even when I told myself, 'It's okay, everything will be fine,' I found that in the silence of my solitude, I was often swept away by waves of nostalgia that left me defenceless.
How wonderful it would be if the day came when we could accept that nothing in the world was eternal. But if we acknowledged that truth, the pain might lessen, yet all we would have left was resignation. Humans were naturally inclined to cling to even the faintest glimmer of hope, no matter how foolish it might seem. Of course, if nothing worked and the end came, then we would have to learn to accept our fate.
"I didn't expect you to say that to me."
"Then who else would I say it to?"
“Olivia? Claudia? The staff?” Hugo snapped, then, as if realising he was needlessly taking out his frustration on me, sighed and dragged his hands across his face. Rubbing his chapped lips with his fingers, he spoke as though forcing the words out.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't think of anyone else but you."
Seeing Hugo's face, lost and unable to express his emotions, reminded me of Felix. One was clumsy at expressing emotions, while the other had lost his ability to feel emotions, yet, it didn’t seem like there was much of a difference between them.
It only felt significant because the Felix of the past and the Felix of now were still the same people, but the differences between them were merely just that.
In fact, Hugo likely understood that Felix hadn't changed that much. He was probably just overwhelmed by guilt and didn’t know what to say. Because he made Felix bear everything on his own. Because he wasn’t there by Felix’s side when he was hurting the most. Just as I hadn’t been.
“Do you know that winter is passing?”
"The snow is melting."
"Flowers will bloom soon."
"Spring is indeed returning.”
"It's the spring that blossoms from the fading flowers of winter.”
Hugo glanced at the budding flower tree and then responded a moment later.
"...My son is the flower that bloomed.”
He made a face as if he was so embarrassed that he could die, even after saying it himself.
It was a reaction as if he had broken out in hives.
I recalled Hugo's quotes one after another. 'Damn it,' 'Crazy bastard,' 'Fxck,' xx, xxx, xxx... and finally, 'My son is the flower that bloomed.'
I should have recorded what he just said. Moreover, I should have shared this with the Chamberlain family time and again, leaving it as a cherished keepsake for future generations to know; it was truly a regrettable situation, and I could only sigh inwardly.
"This spring is different from last year. It's a spring we get to spend with Felix."
“...That’s right."
“So please welcome him like a new spring.”
I smiled brightly as I said this. He stared at me intently for a moment, then turned away, muttering softly in a choked voice.
"The young lady truly enjoys sentimental expressions."
"Could you at least say I speak beautifully?"
"Are you out of your mind?"
"You're being pretty harsh to your ‘baby.’"
“...”
When I added a playful, "Goo goo ga ga?" again, Hugo clammed up. He looked ready to flee if I teased him further, so I quickly raised both hands in mock surrender.
"I didn't mean any harm. You're just so cute that I couldn't help myself."
“Great. Now you’re filling in the void left by my son.”
At first, it sounded like he was saying I was a great support to him. However, judging by his exasperated tone, it didn’t seem that was what he meant at all.
Did Felix use to tease Hugo like this in the past? Looking back, he didn’t do it openly, but he certainly poked at him enough to be subtly irritating. For instance, Felix would ask if Hugh could call him 'baby.' Felix definitely had a mischievous side.
I decided to put on a playful demeanour to lift the gloomy atmosphere.
"You must be feeling disappointed at not receiving affection from your son."
I winked at him, but he deadpanned and replied coldly.
"You two are a match made in heaven. Move out and establish your own household.”
“Why are you trying to kick me out?!”
“I can't handle both of you."
How could this be? My signature charm was being dismissed. It must have been so overwhelming that he wanted to get rid of me.
"Am I so lovable that you can't handle it?"
“...”
"I apologise. I’ll stop now. I think I went overboard."
I tugged at Hugo's sleeve, playfully holding him back as he stood to leave. After clearing my throat softly, I interlocked my fingers and rested my chin on them, just like he had done earlier, and spoke in a serious tone.
"Don't feel too guilty. Just tell him you love him.”
“...”
Of course, it would probably take him a decade to muster the courage to say something so cheesy. I watched as Hugo's face turned pale and then shifted to one of grave seriousness, as if he had been entrusted with a monumental task. I shook my head, and then, suddenly realising something, I asked in a different tone.
“Wait, does that mean you’re giving us your blessing for marriage?”
“You’re a bit slow on the uptake.”
He said it so casually, like ‘The weather is nice,’ that I didn’t really think about the deeper meaning until now.
"I didn’t say I was giving my permission."
Hugo stated coldly and firmly. Anyone who heard this would think that marriage and moving out were completely unrelated concepts.
A while ago, he told me to leave and set up a separate household! Of course, I wasn’t planning to move out after marriage since Claudia was living here too! Besides, I hadn’t even proposed yet!!!
Could this be his way of getting revenge for the teasing earlier? As I stared at Hugo with a piercing, unwavering gaze, he seemed uncomfortable and eventually got up from his seat.
"Call me, Father-in-law."
He said that abruptly, then roughly ruffled my hair before quickly leaving the room.
・・・・・
Larry stood guard in front of the Emperor's bedroom with a sullen expression. No matter how much he thought about it, Walter's role amounted to nothing more than a guard dog, neither more nor less. Adding to his displeasure was the fact that he unintentionally ended up handling various imperial errands because of his nightly duties.
He had made a name for himself on the battlefield and even became a hero, so it was ridiculous to bring someone who had proven their abilities and treat them as a mere ornament or errand boy. It was a typical human trait to suppress the extraordinary and render capable individuals into mundane, incompetent beings. Was it a desperate attempt to fill their inferiority complex by belittling those more capable than themselves? Intellectually, he understood, but emotionally, he couldn't comprehend the human world at all.
‘How stupid. It’s not the least bit rational.’
At times like these, he longed for the demon world, where survival of the fittest ruled. Since he was staying in the Imperial Palace, he couldn’t even meet Irene. At this point, rampaging on the battlefield would have been preferable. Standing idly, Larry imagined wringing the Emperor’s neck as if it were a rag.
“You’ve returned.”
At that moment, a familiar voice pierced the silence and approached Walter. It belonged to a human radiating a large amount of divine power.
‘Returned?’
It was a puzzling remark. Larry narrowed his eyes, trying to decipher the hidden meaning behind the words. He had to suppress his instinctive revulsion and make a considerable effort not to grimace in disgust.
Awakening 'Lerazé's Bow,' Larry's true form, required a substantial amount of divine power. This was necessary to expel the demonic power within the bow through a force of repulsion. Just like that, divine and magical powers could never coexist. They were like water and oil, utterly incapable of mixing, not even in pretence.
“His Majesty is currently out."
"That's convenient. I have business with you."
Constantine finally stopped in front of Walter and said.
"As expected, I can sense a faint trace of magic."
Dressed in a pure white Holy Knight's uniform, Constantine contrasted sharply with Walter, who was entirely dressed in black from head to toe. However, Larry knew that this man was not as holy as he appeared. He had played a significant role in awakening Larry and placing him in Felix's body. His glacier-like blue eyes appeared murky. This was because Larry was aware of much clearer eyes that were incomparable.
“The magical power feels so faint that it seems only capable of handling basic spells. I wonder if that’s your real strength, or if you’re concealing something greater.”
Any power, once it exceeds a certain limit, could be concealed to some extent without being externally detectable.
"If it's the former, it wouldn’t be a particular problem, but if it's the latter, you would be subject to a Divine Trial. Because it means you are entangled with the devil."
“...”
“What’s clear is that you were once Claudia’s doll. Now, it seems, you’re yourself.”
It wasn’t just suspicion or probing. Constantine was already convinced and was now pressing for answers while holding onto his weaknesses.
"What’s your relationship with her?"
If he didn't answer properly, it meant he would be handed over for trial. Larry showed no sign of agitation and faced Constantine. He was neither surprised nor afraid. If Constantine was already certain, anything he said would sound like an excuse. He asked calmly, without flinching.
"Do you have any way to prove either the former or the latter?"
"No proof is necessary. If I say it is, then it is."
"Impressive. You certainly have the basic qualities of a priest.”
"You speak like a devil."
"A devil? You don't need to look within me; just look in the mirror, and you’ll see one staring right back at you.”
Sharing a body with Felix surprisingly granted him one notable ability: the gift of eloquence. Although it couldn't rival the devil, Leraze's ability to bring an opponent to ruin with a single remark, he had at least become adept at provoking and mocking others. However, Larry’s attempts were utterly ineffective in front of Irene, often leaving him feeling foolish in her presence. Only Irene had the power to sway and manipulate him with just a word.
"You may or may not be caught. However, you need to consider the possibility of being discovered if you are."
Larry recalled Irene's face as she earnestly warned him to be cautious. Her overly serious expression, with wide, innocent eyes and pursed lips, made her look like a rabbit. He let out a soft chuckle, but his demeanour quickly shifted to one of cold seriousness.
"Seeing as you've come to me directly, it seems you have a request."
Judging by the looks of it, the other two seemed unaware. If they had known, the first to confront him would have undoubtedly been the Emperor.
“What do you desire in exchange for keeping silent about me?”
Noticing the signs of division, Larry smiled, envisioning how happy Irene would be to hear this.
Translator's Corner:
[1] This is an imitation of the sound of a baby who hasn't yet learned to speak.
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