“Michael?”
Michael, who kissed Liarte and turned away, was embarrassed.
“Yeah, that was…”
Michael’s ears flushed red.
The act of kissing on the cheeks was a common gesture among nobles.
“I’m sorry.”
“I liked it, though. Why are you sorry?”
Michael was rather perturbed by the fact that Liarte liked it.
It was common to kiss on the cheek.
It was a ceremonial greeting that Princess Ninian often gave to ducal Prince Lian when she came to Elheim.
‘Are Michael’s standards different?’
Liarte went on her tiptoes and still, she couldn’t reach Michael’s face.
“Please lower your head a little more, Michael.”
Michael lowered his head without thinking.
It was then he felt the soft touch of Liarte’s lips on his cheek.
His heart was beating like it was about to burst.
“Is this okay?”
It was not okay at all.
“It was great. I’m very glad.”
It was really great. But his heart was not okay. Michael felt like he was going to leave the world with Liarte kissing his cheek.
“I’m glad, too.”
Liarte answered. Then she took Michael’s hand.
He was just conscious of her before, but now his ears are flushed red just by Liarte holding his hand.
“I have somewhere I was going to. Do you want to go with me, Michael?”
Michael, who got excited and disoriented, only nodded.
“Yes.”
Liarte’s light smile. Her refreshing scent.
“From here on, I will go to Aaron Birce’s old room.”
Fortunately, those words brought Michael back to reality.
“You mean grandpa’s room.”
“I’ve been to the little mansion behind the main building.”
It meant that she saw a scene that she was not meant to see. Michael’s eyes lowered to look at Liarte at those words.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner. It’s because I hadn’t made up my mind yet.”
“It’s fine. I understand.”
Liarte was also vulnerable to weakness. Michael’s cool hand held hers tightly.
Instead of feeling sick, he was feeling rather excited and itching about it.
“Oh, I heard about it from my father.”
Michael tilted his head and whispered to Liarte’s ear.
“I’ll take a walk with you every night.”
Carmen teased Michael with the smile of courtesy that Aaron called a foxy smile.
Still, Michael had a rough idea of what Liarte was doing.
Treating Aaron’s madness.
“I don’t know anything else, but I’ve heard about the spy. My father told me that I must catch them.”
“So, I’m going to investigate from now on.”
“Can I guide you to the room?” (e/n Assuming this is still Michael talking, wanting to escort her)
“Yes, thank you.”
Aaron’s room was curiously on the second floor. (e/n Most nobles would reside on higher floors)
It was the largest room that could be seen as soon as they went up.
“My grandfather was impatient and couldn’t stand the time it took to move up and down many stairs.”
Michael laughed jokingly.
“That’s why his room is on this floor.”
It would usually be a study on this floor. The two opened Aaron’s door.
A huge bedroom was revealed.
“Here.”
It felt like all the different spaces were put together in one.
Bedroom, arsenal, closet, even office. Until going mad, Aaron seemed to be in a hurry enough to not want to have to move from place to place a lot.
There was nothing special in here, so they moved to a different room.
“It was about a year ago that my grandfather developed the disease.”
The Black Powder was ingested through the esophagus. (throat)
Danterion said it was possible to use it as a spray, but Aaron, who saw the Powder, would avoid it.
“This is the dining room. My grandfather and father fought whenever we saw each other, so we ate separately.”
“What’s changed?”
“Nothing. Nothing’s disappeared or showed up here.”
The spy wasn’t stupid, so they eliminated certain objects from which you could guess how Aaron was poisoned.
“No poison was found, and the room was no different than before my grandfather collapsed.”
Well, at least the dining room was not.
When Liarte went back to Aaron’s bedroom, holding hands with Michael, she noticed a glass cabinet.
“What’s that?”
It was something they didn’t look at carefully before.
“Ah, I think that is a jar of chocolate and candy that my grandfather liked.”
“Let’s go.”
Liarte pulled on Michael’s hand.
Michael walked at Liarte’s pace, which was slower than his.
“Can I open it?”
“As much as you want.”
The jar was full of candy and chocolate.
“My grandfather had a chronic disease, so he couldn’t eat sweets a lot, but he collected them.”
“Carmen said the same thing.”
“He ate half of it on purpose so he could go see his father. He loves sweets, but he’s also more of a health-conscious person.” (e/n pls Carmen make it make sense bestie)
“I see.”
Liarte looked at the candy carefully.
Then she found black candies that looked unusual in the jar.
“There’s no poison in here, either, is there?”
“The people of Birce came here and examined everything.”
“What Aaron ingested was the Black Powder that the Crown Prince made. If you eat it, it turns you into a ferocious beast.”
“I see.”
Michael nodded.
It was natural for him to listen and believe Liarte’s words.
It felt good.
Michael had put the painting in his hands on Aaron’s desk as they came in.
Liarte also grabbed Michael’s other hand which was now empty.
They held hands face to face.
“Liarte.”
Michael couldn’t make eye contact with Liarte and turned his head a little to the side.
Somehow, this didn’t seem right. Liarte locked her fingers with Michael’s fingers and tried to put their fingers together.
“huh.”
Liarte exclaimed.
“What are you doing?”
Michael said
A friendly and helpless question.
“I wanted to do something because I like you so much.”
Michael kept looking forward to these words.
He wondered if it was okay to think that Liarte also had feelings for himself, or maybe because she was the first outsider he saw and imprinted onto like a freshly-hatched duckling.
“I don’t care what you do. I’m just glad you exist.”
“Really?”
Michael kissed Liarte on the cheek.
Liarte, who released Michael’s hands, hugged him gently. The person who hugged him seemed to carefully enter his arms.
Michael relaxed all the strength from his arms so as to not hug Liarte too tightly.
“I can’t do this anymore.”
Michael’s raspy voice was heard over Liarte’s head as she got closer.
“I’m sorry, Liarte. I was going to wait until you were up for it.”
A firm arm clasped around Liarte.
Michael’s hand reached behind her back.
A warm body temperature and an oh-so-sweet voice.
“I guess I’m not a saint.”
A languid, low-pitched man’s voice.
No one could even tell whose heart was beating from whose body.
Being hugged, Liarte closed her eyes.
It was a comfortable feeling.
“Ah, um, excuse me.”
The door was open, so Andre opened his cat-like eyes wide and hurriedly turned his back and left. (e/n no NO NOOOO!!!! How dare he interrupt their sweet-time???)
Liarte, who was leaning in Michael’s arms, stepped away from him.
“Andre’s gone.”
Michael said in a soft tone.
“You’re right.”
Liarte thought about why Andre came in at this time, but Michael wasn’t thinking about Andre.
It was disappointing.
“Hand.”
* * *
At night, Liarte was watching Aaron.
Liarte even felt that Aaron was getting tamed little by little.
Aaron, who was crying, suddenly stopped. His red eyes glistened with madness when he saw Liarte.
“Good job.”
Liarte opened the candy and gave it to Aaron.
Aaron even bit the stream of water that placed the candy in his mouth.
“You eat well.”
It felt like Aaron was softening up when she gave him a strange compliment. But it was only a very small difference.
“Oh, my god, this father.”
Carmen said, sitting on a long sofa in the back.
Carmen stayed with Liarte even though she said he didn’t have to.
“Be careful not to get bitten, Liarte.”
“I will.”
He was used to it now, but no matter how much he saw it, he only felt uneasy when seeing Liarte close to Aaron.
“I saw Andre in Aaron’s room today.”
“The room is regularly cleaned by Merlin, Andre, and Hans. But Merlin hasn’t gone in since my father suffered from this madness.”
“I see.”
“I know I have to kill anyone who has gone crazy, but I can’t stand it. I can’t help but break my heart knowing that.”
“There were a lot of people who liked Aaron.”
“Yeah.”
Carmen just smiled slyly.
“He wasn’t a good father to me, but he was a savior to others. He never peeled a candy wrapper with his own hands. Someone always did it for him to repay him.”
“Peeling candy wrappers?”
“If you peel it when your body temperature is high, it melts quickly.”
The Water Awakeners all had low body temperature, so candy did not melt. The same was true of chocolate.
“Anyways, my father will be happy again because of you.”
“I hope so.”
Liarte looked down at the roaring Aaron.
There was a new fact later revealed by Danterion.
“While poisoned by the Black Powder, you stay sane, unlike your physical condition.”
“What?”
Carmen looked surprised.
“I’m sure you’ve heard everything Carmen and I have said. The words that said “I liked my father, too”.”
Birce may have become crazier when they found out that they killed Aaron, who had a sane state of mind.
“So, Aaron will be happy.”
She wanted Aaron and all of Birce to be happy this time.
“Michael?”
Michael, who kissed Liarte and turned away, was embarrassed.
“Yeah, that was…”
Michael’s ears flushed red.
The act of kissing on the cheeks was a common gesture among nobles.
“I’m sorry.”
“I liked it, though. Why are you sorry?”
Michael was rather perturbed by the fact that Liarte liked it.
It was common to kiss on the cheek.
It was a ceremonial greeting that Princess Ninian often gave to ducal Prince Lian when she came to Elheim.
‘Are Michael’s standards different?’
Liarte went on her tiptoes and still, she couldn’t reach Michael’s face.
“Please lower your head a little more, Michael.”
Michael lowered his head without thinking.
It was then he felt the soft touch of Liarte’s lips on his cheek.
His heart was beating like it was about to burst.
“Is this okay?”
It was not okay at all.
“It was great. I’m very glad.”
It was really great. But his heart was not okay. Michael felt like he was going to leave the world with Liarte kissing his cheek.
“I’m glad, too.”
Liarte answered. Then she took Michael’s hand.
He was just conscious of her before, but now his ears are flushed red just by Liarte holding his hand.
“I have somewhere I was going to. Do you want to go with me, Michael?”
Michael, who got excited and disoriented, only nodded.
“Yes.”
Liarte’s light smile. Her refreshing scent.
“From here on, I will go to Aaron Birce’s old room.”
Fortunately, those words brought Michael back to reality.
“You mean grandpa’s room.”
“I’ve been to the little mansion behind the main building.”
It meant that she saw a scene that she was not meant to see. Michael’s eyes lowered to look at Liarte at those words.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner. It’s because I hadn’t made up my mind yet.”
“It’s fine. I understand.”
Liarte was also vulnerable to weakness. Michael’s cool hand held hers tightly.
Instead of feeling sick, he was feeling rather excited and itching about it.
“Oh, I heard about it from my father.”
Michael tilted his head and whispered to Liarte’s ear.
“I’ll take a walk with you every night.”
Carmen teased Michael with the smile of courtesy that Aaron called a foxy smile.
Still, Michael had a rough idea of what Liarte was doing.
Treating Aaron’s madness.
“I don’t know anything else, but I’ve heard about the spy. My father told me that I must catch them.”
“So, I’m going to investigate from now on.”
“Can I guide you to the room?” (e/n Assuming this is still Michael talking, wanting to escort her)
“Yes, thank you.”
Aaron’s room was curiously on the second floor. (e/n Most nobles would reside on higher floors)
It was the largest room that could be seen as soon as they went up.
“My grandfather was impatient and couldn’t stand the time it took to move up and down many stairs.”
Michael laughed jokingly.
“That’s why his room is on this floor.”
It would usually be a study on this floor. The two opened Aaron’s door.
A huge bedroom was revealed.
“Here.”
It felt like all the different spaces were put together in one.
Bedroom, arsenal, closet, even office. Until going mad, Aaron seemed to be in a hurry enough to not want to have to move from place to place a lot.
There was nothing special in here, so they moved to a different room.
“It was about a year ago that my grandfather developed the disease.”
The Black Powder was ingested through the esophagus. (throat)
Danterion said it was possible to use it as a spray, but Aaron, who saw the Powder, would avoid it.
“This is the dining room. My grandfather and father fought whenever we saw each other, so we ate separately.”
“What’s changed?”
“Nothing. Nothing’s disappeared or showed up here.”
The spy wasn’t stupid, so they eliminated certain objects from which you could guess how Aaron was poisoned.
“No poison was found, and the room was no different than before my grandfather collapsed.”
Well, at least the dining room was not.
When Liarte went back to Aaron’s bedroom, holding hands with Michael, she noticed a glass cabinet.
“What’s that?”
It was something they didn’t look at carefully before.
“Ah, I think that is a jar of chocolate and candy that my grandfather liked.”
“Let’s go.”
Liarte pulled on Michael’s hand.
Michael walked at Liarte’s pace, which was slower than his.
“Can I open it?”
“As much as you want.”
The jar was full of candy and chocolate.
“My grandfather had a chronic disease, so he couldn’t eat sweets a lot, but he collected them.”
“Carmen said the same thing.”
“He ate half of it on purpose so he could go see his father. He loves sweets, but he’s also more of a health-conscious person.” (e/n pls Carmen make it make sense bestie)
“I see.”
Liarte looked at the candy carefully.
Then she found black candies that looked unusual in the jar.
“There’s no poison in here, either, is there?”
“The people of Birce came here and examined everything.”
“What Aaron ingested was the Black Powder that the Crown Prince made. If you eat it, it turns you into a ferocious beast.”
“I see.”
Michael nodded.
It was natural for him to listen and believe Liarte’s words.
It felt good.
Michael had put the painting in his hands on Aaron’s desk as they came in.
Liarte also grabbed Michael’s other hand which was now empty.
They held hands face to face.
“Liarte.”
Michael couldn’t make eye contact with Liarte and turned his head a little to the side.
Somehow, this didn’t seem right. Liarte locked her fingers with Michael’s fingers and tried to put their fingers together.
“huh.”
Liarte exclaimed.
“What are you doing?”
Michael said
A friendly and helpless question.
“I wanted to do something because I like you so much.”
Michael kept looking forward to these words.
He wondered if it was okay to think that Liarte also had feelings for himself, or maybe because she was the first outsider he saw and imprinted onto like a freshly-hatched duckling.
“I don’t care what you do. I’m just glad you exist.”
“Really?”
Michael kissed Liarte on the cheek.
Liarte, who released Michael’s hands, hugged him gently. The person who hugged him seemed to carefully enter his arms.
Michael relaxed all the strength from his arms so as to not hug Liarte too tightly.
“I can’t do this anymore.”
Michael’s raspy voice was heard over Liarte’s head as she got closer.
“I’m sorry, Liarte. I was going to wait until you were up for it.”
A firm arm clasped around Liarte.
Michael’s hand reached behind her back.
A warm body temperature and an oh-so-sweet voice.
“I guess I’m not a saint.”
A languid, low-pitched man’s voice.
No one could even tell whose heart was beating from whose body.
Being hugged, Liarte closed her eyes.
It was a comfortable feeling.
“Ah, um, excuse me.”
The door was open, so Andre opened his cat-like eyes wide and hurriedly turned his back and left. (e/n no NO NOOOO!!!! How dare he interrupt their sweet-time???)
Liarte, who was leaning in Michael’s arms, stepped away from him.
“Andre’s gone.”
Michael said in a soft tone.
“You’re right.”
Liarte thought about why Andre came in at this time, but Michael wasn’t thinking about Andre.
It was disappointing.
“Hand.”
* * *
At night, Liarte was watching Aaron.
Liarte even felt that Aaron was getting tamed little by little.
Aaron, who was crying, suddenly stopped. His red eyes glistened with madness when he saw Liarte.
“Good job.”
Liarte opened the candy and gave it to Aaron.
Aaron even bit the stream of water that placed the candy in his mouth.
“You eat well.”
It felt like Aaron was softening up when she gave him a strange compliment. But it was only a very small difference.
“Oh, my god, this father.”
Carmen said, sitting on a long sofa in the back.
Carmen stayed with Liarte even though she said he didn’t have to.
“Be careful not to get bitten, Liarte.”
“I will.”
He was used to it now, but no matter how much he saw it, he only felt uneasy when seeing Liarte close to Aaron.
“I saw Andre in Aaron’s room today.”
“The room is regularly cleaned by Merlin, Andre, and Hans. But Merlin hasn’t gone in since my father suffered from this madness.”
“I see.”
“I know I have to kill anyone who has gone crazy, but I can’t stand it. I can’t help but break my heart knowing that.”
“There were a lot of people who liked Aaron.”
“Yeah.”
Carmen just smiled slyly.
“He wasn’t a good father to me, but he was a savior to others. He never peeled a candy wrapper with his own hands. Someone always did it for him to repay him.”
“Peeling candy wrappers?”
“If you peel it when your body temperature is high, it melts quickly.”
The Water Awakeners all had low body temperature, so candy did not melt. The same was true of chocolate.
“Anyways, my father will be happy again because of you.”
“I hope so.”
Liarte looked down at the roaring Aaron.
There was a new fact later revealed by Danterion.
“While poisoned by the Black Powder, you stay sane, unlike your physical condition.”
“What?”
Carmen looked surprised.
“I’m sure you’ve heard everything Carmen and I have said. The words that said “I liked my father, too”.”
Birce may have become crazier when they found out that they killed Aaron, who had a sane state of mind.
“So, Aaron will be happy.”
She wanted Aaron and all of Birce to be happy this time.
