The cake Idette brought was delicious.
Technically speaking, I had intruded on a promise between Peril and Idette, so it felt awkward to join their conversation.
So I decided to focus solely on eating the cake.
“It was reckless of you to go to Dians on your own.”
“I had no choice. Peril, you know why I came to the capital...!”
Idette’s face flushed red. When I unintentionally looked at her, she cooled her reddened cheeks with an embarrassed expression.
“I came because I wanted to gain more experience.”
“That makes sense. You can definitely gain more experience in the capital than in the provinces.”
At my words, Idette nodded vigorously.
“That’s exactly what I meant! If I get more experience, I’ll get to meet new people too…”
She mumbled timidly with her face completely red.
“…and maybe fall in love.”
How romantic.
She clenched her fist and declared,
“That’s why I went to Dians. Love is all about timing! I went because I wanted to go on a date with the crown prince, but I didn’t think it would turn into such a big deal.”
…I had the feeling I really shouldn’t act like I knew anything.
Still, if someone were targeting Idette, the reason would likely be her bloodline.
In the original story, there were forces that feared her power.
‘But the current Eileens is a vanished Archmage.’
Someone had deliberately erased Eileens’ existence. And maybe they didn’t want her name to reemerge in the world because of Idette.
Peril ran his hand down his tired face.
“Sigh, to think the one who woke me up would turn out like that…”
“I didn’t wake you up on purpose, you know?”
But… was it really okay for me to be listening to this conversation?
Sure, I already knew all of it through the original story.
Still, weren’t they both being a bit too careless?
Afraid of being dragged into something for no reason, I just kept eating cake. Idette couldn’t hide her proud smile. She even brought me more cake. Peril poured tea into his empty cup.
The attention made me feel strangely burdened.
“…Um, I’m fine, so go ahead and continue your conversation.”
“Hmm, how should I say this… I feel like we shouldn’t leave you alone, Lady Bianca.”
Idette, don’t you think you should be saying that to yourself?
“I agree. Considering you nearly got yourself killed jumping in to save her.”
Peril let out a deep sigh.
Seriously, this is unfair. I really did try my best!
* * *
〈You’ll attend the ball, right? I… I’ll really be counting down the days.〉
Idette repeated those words several times before she left. She was relentless, as if trying to brainwash me.
I leaned back into the chair and let out a long breath.
All I had done at the Sun’s Shop was eat, but it wasn’t so bad.
“You said before that you sent your disciples to Drimokan, right?”
“I did.”
“How did they get past the wall?”
Peril’s brows furrowed. But he turned his head, as if he understood why I was asking such a thing.
“Stop it, it’s a method you can never use, so drop it.”
“So it’s a method only mages can use?”
There was no reply.
But the silence implied agreement.
“Last time, you asked about memories. And now you want to know how to cross the wall…”
Peril tilted his head.
“You… Something happened to you in Drimokan, didn’t it?”
Wow, his instincts were razor sharp.
Well, I suppose I made it obvious.
“When I went to Drimokan, I felt a sense of nostalgia. So I thought maybe I had forgotten something, and I wanted to ask.”
I didn’t mention meeting Eileens.
Someone deep inside me had shouted at me.
It was purely a gut feeling. But I couldn’t just ignore that ominous hunch.
I didn’t think I should tell Peril about it.
Maybe he was turning my words over in his head. After thinking for a moment, Peril finally spoke.
“I was sure the World Tree had rotted.”
“…”
“But when I saw the root you brought, it didn’t seem that way.”
Come to think of it… the moment I touched the World Tree, a sprout had grown.
I had no idea how it worked.
“If I tell you how to access Drimokan, what will you give me in return?”
At his words, I clenched my fist.
“If there’s something you want, I’ll get it for you. But first, I want to ask something.”
“…Go ahead.”
“Is this really about finding a clue to the Drimokan disease?”
The way he hesitated earlier… Something just didn’t feel right.
“No one’s found a clue about Drimokan so far. It’s not like I can suddenly offer a solution, is it?”
“Right. That makes sense. But from where I’m standing, it just looks like you’re using my desperation to satisfy your curiosity.”
“…I’m curious—why are you so determined to save him?”
Was he mocking me?
But no. Peril’s eyes were serious. There wasn’t a hint of amusement in them.
“You said the person you’re trying to save is your grandfather, right? Even if he recovers, he probably doesn’t have much time left.”
…What an unusual way to think.
Even though it was a rude thing to say, I didn’t feel angry. Just strangely intrigued.
“It’s a waste of time.”
Peril toyed with my hair, waiting for an answer.
It was a question I had never thought about before. That’s why my answer came out a bit slowly.
“I want my grandfather to pass peacefully, not in pain.”
“You don’t know when he’ll die. Even if he gets better, he could die in a carriage accident, or from another illness.”
“That’s a pointless assumption. Right now, he’s suffering, and I don’t want to see that.”
I stared quietly at Peril.
“You, who have infinite time, probably can’t understand someone like me.”
“Ha!”
At that moment, Peril burst out laughing. By my own judgment, I thought I had crossed the line several times. But his reaction wasn’t anger—it was laughter.
“Someone once asked me what I was hoping for when I chose immortality.”
“…”
“You tell me. What do you think I was hoping for when I chose to live forever?”
How would I know that?
Even he looked like he didn’t know the answer himself. Peril let out a soft laugh and slung an arm around my shoulders.
When I visibly flinched, he teasingly pulled me closer to him.
“You seem like you might know.”
“…If I get it wrong, will you never speak to me again?”
“Don’t worry. I tend to like cheeky people.”
If you like them so much, then what’s with the way you always glare at me?
Peril hadn’t tried to scare me in a while, and maybe that’s why I’d gone a bit mad. Who did I think I was to speak so freely to someone so dangerous?
Letting out a long sigh, I finally answered.
“Because you were afraid of death.”
You don’t age, and you don’t die.
It’s a tempting offer, no doubt. But right now, it didn’t appeal to me at all.
If I ever changed my mind, it’d probably be the moment death came for me.
“…Maybe I was.”
Peril murmured quietly.
…Wait, don’t tell me he actually forgot his own reason?
Looking at him now, he almost seemed… pitiful.
After groaning a little, I spoke carefully.
“About earlier—I'm sorry. You must’ve been thinking hard about the illness. I didn’t mean to pressure you.”
Yeah, if I think about it, Peril had only shown me kindness.
What he wanted was to end his own immortality.
That alone must’ve been a lot to handle, and then here I was, stirring things up beside him.
…Thinking about it now, I’d really just been a nuisance.
“I—I don’t know if I’ll be much help, but… if there’s anything you want, I’ll do my best to help.”
Peril’s eyes widened as he looked at me. Then he let out a laugh.
“Seriously, if you knew what you just offered to help with, you’d faint.”
‘I do know. You want help with your death, right?’
Even so, Peril looked genuinely pleased.
Why did he want his death so badly?