Idette’s voice rose, and both Simon and I turned to look at her at the same time.
“Bianca hasn’t done anything wrong!”
“Ah, alright. I take it back.”
Confronted for the first time with Idette’s anger, I quickly withdrew my words. Simon also stammered, seemingly quite startled by Idette’s outburst.
“Ah, no... Still, why are you getting angry?”
“Because you were nitpicking for no reason!”
“N-Nitpicking! I was just worried since you keep making mistakes even though you're about to go to Orphen...”
“If you’re worried, do it kindly!”
Simon flinched and stood at attention.
...She’d probably be good as an instructor.
Idette, it seems like you’ve found an unexpected talent.
“Simon! Can you come over here for a moment?”
Just then, someone called out for Simon’s help. He glanced at Idette and me, then walked away.
“Coming now!”
Not long after Simon left, Idette spoke to me.
“Everyone’s just a bit on edge because they’re busy. Don’t worry too much.”
“I’m fine! Thanks to you, Lady Idette.”
“Do you think I was helpful?”
Idette asked, her eyes sparkling.
“Huh? Yes.”
“Haah, that’s a relief. Because when I first came to the Tower, it wasn’t exactly a warm welcome.”
“They didn’t welcome you, Lady Idette?”
“No. That’s why I was worried about Lady Bianca. It’s not exactly a pleasant experience, is it?”
Idette walked toward the stairs.
“Delivering the Tower’s items personally is quite an honor. It means you have Peril’s trust.”
“Ah, so that’s why…”
“Besides, Simon is from Orphen.”
That, I didn’t expect.
Simon was pretty fluent in Imperial speech.
“That’s why he’s extra sensitive. He probably hoped to see his family after a long time.”
Ah crap, now I feel worse!
Trying to explain now that I didn’t take his spot would just sound pathetic.
This must be why people say you shouldn’t put off saying what needs to be said.
“Peril, we’re here!”
Despite Idette’s bright greeting, there was no sign of movement from within the room.
“Did he go out?”
I was about to go open a window when I heard quiet breathing from somewhere.
We discovered Peril sleeping peacefully on the sofa.
“…Looks like he’s asleep.”
At my words, Idette cautiously approached me.
“Wow, so he does sleep.”
It was a belated realization for someone who had disturbed his decades-long slumber.
“Lady Bianca, look at this.”
Just then, Idette, who had been looking over the desk, showed me a piece of paper.
“This looks like a list of people going to Orphen this time…?”
“Ah, you’re right.”
“Hmmm, since there’s no name Bianca on it, you must be using an alias.”
Just as Idette said, I couldn’t find my name no matter how hard I looked. She skimmed the list with her finger and stopped at the name ‘Anne.’
“This must be it. I recognize the faces of the others.”
“Lady Idette, you’re not going to Orphen?”
“No. I haven’t gained enough of Peril’s trust yet.”
More precisely, it was because she was of Eileens’s blood that she couldn’t go.
“I’m not asleep yet.”
At that moment, Peril’s voice rang out. Judging by the way he held his forehead, he didn’t look well, possibly with a headache.
“But we saw you sleeping with our own eyes. Right, Lady Bianca?”
“Y-Yes.”
Peril blinked slowly a couple of times. He then sighed deeply and roughly swept his face with his hand.
“Wake me next time.”
Idette glanced at me with a puzzled expression. But I was just as confused.
“…Not exactly a pleasant experience.”
He clicked his tongue and rose to his feet.
“You seem very tired. Shall I bring you some tea?”
The quick-witted Idette asked, but perhaps she didn’t expect an answer, as she left the room before he could reply.
Left alone in the room, I felt a bit awkward.
“Should I leave too so you can rest properly?”
“Stay here.”
“Yup.”
When the Tower Master gives a command, I must obey.
I stood awkwardly, then hesitantly took a seat. The atmosphere was oddly strange, and I wished he would say something, but unlike usual, Peril remained silent.
In the end, I couldn’t stand the awkwardness and spoke first.
“Even if you live forever, you still dream, huh?”
Damn this mouth of mine...
Of course he’d dream!
I felt like sewing my lips shut.
“Ah, no. I mean… it seemed like you had a nightmare.”
“A nightmare?”
“Or maybe not.”
Really, silence would’ve been golden!
Peril seemed lost in thought for a moment, then quietly replied.
“I can’t do things like that.”
His response was strange. As I tried to make sense of his words, Peril suddenly burst into laughter.
“Forget it.”
“Trailing off like that is the worst.”
So frustrating!
I cleared my throat and spoke quite seriously.
“Didn’t I tell you before? Whatever it is that you want, I’ll help you.”
“……”
“I’m ready to listen too.”
At my words, Peril let out a short sigh.
I knew what he desired was death. But hearing it directly from his mouth was on a completely different level than reading it in a book.
Compared to Peril, my intelligence might be lacking, but maybe we could find an answer if we put our heads together.
‘…But there’s no way he’d talk to me about it.’
No matter how I looked at it, that face didn’t look like one that was about to open up gently.
Just as I was about to quickly take back my words in case he felt pressured—
“I want eternal sleep.”
“…!”
“I mean, I’m asking you to help me die. Can you do that?”
Peril asked in a voice that sounded half like a joke.
“See? That’s why I didn’t say anything.”
He tilted his head toward me.
I was a bit surprised.
I had asked, but I didn’t expect him to actually tell me the truth.
Regret crept onto Peril’s face as if he felt he had spoken in vain after observing my expression. I quickly opened my mouth to speak.
“You’re kind of like me, though.”
“In what way?”
“I’m human too, right? Everyone dies eventually, so we’re similar.”
At my words, Peril looked momentarily blank.
“…That’s not the reaction I expected.”
“Don’t worry! You’re just late to the party, that’s all. I’ll be following not too long after.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Peril sighed and shook his head. After staying silent in thought for a while, he spoke quietly.
“When the time comes…”
“Yes?”
“Will you be sad for me?”
What did this man think of me?
Of course I would.
“I’ll probably cry the most, you know?”
“…Like that time?”
“……”
“I’m sorry.”
When I silently glared at him, Peril immediately apologized.
Excuse me, but that day is off-limits!
* * *
“Is it just this box we need to move?”
“Yes, just that one, and then you can rest.”
At Lily’s words, I picked up the box and carefully set it down in the storage room.
“…Kind of proud of myself.”
Looking at the storage room filled with boxes, a wave of relief washed over me. I took off my stuffy gloves and wiped the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand.
I had just plopped down on the floor to catch my breath when—
“…Here.”
A blunt voice rang out, and a cold water bottle was suddenly thrust toward me.
“Simon?”
It was an unexpected person.
I dazedly took the bottle from him.
Simon, who didn’t seem good with words, plopped down next to me and just stared into space.
…This must be his way of apologizing.
“Thanks, I was getting hot anyway.”
When I cautiously spoke to him, Simon didn’t respond and only fidgeted with his fingers.
He looked like he had something to say, but he didn’t open his mouth easily.
Well, even if he didn’t say anything, I had a rough idea of what he wanted to talk about.
“Uhm, I don’t have the authority.”
“…What?”
“Peril is the one managing the Kingdom of Orphen’s list.”
That must have hit the mark. Simon's face instantly fell.
“I’m only going to the Kingdom because I have my own circumstances, and once I’m back, I won’t be coming to the Tower again.”
"Y-You’re not going to be a disciple?"
“No. Like you said, I don’t have any aspirations in magic.”
“I-I didn’t mean it like that…”
I hesitated for a moment.
“Then why don’t you ask Peril again? If you really want it that much, then no matter what it is, you have to try.”
I hadn’t meant to go this far originally.
But softening at family matters was a sickness, truly a sickness!