Chapter 35
“…….”
Lionel stared at his empty hands for a long while, then clenched them into fists.
At that moment, there was a knock at the door.
“Come in.”
“Excuse me, Your Highness.”
The one who entered was not from the Second Prince’s palace but a servant of the First Prince’s palace.
He bowed politely to Lionel and handed him a book.
“I have completed the task you assigned.”
The reason a servant of the First Prince did what Lionel had requested was because of a servant named Bill, who had tried to steal Lionel’s bluebird.
“I was the one who delivered His Highness the First Prince’s orders to Bill. I forced him to do it. The guilt is entirely mine. I will take the punishment, so please forgive Bill……!”
Probably, neither this servant nor Bill had the slightest idea that things could go wrong. So, they touched the Second Prince’s property without a second thought.
However, Bill was struck down by lightning magic, and the fact that he touched the bluebird was discovered by Lionel. He was dragged to the underground prison without treatment.
Regardless of the circumstances, he touched the property of the Second Prince. He would face the punishment of having both hands cut off.
That was why this servant had come to see Lionel—to beg him to save his only nephew.
Honestly, it was a ridiculous matter. Would pleading solve anything?
Lionel did not care whether the hands of the man who dared touch the bluebird were cut off or not, or whether this servant would be consumed by guilt because of it.
However, Lionel was curious about one thing.
“I remember your face. You were certainly serving my brother nine years ago as well.”
“Y-You know me?”
“The one who worked with you brought me Lily’s ribbon. Saying they couldn’t find the body.”
“Ah…….”
“Why couldn’t you find the body?”
“Well…… His Highness the First Prince collapsed immediately after the incident, so he did not know, but I saw it clearly. At that time, the bluebird turned into light and disappeared.”
“Light?”
“Yes. I investigated it because I was curious. I heard that Spirit Familiars vanish like that.”
“……”
“The bluebird Your Highness raised was certainly a Spirit Familiar that someone had smuggled into the palace.”
“……Have you ever told anyone else about this?”
“No. There was no evidence, and besides…… I witnessed the servant who brought the ribbon to Your Highness being dismissed, so I just pretended I didn’t know.”
“……Very well. Follow my orders, and I will save that servant.”
“Is that really true? Command me! I will follow anything!”
“Bring me any materials related to Spirit Familiars. No one must know.”
That was why the servant had brought this book to Lionel.
“You’ve done well.”
“Then, what about Bill……?”
“I will send him outside the palace with all limbs intact. I will also provide a place for him to stay.”
The servant flinched for a moment. Being told that a place would be prepared sounded more like a threat than a kindness. If he spoke carelessly, his nephew’s life might not be guaranteed.
Of course, Lionel might have genuinely intended it as consideration. The servant might have misinterpreted it.
He quietly bowed his head instead of guessing Lionel’s intentions.
In any case, if he behaved wisely, his nephew would not be harmed further.
“Thank you. I will never forget this kindness.”
“You may leave now.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
After the servant left, Lionel sat at his desk and opened the book.
Spirit Familiar.
He knew a little about this magic.
A doppelgänger that acts as the eyes and ears for a magician. Usually used as a messenger, but a well-trained Spirit Familiar could also serve as an assistant.
However, he had heard that this magic could only be used once the caster reached adulthood……
[·The material for Spirit Familiar magic is a fragment of the caster’s soul.
·To complete the Spirit Familiar, it must be continuously summoned to maintain its form.
·Unless the magic power runs out, a summoned Spirit Familiar does not disappear.
·Before completion, the Spirit Familiar must be directly controlled by the caster’s consciousness.
·A completed Spirit Familiar has a separate consciousness and can act independently.
·Before completion, the Spirit Familiar cannot use magic.
·A completed Spirit Familiar shares the caster’s knowledge and can use magic the caster has learned.
·If an incomplete Spirit Familiar is severely damaged and destroyed, the caster’s soul fragment is destroyed, and in the worst case, the caster could die.
·Therefore, extreme caution is required when using this magic, and minors in training must never attempt it.]
The more he read, the more memories of the past came back.
What he had only suspected became certain.
So that’s why. Now, there were more things he could understand than he could count.
“You didn’t…… take my magic? How did the bird take magic?”
“Lily? Its name is Lily? ……How do you know human letters?”
“Where were you? You disappeared suddenly and startled me.”
“Are you comforting me? ……Thank you. You really seem to understand my heart.”
“A flower? Are you really giving it to me?”
“Your lullaby is really effective. Do you know that? I always fall asleep before it finishes, so I’ve never heard your lullaby all the way to the end.”
The warmth that wiped away his completely dried tears with its wings, the small wildflower that barely made it to his hand with its tiny beak, the song it sang whenever he felt lonely.
If these were not mere coincidences with perfect timing.
If they were someone’s kindness given entirely for him.
—You lost the vessel for your magic?
“Yes. I had a terrible fever as a child. At that time, I lost both the vessel and all my memories. You can imagine how severe the fever was, right?”
Was the owner of that small warmth really Cecilia? Did she really succeed in Spirit Familiar magic at that young age and fly to him every day?
But because the magic was incomplete, the Spirit Familiar vanished, and he had almost died and even lost his magic vessel.
“What a cute bird. I will take it with me.”
“Tweet!”
“No, Lily!”
“Lily? Such a cute name. I will take good care of it.”
……Because of me.
Because I couldn’t protect it.
“……Ah.”
His eyes burned. The emotion he felt after so long constricted his throat.
He could barely breathe. Endless helplessness and self-blame seemed to drag him to the ground.
“Tweet! Tweet-tweet!”
Then, the bluebird, which had been wandering freely on the desk, approached Lionel.
His gaze, sunk in deep self-reproach, shifted slightly toward the tilting head of the bluebird.
And when their eyes met.
-
Eek! What is this! It’s connected on its own again!
“……Cecil?”
-
No, why do you keep moving on your own?
Cecilia’s voice, speaking in an accusing tone, sounded healthy.
It was a relief. She seemed to have fully regained her senses.
The moisture in his eyes disappeared. Unconsciously, Lionel smiled and asked Cecilia.
“Are you all right?”
-
Me? Yes, I’m fine! I just slept a little long. Nothing hurts at all. But my family and teacher are overprotective, so I probably can’t go out for a while.
“I see.”
-
But Your Highness, did you really get a scolding because I collapsed?
“Yes.”
-
I’m sorry. My collapsing had nothing to do with you……
“You still call me that.”
-
Huh?
Hearing her puzzled voice, he realized she probably didn’t notice herself.
Was this the instinct of a spoiled child who had been loved excessively since childhood?
Lionel, unaware that a smile had formed on his lips, told her:
“Before and even now, whenever something makes you feel sorry toward me, you call me ‘Your Highness.’ Didn’t you realize that?”
-
……Ah, I did that?
“It’s really fine, so you can relax.”
Lionel lightly tapped the bluebird, which hadn’t moved while carrying Cecilia’s voice, with his fingertip.