Volume 3 - CH 8.1

Lately, I've been seeing Sophie letting out a sigh with an unhappy face.

It's not that I'm not getting along with her; in fact, I think our night activity are reasonably good. The problem, however, is that she is still not pregnant.

In general, among the nobility of the kingdom, if a couple does not have a child within a year of taking a wife, they are considered to be physically incompatible, and their position in the house becomes very bad, even if they are full wives. It hadn't been a year since Sophie and I had married, but she was getting more and more impatient.

In order to at least show that I is on good terms with her, I visits her room whenever I had free time, but it doesn't go well.

One day, after lunch, I was thinking of doing some light exercise when Sophie came up to me.

「Yard-sama, I'd like to talk to you about something, so could you please come to my room?」

「Hmm? Yeah, sure.」

I felt something quite unpleasant in her serious expression. She probably found out about the incident between me and Marie. I don't know how she found out about it, but it's a very bad situation. However, I didn't have anything special to do, so it was impossible to refuse her request here.

I followed Sophie into her room and the waiting maid started to prepare tea, but she stopped her. The maid looked at her curiously, but seeing the expression on her face that did not show any of her usual cheerfulness, she seemed to have decided to follow her orders quietly.

「You there, may I have a moment?」

「Y-yes! What is it?」

「I'm going to have a serious talk with Yard-sama now, so I'd like to request that no one be allowed in this room for a while. Oh, and don't worry about cleaning up the tea.」

「As you wish, ma'am.」

Perhaps the maid's survival instincts were alarmed by her flat, emotionless voice, which was unthinkable from the usual Sophie, and the maid bowed her head to her master, who would be questioned by Sophie, and left the room without the slightest hesitation. What a heartless fellow she is.

I observed Sophie sitting across from me, but she didn't look at me once since she took her seat, instead she prepared the tea left by the maid and offered me a teacup. I took it anyway, but I was in no mood to drink it.

After taking a sip of her own brew, she let out a sigh and looked at me. Her usual gentle mood is completely absent, and I feel as if she is condemning me just by looking at me.

「Yard-sama, please answer my questions without lying to me. And don't try to dodge the conversation.」

「...... Oh, I understand.」

「I think Yard-sama and Marie have been getting along better lately, what's happened between you two?」

「Margarete asked me to help her sleep at night, and I held her.」

I gave her an honest answer to a question that suddenly seemed to get to the heart of the matter. I thought it would be counterproductive to deceive her, since she was already suspicious of my relationship with Marie.

Since the night I held Marie, her attitude toward me had softened considerably. I used to see her in the hallway and she would often ignore me, but now she has even started to talk to me first. Also, when she talks to me, her demeanor is no longer disagreeable, and she seems to be a little more relaxed.

To my surprise, she seemed to think that she was treating me the same as usual. The change was obvious to me, the person in question, but it seemed to be easy for her sister, Sophie, to understand.

Her expression didn't change, as if she had expected my words, but she still seemed to be upset inside, and closed her eyes for a while to calm down.

「...... I see. I knew that my sister had nightmares at night, but what does that have to do with what Yard-sama did?」

「She thought it would be a good idea to have a more intense experience than that to forget the events at the fortress. But you know that she has developed a phobia of men, right? She could have a normal conversation with me, but I guess there was no one else she could ask, because it was so severe that just looking at a man made her shiver.」

「Did Yard-sama suggest that method?」

「No, it came from her. She came to see me in the middle of the night.」

「I see. ......」

When Sophie heard what I said, she turned her head with a sad expression on her face and went silent.

She was probably thinking about the future. From her point of view, her husband had been invited by her little sister and she had taken him up on it. It was nothing but infidelity, no matter what she thought.

After a while, she let out a sigh and looked at me again. There were tears in her eyes, and my heart was filled with guilt.

「Has Yard-sama come to dislike me?」

「No, not in the least.」

「Then why Marie and not me? Besides, more and more women are invited to this mansions these days. Could it be that you are no longer attracted to me?」

I was expecting her to say that, but I couldn't think of anything good to say to her, so I was at a loss for a response. To put it bluntly, my decision to embrace Marie was an accident. She was having trouble sleeping and there was no reason to refuse her at that moment. That was the only reason. As Sophie's younger sister, I was familiar with her, but I didn't have any particular feelings of love for her.

But I feel like I shouldn't tell her this. If she were to tell me that I had hurt her sister and that I had done it by chance, she would definitely be furious. No matter how much she likes me, I don't think she'll allow such an outrageous act. I feel bad for her, but I'll make an excuse here.

「Calm down, Sophie. There is a reason why I held Margarete.」

「A reason?」

「Sophie knew that she hadn't been sleeping well because of the nightmares, but the lack of sleep had put her in a state of mental instability. If she had been left alone like that, she would have eventually suffered a mental breakdown. Once her mind is broken, there's nothing you can do about it.」

「...... Is that right?」

「Yes, it is. And I think she knew that, too. I think that's why she came to me, hoping for some relief. I guess I was the exception to the rule, because she couldn't ask for help from other man because she had a phobia of men.」

I haven't told any particular lie so far. She hadn't been getting enough sleep, she was getting worse and worse, and she had come to my room to get better. I don't know how long she could have lasted in that state, but I don't think it would have been very long.

Her gaze softened a little at my story. She was still teary-eyed, but I guess she was starting to feel that I hadn't changed my mind, that there was a reason why I had held her sister.

「But why would that be a reason for her to spend the night with Yard-sama?」

「A memory so strong that it would come up in her dreams every night might be able to be forgotten over time, but her mind probably wouldn't last until then. So I thought the best way would be to force her to overwrite it by having an experience so intense that she could forget the way she was treated.」

「......」

「I could pull out her memories of the fortress, but that would wipe out all her memories of the fortress, and she would forget those who were under her command. That would be too much for her men who died to save her.」

If she was still traumatized after I holding Marie, I was going to erase her memory, but I didn't have to go that far. My sister-in-law is more important than someone who I can't even remember their face properly.

Sophie looked at me with a dumbfounded look on her face when she heard why I was holding Marie. I had a good excuse. If her anger still persists, I'll just have to let it happen.

「Yard-sama thought about her that much ......」

「I never meant to make Sophie sad, but I have betrayed you as a result. If you can't stop your anger towards me, then I will accept any punishment you can give me.」

「Yard-sama!」

When she heard my words, tears welled up in her eyes again, and she got up from her seat, ran to me, and hugged me with the same force. I hugged her back, as I was not weak enough to be knocked down by her slight lunge, and stroked her head as she cried in a stifled voice, pressing her face into my clothes.

「I'm sorry, I'm the one who didn't notice the kindness of Yard-sama and blamed you.......」

「It's just that my words were not enough. There is no need for you to apologize.」

I interrupted her and continued to pat her head for a while until her sobs subsided.

That should clear her suspicion of me. If my infidelity had been the reason for the divorce, I might not have been able to stay in this country. I'm really saved.

Eventually, Sophie regained her composure, slowly pulled away from me, and went back to her seat, hiding her tear-red eyes in embarrassment. Her face was refreshed, as if a curse had fallen, and she had regained her usual cheerful mood.

「I'm sorry, I've exposed my shabby appearance.」

「No, don't worry about it. We are a married couple, you know. There's no need to be embarrassed when you cry as hard as you can if no one else is watching.」

「Yes. So, about what you said earlier, there's one thing I want to confirm.」

「...... Was there something I didn't explain well enough?」

I thought I had finished talking about everything with Marie in my earlier explanation, but she seemed to be continuing. I hadn't expected this. I felt sick to my stomach as she rehashed a story that I thought was over.

「No, did Marie have her virginity taken in the fortress?」

「No, I don't think so.」

I don't think Elle, Orvan, or any other Imperial soldier would have taken her virginity. Normally, she would have been raped by a soldier in heat, but I had a feeling they were avoiding taking her virginity. I don't know if they had some kind of use for her, or if they were just trying to show off after they defeated me.

Sophie raised her eyebrows in annoyance when she heard my response. I wonder if there was something wrong with that.

「So you're saying that the girl was still pure and innocent when Yard-sama took Marie in your arms?」

「Well, I suppose so.」

「Yard-sama, holding Marie, even if it was to cure insomnia, is a problem itself. That girl's rank in the line of succession is low, but she's still a princess and a member of the royal family. If her innocence was taken by someone other than her husband, she would normally have no choice but to marry off like I did. But since I'm already married to Yard-sama, she has no choice but to spend the rest of her life in a monastery.」

Apparently she is worried about her sister's future. I think it would be fine if the parties concerned, me and Marie, and those who heard the story, like Sophie, kept quiet, but I guess her sincerity won't allow it. But she seems to have made a big misunderstanding.

「Sophie.」

「If she had been deprived of her innocence in the fortress, I could have marry her to another nobleman as an accident, but that would be difficult since Yard-sama has taken her virginity away.」

「Sophie, listen to me. Margarete's virginity remains intact.」

「...... What?」

「I did say that I held her, but it was only foreplay. I'm not going to be foolish enough to take away the innocence of royalty when I've already married to Sophie.」

「...... Is my sister still in her pure body?」

「Well, in terms of being a virgin, yes. Whether it's pure or not, I can't judge.」

It would only cause a ruckus, such as having Marie as a wife in a situation where there are too many women who have had relationships with me for free. I already had a full-time wife, Sophie, and I would be taking Tia and Natalia as wives, so I had no intention of taking another woman for at least a few more years.

Sophie's shoulders relaxed and she was stunned to find out that her fears were unfounded. Well, she must have been really worried about her sister's future, so her reaction was understandable.

「...... I'm relieved.」

She smiled happily at me, as if she understood that there was no problem with her sister. She is more beautiful when she is smiling, after all. She's so different from Fairis, who looks good in tears.

With all the misunderstandings cleared up, I was finally able to relax. When she first asked me out, I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but I'm glad it turned out okay. My throat was parched from nerves, but I had already drunk the tea she had made for me earlier.

「Sophie, I'm sorry, can I have another cup?」

「Sure, right　away ...... Oh, come to think of it, I have something good for you. Please wait for a moment.」

Sophie got up from her seat and brought a small box that she had left on the shelf. As soon as she opened the lid, an indescribably fragrant aroma spread through the room. When I looked inside, I saw that it contained tea leaves and a few other things.

「It was a gift. It was a very precious tea, something that is rarely available due to the inclusion of aromatic herbs that are difficult to obtain. I've heard that drinking it with someone special strengthens your bond.」

With a happy expression on her face, Sophie explained to me what was inside. If I believed her, it was an original blend of herbal tea. I don't know much about tea, but it certainly has a stronger aroma than regular tea leaves, so I can understand why it's so rarely available.

She took the teacup from me, brewed a cup of tea with tea leaves from the box, and offered it to me.

The brewed tea had a stronger aroma than the tea leaves, but tasted a little better than normal tea, but not quite the astringent bitterness of tea, which was oddly numbing. It may have been moldy from being stored for so long. I was expecting too much because of the aroma.

「...... It's so-so, I guess」

「Oh my, is that so? I think it's a very good tea.」

She brewed her own and drank it too, but unlike me, she seemed to be able to enjoy the aroma and taste of the tea. I guess there's a difference in taste between her, who's always tasted the best, and me, who's always just gone with the flow.

Well, if she's enjoying it, there's no problem. The tea itself was not bad, in fact it tasted better than the ordinary tea we had just been drinking.

There is no production of tea leaves in the kingdom, so the tea must be imported from other countries, but it is a precious thing to send to her. Only merchants I knew came and went at the mansion, so it must have been one of the nobles who wanted to have connections with her.

「Sophie, who gave you these tea leaves?」

I was curious about the source of this, so I asked her. The fact that they sent it directly to Sophie without going through me is like saying that they wants to get into her life as the first princess, not as the Count's wife. I can't overlook the possibility that she might get into trouble without my knowledge.

「This tea? This is from Elmaire-san.」

But what came back from her was something far beyond my expectations. The moment I heard her words, I stopped myself from drinking any more. The amber liquid with a rich aroma in my hand looks very toxic.

「Sophie, please stop drinking that for now.」

「Huh? Okay. Was there a bug in it?」

Neither she nor I seem to be feeling any different, but just because we're fine now doesn't mean I can't rest assured. It's possible that there are slow-acting poisons in it. In fact, such poisons are more commonly used in assassinations.

As a countermeasure against poisoning, I use the always-active <Poison DetectionCheck Poison>, but first I need to check for the presence of poison, so I tried to activate the <Advanced Poison DetectionDetect Poison> on myself and the tea she was drinking. However, the moment I tried to activate it, I lost control of my magic power, and the magic I was in the process of constructing disappeared before it could take effect.

And then my whole body was in agonizing pain, and I collapsed to the floor, unable to even sit up.

「!? Yard-sama!? What happened to you!?」

In my increasingly narrowed vision, I saw Sophie hurriedly getting up from her seat and approaching me. I've just cleared up her misunderstanding, but I've made her worry again. I apologized to her in my mind, but the pain that was coming over me pushed my spirit to the limit and I lost consciousness.

※

When I woke up, I was lying on the bed in my room. After I fainted, I guess I was carried to my room. When I got up and looked around, I saw Elaine sitting on a chair right next to me, staring at me.

「Fufu, good morning. It's almost time for lunch, though.」

「That's not important, what happened after I collapsed?」

I asked her about the current situation, ignoring her words as she greeted me with an innocent smile.

No matter how you look at it, that tea was Elle's doing. I don't know what kind of poison she had given me, but the pain was so bad that it would have shocked me to death. If that was the case, it was hard to believe that Sophie, who was drinking the tea with me, would be okay. The first priority was to confirm her safety.

「Fufu, I understand the importance of Sophia-sama, but you shouldn't be restless. You've only just woken up, but if you get too excited, you'll collapse again.」

「This is no time to joke about ......!」

As if to stop me from leaning forward to question Elaine, she put her finger on my mouth and urged me to be quiet. I was pressured by her calm demeanor and returned to my original position.

「Therefore, please calm down. First of all, Sophia-sama is safe. Unlike you, she did not fall victim to the poison and her body is in perfect health. I believe she's resting in her room right now.」

「I-I see. ......」

I was relieved to hear that Sophie was okay. I collapsed yesterday afternoon and woke up just before noon, which means that it might have been more than a day. If she had been poisoned and died, there was a possibility that the resurrection would not have been able to revive her in time. I'm so relieved.

Seeing me regaining my composure, Elaine chuckled as if she had no choice.

「As for Yard-sama, first of all, the direct cause of your collapse was not poison, but a lack of magic power. Perhaps the magic that had lost control ran wild and used up all of Yard-sama's magic power. When I saw you, you had lost most of your magic power, so I shared some of mine with you.」

It's true that there is a difference in degree, but that pain was similar to the sensation I felt when I used a magic formula without any magic power. I had forgotten that I had made such a mistake as to run out of magic power in an instant since the first time I used the magic.

But I couldn't believe I would make such a rudimentary mistake. Perhaps the poison in the tea was something that interfered with the control of magic power.

「You've been down for about two days. I thought something was wrong when Sophia-sama came to call me, but I was surprised when I actually saw you collapse. I didn't think you had the common sense to fall ill from poison.」

「What are you saying? My tolerance is not much different from those of ordinary people. However, I usually use a Resident Poison Detection magic to take that possibility into account. Have you figured out the poison that was administered to me?」

「Yes, there is no name attached to it, but it is the kind of poison that, if taken by a magician of a certain level of ability, will prevent them from performing magic, and if they tries to perform magic, their magic power will be depleted uncontrollably. In your words, it's a poison that destroys only the part of the brain related to magic.」

「So you're saying that I've lost the ability to perform magic now?」

When I heard Elaine's words, I noticed that all of the permanent magic barriers had indeed disappeared, and all of the other support magics had also been removed. Apparently, she was telling the truth. In other words, I was now unable to activate any of my magic.

The <Poison DetectionCheck Poison> detects deadly poisons, but excludes those that will not kill unless ingested in large quantities. The poison that I was given this time was probably not life-threatening, but for me it was worse than ordinary poisoning.

「The antidote was easy to make, so the poison was removed from your body, but it would be impossible for your body to heal itself back to its original state, and even with recovery magic, it would take several months.」

From what Elaine told me, I seems to be in a very bad state. But if it takes several months, I don't know when Elle will attack me. The fact that the poison was not deadly means that she might be planning to attack me when I am weak after drinking the poison.

「Can't you or Faeris-dono heal me a little faster?」

「A few months is what I meant when I used Fairis-sama as an example. Normally, it would take years. Even with my magic, it would take several weeks. I can't stay in this mansion all that time, and I'm sure Fairis-sama is the same way.」

「Is there no other way?」

「I think there is no other way but to recover. The only one who can use recovery magic stronger than me is ...... your apprentice, right? When I was attacked before, she already had more magic power than me, and she used magic that I didn't know. She might be able to heal you in an instant.」

It's true that Elle would be able to use both <Major Heal> and <Resurrection>, so she would be more likely to be able to heal me than Elaine. However, it's unlikely that the person who poisoned me would go out of her way to heal me, unless she was brainwashed or subjected to a similar magic and used as a pawn.

A magician as powerful as Elaine would not be so easy to find, and there would be no time to waste looking for a magician. As a conclusion from what I heard, it seems that I will have to endure the situation of not being able to use the magic for a few more months or years. What a joke it would be for a magician to be unable to use their magic.

The only saving grace is that the fight against the Demon Empire is over, so there is no need to fight as a hero anymore. If the situation had been like this before I left, Leshiana and the fortress would have been destroyed by now.

As I fell back on my bed, clutching my head at the conclusion I had come to, there was a knock at the door of my room.

「Excuse me, Elaine-sama. I've brought you your meal.」

It was Tia who came in. Apparently, Elaine was taking her meal here. So she was the only one with knowledge of poison and she couldn't get away from me.

I guess she didn't expect me to be awake. When my eyes met Tia's, she froze for a few moments, but as soon as she came back to herself, she came closer to me. She didn't show much change in her expression since she was in public, but I could tell that she was still happy.

「Master, since you're already awake, is your body okay?」

「Yes, I'm fine enough to get up. I seem to have a lot of problems elsewhere, though.」

She had a question mark in her head, as if she hadn't heard the details, but when she saw that I wasn't distraught, she didn't think it was something she had to fuss about.

「I'm really glad. I'm sure Sophia-sama will be happy to know that Yard-sama has regained consciousness, as she's been so depressed.」

「Hmm? What's Sophie doing now?」

「After she called me and Elaine-sama for help with Master's collapse, she was so shaken that she gave you a poisoned drink that you fell asleep. She is so worried that she can barely even swallow a meal, and I was wondering what I could do to help her」

I forgot to worry about Sophie until I heard Tia's story. It's true that at that time, I collapsed after drinking the tea she made. It wasn't her fault by any means, but I'm sure she was very shaken to see that. I couldn't bear to have caused her unnecessary worry, so I had to go to her place as soon as possible and show her that I was fine.

「I see, she's in her room now, right?」

「Yes, she is. I think Margarete-sama is with her.」

My body, which I hadn't moved in two days, seemed to be creaking in places, but not to the point where I couldn't move. I got off the bed and stretched out while Tia prepared a change of clothes, and my spine snapped. After all, a bedridden life is no good.

「Elaine, I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused you, even though you had nothing to do with it. Can I make it up to you later?」

「Sure. Don't worry about me. Just go and see Sophia-sama.」

Elaine smiled at my words and urged me to leave with a fluttering motion of her hand. I was grateful for the attention, but now I was grateful. I thanked her for her concern and left the room as soon as I finished dressing. I headed for Sophie's room.