CH 36

It’s been a few days since Theo left. I opened the macaron box he gave me. Each macaron was as big as a choco pie and was neatly placed in the box.

I liked the light pastel tone color of pink, light green, and light blue. I tried to take one of them, but I hesitated. For some reason, I felt like it was a waste to eat.

My heart softened thinking Theo made this in the kitchen. I closed the box quietly. I wonder what he’s doing now.

Probably floating on the sea. I wondered unnecessarily if something had happened to him on the notoriously treacherous Derion Passage. I turned to Stella next to me.

“Stella, is the Derrion Passage really that dangerous?”

“Yes, it is,” Stella replied.  “The sea route is significantly affected by the weather. The weather can be so capricious over there that the sailors raise the sail even before they set sail.”

“Raise the sails…?”

“Recently, there’s even been reports that a rare breed of demonic creatures from the west coast has shifted its habitat and traveled to Derion.”

“Demons….?”

Since this was a fantasy novel, it was only natural that demons would appear in this world. However, Asha’s capital was safe from them, and since I was confined to the imperial palace, I didn’t feel any danger from them.

I tried to imagine the existence of demons that I had never been interested in. Because they live in the sea…… Is it like a fish with teeth?

In any case, it was more than just bad weather.

“The sea is often full of unexpected creatures, which is why they include experienced hunters on their voyages.”

Stella glanced at my pensive face and asked.

“Are you worried about the young Marquis?”

“If it’s such a dangerous place…….”

“Don’t worry. He’ll be safe.”

“How can you guarantee that?”

Stella asked, her eyes narrowing as if she didn’t understand..

“Because he’s a hunter, the most famous in Asha.”

“……… Huh?”

Seeing my puzzled expression, Stella looked at me sheepishly, as if she thought my memory was slipping again.

When I didn’t seem to know what I was supposed to know since I died and came back to life, Stella would give me a sympathetic look and add a detailed explanation.

“As much as the young Marquis tries to hide it, it’s no secret that his swordsmanship is renowned, and there have been many times when gladiators from Asha and beyond have curiously challenged him to a duel, only to be beaten to a pulp…….”

“…….”

“There have even been fights between mercenary captains for the right to have the young Marquis as one of their own, though they all gave up afterwards when they realized he was the only son of the Claflin family. In my opinion, he should have become a knight.”

“As good as that……?”

“It’s just that we don’t tend to hold knighthood in Asha in very high esteem, and it’s a shame that he has to hide his skills because of his noble status. The country is wasting a great deal of talent.”

Stella clicked her tongue a little wistfully. I knew he was good at swordsmanship, but I didn’t know he was so talented that even mercenary captains were eager to scout him.

It was a moment when I realized that there were quite a few things I didn’t know about him even though we were close. Stella spoke deeply.

“He travels a lot, so he’s bound to come into contact with demons, and that’s partly why he and Marquis Claflin aren’t on the best of terms. In fact, it’s not a characteristic befitting a high-profile noble heir, is it?”

“But…… it’s still dangerous.”

This was also something that was not detailed in the original story.

Somehow, I found it ironic that the more I knew about him, the more I didn’t know.

“He didn’t seem to think it was that dangerous.”

“Why?”

“I mean, the size of his ship isn’t much different from a normal sailing vessel, and I heard he kept the number of sailors to a minimum, and even though it’s a superstitious belief, he didn’t raise the sail before they set sail.”

“Why in the world…”

“His Majesty assigned him on a diplomatic mission to Schubert, but everything else was at his discretion, so I suppose that means there’s nothing to worry about.”

Stella’s words, meant to be reassuring, somehow sounded more ominous.

In the end, the ship Theo chose was sloppy, his crew was insufficient, and he himself was indifferent to the dangers to the extent of not even raising the sails.

***

<When you have time, please use the magic notebook from time to time.>

Remembering Theo’s words, I opened the magic notebook first today.

I had been told by Stella that Theo would be safe, and I also knew that he was the one who would be with me to the end of this novel, but I was still nervous.

I wrote down the summoning spell the way the spirit had called me the last time. But for some reason, the spirits didn’t answer.

I don’t know what it was doing in my notes, but it seemed to be busy. After waiting for a while, I got tired and closed the note. I was about to close the note when I saw familiar words on a white background.

[Did you call me Master?]

[You answered late. Are you busy?]

[It’s okay now. Is something wrong?]

[There’s nothing going on.]

Although it was just an invisible spirit, it was somewhat embarrassing to write that I opened the note because I suddenly remembered Theo.

However, the spirit said something that seemed to know what was inside my heart.

[It’s either that, or the emperor is making you nervous…….]

The spirit’s next sentence was written at a slightly faster pace. It seemed somewhat angry.

[Or you thought of poor Theo, who was on a perilous voyage, risking his life because of that bastard].

The spirit wrote the name “Theo” in slightly larger letters, as if for emphasis. And I felt that the description of Theo was somehow trying to buy my sympathy.

[I mean, is it so dangerous that he has to risk his life?]

[Don’t worry, he’s not really going to die.]

[But I heard there are demons on the Derrion Passage now…… Everything will be okay, right?]

[He’s been to more dangerous places, and you don’t seem to care much about his safety.]

[That’s…… I cared a lot, I just didn’t express it.]

I meant to say that Lethenia wasn’t a very sweet and caring person, but she probably was.

[By the way, why did you seek me out?]

[I had a favor to ask.]

[Is it a complicated wish again, like macarons?]

[No, it’s not like that…… It’s not as hard as a macaron, but it’s important to me. You can appear in other people’s dreams.]

[Tell me about it.]

I opened the note because I wanted to ask the spirits for a new wish. I wrote slowly and prayerfully, like I would before blowing out the candles on a birthday cake.

Perhaps because of the desire for the spirit to understand, the letters were written more carefully and neatly.

[Tell Theo to take care of himself. And make sure he uses the land route when he comes back later.]

[Why?]

[I’ve heard that there are demons on the Derrion Passage lately…… and I didn’t realize it was so dangerous until today. If I’d known that, I wouldn’t have let him get on the ship.]

[Are you worried about him?]

[Of course I am, he’s taking such a dangerous journey].

[No one has ever worried about him that much before].

[Really…?]

[Well, he seems like the kind of guy who would survive no matter where you put him.]

The spirit’s answer reminded me of Theo’s situation. His biological mother had disappeared and Marquis Claflin was ashamed of his existence.

The Marchioness and her people despised him because he was an illegitimate child, and because of his mother’s origins, he was not allowed to mingle with the children of the nobility. Even his old friend Lethenia had turned her attention to Ian.

There were countless people who wooed him, but if Stella’s data was correct, it seems that he didn’t really open his heart to those who approached him based on his appearance, and…… Theo was human, too, and he must have felt lonely sometimes.

I picked up the pen again.

[He has me].

[You care a lot about Theo.]

[Because he’s really important to me].

[Hmm, this wish for him should be a piece of cake compared to a macaron.]

[I heard from Stella that he had a very small ship and not enough people on it, and he didn’t even follow the ritual.]

[I think that maid was exaggerating a bit. Weren’t you the one who said the last time Theo met a woman like he was choosing a dessert?]

I was quite surprised by the sharp point of the spirit, but I naturally changed my words.

[It gets on my nerves to hear you say that anyway, it’s like I’m the reason he went away.]

[To explain, the ship isn’t big, but he chose the sturdiest one he could find, using special wood; the small number of people is because a large number of unskilled sailors would be poison on a long voyage, so he gathered only trustworthy people; and lastly, he simply didn’t feel the need for a ritual. I wonder if that kind of thing can change your fate.]

Everything the Spirit said made sense. I’ve been worrying about nothing.

But the more I look at it, the more I feel like I’m hearing from Theo himself, not the spirit.

[You sound like you’re Theo.]

The spirit was silent for a moment at my surprise question.