“I have a feeling he won’t come back again.”

Coco muttered as she watched Ren climb into the royal palace carriage.

“Wasn’t something strange about him?”

“You were the strange one, Lady Coco! You suddenly got angry.”

Kirky giggled as he teased Coco.

“You!”

Coco sharply pointed at Kirky, then let out a sigh.

“Maybe so. I guess it really was just my needless worry.”

“Of course. This Kirky guarantees it.”

Coco scrunched the bridge of her nose. But this time, she did not refute Kirky’s words. Ridiculously enough, his words had comforted her.

“More importantly... if you came back safely, you should’ve said so. You hid just to scare people?”

Coco narrowed her eyes.

“Ahh. Weren’t you going to let me off...?”

Kirky scratched his cheek and subtly put some distance between himself and Coco.

“Let you off my ass!”

Once the royal palace carriage completely disappeared into the distance, Coco suddenly raised her hand.

“Aaaaaah!”

Priest Kirky’s scream leisurely echoed through the Gannion ducal residence.

***

Jepeto was returning from meeting the royal palace physicians. He was merely an ordinary doctor, but the Heroes treated him well, and he had also accomplished things like saving the Hero’s younger brother and helping the Hero’s party with various small matters, so the royal palace showed him more convenience than expected.

His exchanges with the royal palace physicians were one of those conveniences. Sometimes the humiliation he had suffered at Duke Gannion’s funeral abruptly came to mind, but Jepeto was a commoner, and it was the kind of thing he experienced often enough that he could simply let it pass. But what about Ren? Would it remain a terribly bad memory for him?

Jepeto, who had been worrying over the young boy’s wellbeing, shook his head. There was something more important than that. He sought out only doctors who had sworn the physician’s oath to God and exchanged information with them while asking about Ren’s symptoms. Pretending it was merely academic curiosity, he split the symptoms into various categories and asked about them separately. Today, while asking about different symptoms, he showed them an herb, and the royal palace physician practically lunged at him.

The herb Ren had drunk as tea. A rare herb with no special effects whatsoever. Jepeto had kept it out of curiosity, but while delaying the investigation, the thought had suddenly occurred to him.

What if Ren had been taking this as medicine?

He felt bad about asking directly, so he had looked for Veron, but for some reason even he was nowhere to be seen.

“Ren! Ah. Right, he went to the Gannion ducal residence.”

I should ask him once he comes back. Since he’s close with Lady Coco, he’ll probably come back late at night, right? Or maybe he’ll spend the night there and return tomorrow?

Jepeto continued thinking while standing with Ren’s door open, then suddenly became seized by a strange feeling.

“That’s ridiculous.”

None of Ren’s belongings were gone, yet simply because the owner had stepped out for a while, the room felt completely empty. The empty room reminded Jepeto of the past. Of when Ren had secretly disappeared from the inn.

“There’s no way.”

To calm his restless heart, Jepeto headed once more toward the flower garden where the royal palace physicians gathered. The garden beside the royal palace library, which was also used as an herb field, served as a resting place for the physicians. Jepeto deliberately hurried his pace while glancing around. If he spotted a familiar servant, he intended to ask them to inform him once Ren returned.

***

The ivory-colored room was filled with adorable little objects. Not only toys that looked as though a child would use them, but also the paintings hanging on the walls and the decorations were all arranged to suit a child’s perspective.

Among those seated at separate round tables, the blond young man opened his mouth.

“Your insight is exceptional.”

“I am deeply honored, Your Majesty.”

Across diagonally from him sat an old man with white hair. Yet despite his age, only the old man’s eyes remained clear and pure like a stream. His black eyes, without even a trace of burst blood vessels, looked purer than a child’s.

“Yes, your name was Veron, wasn’t it?”

Ragniel nodded and held out his hand toward him. Veron extended his wrinkled hand.

“They say a physician’s hands should be warm. Yours are cold.”

The skin touching Ragniel’s hand was, how should one put it, extremely lukewarm. Lukewarm enough that touching warm skin would probably make it flinch in surprise.

“I wonder if I should make you a tonic or something.”

“It is already an honor merely to be allowed to stay here.”

The old man, Veron, was well-versed in royal palace etiquette. While maintaining the relaxed demeanor of an elderly man, he still answered Ragniel’s questions with perfect formality.

For several days now, Veron had been repeatedly summoned by Ragniel.

“Giselle truly has a good eye for people. Who could have known you were such a skilled physician?”

Ragniel spoke almost as though sighing.

“Ever since you treated me, it has become easier to fall asleep.”

A perfectly painted smile appeared on his pale face.

“I am only grateful that this lowly one could be of help, Your Majesty.”

“I told you there’s no need to be so formal.”

Ragniel treated Veron kindly from beginning to end, but his eyes were carefully observing him. No, Ragniel was closer to being tense.

“If you have no further commands, I shall take my leave now.”

The old man’s aged voice eased some of Ragniel’s vigilance. Ragniel nodded at his words, then lifted his head after what seemed like intense deliberation.

“Wait.”

Veron, who had been about to stand, stopped.

“There is something I wish to ask.”

“Please ask, Your Majesty.”

“How does one wake up from a nightmare?”

Ragniel faintly smiled as he asked again.

“No. How does one avoid waking up?”

***

“We will increase speed.”

The businesslike voice drifted through the carriage window. Ren nodded even though he knew the other person would not see him. He was too busy covering his mouth and suppressing the nausea rising from motion sickness.

After boarding the carriage bearing the royal palace emblem, Ren changed carriages not long afterward. The carriage he transferred into in a crowded area was luxurious, but it bore no identifying crest and had an appearance that made it impossible to guess who was riding inside.

Yet despite not standing out, every single thing composing the carriage was of the highest quality. Even the one driving it was not an ordinary coachman, but a disguised knight. It was all for Ren’s protection.

After traveling for a long while, the carriage finally stopped in an upscale residential district.

“Please step down.”

The carriage came to a smooth halt. He heard the horses snorting softly. The carriage door opened, and a rough-looking hand suddenly stretched toward him. Ren awkwardly took the hand and climbed down. He tried not to look around, but if he didn’t do at least that much, it felt as though his nauseated stomach would rise into his throat.

“You must wear the hood.”

“Ah, yes.”

The knight pulled the hood attached to the cloak over Ren’s head.

“Please come this way.”

Ren followed after the knight leading the way. The knight stopped in front of a red-brick house lined among the long row of residences. As soon as the bell was rung, a woman’s voice quickly called for them to come in.

Ren stiffened awkwardly, and the knight examined him.

“Are you feeling unwell anywhere? I will summon a physician.”

“Ah, no. It just feels unfamiliar.”

“If there is any discomfort, please inform us immediately.”

“All right....... Thank you.”

“There is no need to thank me.”

The knight cleanly rejected Ren’s gratitude. Ren awkwardly bit his lip.

The thick iron gate opened, and a maid came hurrying out with quick little steps. She flinched slightly upon seeing the large build of the tall man, then quickly forced a smile onto her face. Saying that her mistress had informed her beforehand, the maid cheerfully welcomed them inside.

Soon afterward, she gave them a guest room.

“Ah! Are you cold, sir? I’ll make the fire stronger.”

The weather had become pleasantly warm, but Ren’s clothing certainly had not. Because he had wanted to naturally bring along the cloak Luman had gifted him, every layer he wore consisted of thick winter clothes. The maid had misunderstood, but the room did feel chilly, so Ren silently nodded.

“I will remain waiting outside the door, so please rest at ease.”

“You really don’t have to go that far... do you? Did Giselle, sir, order this?”

The honorific felt terribly unnatural in his mouth. Ren barely managed to ask politely.

“Then please rest comfortably.”

The knight did not answer and simply closed the door.

Soon afterward, the maid and a servant returned carrying armfuls of firewood and made the fireplace burn even hotter.

“Please eat this. My mistress instructed us to treat you generously.”

The maid brought in the tray that had been left in the hallway, then closed the door. The dishes spread across the table were not numerous, but each one looked neat and carefully prepared. The savory and salty aroma stimulated his appetite. At the Gannion ducal residence, he had failed to properly eat because he had been too busy paying attention to Coco.

“Yes, thank you.”

Could this really be accepted as goodwill? Though perhaps it was goodwill born from Giselle’s authority. Why was Giselle treating him with such excessive consideration?

Ren felt as though he would never be able to solve that question. Giselle’s attitude toward him lacked consistency. Sometimes he frightened and pressured him, while at other times he seemed completely uninterested. At times it felt as though he was using Ren for some purpose, and then—

“Let us call it pity.”

That faint warmth Ren had sensed within those inorganic eyes.

What exactly had that been?