Clarice took hold of Iris’s sleeve and said in a low voice,
“Endure it.”
“I am enduring it.”
“Your face doesn’t look like it’s enduring anything at all.”
“Even so, I am enduring it.”
Lady Sereniel closed her eyes and felt the flow around Noel.
“It’s true. It’s similar to the starleaf, but softer.”
Marquis Theodore’s voice lowered.
“Does Haku himself serve as a stabilizing medium?”
I opened my eyes slightly.
That statement was only half right.
I spoke to Elysia through my intent.
‘My guess was right.’
Elysia asked cautiously.
‘What guess?’
‘The ivory tree leaf reduced Noel’s mana noise.
But that’s not only because the leaf itself is special.
The ivory tree has the nature of gently smoothing out the texture of the surrounding mana,
and its leaves hold a little of that nature.’
‘Yes.’
‘I can do something similar. Not by erasing the mana, but by softening the texture that reaches Noel.’
Elysia’s hand trembled slightly.
‘Then if Haku is by Noel’s side…….’
‘Yes. He’ll feel more at ease, to some extent.’
I lightly moved my tail atop Noel’s head for a moment.
Noel laughed softly.
It must have tickled.
‘But I can’t do it all the time.’
I immediately added.
‘I’m not straining myself to use this power, but I can’t stay glued to him forever. And I don’t like the idea of Noel becoming dependent only on me.’
‘That’s just like you, Haku.’
‘Is that a compliment?’
‘Yes.’
I thought for a moment, then said,
‘If he has the starleaf, he can usually endure with that, and when I’m nearby, he’ll feel a little more comfortable.
I think that’s how we should think of it.’
Elysia quietly nodded.
Then she conveyed it to everyone.
“Haku says his guess was correct.”
Iris’s eyes widened.
“Guess?”
Elysia carefully explained what I had told her.
“Just as the ivory tree’s starleaf reduced Young Master Noel’s mana noise,
Haku seems able to soften the texture of the surrounding mana in a similar way.
He says it doesn’t erase the mana, but rather arranges it so Young Master Noel feels less pain.”
For a while, Iris could not say anything.
Clarice, too, was unusually quiet.
Lady Sereniel was looking at Noel’s face.
Noel’s eyes were closed.
His face was peaceful.
Like someone feeling comfort for the first time in far too long.
Marquis Theodore slowly let out a breath.
“I see.”
His voice was low.
“It does not suppress mana, nor does it block it…… It softens the texture.”
Iris murmured softly,
“That is why it did not clash with Noel’s barrier.
Existing stabilizing barriers work by reducing or filtering external mana,
so they left Noel with a sense of suffocation. But in Haku’s case…….”
“Iris.”
Clarice called her softly.
Iris immediately closed her mouth.
Then she looked at me.
“My apologies. I nearly kept talking.”
Well done.
From atop Noel’s head, I flicked one ear.
Noel spoke carefully.
“Haku.”
I looked down.
Noel opened his eyes and said, almost in a whisper,
“Right now…… my head doesn’t hurt at all.”
At those words, the entire clearing fell silent.
The corners of Lady Sereniel’s eyes grew wet.
Marquis Theodore clenched his fist very slightly.
Iris lowered her head, and Clarice placed a hand on her shoulder.
Elysia’s intent also turned choked for an instant.
‘Haku.’
‘Yes.’
‘This is truly amazing.’
‘I just climbed onto his head.’
‘That’s what makes it amazing.’
I did not answer.
I do not know whether it is amazing or not.
But if Noel is comfortable, then it is a good thing.
Still, I cannot stay like this for long.
I slowly rose atop Noel’s head.
Noel looked disappointed, but he did not try to hold me back.
“Are you getting down now?”
I let out a short cry.
Yes.
I’m getting down.
Elysia carefully took me into her arms.
When I climbed down from Noel’s head, the stillness around him thinned a little.
But it did not disappear completely.
Because the starleaf was still in his hand.
Noel sensed the difference and looked down at the leaf in his palm.
“It’s still quiet, though.”
Lady Sereniel said gently,
“It seems the ivory tree accepted Haku’s heart.”
I averted my gaze.
Too grand.
That is far too grand.
Marquis Theodore bowed his head deeply to me.
“Haku. What you showed us today may be part of the answer Asteria has been seeking for a very long time.”
I folded my ears back.
Do not say it like that.
It is burdensome.
Elysia spoke in my place.
“Haku says he is glad to have helped Young Master Noel,
but he thinks it would not be good for Noel to become dependent only on him.
He says it would be best to use the starleaf for ordinary stabilization,
and for Haku to help only when it is not too much for him.”
Marquis Theodore immediately nodded.
“That is the correct judgment.”
Iris also said quietly,
“I agree. We must avoid any method that places a burden on Haku.”
Clarice added with a slight smile,
“And Haku hates regular schedules.”
I looked at Clarice.
You know me well.
Clarice smiled under my gaze.
“Yes. I remember.”
This person really does have sharp instincts.
Noel held the starleaf tightly and looked at me.
“Haku. Then I’ll practice with the starleaf.”
Practice?
Noel continued, looking a little embarrassed.
“Even when Haku isn’t here, I’ll try to remember this quiet feeling. Then…… maybe I’ll get a little better.”
I stared at Noel.
That is a good idea.
Not simply receiving help, but trying to grow accustomed to it himself.
With that, things would be much better.
I lifted one front paw ever so slightly.
Noel smiled.
“Yes. I’ll do my best.”
Good.
This much is enough.
I truly did a lot today.
I buried myself in Elysia’s arms.
‘Elysia.’
‘Yes?’
‘Let’s go back.’
‘Are you tired?’
‘I’m tired, too.’
‘And?’
After a brief silence, I spoke with utmost seriousness.
‘I want to be brushed.’
Elysia’s intent stopped for an instant.
‘Brushed?’
‘Yes. After sorting out my demonic power, my fur feels strangely puffed up.’
It really did.
As my demonic power settled beneath the ivory tree, my body had grown lighter, but a faint energy still lingered between the ends of my fur.
I could shake it off myself, but it was far more comfortable when Elysia brushed me.
It was absolutely not just because I liked it.
It was for maintenance.
‘Is that really all?’
There was laughter mixed into Elysia’s intent.
‘That is all.’
‘Haku likes being brushed, though.’
‘……I said it’s for maintenance.’
‘Yes. For maintenance.’
She does not believe me.
Even so, Elysia gently stroked my back.
“Would it be all right if we returned for today? Haku wants to rest a little.”
Iris immediately nodded.
“Of course. Today was more than enough.”
Clarice muttered softly,
“It wasn’t just enough. It overflowed.”
Lady Sereniel wrapped an arm around Noel’s shoulders and said,
“Noel should rest as well.”
Noel looked reluctant, but nodded.
“Yes. Haku should rest too.”
Marquis Theodore quietly opened the way.
As we were about to leave the ivory tree clearing, the spirits once again withdrew to either side.
This time, they were quieter and gentler than before.
The green deer spirit remained beneath the ivory tree and bowed its head as if seeing us off.
In Elysia’s arms, I lowered my head very slightly.
The leaves of the ivory tree stirred once.
As if telling me to come again next time.
‘……I’ll come sometimes.’
When I murmured that inwardly, the leaves swayed softly once more.
It might have been my imagination.
But for some reason, it felt as though it had understood.
The way back into the marquis’s residence was quiet.
However, the reason for the quiet was a little different.
The members of the Asteria family were each sorting through what they had just seen in their hearts.
Marquis Theodore was deep in thought, looking back and forth between the starleaf in Noel’s hand and me.
Lady Sereniel was quietly smiling as she looked at Noel’s now peaceful face.
Noel held the starleaf carefully against his chest and occasionally looked up at me.
Iris and Clarice walked side by side behind us.
“Iris.”
“Yes.”
“Are you going to organize what happened today right away?”
“No.”
Iris’s answer came surprisingly quickly.
“First, we will check Noel’s condition, and after Haku has rested enough. And only within the range Haku permits.”
Clarice nodded in satisfaction.
“Good. I’ll help too.”
“If you are there, we will be less likely to miss Haku’s emotional reactions.”
“And if you are there, I probably won’t get too excited.”
“That is difficult to be certain of.”
“That’s harsh.”
The two conversed like that in low voices.
I half-closed my eyes in Elysia’s arms.
As expected, those two work well together.
To a dangerous degree.
But at the very least, it seemed much better than Iris suffering alone.
I was thinking that as we were about to head toward the corridor.
Suddenly, the air in the spirit garden stopped.
No.
It felt as though it had stopped.
The wind, the leaves, even the small tremors of the waterdrop spirits.
Everything fell silent, as if it had swallowed its breath one beat late.