Episode 22
"Huu... Huuu..."
"..."
Cania lies on the bed, breathing roughly. I, sitting slightly on the edge of the bed, watch her blankly for a moment before finally speaking.
"...When did this start?"
"S-since this morning, gradually... my stomach became sensitive... and eventually..."
"Then the reason your stomach hurt back then was because of that too."
"Y-yes..."
Watching her suffer so painfully makes my heart ache involuntarily.
Probably, the reason she's in such agony right now is because star mana got mixed in when I infused life force into her last night.
Normally, I would carefully adjust to prevent star mana, which is fatal to black magicians, from mixing in... but I must have made a mistake because my condition at the time was terrible.
In the end, I've wronged Cania once again.
"Cania, I'm sorry."
"...Yes?"
"...It seems like this is my fault."
Now that I can finally treat Cania well, instead of treating her well, I've caused her pain... I really have nothing to say.
I guess I'm fated to commit evil deeds no matter what...
"Young Master."
"Cania?"
As I hung my head and briefly blamed myself, Cania, who had been trembling all this time, gently took my hand and spoke.
"Young... Master's... fault... it is not... hup...!"
She looked at me with teary eyes and struggled to say something, then squeezed her eyes shut and began trembling again.
'...Right, now isn't the time for this.'
It's not the time to feel guilt. Right now, the priority is treating Cania, whose stomach is in pain because of me.
Apologies can come after the treatment is finished.
"...Cania, I'm going to lift your top slightly."
When I spoke cautiously after collecting myself, Cania nodded weakly. I looked at her for a moment, then began to gently lift her butler uniform.
"Huu...!"
Then, Cania let out a faint moan. It seems even the hem of her clothing brushing against her stomach caused tremendous pain.
Because of that, I stopped lifting her clothes for a moment, and suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu from the moan Cania just made, falling into thought.
'...Could it be, was that faint moan I heard back then this?'
Once, when I was playing with the cat doll at dawn, I heard a faint woman's moaning sound from the room.
At the time, my physical condition was so poor I thought I heard a ghost or an auditory hallucination, but now that I think about it, the sound is quite similar to Cania's moaning.
'So she was in pain since she received life force from me...'
I can vividly imagine Cania pressing down her moans and forcing herself to sleep even though her stomach must have hurt terribly.
Probably, she lied because she thought I would feel guilty if she said she had been suffering all night.
As expected, Cania is too good a servant for me.
"Cania..."
"Yes... Young Master..."
"...Just bear with me for a moment?"
Pushing the accumulating guilt to a corner of my mind, I finished lifting Cania's top to fully reveal her stomach, then whispered quietly to her.
"Huh? What do you mean by that... hup...!!"
And the next moment, I poked Cania's stomach with my finger.
"Huuuuut... Hup..."
Thanks to that, Cania, who was about to ask what I meant, squeezed her eyes shut at the surging terrible pain, then tightly gripped my hand she was holding and began convulsing.
"...Sorry."
"Uu, uuut... uu..."
After convulsing like that for a while, when I apologized in a subdued voice, Cania wiped the tears welling in her eyes and spoke.
"Please don't apologize... rather I... heup...!"
"...Then, I'll start in earnest."
"Huuuuu..."
Unable to watch her struggle any longer, I placed my left hand on her stomach where the mana had been somewhat dispersed from poking with my finger, held her hand with my right, and began quickly stabilizing the mana.
'...Damn, this is a bit troublesome.'
While stabilizing the mana in her stomach listening to Cania's moans for a while, I frowned as I felt my star mana and her black magic power already starting to mix deep in her stomach.
If they fuse in such a deep place, it could leave permanent side effects or become a bomb that could explode at any time.
Of course, since I've already stabilized most of the star mana, it's too early to be certain that will happen... but if I don't take any measures and the fusion is completed, it will be irreversible.
'...Can't be helped. I have to absorb it all.'
In this situation, I'll have to absorb my star mana deep in Cania's stomach along with the black magic power.
Of course, it would be best if I could absorb only the star mana, but if I did that, the black magic power that was merging with my star mana deep in Cania's stomach could run wild.
However, if I absorb both fused energies simultaneously, nothing bad will happen.
Of course, it will take a toll on my body, but I'm going to perish with the Demon King anyway, so what does it matter.
'...And, I said I'd do my best in everything.'
Having made up my mind like that, I took a deep breath and began applying force to her stomach.
"...Heup!"
"...Hup?"
Then Cania started moaning and tilting her head. Since it's black magic power existing in a deep place, she must have noticed the energy draining.
"...Ugh."
"Y-Young Master...?"
As I continued applying force, my star mana and her black magic power located deep in her stomach began to be sucked into my hand while half-mixed, and Cania opened her eyes wide and urgently spoke to me.
"Young Master, star mana and black magic power are opposites! If you forcibly absorb that..."
"...This is the only method, sorry."
While Cania looked at me blankly, momentarily at a loss for words, black energy began crawling up my arm.
"Uuu..."
"...What are you doing right now?"
"Ah, it's nothing. It'll be over in a moment."
"...Surely, are you absorbing black magic power right now?"
When Cania spoke with a frown, I felt her kind heart once again and answered with a bitter smile.
"I said it's nothing."
"......."
Having finished speaking, I absorbed even the remaining black magic power deep in her stomach, then collapsed onto the bed with cold sweat running down.
"Haa... For now... emergency treatment is done... Your stomach will be a bit sensitive for a while... but the crisis is past..."
"...Young Master."
Exhausted from handling mana precisely, I was breathing heavily while explaining the treatment results, but suddenly Cania interrupted me, so I closed my mouth and began listening to her words.
"...Please look at your arm, Young Master."
"...Ah."
My left arm she pointed to had turned completely black.
"...Thank goodness it's the left arm. If it were the right arm, it would have been a big problem."
"..........."
I tried to brush it off with a casual smile since Cania was so worried, but she suddenly started tearing up.
"That's... not the issue here..."
Her reaction was more intense than I expected, so flustered, I began making excuses while sweating profusely.
"C-Cania. I'm really okay? If I keep flowing star mana through my arm, the blackness will disappear soon."
"B-But... the pain and... the curse will continue..."
"You know I have a lot of money, right? If I buy expensive medicinal herbs and potions and apply them regularly, it won't even itch? So don't worry too..."
"But... it will persist permanently... forever..."
She spoke while tearing up, then hung her head and began murmuring.
"My black magic power is... a cursed ability... so in the end this time too... Young Master..."
"Cania, don't worry. Originally, permanent wounds like this don't matter much to me."
"...Yes?"
"In a little while, not only these small wounds but also the life force and abilities I've used up for you won't matter at all. So rest assured..."
"Huu...!"
"Cania...?"
I tried to reassure her somehow, even slightly spoiling future events... but she burst into tears before even hearing all my words.
"I-I'm sorry, Young Master...!"
"W-Why are you really like this...? I said I'm fine..."
"B-But... but..."
"......."
Like that, I spent time patting the back of Cania who was crying sorrowfully in my arms.
As expected, Cania seems too kind.
.
"...Sniff."
After crying for a while, I forced myself to stop crying so as not to cause more trouble to the Young Master who kept comforting me.
"Cania, are you a bit calmed down now?"
Then the Young Master, who had been looking at me with a worried expression for a moment, quietly placed his hand on my shoulder and asked in a warm voice.
"Yes, Young Master. I'm truly sorry for showing such undignified behavior."
"...No, people can cry. Rather, if you hold back tears, it can cause illness in your heart... so when you want to cry, it's good to cry."
I apologized to the Young Master, but he gave me advice with a bitter smile instead. Watching that, I recalled the Young Master crying sorrowfully while hugging me embodied in a doll and asked a question.
"Is that, from experience?"
"...Maybe."
Then the Young Master answered briefly, reached out to pick up the bandage at his bedside, and began carefully wrapping it around his arm.
"...Ouch."
Although the Young Master who started wrapping the bandage on his arm had a nonchalant expression, his arm was trembling noticeably.
I looked at the Young Master like that for a moment, then opened my mouth.
"...I'll wrap it for you instead."
"Huh? I'm fine..."
"...Please don't say you're fine so carelessly. Young Master."
"...Okay."
I firmly cut off the Young Master's words as he tried to say he was fine again, picked up the bandage he handed me, and began carefully wrapping it around the Young Master's left arm.
"...Young Master, by the way, why was the bandage at your bedside?"
"Ah, that's... I thought I'd probably need to use it often soon."
"......."
I looked at the Young Master speaking in an embarrassed voice for a moment, then suppressing the emotions threatening to burst out, I started wrapping the bandage on his arm again.
'Seeing his arm trembling this much, he must really be in a lot of pain...'
Although the Young Master says he's fine, there's no way he could be fine when his arm has rotted this much.
Probably right now, the Young Master must be feeling fierce pain even from a slight breeze brushing against him.
Despite that, the Young Master, who absorbed my cursed black magic power knowing full well this would happen... is still smiling at me.
How can a person be like that?
Because he's brave enough to accept being hated by the whole world to save everyone?
Because he's so kind that he erased his own memories for fear of not being able to love me who has black magic power made from his mother as a sacrifice, and can smile so innocently even with his arm rotting from my black magic power?
Because he's so pure that the unconscious space where all sorts of ugly and disgusting things gather takes on a more dazzling and sacred appearance than any other space?
"...It's done, Young Master."
When I finished wrapping the bandage with such thoughts, the Young Master smiled and said something unexpected.
"Thanks Cania. Then, let's start the treatment again."
"...Yes?"
"We haven't treated your unbalanced black magic power yet, have we? If we skip even a day, something terrible will happen."
".....!"
And hearing those words, I could understand.
'You are... a person who is brave, kind, and even pure. Young Master.'
That all three questions I had guessed earlier were correct answers.
"...Young Master, please rest for today."
"No. We absolutely can't skip it. If we do... your black magic power could run wild... anyway, something might happen."
"...Yes, I understand."
I asked for a day's rest to be considerate of the Young Master, but he shook his head with a stern expression.
It seems he still has in mind what happened when I briefly experienced mana runaway in the previous cycle.
Of course, it was truly painful back then...
'...But that's nothing compared to the pain the Young Master has endured until now.'
"Um, Cania. That... listen without getting angry, okay?"
Just then, as guilt was washing over me again, the Young Master cautiously spoke while watching my expression.
"...Yes?"
Wondering why he would watch the expression of someone like me, I tilted my head, and the Young Master blushed and began speaking in a low voice.
"That... because of the treatment just now, your stomach's condition is really not good... so I should refrain from putting my hand on your stomach during treatment for a while."
"Yes, I agree with that point."
"So, I have to put my hand on another body part... but that part is..."
"...The part?"
"...The only place that isn't too embarrassing is the heart."
"...Ah."
After finishing those words, the Young Master made an expression full of guilt, hung his head deeply, and began murmuring.
"Sorry, I know well that you terribly dislike such contact..."
"......."
I looked at the Young Master blankly for a moment...
"Or should I just flow it with my hand? It'll be a bit difficult, but if you're uncomfortable, I can endure it as much as..."
"...Is this right?"
"........!!!"
I carefully placed the Young Master's hand, which we had been holding together, on my heart.
"C-Cania...!"
"...Please begin, Young Master."
Of course, since clothes would hinder the Young Master from delivering life force, I slightly lifted the top I was wearing so it touched bare skin.
"Then... I'll begin..."
Then the Young Master, who had been hesitating for a moment, quietly began infusing life force into me.
'...So this is what this warm feeling was like.'
Perhaps because I became too accustomed to receiving life force every day, or maybe I couldn't feel it well because of the barrier called clothing.
The area of my chest where the Young Master's hand was placed began to heat up.
'I didn't know receiving life force felt this cozy and warm...'
I held the back of the Young Master's hand placed on my chest and savored the comfortable feeling, then examined the Young Master's expression and hardened my face.
'I feel comfortable receiving life force... but the Young Master is...'
Even in this situation, the Young Master is sacrificing himself for me. How self-sacrificing and noble a person he is.
I was prepared to immediately remove his hand from my chest if I saw any sign of him struggling while examining his complexion, when suddenly a strange phenomenon began to be felt in the chest area.
'...Why is my chest heating up?'
Just until a moment ago it was merely warm, but before I knew it, the area around where the Young Master's hand was placed started becoming hot.
Flustered, I slightly extended the fingers of the hand holding the back of the Young Master's hand and touched my chest, but I didn't feel as much heat as what I was sensing.
'...What is this? Did a problem occur in the life force transfer process?'
While looking worried and wondering if I should remove the Young Master's hand, a rhythmic sound began to be heard from somewhere.
- Thump thump thump
And after briefly thinking about the meaning of that, I had no choice but to lower my head deeply.
"...Ung."
"Cania? What's wrong!? Surely the star mana isn't..."
"N-No. That's not it..."
"...Yes?"
"...It's nothing."
I kept my head down, deliberately avoiding the Young Master's worried gaze, and listened to the heartbeat still clearly ringing in my ears, murmuring inwardly.
'...As expected, I'm not suitable to be the Young Master's servant.'
My face thinking such thoughts was, heartlessly, probably flushed red.
.
"Hmhmhm~♪ Hmhm~♪"
While Cania was blushing with her head lowered, Perroche was humming to herself while diligently writing something.
"So... if you don't want your secret revealed... come to the Sun God Church's cathedral as soon as the academy ends today... Perroche Astellade."
Perroche, who was reciting the letter's content aloud while diligently writing, put down her pen with a satisfied expression and murmured.
"Hehe... Good. With this, even Frey will... come rushing to the cathedral with eyes blazing, right...?"
After finishing speaking, Perroche nodded as if answering her own question and picked up the envelope, then suddenly opened her eyes wide and exclaimed.
"Ah, right! This is a threatening letter!"
Perroche, who cleverly realized she had written her own name on a threatening letter, rolled her eyes for a moment, then smiled a smile of triumph and picked up her pen again.
"...Done!"
Soon after, Perroche, who drew a large X over her name, put the envelope inside the letter with a pleased smile and murmured.
"Frey... until I destroy you... I'll make you work to your heart's content... hwaam... sleepy..."
However, Perroche, who yawned widely while speaking because her brain overheated from writing the letter diligently, dragged her tired body toward the bed.
"I'm looking forward to tomorrow... hehe..."
Perroche, who flopped onto the bed, imagined her own great exploits starting tomorrow and fell asleep while murmuring with a happy smile.
Perroche didn't realize at all what was wrong with putting the envelope inside the letter.