~Chapter 14~
“Mom, are you okay?”
Shiz’s worried question passed through one ear and out the other.
The diary I had used as a medium for the regression magic was filled with things I couldn’t bring myself to talk about.
For example, things I had written in the past when I didn’t know the true nature of Aska, like my hidden feelings for him, entranced by his handsome face…
Ugh.
Just thinking about it made me want to jump off the top of the Dawn Tower.
But there was an even more serious issue.
‘The childhood diary of Relshiz Baltain, the royal court’s head mage, found at the center of the crack?’
There was no denying it. Anyone could see that I was the culprit.
From far away, I could almost hear a mournful song. It was definitely my funeral march.
“What are you thinking, your face is so pale?”
“Ah!”
Aska’s face suddenly appeared in my vision, and I screamed in surprise. He looked at me as if I were strange, then suddenly said:
“Thanks for coming with me, we solved it well. This time, you were ahead of me.”
“Huh?”
“The crack. Rel, you solved it by yourself.”
Those words made my mind snap back to focus. I had momentarily forgotten because of the sudden appearance of the diary, but it was me who sealed the crack.
He told me he had been evacuating the villagers alone. People kept wandering around, which was causing a disturbance.
“Didn’t you see the crack? What’s the point of having mana sight?”
At my words, Aska pressed his eyelids with his palm, looking slightly tired.
“There’s just too much to see.”
“Aha…”
My guess was right. The mana was so heavily stagnant that it was blocking his vision.
Whatever was going on over there, I was the one who sealed the crack.
Not Aska. Me.
I couldn’t help but smile a little.
“Well, well. Looks like there’s something you can’t do, Aska Willovis!”
The fact that without Shiz’s help, I might’ve been lost was already a forgotten detail. What felt good was that, for once, I had beaten Aska in something.
“I solved it. Faster than you!”
“…”
“Well, don’t be too down. No one can be perfect at everything. You might feel disappointed for not getting to shine, but you could stay and help clean up the village. Haha!”
I said, proudly looking at him, but Aska suddenly gave a strange, ominous smile.
“Then you should go.”
“Huh? Go where?”
“You’ll need to report this to the association. About the center of the crack.”
Report to the association? My mind went blank.
“Huh… me?”
“Yeah, you.”
“Why?”
“Because you were the one who resolved the mana stagnation.”
I immediately waved my hands.
“I… I don’t really want to do that.”
Aska tilted his head as if he couldn’t understand.
“The person who solved it should go. I’ll stay behind and help with the ‘cleanup.’”
This guy… Is he messing with me?
“Could you just do it for me? You can take credit for it!”
“That’s weird. You never give up chances like this. Especially not to me.”
“Well, I…!”
Yeah! I know! If it were the usual me, I would never have given you this opportunity! But!
I gently pushed Shiz forward, who had been in my arms.
“I have Shiz now, you know? I have to feed her dinner, bathe her, buy the candy I promised her, and… I have a ton of things to do. Ugh, so busy.”
I started to step back, but Aska tilted his head as if he had heard something strange.
“What’s there to worry about? I’m here.”
“Huh?”
“Go ahead and go. I’ll take care of Shiz.”
What is he saying right now?
“No! Absolutely not!”
I immediately objected.
I knew from experience with the Magic Association that reports weren’t usually quick things.
If he tries to pry something out of Shiz while I’m gone…
Ugh, I don’t even want to imagine it. If I could, I would separate them right now.
“Is it really that much of a problem? I’m good with kids. You saw it today.”
“You? Good with kids? You’ve never even looked after one. When has the noble young master of a duke’s family ever played the nanny?”
At my words, Aska raised one eyebrow and then turned his gaze toward the child.
Oh no, I’m doomed.
I knew that look. It was the face Aska always made when he was about to beat me at something. His unpredictable competitive streak just had to come out now!
“Shiz, how do you feel about me?”
I quickly glanced at Shiz for help.
Say you don’t want to! Say you want to stay with Mom, please…!
After hesitating, Shiz carefully opened her mouth.
“I… I don’t hate it. Ash gave me yummy food today, and he picked out the mushrooms for me too…”
Aska’s lips curled into a perfect smile. I felt like the sky was falling.
“See? She likes me.”
“T-That’s just because you bought her with food!”
“And that proves I’m good at taking care of kids.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?! No, no way. Absolutely not! You’re too dangerous for a child!”
As I kept protesting, Aska narrowed his eyes. It was his usual habit when he sensed something suspicious.
“Are you still hiding something from me?”
“What? Ha ha, me? No way!”
“Then what’s the problem?”
Aska pushed me to the edge and calmly said,
“Don’t worry. I won’t say anything weird. It’ll only take an hour anyway.”
While I was still confused, he went ahead and made the decision himself. It was clear he had no intention of letting go of being alone with Shiz.
Why was he being like this?
“You must’ve been carrying her this whole time. Must’ve been heavy.”
“Huh? No, it’s fine…”
“Since Mom’s tired, why don’t you come to me?”
Wait, what?! He naturally reached out and took Shiz from my arms. I was left speechless.
Aska Willovis can do something like that?!
And Shiz—why are you snuggling into him so naturally?!
I can’t just leave it like this!
Then, as Aska adjusted his hold on Shiz, he gave a strange smile. I realized it too late.
In that moment of hesitation, he had stolen Shiz from me.
“You know what? Silence usually means yes.”
“What…”
“I’ll take that as permission.”
No! I reflexively tried to cast a spell, but stopped myself. Aska and Shiz were together.
I can’t use an attack spell…
Just as I thought that, my vision spun wildly. It was Aska’s teleportation magic.
“Ugh!”
When the dizziness passed and I opened my eyes again, I was standing in front of the Magic Association building.
“Aska, that damn—!”
Too late to curse. He was already gone.
Adult Relshiz had disappeared right before her eyes.
Shiz didn’t hate Aska, but now that her mom was gone, she felt really anxious.
“W-Where’s my mom?”
“I sent her to the Association.”
What’s the Association? Shiz nervously looked up at Aska.
He was supposed to be the worst rival. What if he sent her somewhere bad?
Noticing her wariness right away, Aska gently set her down. He knelt in front of her to meet her eye level.
“Don’t worry too much. She just went to work.”
“…”
“What do kids like? What should we do while we wait for her? Tell me if there’s anything you want.”
“…Nothing. I just want my mom.”
Aska blinked. He stayed quiet for a moment, looking a little troubled, then held out his hand.
“Hmm, I can do something like this.”
A cute little bunny popped up from his palm.
Shiz gasped in surprise.
“Bunny…!”
Of course, it wasn’t real—it was an illusion created by Aska.
Still, it looked like a real bunny, with soft fluffy fur and twitchy ears.
Shiz took a step closer, fascinated by the tiny bunny moving around.
Then flowers began to bloom from Aska’s hand, floating gently in the air.
The petals spun around and landed on the bunny’s head, making it look like it was wearing a flower crown.
The bunny hopped from Aska’s hand into Shiz’s little hands.
“Woooow!”
Shiz was completely drawn in by the illusion magic.
“C-Can I do this too?”
“With practice, definitely.”
“Wow! I want to try!”
“Not right away. You’ll have to practice really hard first.”
“I can do that!”
“Really? I’m not so sure.”
“I really really can!”
And watching the two of them was a certain farmer—the one who had been given back the expensive mushrooms.
“No wonder they two got along so well. They’re a married couple of mages, right? The kid looks just like her mom. Poor dad, must feel left out, heh.”
And just like that, their secret was dangerously close to being exposed.
