She, too, was surprised that she said something like this.
“Are you really mine?”
But John was not embarrassed and instead asked her.
“Then aren’t I?”
“That…”
She never once thought of John as hers. She never thought she could have anything in the first place.
‘Because it can’t be real.’
John softly lowered his long eyelashes and whispered sweetly.
“Of course I’m yours.”
John’s thumb slowly rubbed the area around her wrist.
“As if you were mine.”
His fur stood up. His large hand slowly wrapped around her hand and gently brushed the inside of her delicate fingers. It was a gesture that stimulated the imagination. Red eyes with a strange desire, and a low voice that feels deep and distant.
“You should have taken it for granted, it is not so?”
“I have a different position from John.”
They were still just holding hands. Strangely, it felt like John was caressing her whole body. She held her trembling heart and pulled her hand out of his grasp.
“Because that seems like I’m being too greedy…”
“Why can’t you be greedy?”
John said casually.
“Be more greedy for me.”
The red eyes she met at that moment seemed like a flame burning her.
‘How could I be so greedy…’
Of course, John was someone she couldn’t be greedy for. Because he was the one who would destroy her. But rather than breaking the bar in her heart, John awakened her inner feelings that she didn’t even know existed.
“Is that okay?”
Her eyes became red. A sturdy finger rubbed the area around her eyes.
“From now on, don’t ask for permission and do whatever you want. It doesn’t matter if it looks bad, and it doesn’t matter if it seems like it will cause harm.”
“…”
“I don’t hate you for that.”
John tilted his head and kissed the corner of her eye.
“I think the more you do that, the more I like you.”
Even though everything was full of lies, the John she was reaching was real.
“Because you are so pretty.”
* * *
Fortunately, she was able to avoid having John wash her.
‘…Instead, there was a condition that John wash my injured feet when I went down.’
She shook her head as Betty attended her bath. As expected, John was not easy.
‘He listens to everything, but in the end, he gets what he wants.’
Suddenly a thought occurred to her.
‘But what’s so great about washing my feet…?’
While looking at her feet without realizing it, she had a wild imagination. John held her ankle tightly and slowly lifted his lips…
‘Stop thinking!’
Betty, who was helping her bathe, asked.
“My lady. Is the water temperature too hot?”
“No! It’s okay!”
This was all because John kept saying strange things.
“I guess I was a little nervous because I thought I was going to get a full-scale examination.”
When she thought about it, it wasn’t the time to think about things like this.
‘John might find out that I’m a fairy.’
The tree said that there was no way in the world to find out. But she still didn’t know. Since the field of magic was essentially a discipline that made the impossible possible, she couldn’t feel at ease.
At that time, the tree spoke first.
-Today is the day to do what you said, right?
-Yes that’s right.
In the meantime, if possible, she tried not to talk to the trees in front of John. She didn’t know if John, who had outstanding talent, would notice.
‘Good. I can do it.’
Before she knew it, bath time was over, and she arrived in front of John’s laboratory.
“I’m going in.”
As she entered the laboratory, John greeted her. Unlike usual, he was wearing a white coat and a uniform hat.
‘It looks like a military uniform hat?’
When she saw his hat, he took off his uniform hat and grinned.
‘It felt something different…’
Her face became hot, perhaps because of his new appearance. John closed the corners of his eyes and immediately did not miss her reaction.
“Do you like the way I look?”
“Ah, I saw the hat because it was fascinating.”
“Hmm. You didn’t like it?”
When John lowered the corner of his mouth as if he was regretful, she felt like she had somehow committed a sin.
“Well, that’s not it…”
“If it’s not like that, it’s okay. I need to use it for a while to help with the checkup I’m going to do this time.”
“Do you need a hat or something?”
“Even if it looks like this, it’s still a magic tool.”
John narrowed his eyes at her.
“I can change it to something else to suit your taste. Is there anything you want?”
“I really don’t have anything like that.”
John said, ‘It’s a shame,’ and put his hat back on. Then he guided her into the lab.
‘It doesn’t feel like a lab.’
She hadn’t been to a lab often, but it was different from the image that comes to mind when she thought of a lab. In fact, it looked more like a garden than a laboratory. Elegant thorn trees were spread out in shady places.
“I think magic research is a lot different from what I thought. I thought there might be some kind of experiment tool or something.”
“If you go to the other side, there are places like that.”
This lab seemed to be bigger than she thought. When she got to the end of the thorn tree road, she saw a white gazebo. Elegantly engraved white marble pillars. bove it was a semicircular roof made of glass with an antique pattern. There was a transparent crystal ball placed on a pillar erected in the exact center.
‘That crystal ball looks like a magic tool.’
In particular, black magic circles were drawn under the pillar, centered around that crystal ball.
‘Just do what you planned.’
Some time ago, the magic tool that the doctor Henry was using to examine her was broken. Then the tree spoke.
-Because you are the blood of a god, you can unintentionally destroy things containing magical power that are part of chaos.
-Probably more so as your strength recovers.
Obviously, unless John used magic, magic tools would be used for this examination. Just by looking at it, it looked like they were measuring using that crystal ball…
‘It’s difficult if you break it or the numbers come out strangely.’
So they came up with a solution.
-Try using fairy power when measuring. While it is being used, there is a high possibility that it will not be detected as it will go outside rather than enter the magic tool.
-How can I use the power of a fairy?
-The easiest way is to keep talking to us without stopping.
-Am I using fairy powers just by talking?
-Yes. Unknowingly, you are using the power of a fairy. Of course, there is no big burden.
John patted her shoulder and said.
“Don’t be too nervous. It doesn’t hurt at all.”
“I guess so?”
Then she felt something soft near her ankle.
‘A tail?’
She didn’t notice when it appeared next to her.
Crying-
It was a black leopard beast with shiny black fur, menacing size, and claws. Even the red eyes looked close to that of a monster. Several black leopard beasts gracefully approached her.
“These are the kids who guard my laboratory.”
“Aren’t they monsters?”
“It’s a variation of monsters and animals. So taming it was tricky, but not impossible.”
She remembered the monster that attacked her last time, and she held onto John’s hand tightly. John raised the corners of his mouth and whispered, as if he liked it.
“But they don’t like people very much. Be careful not to get bitten.”
“Is it okay for me to stay like this?”
“At least they know that if they attack me, they will die, so don’t worry.”
‘Don’t just reach out and get bitten.’
At that time, an unusually large beast came right in front of her. The person with a star-like pattern on his forehead seemed to be the leader of this black leopard beast.
‘What are you trying to do?’
Suddenly, the black panther demon beast laid down its huge body. It even gently waggled its tail at her.
“Do you want me to pet you?”
Then the black panther demon nodded his head. No matter how big it was, it was very cute to see a beast that resembled a cat doing that. When she carefully placed her hand on the black leopard’s head and stroked it, the black leopard beast closed its eyes and purred as if it was happy. When she scratched his forehead and the back of his neck, he fell down on the floor, exposing his belly. The demon beast’s eyes became bright as if he was shouting, ‘Scratch me more!’
“They are good because they are already accustomed to it.”
She leaned down and scratched his belly and kissed his star-shaped forehead. Then the black leopard demon licked her cheek, flicking his tongue as if he was happy.
“Kiyaang-”
As she treated one of them very cutely, the demon next to her also quietly placed his hand on her knee. It seemed like he wanted her to look at him too. The other demon beasts were also watching the two guys approaching her, and they sneakily approached her and nuzzled their chins.
John said, ‘They’re not like that…’ he muttered and then asked her with a smile.
“Do you like these guys?”
“I understand why John is raising them. There’s a lot of cuteness.”
When she stopped holding his hand, the guy sitting on her lap rubbed his head against her arm as if asking for more scratching.
“John. What are their names?”
“There is no name. Demonic beasts don’t like having names… But I think they will like it if my wife gives them one.”
“Really?”
When she looked at the demon beast again, the demon beast perked up its ears and its eyes sparkled brightly. That look gave her a look that said, ‘I’ve never done that before?’
John asked, looking at her addicted to the magical beast’s soft fur.
“If you like them that much, should I take one to the mansion?”
She was nervous just a moment ago, but thanks to the black leopard demon beast, she relaxed.
“Then just one… I think it would be nice to have one there.”
Now was the time to really get checked out. She left the charming demons behind and stood in front of the crystal ball and raised her hand.
Weeeing-
Something black stirred in the crystal ball.
‘I guess it’s going to break as expected!’
Now it’s black! She urgently spoke to the trees.
-It’s really about to break down. Please say something quickly.
-It’s really okay to say anything?
-Yes! Anyway, I’m so nervous right now that I can’t think of anything to say.
That’s just it.
-Okay, then I’ll do as I promised.
The tree cleared its throat and asked in a soft voice.
-Didn’t you say last time that you would give us fertilizer in advance before going down to the Duke castle?
-Ah yes. I promised.
-But the gardener did sprinkle fertilizer, but he didn’t apply enough.
-Of course, it’s not that it’s difficult for us to spend our summer blessings on you.
The tree’s voice became increasingly sad.
-There is no need to do that. We don’t expect anything in return. You can just keep using the fertilizer you used.
-When I get up, I’ll talk to the gardener right away.
-No. It’s already a difficult time for you. Problems don’t arise just because they apply less fertilizer.
-Hey, I’ll do it for you.
She asked them to say anything, but this wasn’t it.
-Anyway, everything used by the Blanchett family is also used by other noble families, because there is something better…
-I feel bad because I’m afraid it’s a burden to you.
She frowned unconsciously at the nagging sound that kept coming from her ears.
-Oh, okay! I’ll do it for you!
-Oh, I know it’s hard even if my daughter becomes a Duchess. We are not trees that are so ignorant of human affairs.
-No. I’ll do whatever you want…
At that time, John, who had been outside the gazebo far away, came in before she knew it.
“Estelle!”
“Uh?”
He grabbed her shoulder with a pale face.
“Do you know who is in front of you now?”
“Yeah… John?”
She tilted her head. John wriggled his protruding neck and hugged her tightly.
“Yes, I am by your side. Do not forget.”
John looked so sad that she blinked.
‘Did I say something strange without realizing it?’
Pasig-
A light static electricity was generated in the crystal ball she was holding.
“Oh!”
When the crystal ball was placed, the electricity rose to a visible level and spread throughout the room. The unusual thumping sound grew louder.
‘I was so busy worrying about John that I missed talking to the trees!’
-…Could there be a problem because I missed that conversation for a moment?
-We don’t know that either.
The trees were irresponsible.
-We told you too. It’s a way to consume as much of the fairy’s power as possible, but your condition has improved so much that I can’t tell.
-But still…
Magic tools were very expensive. If it was something that a big man like John kept in the laboratory, there was a high possibility that it would be difficult to get it even if you paid money.
“I-I didn’t do anything wrong, did I?”
“No.”
John patted her on the back without even looking at her face. Meanwhile, white flowers, which she had never seen before, were growing wildly around the gazebo as well as the pillar where the crystal ball was placed. Soon the white petals turned blood-red.
‘Marigolds?’
She didn’t know how he knew that flower.
‘I think I’ve seen it a lot somewhere…’
“…Estelle.”
John’s red eyes trembled greatly when he saw marigolds.
“You don’t have to try to pretend you’re okay.”
There was no pain, but John’s eyes looked very miserable.
“Is it some kind of ominous sign that flowers are blooming?”
Should she at least pretend to be sick on purpose? At that time, John hugged her tightly. She rolled her eyes again.
‘It wasn’t that big of a deal after all!’
“No. It’s not like it’s a bad omen. It happens like that sometimes.”
“I didn’t break it. Thank god.”
She smiled and plucked a bunch of marigolds.
‘It looks ominous, but…’
It was a bad attitude to be prejudiced based solely on appearances.
“I really like this flower. It’s like John’s eyes.”
“My eyes?”
“Huh. Sometimes it gets lighter than this, but I like it when it’s this thick.”
When she said that, she really felt like this flower was prettier.
“There are times when it’s a little sad or scary, but there are times when it feels like John’s sincerity. I’m glad it feels like we’ve become closer.”
“How can you do that?”
John, who looked like he was in tears for a moment, quickly lifted the corners of his mouth lazily.
“You’re so lovely that it makes me angry.”
“Do you find me lovely?”
As she looked at him with expectant eyes, he pushed her against the lab wall, trapping her between him and the wall. His forehead touched hers. Soft, profound eyes looked down at her.
* * *
John hugged Estelle tightly.
‘Originally, Estelle is not good at dealing with magic.’
However, this gazebo was a device made with that assumption in mind. Wasn’t that why it was brought here?
‘You have a strong resistance to magic?’
That meant that Estelle could not be cured with magic power.
‘Do I have to lose you like this?’
Estelle asked Johan.
“I didn’t do anything wrong, did I?”
She often asked what she did wrong and apologized. The speculation that Estelle had been abused grew stronger.
‘The color of the crystal ball is turning black.’
The crystal ball represented the current state.
‘Black is pain.’
She was feeling pain that even a machine couldn’t express.
‘But why can you smile like that-’
At that time, Estelle’s expression as she held the crystal ball was strange. Her forehead was slightly distorted and she looked tired.
“I’ll do whatever you want…”
John’s heart sank.
‘No way.’
—————————————————————
Translator Note:
Hello there! This is RJR. I hope you liked it <3
If you like my work please support me with Ko-fi or Patreon. Next post will be released on January, 12.
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