LP 2.7 The Lizard with a Tied Tail

Kosha gazed at the handsome blond man who had taken the seat Gosrick had been occupying, feeling somewhat unreal. He was always good-looking, but perhaps because it had been a while since Kosha last saw him, he seemed to shine even brighter now.

Then, Kosha became deeply concerned about his own disheveled appearance—something that hadn’t bothered him at all while he was with Gosrick. He hadn’t properly washed for days, and he must be filthy and smelly from sweating so much during his illness…. Knowing how much Lucian hated dirt only added to his distress.

However, his scattered thoughts didn’t last long. A line of attendants streamed in, spreading a tablecloth over Kosha’s bed and swiftly setting the table with practiced efficiency.

A thick, simmered soup and a clear consommé, cold vegetable dishes, a tenderly baked white fish with butter, and a meat stew with fruit sauce were brought out one after another. The not-so-large table was filled to the brim, almost precariously so.

“Let’s eat first.”

Lucian gestured calmly toward Kosha, who was sitting there with a foolish expression. Kosha glanced furtively at the door. Gosrick averted his gaze, pretending not to notice.

“…All of this?”

Amidst a flood of questions, the most useless one popped out first. It was, in its own way, an important issue. The amount of food laid out on the table was nearly equivalent to three of Kosha’s usual meals combined.

Lucian clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“You’ve been ill for three full days. Even with medicine, it wasn’t effective because you couldn’t eat.”

“…….”

“Just eat what you can. I didn’t know what you usually crave when you’re sick, so I brought a bit of everything.”

To Kosha, that sounded like a truly aristocratic thing to say. What he usually craves when sick? Generally, when he’s too weak to cook, he just throws whatever ingredients he has into a pot, boils it thoroughly, and eats whatever comes out. There’s no energy to pick and choose….

But still. This was his sincerity and kindness. Moreover, the aroma of the food was so enticing it made even Kosha, who had no appetite, salivate. Hesitating, Kosha bowed his head deeply in gratitude before picking up his spoon.

The clear meat broth, skimmed of fat and simmered to perfection, was the smoothest and most delicious he had ever tasted at the castle.

Until now, Kosha’s meals had consisted mainly of items easy to deliver from the servants’ dining hall—a bowl of soup, some bread, and a few slices of ham or cheese. Though the food provided by the castle wasn’t of poor quality, eating it continuously did become a bit monotonous.

After soothing his empty stomach with the broth, he tried the vegetable dish. The vegetables, steamed thoroughly with grains and tossed in a tangy, salty dressing, stimulated his appetite. Overall, it was clear that the entire meal had been prepared with consideration for a patient’s condition.

Broth, vegetables, fish. As Kosha focused on his meal, pale gray eyes persistently followed his hands. Every movement—the plates his hands frequently reached for, the portions he scooped up like bird feed, and the act of pushing the food between his lips.

Occasionally, Kosha would hesitate and glance around, as if the gaze made him extremely uncomfortable, but when Lucian shamelessly gestured for him to keep eating, he could say nothing and simply buried his nose back in his bowl.

So easily swayed…. And endlessly suspicious.

Lucian’s brow furrowed slightly.

Aside from dismissing Mylotte, the events of that night were worth pondering.

A Mage who knows the castle’s secret passageways. That alone is nonsensical, but he even passed through an area that had been sealed off because the installed traps couldn’t be retrieved, as if it were nothing. Moving about so unnoticed that he was found near Bastian’s private chambers during curfew.

It’s an incident worthy of being dragged to the dungeon for interrogation immediately, yet he brazenly fainted as if to block that possibility….

“…Um, I’m full now, I can’t eat anymore.”

As his spoon movements gradually slowed, Kosha cautiously put down his utensils and spoke. Lucian frowned. He hadn’t expected him to finish everything right after being ill, but wasn’t the amount he ate too little?

Then, for the first time, the mage’s withered wrist beneath his sleeve caught his eye. Given his physical state, wasn’t it likely that what should have been a single day of illness had dragged on for three? With a body like that, even physical training would likely backfire.

As Lucian let out a deep sigh, Kosha flusteredly picked up his utensils again. He seemed ready to force food into his mouth if only ordered to do so.

…To be this obedient, and yet it could all be an act?

Could that really be possible?

Lucian gestured for the attendant to clear the table. The amount eaten was unsatisfactory, but he couldn’t risk making someone who had just managed to get up suffer from indigestion and be bedridden again.

After a moment of contemplation, he spoke.

“I have the book.”

Book…? Kosha, whose memories from before falling ill were hazy, tried to recall. Ah, right. The magic tome.

“Ah.”

He had been worried, thinking what if it had gone somewhere else.

“I’m sorry. You must have been startled. I was in a hurry… I thought that would be the safest place. I’m glad it got there safely.”

“…Safest?”

“It’s a book related to detoxification. At the time, I wasn’t sure, but it seemed like a dangerous situation. I thought if I at least sent the book away, then even if something happened, somehow, it might be of help…”

The more Kosha explained softly and earnestly, the more peculiar Lucian’s expression became. Kosha began to worry if he was saying something wrong. Lucian, who had been listening with his arms crossed, asked again.

“But how did you say you escaped from the archive?”

“Well, suddenly a lizard appeared there and showed me the way…”

“……”

“It was a glowing magic lizard, green, about this size…”

Though it was the unvarnished truth, somehow saying it out loud felt embarrassing, and his voice trailed off. Lucian seemed to feel similarly, as he rubbed his eyes with a deeply weary expression.

“Alright. Let’s talk about that later.”

Even if they talked later, Kosha would only have the same story to tell…

Lucian rose from his seat.

“I’ll have another meal sent in the evening, so make sure to eat. Consider today a rest day.”

“Then, Your Highness, about your sleeping arrangements…”

“I’ll handle that myself.”

He waved his hand dismissively, with a hint of irritation.

“And starting tomorrow, come to the study.”

“…Your Highness’s study?”

“Whether you read the magic tome or do whatever else, let’s do it there.”

Lucian had decided Kosha’s whereabouts. Even in the face of that unilateral announcement, the mage merely seemed to be thinking, or perhaps not, before soon nodding obediently.

…This is exactly why he couldn’t resist Mylotte and got dragged off to some strange place.

Being obedient is good, but being obedient to everyone is unpleasant. However, he couldn’t suddenly reform the mage’s personality, so keeping him close for surveillance was the most efficient approach.

Whatever secret the mage was hiding. Keeping him close and watching would eventually yield an answer.

Having settled on that, Lucian stood up. The mage, who had seemed somewhat restless, opened his mouth.

“Um, Your Highness.”

Wondering what it was, Lucian turned to look. The mage, who had hesitated for a long while, offered an awkward smile and uttered these words.

“Thank you for bringing the meal. Starting tomorrow, I’ll work hard again, on the treatment.”

The feeling was indescribably strange. This was the most perplexing problem he had encountered so far.

“…Alright.”

And so Lucian, despite having waited for three days just to see his face and talk, somehow found himself fleeing from that room.

---

When he came to his senses, it was the middle of the night.

It seemed three days of sleep hadn’t been enough, for after filling his stomach with the evening meal brought by the attendant, drowsiness washed over him again. Gosrick occasionally peeked in, but he didn’t exchange a single word with Kosha, leaving him with no other means to ward off sleep.

In fact, he seemed to have fallen asleep almost unconsciously, bordering on passing out…

What hazily roused him from sleep was a vague need.

He tried hard to ignore it, to endure until sunrise, but it wasn’t easy. He had never woken up because of the bathroom before… It seemed it was likely due to having eaten an unusual amount of soup-based dishes today. The evening meal had also featured a broth-based dish with fish and vegetables simmered until tender.

I think I need to use the bathroom…. The servants’ quarters don’t have an attached toilet or bath, so I’d have to go outside. But….

Is Sir Gosrick staying in the next room like Eydrick? Kosha cautiously got up from the bed and tapped on the wall. Hello, Sir Gosrick…. He even called out a couple of times in a timid voice.

But no matter how long he waited, there was no response.

At this point, Kosha pondered. It probably isn’t good to wander around recklessly… but does that include going to the bathroom?

Waking a sleeping person to say you need to use the bathroom felt terribly embarrassing. But on the other hand, he couldn’t just relieve himself in his clothes. That would be a disgrace too great for a grown Mage to bear.

Once he became aware of the urge, it seemed to grow more intense with every passing moment. Unable to bring himself to make a decision, he was shifting his feet restlessly when something glowed faintly beside him.

Looking back, a green glowing lizard was watching Kosha from atop the door handle.

“…You again?”

Wondering if it was an illusion this time, he rubbed his eyes, but the glowing lizard was still there. Its yellow eyes with vertical slits stared intently at Kosha.

Kosha stared intently back.

“…Are you saying I should go to the bathroom?”

Without any exchange of words, Kosha suddenly asked that, and the lizard slowly nodded. Isn’t it wrong to wander around alone recklessly? Maybe I should try calling for Sir Gosrick one more time. But as he looked into those yellow eyes, the worried voice in his head gradually grew faint.

Right… I have to go to the bathroom to live.

Kosha slowly grasped the door handle. The door clicked open as soon as he turned it. Why doesn’t this castle lock any of its doors? That question flashed through his mind for an instant but then vanished without a trace.

The lizard glowed more distinctly in the darkness, so there was no need to even light a lamp.

The servants’ shared toilet was one floor down. Kosha placed the lizard on his hand and walked slowly. He wasn’t even nervous about possibly being discovered. No, it was closer to already knowing he wouldn’t be discovered.

While he took care of his business and washed his hands, the lizard emitted a soft glow from Kosha’s shoulder.

But once the urgent need was resolved, for some reason, he suddenly wanted to wash his entire body. The bathing facilities the servants used were even further down…. Kosha hesitated for a moment. His eyes met the lizard’s.

…If you want to wash, you should wash.

It felt like a perfectly natural proposition.

Kosha carefully placed the lizard on his palm and began walking again, perfectly composed. Walking with the lizard, he suddenly remembered the events of that night.

Actually, even earlier in the day.

It wasn’t that he was going to say something obvious like he’d work hard on Lucian’s treatment. What Kosha really meant to say was….

“…I saw Merda.”

Kosha muttered as if talking to himself.

Merda, the client for the Love Potion. He had meant to say he thought he saw her in the castle, but then worried it might have been a mistake and quickly shut his mouth.

“Hey, do you know Merda?”

Kosha abruptly asked the lizard. The lizard, which had been glowing on his palm, looked up at Kosha.

“Is Merda in the castle now? Or did I see wrong yesterday?”

He wasn’t expecting any specific answer, just hoping for some communication like a nod or shake of the head.

However, the lizard, which had been staring intently at Kosha, for some reason suddenly leaped off his palm. And then it began running off somewhere.

“Hey, hey.”

No, wait. Kosha was flustered. He had nothing else that could serve as a lamp right now, and to get back to his room immediately, he had to catch it. In the end, Kosha started running after the lizard.

I didn’t mean take me to where Merda is right now, or anything like that! —But is Merda really in the castle? Did she get married to that man she said she was meeting then?— But what could Kosha possibly do even if he found Merda now?

“You can’t just run off like that…!”

Running suddenly right after recovering from an illness was torture. Come here, please, be good, lizard! Gasping for breath but unable to raise his voice, he barely managed to whisper, but the lizard didn’t even pretend to hear.

The lizard, which had been running at an oddly elusive speed, stopped at the end of a corridor.

The first thing that entered Kosha’s eyes, which had been fixed on the ground as he ran, was a pair of feet clad in white shoes.

Kosha’s gaze drifted dazedly upward. A silver-haired woman stood there, wearing a white uffland with long, draping sleeves over a white skirt. Her appearance made it difficult to guess her age, but she certainly didn’t look young.

The lizard had already climbed onto her palm. She smiled at Kosha.

“Hello, it’s been a while, young Mage.”

It was an utterly unexpected greeting. Kosha faltered, stepping back warily.

“…Do you know me?”

“Well, I know you enough to invite you. I invited you because I wanted to know more.”

She answered in a natural tone that only deepened the mystery.

“By the way, I told you not to go near the East Wing. It seems you forgot and went anyway, and had a rough time because of it?”

Again, it was an incomprehensible statement. Since this enigmatic woman was truly a stranger to him, Kosha hesitated before replying.

“I don’t recall hearing anything like that…”

“Don’t recall? That day. The day I cleaned up all the traces of magic you were dripping everywhere.”

“……?”

“Surely you can’t still be this clueless?”

She frowned as if exasperated. For a moment, her figure seemed to waver, and then a completely different person stood in her place.

It was a young woman with neatly braided dark hair, wearing servant clothes similar to Kosha’s. Kosha’s mouth fell open in a daze.

‘Actually, I thought you were from the East Wing. Hmm, His Highness Bastian’s… you know what I mean?’

Wasn’t she the kind person who had said something incomprehensible and told him not to even think about going near the East Wing?

“…Are you the person who helped me find my way that day?”

“Yes!”

She nodded, transforming back into her white uffland attire.

“You said I was dripping magic everywhere?”

“If another Mage had seen you, you would have been caught right then and there. I kindly tidied it up for you, and I thought I might at least get a thank you. But you’re still not quite in your right mind, are you?”

Saying this, the enigmatic woman clicked her tongue disapprovingly.

But magic? At that time, I shouldn’t have been able to use magic properly…? After racking his brain for a long time, Kosha finally moved his lips.

“Was that… really me?”

“Was what you?”

“Back then, the soldier guarding the door fell asleep…”

Hadn’t he gone to find someone precisely because that soldier wouldn’t wake up no matter how much he was roused? However, the silver-haired woman looked utterly astonished, as if she had heard something completely absurd.

“Well, who else could have done such a thing? It’s even more surprising that you didn’t know until now.”

“Huh? But I had no intention of doing anything like that.”

Kosha’s mouth hung open in shock as well.

Was it really my doing that the soldier fell asleep like that? But I didn’t use any sleep-inducing magic at all back then! Then, could it be that the door being unlocked was also my doing?

The woman watched Kosha, his eyes rolling in confusion, with a peculiar smile.

“No intention, you say? You must have wanted to get out of there, right?”

So you found a way. She added.

“Child, have you forgotten what you are, after pretending to be human for so long?”

“…….”

“We can go anywhere we want, can’t we? No human can stop that.”

She lowered her voice, as if revealing an ancient secret or hidden truth. At that moment, she seemed thirty years old one instant and sixty the next.

But for Kosha, that wasn’t the issue right now.

What do I do? I insisted back then that I hadn’t done it! Doesn’t that mean I ended up lying to Lucian?

Then that soldier must have been terribly wronged…

“I thought you’d finally come to your senses since you’ve been shedding that human shell lately, but it seems you still have a long way to go.”

She muttered in a tone that suggested her interest had waned. Suddenly, it seemed she might vanish without warning, so Kosha hurriedly continued.

“Then, that lizard too.”

“Hmm?”

“That lizard… did you send it?”