LP 2.2 The Lizard with a Tied Tail

To get any closer, he would have had to go right between his thighs. Kosha, who couldn’t muster the courage for that, ended up awkwardly bending just his upper body a little more. Then Lucian lightly lifted his head and stared at Kosha.

“Let’s get one thing straight.”

“……?”

“About the ‘crazy thing’ I did yesterday.”

He spoke very slowly. So that Kosha could understand every single word without missing any.

“Was it unpleasant?”

Unpleasant?

That question forcibly dredged up the memory Kosha had been trying hard to suppress. The dark room, the faint yellowish glow of the dim lamp, the sensation—the feel—of pressing his lips against another person’s for the first time in his life, which felt even more vivid precisely because he couldn’t see clearly in front of him. And the other person was even….

Kosha’s face flushed bright red. His pale skin offered no cover for his fluster at all.

Was it unpleasant? How on earth…?

Kosha’s lips twitched, but no words came out. Yet, that seemed to be answer enough, as Lucian smiled, his eyes narrowing into crescents.

Before that smile—the one Kosha liked best—he unconsciously held his breath. He very rarely smiled like that. From what Kosha could remember, it had only happened twice, exactly twice, during the victory parade. When he smiled like that, he truly shone so radiantly that Kosha couldn’t help but have his gaze stolen every time….

And Lucian gladly seized that moment of defenselessness.

He reached out, grabbed the back of Kosha’s head, and very slowly pulled it down. Just enough that Kosha could have avoided it if he really tried. But as if he already knew Kosha wouldn’t resist. He straightened his back, which had been leaning against the chair, and so they became very close, very quickly.

His still-swollen, soft lips were pressed down. Their lower and upper lips interlocked, mismatched.

And then he gently bit and released his lips, repeating the motion. He repeated gently sucking and releasing until all the strength left his body.

The mixing of tongues came after that. Gently touching the inside of his mouth, rubbing, pulling out, then coming back in to stimulate, repeating it all. It seemed similar to last night’s experience, yet also completely different. It was excessive stimulation for the naive Mage to handle. All he could do was keep his eyes closed, bite down on the tongue, and whimper.

That sticky act concluded as slowly as it had begun.

Even after the tongue withdrew, he kept their lips pressed together for a moment. Their breaths tangled chaotically. Only then did he notice his own hand, which had been tightly clutching Lucian’s shoulder since who knows when.

Leaving a hair’s breadth distance where their lips could almost brush, he opened his mouth.

“How is it now?”

“…….”

“Do you still think I’m crazy?”

A voice slightly more submerged and languid than before wormed into his ear, but his mind, now completely blank and white, couldn’t properly comprehend anything.

He couldn’t do anything right away except use all his strength not to faint.

Unless there was something wrong with his head?

That is, unless he had mistaken Kosha for someone else, or the medicine had caused delirium, leading him to do such a thing?

That is… he really kissed Kosha?

Just thinking about it made him swallow his saliva reflexively. It was nerve-wracking, hard to believe. Just that thought made him look around furtively even when alone. He didn’t really know the reason himself.

But it definitely wasn’t a bad feeling. Quite the opposite, perhaps.

His heart fluttering for no reason, Kosha rummaged through the fruit basket. By the way, this fruit basket, filled with apples, oranges, and grapes, was also sent by Lucian! Kosha grabbed a pretty, round apple that fit perfectly in his palm, fiddled with it as if gauging its weight for a moment, then applied force.

The apple’s form wavered strangely. Concentrating a bit more and applying force, the apple crumpled as if it were paper. Gradually losing its luster, crumpling, it soon vanished, leaving behind only a small dot-like black void. And simultaneously, from the empty air on one side of the room, a soft thud sounded.

The very same pretty apple that had vanished from Kosha’s hand was rolling degeuruk across the floor.

Now, something like this was surprisingly no big deal.

Mana had risen like a river whose banks had burst from a sudden downpour. It felt like just yesterday that he thought he couldn’t use magic anymore, that he was no longer a Mage, yet that time also felt infinitely distant.

Where had all this mana been all this time? And why had it suddenly returned? Questions arose in the hazy, euphoric feeling akin to blood rushing vigorously through his once-paralyzed body, but they soon disappeared.

Maybe because his mood kept soaring, he couldn’t stay still. Kosha, lying on his stomach on the bed, pondered for a moment, then focused his gaze on the apple pitifully fallen in a corner of the room.

As if beckoning it to come here, he gently gestured with his hand. The apple shook as if alive and rolled doruruk towards Kosha.

All of this felt as natural as breathing.

Delighted, Kosha picked up the apple that had stopped at the foot of the bed. Could he put it back into the basket accurately this time? Kosha pondered for a moment. And just as he applied force again to blur and crumple the apple’s image—

“Mage-nim.”

The door swung open with a neat voice. Startled by the sudden intrusion, his aim faltered. The air by the bedside of the neat young man who had appeared after opening the door seemed to ripple, and an apple popped out of thin air with a thud.

“……!”

Eydrick’s hand was faster than Kosha’s warning. It was astonishing reflexes. Only after grabbing the thing that was about to fall on his head did the man’s expression, having confirmed its identity, relax flatly. He seemed to be holding back a slight laugh.

“I’m sorry. I was careless.”

“Not at all. I should have knocked.”

The two apologized to each other very politely. Eydrick placed the apple in the basket and said,

“His Highness’s schedule for today has been cleared, so he is looking for you. If you would prepare…”

It was precisely the words Kosha had been waiting for all day. There was no need for preparations or anything. Kosha immediately sprang up from his spot, scrambling to get ready.

After the second kiss that day, Lucian had changed the ‘treatment’ time. Originally, he would make a short time after lunch, but now it was moved to around dusk, after all his duties were finished.

The treatment location had also changed. Originally done in his office, it was now moved to his private chambers.

The private chambers were a very personal, intimate space directly connected to the bedroom. Even his close aides couldn’t come and go freely, it was said. At first, Kosha was so unsure if it was okay for him to set foot in such a place that he was almost afraid.

Well, of course, Lucian had summoned him first, but what did he think Kosha would do? What if he had impure thoughts…? And Kosha was even a Mage on top of that….

“You’ve been looking much better lately.”

Walking along the castle corridor, where lights were gradually being lit as it grew dark, Eydrick casually remarked. It was extremely rare for this quiet and upright knight to initiate conversation, so Kosha was inwardly surprised.

“…Thank you. It’s thanks to you.”

Giving a typical reply with a smile, Eydrick, who had been looking at Kosha, awkwardly averted his gaze. With a light, false cough, he asked again.

“Is the treatment going well?”

“Ah, yes. Probably.”

Nodding as he hurriedly chased after Eydrick, whose pace seemed to have quickened somehow, Kosha felt a slight pang of conscience while giving a vague answer.

Because, strictly speaking, Kosha—no, they… weren’t focusing on ‘treatment’ right now….

“…That’s fortunate.”

Fortunately, Eydrick didn’t pry further.

And soon, it was Lucian’s private chambers. Eydrick, not permitted to accompany further, had to wait for Kosha in the reception room connected to the private chambers. He said, as politely as ever,

“If anything happens, come out. I’ll be outside.”

He was always so silently loyal. Wasn’t it fortunate that such a knight was Lucian’s man! Kosha, filled with reverence for Eydrick, gave a light bow by bending his knee and then fluttered into that intimate space.

It was precisely that time of day when the sun was crimson but hadn’t completely sunk beyond the mountains yet. Lucian’s private chambers, with windows facing west, were also entirely dyed reddish-purple.

He was reading something in front of a chest of drawers by the window, and it seemed like he still had a lot of work left despite his duties being over. The sword at his waist hadn’t even been removed yet.

His private chambers, furnished with just the necessary amount of dark wood furniture, were more modest than expected. It was different from his splendid office, which had windows on all sides and was decorated with quite precious items.

He didn’t know much about him, but Kosha somehow guessed that this private chamber was probably closer to his true nature. He usually dressed very simply if there was no special occasion, and his sword didn’t have a single common decoration either.

Since Lucian was usually impeccably and dazzlingly dressed in formal attire at official events, Kosha was inwardly pleased to know something like this intimate, unknown-to-others aspect of him that seemed closer to his true self.

Anyway, not wanting to disturb him who seemed to still have work, Kosha hesitated at the door. Soon, Lucian put down what he was reading and looked up. He naturally reached out his hand, and Kosha approached hesitantly.

When within reach, he cupped Kosha’s cheek and made him lift his head. Before their eyes could meet, lips descended first. Lips lightly met, then parted cleanly. There were still times when they kissed, mixing tongues, losing track of time like before, but now, kisses like this—lightly biting and releasing—were more common.

He had somehow managed to remember up to the ninth time, but after that, it got confusing, and he gave up counting. Yet, he still trembled so much every time that Kosha couldn’t help but shiver bururuk* each time their lips parted.

Seeing that, Lucian laughed softly.

“Were you well-behaved all day?”

Kosha nodded earnestly. Lucian asked again in an even softer voice.

“What about the thing I asked? Did you practice?”

To that question, he nodded even more enthusiastically. Like a child who had waited all day just for praise.

Lucian held out a book that was beside him. Kosha obediently took it, fiddled with the book for a moment as if gauging its weight and size, then placed it on his palm and lightly closed his eyes.

The area around his palm rippled, and the rectangular object vanished from his hand. And simultaneously, it appeared gently on the desk on the other side. The void that often remained when using spatial transference magic was now barely visible, showing his proficiency.

Lucian, who walked over to the desk, picked up the instantly moved book and flipped through it as if checking.

The book was clean, without any damage.

“You’re good at it now.”

“……”

“See, you can do it when you try.”

Kosha’s ears turned bright red at the praise he heard without mental preparation.

He had started this ‘practice’ from the day of the second kiss.

After having his mind completely taken away by that act too intense for a clumsy country bumpkin to handle, Lucian suddenly said with an awkward expression,

‘Come to think of it, you said you needed a magic tome.’

While grabbing and squishing Kosha’s cheek with his large hand.

‘But what to do. The Izelant royal family doesn’t officially keep such things. They’re sort of relics of a bygone era, after all. And there are concerns about relations with the Gykrux mages too.’

‘…….’

‘Hmm… You understand, right?’

Of course, he didn’t understand at all. At that moment, Kosha’s mind was so filled with thoughts—he was too close, would they kiss again, what if they kissed again—that he couldn’t think of anything else.

Still, he nodded anyway. Even though he didn’t even know exactly what he had heard.

‘But well… This is just between the two of us here now.’

Just the two of us. He pronounced that phrase a little slower and more subtly.

‘The royal family couldn’t have really disposed of all those things, right? Not when the king has a court Mage.’

So… such things are stored somewhere. Lucian drew out his words.

‘Accessing them is a bit complicated. It’s also conspicuous. I told you before, right? The court is quite harsh, and my own position is unstable. Taking you along to view them would be even more difficult.’

Kosha nodded again immediately. ‘You.’ That polite second-person noun, pronounced in that gentle, pleasant voice… gave the feeling of being called by that word for the first time.

‘So I think some preparation is needed.’

‘Preparation…?’

Kosha asked back in a dazed voice. At that moment, it felt like he would agree even if Lucian said he would slit his belly and take a few organs.

But when Lucian actually mentioned a few ‘magic use’ plans.

Even in that dazed state, his mind snapped to attention.

‘…That kind of thing is difficult. I can’t do it.’

He refused firmly at first. He could even list reasons one after another. But Lucian was persistent too.

‘It’s not about being good at it right from the start, is it?’

“No, no, if it can’t be done, it can’t be done. It’s not that I really don’t want to. I’m just lacking in mana itself.”

‘I get what you mean. Yeah, you’d know more about magic.’

Persistent yet receptive. Also, receptive yet persistent.

‘But you haven’t tried it.’

‘…I know even without trying. This kind of thing.’

Is there anyone who doesn’t know their own height or limb length? If it’s clearly out of reach, is there a need to stretch your arm? But he seemed to think completely differently.

‘Just try it once, and if it doesn’t work, I won’t say anything more.’

‘…….’

‘How about practicing step by step? I’ll help…. Okay?’

While constantly gently touching his stiffened cheek or fingers.

‘Then you can see the magic tomes too…. And it’ll be a bit easier to solve our problem.’

‘…….’

‘Isn’t it a bit much to not even try?’

Kosha, who was eventually persuaded by such words, was indeed Kosha. Listening to it, it sounded plausible.

Or maybe he was tired, or bewitched. Or… because it wasn’t easy to keep saying ‘I can’t’ in front of him either.

He thought, if he wants it that desperately, what’s wrong with granting it once?

Above all, there was practically no choice. How could Kosha, a lonely gooseherd who was more comfortable with geese than people, possibly win against this confident man who had probably never experienced failure in his life?

Anyway, he kept his promise. Step by step, starting with practice.

Starting with very small, easy things. Moving something light like fluff, matching the color of an object held in his hand, distinguishing liquids in a cup, step by step, a little heavier, a little more complex.

And recently, he started handling books. At first, he was scared that while moving it, a few pages might disappear in the middle or the contents inside might get erased….

“It seems like you just need to know the volume, weight, and shape.”

After several attempts, Kosha said proudly, now able to move even a fairly heavy book without damage. Whether Lucian considered that a boast or not is unknown, but he, holding the book, approached, bent down, and gently kissed him.

This too had very naturally become part of the ‘practice.’

At first, Lucian would kiss him whenever Kosha failed or made a mistake and panicked, which felt like encouragement but also made Kosha endlessly afraid. Kosha, while not disliking this unfamiliar act, found it hard to handle and just wanted to avoid it.

So, unintentionally concentrating desperately, didn’t his skills really grow rapidly?

And from the time the number of successes started to outweigh failures, he began kissing him as a follow-up to success, like praise.

But by then, Kosha too… had become neither unfamiliar with nor afraid of this act anymore.

Lucian, who had lightly bitten and released his lips, returned the book to Kosha’s hand and placed another one on top.

“Then how about two books at once?”

He whispered as if making a very secret request, and Kosha once again had no choice but to listen to him.

The books kept increasing. Two, three, four. The number of times their lips met increased along with them.