Count Astita lowered his gaze and made eye contact with Hierian before asking,
“Does the administrator think the same way?”
“Yeah, a few days ago I sensed the Northern Palace’s magic power… Oh.”
“Magic power?”
“It’s nothing. Anyway, Dianel can’t be trusted. Be careful too.”
After glancing around, Count Astita’s expression changed, and he dashed away. He followed Hierian with his eyes until he spotted a familiar silhouette and stiffened. Eventually, the count muttered in a solemn voice,
“You…”
The woman who mysteriously disappeared after the night of the full moon. The count was captivated by indescribable and complicated emotions after the woman’s disappearance.
However, as soon as he faced Siara, all those complicated thoughts evaporated and flew away.
The Count looked at Siara, who was smiling as she picked up Hierian from the ground, and muttered to himself.
“Siara…”
Only then did Siara raise her head and look at the count. Then she waved her hand towards him with an innocent expression.
“Count, it’s been a while!”
Siara’s expression was bright. She looked better than when she was in the mansion, well-fed and well-rested. Nevertheless, the count couldn’t suppress his worries and reprimanded her.
“Why did you disappear without a word?”
In response, Siara smiled with her eyes half-closed, like a crescent moon.
“I’m sorry. I had an urgent matter.”
“…You’re leaving Astita forever?”
“No way. I’m planning to return with the Count.”
Siara approached the count energetically and asked,
“By the way, is Lady Astita doing well? I was worried after leaving.”
The count nodded silently. Strangely, Siara’s concern for his wife felt relieving. At this moment, he was more concerned about her than his wife, which felt unfamiliar. The count responded with a complicated expression.
“She’s doing well, very well.”
His wife was not doing well. She was unconscious and bedridden. Fortunately, the doctor said it wasn’t a relapse of her insanity and that she would recover with rest.
Above all, with Siara returning to Astita, everything will seem to fall into place. It was a conjecture born out of firm belief, anticipation, and familiarity.
Count Astita, with an unfamiliar idea in his mind, grabbed both of Siara’s hands and held them tightly, unable to let go of his unwavering grip. Then he opened his mouth, unable to contain his excitement.
“How have you been?”
Siara nodded as if it were obvious.
“Of course, I’ve been well.”
Her bright smile was truly like that of a fairy. No, there were actually fairies fluttering around Siara. The count was so surprised that he froze in place. As if in response, Siara shouted.
“Oh, Hierian!”
Hierian, who had followed along, scattered magic power in all directions. Wherever his violet magic power reached, small fairies, no bigger than a palm, flew around, flapping their wings.
The fairy dust scattered all around, carried by the wind and flowed right in front of Count Astita’s nose. Without realizing it, the count reached out into the air. The fairy dust didn’t disappear but settled firmly in his hand.
“This is…”
How could fairy dust created by illusion be held in his hand? The count’s fingertips trembled. Before he could express his doubt, a familiar voice reached his ears.
“Father!”
“…Therid?”
It was Therid who had spilled some of the fairy dust. It naturally came out when he felt good. He came running boldly and stood in front of the count.
“I’ve been waiting because you said you’d come.”
Therid looked perfectly healthy without a single scratch. His eyes were clear, and his voice was lively. Moreover, he was wearing the knight’s attire that had been hanging in the dressing room the whole time, neatly and properly.
The sparkling scene surrounding him was as dazzling as the fairy dust that surrounded him. That was it. The count nodded with relief.
“Yeah, I’m glad you’re safe.”
Therid nodded refreshingly and spoke.
“I actually have something to tell you so badly.”
Unlike before, the count nodded slowly, his voice lowered as he glanced around.
* * *
The count returned to his bedroom with Therid. Therid, who had been pretending to be cheerful all along, changed his expression as soon as the bedroom door closed.
When the count looked at him with a questioning expression, Therid nervously spoke.
“To be honest… I have no memory of coming here.”
“What do you mean?”
“According to the people around, they said I accompanied His Highness the Crown Prince when he returned to the palace, but I have no recollection of it. They said Siara was with us at that time. If she came with me then, why would I come to the palace with her?”
The count nodded in agreement. He had also found Therid’s sudden departure from the mansion abrupt.
He had thought it was just some urgent matter since Therid was in the palace. But now that Therid couldn’t remember anything, the count began to recall something.
“How about undergoing a mental reading?”
“A mental reading?”
“Yes, luckily the administrator is here.”
“Administrator?”
Therid widened his eyes as if he had heard an unbelievable story. In response, the count narrowed his eyes slightly and asked Therid.
“Didn’t you know that the young magician who came with Siara is Hierian?”
“H-Hierian? Is that child really the administrator? …Even though he disappeared for some reason, it seems he has become an unpredictable person.”
“He disappeared?”
“The High Priest mentioned that he disappeared for some reason. Oh, at that time, he was sleeping in Siara’s bedroom.”
“He was sleeping?”
“Yes, so the High Priest got angry and told him to leave… Maybe he’s a pervert.”
“A pervert?”
“Do you know how clingy that brat is to Siara? Despite being a child, he sleeps together and keeps clinging to her all the time.”
“I see.”
“Yes, Siara is so naive and doesn’t have any sense of boundaries. Isn’t it about time we intervene?”
Therid started to passionately argue about the importance of protecting Siara’s well-being. Although there was no reason to be so concerned about an adult woman who was not even a relative, somehow the count found himself agreeing with Therid’s words.
“That’s right. That healer is an important talent of the Astita family.”
“Yes, Father. If Siara’s abilities become known, people will try to recruit her from everywhere. It’s necessary to establish trust in advance. Above all, Siara’s safety is at risk right now.”
“Indeed. I will have a polite conversation with the administrator about it.”
Therid nodded. Just then, laughter could be heard from outside. Therid immediately went to the window to observe the surroundings.
It was the sound of Hierian’s laughter, tightly embraced by Siara. Next to them was the High Priest, and the Crown Prince stood further away, watching them. The scene was visible from the upper floor, and it felt strangely unfamiliar. Therid furrowed his brows and spoke.
“Father, isn’t there something strange about this? The High Priest, Administrator, and the Crown Prince came to the festival on the border, and they’re still together now. And Siara is always by their side.”
Therid’s words accurately captured the count’s doubts. Count Astita nodded in agreement.
Siara, the mysterious healer who suddenly appeared with fairies, and her unidentifiable identity. She was undoubtedly a talented individual, but little was known about her whereabouts until now. However, she was always accompanied by someone.
It seemed suspicious that those who surrounded her were not ordinary people.
The count bit his lip and swallowed his frustration. Daring to refer to the High Priest and Administrator, as well as the Crown Prince, as “those people”.
If he let slip such words, he wouldn’t have any excuses even if he faced reprimands. However, the count was genuinely angry, and Therid seemed to share the sentiment.
“Why do they all seem so suspicious? Father, it might end up causing trouble if it continues like this.”
“Be careful, Therid.”
“Yes, I know. But I can’t help but be concerned. Especially about that kid.”
Therid glared at Hierian with an irritated expression.
Sensing his gaze, Hierian, who had been creating an illusion of enchantment throughout the garden, briefly raised his head and looked at Therid, as if asking what he wanted.
Unable to contain himself, Therid shouted,
“Hierian! I have something to say to you!”
The booming voice reached Hierian’s ears. After exchanging words with Siara and Adandito, Hierian looked at Therid with a questioning expression, asking why.
Without saying anything more, Therid gestured for him to come to his room. In response, Hierian took Siara’s hand and walked with her to where his bedroom was located.
Therid stared at their joined hands for a while, then forcefully closed the window with a loud thud.
Before long, Hierian knocked on the door.
