However, since this was something he had from birth, there was only one possible guess. That his parents’ generation, or even ancestors further up, had committed a wrong and it had been passed down until now, manifesting as a curse on him.

Since the Tower Master seemed to know quite well, it was likely related to magic.

In fact, he didn’t care about anything else. For the current him, the most important value and good was his young lady. In the end, he didn’t know how to break the curse, and since nothing would change if he had to live like this, if he used this as an excuse…

He might be able to stay by her side forever.

* * *

When Lysith opened her eyes again, it was night with the moon shining brightly. My goodness, did I sleep through dinner? Come to think of it, it seemed like someone had tried to wake her up. But she vaguely remembered sending them all away, saying it was bothersome.

Perhaps because she had just woken up, she wasn’t particularly hungry, so she raised her slightly improved body and sat up leaning against the bed. Thinking she would be fine by tomorrow, she sighed softly and looked towards the window when suddenly a shadowy figure flickered outside.

Judging by the height and build, it was clearly a man.

‘A thief? Or… could it be an assassin?’

She swallowed hard in tension. She looked around urgently for something to use as a weapon, but all that was nearby was a teapot made of porcelain.

Still, as they say, ‘When there are no teeth, the gums will do,’ so it was better than having nothing at all.

As soon as she carefully reached out and firmly grasped the teapot beside her, the curtain inside the room fluttered as if a wind had blown, revealing the identity of the black figure visible on the terrace.

And as soon as her eyes met with that figure, Lysith blurted out a stupid sound.

“……Huh?”

Golden hair shimmering softly under the moonlight fluttered. As if he had used magic to pull back the inner curtain, the fabric instantly returned to its place.

Lysith put down the teapot quietly and slowly got up from the bed, walking towards the window on trembling legs that were weak from lying down for too long, trying hard to put strength into them.

As soon as she reached the terrace and drew back the curtains, she could see Ashites with a worried look on his face, seemingly wanting to reach out immediately. After slowly opening the window, strong arms naturally wrapped around her waist.

Lysith, no longer needing to force strength into her legs, leaned against him. Ashites naturally picked her up and stepped into the room.

Relaxing in his embrace, which now felt familiar, Lysith asked curiously.

“Why… did you come?”

“I heard you were sick.”

Even so, breaking into someone else’s terrace in the middle of the night…

Lysith gave him a bewildered look, but Ashites deliberately ignored it.

“What if I hadn’t been awake?”

“Then I was just going to look at your face and leave.”

Though they were conversing as usual, Ashites stared at Lysith, who seemed strangely weak. He soon sat her on the sofa and sat down beside her. Then, gently caressing her cheek, he asked,

“Did something happen?”

“No.”

“Then are you just sick?”

“Yes.”

But she was fine until yesterday. How could her condition worsen this much overnight? Unless there was some mental stress in between…

Stress? Catching onto a word he was about to pass over, Ashites took Lysith’s hands, which were slightly colder than usual, and asked probingly.

“It’s not because of that person, is it?”

“…Who?”

Lysith’s response was slightly delayed. The man was certain. This is it.

Though his tone was light, as if mentioning a passing sparrow or rolling leaf, Ashites was now more cautious than ever.

“The purple woman you met yesterday.”

Purple woman… He doesn’t even bother remembering names. Even in this situation, Lysith newly realized how specially he treated her, making her heart flutter.

“Umm…”

“I see it is.”

His perceptiveness was outstanding. When Lysith made an ambiguous face, he nodded, saying he understood.

Why would she go into detail about the reason for her illness? Even if he knew, he’d just get angry and turn the social world upside down. But Ashites made a statement that made her thoughts seem foolish.

“Actually, I said it wasn’t true then, but it was.”

“……”

“If I had known this would happen…”

Afraid of what might follow, she hurriedly covered his mouth and sighed deeply. She felt the man’s body against hers tremble slightly.

“Why, why?”

“What did you do?”

“I really didn’t do much.”

At his words, Lysith drooped her eyebrows, as if to say, why do you have so many things you’re trying to hide from me? Letting out a groan, Ashites finally confessed the truth.

“I just said something, that’s all.”

“What did you say?”

“……”

Annoyed that he was keeping his mouth shut as though he wouldn’t talk about this no matter what, Lysith slapped Ashites’ lips once. In response, he gave her an aggrieved look as if to say, why are you hitting me?

In fact, Lysith was gradually forgetting due to his softened attitude towards her, but this man’s personality was, as he had vowed in the past, only gentle towards her and still had an insufferable temperament towards others.

What on earth did he say to Beretta Pallaize with that temperament to keep his mouth so tightly shut and not want to tell her?

Though aware of Lysith’s deepening suspicion, Ashites remained unmoved.

He hadn’t said anything too harsh to that purple woman yesterday. He had just been curious about why she had acted that way towards Lysith, so he had stopped her — with magic — and asked for the reason. Of course, from Beretta’s perspective, it was half a threat.

“…What?”

“Lady Gronevelt and I, we were both in unrequited love with His Highness the Grand Duke.”

“And then?”

“When the Tower Master… started showing interest in the lady, and His Highness the Grand Duke also… couldn’t take his eyes off her, it was frustrating…”

“So you said those things?”

“Y-yes…”

Moreover, it was Beretta Pallaize who had caused the tea to spill in order to isolate Lysith.

That’s how Ashites had grasped the full story of the incident.

Of course, he didn’t know what rumors had circulated in the social circles after the marriage, and that Beretta had been the main instigator of those rumors, but Ashites could roughly understand some things even with just that much information.

If they had been in that kind of relationship before the marriage, it would have been the same afterwards, and now she must have been quite irritated by the one who had stolen the Grand Duke’s attention.

But unlike Beretta, Lysith from yesterday didn’t seem to be particularly bothered, nor did she dislike Beretta. Probably because her heart had drifted away from the Grand Duke.

If so, it was clear that her current poor condition was not because of Beretta, but because of the Grand Duke who had suddenly turned cold. Perhaps she had had an unpleasant dream related to him. Her complexion was slightly paler than usual, and her hands were cold.

“I really didn’t say anything bad. Okay?”

“You know it’s hard to believe that.”

“……”

He couldn’t refute. But he didn’t want to say that he had found out what kind of relationship that purple woman and Lysith had. What if it was something she didn’t particularly want to tell him?

That aside, he just didn’t want to bring up that idiot as a topic.

Lysith was curious about what he had said that made him unable to tell her like this, but since he was adamantly refusing to speak and there was no particular way to find out right now, she gave up.

If not that, there was always the option of asking Beretta the next time they met.

Roughly organizing her thoughts with her slowed brain, Lysith sighed deeply and leaned her heavy head against Ashites’ chest. Ashites, who firmly supported Lysith as she naturally leaned on him, held her cold body for a moment, then put one arm under her knees and lifted her.

From the touch of his hands to the lifting, not a single action was careless. It was a tenderness that made it hard to imagine he was the same person who would mercilessly throw away failed magical tools when mages brought them.

After moving Lysith to the bed, he covered her with a blanket and then lay down beside her, embracing her over the blanket.

Lysith gave him a quizzical look at this strange behavior. Why not get under the blanket? And she was momentarily surprised at herself for naturally thinking such a thought.

What, what is this? It’s natural for him not to come in!

Unaware of Lysith’s confusion, Ashites patted her and said in a low voice,

“I have to go soon.”

“It’s not like you were planning to stay until tomorrow anyway.”

“That’s not what I mean. I have to stay at the Magic Tower for a while. I won’t be back until the Emperor’s birthday.”

“……”

When Lysith opened her eyes wide, Ashites groaned like he was dying of regret.