Chapter 62. Quite Special

“Was there anything unusual?”

Marc’s voice was filled with worry.

There was something unusual, indeed.

But I pushed away the embarrassing memory of showing my bare skin to Johann, and the worry about what kind of punishment might await me for shouting at the emperor, as I looked at my only friend.

Marc’s face had become haggard in the meantime.

“Are you alright?”

“Huh?”

“Joha… I mean, His Majesty the Emperor was here.”

At those words, Marc’s complexion turned pale. He looked as if he had seen a ghost.

I was sure of it.

Johann must have done something terrible to Marc.

“What happened? What’s the matter?”

I asked with a voice that had become quite low.

Coming by in the morning, treating Marc like some scoundrel forcing him to drink, and saying strange things about being wary because he’s male, it seemed he had actually done something harmful.

Otherwise, he couldn’t have such a terrified expression.

To my only friend…….

“No-nothing happened.”

“Did he tell you to say that? That nothing happened?”

“N-no, really. He just put a sword to my neck…….”

“What?! A sword?!”

I was startled.

I was so shocked I almost fainted.

I immediately rushed to Marc and fumbled around his neck.

“Let me see! Is there any injury?”

“Seraphina, stop! I’m fine!”

Marc shouted with his face flushed. But I wasn’t reassured.

It was said that the undead piled up like mountains before the sharp sword of Emperor Marseus. Who knew if that sharp sword had left even a thin line on Marc’s neck!

Thus, a commotion ensued.

The one insisting they were fine and the one determined to check properly clashed stubbornly.

But before long, Marc shouted in frustration.

“Really! I escaped quickly and didn’t get hurt!”

“Huh……?”

“No, what I mean is…… I was ordered to withdraw promptly…….”

“…….”

An awkward silence settled between us.

Marc seemed embarrassed to have admitted he ran away, leaving his friend behind. And he confessed it himself, no less.

But my thoughts were different.

“Marc.”

“…….”

“Thank you.”

“……?”

He looked at me with a blank expression.

I grinned.

“Did you come back because you were worried about me?”

“Huh? Uh……. I guess so…….”

Marc scratched the back of his head awkwardly. It seemed he was unsure if he deserved such thanks when he had just fled in fear of the emperor’s presence.

But wasn’t Johann one of the three heroes?

So shouldn’t a tactical retreat be acknowledged?

There’s no point in confronting a hero and risking a precious life.

“There’s no one like you.”

I hugged Marc tightly.

It was a hug between friends and comrades. We once roamed the battlefield together! Although I only watched from the rear.

I spoke, patting Marc’s back heartily.

“I can’t tell you how grateful I am for safely bringing me home yesterday…… Ahaha.”

As I continued speaking, the memories I had pushed aside momentarily came flooding back.

Last night, I committed the terrible act of vomiting on Marc’s back. That had made a mess of my clothes too.

Hmm…….

I stepped away from Marc.

Ah…….

Then I looked up at the ceiling.

In the end, someone had to change my clothes. Whether it was Marc or Johann.

I tried to gauge which outcome was better, but it was hard to decide. Both were incredibly embarrassing. Sob, sob.

“Hey, Seraphina.”

Marc broke the silence with an awkward voice.

I, who had been looking up at the ceiling with a desire to cry, lowered my head to look at him. His face was slightly flushed.

“It seems Emperor Marseus considers you quite special…….”

“Huh?”

My eyes widened in surprise. But as Marc continued, my mood became rather uncomfortable.

“Coming to such a shabby place.”

“A shabby place?”

“Huh! No, no! Of course, it’s a very nice house, but I meant compared to the Imperial Palace, it’s not quite fitting for the emperor’s visit!”

Marc quickly spat out his excuses like a rapid-fire gun.

Fortunately, I let his words slide.

Honestly, it was a bit…… no, very cramped for an emperor to be in.

Come to think of it, why did Johann really come? To receive a greeting from me?

But for that, he left with nothing but the stigma of being a pervert.

Remembering the childish argument where we both raised our voices, I quietly closed my mouth.

Then Marc cautiously continued.

“It didn’t seem like he treated you as just a subordinate.”

Ah, this guy.

“Again, again.”

I said with a frown. Marc was trying to create a distance between us at every opportunity. It seemed I needed to remind him properly that no matter how high I climb, I’m still a commoner.

“A purifier has appeared after several years. But my purification ability is beyond expectations.”

“Yes. I know from the newspapers.”

“The heroes are excited right now. So, there’s a bit of attention on my safety to use me more effectively.”

“Ah…….”

“If I get hurt or am not in good condition, they can’t use me properly.”

“Hmm.”

Marc looked up as if recalling last night’s events, then nodded as if in agreement.

“Now that you mention it, it does seem that way.”

“What does?”

Even though I had just explained it myself, I felt awkward when he agreed, so I asked again.

Marc began to recount in detail what happened with Johann.

“Emperor Marseus misunderstood that I was trying to harm you.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Thinking back, it seems he drew his sword and got angry because he was worried something might happen to you.”

“…….”

I felt strange.

Johann got angry?

I thought he was always grinning and teasing people…….

After that, Marc and I talked a bit more about what happened last night. Marc exaggerated how terrifying the aura from Johann was, and I mentioned that I should avoid drinking too much from now on.

The Marc from last night, who said not to worry and drink as much as I wanted because he’d get me home safely, was gone, and he nodded seriously, agreeing that it would be better.

To soothe our upset stomachs from the alcohol, we went out to buy bread and thick chicken soup.

Neighborhood friends are truly the best.

Despite the commotion, we quickly returned to our usual selves and chatted happily. Johann’s visit was added to the list of topics we could talk about in the future.

A little while later.

After parting with Marc and returning home, I quietly looked around the house.

I felt strangely downcast.

It was hard to believe that Johann had been in this small space. It was unbelievable that just a few hours ago, he had been sitting in that chair and standing by that window. It was the thought of someone unaware of the future where other heroes would soon visit.

“Come to think of it, there wasn’t any smell of vomit.”

Except for the hangover that felt like it would split my head, everything was pleasant.

Was Johann a neat freak?

Probably so.

Knowing one thing about him stirred something strange in my heart.

I moved my legs to look around the house where his touch had lingered. There were five bottles of potions on the dining table, said to be good for hangovers.

<It’s tea that’s good for hangovers.>

Johann’s sighing voice seemed to echo in my ears.

Now that I see, only one of the five potion bottles was half empty. It was certainly used to make the steaming tea from the morning.

“I don’t need this much.”

I murmured softly.

Feeling the generosity in his heart for using the potion without reservation, when just a few drops would suffice, made my emotions stir.

No, no.

It’s probably just because he’s worried about the purifier’s health.

If my health suffers due to drinking, it would be a big problem.

I shook my head, trying not to attribute any strange meaning to it.

Meanwhile, my steps led me to the bathroom.

My gaze fell on the clothesline visible through the bathroom window. Specifically, on the blouse and pants I had worn yesterday hanging there.

<Because the house is so small, the smell of vomit was everywhere, so I even did the laundry with these hands, and from the morning I’ve been searching for potions good for hangovers…….>

The occasional cold breeze made the laundry flutter.

I couldn’t quite imagine Johann crouching on the bathroom floor, scrubbing the vomit-stained fabric with laundry soap.

Even more so, they were spotless without a single stain.

I murmured with a complicated expression.

“An emperor doing laundry…….”