Wicked Whisper
Wicked Whisper
[Temple of the God of Amusement]
"Fufu, I imagine they're all grinding their teeth by now."
Lee Ye-sol had been watching the meeting disguised as a notification from a distance with the Fairy, who was munching chocolate. She approached Claire.
"Will you be returning right away?"
"No."
Claire shook her head and rose from her seat.
She had commandeered the Central Chapel for the meeting, but she couldn't keep it sealed off indefinitely.
"Fufu, I see the Executor has other plans."
"...You're noisy."
Most people's legs would tremble just facing that piercing gaze, but Lee Ye-sol smiled calmly and fell into step behind her superior.
"You must have things to do."
"I finished everything yesterday for our dear Fairy. And."
Enjoying her superior's deeply curt response, Lee Ye-sol trailed after Claire, then slipped up beside her.
"It's been a while. Why don't we share a meal?"
"That isn't a very appealing suggestion."
"Fufu, I've prepared some fruit cereal."
"...Bring it to my room."
"Yeees~ I'll prepare it and visit when time allows."
With her characteristic sly smile, the subordinate headed up the stairs. Watching her go, the relationship between Maria and Idni suddenly flickered through Claire's mind.
'...I should smack her once.'
If she held back her strength, it would probably be fine.
"......!!"
Lee Ye-sol, who had been grinning broadly, suddenly shivered and retreated a considerable distance from Claire.
"Executor......?"
"What."
"I only mention this lest you've forgotten, but my physical abilities are no different from an ordinary person's...?"
"...Tsk."
At the sight of her superior clicking her tongue in open disappointment, Lee Ye-sol sighed in relief, silently thanking the sudden premonition that had warned her.
"Then I shall see you shortly."
Claire watched Lee Ye-sol and the Fairy retreat as if fleeing, then resumed climbing the stairs.
Click.
She opened the door that sat alone at the top of the stairs and stepped inside. Though it had been some time since her last visit, the room was immaculate, free of dust. She took it in, letting go of the irritation she had briefly held against her subordinate.
A single bookshelf, built to match her own height.
A desk and chair tucked beside it.
The door to the bathroom, and the vanity next to it.
Though it was called a vanity, only two combs rested on top of it.
Aside from that, a wardrobe, a full-length mirror, and...
Fwoosh──!!
The moment her eyes touched the bed, a searing heat erupted from her pounding heart and spread through her entire body.
-Your traces...
"Nngh──!!"
As the memory of that day replayed unbidden, Claire couldn't withstand the colossal wave of embarrassment crashing over her. She fell to her knees before the bed.
"......"
Unable to bring herself to pound the mattress, she quietly buried her face there for a moment, then slowly turned her head to the side.
Her racing heart had calmed, and the deep blush that had colored her face returned to its natural hue.
'Are you truly... leaving us...?'
Last summer, he had told her.
That the time he could remain by their side would not be very long.
Five years, perhaps even shorter.
On that day, I had answered.
That it was alright, that even so, it was fine, so please accept my heart.
'...There's no way it could be fine.'
Just the thought of never seeing him again right now made her chest ache and her hands and feet turn cold.
But.
'...I must be fine.'
No, at the very least, I must not let it show in front of him.
I must not let it show, but...
Whenever he writes something in the study every single day, I feel a pang of unease. Could it be a farewell letter?
Every morning when I wake and cannot feel his warmth beside me, I feel a stab of dread. Did he vanish as suddenly as he appeared?
A day, two days, a month, a year has passed, and now I fall asleep and wake each day hiding those feelings. And sometimes, I find myself thinking.
If the many small traces make him look back, then what if I were to hold a trace so large he could never leave...?
·
·
·
Knock. Knock. Knock.
-Executor. May I enter?
Had she dozed off for a moment?
At the sound of her subordinate's voice beyond the door, Claire came to her senses and rose from the bed.
"Enter."
Click.
The door handle turned, and Lee Ye-sol entered, balancing a small tray in one hand along with the Fairy, who had changed into adorable fur clothes.
"Use the chair. I'm fine here."
"Fufu, then there would be no point in sharing a meal together."
Lee Ye-sol declined her kindness, and Claire let out a short sigh as her subordinate carried the tray over and settled her hip right next to her on the bed.
Sprrrrinkle.
-Color-colorful!!
"Indeed~ What color is this?"
-Wed!!
"And this one?"
-Gween?
"Fufu, that's right."
Lee Ye-sol expertly praised the Fairy, placing a few pieces of cereal from her own bowl into the Fairy's hands.
"I think this every time I eat it, but it truly tastes like something children would adore."
"...Are you saying my taste is childish?"
"Of course not."
Contrary to her answer, Lee Ye-sol chuckled softly as she spooned up some cereal. Claire glared at her subordinate with slightly displeased eyes before taking a spoonful of cereal herself for the first time in a long while.
Crunch, crunch.
The cereal was still crisp, not yet fully soaked with milk. With each bite, a faint fruit fragrance and a tongue-tickling sweetness spread softly, gently loosening the sharp edges of her nerves.
"It's already been nine years."
Claire did not answer, quietly savoring the cereal.
"Fufu, the first time I heard that person's voice, my heart tickled so and my face felt terribly hot. Fortunately, I was able to calm myself while changing young Ha-na's clothes."
"......"
Claire, who had been silently savoring her cereal, narrowed her eyes and glared at her subordinate.
"To be honest, at that time, I even considered transferring to another branch. Serving Executor, who values principle above all else, was burdensome enough, but back then, that person possessed a presence far greater than even Executor's, and it frightened me and everyone else."
"...Why didn't you transfer, then."
"I wanted to, but when I thought of the dear children, I found I could not easily leave."
Maria and Idni.
Aside from them, all the apprentice children now attending the academy were cared for and raised by Lee Ye-sol and the priests here. It was only natural that her affection for them ran deep.
"Fufu, and now, I am deeply satisfied with the choice I made back then."
Claire glared at Lee Ye-sol as she pressed her shoulder close and grinned slyly, then turned her head away and focused on eating her cereal.
"By the way, Executor, you have changed a great deal, but I believe that person has also changed much."
"...He has."
The man who had once only exchanged businesslike words with her now occasionally... no, somewhat frequently, embarrassed her with mischievous actions and words.
"In the past, he paid a little attention to the children for young Ha-na's sake, but lately, it seems he genuinely cares for them with a sincere heart."
"...Mm."
Claire poured herself more cereal and nodded once.
She, too, had sensed that change recently.
"Maria told me. During their talk, he kindly said, 'If you ever feel you need my help, tell me anytime.' Honestly, I was a little surprised myself. For someone who always spoke so stiffly, as if drawing a line, to use such a warm tone."
Lee Ye-sol set down her spoon and continued.
"With Idni, it was even more than that. She said he stroked her hair and even tied it up for her."
"So that's the reason she's been going around with her hair tied up lately."
"Yeees. She's such a lovely child."
The me of the past would not have sympathized with this conversation.
"...Yes. They are all lovely children."
But just as he had changed, she, too, had changed in many ways.
After a few more words of small talk, the meal came to an end.
"Executor."
"What."
Claire, who had been gathering her coat with the intention of returning to the mansion, turned her head.
Lee Ye-sol, who had been transferring the empty bowls to the tray, asked with a serious expression.
"I do not know if it would be of help, but if you have a worry, even I am willing to lend an ear to your troubles."
"......"
For a moment, Claire stared at Lee Ye-sol, then gave a small snort and turned her head away. It was only a fraction of a second, but the corner of Lee Ye-sol's eye twitched visibly.
"Fu, fufu... Judging by your reaction, your worries are related to that person, aren't they?"
Flinch.
Claire, who had been putting on her coat, turned around with a rigid expression.
Having not missed that subtle change, Lee Ye-sol covered her mouth with one hand and continued.
"It's not a serious matter, so then... you must be troubled over something concerning a romantic relationship."
"......"
The corner of Claire's left eye quivered very faintly.
The moment she noticed it, the wicked character that had earned Lee Ye-sol her alias, 'Troublemaker,' flashed in her eyes.
She walked up to her glaring superior, carefully rose onto her tiptoes, and whispered into her ear.
Craaash──!!
Along with a breathtaking impact that slammed into her back, she instantly lost consciousness.
**
After the lecture ended, I had a meeting with Yoon I-seul that doubled as a conversation about the Guidance Department's responsible professor position. Though it was more of a one-sided communication where I proposed and Yoon I-seul had no choice but to accept.
'Is it going to rain again?'
The sky, which had been clear all morning, was now crowded with dark, murky clouds blocking the sun.
'I hope it rains for a good while.'
I'm quite fond of the sound of rain.
I was walking along, looking up at the overcast sky.
"P-Professor."
Just as I was about to step into the maze, Claire's voice came from behind me. I turned my head to see her walking toward me, dressed in a thin coat instead of her usual overcoat.
"And the Fairy?"
"I-I entrusted it to Ye-sol... It didn't wish to be apart from her..."
It was subtle, but her gaze was slightly more evasive than usual. I had no trouble telling she was lying.
"I see."
"...Yes."
I took hold of her hand.
Flinch!
A higher body heat than normal traveled through the hand I held.
'Seems she heard something from Lee Ye-sol.'
I was curious about what it was, but I had no particular desire to cause her distress. So I asked nothing and simply walked with her back to the mansion.
Click.
I closed the front door as we stepped inside.
And just as I was about to move to change my shoes as usual.
"W-Woo-jin..."
She tightened her grip on our interlocked fingers and pressed herself into my arms.
"I-I, umm─!!"
Then, with a face on the verge of tears, her small lips quivered.
"...N-No, it's nothing."