14. Melting Point (23)
14. Melting Point (23)
Wonderstein couldn't suppress a wry laugh at the sight of Nika's attire. Yesterday, the boy had argued vehemently that he was a man. Today, he had stepped out dressed flawlessly as a girl.
"Were you on your way back to your room?"
"W-well, I..."
Seeing him clutch at his own clothes, utterly flustered, Wonderstein swallowed his amusement. Judging by Nika's trajectory toward the guest rooms before their appointed time, he'd probably intended to change before they met.
"H-how did you end up here, Mr. Wonderstein...?"
"Our lodgings happen to be in this building as well. The same goes for you, I presume, Master Nika? Hm, no. Should I say 'Miss Nika'?"
At his teasing question, Nika shook his head in vigorous denial.
"N-no! D-don't get the wrong idea! I-I just got confused about how to wear this because it's my first time in these clothes!"
"Oh, really? I've certainly heard that out-of-towners make that mistake often. Men wearing theirs the women's way, women wearing theirs the men's."
Wonderstein observed the hallway as he spoke. He was right; only about half of the guests wore their bathrobes in a way that perfectly matched their gender. Everyone had gotten some small detail wrong.
"R-right."
But just as Nika began to relax, Wonderstein cut straight to the point.
"Though, a 'mistake' that results in a perfectly feminine ensemble is quite a rare sight."
"Urk..."
Nika's face flushed a brilliant red. He shot a glare at the bodyguard knight down the hall, who was struggling to contain his laughter, and gritted his teeth.
This man seemed utterly convinced he was a woman. Such a misunderstanding, of course, had a simple solution. Just drag him to a lavatory or a changing room and show him the evidence below the belt.
But that would just make him out to be a pervert who enjoyed cross-dressing and parading around in public. That was even more humiliating.
Nika let out a small sigh. He only had to see this man for three more days anyway. If he wanted to think of him as a woman, so be it. Let him wallow in his delusions.
Forcing an expression of sheepish admission, Nika scratched his cheek.
"Ahaha, you, you caught me. Yes. I, I'm actually a girl..."
"I knew it. Is there some circumstance that makes you travel this way?"
"Oh, no. It's just... it's more convenient when I'm on the road..."
Such things were common in this era, so Wonderstein nodded as if he understood.
"I see. Well, since we've run into each other, shall we head into the tavern together, Miss Nika?"
He extended his hand with a formal, courteous gesture. Nika barely managed to choke back a curse.
That sycophantic expression, that greasy gaze, and that cloying voice! To be treated like this by another man... his mood had plummeted.
But he had no choice. In this moment, he was a fifteen-year-old girl. To play the part naturally, he had no option but to take the offered hand.
"Ah, p-please lead the way. Since, since you invited me..."
"Very good. Follow me. It would be rude to demand you explain your situation so abruptly. I'll tell you my business over a cup of tea."
And so the two of them began to walk, hand in hand. Walking hand-in-hand with a man? Under normal circumstances, the mere thought would make his skin crawl. But the emotion he felt now was closer to envy than embarrassment.
'He's built.'
Walking alongside Wonderstein, Nika realized his frame was far more masculine than he had expected. Even clad in nothing but a bathrobe, his body exuded a solid, dense mass.
Yesterday, he'd dismissed it as thick winter clothing, but now, seeing his actual physique—lean yet padded with sturdy muscle in all the right places—it was undeniable.
'With a body like that, he could more than pass for a knight...'
Nika could gauge his build from the outlines that occasionally showed beneath the robe. Having spent countless hours watching knights train shirtless on the palace drill grounds, his eye for the male form was sharper than anyone's.
'Ha, I'm genuinely envious. That face, and a body like that...'
He didn't find it strange that he was ogling a man's body with a watering mouth. He merely reasoned that his complex about his own frail, girlish form manifested as an interest in masculine physiques.
As they moved toward the more crowded areas, Nika felt the stares upon them multiplying. All of them were directed at the man beside him—Wonderstein. Everyone was staring, mesmerized, at his handsome face and well-toned body.
"Where's that young nobleman from?"
"Any word from the front desk?"
"No idea. Some imperial officials came this morning and confiscated the entire guest list for security. You know the reason. His Highness's party is visiting."
"Hmph, going by looks alone, you'd think that man was the Crown Prince."
Nika felt a slight pang of irritation at the whispered chatter. Judging by looks, who was the Crown Prince?
"Um, excuse me..."
"Are you perhaps Troupe Leader Wonderstein?"
"I read the magazine article this month. Could I... could I just shake your hand once?"
Some people even recognized his face and approached him. As they passed by, Wonderstein exchanged simple nods of greeting with most, but when he met one of these fans, he would introduce himself and even chat for a moment.
It was a natural action for a troupe leader who had to manage his circus's reputation, but it sparked a flare of jealousy in Nika. This bastard, calling me out here just to do this?
"Look here, Mr. Wonderstein, that's terribly rude. Ignoring your invited guest to focus on other things."
"Ah, my apologies. My job does require careful reputation management. If it offends you, I'll refrain from doing it when I'm with you, Miss Nika."
He even bowed his head, and Nika nodded, satisfied. But a question flickered in his mind at the same time. What was that? Who was I just jealous of?
He watched the women retreat at Wonderstein's polite dismissal, an unconscious smile tugging at his lips before he shook his head firmly.
'O-obviously, I was just jealous of this guy who has everything I want.'
Concluding that he was indulging in ridiculous fantasies, Nika quickly dismissed the fleeting thought.
Arriving at the Under-Heaven Tavern, the two ordered simple drinks and took their seats. The women's bathrobe had a waistband twice as wide as the men's, which cinched the waist and restricted hip movement like a corset. Nika had no choice but to sit demurely, pressing his legs together in a natural, feminine posture.
"So, why did you want to play games with me here? It seems you'd have plenty of people to join you even if I weren't around."
Nika propped his chin on one hand and surveyed the tavern's interior. Every table was buzzing with patrons enjoying various tabletop games. Wonderstein followed his gaze for a moment before nodding.
"True. But did you know? I hear that originally, this place didn't have nearly this many gamers. Then, a few weeks ago, an undefeated employee appeared, and now the place is swarming with people hoping to challenge her."
"An undefeated employee?"
Wonderstein recounted the information he'd gathered over the past couple of days about Anais.
A woman who had never lost a single game? Nika's interest was piqued.
"And because she can only accept a few games a day, the customers hold preliminary rounds among themselves?"
"Precisely. I wanted to try my hand against her, so I thought I'd step up. But as you know, many games are nearly impossible to win if two or three people form a team. That's why I need your strength, Miss Nika."
"...Yesterday, I saw your circus has quite a few members."
"Haha, wanting to face her is my own selfish desire. I can't use my troupe members for something like that."
He made a smooth excuse, but the real reason he'd brought in an outsider was to maintain a sense of natural circumstance.
His meeting with Anais had to appear absolutely coincidental. It needed to look like he'd simply dropped by on a whim during a break while his train passed through on the second test. She must not suspect any connection between him and the Voodoo Cult.
He was prepared for a clash with the Voodoo Cult when the time came to rescue Anais, but for now, he wanted to keep things amicable. He hoped to find a middle ground: let the Voodoo Cult keep running the Bergson Trading Company, and let him take Anais with him. Even if he intended to restore her position someday, forcing the issue right now was out of the question.
This vacation had been a sudden, unilateral change of schedule—he'd simply dragged his troupe along. If he then 'bumped into' Anais here, it was painfully obvious that his members would suspect he'd known she was here all along.
He needed to contact Anais first, get their stories straight, and then orchestrate a meeting with his troupe to prevent any loose talk. That required a capable assistant who wasn't part of the circus, and Nika, whom he'd happened to meet, was the perfect candidate.
When he brought up Anais's story, Nika felt a significant tremor ripple through Wonderstein's spirit. The three wavelengths were still jumbled together, making him hard to read, but after a few encounters, Nika could now filter out such nuances with relative ease.
'What, he just wants me as a wingman to impress a girl.'
When Wonderstein said he needed his help, Nika had wondered what the task might be. But this request was no different from a noble dragging a talented artist or knight to a party to boost their social standing. He felt a twinge of disappointment, mingled with relief, and readily nodded.
"Fine. I'll cooperate."
"Thank you. I hear that employee is currently on leave and will return to the hall in three days. Until then, we just need to defeat the other customers and secure the challenge token. Ah, are there any games you'd rather avoid?"
At his question, Nika let out a snort. Unless the opponent was Wonderstein himself, he had no equal. He might lose a few times, but once he "read the flow," victory was all but guaranteed.
"No problem at all. What about you, Mr. Wonderstein?"
"I've played plenty of these kinds of games before."
He nodded confidently, recalling the multitude of strategy, puzzle, and board games from his past life.
And so, the pair began moving from table to table, crushing every opponent in their path. They were a golden combination. Drawing on his vast knowledge of games, Wonderstein rapidly analyzed the strategy and mechanics of even unfamiliar games, while Nika read the opponents' rhythm in real time based on those analyses.
"Incredible."
"Who the hell are those two?"
"They're steamrolling every table, no matter what the game is."
A crowd of onlookers quickly filled the space around them.
Nika looked at Wonderstein with newfound admiration, and it wasn't just for his analytical skill.
Most people he met were easy to read, their inner thoughts almost tangible. Just as a wise man peers into another's heart, Nika could do the same—but ten, twenty times deeper.
Dealing with people felt like writing out the solution to a problem with the answer key already revealed. Boring and predictable. The only exception were those steeped in politics, who were adept at masking their true wavelengths. Only a life-or-death contest with such individuals felt like a true match.
What he was doing with Wonderstein was a mere game. A system less complex than the human mind. A trivial thing he'd boasted of mastering before he was even ten years old.
Yet, with Wonderstein's presence thrown into the mix, the flow of the game became unreadable for the first time. This new, unpredictable variable made it impossible to foresee how things would unfold.
Was that the reason? The games had become fascinating. The inability to see the future was a joy. Feeling a surge of excitement, a single question surfaced in his mind.
If this man were at his side at other times, could the world seem more entertaining? His strategic and tactical prowess was clearly not at the level of an amateur. He certainly had the skills to be a close aide. What about taking him on as a personal jester? If he kept him close... wouldn't living in this world be a bit more fun?
Lost in thought for a moment, Nika quickly shook his head.
'No, that's not it.'
The world wasn't a game. Another unpredictable variable was a recipe for disaster and chaos. I'm only thinking like this because we met in a resort. If I'd encountered someone like him at the Imperial Palace, I'd have tried to eliminate him by any means necessary.
"Wonderstein and Nika! You've obtained the challenge token!"
After more than a dozen consecutive victories, they finally secured a token. But surprisingly, even after winning it, they continued to compete. They began targeting other token holders.
"Th-this is going too far! You, you already have a challenge token...!"
"I'm a greedy person, you see. I want to monopolize her time for myself."
A token holder couldn't refuse a challenge from a pair with a sufficient number of wins. And so, everyone was forced to face the two of them, swallowing their protests like bitter medicine.
Such a thing had never happened in the tavern's history. Who would risk their hard-won token just to covet someone else's?
Every token holder proposed a game they were confident in. But no matter what game they chose, none could defeat the Wonderstein and Nika duo.
"A-and with that, all other challengers have been eliminated. Mr. Wonderstein and Miss Nika now hold all the challenge tokens for tomorrow's match against Miss Anais."
At the manager's declaration, Wonderstein and Nika exchanged a crisp high-five.
"You were amazing. I didn't think you'd actually monopolize all the tokens."
"It was all thanks to Miss Nika's help."
"Not at all. Without your analysis, Mr. Wonderstein..."
Nika, excited, was talking to him when he saw Wonderstein's gaze fix on the table at the center of the hall and fell silent. He finally remembered why the man was doing all this.
The past two days of teamwork had been so enjoyable he'd momentarily forgotten it was just a deal.
'Right. I was just a sidekick...'
He felt a pang of regret, but also a sense of relief. It meant he could finally suppress the selfish desire that had been creeping into a corner of his heart since yesterday.
'Did Father feel this way too?'
The Emperor's fondness for the Imperial Theater Troupe might have come from a feeling similar to what he felt now. In the lonely, suspicious world of the court, perhaps he was simply glad to have something he could enjoy without the weight of his crown.
The reason Wonderstein could treat him so casually might also be because he was "Nika, the traveler girl." The moment he learned Nika was the Crown Prince, he might put on a stiff mask like everyone else, radiating a cold, rigid wavelength.
Nika didn't want to see him change like that. He'd rather give him up and keep their time together as a fond memory than witness such a thing.
"Well then, I look forward to tomorrow, Miss Nika."
"...Yes."
Wonderstein seized his hand and shook it vigorously. Perhaps because they'd grown a little closer over the past two days, Nika didn't find the physical contact as revolting as he had yesterday.
Ella
Maya