Seres, Your Words Were Wrong
Your words were wrong. There was no grand reason why Emperor Viol forcibly summoned Seres. It was simply because she wanted to put the detestable Ares in a tough spot. Knowing how much Ares cherished her sickly son, she seized the chance to torment her through him.
The empire's greatest beauty? The empire's number one in looks? How could they know when he's always hidden away at home under the excuse of illness, never showing his face? She didn't believe the rumors about Seres—the empire's top beauty or saint. So when she saw him at the party and thought, The empire's greatest beauty, indeed, she first admitted she was wrong.
Is that even human? She prided herself on her own stunning appearance, but it was like a firefly before the sun. His silver hair fluttered beautifully. His milky skin and artistically sculpted features—all of it drew the eye, but especially those eyes. They sparkled like brilliant blue gems, harboring inexplicable emotions. Hostility. Contempt. A touch of pity. And the look of someone forced to reunite with a hated foe. Everything but the pity were emotions she'd encountered plenty in life, so she recognized them easily.
Have we met before? This breathtaking beauty she'd never seen before stared at her as if he knew her, sparking her curiosity. And he seems detached, floating above it all. Like he's stranded alone in another world. Or as if he knows something no one else does, radiating solitude. Was it because his beauty was so exceptional it felt alien? She sensed an enigmatic aura surrounding him.
Is it because our situations are similar? I can't stop being drawn to him. She too had lived detached from others due to her imperial blood and status as emperor. Feeling a kinship, Viol wanted to speak to him but couldn't move easily.
What do I even say? 'Thanks for dragging your sick body here because of me'? Normally, she'd brazenly approach without a care. But for some reason, she couldn't now and just watched. That's when she saw it.
That bitch! Arios was trying to feed Seres something. Her mood soured instantly, so she approached and forced a conversation, but still had nothing to say.
Why no reaction? Desperate to get his attention, she resorted to insults, gradually crossing lines.
I've learned something new. Getting spaghetti slapped on your face feels awful. When Seres slapped her with spaghetti, she was furious, but another thought hit first. Scold him a bit, then use this as an excuse to keep him in the palace longer. The chance to exploit it outweighed her anger. She pretended to be outraged at first.
Arios, you mangy dog! When Arios unleashed her aura in attack, Viol lost it. Deep down, she was truly pissed and planned to deal with her harshly, but then Seres said, "You'll end up loving me." All rage vanished, her mind going blank.
I had no intention of killing him anyway, but saying that? What a prince complex! How absurd! Arios trying to save him, Ares, and the nobles watching in fear—all froze. But what if... it's really true? Viol herself began to be convinced.
When Seres approached to test it, she couldn't bring herself to strike. When he raised the knife to self-harm, her heart lurched, and she snatched it away. "It's there. No matter what you do or where you are, my thoughts will fill you up until nothing else matters." Even hearing that nonsense, she was drawn to the fact he was staying with her. Had she ever felt this? Never. Was this really love? But if so...
It's not that I'll fall in love later—I'm already in love, aren't I? An uncertain emotion. To confirm, she decided to lock him up and observe over time.
Good thing I learned cooking. After finishing state affairs, she'd sought ways to spend spare time enjoyably. Between cooking and martial arts, she chose cooking. She was strong enough already; adding martial arts might make her too brutish, she thought. Thanks to that, she could cook for Seres, but she did it personally because of Arios.
That girl definitely can't cook, right? At best, she fed him others' food. The image of Arios sweetly feeding him kept nagging, so she aimed to outdo her. Thus began days with Seres, but they weren't smooth.
Every time she saw him, he was adorably angelic, like he had a halo, but so picky. She'd cook, only for him to refuse and make her redo it. Trying to visit more under the excuse of meals, but he'd eat one and limit her to once. Scare him to gauge reaction? Barely fazed. Change hairstyle because he didn't like it? He preferred the old one. Once, in anger, she withheld food, but worried and ended up cooking midnight snacks like a fool.
Starve a bit and he self-harms! If it were another guy, I'd have killed him. Unlike her thoughts, no romance bloomed, frustrating her. Was locking him up pointless? But
"Seres, snap out of it! Seres!!"
Now, Viol sincerely thought those days were better.
I don't know why. It was just a light shove. Why is this happening all of a sudden!
"…."
"Seres, open your eyes!"
Viol desperately tried to rouse Seres. At first, he thrashed and screamed, but now he couldn't even do that. Unconscious, yet convulsing in pain, trembling like in a seizure.
"Someone! Call every healer available right now!"
Seeing his dire state, Viol scooped him up and rushed outside. While taking him to safety, she turned the palace upside down, summoning everyone. Healing mages, doctors, pharmacists, temple priests working in the palace—all rushed in.
But
"What the hell is this?"
"Never seen symptoms like this…."
Even these palace experts looked baffled, sweating coldly around Seres on the bed in the imperial chambers.
"What are you all doing?"
Even a layman could see they were helpless, so Viol's face hardened.
"What's the problem?"
"It's an unprecedented symptom. Like mana overload, but highly compressed mana is surging through his body, damaging it with every pulse."
"So you can't fix it?"
When she menacingly grilled the diagnostic healing mage,
A priest spoke up. "Strictly speaking, he's already being treated. Some power is healing the mana-induced damage."
"Then why is he still suffering?!"
"The healing finishes, then damage recurs. It repeats endlessly."
Finally, the doctor and pharmacist added,
"We tried anesthesia to ease the pain, but it didn't work."
"That power heals the body while neutralizing painkillers and anesthetics."
Viol was floored. The royal healers giving up entirely!
These incompetents. Restraining the urge to kill them for failing at the critical moment, she said,
"If you can't, introduce someone who can."
They just exchanged glances, silent.
"You, priest! Contact your temple and summon the high priestess!"
"Your Majesty, rumor has it Seres himself wields immense holy power. If he can't heal himself, even the high priestess…."
"Call her now, or I'll send the army to drag her here!"
"…Understood."
The priest reluctantly contacted the temple. Moments later.
"Hames, why you instead of the capital's high priestess?"
A familiar face arrived, puzzling Viol.
"The resident high priestess here is someone else, not you."
"…I was staying temporarily at this temple for work."
Hames replied curtly.
"When they said a high priestess was urgently needed, I came since I was idle. Is this about Seres Huferion, who's been staying here lately?"
"Yes, over here!"
An unexpected arrival, but perhaps better. As a papal candidate, she'd heal better. Viol hurried her to Seres, but
"Seres!!"
"Hm?"
Hames lunged at the bed upon seeing him, earning a strange look from Viol.
"Seres, snap out of it! Please, wake up, Seres Huferion!"
Clutching him and desperately calling his name—the same thing Viol had done. This stoic woman doing it unabashedly before the emperor left her gaping.
"You know each other?"
"I've helped treat him before, but that's not important now!"
Hames shot a fierce glare.
"Why is he like this?"
"I don't know. It just happened suddenly!"
"Any precursors or issues before this?"
"Well."
Viol hesitated, then admitted,
"I withheld food a bit and gave him a light shove."
"Why would you do that?!"
"It wasn't hard. The food was just a little late, and he didn't eat!"
It was just resentment that Seres ignored her efforts and thought of another woman. No intent to harm, she defended, but Hames stared in disgust.
"You imprisoned someone who couldn't even walk until recently. Does that make you happy?"
"He walked fine here. He even gathered territory folk before!"
"That was overexertion. Enduring pain with a body that couldn't walk!"
Hames glared at the emperor with hostility, then examined Seres.
"…It's not from starving or the shove."
"R-right? There's another cause!"
"No. You are the cause."
Hames focused solely on Seres, explaining disdainfully.
"A bizarre mana overload is happening in his body now. I suspect it's from rushed mana training to learn to walk."
"Why rushed?"
"Why do you think."
Because I forcibly summoned him? Viol flinched. With a stiff face, she approached Seres and gazed at him.
I should have gone to you instead. If I'd known it'd turn out like this, if I'd known I'd come to think of you this way.
"Seres, your words were wrong."
Seeing you suffer, I finally knew for sure. It's not that I'll fall in love—I'm already in love.
"If it's mana overload, we need a mana expert."
Acknowledging her feelings cooled her head, bringing a good idea.
Viol brushed back Seres's silver hair, confirming his pained face, and said sadly,
"I'll summon Sibylius."
"I hear she's eccentric and doesn't listen."
"I have a way."
Replying to Hames, she called a subordinate and ordered,
"Relay this: If she doesn't come immediately, demote her to criminal status. If she does, increase her research funding tenfold. To Sibylius, that half-demon grand mage."