The Price of a Cure
As Soleia took her seat and a few formal pleasantries were exchanged, the maid arrived with the refreshments right on cue. She began placing teacups and neatly arranged plates of sweets onto the table between us. The subtle, rhythmic clinking of silver against porcelain slowly chipped away at the stiff air of the drawing room.
Once the table was set, the maid gently tilted the teapot. As the autumn-hued tea filled the cups, a delicate floral scent permeated the room. It was a fragrance that eased the tension in my chest, if only slightly. Perhaps it was because the scent reminded me of Mary, but I felt the tension in my shoulders finally begin to ebb.
"Did you prepare this in advance? You have a surprisingly sensible side, don't you?" Soleia asked, arching an eyebrow with an intrigued expression.
Caught off guard by the unexpected praise, I offered a short, dry laugh instead of a verbal response. "Haha."
I watched as Soleia lifted the teacup with her slender fingers and slowly brought it to her lips. It was tea made from the flowers Mary had given us. As I had tasted it myself the previous evening, I knew it was to my liking, just as I had mentioned earlier. It might not suit Soleia’s palate, but I wasn't asking for much. I only hoped this fragrant cup of tea would soften the atmosphere between us, even if just a little. That way, I could broach the next topic more smoothly.
Soleia slowly set the teacup down. Clink. The small sound of it hitting the saucer broke the silence.
"Hmm. Not bad."
At that brief assessment, I felt a faint sense of relief. Strictly speaking, I wasn't in a position where I was being judged by Soleia, so I wondered if I had been overthinking things and making myself nervous for nothing. But if I could resolve everything well here today, my future life would be much easier. It was inevitable to be nervous before such an important undertaking. I really was a coward at heart.
Suppressing the faint, rapid thumping of my heart that I could feel beneath my clothes, I opened my mouth to speak to Soleia with as nonchalant an expression as I could muster.
"I'm glad to hear that. I had heard you were quite particular about your tastes, so I was secretly worried."
At my words, Soleia let out a playful, smiling laugh. She lightly traced the rim of her teacup with her finger and continued in a somewhat bewitching tone.
"Worried, are you? It was prepared by my own fiancé. There’s no way I would dislike it."
"That joke is a bit much." My voice came out stiff, a mixture of embarrassment and nerves, and I didn't even know what expression I was wearing. If someone saw my face right now, it would probably be a sight to behold. Even if one is handsome, a foolish expression is never a good look. Honestly, if a beauty like Soleia said something like that, who wouldn't be pleased? 'Soleia's greatest weakness was that charred, burn-scarred half of her face, but that ends today.' When I thought about that, Soleia was a person who was near-perfect in both appearance and status. However, taking such words from Soleia at face value was a bit difficult. Using the excuse that I knew her personality from the web novel was, frankly, just a cover. I admit it. But that didn't change the fact that she was an exhausting person to deal with. We had only met twice, but hadn't I experienced that enough?
"You’re reacting in such a boring way again?" Soleia said, raising a hand to the mask covering her face and stroking it downward. "Is it because of this, perhaps?"
Being treated like that made me feel like a piece of trash for no reason. It was as if I had made a patient feel sad.
"It is absolutely not because of your face, Your Highness."
"Is that so? Then prove it."
Surely she hadn't planned this out and led the situation this way, had she? For some reason, I felt like I was caught in an antlion’s pit, being swayed by Soleia’s every word. As I regained my senses, I heard her voice.
"Not 'Your Highness.' Call me Soleia."
They say that by the time you realize it, it's already too late. Perhaps I was already too late.
"How could I possibly..."
"We’re engaged, so why can’t you call me that? As I thought, I’m just..."
Watching her stroke her mask again, I couldn't help but sigh inwardly. It felt like I had been caught in an inescapable trap. 'Fine. What’s so hard about calling her by her name? Let’s just do it. It’ll make things easier.'
I decided to do it. I steeled myself and tried to open my mouth, but it wasn't as easy as I thought. Part of it was that Soleia held the status of an Imperial Princess, but also, this situation felt incredibly cringeworthy. 'I’m so weak in situations like this...' I felt like I had goosebumps on my arms. Soleia’s sun-like eyes were fixed on me. Was it my imagination that they seemed to hold a sense of expectation? I didn't know Soleia well enough to read that expression. I just felt it.
"Sol, hu—" My throat was parched, so I had no choice but to pause. But Soleia’s voice followed immediately, urging me on.
"Sol?"
Perhaps she really did have a mean streak. I couldn't help but think that as I looked at her. She was clearly doing this while knowing I was struggling. I had no choice but to finish it.
"...lea."
"Very good~ Cassian, you’re surprisingly a shy boy, aren't you?" Soleia whispered, teasing me with a low, melodic laugh. I could feel her gaze scanning my face. A 'shy boy.' It was a term that didn't suit the heir of the Valenvalt family—the man known as the cold-blooded monster of the North—at all, even if I hadn't asked for that reputation. But looking at my current state, I couldn't even deny it. It was a nickname I’d earned while running around hunting monsters with Kalia. 'It’s a nickname so typical of a romance fantasy that it’s funny, so it’s not all bad.' But aren't 'shy' and 'cold-blooded' too contradictory? I didn't know what expression I was making, but I turned my head slightly to hide my burning cheeks.
'Soleia is truly a master at toying with people’s emotions.' I was the one who had hoped the tea Mary gave us would relax the atmosphere, but this had gone beyond relaxation—I was being completely swept away by Soleia’s pace. Within her playfully curved eyes, there was a mischievous curiosity. I suppressed my feelings and clenched my fist under the table. If I kept getting teased like this, I’d be exhausted and give up before I could even bring up the main point. I cleared my throat, met her gaze head-on, and spoke.
"...That’s enough with the teasing, Your Highness. I didn't ask to see you just to exchange lighthearted jokes like this."
I pretended to be unaffected, resting my hand on the teacup as I looked up. A brief silence settled over us.
"Soleia."
"Yes?"
"It’s Soleia."
I had naturally used the title of 'Princess' again, and it seemed she intended to keep this up. I had no choice but to correct the honorific in the face of her absurd stubbornness.
"Soleia-nim."
"No, Soleia."
My struggle was meaningless. Soleia was firm.
"...Soleia."
Satisfied with the name I had finally uttered after much hesitation, she smiled brightly.
"Now, so what’s the main point?"
Soleia had finally granted me permission to get to the point. Permission from an Imperial Princess—should I express that I was deeply honored? In truth, my insides were burning up, so I felt neither honored nor grateful. Before I could lose my nerve and wander off-topic again, I placed the items I had brought onto the desk. Because they were of different weights, they made different sounds as I set them down. Finally, I took the most important item, the Tears of the Sea Dragon, from my pocket and placed it on the desk.
Watching the pouch land with a soft thud, Soleia’s eyebrows curved delicately.
"What is this? A gift?"
"If you call it a gift, then it is..."
It was a gift, but one filled with a lot of my own personal agenda. The only reason this world felt worth living in was because of its advanced magical tools. Even without complex mana control or delicate manual skills, one only needed to channel mana into a magic stone and set the parameters accurately, and the tool would automatically mix the materials. 'The only downside is that it’s a bit expensive.' I could afford it with my personal allowance. If I mixed this with the materials I had gathered on my way to the Academy and applied it to Soleia’s cursed face, it would be over.
'It’s like an ointment.' The effect would be immediate; it was said to be one of the top three medicines for curses, so it should be correct. It was information from the web novel. However, there was one problem. Whether Soleia would believe me or not. Soleia had likely encountered many people who approached her claiming they could fix her face. 'That’s why she hated them so much in the web novel.' I was cautious about being seen as one of those people. Still, since I had come this far, it was right to just say it. I spoke carefully.
"Soleia. These are the materials to treat that scar."
Soleia thought for a moment at my words, then her eyes widened before returning to normal.
"I see..."
"Yes."
This time, I spoke with confidence. But Soleia’s reaction was very different from what I had expected. I thought she would either fly into a rage or be overjoyed, so what kind of reaction was this? Her response followed.
"I hope it’s true..."
Her energy had dropped significantly compared to before. Did she not believe me? It was no wonder she felt that way, having met so many people like me, but seeing her like that made me curious about what expression she would show if she were cured. To see that, I moved my hand.