Claire's Headache and the Forbidden Pill
I figured that meant I'd be trailing after Claire everywhere she went, but nope. All I ended up doing was sitting at the desk, watching her sift through paperwork and stamp approvals.
Staring off into space like that must've triggered her headache—Claire's brow furrowed deeply. Then, as if it were routine, she pressed her temples—kuk, kuk—and unleashed a flood of holy power. Pure white light seeped out, soaking into her body, and her furrowed brow finally smoothed out. ...She's using holy power like it's just aspirin or something.
I had no idea if there were side effects or not. I wasn't exactly an expert in that field. But... watching her, I just felt sorry for her.
I rose from my chair and slipped behind her back. "...What is it? Finally showing your true colors?" Claire's grumpy voice drifted over. She said it without even glancing up, her eyes glued to the documents.
"As if."
I laid my hand on her bare shoulder, the veil draped aside. ...It was rock-hard.
"What're you doing?"
"Massage."
The fabric got in the way a bit, but it wasn't a problem for kneading. Headaches could come from all sorts of causes, but I'd heard tense muscles stiffening from the neck up could trigger them too. So what I was doing now was loosening exactly that—with my bare hands. Using holy power might be easier... but relying on it too much wasn't wise. ...Though the guy who was basically addicted to selling breast enlargement potions probably shouldn't talk.
Anyway. I just couldn't sit by and watch Claire suffer. Starting from the rigid muscles around her neck, I slowly worked them loose.
Claire let out weird little yelps. "Ack! Eek! Hn—w-wait, stop, I have work, I—"
"You can't do this yourself."
"Ah, no... Eek! Hn!"
She twitched a few times but eventually gave in to my insistent hands and let her body go limp.
I kneaded diligently, pressing firmly... and soon I was sweating. My hands were starting to ache too. If I still had my old body, this wouldn't be happening...
I paused to rest my hands, and Claire's voice came. "...Why're you suddenly doing this? Feels fake."
"Am I?"
"...Yeah."
Her murmur brought back memories of our academy days. Thinking about it... maybe I had been like that? Huh. Why was I doing this? I had no clue. I'd wondered the same thing last time... Was it just that I never had the spare time to even look sideways back then? ...No idea.
I wiped the sweat from my brow with my sleeve and resumed the massage. Without answering her question.
By the time Claire's neck had gone nice and soft, I pulled my hands away—and she let out a sigh, grabbing them.
"You still tune out everyone when you're focused."
A warm light seeped in, caressing my hands. The ache in them eased right up.
"Thanks."
"Phew..."
Her crimson eyes, laced with something subtle, swept over me. Then Claire pulled a handkerchief from her bosom.
"Wipe with this. Not on your clothes."
"Oh, sorry."
Old habit—wiping on my outfit. But this isn't even mine. I grinned sheepishly and took the handkerchief. Claire snorted and turned back to her papers. The massage must've worked; her brow was smooth.
Satisfied, I mopped up the sweat and pocketed the cloth.
"I'll wash it and give it back."
"What? Just hand it over. I'm leaving the temple tomorrow anyway—where's the time?"
"...Not saying you can't go, huh?"
Her crimson gaze fixed on me. A playful smile tugged her lips.
"...Looks like you want the collar and cuffs right now?"
"N-no, that's not what I—"
I mumbled, and she chuckled, lifting a document.
"Truth is, I knew you were real from the start."
"...Then why keep me here?"
Claire signed and annotated in silence. Only the scratch-scratch of her pen filled the room. She clearly wasn't going to answer, so I leaned against the wall. Then, a faint mutter.
"...I don't know either."
It was barely audible.
"What?"
"It's almost done—just wait a sec!"
"Oh, got it."
Why yell all of a sudden? My loose robes already left me chilly, and now goosebumps prickled worse. I warmed up with the tepid tea from the pot while waiting for Claire.
Then a sudden curiosity hit.
"You always alone like this?"
Scratch-scratch. "Normally, yeah, people help out."
...I'd seen her brush off the other nuns' hands on the way in, though. Sure, the excessive attention was overwhelming, but she didn't need to shut them out completely. Especially since it was my fault... Maybe I should help.
"Want me to pitch in?"
"Nah. They don't really help anyway, so no difference. And I can't show temple internals to you."
"Right."
I scratched my head awkwardly, and Claire said, "...That massage helped a bit, at least."
"Good to hear."
The scratch-scratch echoed in the quiet room, and before I knew it, I dozed off—only jolting awake at a hand shaking my shoulder.
"Ah, shit— you scared me."
"...Must've conked out."
"Snoozing like a log right in front of someone working."
"...Sorry."
Claire plopped down across from me and murmured low.
"Uh... could you close your legs a bit? It's... kinda obvious. Even if you think it's not."
Her scolding made me snap my splayed thighs shut. The side slits had let them sprawl unnoticed. My face burned.
"Sleep off?"
"...Yeah."
The desk was cleared of papers. The yellow sunlight from the window had turned to sunset glow, crimson like Claire's eyes. ...Slept a while.
I averted my gaze in embarrassment, and Claire groaned, setting something on the desk. My eyes flicked to it involuntarily—and there was a box that felt oddly familiar.
Claire opened it, revealing a pill I knew all too well. No doubt—the one that'd probably solidified Cecil's affection. ...Didn't expect to see it here.
I eyed it lukewarmly, and Claire asked, "Know what this is?"
"...Yeah. Supposedly trending in the capital lately."
Even the princess was worried... What the hell were the noble ladies up to with it?
"'Trending in the capital' is putting it mildly... It's circulating secretly among noble ladies, so yeah."
Claire picked it up, her face souring.
"They act all prim in public but get wild behind closed doors—not new. Doesn't faze me."
She rolled it in her palm and muttered low. "A pill that makes that grow on a woman... Ridiculous, right? What do you think? Possible?"
"..."
I might've agreed back then... but not now. My own body's changed—what's that to me? The words nearly slipped out, but I swallowed them. I knew her reaction. I chose words carefully, not to irk her.
"Maybe... Heard it actually works."
"You tried it?"
"N-no? Why would I?"
I hadn't used it myself—no lie there.
Claire looked dissatisfied. "Then how're you so sure? Rumors say that, but maybe it's just an aphrodisiac?"
She clearly didn't buy it.
"Could be...?"
"Right? You think so too?"
Well... it does feel good... What was I thinking? I shook my head internally and met her eyes.
"Truth is, part of why I kept you... this too. I'm not close with alchemists, so you're the one to ask—or Veronica, but neither's around."
"Ah."
Made sense—if she'd nagged other alchemists like she did us at the academy, no wonder.
Then I saw her bring the pill to her mouth.
"Hey, w-wait—why eat that?"
"To prove it's fake, right in front of an alchemist."
"...Maybe don't?"
Bad vibes. But...
"It's fine. All rumors anyway? If it's just a mood booster, holy power'll detox it. And... if not, you can."
"..."
It tempted her. No breakthroughs in sight, this felt like a new angle. What if holy power undoes the growth? A bit more thought would've shown otherwise, but her confident vibe and that tiny spark amid dead-end research made me nod unwittingly.
Claire smiled, satisfied, and swallowed the pill with the cold tea. I watched.
Her face paling predictably after gulping it down. Sorry, Claire, but... Panicking, she hid her grimace and reached for her lower body.
Heart pounding, I watched. Please work.