“…I mentioned before that your excess magic production is a unique condition, right?”

“Yes.”

“And that there have been others in the past with the same condition.”

“Yes.”

“Even wizards have a limit to the amount of magic they can absorb. However, those with your condition, who produce excess magic, have found that they can transfer magic to others through flesh contact.”

“Really?”

Isn’t that amazing?

In all those magic and fantasy stories I used to read, the characters with lots of magic always had the upper hand. The more resources you have, the better off you are.

“But magic is meant to flow only within one’s own body. When it’s transferred to someone else, it clashes with the recipient’s own magic.”

“Uh… what if it’s with someone who doesn’t have magic channels?”

“….”

Oh, maybe that was dangerous.

What if they say they’d dig out their own magic channels? Could you even remove those?

“The recipient’s body would eventually fail from the excessive magic build-up.”

…Okay, I got it. Could he not say it so scarily? He was practically shooting sparks from his eyes. I understood just fine…

“Grand Duke.”

“Yes?”

“I didn’t mean to imply that I would do that. I was just curious based on our conversation. I have no intention of doing that with just anyone. You know that, right?”

“Then… why am I okay?”

“Well.”

You were my first kiss. You’re not just anyone.

And, ahem, I like you.

“…Please continue the story.”

“When magic clashes, the worst case is death. Even if it doesn’t go that far, it causes significant pain. The more magic the recipient has, the worse the side effects.”

“Wait a second… Are you okay, Grand Duke?!”

He didn’t seem to be in pain. Was he hiding it? Now that I think about it, he did seem a bit off the next day…

“I’m fine. Probably because I have very little magic myself.”

“Oh… really?”

“Yes. I couldn’t become a magic swordsman because I didn’t even have enough magic to use basic attack spells. The magic I possess is barely enough to sense the presence of others’ magic.”

Oh.

So, Enfrise could handle some of my excess magic. However, once his capacity increases, we’d need to find another solution…

I wondered how much he could take before it started to hurt.

“Grand Duke.”

“Yes?”

“Can you promise me one thing?”

He might not lie, but he was definitely good at hiding things. He didn’t show it on his face when he was in pain. So, this promise was necessary.

“What do you want me to promise?”

“If you start experiencing any side effects, you have to tell me. Don’t keep it to yourself.”

“….”

See? He couldn’t lie.

“I’m not sure if what I feel is truly love. It’s a new and unfamiliar emotion for me, and I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.”

I looked into his eyes, trying to convey my sincerity. Hoping he would understand.

“That’s why I don’t want the Grand Duke to suffer because of me. It would make me very sad.”

“…I don’t want to see you in pain either.”

“I have other options. If it comes to it and we can’t find another way, I can just take the potion.”

“…Or you could do it with another man?”

“Oh, no. I wouldn’t like that.”

Men haven’t exactly been great in my life. There was a nice homeroom teacher in elementary school who looked out for me, but his face and name are a blur now. The rest have been pretty awful like they were specifically gathered to make my life harder.

It was almost like I was the protagonist of some novel. So, I didn’t have a high opinion of men in general, though Enfrise was different.

Only Enfrise was special.

“I don’t want to do this with anyone but you.”

I stepped closer to Enfrise, stood on my tiptoes, and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down to my eye level. He seemed visibly flustered, probably realizing what was about to happen.

Who told him to doubt me?

“Even when I praise you in front of other men, do you still doubt me?”

“But, I…”

“I don’t know what others say about the Grand Duke. But to me, the Grand Duke…”

I blinked slowly.

His golden eyes were even more beautiful up close. It would have been nice to see those eyes back then, too. They must have been shining beautifully in the dark.

“You are exactly as I describe you. The most handsome, cool, beautiful, and adorable person in the world.”

“All those things…”

“And you have the perfect personality, too. Where else would I find someone like that?”

When I started this, I had steeled myself for it. I thought I could at least lick his lips, even if kissing deeply might be too much.

But now that I was here, I felt dizzy.

I gave him a light peck on the lips and let go. If I was a reader watching this scene, I might have shouted, “That’s it?! You should’ve gone further!” But for now, this was my limit.

“See? I like you enough to do this myself!”

“….”

Uh, wait.

“Grand Duke?”

“….”

Was he frozen? Did he faint with his eyes open? I definitely let go, though he was still standing there, rigid. He wouldn’t collapse, right? With Jaha gone, it would be hard for just Tambo and me to move him.

“Grand Duke? Snap out of it, Grand Duke.”

Someone once said that slapping someone hard would wake them up. Still, I’ve never hit anyone before. How hard do you have to hit someone to call it a slap?

Hesitant, I swung my palm with all my might across his cheek.

“Ugh!”

Instead of a resounding smack, there was a sharp, distinct clap. My hand hurt from the impact. Well, at least he should be awake now…

Ah, he’s moving.

“….”

Slowly turning his head back towards me, Enfrise’s cheek was slightly swollen from the slap.

…Was I going to be executed?

“Grand Duke…?”

“I must be…dreaming right now.”

“Yes?”

“I think… I need to lie down.”

The way he staggered away looked like a zombie. Though, I’ve never seen such a handsome zombie before.

No, that wasn’t the point.

“Grand Duke! This isn’t a dream!”

“….”

However, Enfrise walked out of the study without a word.

“…What just happened?”

Why did it end like this?

Stunned, I couldn’t even follow him, standing there bewildered.

* * *

It felt like walking in a dream. No, it had to be a dream.

Was the carpet in the mansion always this plush? He did change it after breaking Chaperil’s chains and ending her confinement. He had it replaced with a high-quality one to make it easier for her to walk on.

Nonetheless, no matter how he thought about it, this couldn’t be reality. A carpet so plush it made his body feel like it was floating.

“….”

His cheek felt sore.

Was this because it was a dream? When he touched it, it felt hot.

Now that he thought about it, did Chaperil hit him there? She called out to him to wake up. No, if she had hit him, it wouldn’t hurt this much. A dull sensation filled his face and body, making it feel more itchy than painful.

No sensation, and Chaperil…

This must be a dream… a dream that would end when he woke up.

…So, shouldn’t he avoid sleeping?

Still, he wanted to see the real Chaperil. The one in this dream was nice, but he also wanted to see the bright and cheerful Chaperil who smiled at him, even if she didn’t always do what he wanted.

“….”

Enfrise’s hand moved to his lips. Remembering the scene that made him realize it was a dream, his hand moved instinctively.

A small body standing on tiptoe. Thin arms wrapping around his neck. Shimmering eyes and those soft, red lips.

And those lips, touching his.

At that moment.

“….!”

It was strange. Even though he knew this was all a dream, his lips felt like they were burning with a fiery heat. They felt hotter than the cheek that had been struck so hard.

Was it possible to feel such heat even in a dream?

“Grand Duke!”

At Chaperil’s voice, he instinctively turned. Her figure, running towards him with a tapping sound, was incredibly adorable. At the same time, it made him feel reality.

Now, was this not a dream? Was this real? Did Chaperil really…

Did she really kiss him of her own will?

“Grand Duke, snap out of it! How can you be so dazed from just a kiss?! We’ve done more than that!”

More than that.

For a moment, the scene he had tried so hard to forget and had recently succeeded in burying resurfaced. In the dim pre-dawn light, Chaperil was writhing in pain on the bed.

She looked so pitiful. And she looked so…

Beautiful and lovely.

Half of him wanted to ease her pain, and the other half wanted to use it as an excuse to satisfy his own desires that night.

“…Ah.”

“Ah?”

“Ah…!”

His face belatedly turned bright red. The cheek that bore Chaperil’s handprint turned even redder.

“I’m sorry, a moment…!”

Finally realizing that this was all real, Enfrise ran. He dashed back into the study he had left moments before.

And immediately ran into the small storeroom.

__