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It was worth enduring. The surface wounds have healed and I have recovered to a degree where there’s no issue walking outside.

The pain is still there, but the pain will be numbed if I meet him.

Hilmera-sama saw me off without looking at me as usual.

Washekt-sama will apparently be visiting her today as well, so she must want to have a fight with the mirror as much as possible.

I like that she still throws words at me when leaving despite that.

To think my chest would hurt this much with just a few days of not meeting that man. Looks like my heart has grown awfully attached to him.

I wanted to refrain from running, but my breathing was a bit rough by the time I arrived at his base.

Who knows what he would think if my breathing were to be rough the moment I meet him.

He is a pure man, so I am sure he would make an amusing reaction, but I fix my breathing first before knocking on the door of the base.

“Heya, I have come to hang out!” (Murshto)

This is not his room, but his base. I am sure they haven’t made it a situation that would be troubling to receive sudden intrusions, so I enter without waiting for a response.

“Aah, Murshto, huh. It has been a while.”

He was there like normal.

The bodyguards Ilias and Wolfe were by his side, and I can also feel the presence of the Purple Demon Lord deeper in.

I am sure I would detect a lot of people with mana detection, but I won’t go that far.

That’s right, it should be the usual, but there’s something decisively different.

It is him, but he is making eyes that I don’t know.

“…Did something happen?” (Murshto)

“A number of things. The obstruction of the royal family is finally getting serious, so I decided to get serious too.”

Calling them eyes that I don’t know might be half wrong.

It is true that this is my first time seeing them, but I can understand that these eyes are his.

Deep black eyes that suit the frail shape of his heart.

That’s right, he became this warped existence exactly because he can make eyes like this one.

“You are like a mirror that can reflect the other person.” (Murshto)

“Displeasing?”

“No, on the contrary, I am grateful that you showed them to me. Those eyes devoid of light remind me of the past.” (Murshto)

“The past?”

“I was locked up in a place where no light could come in a long time ago because of a heartless person. I was scared at first, but I soon realized how comfortable it was. I didn’t need to see anything unnecessary, didn’t need to hear any unnecessary sounds, and could feel everything with the senses in my whole body. Your current self has erased the light called yourself, and is trying to reflect me within that pitch black darkness, right?” (Murshto)

This is most definitely his strongest weapon.

The technique that he learned in order to push the reckless behavior of moving forward while accepting waves of malice and keeping his cowardly heart.

It is not that he accepts the other party as an individual, it is the madness of becoming the person themself and comprehending them.

“You seem happy.”

“There’s no way I wouldn’t be happy about having the person I love comprehend everything about me.” (Murshto)

Right now he is trying to comprehend me.

He is throwing away his self, carving my self within his body, and accepting me. Is there any person with unrequited love that wouldn’t be happy about such courting akin to self-mutilation?

“Comprehending you is not the same as empathizing, you know. Well, you…would be happy about that.”

“Ehehe. But you must be in a pretty tight spot if you are bracing yourself so carefully.” (Murshto)

I direct my gaze to Ilias for a bit.

I am sure she wouldn’t like him being in this state, but what I can read from her expression is a type of determination.

I have a rough idea of the situation with this.

She most likely wants to finish things as soon as possible. A desperate measure to decrease the burden on him to the bare minimum.

“Just asking, but I was obstructed to a degree where it would threaten the lives of me and several people in the city. Have an idea of who it could be?”

“Nope. Judging from the state of Hilmera-sama, she didn’t give such an order.” (Murshto)

“What about the talks of Hilmera not being blood related to Washekt and the others?”

I think a bit about this, wondering if he is bluffing here or is saying this with confidence.

Regardless of whether I can hide it or not, I can’t just tell him everything about Hilmera-sama even if it is him.

Would it be detrimental? No, not really.

Hilmera-sama wouldn’t go out of her way to hide this.

“I don’t know if it is true, but Hilmera-sama has accepted it. Did you get that information from Washekt-sama?” (Murshto)

“No, it is something we got from our investigation. Judging from that way of putting it, Washekt must be avoiding information in those areas.”

“Washekt-sama dotes on Hilmera-sama as a big brother after all. He wouldn’t like such topics.” (Murshto)

This is probably not the information he wants to know.

Well, he can do as he pleases with the information he can draw out from me. I am satisfied enough with just being able to look at those eyes of yours for as long as possible.

“You…really don’t break character.”

“My heart is being shaken -to a point where I want to writhe. How about you?” (Murshto)

He is most likely directing those eyes at me because he is growing impatient deep inside his heart.

There’s no need to do that. I am exactly the person he thinks I am.

Even though he himself should already know this, he still had to do this.

“Strength has left me thanks to you.”

“That’s great to hear.” (Murshto)

It seems like there’s no need to observe me anymore, his eyes returned to normal.

I kind of don’t want them to go, but I don’t hate his eyes that show cowardice either.

Let’s just wait in anticipation for the next time.

But his life was targeted, huh.

It seems like a lot of things happened right after I left to kill Arcreal.

Are the other siblings wary of me?

It is most likely the eyes of Hilmera-sama than me personally. Aiming for the moment when the surveillance of the other siblings has weakened is logical.

“Now then, I am sorry for doing this after you came all the way here, but I am planning on going out.”

“I see. Then, I will wait for you to get ready to go out.” (Murshto)

“You plan on coming too?”

“Hilmera-sama ordered me to watch over you. I could watch you from afar, but I would like to be together with you if possible.” (Murshto)

The first assassinations failed, so the other siblings will be targeting his life seriously now. They might show a secret technique or two.

In that case, there’s no reason not to be together with him.

I laugh a bit, grab the sword I placed on the wall, and head to the entryway.

He most likely would want to consult with Ilias and Wolfe if he is going to be acting together with me.

I wait for him at the entrance and imagine the upcoming developments.

They most likely won’t be using normal means to take his life as long as Ilias and Wolfe are present. If they are going to be pulling anything, it would be some sort of method that will break his heart.

His heart has weakened to a degree where he has to use his hidden trump card which his comrades dislike.

It is highly possible that the lowly schemes of the siblings will hurt his heart.

Aah, I wouldn’t like that.

There’s no way I would allow something as wasteful as having his heart broken by someone.

“But Hilmera-sama told me to move quietly…” (Murshto)

Now then, it looks like I have to think of a way to play this off nicely.

A wonderful excuse that will make Hilmera-sama make a bitter face.

◇◇

“You are going to have Murshto act together with you?” (Ilias)

“The person himself wants to, so I have no choice but to let him.”

I understand how Ilias feels with that baffled face of hers, but I have no authority to restrict the actions of Murshto.

Of course, I will deal with him accordingly if he gets in the way, but I doubt that will happen.

Murshto may be stupidly honest, but he is not an idiot. He may be aggressive, but he is someone who can act while maintaining a good distance in a relationship.

He most likely plans on performing the objective of Hilmera no matter the shape it takes.

“Shishou, I could smell the scent of blood from Murshto. I think it is his own blood. He is wounded.” (Wolfe)

“He was most likely spending time in a mission related to combat and recovering from it when he wasn’t showing up here.”

There have been direct attempts to harm me, Rakura, and Melia.

But considering the fact that Murshto himself has been injured, he might have unexpectedly been the first one getting caught up in this. I can’t throw away the possibility that it was a battle he took on from a personal request of Hilmera though.

I have not heard of someone being killed around here. In that case, maybe he was doing something related to a source of information?

Hilmera most likely ordered him to keep his mouth shut. I can’t forcefully ask him about it then.

What I can tell is that Murshto has no regrets left about that wound or the matter that led to such a wound.

I could comprehend this from my observation of before.

“Did you use it on Murshto?” (Ilias)

“A bit. But he isn’t lying to his own feelings. He came out of pure desire to see me, and liked my eyes. I do think he has bad taste though.”

For Murshto, liking someone is close to having one’s heart pulled in by a work of art. However, this is not from the outward appearance of someone, but the inside of that person.

Rather than seeing through the heart of someone, it is more like he can physically see the shape of one’s heart.

If he really can do that, I should also consider the possibility that Murshto is an Illegitimate.

“So it is fine as of now.” (Ilias)

“Yeah. For now…”

There’s no lies at all in his words. He can direct his sword at me with a single decision of Hilmera even while directing pure feelings at me.

He would accept any me, and would swing his sword without hesitation while crying.

He is that kind of dangerous guy, but that’s exactly why he is easy to understand.

There’s no doubt letting Murshto move freely at this junction would be beneficial for us.

“This is my personal opinion, but aren’t you a bit too open to Murshto?” (Ilias)

“Maybe. We are both men, our personalities match well, and he likes me, so of course I would want to open up more. If I had to give a comparison to someone we know, it would be close to my relationship with Marito.”

“His Majesty? Well…it is true that the way he is attached to you is comparable to that, but…there’s still the possibility inside of you for him to become an enemy, right?” (Ilias)

“…You could say that. But it is not like I don’t have any way to avoid that.”

My own analysis has progressed to a certain degree.

Normally, getting close to someone from Serende in the phase when I still can’t see the whole picture is a mistake.

It is not like my suspicions towards Washekt have been completely cleared, and Toppara and Murshto could become enemies at any moment. But me being forbearing towards the people who direct good will towards me from the bottom of their heart depends on how much hostility is directed at me.

There’s the influence of the royal family everywhere. It would be better to assume there’s mostly spies within the people around.

The desire of not wanting to put a burden on Ilias and the others has become an excuse to allow people like Murshto and the others in my heart.

The health of my mind is fine thanks to that, but I can’t deny that the investigation towards Hilmera and Washekt has gotten lax.

I am unconsciously taking the choice of not making Murshto and Washekt into enemies.

“…I won’t say anything if you are aware of it. You are far better at interpersonal relationships than I do after all.” (Ilias)

“Yeah, I will do it well… Along with the resolve for the time when things have to be done.”

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