FDSML CH 09

Chapter 9

“Right. That’s like a mouse worrying about a cat, isn’t it?”

Embarrassed, I scratched my cheek.

Alperen kept carefully checking if I was hurt anywhere else. Feeling sheepish under all that attentive care, I joked,

“A cut like this would heal fast even without potion.”

“It might scar.”

“Honestly, don’t you need it more than I do?”

I nodded at his wrist. He just shrugged.

“In combat, injuries like this are routine. It’s more important not to rely on potions.”

“It’s nice having a mage oppa as a friend. If I get hurt again, I’ll just ask you.”

“Planning to get hurt again?”

His eyes met mine as he asked in a low voice.

Those clear blue eyes felt oddly calm today. Since he answered my joke so seriously, I got flustered.

“No, I just…”

“Recovery potions aren’t a cure-all, Deli. Not getting hurt is what matters.”

He sounded like he was scolding me, and I wilted a little.

To be fair, yesterday’s accident had been my carelessness.

“Mm… sorry.”

I gave up trying to save face and let him finish examining me. A moment later, he went back to his seat and offered another vial.

“What’s this?”

“A potion for hangovers. You overdid it last night.”

“Oh!”

I snatched it and drank at once. My stomach had been so queasy I couldn’t eat. The potion Alperen gave me worked fast—of course, House Ainruck quality.

Feeling my stomach settle, I sprawled on the sofa and sighed like a full, happy kid.

“Ahh, I can live again!”

Fine, I’ll let him slide for avoiding me yesterday—this makes up for it!

I’d been pretty hurt, but if I think of it as getting a deluxe body-tonic out of it… I can forgive him.

Then Alperen looked at me steadily and asked,

“Deli, I want to ask you something.”

“Hm? What?”

“Why do you want me to break the engagement so badly?”

The blunt pitch came out of nowhere. I straightened up and stared at him.

“Why bring that up all of a sudden?”

“No reason. I was just curious.”

He drawled, watching me quietly.

Did my plan finally work?

If he’d noticed Nanael pushed me on purpose, his reaction would make sense. He’d never entertained the breakup no matter how much I nagged him—this was the first time he’d raised the topic himself.

I couldn’t miss the chance, so I started the usual brainwashing.

“Because Princess Nanael has a terrible reputation. I want you to meet someone good. Especially red hair—you have to be careful, careful, careful—”

“Is that really the reason?”

He cut me off and leaned closer.

We’d already been close, but now the distance shrank, and I tensed.

“You were wary of the princess from the very first time we met. Remember how you singled out red hair and told me to avoid it?”

“D-did I?”

“For superstition, it was awfully specific. Are you sure there isn’t another reason?”

Under his probing, my thoughts raced.

If I gave a vague answer now, I’d lose this opening. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t come up with a good excuse.

Since I couldn’t answer right away, Alperen spoke first.

“Honestly, you were reckless yesterday. You didn’t have to drink every glass she gave you. And then you fell on the stairs.”

“R-right…”

“Why are you doing this—putting yourself in danger?”

“Putting… myself in danger? What do you mean? If you’re talking about last night…”

“Princess Nanael said you kept snatching up the things she was going to buy.”

So that whisper earlier was about that?

Cold sweat pricked my back as my operation got dragged into the open.

If he found out I’d been provoking Nanael on purpose, the plan would fall apart.

The more we talked, the worse it got for me. Half-truths would never work on Alperen. And I obviously couldn’t say “because of the original novel.”

“I… I…”

He took my hand gently and urged me on.

“Tell me, Deli. If you’re honest, I’ll take it seriously.”

His eyes glinted like he really was ready to listen.

But with the stage set, my mind went blank. And he was so close—too close—that I couldn’t think straight.

“M-maybe we should… put a little space between us first?”

“Is that important right now?”

He didn’t move an inch and kept pressing, his soft voice both lowering my guard and raising my nerves.

Why is he asking this up close? And in that gentle tone?

Of all things, he wanted me to be honest about the one thing I couldn’t be honest about.

“So, I… I…”

I was floundering, surrounded by Alperen on all sides, when my savior appeared.

“Deli! Oppa brought hangover potions—! Huh?”

Arms full of potions, Adrian stopped and tilted his head at the sight of us.

“What are you doing here?”

By the time I looked, Alperen had already stepped a pace away and greeted him with that neat, polite smile.

“Just worried about Deli.”

When I asked him to back off earlier, he only leaned closer!

Seeing my chance, I practically tackled Adrian with joy.

“O-oppah! You’re here!”

I’d never been so glad to see him.

He shuffled over at my enthusiasm and set down the basket of hangover potions.

“Tada. Our Deli overdid it last night, so I stocked up. …Looks like you already drank one?”

He stared at the empty bottle on the table, then glanced at Alperen.

“Hey, you brewed this yourself.”

“Seriously? How can you tell at a glance?”

I’d thought he’d just grabbed something from home—apparently not?

Seeing my surprise, Adrian explained,

“Magic potions carry the maker’s mana. The stronger the mana, the clearer the potion looks. Only this guy can make them this transparent, like water. And they’re a pain to brew.”

Come to think of it, the potions Adrian brought came in various colors. But the one Alperen gave me was clear and sparkling, even refreshing to drink.

“Wow, so I had something super rare?”

No wonder it worked so much faster than the ones on the market.

It was a special brew from Alperen, the strongest mage—that’s why!

I looked at him, moved, and he scratched his cheek, looking shy.

Then Adrian spotted the half-empty healing potion and his eyes went wide.

“Deli, you’re hurt?!”

“N-no…”

“How bad is it that he brought a healing potion himself?”

He fussed and started checking me from head to toe.

“You didn’t look injured last night. The doctor said you only had a light scratch on the back of your hand…”

He trailed off, staring at my pale hand.

Seeing the long scratch from yesterday had vanished, Adrian’s expression hardened.

“Oppa?”

After standing like a statue for a long moment, he spoke in an unusually dark tone.

“Hey.”

“…What.”

“Didn’t you say brewing potions is a pain?”

“Not really.”

“When I broke my arm and asked you to make one, you ignored me.”

“You had a standard-issue healing potion from the supply corps.”

“Even so, you always say healing potions are a pain to make, and you usually just buy them.”

“…”

“This looks a lot like your own healing potion to me. What’s your deal, huh?”