Dancing By Starlight (2)

—Kardia, who had said that, still had not returned even late at night.

Leaning her elbows on the window frame, Noi kept staring outside. Seeing that she wouldn’t leave the window, Ornis—who had finished preparing the meal—looked at her in exasperation.

“What have you been doing all this time?”

Since Kardia had ordered Ornis not to let Noi do any work, Ornis had started using polite speech with her. It was pretty sloppy polite speech, but apparently he meant to treat her, at least nominally, as Kardia’s fiancée.

“He said he’d take me out to have some fun tonight.”

Strictly speaking, that wasn’t quite it, but for Noi, killing time was the main goal. Following Kardia’s instructions, she had changed into the finest fabric in the closet and had been waiting all this time.

“If he isn’t back by now, it means his errands below aren’t finished. He was never someone with enough free time to bother with the likes of you in the first place.”

So Kardia had gone down after all. Noi tore her gaze from the window and looked at Ornis.

“But Kardia—!”

“Then let’s confirm it.”

Seriously, why me… he grumbled, heading to the back of the kitchen. Wondering how he meant to check, Noi trotted after him.

From behind jars of beans and dried vegetables stored in the pantry, Ornis took out a water jar. He set the small jar—just big enough to hold with both hands—on the counter and opened the lid.

He set a plate on top of an object shaped like a trivet that had been stored in the same place. From the water jar, he carefully ladled a scoop of water and poured it onto the plate.

As Noi watched in puzzlement, Ornis—annoyed but smug—explained:

“This is a device for transfer magic that Sensei made: the Water Phantasmal Station.”

“T-t-transfer magic?!”

Noi’s eyes flew wide. Pleased with himself, Ornis snorted “hmph.”

“Impressive, right? Using as a medium water born at the same time and place, it transfers matter. I send from this plate. Sensei sends from the portable water mirror. It hasn’t been published yet, so only a limited few can use it.”

“S-so you’re going to summon Kardia with that?”

“Hardly.”

Ornis looked down at Noi as if to say, What a foolish thing to ask. But then he nodded, “Ah.”

“I see. You don’t have magic.”

With a triumphant yet pitying look, Ornis informed her:

“You may not know this, but mages aren’t omnipotent. Magic can’t intervene with those who possess magic.”

“I…see. I get it.”

“I see,” Noi nodded. Whether she understood or not, it probably didn’t matter to Ornis. He resumed the preparations for the spell with quiet efficiency.

—Noi was astonished.

(Transfer magic… you completed it.)

This had been a spell left in mid-research by Noi.

But because she had been developing a spell that could also interfere with “those who possessed magic,” the work had been extremely difficult. Kardia had likely narrowed the target to “those without magic” and completed the magic circle.

Noi was still twenty-six.

Even as the kingdom’s greatest mage, she was young to take on a disciple—and her life had been too short to see that disciple’s growth through.

She had never once had the experience of someone treating what she left behind with care.

(…It’s making me squirm.)

Noi clutched at her chest. If she didn’t hold it down firmly, she felt it might fly off somewhere.

“Ah, there’s a reply.”

Noi hastily lifted her face. She had absolutely wanted to see the new magic, and yet she had forgotten to watch it.

It seemed the trivet-like thing was a magic tool. Ornis had only activated a magic circle that Kardia had already set up. She dearly wanted to inspect its insides, but seeing how carefully it was stored, disassembly would not be permitted.

Upon the plate, whose surface rippled like a small wave, a slip of paper floated down with a flutter.

Her heart, which had been fluttering with excitement over the new magic, withered in an instant.

“‘I’m sorry—tell her I forgot about the plan.’ That’s what it says.”

Even if Ornis hadn’t read it aloud, Noi had been peering into the plate and knew.

(At times like this, I think—)

That the present Kardia was surely not as warm as she hoped.

Reading it out loud with a mean edge, Ornis shot Noi a sidelong glance and sighed.

“I told you, didn’t I? He doesn’t have the time to fuss over you.”

(I see.)

Beside silent Noi, Ornis began to clean up. In hindsight, she even felt sorry that she had made him use such an important magic tool for something like this.

(That’s all, huh.)

Noi touched her hair. The hairstyle Kardia had done at noon—she had worked hard all day to keep it from coming undone, to keep it from loosening. She had sprawled clothes all over the room, choosing this and that fabric, and watched as the colors beyond the window changed while she wondered what they would do.

(I see… so that’s it.)

“I see,” she echoed again in her heart.

(I guess I had really been looking forward to it.)

Even as Ornis scolded her, Noi polished off Kardia’s share of dinner as well, then sat in the living room with her hair undone and the sash of her clothes loosened.

The oversized single-seat sofa was big for petite Noi; even with both arms flung over the armrests and sitting sloppily, there was still room to spare.

Kicking her feet idly, Noi let her gaze wander around the room. The handrail of the stairs leading to the second floor, the clear glass windows, the vase whose water Ornis changed daily—and Ornis, who looked at slouching Noi with the eyes of a fussy aunt.

Pressing an iron to Kardia’s clothes, Ornis let out a profoundly disgusted sigh.

“If you have that little to do, why don’t you just go to bed?”

“I will…”

Noi slid off the sofa with a slow slump.

Perhaps he no longer even had the energy to scold her poor manners; a vein throbbed on Ornis’s forehead as he let her do as she pleased.

(Can’t even manage my own mood, can I.)

Noi had stayed in the living room all this time, surely hoping Kardia would fix this nose-diving mood for her. A poor master, unable to stay cheerful without her disciple buttering her up.

(Though Kardia probably doesn’t think of me as his master anymore…)

At least in her heart, she still wanted to be his master.

As Noi, dressed in baggy clothes, went up the stairs with her hem fluttering, Ornis twitched and stood up.

—Bang!

“Sorry! I’m home!”

With a loud clatter as the front door flew open, someone tumbled in.

Hair a tangled mess and drenched in sweat, it was Kardia who returned.

Saying “Sorry” before “I’m home,” he spotted Noi midway up the stairs and dashed to her in long strides.

“I’m really sorry.”

Looking up at Noi—who had climbed three steps—Kardia took her hand. Her small hand was completely enveloped by his large one.

—He had changed from the boy he was: he had forgotten their promise, and he had even had his disciple send the apology.

But surely, some things hadn’t changed.

“As an apology, I’ll grant any wish you have, my bride.”

And of course, some things had changed.

As a child, he would never have managed the negotiation needed to soothe a fiancée’s mood.

Noi, still blank-faced, let out a breath—fine, then—and brushed aside the strand of hair stuck to Kardia’s forehead with her fingertips.

“Then I want books to read. It’s unbearably boring here.”

“Understood. I’ll have my entire collection brought at once.”

“Eh—hey! When I asked, you shot me down instantly—‘they’ll get sun-faded,’ remember?!”

“What else?”

As usual, he ignored Ornis entirely and peered into Noi’s eyes. Noi pursed her lips in a little pout.

“And also, didn’t I say I’m bored? If you insist I’m your fiancée, how about giving me a bit more attention. I feel like a used-up ornament.”

“That’s why Sensei—!”

“I’ll reassess my time with you. And?”

“Sensei?!”

“And…”

Noi knit her brows. This was something she never could have said back when she was truly his master.

“…Is tonight’s date canceled?”

“Let’s go. Right now!”

Kardia answered at once, slipped his hands under her arms, and—as always—lifted her with one hand—then gently set her back on the floor.

“For a date…how about this.”

Kardia knelt and held out his hand.

Noi’s heart gave a sudden thump. She didn’t know why, but her body stiffened for an instant.

(…This is Kardia. I’m used to holding his hand.)

So as not to lose to the part of herself that had wavered, she pressed her hand firmly into Kardia’s. He smiled at the hand she had smacked into his, then gently adjusted their grip—like cupping a seashell.

But Kardia’s hand was too large for Noi’s fingers. So she hooked them at about the first joint of his fingers, looping them together.

Hand in hand, Kardia looked down and smiled sweetly at her.

“My strict disciple forbids late-night outings. But it’s your wish. I’ll surely sneak you out under his nose.”

“If you plan to steal his eyes, could you go ahead and steal his ears too while you’re at it?”

Ornis exhaled a long “haa,” then flicked his hand at them shooingly.

“That dried fish there is the absolute picture of gloom. Take it outside and air it out already.”

“A date to go hang dried fish?”

“Mm. Let’s go outside, bride.”