My Bride (2)

“—…ri!”

At that moment, Ornis, who had closed in on Kardia, forced out his voice.

“…What?”

“It’s her monthly—her menses!”

At Ornis’s shout, Noi froze.

“…What did you say?”

“She—well, she got her first period. Please excuse her. Certain preparations are required, and I advised her… There are matters for women that are hard to discuss openly.”

Kardia—frozen just like Noi—turned to look at her.

Noi had no idea why Ornis had told such a lie and stood there stunned, but when she saw him looking at her desperately and nodding, she snapped to.

(Oh—this is the reason for not sharing a bed!)

Noi had not prepared a lie for “why I don’t want to sleep with Kardia,” never expecting him to be this angry. Ornis had handed her one.

Indeed, both her low spirits and not sharing a bed could be explained away by menstruation.

Noi hurriedly nodded. She opened her mouth to back Ornis up—but the words wouldn’t come.

(…Huh? Why not. I’ve been fine talking about this before…)

She had never discussed the moon’s path with little Kardia back then, but she had spoken of it plainly with her grandfather and with Fengalow.

And yet, for some reason, saying anything about her period to Kardia—even as a lie—felt unbearably embarrassing.

(Damn it, why? It’s because—damn…)

Saying it to the person she thought of as this one. It was that embarrassing.

Noi opened and closed her mouth in fits. Even without a mirror, she knew her face was blazing red.

Kardia, who had been silent, worked a spell. In an instant, the hearth’s flames brightened and warmed the room. The long sofa floated and settled before the fire, and several blankets piled themselves upon its seat.

“I’m sorry I didn’t notice and made you feel embarrassed. Come—lie down.”

Noi thought she might die of embarrassment. What had sounded like a clever idea when she heard it now made her glare wordlessly at Ornis, as if to say, Couldn’t you have picked another excuse?

She spread the blanket she was holding and lay down. Kardia’s gaze was full of concern.

“It’s all right. It’s rough, but if you keep warm and rest, you’ll soon feel yourself again.”

A gentle blanket fell over Noi. Then he showered her with his usual goodnight kisses.

The hearth warmed for Noi’s sake, the blanket tucked to keep her body safe, the familiar softness of his lips—Noi trembled at all of it.

(—No good, I’m going to cry.)

She drew the blanket up to hide her face.

“…Stop being so kind.”

(I don’t want to misunderstand any more.)

It frightened her. She had not imagined that merely learning Kardia had lied to her would make her this weak.

“Sorry. Would it be better if I didn’t stay with you?”

Saying so, Kardia rose.

She had not wanted to sleep together. She had wanted him to go. And yet Noi’s hand had somehow grabbed Kardia’s clothes.

Without teasing, Kardia sat down and stroked around Noi’s lower back. If it had really been her period, it would have eased the ache.

(…So there was a woman who taught you this.)

Would that be Kukuvaya?

If she had been the one who lost her mana—would Kardia have tried to make her the vessel for the Demon King?

(…Ugh. I’m turning into a truly nasty woman.)

She should never have fallen in love. Noi shut her eyes and curled into a ball.

“Hey, Ornis. Shouldn’t we fetch a doctor for her?”

After Panselinos left—worried for Noi, who had holed up in the upstairs room without dinner—Kardia had been pacing the living room in circles this whole time.

“She’s fine. She only got nervous in front of His Majesty.”

“Nervous or not, we’re talking about Panselinos.”

“That may be so for you, Sensei, but to common folk like us, he’s like a god—someone we might never be honored to behold even once in our lives.”

Ornis watched Kardia with exasperation as he wandered back and forth through the cramped living room.

“In front of the king, anyone would lose their appetite.”

“That child boasted after talking with Panselinos at the ball that she’d eat everything in the hall.”

When he relayed Noi’s antics at the ball, Ornis pressed a hand to his brow with a face that all but said, That idiot…

Just then, the door to Kardia’s room clicked open.

Kardia’s head snapped up; he strode over in big steps—and started to lift her as usual, then stopped.

Noi stood there holding a pillow and a blanket in both hands.

“…What’s wrong?”

A churning unease came to Kardia’s chest. Noi glanced up and looked at him with vacant eyes.

Kardia had never seen that expression on her; he froze.

“Kardia. Starting tonight, I’ll sleep in another room.”

Each syllable left Noi’s mouth with careful clarity no one could mistake. The corners of her eyes were ripened red.

(…What?)

Not understanding, Kardia only stared at her. A bad feeling slipped through his chest. Pretending not to notice his heart beginning to pound, he asked in a hoarse voice,

“…Another—room?”

“There’s a long sofa in the living room, isn’t there? I’ll make use of that.”

Noi pointed smoothly down at the long sofa below. Kardia had no idea why she would suddenly say such a thing. Taken aback, he shook his head.

“A sofa… A sofa is for sitting. I can’t possibly let you sleep on it.”

He could not do that to the precious Noi. Without a second thought, he refused—and Noi pressed on.

“Then I’ll trouble Ornis for his room.”

At first, Kardia didn’t understand what she was saying.

As he slowly took in her words, his expression changed completely. Sloughing off the shell of a kindly elder, Kardia narrowed eyes that held a chill, ruthless light.

“—What was that?”

His voice came out lower and colder than he had ever heard from himself. He couldn’t stop it.

“Ornis’s room? If I recall, there’s only one bed in his room.”

“Y-you and I have been sharing one bed too…”

“…Oh?”

Noi’s face blanched.

“So I’m the same as Ornis.”

With eyes at absolute zero, Kardia stared. Noi’s gaze darted away; her expression was nothing like her usual spirited face.

(Could it be that she’s afraid of me? She—fearing me?)

That was something that must not be.

He had wanted to be gentle, to spoil her. She was someone he should do that for.

—And yet his self-control failed completely.

“No. That’s wrong—there’s no ‘same’ about it. Saying you want to sleep in the living room or in Ornis’s room means you don’t want to sleep with me, doesn’t it? You can’t put someone like me on the same level as Ornis, can you.”

A storm of passion swirled in Kardia’s chest.

(Does she truly feel that way about Ornis?)

Was that why she didn’t want to sleep with Kardia?

Was that why she wanted to be with Ornis?

“Th-that’s not…”

Noi denied it in a small, vague voice.

That only shocked Kardia more.

If it weren’t true, Noi would deny it properly. She was a child sensitive to people’s hearts. She might not read them exactly, but she always tried to meet them.

Yet now, Noi did not try to meet Kardia.

In this moment, he felt sure, Noi had drawn a line.

(…She let go of my hand.)

The one who had said they would always be joined—had let go by her own choice.