Beneath the Surface

“Warm…….”

Theodore felt his body warming as he kept his eyes closed.

The pain that had tormented him and the burning sensation inside, like a furnace, were instantly soothed.

Theodore smiled without realizing it.

「My child…….」

“……!”

Theodore was startled by the sudden voice he heard.

However, he looked around, but he couldn’t see anyone, not even Sian, who was next to him, because of the light.

Theodore frowned, puzzled.

“Who…….”

「Theodore Len Kailos.」

“……!”

An unknown voice was calling his name. Even here, in the Outchamber.

Intercontinental exchanges have been cut off, so no one should know him here.

“Wh, who…….”

Theodore squeezed his hand tightly, feeling nervous. Then, he felt a hard object. It was the artifact Sian had just given him.

Theodore looked down at the artifact and widened his eyes, and once again, someone’s voice came into his head.

「Stay by his side for the time being. He will protect you.」

“What does that…….”

「I will always be watching you.」

“Ugh……!”

With that voice as the end, the light burst before his eyes once again. Theodore tightly closed his eyes.

“Theo!”

“Master…….”

A hand suddenly reached out and grabbed Theodore’s arm.

He felt a familiar energy. It was Sian’s energy. Theodore was embraced in warm arms.

“Master, I’m okay now.”

“What?”

As soon as he gave Theodore the artifact, light suddenly burst out and filled the room with divine energy.

The divine energy was antagonistic to Sian’s possessed Black Dragon body, so he was briefly flustered, but strangely, it didn’t have any particular effect on Sian.

But he couldn’t approach Theodore, who was surrounded by light, for a while.

The divine energy simply enveloped Theodore gently.

Sian felt anxious, but he thought that the artifact with divine power wouldn’t harm Theodore.

Sure enough, Theodore’s face, revealed after the light disappeared, was brighter than before.

“So, you’re not hurting anymore?”

“Yes! I’m all better.”

“Haa, that’s a relief.”

Fortunately, Theodore and the artifact seemed to be highly compatible.

But he didn’t expect the artifact to heal even his internal injuries.

It was worth taking it from that magician. Sian let out a sigh of relief.

“But…….”

“Yes?”

“It’s nothing.”

Theodore, with a puzzled face, was about to say something but shook his head.

He thought he heard a voice from the artifact, but as time passed, Theodore couldn’t remember it well either.

Theodore tilted his head and looked down at the artifact.

“Now, always keep it with you.”

“This?”

“Yes, should I make it into an accessory that’s easier to carry around?”

“Hmm…….”

At Sian’s words, Theodore stared intently at the artifact in his hand.

The artifact Theodore had now looked like a small glass bead.

The translucent, pure white glass bead was also emitting a subtle yellow light.

This glass bead seemed to be the main body of the artifact, and originally, it was carried around easily by being embedded in a pendant, an accessory, or a sword or shield.

The magician had taken only the main body, the glass bead, and embedded it in his body to draw out more of the artifact’s power.

Come to think of it, he felt sorry for giving something so unsettling to Theodore.

But as he had confirmed the effect just now, this artifact was truly compatible with Theodore.

Carrying this around would definitely be of great help to Theodore.

“Then… please make me the same earrings that Master is wearing.”

“What? Earrings?”

“Yes.”

Theodore looked up at Sian with sparkling eyes. Sian was flustered by Theodore’s request and unconsciously touched the earring on one ear.

He had been wearing an earring on one ear since he was possessed.

It could simply be Drake’s taste, or it could be an earring with some meaning.

It wasn’t to his taste, so he tried to take it off several times, but it wouldn’t come off, as if it had been put on with magic, so he had no choice but to wear it.

It seemed to look cool in Theodore’s eyes. Children just want to imitate what adults do.

Sian looked at Theodore with a bewildered face.

“Theo is still young, so it’s not good to pierce your ears.”

“Why?”

“Because your body hasn’t fully grown yet.”

“But…….”

“Let’s do the earrings later when you grow up. Okay?”

“…….”

Theodore pouted his lips when Sian dissuaded him. But after continuing to persuade him, Theodore reluctantly nodded.

It was decided to make this artifact into a necklace without incident.

Sian, who immediately took out a thin chain from his subspace pocket, made it into a necklace on the spot and put it on Theodore.

“There, it’s done. Don’t take it off your body for even a moment. Got it?”

“Yes, Master.”

Looking down at Theodore, who was obediently wearing the artifact around his neck, Sian smiled contentedly.

Even though Theodore had been consistently eating medicinal herbs, he had been worried that he might be poisoned by the miasma he emitted, so this was a good thing.

Now the artifact would protect Theodore from the miasma.

“Aren’t you hungry? I’ll tell Cali to bring you something to eat.”

“Master.”

“Yes?”

Sian, who had confirmed that Theodore was quite better, was about to get up to get food this time.

But again, Theodore grabbed him. Sian widened his eyes and looked down.

“What’s wrong? Are you still sick?”

“It’s not that… um…….”

“Hmm?”

For some reason, Theodore hesitated and couldn’t continue his words.

After a while, Theodore, with a reddened face, opened his mouth again.

“I, I want to eat the potato soup that Master made.”

“Potato… soup……?”

“Yes.”

“……!”

Only then did Sian remember the potato soup he had made himself when Theodore first came to the mansion.

He had been severely scolded by Cali at that time, so he never made food for Theodore again.

Besides, he had burned the pot and it tasted burnt, didn’t it? Sian was flustered and asked Theodore.

“That… burnt soup you’re talking about?”

“Yes.”

“That, didn’t it taste weird?”

“It didn’t taste weird.”

“…….”

There’s no way. Sian looked at Theodore with suspicion and tilted his head.

But Theodore was only facing Sian with a pure face, as if he didn’t know how to lie.

‘Could there be something wrong with our child’s sense of taste?’

Sian seriously thought. The protagonist losing his sense of taste. Does this make sense?

Could it be that he lost his sense of taste due to the influence of miasma without him knowing?

Sian suddenly came to his senses at the thought.

As he looked at Theodore again with suspicious eyes, Theodore tilted his head with an innocent face.

“What’s wrong?”

“Hmm, it’s nothing.”

Sian, who shook his head, realized that he had been quite impulsive.

Even so, it’s not right to think that he lost his sense of taste just because he didn’t feel the burnt taste once.

Theodore had been eating the food Cali made afterwards, right? Sian cleared his throat and continued.

“Why do you want to eat that?”

“I just, I want to eat the food that Master made.”

“Theo…….”

Sian’s heart ached at Theodore’s answer. The child just wanted to eat the food that he had made for him for the first time.

Perhaps because it was the food he had eaten after being very sick.

It seemed like he was reminded of it because of the similar situation. Sian readily nodded.

“Okay, Master will make it for you as much as you want.”

“Thank you.”

“Just lie down a little longer.”

“Yes.”

Looking at Theodore, who was obediently answering, Sian smiled brightly.

Yes, if Theodore likes it that much, who cares about Cali’s nagging?

Sian, who had decided to feed the cute Theodore the potato soup he made no matter what, left the room.

***

Thud.

“…….”

After Sian left, Theodore’s face darkened. His eyes looked down at his small hand.

He was still too weak. He had only received Sian’s help this time as well. There was nothing he could do.

He was angry at his powerlessness. He wanted to become stronger, stronger.

Theodore, who had made that resolution, clenched his fist tightly. And turned his head.

“What are you doing there?”

“……!”

Leon, who was standing by the door and peeking into the room, flinched and cowered. Then, he cautiously entered the room.

“Um, is your body… okay?”

“…….”

For some reason, Leon was crestfallen as he asked Theodore. Theodore stared at him intently.

Come to think of it, he was caught in the magician’s magic while trying to save Leon. It seemed that Leon felt sorry for him because of that.

But Theodore didn’t particularly like Leon, so he didn’t try to save him because he liked him.

He was just trying to save him because Sian cherished him.

Theodore looked at Leon, who was bowing his head, and opened his lips.

“What about you?”

“……!”

Leon was surprised by Theodore’s short question and raised his head.

And nodded in a daze as he answered Theodore, who was looking at him with a blank face.

“I, I’m okay.”

“I’m okay too.”

“Th, that’s good…….”

Leon bowed his head again at Theodore’s curt answer. Then, he squeezed his eyes tightly and said.

“I, I’m sorry. Because of me…….”

“…….”

“I’m really… sorry…….”

Leon mustered the courage to apologize.

But Theodore was only looking at Leon with eyes that couldn’t be understood.