Chapter 8: “Happy Dreams, Sad Tears”

I’m happy.

Finally, the sequel to *The Adventure of the Throne* is being released!

I’ve waited 364 days for this day!

Hehe, I’m so excited!

Ah, I can’t focus on the lecture today~ Sorry, professor.

That’s how much *The Adventure of the Throne* is my favorite movie~

My heart’s pounding.

The three-hour runtime feels like it hasn’t even been an hour.

Ah, it was really so much fun. This is definitely a must-buy for my collection!

Friendship, loyalty, teamwork. And such a wonderful adventure with amazing companions!

There’s absolutely nothing to complain about.

It’s the exact story I’ve always dreamed of!

Ah, I want to be born in such a world too, go on an amazing adventure with handsome and cool companions, and feel my breath taken away.

Reality is so frustrating.

The overdue assignments, tuition fees, job worries, everything is uncertain and frustrating.

Please, someone, make me be born into such a wonderful world!

*Screech!*

“Heh.”

Exhausted from crying, Esil did as she always did, taking a deep breath and lifting her head.

Before she knew it, the room was filled with complete darkness.

How long had it been since she had slept this long?

She felt like she woke up incredibly refreshed.

Esil turned her head and looked at the wall clock. It was already 2 AM.

But beneath the clock, someone was standing.

With red, straight eyebrows, pale blue hair, and black eyes that shone even in the dark, the person was staring at her.

It was Rosel.

“…Did you have a good dream?”

Rosel, who had brought food and a small gift, had arrived thirty minutes ago.

And he had waited.

For some reason, Esil seemed to be having a good dream while sleeping.

So, he couldn’t wake her up.

He didn’t want to disturb her dream and hoped it wouldn’t end because of him.

“…Yes.”

Esil nodded.

It had been such a long time since she had dreamed.

And it was a good dream.

Perhaps that’s why there were tears in her eyes. It was different from the tears she had wiped away after waking up from sadness.

Rosel smiled warmly and sat down at the wooden table. His eyes were also misty.

“I’m glad. I’m glad it was a good dream.”

He was sincere.

If the dream hadn’t ended, he would have wanted to stay there all night and listen to her dream.

As Rosel sat down, Esil got up.

On the wooden table, there was a bowl of cold food and something wrapped in red cloth.

“It’s the leftover food again.”

She knew by now it was a lie.

But what she didn’t know was that Rosel was starving himself every night just for this one bowl of food.

To avoid the sharp eyes of the head servant, he had always requested dinner in his office, where he couldn’t set out a grand feast.

And when he had eaten in the office, it had always been a simple meal.

After taking Esil in, he had been cautious, skipping dinner to avoid drawing attention from Zichel.

Of course, he wasn’t particularly hungry, as he satisfied his hunger with the tea snacks kept in the office.

“Come sit. This should be quite delicious too.”

Today’s dish was stir-fried pork with strong-flavored vegetables and seasonings.

The vegetables and seasonings helped remove the gamey smell from the meat, making it a dish Esil liked.

Without hesitation, Esil sat down in the chair.

And she expressed her gratitude.

“Thank you…”

“…There’s no need to thank me. I’m not someone you should be thanking.”

“Huh?”

“…There’s that. Go ahead and eat.”

“Yes…”

Esil picked up her fork and began eating. How does her master know her preferences so well?

Today’s dish was her second favorite after grilled salmon, so Esil didn’t stop eating.

“I’m glad to see your recovery is going well. Ah, by the way, my daughter made a bit of a mistake today. I apologize for that.”

“Oh, it’s okay…”

“As an apology, I’ve prepared a small gift. Once you’re finished eating, you should lift the red cloth.”

“…A gift?”

“Well, it’s more of a treatment to help with your recovery than a gift.”

Chewing with her cheeks puffed out, Esil glanced at the object covered by the red cloth.

Rosel looked at Esil with a pleased expression.

“You’re eating well. If you want anything, feel free to tell me.”

“…No, nothing.”

“Alright, if you think of anything, let me know. Are you applying the medicine well?”

“Yes.”

Rosel looked at the glass bottles on the table. Both bottles had noticeably less content.

He nodded approvingly, and after a while, once Esil had finished her meal, she wiped her mouth with the handkerchief Rosel had given her.

It had been quite a large portion, but Esil had eaten everything, including all the vegetables.

Her gaze turned to the red cloth.

“Are you curious? Open it.”

“Yes.”

Esil immediately lifted the red cloth.

And when she saw what was inside, Esil had to double-check her eyes.

Inside the cage was a small, adorable bird.

It was a little parrot with a red face, orange beak, pale green body, and green wings.

“This, this is…”

As Esil looked at the bird, she was struck with surprise.

It was a *Yellow-Billed Parrot*, a bird known for being clever enough to engage in simple conversations if raised well.

And this bird…

Had been a companion during her journey, sitting on her shoulder the entire time, sharing the adventure.

Though it had died in the early hours of the morning, alerting them to an attack by monsters.

Seeing that Esil was moved, Rosel spoke bluntly.

“I don’t want my slave to lose her mind. I may not be the best companion, but at least I can listen.”

“Ah… Th-thank you.”

“Alright, then rest.”

Rosel stood up with the now-empty plate in his hand.

However, Esil called out to him.

For the first time since coming here, she spoke up first.

“Master…”

Hearing her, Rosel turned with a smile. It was a huge improvement. Could it be that her broken heart was beginning to heal?

A proud smile appeared on his face, but he quickly wiped it away, turning around with a neutral expression.

“What is it?”

“Um… excuse me,”

“Speak comfortably. I don’t plan on scolding you.”

“Um… you said you would tell me why you brought me here once my scars healed…”

Still too afraid to look her master in the eyes, Esil hunched her shoulders and lowered her head, continuing.

“That’s right.”

“I’m sorry, but… it’s hard to apply the cream to my back…”

Rosel looked down at Esil’s blonde head and nodded with a pleased expression.

He couldn’t hide his joy at how quickly she was recovering.

As expected, Esil was a strong woman.

“Do you want help?”

“Y-yes, please…”

“Then as your master, I should help you. Sit on the bed.”

At Rosel’s words, Esil gently sat on the bed. Then, she turned her body sideways so that her back would be visible to him.

Rosel, holding the glass jar, sat down next to her.

As he got closer to Esil, Rosel’s breath trembled.

“…Take off your shirt. That’s the only way to apply the cream.”

After hesitating for a moment, Esil grabbed the hem of her shirt and removed it.

Rosel’s eyes widened as he saw her pale, bare skin, illuminated by the moonlight.

Her skin looked similar to Celia’s but was a little paler, and his dark eyes dilated in shock.

And he trembled.

He hadn’t expected this.

His hand holding the cream froze, and his mouth hung open in shock.

Rosel knew about the cruel torture Esil had suffered.

When he had seen her in the carriage, there had been several visible scars, so he had expected the ones on her back as well.

But this…

He never imagined it would be like this.

On her waist, there were at least ten deep, thick gashes, and there were more than ten on her back as well.

Especially around her shoulder blades, there was a large burn, roughly the size of a palm, with the skin looking like it had turned to stone, deeply discolored.

The agony Esil must have endured was unimaginable.

Rosel couldn’t help but let out a sigh as he looked at her back, covered in scars.

How much pain had she been in?

How excruciating must it have been?

“Ha…”

“Wh-what’s wrong?”

Esil had never seen her back before.

There had been no mirrors in the underground prison.

Knowing this, Rosel swallowed his sadness as he answered her question.

“Oh, it’s nothing… I was just thinking about how much you must have suffered…”

Rosel’s words mixed with sympathy made Esil lower her head.

She didn’t feel embarrassed about showing her scarred back.

It was just that she felt sorrowful about how she had ended up in a situation where she needed comfort.

A heavy silence fell between them.

Rosel began applying the cream with his trembling hands.

How could someone do this to such a delicate, small back? How could it have been done?

“…Are there many scars?”

Esil asked carefully.

She was worried that her scars might be too numerous, and that her master might struggle while treating them.

“…There aren’t that many.”

“Th-that’s a relief…”

Esil let out a sigh of relief.

It was already late, and as the hour grew later, people tended to become more sensitive.

Esil was relieved.

She didn’t know how her master’s emotions would change as his sensitivity increased.

But then.

The hand that was applying the cream stopped, and she felt something pressing against the back of her neck.

She could feel a warm breath spreading across her back.

“…M-master?”

And then.

Esil was greatly startled by the unexpected sobs from her master.

“…I’m sorry… Esil… I’m really sorry.”

“Wh-what…?”

Rosel apologized to her.

Hot tears ran down his cheeks, wetting Esil’s back.

Esil couldn’t fully understand the meaning behind his apology.

“How pathetic…”

After carefully applying the cream, Rosel muttered his first words after leaving the room.

As a master, he should have some dignity, yet the scars, which held unimaginable pain, made him cry.

It was probably because his emotions were already stirred up from Esil’s dream-like state.

Feeling embarrassed, Esil thought Rosel must have wanted to hide in a hole.

“Ha.”

With a sigh, Rosel released his sadness as he walked down the darkened corridor.

This was a world full of force and violence.

To protect one’s own, strong power was an indispensable element.

Click.

Rosel entered his study and stood before a wall cabinet filled with books.

In noble estates, there were always secret spaces.

These were places where the heads of households hid their secrets or treasures.

Usually, these areas were not exposed to the outside.

As a secret space, it was meant to be entered secretly.

Rosel pushed a book in the far corner of the shelf, and the cabinet door opened like a hidden door.

Having been closed for a long time, a musty, dusty smell immediately filled the air.

And.

At the center of the small space, something was glowing brilliantly.

It was a small, halo-like object, and the light it emitted looked unusually distinctive.

Rosel picked it up.

King Brikal did not keep powerful people close to him.

After the kingdom’s revival, he had become full of vanity and arrogance, ruling with tyranny.

Anyone who could be a hindrance was sent far away from the royal palace.

Earl Nebron of the Silver Sword.

Duke Lucilan of the Ice Empire.

And so on.

That was why, for the future, Rosel had extracted magic and sealed it here.

And now, that future was approaching.