PVSS 9

chapter 9

Since the child who hated doctors had nowhere else to go, we headed to the stationery store.

‘I did cast a clean spell, but it’s still pretty shabby.’

The child, who stepped inside the stationery store that was still under renovation, looked shocked by the bleak interior.

But fortunately, he seemed to be self-brainwashing himself with something like, “I’m a knight. This is a battlefield.”

After leaving the ducal estate, I took out emergency medical supplies, disinfected the child’s leg, and wrapped it tightly with bandages.

“Almost done.”

Dominic quietly placed his hand over it.

It looked like healing magic, but the child closed his eyes obediently and didn’t see the magic being cast.

“I, I’m not hurt at all.”

“You look like a proper knight.”

My gaze soon shifted to what he was holding.

Even when he had been lying face down on the ground, even when he was groaning in pain as the disinfectant stung him, he had never let go of it.

A small music box was wrapped in a transparent case.

I admired it—it looked like an old antique.

You don’t see music boxes like this these days!

“Oh, do you like things like this?”

The child’s face turned bright red.

“…Don’t insult my taste.”

Maybe because people often saw antiques as outdated, he seemed desperate to deny his preference, which didn’t match mainstream trends. He looked kind of cute.

“No! I like them too. Old things.”

His eyes widened like a rabbit. In a suddenly brighter voice, he said excitedly,

“I-I’ve never met anyone else who likes things like me!”

“What’s not to like about antiques? Music boxes like this have such beautiful sounds.”

At my words, he smiled brightly, then suddenly looked a little down.

“I bought this as a birthday present for my older brother… I wonder if he’ll like it?”

Hmm. I thought for a moment.

Among nobles these days, birthday gifts were usually extremely expensive and sophisticated items.

Like a neatly made hat with a high price tag but excellent finishing.

Or luxurious dresses made from imported fabrics from across the sea, focusing more on material than decoration.

I shrugged and said to him,

“You know, I think I’d be really happy if I received that as a gift. And—”

“…?”

“If that brother of yours likes you, he’ll like whatever you give him.”

‘Conversely, if he dislikes you, he won’t value anything you give.’

Once, Meldenique Babelroa had tried to win her father’s affection. So she constantly bought the latest fashionable items in noble society and offered them to him.

But she never once heard a kind word.

‘It was lucky if the gift didn’t end up in the trash.’

The child’s eyes widened as if enlightened by my experience. He looked at me with sparkling, emotional eyes.

“Th-that’s such a moving thing to say…”

This kid… he might actually be starting to like me.

I smiled and gently patted his messy hair.

The small child—whose name I still didn’t even know—leaned into my hand like a purring cat.

‘I was going to ask his name, why he was injured, and who hit him, then scold them.’

“Is the treatment finished?”

“Yes, though it’s a bit rough…”

Dominic nodded and stretched his long limbs.

With his tall, lean build, it was hard to believe he was the legendary hero.

Feeling my gaze, he said indifferently,

“The kid looks tired.”

“I was about to call a carriage right away…”

I said this while supporting the child, who was starting to nod off despite his injuries.

“Hey, do you want to go upstairs and sleep for an hour? When you wake up, I’ll call a rental carriage for you.”

The child nodded vigorously, sleep clinging to his eyes. Still, he carefully tugged at my collar and whispered very softly,

“There are no ghosts upstairs, right?”

“Yes, there aren’t. If ghosts show up, big sister will beat them up for you.”

“…You’re very knightly. Even living in a haunted-looking place… you really are a knight.”

The child rolled his eyes and then closed them tightly.

‘A haunted house… yeah, it really is pretty shabby.’

I was absolutely not shocked. Absolutely not.

After Dominic carried the child to a small sofa on the second floor and came back downstairs, he said,

“Let’s continue discussing the renovation.”

“Suddenly?”

Dominic sat carefully on a chair missing a leg and asked again.

I nodded energetically.

“Yes, suddenly.”

My plan was this:

We would send the child—clearly a student at the academy—off by carriage and use it as advertising for the stationery store!

But the building was so shabby that it didn’t seem like the plan would work. And I couldn’t let such an important young customer leave with bad memories.

“I think it’d be better to tidy up the garden a bit before sending the child out.”

“Well… yeah. That would be better.”

Dominic averted his gaze, unable to deny it.

‘…Is it really that bad?’

I glanced out the window. Overgrown weeds and a damp field that wouldn’t look strange even if a ghost appeared.

“…Let’s start by cutting the grass.”

One hour later.

Dominic, who had initially said, “You want to use my sword for grass cutting?” had gone quiet.

‘Dominic… what can’t he do?’

He was unbelievably talented at cutting grass. Especially when trimming thick branches—he was so good I almost wanted to call him the god of gardening.

“Looks cleaner now, doesn’t it?”

“It does.”

Dominic stood proudly, leaning against a tree.

“Oh right, Mel.”

“Hmm?”

“You said there are spies watching us outside, right?”

“…Yeah.”

I tensed.

“I brainwashed them a bit while carrying the kid here. They were trying to report to their master.”

Dominic casually raised his greatsword and sliced through the branches above.

Branches fell to the ground with dull thuds.

Looking at me crouched on the ground pulling weeds, he added,

“Well… not that it’s really about protecting us. Think of it as a surprise gift.”

He must really dislike Lennox, given how much he always complained about him.

I nodded and smiled.

“Yeah, good job!”

“Hoo… I guess I used up a bit of energy. It’s been a while since I used brainwashing magic.”

“Good job, Dominic. Let’s eat meat later!”

I gave him a thumbs-up.

Weak to praise, Dominic’s lips twitched as he lowered his sword.

“Hmmph. Then I’ll just tidy up these dangerous-looking branches.”

Watching him turn back to the tree, I smiled faintly.

‘He’s having fun because it’s been a while since he used magic.’

At that moment, as Dominic turned away—

Rustle.

A strange sound came from the bushes.

‘What?’

I scanned the surroundings.

‘Nothing suspicious… and the spies are supposedly brainwashed too.’

But an eerie chill ran down my spine.

Then I looked down.

‘Huh? Something’s… coming from the sword.’

The sword we had left on the ground earlier began to ripple with black energy.

I quickly walked over to Dominic, who was humming while picking cherries, and grabbed his arm tightly.

“…Dominic?”

“Yeah?”

“That sword…”

“Hm? You mean my sword—the one that’s also excellent at pruning branches?”

He hummed as he plucked cherries.

I tried to tell him the sword was acting strange.

‘Huh? I can’t speak.’

My mouth felt strangely sealed shut.

And unfortunately, the sword’s energy moved faster than my words.

From the ground, behind Dominic’s back, a dark force began to creep upward.

Boom!

With a huge explosion-like sound, the air turned shockingly cold.

I still couldn’t speak as I watched a black, spherical mass of smoke slip out from the sword and begin forming a shape.

“Why did the seal break?”

Dominic bit his lip, looking troubled.

What? What do you mean, broke?!