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Chapter 12
“Omar, what do you mean by a kiss? That’s absurd! These people are a dignified knight and a noble lady—how could something like that even be possible? Even if it’s a form of treatment, please, try to keep some sense of propriety!”
“Now, now, calm down and just hear me out.”
At some point, the smile had faded from Omar’s lips.
“What do you think is less inappropriate: a dignified knight and a noble lady, who aren’t even lovers, holding hands for an hour, or sharing a kiss for a single minute?”
“Well…”
Hailey hesitated.
She thought holding hands was better than kissing, but an entire hour? That was far too long.
Omar smiled faintly again and continued.
“I’m only suggesting we try an experiment. Even I can’t guarantee whether it will work or not. So, what do you think, you two? Will you try it?”
At Omar’s question, Rubiana and Elion spoke at the same time.
“I’ll do it.”
“Absolutely not—”
Their eyes clashed sharply in the air.
Lady? What on earth are you thinking? Have you lost your mind?
We have no choice. Just try it.
Sharing a kiss just to transfer mana? That’s crossing the line by a mile!
So what? It’s only a medical act. In the end, isn’t it similar to holding hands?
Neither of them gave an inch.
You said you’d help me, didn’t you? Then help me again this time.
…
In their silent argument, it was Elion who turned away first.
Otherwise, she might drop to her knees again.
“…Fine.”
With a sigh, Elion finally muttered in a low voice.
Omar’s mouth curled into a broad grin, while Hailey bowed her head deeply.
The very next moment, Elion cupped Rubiana’s cheek with one hand.
Startled by the sudden closeness, she flinched and drew her shoulders up.
Then soft warmth pressed against her lips.
W–wait, I wasn’t ready for this…!
Rubiana’s mind went completely blank.
Thump, thump, thump—her heart pounded wildly in her chest.
But the surprise and panic lasted only a moment.
She could suddenly feel an enormous amount of mana pouring into her mouth all at once.
It was incomparable to the amount she’d received just by holding hands.
It was like an electric current surged through her whole body.
She felt herself filling up.
She wanted more. More.
Before she realized it, Rubiana was gripping Elion’s shoulders, leaning in closer.
“Ohhh!”
Omar’s exclamation grew louder with excitement.
He even clapped his hands and shifted in his seat, utterly thrilled by the scene before him.
How much time passed, she didn’t know.
At last, Elion pulled his lips away.
He wiped his mouth casually with the back of his hand and looked down at Rubiana.
“Is that enough?”
“Ah…”
“Or… was it not enough?”
“…”
Her face flushed crimson, as if it might explode.
She almost blurted out that it wasn’t enough—that she needed more.
“N–no. It’s fine now. It’s more than enough.”
She lowered her head, embarrassed to show her burning cheeks.
This time Elion turned to Omar.
“What about you? Do you still have more you’d like to see?”
“No, this is sufficient. Thank you very much.”
Omar’s smiling face lit up again.
“As I expected—the amount of mana transmitted through a kiss is incredible. I’m sure you both felt it yourselves.”
“…”
“How you choose to exchange mana is something the two of you can discuss together. Do you have any other questions?”
Rubiana seized the chance to ask immediately.
“How much mana needs to be exchanged? Do we have to do this every day?”
“Ah… that is something you’ll need to determine gradually through experimentation.”
Both Rubiana and Elion looked troubled.
Experiment? Gradually?
The road ahead felt overwhelming.
Nothing was ever simple.
“All I can tell you is this… For the lady, as the gap between body and soul narrows, the amount of mana required will decrease.”
“…”
“But if something causes that gap to widen again, she’ll need even more mana than before.”
The thought that the gap between body and soul could close only to reopen made Rubiana swallow hard.
She nodded to show she understood.
Omar then turned to Elion.
“And as for you, Your Grace—on days when you haven’t expended much mana, or conversely, on days when you’ve used too much, especially in those two cases, your body will feel more comfortable if you receive additional mana.”
“…Understood.”
It made sense that on days when he hadn’t used much mana, he’d need to release some.
But even on days he had already used a lot?
Rubiana didn’t understand, so she glanced at Elion’s face.
Seeing him nodding, she guessed he understood, and left it at that.
She didn’t want to ask further.
She had a more pressing question.
Quickly, she cut in.
“By the way… does a body that leaks mana attract monsters? I’ve been attacked twice in just one week.”
“Of course.”
Omar answered in a tone that implied it was something obvious.
“Just as carnivores hunt humans for their flesh, monsters hunt humans to devour their mana. And just as carnivores excel at detecting the scent of human flesh, monsters excel at detecting human mana.”
“…”
“And in your case, since your mana is leaking constantly, you’ll be a hundred times more likely to be targeted than an ordinary person.”
“Ah…”
What am I going to do…!
Despair washed over Rubiana.
Soon the capital will be swarming with monsters.
She imagined those vicious beasts drooling as they all came charging at her at once, and her body shivered.
It felt like a death sentence.
Seeing her fear, Omar tried to reassure her lightly.
“But don’t worry too much. The barrier surrounding the capital is strong. Monsters cannot break through—ah…?”
Suddenly remembering something, Omar froze mid-sentence.
“But wait. You said you’ve been attacked twice in just one week, didn’t you? Why would that be…?”
At his question, Elion’s face twisted into a vicious scowl.
***
Inside the carriage on their way back to the Grand Duke’s estate.
Hailey’s anxious gaze rested on Elion.
Leaning back against the seat with his eyes closed, Elion slowly opened his eyelids.
“If you have something to say, say it.”
“Lord Omar is not a man to be trusted, Your Grace. He is dangerous.”
Elion’s indifferent eyes fixed on Hailey.
She continued, her worry spilling out.
“Omar is someone who can be good or evil, depending solely on whether his curiosity is satisfied.”
Elion listened quietly before finally speaking.
“Whether he is good or evil doesn’t matter. He diagnosed my condition precisely and even proposed a method of treatment. What matters is that he might even be capable of finding a cure.”
“…”
Hailey pressed her lips shut.
She had no rebuttal.
She had failed to diagnose Elion’s condition.
Omar had done it in less than a minute.
She hadn’t even known where to begin when it came to treatment.
But Omar had said he would try.
He’d warned not to expect too much, but there had been confidence in his tone.
In front of Omar, Hailey had felt utterly powerless—something she hadn’t felt since he dropped out of the medical academy ten years ago and vanished.
Though truthfully, she’d felt it nearly every day during the two years they had studied together.
In the end, Hailey could only bow her head.
“…Understood, Your Grace.”
“I’d like you to cooperate with him. After all, you’re the one who knows my condition best.”
“As you command.”
With that, Elion closed his eyes once more.
