CBOM 10

Chapter 10

---

---

He had struggled so hard to push me away, but I could see him slowly breaking down.

I did think we had gotten closer, but seeing Rivanue clinging to me with a face that looked like he might burst into tears—it was more than I expected. Grace was a little surprised.

After all, they had only spent just over two weeks together. This kind of reaction wasn’t something she had anticipated.

Grace held back a laugh and gently soothed Rivanue.

“It’s okay. Nothing bad will happen.”

“…And if something does?”

“But, Young Master.”

“Hm…?”

“May I ask you something?”

It seemed like the perfect time to bring it up, so Grace carefully opened her mouth.

Since he needed her so much right now, she figured he wouldn’t refuse.

“What is it? Is there something more?”

“No, it’s nothing like that. It’s just… last time, I saw you go out alone. You seemed like you didn’t want anyone to know, so I pretended not to notice. But… who did you meet?”

“…Ah.”

At the mention of that, Rivanue’s expression noticeably darkened.

A moment ago, he had looked like he was panicking at the thought of Grace leaving his side. But now, all that flustered emotion drained away in an instant.

Grace’s eyes darted at the sudden shift.

Was I too hasty? she wondered. But then, after a moment of hesitation, Rivanue spoke cautiously.

“It was a few months ago when I first met him.”

At the same time, Grace inwardly cheered.

Yes, that’s it!

She almost wanted to dance, but she knew the mood wasn’t right. So she barely managed to keep her lips from curling into a grin.

“He asked if I wanted revenge. He’s a famous magician.”

“Revenge?”

“Yes. Against the ducal house that abandoned me like this.”

“…Just like that?”

Grace thought it was a rather abrupt proposal.

At fifteen, the world can feel unbearably cruel. It’s an age when everything wrong seems like someone else’s fault.

It’s what people call adolescence. That mid-teen affliction that only time can cure.

And taking advantage of such emotions to incite revenge wasn’t the worst strategy.

But what reason did Grino have to help?

Was it to acquire the maidservants for his experiments?

Even so, to Grino, Rivanue was a useless existence. The head maid, Winia, would’ve been more valuable—for falsifying records, if nothing else.

“So what did you say?”

“…That if I could, I would.”

He agreed?

Well… it made sense. Grino was already a renowned genius magician. If someone like that offered to help, anyone might be tempted.

But Grace still couldn’t understand it.

Why Rivanue? Why would Grino?

It seemed too deliberate, too specific to simply be about stealing away some maids.

---

When Grace said nothing for a while, Rivanue quickly added, almost defensively:

“I only said it, that’s all…”

“It’s okay. I understand.”

“…You understand?”

“Honestly, how could I know everything in your heart? But I do understand a little. Not just me—anyone in your position would feel the same.”

Grace had chosen to stay by Rivanue’s side for her own reasons. But those innocent eyes, trusting her so completely, almost made her feel guilty.

“The only thing I don’t understand is—why would such a famous magician seek you out?”

“He said I looked pitiful…”

“And you believe that?”

“…I guess…?”

Ha! Such a naïve boy!

If people helped others just because they looked pitiful, then Count Egphara would be known not as a magician but as a reincarnated angel!

Grace was too dumbfounded to laugh.

“Did he say anything else?”

“He said he would help cure my skin disease.”

“…Ah. The skin disease.”

Now that she thought about it—Rivanue had been cured, became a knight, and as soon as he left the duke’s house, he met Grino and joined him.

That meant Grino probably already knew about Rivanue.

Could it be that Prince Kavel, with his deep knowledge of medicine, had tipped him off? After all, it was partly thanks to the prince that the truth of Infinito Danio was revealed.

Kavel was famous for using his medical expertise to help the people and live out his dream as a healer. He might have had ties with Grino, the imperial magician.

“So how do you plan to take revenge?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t thought it through. He only said he’d help me.”

“And this person, did he come every day?”

“…His name is Grino Egphara. He’s a baron. He said he wanted to develop medicine to cure my skin disease.”

What?

Really? For that?

Grino, doing a good deed that wouldn’t even benefit him?

Or was he planning to use Rivanue’s condition for human experimentation?

The thought made Grace’s skin crawl.

Rivanue Forette was already abandoned, unwanted. Seducing him with a little kindness would’ve been child’s play.

“If he really makes the medicine…”

Before Grace could finish, Rivanue hurriedly shook his head.

“If you don’t want me to, I won’t.”

“…What?”

“You’re kind. You wouldn’t want me to take revenge or hurt anyone, right?”

“…Eh?”

Grace was startled by the word kind. But from Rivanue’s perspective, it wasn’t strange. Smiling awkwardly, she waved her hand.

“I’m not that kind.”

“…If you’re not kind, then there’s no kind person in this world.”

“I don’t oppose your revenge, though. Still think I’m kind?”

“…Yes. Still kind.”

Her conscience pricked sharply, but she knew nothing she said would change his mind.

“The ones at fault are the duke’s family, not you. Why would you think you’re the bad one?”

“…You really think so?”

“Yes, of course. But, Young Master—I don’t oppose your revenge. It’s just… I think that baron has something to do with the missing maids. You said you met him a few months ago. That’s when the maid assignments started, and then they disappeared.”

“Yes. I think so too.”

Rivanue nodded in agreement.

Even if he didn’t know all the details, he could see that the maids were vanishing—and that Grace might be the next target. He had to stay cautious.

“…I don’t think you should take that baron’s hand.”

“I won’t.”

“Wait—you agree with me?”

“Yes.”

His reply was steady. But Grace wondered if he truly didn’t feel regret.

She knew it was all a scheme. Yet for Rivanue, someone who approached offering a cure might have been his last lifeline.

“He said he’d cure your skin disease. And you’re fine letting that go?”

“Yes.”

He didn’t sound like he was lying.

But Grace still couldn’t understand.

“Because I have you.”

“…Me?”

“If I take his hand, maybe I’ll have hope that my disease will be cured someday. But then you might disappear. And I don’t want that….”

It seemed he had grown far more attached to her than she had anticipated.

She thought it would take years, but here he was—sharing secrets, confessing he’d rather risk his illness than lose her.

“But then what should we do? If Grino really is behind the missing maids, how will you avoid it?”

Rivanue asked. Grace knew too well where the captured maids went. She couldn’t let herself be taken again.

She did have a plan. Whether Rivanue would agree, she wasn’t sure—but judging from now, he probably would.

“…I think it would be best if you put distance between yourself and him.”

So she said it plainly.

“How?”

“…By going away. For convalescence. Grino is an ambitious magician. If you say you’re going far into the provinces, he won’t want to follow.”

“…That’s a good idea.”

Rivanue smiled faintly, wondering why he hadn’t thought of it.

His smile was bright—so bright it startled Grace, as though it might haunt her dreams. She had never seen him smile so freely.

“Are you really okay with this…?”

“I’m a discarded child anyway… if I leave the capital, I think they’ll be glad.”

Grace wasn’t worried about the ducal house.

“Young Master.”

“Yes?”

“…Let’s succeed, so they regret everything. Together.”

“…Huh?”

That ducal house, which abandoned its own child simply for being diseased, looked utterly foolish.

If they had at least done the bare minimum as parents, Rivanue would never have severed ties so completely.

Even now, just a little kindness had made him open his heart wide in only a few days, smiling like this.

They could leave now. But if Rivanue left, Grino would stay behind and continue abducting the maids. Grace realized she needed to delay things a bit.

With even the head maid in league with him, there was nothing stopping him from deceiving the duke and procuring more test subjects.

Grace couldn’t let innocent maids suffer the same torment she once endured. She knew all too well how horrific it was.

And Rivanue, watching her decision, only murmured softly:

“…See? You are kind.”

Grace gave an awkward smile.