“I see.”
The shaman sighed and said.
[If it gets too hard, step outside for a bit. It’ll be hard on you too if you keep listening.]
“Yes, I understand.”
At Seoho’s answer, the shaman asked.
[You’re not going outside the house, are you?]
Seoho didn’t deny it. The shaman muttered that he was crazy and chided Seoho.
[You idiot, idiot.]
Though the shaman couldn’t see him, Seoho nodded slightly and answered.
“Thank you for the consultation.”
[Alright, you idiot.]
Seoho asked the shaman.
“Should I send the money to the account listed on the internet?”
[Yeah.]
Still, the shaman didn’t refuse the money. Seoho said goodbye to the shaman.
“Then, farewell.”
[…Yeah, you take care too.]
“Yes.”
The call ended. Seoho immediately sent money to the shaman. After sending the money, he felt like everything was settled.
“…This feels strange.”
Now it seemed he wouldn’t particularly regret it even if he died at any moment. Seoho looked at the wall that was still crying, then reached out and wiped away the tears flowing on the wall.
Even though water was flowing like this, the wallpaper didn’t tear at all. When Seoho wiped away the tears, the crying grew louder.
“How long are you going to cry?”
And when on earth would it kill him?
***
Every time the man acted as if soothing him, Rosetta’s heart ached even more.
He was this kind even to an existence he’d never properly faced—how affectionately would he treat him if they actually met?
Since he kept crying, the man also kept paying attention to Rosetta. Today was the fourth day Rosetta had been shedding tears.
The man didn’t even leave the house and continued to care about him.
He asked something affectionately, felt sympathetic emotions, and also seemed a bit frustrated. His throat was hoarse and his eyes hurt from crying too much, but still, all those emotions from the man were conveyed, making it bearable.
It had been noisy outside for several days, but Rosetta didn’t care about them. Right now, he wanted to be alone with the man.
But unfortunately, Rosetta’s wish was not fulfilled. Through the carefully opened door, Puti entered the room accompanied by a mage.
“Your Majesty.”
Rosetta ignored Puti. He thought Puti had awareness, but he was more oblivious than expected. As Rosetta was about to kick them out of the room, Puti urgently said.
“Your throat is badly damaged. Your face too. Do you plan to greet that person in that state?”
“……”
When Rosetta didn’t answer and glanced at Puti, Puti read his intention and dragged the mage closer to Rosetta.
“You don’t intend to stop crying, do you?”
Rosetta blinked. As he blinked, the pooled tears flowed down their already worn path.
Puti continued speaking.
“Your eyes are red and chafed. No matter how strong Your Majesty’s sacred body is compared to others thanks to divine power, at this rate, your eyes will swell up badly and you’ll look unsightly. You don’t want that, do you?”
Rosetta blinked quietly.
“What about your throat? They say you need to stop making sounds for a while to treat your throat.”
At Puti’s words, Rosetta’s eyes sharpened. The moment the eyes that had been trembling pitifully until now turned fierce, Puti nodded.
“Understood. Then I’ll have only your face treated.”
When Puti looked at the mage, the mage hesitantly approached Rosetta. And placed their hands on his face.
Rosetta didn’t refuse the magic, but as soon as the magic enveloping his face disappeared, he immediately kicked Puti and the mage out of the room. Puti didn’t resist and obediently left.
Left alone in the room, Rosetta looked at the mirror again. The eyes of the man in the mirror and Rosetta met directly as if looking at each other.
Rosetta shed tears rolling down once more.
It really wasn’t far off now. It would be soon.
***
Puti, who had been kicked out of the room, was relieved as he recalled Rosetta’s cleaned-up face. Aris, who had entered the room with him, trembled and muttered with a pale face.
“I didn’t die. What a relief.”
Mage Aris, who had entered the room with Puti because he had a lot of remaining mana and was skilled in healing magic, had stubbornly insisted from the moment Puti suggested entering the room together that he would be killed if he entered a place overflowing with divine power like that.
Puti clicked his tongue.
“I can’t say His Majesty has a good personality, but he’s not someone who just kills people.”
Then Aris answered.
“That’s because Puti doesn’t properly feel this power. It’s truly terrifying power.”
“Are you talking about divine power?”
Then Aris nodded with a disgusted face and answered.
“Yes. That black smoke. It’s too scary. It was extremely dangerous at first too.”
Puti had a hard time understanding what Aris was saying. Of course, Rosetta’s mood didn’t look very good, but still, did he need to be this scared?
‘It’s just fog anyway.’
As Puti looked at Aris as if telling him not to make a fuss, he asked.
“But were we really there just to fix his face?”
“Yes.”
“Why? And who is that person?”
Puti answered.
“His Majesty’s destiny will arrive here soon.”
“That person is His Majesty’s destiny?”
“Yes.”
“Destiny, you say.”
At Aris’s face full of disbelief, Puti mentioned Saintess Angel.
“Saintess Angel said they’re destined partners connected by a red thread.”
“The Saintess did?”
“Yes.”
Instantly, belief filled Aris’s face. That blind faith and change annoyed Puti. Then Aris said.
“Then the rumor that’s been going around lately…”
Puti quickly affirmed. He was a bit annoyed, but it seemed good if the rumor would disappear this way.
“Yes. His Majesty wanted to meet his destined person quickly, so he kept summoning Angel-nim.”
“So that’s what happened. But is this something I should be hearing?”
Puti shrugged.
“You can’t tell anyone else. But when that person actually comes here, this story will spread quickly anyway.”
“I see. Then that crying…”
Puti looked back at Rosetta’s room and said.
“It will stop when that person comes. So don’t worry.”
“I hope they come soon. Aren’t the mages withering away?”
Puti looked at the mages Aris pointed to. Certainly, the mages were gradually becoming gaunt and exhausted.
Puti spoke loudly enough for all of them to hear.
“I’ll ask His Majesty later if I can give you overtime pay.”
The mages’ faces began to brighten. Watching this, Aris said to Puti.
“Puti, you’re quite perceptive.”
Puti’s eyes sharpened. The slightly apologetic feeling completely disappeared, and Puti asked Aris coldly.
“Are you insulting me?”
Aris answered nonchalantly.
“No. I’m just stating facts. I understand why you’re His Majesty’s only direct attendant.”
It seemed like an insult, but since it was still a statement acknowledging Puti as Rosetta’s only attendant, he decided to let it slide this time.
In fact, Puti didn’t have time to argue with a mage. Rosetta had completely let go of state affairs after starting to shut himself in his room and cry like that.
Puti was making every effort to become a competent attendant.
“Anyway, please endure a little longer.”
Puti gave Aris a light greeting and quickly moved on. Now Puti had to soothe the advisors who would be exhausted from doing Rosetta’s work.
‘I need to work hard to secure my own overtime pay too!’
Vowing to secure much more overtime pay than what he’d get for the mages, Puti stepped forward vigorously.
***
Puti once again brought Aris along and treated Rosetta’s swollen face.
Rosetta’s voice, hoarse and roughly cracked from overuse, was hair-raising. The eerily rough crying sounded exactly like a monster’s cry.
‘Horrible.’
But still, perhaps thanks to that beautiful appearance, Rosetta also looked a bit pitiful.
He so desperately wanted to meet them, yet why wasn’t Rosetta’s partner showing any response until now?
Puti hesitated, then said to Rosetta.
“Your Majesty, it would be good to treat your throat now too. Doesn’t your throat hurt?”
Rosetta simply ignored Puti’s words. Puti tried to persuade Rosetta once more, but Rosetta was already absorbed in the existence within the mirror again.
Puti sighed quietly and tidied Rosetta’s appearance as he looked at the mirror.
He washed his body using Aris’s magic, and in the meantime, Puti organized his disheveled clothes and neatly trimmed his nails. Rosetta accepted Puti’s touch without avoiding it.
Just as the nail care was finished, Puti noticed Rosetta’s hand flinch and tremble.
“Huh?”
As Puti looked up at Rosetta with wide eyes, Rosetta used the power of dawn to kick Aris and Rosetta out of the room. At this action without any warning or anything, Puti and Aris were instantly thrown out of the room.
Before the two roughly hit the wall, Aris quickly used magic to envelop both Puti and himself.
“Are you alright?”
As Aris asked while safely setting Puti and himself down on the floor, the door closed at the same time. Aris couldn’t hide his bewilderment and blurted out.
“Wow, His Majesty has an incredible personality.”
Normally, Aris would have expected Puti to fly into a rage for saying something bad about Rosetta, but when Puti said nothing, he carefully watched for his reaction.
