Perhaps knowing I had stiffened like a rigid wooden block, Belly caressed me with a careful touch. At his usual gentle touch, my body seemed to loosen up slyly.
“Why are you so regretful?”
At Belly’s words as if nothing had happened, I answered as if I couldn’t help it.
“She’s a princess of Garan Kingdom. Not only is she from that stuffy Garan Kingdom, but she’s also a student at this school whose purpose is to create modest brides.”
I read most stories with enjoyment. I don’t discriminate by subject or genre. Still, there are bound to be stories I prefer among them.
I liked the subject of marriage, but stories where talented characters couldn’t bloom were painful even while reading. In the midst of that, if it were another talent, I might not know. But if it’s about writing talent, the story changes. He even thought of playing the role of Daddy-Long-Legs if Jin wanted it.
“No matter who she’s engaged to, they’ll definitely want that damn virtuous and modest appearance…… Will they let her write novels?”
It was a cynical assertion, but it was certainly true. Connubium’s students were famous as doll-like bride and groom candidates. But to write independently and publish books? That was something those who wanted Connubium graduates couldn’t even conceive of.
“That’s right.”
“Ugh, if only she said she wanted to do it, I could help her.”
It was even more regrettable because I now had the power to help the characters. Sighs came out heavily on their own.
However, Jin was a Class A student at Connubium. If she was a student who had risen to Class A, one could say Connubium’s education had already permeated deep into her bones. I was willing to help if asked for help, but I didn’t want to step forward and offer help.
However, if Jay, not me, helped, the story would be different. Because Jay was a character, helping Jin wasn’t overstepping.
“Well, even if I help, in the end she would have to make the effort herself. Wow, then it would be really fun!”
How long had I been grinning and fantasizing like that? Someone’s presence was felt from outside.
Since the place we were staying was the professor dormitory, it wasn’t impossible for it to be someone else. However, they always had other places as their destination and only passed by my room. It was strange to be loitering outside the door at a secluded time like this.
Belly looked outside the door warily. His eyes shadowed by green light glinted sharply with vigilance.
A moment later, Belly’s momentum softened considerably. Then looking at me seemed to be asking my intention whether to open the door. Seeing him like that, the person outside the door seemed to be someone I knew. And there was only one such person at this Connubium.
“Open it.”
When Belly opened the door, a haggard-looking man slid in like a ghost. He looked like a pale specter. Belly carefully closed the door lest even a strand of wind enter and asked Carl.
“You weren’t seen by other people’s eyes, were you?”
“Do you think I’m an idiot?”
It was completely different from the lazy appearance he showed when he was the infirmary professor. The fierce look was exactly what I had seen at the guild. But why had he come to my room?
“Jack…… when did you come?”
He removed all the sharpness he had shown to Belly and asked me carefully. He looked pitiful, somehow dejected. If it were another character, it might be interesting, but right now I was in a state where all my curiosity about him had disappeared.
“Recently?”
Because I felt no particular emotion, I answered indifferently and laid down roughly on the bed. Belly handed me a book. It was because I couldn’t take out Glutton in a place where there were other people.
As I was turning the pages one by one, Carl’s gaze reached me piercingly.
“What’s your business?”
Belly, who noticed I found answering bothersome, asked. Only Belly would understand my intentions perfectly and act on my behalf.
Carl shot a sharp gaze like a knife at Belly and answered gloomily.
“I came to talk with you.”
“What is it?”
If Carl came in person, he must certainly have business. Since he was on a mission now, I wondered if perhaps something had come up where he needed my help. I took my eyes off the book and looked up at Carl. His face was full of resentment.
“……When did you come?”
“Didn’t I answer that earlier?”
“You didn’t know I was here?”
“How could I not know? Who do you think reads the reports?”
Carl’s face collapsed in an instant after hearing my words. I couldn’t understand his emotions, so I stared blankly at that face for a moment. As I quietly observed with the determination to see beyond his skin to his muscles, he asked.
“Why…… didn’t you come to see me?”
Only then did I realize Carl was reproaching me for not coming to see him.
But why would I need to see Carl? I’m not his parent. Unless there was a particular reason, I thought there was no need to deliberately meet him. I asked him with that meaning.
“Why?”
“Well……”
Carl also realized how strange what he had said was and closed his mouth. He was silent for a moment, then squeezed his eyes shut as if collecting his emotions.
I took my eyes off such a Carl and began reading the rest of the book. Carl was more interesting in his former fierce appearance. Now he was like a toothless tiger, uninteresting. The appearance I had expected from him was struggling desperately for the guild master position.
Having lost interest in Carl, I was no different from having gotten off the novel where he was the protagonist. To such a me, Carl’s current approach was even bothersome.
“Anyway, I’m glad to see you here.”
Carl erased his resentful expression and spoke to me with a face bearing a faint smile. Even though I had treated him coldly, he was genuinely pleased. I couldn’t understand that gladness he showed.
Belly interjected between me and Carl. Hiding me behind his back, he said coldly to Carl.
“Master is not feeling well. You should return to your own business.”
“You keep doing that since earlier……”
It was only for a moment that he glared at Belly while grinding his teeth. With a surprised face, he roughly pushed Belly aside and examined me. His eyes were full of worry and surprise.
“Why is your body like this?”
“What about it?”
Without even receiving permission, he sharply grabbed my wrist that was holding the book. When he rolled up the sleeve, my arm that had become thin with lost flesh was noticeable.
“Why have you lost so much weight? When I last checked, you weren’t this thin?”
“What is this behavior!”
Belly separated Carl, who was gripping my arm, far away. His eyes full of anger were filled with violent desire to beat up Carl right away.
“How dare you touch Master’s body so carelessly.”
However, Carl wasn’t someone who would be intimidated by Belly’s glare. Rather, he spoke to Belly with a triumphant face as if shouting.
“Do you have the standing to say such things right now?! While calling him master so loudly, what did you do while his body became like this?! If it were me—”
“Stop it.”
I pushed the book aside and sat on the edge of the bed. Carl seemed to think I would take his side and tried to glare at Belly again and say more.
Where on earth did that confidence come from? We weren’t friends, and we weren’t family. So why did he think I was on his side? Arms naturally bend inward, and to me, Belly was no different from the inside of my arm.
I thought I should read his novel to understand his delusion, but…… I didn’t feel like it. Reading something uninteresting was truly bothersome and pointless. I should read it sometime later, but right now I wanted to focus on Jay’s story.
“Carl, stop it. I don’t really understand why you’re going that far.”
“I, I……”
He distorted his expression with a face full of betrayal. To me, that aggrieved face was just absurd.
Crayfish side with crabs, and green is the same color as green. A character whose interest had waned and a favorite character I’d spent a long time with were of different levels. Even if my interest in Belly waned, I would still like his story. Like an old friend.
Now Belly was no different from an inseparable existence to me.
“I’d like you to leave now. You have your own work too.”
“……”
Carl’s face turned pale. He looked as if something he ate had given him indigestion. It might warrant worry, but right now I wanted to kick him out and read the novel with Glutton.
He lowered his eyebrows and spoke to me in a clearly heartbroken voice.
“If you need help, tell me. I’ll help you……”
Then, where had that quick appearance from when he entered gone, he slowly left the room. He even stopped on his way out, turned around, and urged again.
“I’m at the infirmary if you come.”
“Okay.”
Though his face was dripping with lingering attachment, Carl eventually had to leave the room. Belly showed a relieved expression as if a painful tooth had been pulled. Though years had passed, he really hated Carl. Well, it would be impossible to have good feelings toward the one who ordered the kidnapping.
“Master.”
“What?”
“I don’t like that person, but…… Still, some of what he said is right.”
The sun must be about to rise from the west. For Belly to acknowledge Carl’s words. When I widened both eyes round like a rabbit, he said with a worried face.
“Master’s body is getting worse.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Your weight is also decreasing……”
Since the time spent as Jay was long, it was obvious that Persona’s side effects would become severe. However, I hadn’t felt it yet. Belly often touched my body directly, so it seemed he had already noticed.
I stroked my arm that had become somewhat thinner with lost flesh and said.
“It’ll still be okay for now.”
