“Have you read this one too?”
At Seoho’s question, Oh Yuri nodded her head greatly and answered:
“Of course. Every person who reads mystery novels likes this author.”
Oh Yuri, who had been looking through the book for a while, handed the book back to Seoho and said:
“I know who the culprit is in this one.”
Seoho said a bit firmly:
“Don’t tell me.”
At Seoho’s reaction, Oh Yuri’s smile deepened.
“Why? I want to tell you?”
“No.”
“The culprit is actually….”
“Hey!”
How much longer did they talk after that? When the sunlight visible through the window was dyed red, Oh Yuri organized her things.
“It’s been fun after such a long time. It’s nice to have a lot to say when meeting an old friend.”
Oh Yuri’s face certainly looked better than at first.
“Well, you and I weren’t that close back then. But still, it wasn’t bad, right?”
At her question seeking agreement, Seoho nodded.
“That’s right.”
Seoho also thought today’s meeting wasn’t bad.
Rather, it was good. He’d thought it was good to exchange greetings when buying things and observe people playing outside.
He’d forgotten what it was like to converse with people and spend time together like this. Laughing and talking with someone after a long time gave Seoho some different kind of vitality.
Oh Yuri asked Seoho:
“Is your number still the same?”
“Yeah. Still the same.”
“Then let’s meet up like this often.”
Seoho answered readily:
“Okay. Yuri-ya.”
Oh Yuri’s face brightened even more. He didn’t know what had happened, but Oh Yuri must also have undergone some change over time. Having left the cafe, Seoho looked at Yuri’s departing back and whispered softly:
“See you next time.”
After parting with Yuri, Seoho, who had been heading home, changed direction. Today, instead of going straight home, he wanted to stop by somewhere else.
“Should I watch a movie?”
That didn’t seem bad either. Seoho took out his phone and looked for whether there was something suitable among the movies showing these days.
***
Puti, who had been tidying Rosetta’s room, stopped in place at the voice calling him.
‘Did I hear wrong?’
As Puti doubted his ears, the voice came again.
“Puti.”
It wasn’t a mistake. Rosetta was calling him. Puti quickly approached Rosetta and answered:
“Yes? Did you call for me?”
Rosetta said desperately while staring at the mirror without even looking at Puti:
“Why is he so late today?”
“Are you speaking of the person in the mirror?”
“Yes.”
Puti let out a small sigh. As expected, today’s story was also about that person in the mirror.
“It seems he’s sleeping a bit late today.”
“Why?”
If he asked like that, there was nothing to say.
“…Well.”
“It’s too much. When I’m waiting like this.”
Puti thought that if that man found out Rosetta was waiting like this, wouldn’t he be creeped out, but Puti struggled to swallow those words.
After whispering for a while that he wanted to see the man, Rosetta commanded as if he couldn’t bear it:
“Make an appointment with the Saintess. More than a month has already passed, so I need to find out why nothing has changed.”
Puti answered while recalling the conversation with Angel:
“There’s still a month left though.”
Saintess Angel had definitely said one to two months. Moreover, for Rosetta to make an appointment first before Angel came to visit—didn’t that seem like Rosetta was yielding to Angel?
Rosetta’s power was Puti’s power. Puti tried to stop Rosetta.
“How about waiting a bit longer?”
Then Rosetta, who hadn’t even looked at Puti until now, turned to look at him with gorgeous but sharply edged eyes and asked back:
“Are you advising me right now?”
Before those eyes could become any colder, Puti quickly bowed his head.
“I will go and return.”
As Puti left the room, Rosetta made a groaning sound behind him.
“I want to see you…. Heuuk.”
Puti left Rosetta’s room with disgust. And he carefully closed the door so that others wouldn’t hear Rosetta’s crying.
Puti walked quickly while fuming.
‘I wish this thing would end quickly.’
Whether it was love or fate or whatever Rosetta cried out for, Puti didn’t care—he just wanted that existence in the mirror to appear before Rosetta quickly now.
At this rate, it might become difficult to hide Rosetta’s changes any longer. Puti’s footsteps heading to send a letter to Angel became even faster.
***
Puti let out deep sighs. Two days ago, on Rosetta’s orders, he had sent a letter to Angel.
And he’d received a reply saying she would visit today.
‘When His Majesty calls, you should come running immediately. It took two days?’
If Rosetta had been his original self, this would never have been possible. Puti felt like he’d die of frustration.
‘Our Majesty called for you!’
This was all because that Saintess had become arrogant, trusting in the mirror. While cursing Angel inwardly for a while and heading toward Rosetta’s room, someone approached Puti.
“Um, Puti?”
Puti quickly cut off the conversation:
“I’m busy.”
They were obviously trying to dig out information about Rosetta’s strange behavior lately. But the servant didn’t back down that easily.
“Busy? These days His Majesty isn’t even working that hard, and isn’t he not receiving audiences either?”
Of course, lately Rosetta had been putting off all tasks unless absolutely necessary.
‘But he still does what must be done, you know?’
Moreover, Rosetta had an abundance of loyal retainers he had selected. Like Puti, Rosetta’s talented retainers were managing state affairs excellently even without the Emperor.
‘Selecting talented people is also His Majesty’s ability!’
Puti glared fiercely at the servant and said:
“What are you talking about? Where did you hear such false rumors? He’s busy today too. The Saintess is coming.”
He didn’t particularly like the Saintess, but still, it was fortunate he could use her like this. As Puti nodded satisfactorily, the servant looked at Puti with meaningful eyes and asked:
“Isn’t he meeting the Saintess too often these days?”
“What?”
Puti’s face crumpled. He guessed at once what words would come next. While Puti was desperately sending looks to shut that mouth, the servant’s mouth finally opened.
“Perhaps His Majesty and the Saintess are….”
Puti jumped up from his spot and shouted:
“No!”
To put it nicely, Puti gave a good-natured and cute impression with his drooping eyes and pale skin, but to put it badly, he looked easy to deal with—when he hardened his face and became serious like never before, the servant who had spoken was startled and stepped back.
“A-as I thought, right? That seems like a misunderstanding.”
Puti decided to chase away the servant before hearing any more ridiculous talk.
“Hurry and go do your work!”
“Okay, okay. I’m going.”
Having sent the servant away, Puti hurried toward Rosetta’s room. At this rate, truly absurd rumors seemed about to spread.
‘The Saintess and His Majesty! That can absolutely never happen.’
Puti hated the Saintess. Why? Because Rosetta hated the Saintess!
Puti was a loyal and faithful attendant. Since Rosetta hated the Saintess, Puti also hated the Saintess. So the Saintess could absolutely never be associated with the perfect and magnificent His Majesty.
Puti opened the door somewhat rudely. And he approached Rosetta, who was standing in front of the mirror as always, almost running.
“Your Majesty!”
“……”
Rosetta, as expected, had no response. Puti spoke as if appealing in frustration:
“Absurd false rumors are spreading outside!”
“…I can see.”
Rosetta’s voice was so small that Puti couldn’t understand his words at once. Moreover, right now there was something more important than talk about the man in the mirror. Puti said:
“Pardon? What are you saying? Outside there are absurd rumors…!”
At that moment, Rosetta, still with his gaze fixed on the mirror, only reached out his hand and grabbed Puti’s wrist.
“Puti.”
Puti answered in shock:
“Yes?”
Puti moved to his side as Rosetta led him. And he clearly captured Rosetta’s face in his eyes and was shocked.
Rosetta was shedding tears drip by drip.
Good grief. It was a sight he particularly didn’t want to see.
As Puti hurriedly fixed his gaze on the floor and tried to take out the handkerchief in his breast pocket, Rosetta said:
“I can keep seeing.”
Puti stopped his action of looking for the handkerchief and asked Rosetta:
“…What do you mean by that?”
“Not only when he’s sleeping, but now I can see all of his daily life.”
Puti’s eyes widened as he asked again:
“What? Really?”
“Yes.”
Rosetta’s face was brighter than ever. Looking now, the tears Rosetta was shedding were tears of joy.
Puti was greatly relieved. Hadn’t there been progress with the existence in the mirror?
It felt like he’d changed from a stalker watching a sleeping figure to a stalker watching all aspects of daily life, but anyway, if Rosetta was happy, then as a loyal attendant, Puti was happy too.
‘His Majesty’s happiness is my happiness!’
Also, hadn’t absurd rumors just been spreading? Since the connection with the existence in the mirror had become stronger, Rosetta wouldn’t need Angel anymore.
Puti asked happily:
“Then you don’t need to meet the Saintess, right?”
But contrary to Puti’s wishes, Rosetta answered firmly:
“No, I still need to call her.”
“What?”
As Puti quickly tried to stop him, Rosetta asked:
“I need to confirm how much time is left. Did you make the appointment?”
“She said she’d come today….”
“Good. Then talk to her when she comes.”
