In front of me, Carat and Henry sat on their knees, raising their hands as if they were already there.
"Mary also recognizes me, and I'm very stupid."
"Hugh... That idiot Henry and I are on the same level. It's unfair!"
The two children squeezed their heads, as if trying to knock some sense into themselves.
"Head. If you hit it. Worse. Lose it."
It was frustrating that I had to cut off my words to spit them out loudly. But Carat, who quickly understood my words, nodded vigorously.
"Huh, hehe. My precious Mage Tower head is the best. So you can't!"
"Oh, no!"
Carat and Axion lowered their hands.
'By the way, what should I do about this appearance...? I can't keep looking like this!'
Did he read my worried expression? Axion shouted majestically, his arms crossed. "So, Mel, did you end up like this while experimenting?"
To be precise, it was like this when I touched the dragon's egg. However, I didn't have the energy to explain further, so I just nodded.
"Yes."
"Then you need someone to restore you to normal!"
"Really?"
"That's it! You can call the best wizard in the Mage Tower and ask him to cast a spell on you!"
"...That's right."
It was kind of embarrassing to show this face to someone. I rubbed my cheeks, which were as black as coal. My once-blonde hair, which had swelled up like a bomb, was also rough to my fingertips.
'This hair... Can I bring it back to life?'
"I'll call Rasmus! He also knows how to use healing techniques."
If it were Rasmus, it would be less embarrassing, and he was already familiar with my face. I nodded, touching my head.
"Trust us, Mel!"
"I, Carat, will save you, a wonderful warrior!"
"The hero who will save Princess Mary is none other than Carat!"
It was a bit chaotic, but I could read their intention to save me from danger. After the children left, I glared at the egg on the table. Then, the dragon's egg rolled backward. That damn dragon seemed to be able to sense something even when it was an egg. Whatever it was, I knew I'd die once it was fully hatched!
After a while, everyone came out of the silent laboratory, and Isaac sat facing me. I tried to cover my face and muttered to him, "...I heard that Rasmus is coming."
Why did Isaac come?
"I don't want to show Isaac this kind of face."
"Do you like Rasmus better?" Isaac asked with a soft smile.
"No, what..."
I don't know why, but for me, Isaac was the number one person I didn't want to show this kind of appearance to the most. Maybe it was a good thing that my face was as black as burnt bread, so he couldn't read my expression well. My cheeks must have been hot with shame.
He stared at my face and asked me like a complaint, "Are you two already close?"
"Don't keep looking at it. It's a monster." I didn't like the way he spoke.
Isaac whispered calmly as if he were talking to himself, and put his hand on my head. "It's just pretty."
My face turned bright red. Oh, why did he always throw out comments like that to make people excited?
"Curly hair is cute."
In his mind, it seemed that my hair was now glorified as curly hair. But strictly speaking, it was a bomb that had burned all my hair right now.
Isaac smiled brightly at me, who was half-confused, and casually put his hand on my burnt hair. "I'll help you."
When his hand reached it, my hair slowly regained its original gorgeous gold color. I had seen a lot of magic in this world, but it was my first time using restoration magic, so I was very surprised.
"Isaac, you really look like a wizard! Oh, you are a wizard."
At my compliment, he smiled faintly and put his hand near my face. New warmth began to grow on my cheeks. His hand was slowly descending towards the lower part of my face, past my plump forehead and round eyes. And it was getting closer to my slightly parted lips.
'Why am I so nervous?'
Soon his fingers touched my lips. The feeling of his sharp fingertips freely moving over my burnt lips and tapping them was meaningful. I felt strange and held my breath, closing my eyes tightly. I felt my eyelashes tremble.
Isaac whispered in a low voice, "Open your eyes, Mel."
"Oh, are you done with the treatment?"
I believed his words and opened my eyes, but I couldn't hide my doubts. I still felt a sharp sensation on my lips.
"I don't think it's all over." The light from Isaac's fingertips was still there.
Faced with my puzzled expression, Isaac whispered in a muffled voice, "It's not over. It's just me and Mel..."
"..."
"...Because I want to face you."
His voice was half-wet, as if tempting. I exhaled reflexively and looked at him again.
"...Yes?"
His eyes captivated me. Was this what it felt like to have honey dripping from your eyes? At Isaac's words, I quietly avoided his gaze. I couldn't look at Isaac anymore.
'Do I feel like I'm being tricked by something?'
It felt like I was being gently frozen and twitched. As if Isaac had read my mind, his laughter said in a clear voice, "Do you remember when Mel told me to live as I pleased?"
Did I do that? Come to think of it, I think I said that someday...
"I think it was... I pray... for it."
Isaac's fingertips were close to my lips, making it awkward to speak. When I awkwardly raised the corner of my mouth, his hand gently touched my lips again. The touch was exceptionally clear. The feeling of each fluff squatting down made me stiffen nervously.
"Actually, I've been doing this for a long time... I wanted to do it."
Seeing my bewildered expression, he smiled refreshingly and took his hand off my lips. I put my hand over my lips as if possessed. My lips were back as they were. I blushed as I touched my lips tightly and finally spat out what I wanted to say.
"No, why did you suddenly think about...?"
"Why, don't you really like the temptation to do it openly?" Isaac laughed lowly.
As his deep-set eyes drew a line, his expression became even more desolate and lonely. Seeing that expression, my heart pounded and beat violently.
'...Think about it. Shouldn't your heart race in this situation?'
The dragon's egg was touched by mistake and became like burnt bread, and now it has finally returned to its original state. Is that all? I challenged the Pope, and maybe I'm about to go head-to-head with him! Isn't it a foul to have your heart pound too fast for the same person in such a crisis situation? In my life, I have never felt such a tightness and pounding in my heart.
"It's not that I don't like it... But that, more than that!" I said, pressing my dry lips to the tip of my tongue. If you are too embarrassed, people want to avoid the situation. And I was no exception to that law.
"...I have something to say."
Crazy. How do you change the topic so unclearly? I wanted to hit my mouth very much in my heart, but Isaac responded to my words seriously and kindly.
"Yes, Mel."
As I was thinking about what to say, a flash of what I really needed to say came to my mind.
"...So, I'm afraid I'll misunderstand, but I didn't get hurt while experimenting with that magic."
Earlier, it was difficult to tell the children about dragon eggs, so I told them that I had done a magic experiment. But I had to be honest with Isaac and work together to find a solution.
"Then why are you hurt?"
"This happened because I touched the dragon's egg by mistake. When I touched the egg, it suddenly felt strange, as if light was shining through my body."
He responded to my words surprisingly sincerely.
"Where's the egg?"
"Hey, it's behind here."
I pointed to the dragon egg that stopped rolling towards the table. When he stood up as if he were indifferent to saying nothing, I let out a sigh of relief inward.
'Did it go well?'
Fortunately, I felt like I had time to think. I needed time to find out why Isaac was doing that, why he suddenly decided to twist me, and why my heart was shaking like a reed.
Isaac, who had come with a dragon egg from the table, sat down across from me again.
"The surface is hot. It is said that hatching usually begins when it gets hot like this..."
"Now?"
I looked at the surface of the egg, which had not yet moved.
"Yes, let's wait a moment."
It sounds pretty awkward! But I had a mission to hatch dragon eggs.
"Yes!"
Isaac nodded languidly, holding the dragon's egg in his hand, whispering softly.
"Well, Mel, there's something you shouldn't forget."
Isaac's face began to slowly approach. I couldn't help but open my eyes and watch him approach.
"I'm going to keep seducing you."
His face came close to me and stopped. Obsidian-like black eyes filled my field of vision. I was embarrassed by the hooked face, and only my eyes blinked.
"I hope you look forward to it in the future."
Isaac looked at me indifferently, as if he were trying to seduce. His face did not turn red, and his friendly face was filled with a characteristic smile.
It was me who was really confused. I only glared at the dragon egg in his hand.
Isaac is interested in me. Up to that point, I had noticed it very slightly. And now they are trying to seduce me openly!
Why all of a sudden?
I tried to soothe my stiff face by playing a hand fan. However, I was still completely focused on what Isaac said.