My head spun. The confusion from Knox's last question was disorienting enough, but the real problem was my body, which had directly absorbed his magic.
'By how many percent did it suddenly increase? What in the world...?'
I leaned into Kyle's arms, gasping for breath. My chest felt tight with frustration. Wasn't this a breach of contract? He truly had no conscience.
"I can feel the magic," Kyle stated in a sharp voice.
Knox replied with a hint of apology. "That's right. I gave her a potion made by melting my magic. I wanted to see the difference in power between a child's strength and my own. As the Grand Duke knows, if unrefined magic from others flows into the body..."
"But this...!" Kyle cut him off.
"It's absorbed without excessive filtration. It's like filling an empty bowl."
"I'm experiencing the effects. What's the solution?" Kyle demanded, his voice laced with urgency.
"We have to crush or relieve it with some other magic."
"Alright, alright, just hurry up and fix it...!" When the pain didn't subside easily, I snapped at them both. Was this a time for operational meetings? Just fix it quickly!
As Knox pondered, Kyle pulled me closer, placing a hand on my back and letting his magic flow. A hot, yet strangely cool, power surged through me.
"Don't hold it in," Kyle whispered, kissing my forehead.
Even amidst the hardship, I felt a small measure of relief. My teeth were clenched, my fingers digging into his arm—a firm, yet gentle, touch. The pain that had stolen my breath slowly melted away. My condition, which had felt on the verge of fainting, gradually improved.
[External forces collide and cancel each other out.] [Current Incident Interference Rate: 61%] [Current Abnormal Interference Rate: 55%] [Current Incident Interference Rate: 47%]
The abnormally high interference rate began to slowly decrease. It would be a lie to say I wasn't lucky, but my greed had prevented me from reaching my goal entirely.
'After all, rather than just reading books and collecting stories, wouldn't it be faster to experience it myself and gain the power that way?'
Still, I'm just trying to live a normal life, and here I am, practically spitting blood... It feels like I've caught some terrible illness.
As I dabbed the corners of my mouth with the handkerchief Kyle gave me, he gently rubbed the corners of my eyes, a worried expression on his face.
"Your eyes look a bit sunken."
"Yes?"
"They're a bit blue."
It seemed to be an influence of the magic. Like Kyle's red eyes, or Knox's blue ones.
"It's okay now." My breathing was stable, and the unpleasant thumping in my heart had disappeared.
Kyle nodded as if he understood my condition, then drew the sword from his waist and swung it lightly. With a whoosh, a gust of wind brushed past me. In the blink of an eye, he had thrown his sword.
Blood welled up on Knox's cheek, dripped down his chin, and then fell to the floor. So swiftly was the cut made that the blood seemed to shimmer into existence a moment after the wound appeared.
"Are you going to just take this much?" Kyle's voice was low and dangerous. "If you do something strange just once, the next thing is your neck."
"Please refer to it," Knox replied, completely unfazed. He didn't seem to mind it at all. He merely raised one corner of his mouth slightly, reacting with a casual 'Indeed.' Such was his composure.
"So, what is the answer to my question?" Knox pressed, his gaze fixed on me.
An awkward silence fell. I froze. At first, I had thought it insignificant—or rather, I had been far more concerned with my physical condition. But Kyle, who had been so focused on my well-being, now gripped my arm as if something felt profoundly wrong. His usually clear body temperature felt heavy against me. I couldn't even bear to raise my head, wishing I could shrink into something as small as a hamster.
I didn't expect to be able to hide it. However, I couldn't bring myself to say it. At least not like this, not in such a rushed manner.
"Do you wish to invoke your right to remain silent?" Knox asked.
"I'll exercise my right to silence," I replied curtly.
"Is it not useful?"
"That's it."
Kyle's hand, still gripping my arm, trembled slightly. In truth, my silence was as good as an answer. Kyle couldn't have known for sure, but an explanation was needed. I just didn't want to talk about it like this.
"I'll explain," I managed to squeeze out.
Kyle fell silent at my words. I didn't know what he was thinking, but even if I did, it would be difficult to understand.
"Let me explain it myself," I insisted.
"Oh, no. It seems the Grand Duke was completely unaware. This must be a great shock," Knox interjected, seemingly without a shred of empathy. "Did you not deserve the opportunity? Or was it a matter of courage?"
"Shut up," I gritted through my teeth.
"Allow me to speak with His Highness for a moment," Knox said, leaning against the shelf, arms crossed, looking down at us both. I couldn't detect any agitation from the bastard. Even when faced with the revelation that this world was merely fiction, Knox didn't waver in the slightest. He seemed almost pleased, and regretful, that his questions had been resolved.
He showed no signs of backing down, so I grabbed Kyle's arm and pulled him out of the laboratory. I didn't have the confidence to look at his face, so I held his hand, keeping my back to him the entire time. Luckily, Kyle kept pace with me.
We returned to the room. Even then, the awkward silence followed us.
"Don't look back," I murmured. He must have a terrifying expression. He might feel betrayed, or perhaps it's the sheer impact of the revelation...
"Shu," he called my name as I stood still, his voice low and quiet, making it impossible to discern his emotions.
"Shu, look at me."
"I'm sorry," I began, my words tumbling out. "I wasn't trying to hide it the whole time, but no, it's more absurd than that... Because... I must seem like a crazy person, right? Even if you call me crazy, this time I have no words. In the first place, it's useless... So, I often joke about it... Eup."
Kyle's hand blocked my mouth as I babbled nonsense. Then, he wrapped his other arm around my waist, pulled me into a hug, and sat me on his lap. My forehead touched his. His dark hair tickled my forehead. His hands, though subtly trembling, were warm, but his eyes were calm.
"I'm fine."
"..."
"First, calm down. Then, speak slowly, one thing at a time. Do you understand?"
I felt the cold knot in my heart begin to loosen. I nodded slowly.
Kyle smiled slightly and pulled his hand away. "Yes. It's good."
Even at that moment, his kind smile made me feel a little like crying.
The entire time I tried to explain it with my nonsensical words, Kyle swallowed what he wanted to ask, waiting patiently. I told him that this was all part of a novel, '
Such heartless facts slowly accumulated in Kyle's mind.
"It wasn't foresight. I already knew the contents of the book, and with the help of a helper, I was checking my condition by referring to the original story..."
"As for my 'condition,' it was merely a check of my remaining lifespan."
I kept my mouth shut, watching Kyle's expression. He still didn't look as different from usual as I'd expected.
He said it was okay to hug me every time I was nervous, but this situation was far from 'okay.' To completely deny someone's life, to deny their trials and tribulations—it was the same as doing that. It was natural that it would be hard to believe what I said, and even if he did, the shock would be considerable. However, Kyle seemed a little cautious and calm, and instead of caring for my feelings, he checked my condition first.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm worried about you now."
"I'm always worried about you."
"That's right. Perhaps because Your Highness gave me your magic, I've gotten better." I wrapped my hands around his cheeks and gently brushed the corners of his eyes with my thumb. He hadn't cried, nor did he seem on the verge of tears. So, I actually wanted to cry a little.
"What are you thinking now, Your Highness?"
"Well." Kyle leaned his face against my palm and lowered his eyes. "My world, and my story, was just a tale born from someone's fingertips... a mere fabrication..."
"..."
"My mother died so miserably, and I came to this cold land... It wasn't my fault that I wandered around. Such a cowardly thought to have."
"Your Highness."
"If I said I wasn't feeling vain, I'd be lying. My mind is also confused. But that's okay. Even if my life was born from someone's imagination, woven into a few lines of writing, and confined to a book... Still, all these emotions I feel when I look at you now, I don't think they're fake."
"..."
"Shu, what about you?"
"Me?"
"Yes. Do you think I am just a character, this place where I've lived, this place where you've spent a moment of your life—are they just illusions or fantasies?"
I looked at his red eyes. Memories of us being together flooded my mind. Looking at each other, laughing, kissing, holding hands, making sarcastic jokes, and all the times we faced adversity or hardship with anxiety or fear—they were all imbued with reality. Not only that. Though unlucky, Belial still truly loved Sen. The smart and savage Lorenz, who was cowardly and wanted to land just one hit. Knox, who was unlucky in his own way. The tough James and the knights of the Blake Knights...
And, Kyle Jane Meinhardt. Kyle Blake. My Grand Duke.
"Am I just a character in a story to you?" he asked, his voice soft.
"That's impossible, isn't it?" My voice got wet.
"..."
"Your Highness is not just a story, someone who can live so miserably and die. No, you're not. I changed everything. Do you know... Even if I hadn't been here, even if I couldn't change anything... Still..." My eyes blurred. Tears welled up, blurring my vision.
Kyle cupped my cheeks with his hands and smiled. It was as if he thought I was crying for myself, for my own feelings.
"Still, all this time, the will I've had, and the heart that loves you—they are not meaningless. This is not a novel or a game, but a single reality. I truly believe that."
"Reality..."
"Yes, reality," Kyle said sincerely. "So, I'm fine."
The most realistic warmth in the world embraced me tightly. It couldn't have been more warm and affectionate.