The atmosphere became a little gloomy.
Eric, sensing that, quickly threw out a light joke.
"Why aren't my walls made of sugar? If they had melted long ago, they would have been easy to untangle. Come to my dreams, Mrs. Winston. I may not be able to melt mine, but I may be able to melt yours."
It was a secret joke between just the two of them.
Thanks to that, Bridget was able to smile again.
It was time to stop chatting and get to work.
"Sir Eric, is it okay if I come closer?"
"Of course."
Eric, who wanted to talk to her a little longer, gave up his seat to Bridget.. hiding his regret.
Bridget, who had been sitting on a single seat for purification, moved to sit next to Eric on the long sofa.
Eric felt the same way last time, but he thought that Bridget had a faint floral scent that he liked.
'It doesn't seem to be perfume. It's probably perfume oil.'
It was clear that she enjoyed the fragrant oil bath.
'Would you like it if I gave you some perfume next time I come?'
Bridget placed her hand over the back of his hand.
Then he felt the refreshing energy he felt last time.
"It feels like standing in a windy field on a clear day."
Bridget smiled gently and sweetly.
"I think Sir Eric is good at expressing his feelings."
"Am I like that?"
"I guess you're delicate."
"I guess that's a compliment?"
"Sure."
Bridget's casual remark lifted Eric's spirits.
Eric wished that the purge had taken a little longer.
It's already over. It's a shame.
Not knowing his mind, Bridget smiled prettily and said.
"When I first saw Sir Eric, I thought that the healing would be slow because the magical energy he had gathered was so vast. But fortunately, you seem to be recovering faster than expected."
"There wasn't much to purify this time?"
"Yes. Is there anything happy happening these days?"
It's a happy thing.
Eric looked at Bridget, smiling silently.
But then his smile hardened subtly at Bridget's subsequent words.
"I think I just need to look at it one or two more times."
"Once or twice..."
It was certainly good news.
If magi don't gather, it means that the sick mind has healed.
But to him now, it was like a bolt from the blue.
Eric forced a smile. It was a familiar feeling for him to smile even when he didn't feel like smiling.
He ended the conversation with Bridget naturally without giving a hint of anything.
Then he got up and left the living room.
His expression fell as the door closed and Bridget was completely out of sight.
'Once or twice.'
He put his hand on his chest with a dark face.
As he stood there for a while, unable to move his feet, Millea approached him.
"What did Bridget say?"
"I've Improved so much, Mom."
Eric smiled broadly.
"That's fortunate."
Millea was very happy.
"By the way, while you're at the palace, you should go see His Majesty. He was worried about you when you were sick. He thinks of you as a younger brother."
At those words, Eric's mask-like smiling face distorted slightly.
He bit the flesh inside his lip once and nodded.
"Yes. I will."
***
Julian met Eric in the office of the central palace.
He didn't even look up from the documents he was looking at.
He did it on purpose, even though the documents didn't really catch his eye.
"..."
Eric, who was sitting in the chair near the desk, didn't even look at Julian.
Julian wanted Eric to be uncomfortable, and Eric was uncomfortable.
Only after he had sufficiently harassed Eric did Julian open his mouth.
"What do you want to do?"
"I have nothing special to do. I just wanted to say hello."
"Tsk, do I look that idle?"
"Don't be upset. I am not idle. I had business to attend to at the palace, and my mother told me to go and see Your Majesty. My mother knows that I am too idle."
Julian looked at Eric expressionlessly.
"You don't look too happy about having the privilege of having me alone thanks to Millea."
"No, It's not. I'm so happy I want to dance."
"And whining."
"If you feel bad, kill me and feel better. I know my mother will be sad, but she doesn't care about other people's feelings anyway."
"Even threats."
"How dare I."
Eric shrugged.
Tyrant Julian. A murderer, a depraved and cruel demon.
Julian was someone everyone was afraid of, but to Eric, he was the only person he could truly show his true self to.
No matter how notorious Julian was, their relationship was still filled with memories of the time when he would cry and take baths because he didn't want to wash.
"You refused to accept an official position and avoided me. What's going on in the palace?"
"I don't want to work in the palace because I'm afraid of Your Majesty. Just making eye contact with Your Majesty makes my stomach churn and gives me nightmares."
Julian snorted.
"This guy is so good at talking. No one takes me for granted like you do."
"If it seemed that way. Your Majesty was mistaken."
"You don't even answer my questions properly. Are my questions difficult? Why is a sick person loitering around the palace?"
Julian put down the papers in his hands. Now it was time to get to the main point.
Eric looked straight at Julian.
"Bridget is treating me."
It was a provocation.
Eric always called her Mrs. Winston in front of Bridget, but he deliberately told Julian her name.
One of Julian's eyebrows rose.
"You speak as if you were close friends."
"We can share secrets to some extent."
"Secret?"
Eric smiled faintly.
"It's a secret, so no matter how curious Your Majesty is, I can't tell you."
Julian also smiled sharply.
"Do that. If it was important enough for me to know, Bridget would have told me."
Eric, who had been provoked by that laid-back attitude, was instead upset.
Normally he wouldn't have acted that way, but today he found himself getting emotional without even realizing it.
"Your Majesty, don't you think it is selfish to keep her by your side?"
Julian's eyes changed slightly.
Up until now, it seemed like Eric and him were bickering, but it was actually a conversation between affectionate brothers.
But Eric was about to cross the line.
"Is this greed?"
"Your Majesty, Mrs. Winston has been overexposed. You have many enemies. And..."
"And?"
Eric bit his lip and glared at Julian.
After hesitating for a moment, he finally said what he had been struggling with.
"You will be returning soon. I do not believe in eternal rainbows. If the rumors were true, my mother would not be so upset about you."
Julian's expression turned cold.
The air seemed to suddenly become cold.
Eric had difficulty breathing, perhaps because of the tension, so he pulled down his tie a little.
Julian warned.
"Up to there."
But now that Eric had confessed this much, he couldn't stop the accusations he had been thinking about.
"I will not be able to protect Brigitte."
"Stop."
Crunch.
"Ugh!"
A shadow knight appeared from nowhere and grabbed Eric by the collar with one hand.
Its huge shadow covered Eric.
Eric squeezed his eyes shut.
"Did you also sit her down impulsively like this? Without thinking about the consequences. You are always like that."
Even though he was out of breath, Eric smiled and relaxed.
"You would rather kill me. I know that you are longing for my mother and Bridget and that you are always by my side. Even though you know that you will become a monster who will harm those around you, you cannot separate those you love for your own sake."
"..."
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