Iberia's bedroom.
Severian sat down in the chair by the bed and guarded Iberia the whole time. It was because last night Iberia was sweating profusely and muttering an ominous sleep.
"I have to run away, something terrible is going to happen."
Since then, Severian has stood by Iberia's side. He's afraid the witch will come to harm him again.
Severian tightened his brow and looked at his grasp. In his hand was the black stone that Alice had given him.
'They said that if you throw this when it's dangerous, the opponent won't be able to move.'
First of all, he accepted it because it was a magic tool for self-defense, but he was very annoyed. It was because Alice's smiling face seemed to grow over the stone.
'Maybe there are other strange functions as well? Spying. There's no way that the perverted witch only has the function of self-defense, right?'
"Whew."
Severian shook his head. What if there is a spying function? He can't throw it away.
At that moment, Iberia began to grumble again. Severian looked around in disdain. Could it be that a witch came nearby?
'Ha. Really! Why the hell should I do this?'
Severian, who was very frightened, grabbed the stone like a rope and lamented his debt. He thought that he had to get involved in such a dangerous thing because of his stupid ancestors. He was crazy because he was resentful.
Fortunately, the witch did not invade. Iberia whined for a moment, then slowly opened her eyes.
Severian cheered.
"Huh! Yay! Has it finally happened? You can't even imagine what happened all this time! No, you are a prophet, so you must know? Anyway!"
Iberia rolled her blue eyes around for a moment to grasp the situation. Then she jumped up and grabbed Severian's collar.
"Brother, what about Gremory?"
"Uh... She's fine, so calm down. She also destroyed the second piece of grudge. She's also making a medicine that makes my body smaller."
"Ha, I'm glad she did... I had such vivid nightmares that I was temporarily confused between reality and dreams."
Feeling dizzy, Iberia lay down again. Severian asked, adjusting his clothes.
"What did you dream about?"
"It's a dream in which the demon god descends to the human world."
"What? How did she come to the human world? I know that because of some contract, she is bound by the throne and cannot come down. Isn't it just a nightmare?"
"I hope so. And I had one more dream."
"What is it?"
"I dream that one of the children of the imperial family has hair loss."
"Ahaha! It's a nightmare! Hey, isn't it something that happens to you?"
"It looks like a man."
"..."
Severian fiddled with the hair on his luscious hair for no reason.
"Anyway, if it happens, let's start with something important. What is the last piece of the Demon God's vengeful soul?"
"I don't know. Because of the punishment, I lost my foresight. I also forgot the future I knew."
Iberia fiddled with her fingers helplessly.
"Then there is a high probability that my hair loss dream is a nightmare."
"You're more interested in the hair on your head than the last piece of the Vengeful Soul."
"Of course. As for the last piece of the original soul, you'll find out soon in the Forbidden Book Storage Room anyway, right? As long as the potion you taught me is completed."
"Actually, I'm not sure that there will be the last piece of the original soul in the Forbidden Book Storage Room. I didn't see it through foresight, I just guessed the most likely part in my own way."
"So, how bad was the hair loss in the dream you had? Is it all peeled off?"
Iberia shook her head and lay down with her back to Severian.
"Hey, why? Tell me!"
"What do you care so much about my nightmare? Just go out. Because my head hurt."
"It's a dream you had, so I'm worried! There's no guarantee that it's a complete nightmare!"
"Oh, it's noisy!"
Annoyed, Iberia covered the blanket all the way to her head. As soon as she barely woke up, she heard something else. In the midst of suffering from a headache.
"I stayed by your side until you woke up, but can't you say this much?"
"Thank you so much. But can't we talk about it later? My head is ringing so much right now."
"Ha... okay. I got it."
Severian lost his temper and went out of the bedroom. Then he suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway. It was because there was a colorful mirror placed there.
'Wait. You said that one of the children of the Imperial family is a man who has hair loss. Isn't there a possibility that it's not me?'
Chession Ethel, because he is also the son of the Imperial family.
Severian swept his ample blonde hair for no reason. Then, three strands of hair caught between his fingers.
"...!"
For no reason, the eerie Severian escaped from the mirror as if he were running away.
***
While enjoying dinner, a letter appeared in front of Chession's eyes. It was a letter from Severian.
[ Hey, I'm here.
Iberia woke up. She's losing all her foresight because of the punishment, so she doesn't know the exact location of the last vengeful soul piece.
Anyway, drugs that make you younger are going smoothly. It will be made around your birthday. I'll give you the location of the last Soul Fragment as a birthday present.
I didn't really care about your birthday, so don't get me wrong. It's just that there is only one day difference between me and you, so I was forced to remember it.
And you should be careful of hair loss. ]
"...Hair loss?"
Chession put down the spoon and touched his ample silver hair. Gremory, who was tearing off a raw chicken leg next to him, snooped and looked at the letter.
"Hair loss? Are you going bald?"
"Why is he suddenly asking me to be careful of hair loss?"
"Didn't Iberia see the future?"
"...It won't be. She's lost all his foresight."
Chession, who was frustrated, crumpled the letter into his pocket and picked up the spoon again. It was clear that the bored Severian had played a terrible prank.
'It's my birthday. Come to think of it, I forgot about it for a long time.'
Since Iris's death, he had never thought of a birthday. In the imperial palace, he was not treated like a human because he was wrapped around Iris, and after settling in as the Grand Duke of Ethel, he was busy stabilizing the estate. Because of his hard life, he never received birthday presents from other nobles.
Since the ban on witch hunts, virtuous nobles have sent gifts little by little, but he has not paid much attention to them. He was so busy that he couldn't even care about birthday presents.
'Did Isolene give me a handkerchief that she embroidered herself?'
He thinks he received something from Catherine as well, but he doesn't remember the details.
'At that time, I didn't think my birthday was worth celebrating. I thought my life was gloomy and cursed.'
But now it was different. Chession smiled softly as he looked at the family members sitting together and eating.
He was greedy to take care of his birthday this year. For him, and for them. If he passes the birthday in a gloomy way like before, wouldn't it be uncomfortable for the family members?
So Chession gave a sneak peek.
"Mori, it's my birthday in six days."
"Uh, yes."
Gremory chewed the chicken leg sourly. Chession was a little confused.
"...Do you know what humans do on their birthdays?"
"I don't know."
"Usually throw a party."
"Are you going to have a party too?"
"I just thought we would enjoy a simple dinner together."
"Well."
Isolene noticed that Gremory was deliberately reacting sullenly. She said she was preparing a surprise gift, and it seemed that she was acting like a sullen woman to surprise him.
"Your Highness, why don't you hold a big banquet if you can? Usually, aristocrats hold banquets on their birthdays. We also invite some people to the Grand Duke's residence."
"No, time is too tight to prepare for the banquet. And it's overwhelming."
"Oh, there's a witch here who can do anything, so what's there to worry about? Mori, can you use magic to prepare for the banquet?"
"Hmm, banquet."
Gremory pondered for a moment. She didn't really like crowded and noisy banquets, but she wanted to take care of Chession with great care since it was his birthday.
"I can prepare enough."
"Yes! Then let's start with the invitation! Your Highness, I think we need to return the invitation urgently, so I'll sort out the list by tomorrow morning!"
Chession felt proud when he saw the excited Isolene. To hold a noisy birthday banquet at the Grand Duke of Ethel's residence, which was so gloomy and uninteresting.
'If Mori hadn't appeared in my life, this day would never have come.'
Meanwhile, Gremory was chewing on the chicken. Chession laughed heartily.
"Yes, please."
It was a time of harmony. Chession saw something lying on the table.
It was four strands of hair.
"..."
Suddenly, Severian's warning came to his mind, and Chession ate a spoonful of black bean dishes.
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