Side Story Episode 9

However, Xenon was different from back then, rendering his master's worries meaningless.

To begin with, his mother and Anelli were fundamentally different beings, the emotions he felt were different, and their relationship was different—how could he possibly arrive at the same outcome?

If Anelli were to try to leave his side in any way… he wouldn't just helplessly let go and sink into despair. Unless, perhaps, he found some means to prevent it.

But from the start, it didn't seem like she would try to leave him. Because she loved him.

In fact, she even possessed a rather strong sense of possessiveness.

The moment he thought that, a familiar voice called from behind.

"Xenon!"

Xenon, who had been looking up at the sky, turned around sharply. The person who appeared, adorned with animals like ornaments, was Anelli.

"Lady Anelli? What brings you here?"

"I had some business that required me to step outside the palace for a moment, and then I heard you were seen over here."

"Heard I was seen? Who on earth…"

Xenon, about to ask who had reported such a thing, paused. It was because he spotted an unidentified insect scurrying past his feet.

After confirming that a black bumblebee even flew towards the insect, Xenon nodded calmly. Insects are everywhere, after all.

"It seems I could never escape Lady Anelli's notice in my entire life."

"…Do you want to escape?"

Anelli, who had been striding towards him, halted at his words. Frowning, she openly displayed her displeasure.

Xenon beamed a bright smile at her.

"Of course not. But if I were to run away, you would chase after me, wouldn't you?"

Even with the conditional "if," Anelli still seemed far from pleased. Yet, Xenon did not retract his smile.

"For the record, I like a possessive Lady Anelli."

Anelli's expression remained unchanged. However, having seen quite a few of her various moods by now, Xenon easily discerned the pouty emotion hidden beneath.

Glancing down slightly, Anelli answered in a deliberately nonchalant tone.

"Chasing isn't difficult. But since you'd be caught anyway, I don't see the need to waste unnecessary energy."

"Naturally."

I really should show this side of Anelli to my master.

Suppressing the urge to use a recording artifact right then, Xenon took the hand of Anelli, who had drawn near.

Feeling the small hand willingly clasp his own made his heart flutter.

"But where have you been? I did ask you to stay quietly in the imperial palace."

"I had some business to attend to."

Xenon, who had been walking while vigorously swinging their linked arms back and forth, looked at Anelli with curious eyes.

He had a fair grasp of Anelli's daily schedule. Especially because the farther she needed to travel, the more she required his magic.

Even if it wasn't teleportation magic, Anelli had become thoroughly accustomed to the practicality of magic, so whenever something came up, she always discussed her plans with Xenon.

But there was nothing scheduled for today.

"What business?"

He naturally expected her to tell him, but Anelli did not readily speak. A subtle shadow seemed to pass over her face, as if she was recalling something from earlier.

After tilting her head for a moment as if pondering, she soon answered in a sulky tone.

"I dislike possessive people."

It was an indirect way of saying she didn't want to talk about it. For her to evade the answer to this extent…

As Xenon ran through topics in his mind that she wouldn't withhold from him, his face stiffened instantly.

"…You're not planning to find another chef besides me, are you?"

When he asked seriously, Anelli looked at him with incredulous eyes.

"Are you sticking by my side just to cook?"

"Of course not! But I can only feel at ease if the food Lady Anelli eats is made by my own hands."

"You're obsessed."

Shaking her head while looking at Xenon with exasperated eyes, a faint smile played on her profile. Was it because of Xenon's nonsensical words? The shadow that had briefly clouded her face had vanished.

Xenon, who had been quietly watching her, suddenly parted his lips.

"Ah, Lady Anelli."

"Hmm?"

He waved his free hand through the air. Following the light flick of his fingers, pink light gathered and soon formed a bouquet of magical flowers sparkling like starlight.

"Here."

Xenon abruptly placed the abundantly created bouquet into Anelli's arms. Startled, Anelli, who had reflexively caught the bouquet, widened her eyes.

"What is this commemorating?"

"It commemorates Lady Anelli's possessiveness towards me."

"I've never been possessive."

Despite her curt retort, Anelli obediently cradled the bouquet and examined it closely. And Xenon gazed at her with fond eyes.

Even though the flowers were made of light, Anelli's face holding them seemed even brighter.

Xenon marveled anew. Even now, while using an appearance-altering spell, Anelli was simply beautiful.

Especially those eyes that sparkled even more in the light.

"These aren't roses."

"They are lisianthus."

Anelli, looking down at the bouquet with wonder, smiled faintly. Given how often he had frivolously used flower-blooming magic, one might think she'd grown indifferent, but it was always like this.

She always smiled when looking at the flowers Xenon gave her. Whether they were flowers conjured by magic or the ones planted in every corner of Veladia Castle.

"It would be nice if they didn't disappear."

Magic was not eternal. As if regretting the gradually fading form of the bouquet, Anelli let out a soft sigh.

Xenon, watching her reaction with proud eyes, tightened his grip on their joined hands and spoke.

"I'll make more for you."

The flowers crumbled into pink particles. Gazing at Anelli enveloped in those particles, Xenon said,

"After all, there will be new things to commemorate every day from now on."

Anelli, who had been quietly looking down at her now-empty hands, chuckled softly and nodded.

It seemed best to walk back to the imperial palace. Thinking so, Xenon tugged her hand along.

Occasionally, walking hand in hand like this could also make for a good date.

* * *

While waiting for the coronation, I intermittently inquired about information regarding Pallides in the capital, but I did not obtain any meaningful results.

‘For now, I should be satisfied with having found Minte and Bark on this outing.’

Hearing from the animals that there was again no significant progress today, I let out a sigh. Perhaps expecting to find all three at once was simply my own greed.

‘Or else…’

Surely, it couldn't be that Pallides hasn't been resurrected.

Even as I thought it impossible, the assumption that perhaps she had chosen a different form of rest instead of remaining in this land persistently lingered in my mind.

Otherwise, how could she remain undiscovered like this? If she had opened her eyes, she would surely have tried to find me.

The more I continued this train of thought, the more a headache surged. Pressing my temples firmly, I exhaled a shallow breath and rose.

As I stood with arms crossed, quietly looking out the window, I noticed a crowd gathered near the entrance of the palace where I was staying.

"Tsk."

I clicked my tongue and leaned against the window frame. I couldn't hear the conversation happening below. But just from their appearance, I could roughly guess the situation.

First, that throng of people were undoubtedly the foreign envoys said to be staying at the imperial palace lately. Though we hadn't been formally introduced, their attire made it obvious.

The reason they had crowded before the palace was also plain to see. Naturally, it would be to see the Resurrected One.

"How persistent."

To my knowledge, the envoys had been steadily visiting this palace since the day I decided to stay at the imperial palace.

I had never once met with them, thanks to Xenon personally refusing their visits at the palace entrance.

Despite the attendants separately assigned by Heinri, Xenon was personally stepping forward like this to turn away all visitors to this palace.

According to him, he did it because 'the attendants might not be able to properly stop them.' He said if necessary, he could just block them at the source with magic.

Certainly, his reasoning had merit. Being foreign envoys, they would all be individuals hard to ignore, so mere imperial palace attendants would have limits in boldly blocking their way.

In contrast, Xenon, belonging to the independent Magic Tower which answered to no one, could disregard those envoys without hesitation.

‘Of course, that means Lord Heinri will have to deal with the fallout.’

Well, I'm sure he'll handle it adeptly.

Today as well, I could see the envoys stamping their feet and fuming in frustration at Xenon, who stood before the palace like an iron wall. Shrugging his shoulders, Xenon seemed indifferent to their agitation.

Eventually, the envoys turned away with nothing gained. Whether it was because they had failed to meet me even on the day before the coronation, their retreating figures were filled with anger.

As I stared blankly at their backs with disinterested eyes, I saw an imperial palace attendant running towards us from afar.

Xenon, who had been about to enter the palace, also noticed him and paused.

"Huh?"

Without much thought, I tilted my head as I watched the imperial attendant. It was because the attendant's face seemed vaguely familiar.

Where had I seen that face before…

Squinting my eyes, I peered intently at the attendant's face when Xenon stepped in front of him.

The attendant exchanged a few words with Xenon, then bowed deeply and launched into a lengthy speech. Judging by his demeanor, he seemed to be making a request.

Throughout the attendant's speech, Xenon's expression remained impassive. No significant emotional change was visible. So, it was difficult to guess what was happening.

Soon, Xenon shook his head. At that, the attendant made a pitiful face and began bowing deeply again. Xenon continued to watch him with an indifferent expression.

As I stared fixedly at them, I finally realized the identity of that attendant.

"Ah…!"

A low exclamation escaped me unbidden. With eyes wide, I stared at the attendant with a somewhat astonished gaze.

He was someone who couldn't help but be familiar. That attendant was the personal servant who had attended Maxel most closely.