Volume 4 Chapter 7 Part 3 (2/2)

As his eyes grew wider and wider, he opened his mouth again and took another bite. He seemed to like it, and even though his mouth was small, he managed to devour the whole skewer in a matter of seconds.

Having filled our stomachs, I could feel myself becoming more and more tired. Apparently becoming sleepy after a good meal was the thing that was characteristic for both children and adults alike.

「Good night, Edi.」

He didn’t even have to answer to that. His eyes should have been closed, but when I got into my bed myself I could see that he was looking at me. I smiled at him gently and then his eyes finally closed. Soon enough, his small chest began to move up and down in a steady rhythm, indicating that he was asleep.

No matter how vigilant he might be, a child is still nothing but that –– a child. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t win against sleepiness. I stood up from the bed and opened my trunk again, taking out a small pendant that was wrapped in one of my dresses, wondering if it was a blessing or a curse that this man became a child like that. It was something that I got from the Princess, a magic item that would allow me to hold a conversation no matter the distance.

「「Rose is my strength, lily is my kindness, my heart is always with you.」」

I sing a verse from a very famous poem, and then the magic stone in the pendant begins to shine. A moment passes with nothing happening, and then…

Needless to say, because of the late hour the Princess was dressed in her nightgown, and her beautiful silver-white hair were let loose, surrounding her face like a silver cascade. I couldn’t stop thinking to myself that it was a true feast for the eyes. Even the biggest sinners would surely swear to redeem their evil ways upon seeing her like that. She was so beautiful that it made me question my own womanly charms.

As the Princess was looking at me, I gave a slight bow while lifting the hem of my dress just a little bit.

「Princess, I am sorry for calling you at such an unfortunate time. Would you like me to call you somewhere around the day?」

Hearing my words, the Princess stares me for a moment, her eyes blinking rapidly.

「No, I don’t mind … So? Did something happen?」

「Umm, I think that it would be a whole lot more helpful explanation if you see it with your own eyes instead of me just telling you about it.」

I stepped away to let the Princess see for herself what the problem was, and she just observed with a compassionate expression. She could see the bed clearly now, and the person that was sleeping inside of it.

Then the Princess’s eyes opened wide, and she was looking between the bed and at me interchangeably with a clearly stupefied expression.

「–––– Filmina.」

「Yes.」

「You, how did you manage to hide the fact that you were pregnant and gave birth to a child?」

「Princess, while I completely understand from where is this coming from, I assure you that this is not the case in here.」

Just as the Princess said, someone might draw the wrong conclusion that I suddenly gave birth to a child. But reality was way more ruthless than that. Trying to cope with that reality, the Princess holds her forehead with her hands, as if trying to suppress a headache.

「So, what? Are you telling me that Agedilus turned into a small child all of a sudden?」

I wanted to just laugh at that suggestion and assure the Princess that it was all but a joke, but I couldn’t. The Princess started to realize that as well, for she was yet again looking at the boy with an expression full of disbelief.

「Seriously now, it’s one thing after another with you guys.」

「I cannot really say anything to that.」

Then the Princess listened to my report about Edi’s age and memories possibly being reverted to the state of childhood, all the while having that mysterious look on her face.

「That is why it must remain a strict secret. We cannot allow the people to know that something like this happened to the Court Wizard in a place like this.」

「Aside from the fact that two islanders: Governess Leticiela and that boy already know about that.」

「Oh my, is that so?」

Right about now, a different type of expression popped up on the Princess’s face, changing her otherwise beautiful features. While I was wondering what seemed to be wrong, the Princess smiled at me in a gentle way.

「Please don’t make that kind of face. But that’s right. You must investigate this matter further and unravel it. We cannot leave things as they are right about now.」

「…… I knew it, it would be better for us to go back home.」

I didn’t wanted to say that out loud, but the words just kind of came to me all on their own.

「I just don’t understand. Edi is in this state most likely because of his investigation of the ruins. And even knowing that full well, Leticiela-sama asked us to carry on with our investigation on site. But I don’t think that’s wise, considering that we don’t know if something even worse won’t happen because of it.」

「–––– I see. I understand the reason why both sides wouldn’t want to make such big of a deal out of it. After all, Agedilus’s skills as a magical anthropologist are second to none even by the Magic Academy’s standards.」

As if to clear her mind, the Princess let out a deep sigh.

「For now, I understand your situation. Please continue to do your best for now. But please remember that whether or not you decide to return to the capital, appointing a successor shall take some time. And Filmina, please try to not get yourself in any more trouble, okay?」

「Right. I shall do whatever I can on my end.」

「…… Just please don’t try to bite off more than you could possibly chew.」

With those final words of encouragement, the magic light surrounding the Princess started to fade and soon the image disappeared completely. I conceal the pendant under my dress and get to bed myself.

Before I go to sleep myself, I take another glance at the boy sleeping right next to me. It seems that right now he was so deeply asleep that he didn’t actually hear anything from the conversation I had with the Princess. Just like a child would. However, looking just at his glossy hair, he was no different from that man.

Speaking of which, I wonder if the boy actually remembers anything that Edi would have learned at the Magic Academy? I made a point in mind to ask him about that tomorrow first thing in the morning.

Thinking about that while looking at the boy’s face, I felt myself becoming drowsier and drowsier. So much has happened today that my mind was unable to properly keep up, and I even forgot to take a bath because of that. I need to work hard tomorrow to get to the bottom of this. But just as I was thinking that, my consciousness was swallowed by darkness.