“YOU want…to borrow Wintelle’s power?”
We’d arrived at the Bureau of Magic office, and they’d just finished Wintelle’s standard examination and measurements. It was then that I was approached by Liddeus, the black cape of his uniform looking particularly wrinkled that day.
“That’s fine with me if it doesn’t cause her any harm. However…” I trailed off when I got a good look at Liddeus.
His bangs had grown out too long and the rest of his hair was sticking up all over the place like he’d just rolled out of bed. The black cloak wrapped around his slim body was singed in places—signs that he’d worn it during his magic experiments. That much was normal, but the dark circles under his eyes were even more intense than what I was used to seeing. I couldn’t help but be startled.
“Liddeus, do you remember the last time you got a good night’s sleep?” I asked.
“Last night. I slept a full two hours.”
“That’s not nearly long enough!”
I hadn’t meant to shout back at him like that. Between my cry and his lack of sleep, Liddeus was startled enough to whip his head back too quickly. He was about to fall all the way backwards and hit the ground, when a blue mass raced up to him from behind.
“Peep!”
It was a Cuddle Bird with light blue feathers. She skillfully caught Liddeus’ body and held him up before he could tumble over. The Cuddle Bird exhaled from her beak and then adjusted her torso to support Liddeus better. She carried him to a nearby desk, set him down, and carefully draped a blanket over him with her beak.
“She’s like his mom…!”
It was exactly like watching a devoted mother dote on her troubled son. I could see the affection in her eyes as she watched over Liddeus, who’d fallen fast asleep.
“They’re both Cuddle Birds, but my Tweety has an entirely different personality,” I mused.
Tweety was a childish creature and chose to do as he pleased. But that just contributed to how cute he was. He reminded me of a rambunctious kindergartener. I’d learned that, like humans, Cuddle Birds had very distinct personalities as individuals.
“I’m sorry that Liddeus always embarrasses himself whenever you visit, Your Majesty.” Orth, an employee at the Bureau of Magic, approached me. He was carrying a bundle of papers with magical formulas written on them, as if he’d been in the middle of an experiment himself.
“It’s no trouble,” I said. “I’m the one intruding on your workplace, after all. Was Liddeus busy researching and developing a new crest tool?”
“Yes, it sure seems—”
“That’s right, that’s right, I finally created my brand-new crest tool!” Liddeus suddenly shot up and began to speak over Orth.
“Eek!”
“Peep!”
The Cuddle Bird and I jumped simultaneously.
He must have reacted when he heard the term “crest tool,” even while in a dead sleep. The hardcore magic enthusiast was still alive and well today.
“Liddeus, how is your health…?” I asked, worried.
“It’s fine. I made sure to finish my crest tool so it would be ready for your visit.”
“You planned that? I appreciate the effort, but please take care of yourself too, okay?” I was actually starting to develop a genuine concern for his health. He always tended to skimp on eating and sleeping, but I feared that one day, he might break down in a way he could truly never recover from.
The blue Cuddle Bird seemed to agree with me, judging by her half-exasperated, half-concerned gaze…or at least, that was what it looked like to me.
“Do you hear what Queen Laetitia is saying to you?” Orth interjected. “You’re a grown man now, so you ought to learn how to take care of your own health.”
“I always get enough sleep to make up for my all-nighters,” Liddeus argued.
“You mean you collapse from exhaustion afterwards! That’s not sleep!” Orth angrily lectured his coworker. As always, he was at a loss for what to do with his troublesome coworker.
I suddenly felt like offering him some kindness. After all, I was a corporate drone in my past life. “Thank you for everything, Orth. My chefs and I are going to be sampling some of our newest recipes at the villa soon. Would you care to join us when we do?”
“Huh? You wouldn’t mind having me there?” He sounded surprised by the offer.
“I’d like to get opinions from many people, not just my villa’s servants. I’ll be using the crest tool made by the Bureau of Magic to cook some—”
“I’ll come too,” Liddeus cut me off and butted into the conversation.
It was exactly what I’d been aiming for.
“You’d like to join us, Liddeus?”
I tried my best to sound casual about it. I’d expected a magic-obsessed man like Liddeus to jump at my mention of the crest tool.
“If you’re coming to the tasting party, then please be sure you’re in a healthy state. We can’t have you collapsing in the middle of the party.”
That was what I planned to say next, hoping it would be of help to Orth. However…
“I want to eat…the crest tool,” he muttered.
“Pardon?”
What is he talking about?
I was taken aback. Liddeus, still with the incredibly dark circles under his eyes, opened his mouth again.
“No, that’s wrong, I meant I want to eat the crest tool alone with Queen Laetitia.”
“What in the world?!” Orth shouted.
I was startled too, but I soon understood what was going on.
Is Liddeus so exhausted that his brain is now glitching out?
In support of that theory, Liddeus had just started to tip forward.
“Ah, no, not that either. I want to have dinner alone with Queen Laetitia, and eat her cooking that came from the crest t—”
“…He really used up the last of his energy for that, didn’t he?” Lucian watched with an ice-cold smile as Liddeus once again collapsed onto the Cuddle Bird. “How terribly offensive, wishing to dine alone with the queen like that.”
“…He just got confused,” I said. “You don’t have to be so hard on him.”
“That’s exactly why I must be hard on him. …Sometimes one’s true feelings slip out in moments of confusion.” Despite Lucian’s words, he adjusted Liddeus’ cloak on the back of the Cuddle Bird and gave her instructions. “Please bring this unstable individual to the office’s nap room. As for us, Lady Laetitia, let’s finish up our business and promptly return to the villa.”