WENDY says that she is my lord husband’s childhood friend since they attended magic school together, but he merely smiles calmly and says she’s not. If what she claims is true, all who attended magic school are childhood friends, which is impossible, I suspect. I don’t know enough to understand. The concept of friends is hard.
I ponder what he was like when he was younger. He must have been bigger than Lord Samuel, surely, because he’s so large compared to me.
He asked me once if I wanted to attend magic school, and I refused, saying that I wanted to learn magic from him instead. I wonder if magic school is fun.
I ask Wendy, and she raises her voice, declaring it extremely fun. “I’m sure you would enjoy it, Little Abby. It’s a shame that they don’t accept just anyone.”
Yes, I know that. Only those with a certain level of magical prowess and skill can enroll. I figured I would qualify, but maybe they won’t admit me because I used to be the Monster King? And besides, my lord husband has already graduated, so he wouldn’t be there with me even if I become a student.
“Can I bring Tabitha to school with me?”
“Who?”
“It won’t be fun unless Tabitha and my lord are there too.”
My lord husband has already finished more than half of his second helping, and Wendy’s plate is almost empty as well. Only the shepherd’s pie remains on the table. I consider requesting more and glance at Rodney. He quietly lifts the casserole lid to let me peek inside. Oh, there looks to be enough left!
“Take your time and eat slowly, Abby,” my lord husband reminds me.
“But Wendy wants more pie—”
“I don’t?!”
She said that soldiers pride themselves on strength, so I’d assumed she’d eat as much as my lord husband. I suppose I was wrong.
Rodney passes me a glass of water, and I take a sip. His timing is great as I’m feeling a little embarrassed.
Wendy clears her throat. “Anyway, both Gerald and I were in the exclusive course, so I don’t know about the regular curriculum. Do you remember, Gerald, if those students could bring their servants to class? Oh, there was that one guy in our year who—”
“It doesn’t matter. High-ranking nobles have that privilege wherever they go. And you are to refer to me as Major. Either way, I have no plans for my wife to attend magic school. Abby is fine with me as her magic teacher, right?” he says, turning to me.
“Yes!”
“You’re her teacher, Gerald…?”
“Yes. On his days off, I sit on my lord’s lap and he teaches me.”
“O-Oh, I see. I’m surprised to hear that he bothers… Wait, did you say on his lap?”
“That’s only because I never bothered with you, Haydn. We weren’t even in the same class, so stop talking as if you know me.”
“But I do! I know you used to teach our juniors and our classmates too! Besides, I couldn’t help that we weren’t together, since I specialized in recovery.”
“Recovery? Is that healing magic? I’ve never heard of it,” I ask, but nobody is listening.
“Even if we’d been in the same class, I wouldn’t have helped you.”
I’ve never seen anyone wield either type of magic. I’ve heard that there are healers and therapists who do, but they’re rare in Drewett, even more so than doctors. In addition, they’re frequently retired military and therefore don’t see patients. Those in active duty either work as soldiers, knights, or at the palace.
Monsters cannot use healing magic. When injured, they just die. So I never witnessed it in my time as the Monster King either. It must be magic only humans can wield.
“I’d like to see healing magic, Wendy,” I say.
She giggles. “Sure, I can show you, but there isn’t anyone injured here. Just so you know, it’s not something you get to see often.”
“I’ll bring you to the medical center next time, Abby. Haydn isn’t very good at it.”
“What?!”
“Yes!”
“It’s true,” he says. “I’ve heard the rumors about you slacking off during training.”
“…That doesn’t change the fact that it’s special magic,” she mutters, pouting. I pour her some water to show sympathy. Oh, I’ve spilled some.
Rodney passes her a new cup, then smoothly takes over from my lord husband, who is wiping the table.
My lord husband eats a lot and even feeds me sometimes, yet somehow we always finish our meals more or less simultaneously. That day is the same. I swallow my second flower carrot. It’s small so I can eat it in one bite. Wendy’s already done; she’s placed her fork on her empty plate.
“Are you full, Wendy? Was the food delicious?” I ask.
“…Yes. Your chef is skilled.”
“That’s because he used to work in a castle!”
“O-Oh…?”
I’ve always conceived of myself as the Monster King inside Abigail’s body, but recently, I’ve come to realize that if I can’t remember its thoughts or feelings, perhaps the Monster King isn’t really Abigail after all. I mean, we’re the same, but different too. I’d never really considered that before.
The small human from back then never grew too large, and whenever he came to visit after the long winter, he always appeared smaller than he’d been the previous year. Since potatoes were an autumn harvest, the Monster King shared nuts and other foods with the small human during spring and summer. Sometimes monster meat too.
Everything was hungry in spring, monsters and animals alike. Some of them hibernated, and even for those that didn’t, food was scarce in winter. The Monster King thought the small human was the same, so it shared its food. I can’t tell for certain, yet that must have been the case.
So the Monster King always kept some acorns, mulberries, and strawberries on hand, even when the small human and his fellow villagers delivered gifts to the Monster King or when he stopped coming to the forest.
I can’t remember. But I’m sure that’s why I wanted to share a meal with Wendy.
I finish my last baked bean and sip my herbal tea cooled to just the right temperature.
My lord husband leans toward me. “Are you satisfied, Abby?” he whispers. I like the ticklish sensation.
“Yes!”
Lunch wasn’t how I pictured it, but I’m still good!