Chapter 5: A Mushroom House for a Mushroom Freak
“HELLO, Your Grace. I brought you your refill today.”
Agnes made her usual visit to the duke’s house with Ciel and handed a small bottle to Cesar.
“Thank you for going to all the trouble,” he replied.
“No trouble at all. I’m just sorry it took a while.
She took a seat on the sofa as indicated. Ciel jumped up beside her, curled into a ball, and immediately fell asleep. Sacred beasts didn’t seem to require sleep, so this probably indicated that Ciel saw Cesar as a safe person and didn’t need to guard Agnes. Or perhaps he just fancied a nap? His carefree attitude was similar to that of a domestic housecat, and it charmed Agnes.
“Thanks to you, Agnes, I’ve been feeling so much better lately,” Cesar said. “I appreciate it.”
“It’s all thanks to the spirits. I haven’t really done much.”
“The spirits only lend their power because it’s you asking, Agnes. You’re quite something.”
“Th-Thank you…”
Cesar’s habit of giving very straightforward compliments was a lot like Claude’s. Maybe it was because they were blood relatives. Only, on second thought… That scoundrel Philip was a blood relative too. Perhaps it came down to the personality of the individual after all then.
“Your sacred beast seems to be performing its duties well,” Cesar observed.
Ciel, seeming to realize he was being discussed, responded by lazily waving his stripy tail. His eyes opened, and he let out a little “rawr,” looking like an adorable stuffed toy.
It was so cute that Agnes felt herself melting.
The servant who’d just brought the cake to the table also smiled upon witnessing Ciel.
“Oh, you made this cake, Agnes?” Cesar asked.
“Actually, my maid made it. The lemons are in season right now and really tasty, so I figured, why not.”
“Those cookies you brought last time were excellent. I’m certainly looking forward to trying this cake.” Cesar took a bite, then his eyes lit up like a little boy’s. “Mmm. Sweet, sour, and refreshing. And I actually feel a little lighter. Agnes, you and your spirits truly are amazing.”
Agnes was glad to see Cesar enjoying the cake, but something was odd about his reaction. “I mean, I brought it here, but the spirits weren’t involved,” she said. “Are you saying this cake has been enhanced?”
“Perhaps… Maybe the spirits decided to act of their own accord this time,” he guessed.
“The spirits, acting of their own accord…” Agnes mulled it over. “Yes, that could be true. The mushrooms have always sprouted of their own will, after all.”
It seemed the spirits and the mushrooms worked in tandem to uphold the wishes of her late father, the King of Mushrooms. Agnes wasn’t sure about how they’d gone about it, but anything that helped Cesar’s health was a good thing in her book.
“Ah, I feel quite rejuvenated,” Cesar said. “At this rate, Claude might not have to shoulder the expedition all by himself, after all.”
This casual comment made Agnes blink, causing Cesar to smile softly in turn, picking up on this tell.
“You heard about the hole in the wall and the role of the royal family, right?” he asked.
“Yes, well, in a nutshell.”
Cesar nodded and picked up his teacup before he began speaking again. “There are currently four Dragon Crest Bearers. However, it is difficult for His Majesty the King and Crown Prince Xavier to leave the capital. Up until now, Claude and I have been the ones to go on expeditions, but recently, I’ve been unable to participate.”
“Are the expeditions…really so very dangerous?”
Cesar took a sip of tea, then slowly shook his head. “No. Basically, we just keep an eye on things and hunt down any excess monsters. It’s just that traveling is too much of a burden on me these days.”
“You’re… You’re really that sick?” Agnes worried. She had heard that Cesar wasn’t able to attend official events, but if he was too sick to even bear riding in a carriage…
“As you probably know by now, Dragon Crest Bearers without a Dragonmate begin to weaken from the time they reach adulthood,” Cesar explained. “I’ve done what I can to slow the progression, but it’s taken its toll on me slowly all the same.”
Thanks to the spirit herbs Agnes brought, Cesar’s condition had definitely improved, but it wasn’t like they were a cure.
Dragon Crest Bearers needed a Dragonmate.
Not just mentally, but physically, they needed one—that was the cruel reality.
“Is it too late? I mean, to keep looking for your Dragonmate?” Agnes inquired.
“According to past records, most meet theirs in their teens. Anyway, I don’t have time to go about searching,” Cesar waved off the idea. “I don’t have time to walk around looking for someone, who could be anyone, anywhere. I’m a royal Crest Bearer first and foremost. I have to fulfill my role.”
The brilliance of those silvery-gray eyes staring straight at Agnes was exactly like Claude’s.
“I heard that Claude was anticipating growing weaker, too. You and he are both really strong, Your Grace,” she said.
Despite knowing that they would only weaken in the future, they had both nonetheless focused on their important roles. Something easier said than done.
Even more so because Cesar’s brother King Visage and Crown Prince Xavier already had their Dragonmates.
Agnes wondered how it felt to see another person meet their great love and gain great strength and long life in the bargain.
“Maybe it was my destiny to be born without a Dragonmate,” Cesar remarked. “But I don’t have any regrets.”
Oh, Duke Granier is so strong. Claude, too. Though he’d already begun to weaken, he never tried to force a marriage with Agnes to prevent it. She wished desperately to be a better person, to live up to these fine men that she knew. Although she knew they would accept her as she was, Agnes couldn’t remain complacent.
“I heard reports of the hole in the wall widening,” she said.
“It seems that way. It’s not really so shocking. But if a big wave of monsters occurs, it could cause some issues,” Cesar replied.
“I think Claude will be heading to the hole in the wall before our wedding.”
“That makes sense. To send whoever of the Crest Bearers is available to help out where Armand cannot.”
Agnes was about to comment but found herself hesitating.
Then, with a popping sound, a yellow rod-shaped mushroom grew in the center of the table. The Clavulinopsis helvola swayed back and forth, as if cheering for Agnes. She relaxed a little and looked straight at Cesar.
“Claude wants me to stay where it’s safe,” she said. “I appreciate his kindness, but I’m not sure if that’s what I should really be doing…”
“Because you are a Queen of Mushrooms?” Cesar prompted.
“Right, but it’s more… If there’s anything I can do, then I don’t think I should just sit around.”
Agnes felt adrift. No one had asked her to help out. Perhaps she was being selfish, agonizing over this kind of thing, but she couldn’t just shrug it off.
Cesar nodded a few times, then put down his teacup. “Crest Bearers are usually very indulgent of their Dragonmates.”
“Right…”
“Incredibly indulgent, even.”
“Y-Yes…”
Agnes could certainly appreciate that, but was there more to what Cesar was saying?
“They prioritize protecting their Dragonmate, even more so than their own lives. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s what’s best for their partner,” he explained.
“What’s best for me,” Agnes repeated, tipping her head to one side as she mulled over what Cesar was getting at.
“Think for yourself about what you’d like to do, Agnes. You can be a little unreasonable; Claude will be open to it.”
Then there was an echoing pop, as if to punctuate what Cesar just said. The white Tricholoma japonicum grew beside the Clavulinopsis helvola.
“What I’d like to do.”
Looking at the swaying mushrooms, Agnes thought hard.