Volume 1 Chapter 53 The Problem With Magic
Sir Ciel held me on his lap for a while, pressing his forehead against my shoulder.
Even though he was much bigger and older than me, he looked like a lost little child.
He was slim but strong, with long arms and legs.
Maybe it's because he's a gem person, but there was something hard and rough under his clothes.
A red gem peeked out from the open part of his shirt, but there might be other gems showing too.
Those are things I don't have in my body.
Sir Ciel and I are completely different, just because he's a man and I'm a woman.
It's kind of strange.
"...I'm sorry, Ms. Lydia. You must be more anxious than I am. ...It feels like I'm the one being comforted."
"Uh, um, well... I don't have much experience with this kind of thing... but it makes me feel safe... I don't really understand myself... I'm worried, but when I think that Sir Ciel is here, I feel like there's nothing to be scared of..."
"Is it just safety?"
A cool voice whispered softly in my ear.
I shivered and grabbed the fabric of his shirt with the hand I had around Sir Ciel's shoulder.
"Wha... um..."
What does that mean?
I feel safe, but I'm also a little nervous.
Maybe it's because Sir Ciel is so beautiful.
When I look at his face up close, it's surprisingly perfect. Gem people are made of minerals, but many of them seem to be very beautiful.
I think Sir Ciel's father and mother must have been beautiful too.
"...I remember you said you don't like men. If you really don't like me, just push me away and run."
"I'm not good with them, but... I don't hate everyone like that anymore. ...Sir Ciel, since we're friends, if you're feeling anxious, I can hold your hand too...?"
"Thank you. Even though we're close like this, I don't feel any magic power. But when we held hands, I felt a faint presence. ...I can't tell the exact nature of the magic, but I can sense a little bit of its presence when we touch."
"What does that mean...?"
Sir Ciel's hand smoothly slips away from my waist.
I quickly get off Sir Ciel and stand up.
Since we're friends, being hugged or hugging back feels comforting and nice.
But it also makes me feel a bit embarrassed.
Sir Ciel was trying to sense my magic power.
I can't feel it myself, though.
When Sir Ciel stands up from the floor, he crosses his arms, looking deep in thought.
"There are 2 possibilities. One is that the magic circuits in your body aren't connected properly. For example, if a river is blocked by a landslide, something might be wrong inside your body, causing the magic to get stuck. If the magic gets stuck, it can't be released properly."
"I don't have anything wrong with my body, though..."
"Yes, that's true. ...If there was a strong power like a goddess's blessing stuck in your body, it wouldn't be strange to feel unwell. But if you've been feeling fine, then... that possibility is low."
"I eat my own cooking, so I guess that's why I'm healthy..."
"Who knows? You might have heard from Sir Roxas, but special magic doesn't work on the person who casts it. There's no proof that the goddess's blessing is the same."
Sir Ciel said this calmly, looking down.
Just a moment ago, he seemed delicate and a bit like a small child.
But now, he looked like a strong, mature man.
"Another possibility is that someone is sealing your power."
"Someone...?"
"The issues in your body are likely internal problems. If not, then there must be external issues. Your magic might have been sealed in your body since you were very young... But is there anyone in this world who can seal the goddess's blessing...?"
"Sir Ciel is an amazing mage, right? Um, the, the steam, demon king, was it...?"
"Steam."
"Steam...?"
"Dinner..."
"The dinner demon king... is cute."
"Yes, it is."
Sir Ciel smiled. I couldn't remember in the end, but it was nice that Sir Ciel was laughing.
"Sealing someone else's magic... that's very difficult. It might be possible temporarily, but Ms. Lydia is 18, right? If it's been sealed for almost 18 years, that's really..."
"I see..."
"I don't know if sealing your magic was done out of malice or good intentions, but it would be best to be careful."
Something happened to me when I was little.
Even if that's true, I can't remember anything when I try to dig into my memories.
When I think about the past, I feel a sharp pain in my head.
I wonder... am I forgetting something?
"Actually, I want to investigate the Rest priest family, but if I poke around too much, it could put you in danger. Lady Francois acts innocent next to His Highness, but... if Lady Francois doesn't have the goddess's protection... well, if she just wanted to steal His Highness away because she has a crush on him, that would be fine, I guess."
"It's strange to hear Sir Ciel talk about love."
"Do I seem far from love?"
"Um... yes. I can't really imagine it. At first, since you were so close, I thought you were like Mr. Lucian, a real lady-killer, and I thought you must be really popular with women..."
"Well, as you can see, I'm different. People probably fear me."
"Sir Ciel, you're sparkling and beautiful. I don't think that's true..."
I was startled and covered my mouth.
It was like I said that Sir Ciel wasn't popular.
That might be really rude.
"Ah, um! I didn't mean to say that Sir Ciel isn't popular or anything..."
"Well, it's not just women; I don't really care much about people. ...Or rather, I should say I didn't care. So you don't have to worry about it."
Sir Ciel said that and then looked at me seriously.
"Ms. Lydia. I wish I could always be by your side. But, it can't be that way. If anything happens, please call me right away. And, please don't let go of the gem I gave you. It will protect you."
"...Yes."
"I won't tell anyone about this conversation. ...Neither will you, Ms. Lydia."
"Yes, it's a secret. Just between Sir Ciel and me."
I know it's a bit inappropriate, but it feels a little fun, like sharing a secret with a friend.
When the conversation ended, Sir Ciel made me a sweet coffee.
At his house, there wasn't much, and he used a beaker for instant coffee.
He put instant coffee beans into a clean beaker, used magic to pour hot water, and added sugar.
I have many worries, but the biggest one is about Sir Ciel's life.
While gratefully sipping the coffee, I thought about that.
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