Time Healer Ceres

Ceres tilted her head at Elliet’s serious expression. Without her usual playfulness, she looked almost unfamiliar. What was she trying to say?

[Gods are damn insufferable.]

“What?”

...Where did that come from all of a sudden?

“Could you get off the table first?”

You’re going to break it.

Ceres gave Elliet a displeased look. She was still crouched on the table like a cat, gazing at Ceres.

[Three hundred years. In all that time, was there really not ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) a single body that suited you?]

“...What are you getting at?”

Ceres frowned. Why was she bringing this up?

[No... Why did you suddenly fall ill and die back then, anyway? Is there really a disease even you can’t cure?]

“What are you...?”

Ceres frowned even more deeply.

I appreciate the vote of confidence, but there are plenty of illnesses I can’t cure. How could I possibly cure every disease in the world?

[Don’t forget. Gods are selfish by nature.]

Whoosh.

Elliet jumped off the table, turning back into a cat as she landed.

[No matter what happens to the world, just pretend you don’t know anything, meow. That’s how you make them nervous, meow.]

“......”

What is she even talking about? She used to be a god herself. How does she get away with talking about gods like that?

Clearly satisfied that she had said her piece, Elliet ran over to the other three and started playing with them.

Ceres watched her for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh.

“...I’m an atheist.”

Why is she suddenly talking about gods? What are you actually trying to tell me?

Ceres shook her head, a deeper sigh escaping her.

***

“Ugh.....”

Marquis Merial slowly opened his eyes. He had barely slept again. Though he managed to doze off for a little while, it didn’t last long. Fatigue weighed heavily on him as he woke.

“Haa...”

Flinch.

He stopped mid-sigh. A strange chill ran through him. Then, he caught the thick, metallic smell in the air.

His eyes trembling as he raised his head. The sight before him left his face frozen in horror.

“U... Aaaargh!”

A scream tore from his throat.

Bang!

“My lord!”

“What... Gasp!”

“Aaaah!”

The people who rushed into the room cried out as well.

Blood covered everything around the bed. It had pooled across the walls and floor. A sharp dagger was even lodged in the headboard.

Shudder.

It had started that day. Ever since the assassination guild known as ‘Mirror’ was wiped out, things like this had been happening every day.

It wasn’t just his bedchamber. Death followed him everywhere. Attacks came without warning, and his carriage was wrecked so often that it became routine. He was even attacked inside the Imperial Palace.

He had lost count of how many times a sharp dagger had come flying right past his face and struck the ground. Yet he couldn’t find a single trace of the culprit.

He could barely eat, either. Not long ago, he had felt a searing pain in his throat after eating, only to discover that his food was poisoned. Since then, he couldn’t even drink a glass of water without having it tested for poison first.

With death lurking in every part of his daily life, Marquis Merial grew more and more worn down as time went on.

“Urgh.....”

Marquis Merial knew exactly who was behind all of this.

Duke Schweiss!

Not only was he tearing Merial’s business apart piece by piece, he was relentlessly coming after his life as well.

At this point, Merial almost wished the Duke would simply put a knife to his throat and threaten to kill him. At least then, things would be simpler.

This is really...

So this is what it feels like to be drained of every last drop of blood.

He could hardly call this living anymore.

In the end, Marquis Merial had turned to Veilks for help. He had asked him to stop the people attacking him. Why was Veilks just sitting there doing nothing while Merial was being targeted like this?

“It’s not like I did nothing. I assigned people to protect you, Grandfather. The problem is, they all died.”

“W-what? They all died?!”

“I suppose our opponent is simply too skilled.”

Merial shuddered again as he remembered Veilks smiling so calmly, as though none of this had anything to do with him.

“Haa.......”

He let out a long, weary sigh. How much longer could he keep living like this? Did he really have to go to Duke Schweiss, get on his knees, and beg for his life?

I can barely breathe anymore.

“...Get this cleaned up.”

“Y-yes, my lord.”

His voice was weaker than ever as he gave the order to his servants.

***

“How is Lord Harua?”

“He’s well.”

All three dukes had returned to the capital. Duke Schweiss, now fully recovered, had come to see Ceres as well.

“He waters the flowers every day.”

Harua hadn’t left the ducal estate since that day. He had stayed behind to personally tend to Ren’s garden, where the lunaria flowers were in full bloom.

I hear he starts every morning by tending to that garden.

I should make some plant fertilizer for him as a gift sometime.

“So this is the greenhouse he built.”

“Why did that man make it so big?”

“All that money just w... Hah.”

The three dukes frowned as they looked around the warm greenhouse, clearly less than impressed.

To be fair, there was nothing wrong with the greenhouse itself. The problem was simply the person who had built it.

“Ceres, you should’ve told me if you needed something like this. I could’ve made it even better.”

Cheion felt the same way. Ever since he realized Kainel was the one who had built the greenhouse, he’d been complaining nonstop about how much better he could’ve made it.

“I guess I care about Ceres more than people who only know how to talk.”

Kainel calmly sipped his tea as the other four glared at him.

...What an annoying man.

The more annoyed they got, the more Kainel deliberately lifted the corners of his mouth into a smug smile, making their brows furrow even deeper.

You’d think seeing someone this often would eventually make you warm up to them. So why did that man somehow get more irritating every time they saw him? He really had a talent for it.

“This is a CAS meeting. What are you doing here?”

You’re not even a member!

Swish, swish!

Cheion waved Kainel away with both hands as if telling him to leave.

“......”

Kainel’s brow twitched. Until then, he had remained perfectly relaxed, but now his gaze shifted toward the three dukes.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t tried to join CAS. He even went to the three dukes himself, hoping to get one of those violet rings.

But despite his efforts, they had rejected his request to join on the spot.

“We’re full.”

“...But that damn Tower Master got in.”

“Five members is the limit.”

...How childish. It’s just a ring.

“W-wait! What are you doing... Aaah! Why are you trying to take off my ring?!”

“Give me the ring.”

“Seriously?!”

Kainel suddenly grabbed Cheion’s hand and twisted it, prompting Cheion to grab him by the collar and shake him hard.

“Do I look that easy to push around? Huh? Do I?”

Who tries to steal something this openly?!

“Can’t you give a ring to someone you’re dating?”

“Wow... Wow!”

The nerve of him!

“Who was the one who drew his sword when I asked for mana stones?”

“Who knows? I certainly don’t.”

“Wow... Wow!”

Cheion tightened his grip on Kainel’s collar.

...How peaceful.

Ceres sipped her tea as she watched them bicker. By now, she was used to this sort of thing.

“By the way, Ceres, you got an invitation too, didn’t you?”

After a while, Duke Nora brought up a new topic.

“To the Crown Prince’s birthday party?”

“That’s right.”

“I did.”

...And it came directly from the Crown Prince himself.

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