On a late night when the owl occasionally hooted.
– Bang -.
The door to Luke’s room opened.
It was her who had sneaked out for a nighttime walk, returning home in an instant using teleportation.
Her room was as quiet and peaceful as ever.
– Click -.
As Luke carefully closed the door to avoid making a loud noise, another Luke, with tousled hair as if just awakening from sleep, rose from the bed.
“Master, welcome back.”
It was Kate, disguised as Luke.
Although her speech had the stiff tone characteristic of a golem, her voice and expression evoked very pleasant and peaceful feelings in the listener.
“Ah, yes. I’m back…”
However, Luke’s expression could not be described as particularly peaceful.
‘That terrible dimensional motion sickness. The nature of the magic suddenly changed… And the drugs still remaining in my body are too lethal.’
Having been in an environment contaminated by fog that blocks external magic and dark magic, he was suddenly transported to a forest filled with such clear mana.
In fact, such a change in environment was nothing unusual for Luke in his usual condition, but the drug within Luke that binds the willpower of his magic made it a significant issue.
Since magic could not normally circulate within him, even the clear and refreshing mana that mingled with other mana was difficult for him to accept.
To put it simply, it was like suddenly giving someone with a weak digestive system after a long period of poor meals a feast.
Of course, there would be a stomach ache.
However, there was no choice but to attempt to dilute the mana within him with the forest’s mana.
Luke grimaced as he covered his face with his hands, trying to calm his dizzy head.
Moreover, since Luke’s essence was a circle, the drug affecting the mana within him was particularly dangerous.
As Luke swayed in his dizzy state, Kate approached to support him.
“I will help you to the bed.”
“Ah… Thank you, Kate.”
Seeing Luke, who looked visibly unwell, Kate asked in a worried voice.
“Master, significant fatigue is observed. Very concerning. Is medical support necessary?”
“Hmm, don’t worry too much. I’ll feel better after a bit of rest.”
“…Understood.”
Feeling a subtle emotion at the sight of Kate standing next to him in his likeness, Luke felt as if he was being visited by himself, and her worried gaze tugged at his heartstrings, appearing so adorably that he found it nearly unbearable.
However, this emotion was different from simple self-love.
In a way, Kate could be considered a child he had created, while he in turn was like a child created by Luke.
If so, then it was no wonder that a parent would find their own child cute.
‘Perhaps that’s why I liked my appearance.’
So, this must be similar to how a proud parent feels when cared for by their child.
Of course, Luke had never had a child nor raised one, so this was merely speculation.
– Thud.
Having laid Luke down on the bed, Kate stood up from it and said.
“Now I will undo my transformation and help you change into this nightgown.”
“Ah, Kate. Just a moment before that.”
Luke lightly tapped the side of the bed he was sitting on and said.
“Will you come and sit here?”
“…?”
Not understanding Luke’s intent and tilting her head slightly, Kate eventually sat carefully at the head of the bed as directed by Luke.
Then, Luke rested his head on Kate’s knees and smiled.
“Master……?”
Disconcerted by the uncharacteristic behavior of her master, the mage, Kate widened her eyes in surprise and raised her voice slightly.
At her adorable reaction, Luke smiled joyfully.
“I oddly feel the need to act a bit spoiled. Will you stay like this for a moment, Kate?”
Since he could not feel warmth from her form as a doll.
Was it because the magic was bound to his heart?
It was strange to feel this way without even using divine power.
Yet, somehow, he didn’t dislike that feeling.
Moreover, since Kate’s circle had been created based on him, feeling her regular heartbeat resonated within him, making his own circle feel as if it was quickly recovering.
Certainly, that was not a sufficient reason for Kate to maintain her transformation…
For just a moment, it would probably be fine to keep this request rationally.
“Uh, understood…”
Kate, who originally liked being held by Luke in her doll form, found this not a bad suggestion either, aside from the fact that it was her master’s command.
Kate thought that her master, smiling with satisfaction while lying on her knees, was somewhat like a child.
Getting to do what she had longed for instead of holding a doll, Kate found the situation to be quite amusing.
Enjoying this light irony was also a characteristic of many mages.
Soon, Kate contemplated that instead of just sitting still with her knees exposed, she might as well play the role of a master herself.
If she fulfilled what the doll within her wanted for now, Luke might return that gesture later when he too was in doll form.
Kate placed her hand on Luke’s head.
– Swoosh.
Indeed, unlike the synthetic material of her own form, Luke’s hair was very soft.
As Kate gently stroked Luke’s hair, she asked.
“By the way, Master, do you not need to wash your body?”
“Though it feels a bit dirty… I just want to stay like this for now. Or do you dislike it because I’m dirty?”
“I’m a doll, so I cannot smell.”
As she felt her master’s pleased expression from her hand stroking his hair, Kate ended up lightly patting Luke’s back.
– Pat, pat.
Perhaps because her true form was a fluffy doll?
That touch was very warm and pleasant.
“Did no one enter the room while I was gone?”
“Fortunately, no one.”
“I see.”
“Master, but what if Yerna comes?”
“What? Just say I was playing with a doll.”
“Hmm.”
At that moment, while Luke was calming his circle in conversation with Kate.
“…!”
Feeling something rising from within him, Luke could no longer hold it back and began to cough.
– Cough, cough!
“Ah! Master!”
What burst forth from his coughing was mixed with blood.
Indeed, quite a lot.
“Ugh, uh…?”
Luke jumped up in surprise.
—
The blood Luke coughed up was dead blood from within his body.
The blood, which had been stagnant inside due to the drugs, was expelled as his body began to recover.
It was only natural that stagnant blood would lead to illness or other issues.
Thus, the coughing was not a significant problem; it was a natural bodily function to expel waste.
However, the issue was that it splattered all over Kate’s nightgown and the blankets.
“Bloodstains are so vivid…”
“My goodness, what am I supposed to do with this?”
Luke panicked as he looked at the blood-splattered blanket and Kate’s nightgown.
Because if Yerna or Dayton saw this, it was obvious they would ask about the blood on the bedding.
And he could not lie.
Being unable to lie, Luke would have no choice but to mention the circumstances behind why he coughed up blood to Yerna.
That was not good.
Not only did he not want to cause worry, but if he had to detail that terrifying situation he encountered inside the facility to Yerna, it was clear he would have to promise not to go outside again.
And that could not happen.
In order to prepare for future incidents, there were many things that would require him to go out.
“Master? Your complexion doesn’t look good. Are you really okay?”
Seeing Luke’s complexion pale in real-time, Kate called out worriedly.
Only then did Luke snap back to reality.
“Ah, my body is truly fine, so you needn’t worry. But…”
Luke sighed as he looked down at the blood-stained blankets again.
“What am I to do about this?”
In general, cleaning magic is merely a concept similar to disinfection, and does not suffice to remove stains or dirt.
Moreover, washing bloodstains is even more difficult.
Magic cannot cause phenomena that fundamentally alter the properties of living beings; since blood is material that comprises past organisms, it is difficult to influence through magic.
However, mage’s willpower can suppress such limitations, and this blood is still his own even if it is dead.
This meant that unless his willpower exceeded his own, he would have to abide by basic laws.
So simply put, this meant that bloodstains cannot be erased by magic.
But did that mean there was no way out? No, not at all.
Before Yerna and Dayton woke up, he could just wash it quickly.
Yes, for now, that was the only option.
“Kate, while I pull off the sheets, bring me another nightgown to change into, quickly!”
——
Perhaps due to spending some time chatting with Kate, it was already early morning.
It was a precarious situation where Dayton or Yerna might wake up at any moment, so Luke activated the mansion’s “Silence” function.
‘Good, this way, my footsteps and the sound of washing will not be heard at all.’
Thus, Luke slightly manipulated the range of the Silence spell he had previously enchanted to the mansion, enabling him to stealthily enter the laundry room with the soiled items.
Now, he needed to finish the washing as quickly as possible.
Luke poured water onto the blankets and nightgown and squirted a suitable amount of detergent onto the stained areas, scrubbing them vigorously.
– Rub, rub, rub.
After scrubbing with considerable force for a while, it seemed that the stains were starting to disappear little by little.
Yes, if these stains came out adequately, he could always toss them into the washing machine afterward.
‘However, now I feel like it’s getting a bit smeared…’
While thinking this, the moment he unfolded the blanket to check.
– Creak -!
The door to the laundry room opened.
It was Dayton.
“…”
“…”
As their eyes met, a moment of silence lingered.
Footsteps approaching had not been heard at all…
Ah, he had the Silence spell cast.
So of course, he wouldn’t have heard any footsteps.
Dayton yawned widely while putting his hand inside his clothes to scratch his belly and asked sleepily.
“What are you doing washing clothes at this hour?”
“Ah, uh, yeah…”
Before Luke could come up with a response, he awkwardly stammered.
Dayton glanced at the flustered Luke with sleepy eyes, then looked behind Luke and said.
“Yeah, good job. But can you move aside? I need to use the restroom.”
In a manner completely indifferent to anything else but the restroom, Luke quickly regained his composure and hid the laundry he was holding behind him.
Had he not noticed the bloodstains or mistaken them for other stains?
Well, if that were the case, he just needed to move on naturally.
“Ah, yeah. I’ll get out of the way right away. Sorry for blocking the path.”
Dayton then entered the restroom without saying much and closed the door.
Luke, who had been silently watching the scene, thought.
But why did he suddenly come over to this side to use the restroom and send his heart racing like this?
There should be a restroom in the main room, after all.
