"I won't say it's not true."
She had no intention of showing her true feelings to soone like Cyrus. What she had inadvertently revealed at Avondale was more than enough.
Her fingertips gripped the armrest tightly. She could feel the wood grain digging beneath her nails. The sharp pain settled the turbulent thoughts that had been rising hazily.
"But if you really intended to keep
here, you could just not make the machine. It wouldn't be difficult to pretend to make it and then show failure. There's no reason to take the roundabout way when there's an easier path."
She had no intention of being detained. No, that wasn't entirely true. The feelings she had when thinking she would inevitably have to leave couldn't be the sa as when thinking she might possibly stay. The endless "what-ifs" that kept surfacing. Cider gripped the armrest until her fingertips turned white.
But that was only her feelings. Nothing would change. She repeated this fact to herself as she rose from her seat.
"You don't need to worry. However."
For a brief mont, Cyrus felt a chill run down his neck. The eyes that t his—the pair of gray eyes that always had one corner coldly sunken—were frighteningly hot. Cider roughly grabbed Cyrus's collar and lowered her voice.
"Regarding what you plan to do after Esperanza returns, it would be best if you kept your mouth shut."
With those words, Cider turned without hesitation and opened the reception room door. Esperanza stood there with an ambiguous expression.
"Ah. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop."
She probably wasn't trying to eavesdrop. But the awkward smile she gave when their eyes t suggested she had heard all the important parts. Though she had guessed from Cyrus's attitude.
From about halfway through? Cider reflected on the conversation Esperanza might have overheard.
Fortunately, it didn't seem like she had heard the very last words. As that thought crossed her mind, Cider was able to smile as she always did.
??????°??☆????°??????
Esperanza wanted to tear at her hair.
'Since I started this ss, I'll finish it.'
Cyrus's voice, repeating like a vow.
What greeted Esperanza when she returned after finishing her conversation with Miss Runderford was the sa spaceti machine as always. Besides that, the research lab was completely empty.
Cider wasn't there. Upon recognizing this fact, her spine grew cold. Esperanza clenched her fists and crossed the research lab and study with quick steps.
"I'm back."
She couldn't bring herself to call out loudly and just muttered. And when she reached the door, she found herself laughing at her own absurdity.
She had known there was no possibility of anything happening to Cider. The mansion was no different from usual, and she hadn't sensed any suspicious presence. She had just montarily beco anxious.
After the dungeon at Sterling Harbor, a large fragnt had lodged itself in Esperanza's mind. This anxiety was because of that.
The sight of him collapsed against the ship, covered in blood. His pale cheeks and pained smile. If she had found him just a little later, he might have died.
There was no way she could easily forget such a thing. It didn't end with just the lucky discovery and treatnt. That image still remained in a corner of her mory, often tornting Esperanza.
The sight of death, once vague, stepping boldly before her eyes.
'So, what kind of face was I making when I died?'
That question, utterly carefree. She had been angry the mont she heard it. Esperanza had never thought she would ever know the answer to that question.
But that appearance... Cider Claiborne would have faced death with that sa expression even in that world. Sowhat futilely, but never losing the composure to smile until the end.
She didn't want to see such a face again. No, even if Esperanza wasn't watching, he shouldn't make such a face. She wanted to scratch that face from Cyrus's mory. No one should see it. Not anyone.
But after Esperanza returned, it seed like he would make that face again soday. Perhaps he was already gradually changing that way. When he had co outside looking for Esperanza at dawn, he had seed as if one corner of him was broken.
Her tightly clenched fist loosened powerlessly. She didn't know what to do.
"This isn't the ti for this."
Esperanza forcibly shook off her thoughts. But the worry clung stickily to Esperanza's shadow as she moved with hurried steps. This ti, it couldn't be easily shaken off with just a shake of her head.
And what she heard in the reception room where she had co down looking for Cider was the story that only one of the two could return.
'Why is everything such a ss? Why doesn't anything get resolved cleanly and properly?'
When Cider ca out opening the reception room door, Esperanza reflexively examined Cider's face. She only looked slightly tired. She was still okay. Esperanza let out a sigh of relief.
"Co in. We still haven't finished our important conversation."
"Um. What I heard..."
"If he says he'll take responsibility himself, there's no reason to refuse. Don't you think?"
That was true, but. Esperanza glanced back at Cyrus. He too nodded with a composed face, as if he had washed away his earlier anger.
"Miss Esperanza was only dragged into this because of . If one person must remain, it should be ."
"See?"
Esperanza, of course, had no intention of staying in Cyrus's place. Even if she were to stay, it would never be in that manner. So the words that she needn't worry weren't wrong either. But...
"Was your conversation with Miss Runderford fruitful?"
At the question that seed to cut off her thoughts, Esperanza hesitated before opening her mouth.
"It wasn't much. She couldn't get into Dr. Sullivan's research facility either. She only confird that there were a lot of things installed at the entrance. She said they seed to be for security."
"It's better not to go in carelessly."
"Ah. Instead, I learned how to prevent reports from going to the police while destroying the machine."
That was exactly the kind of know-how absolutely necessary for hunters who had been destroying things without regard for public authority. Here, they couldn't act so recklessly without considering consequences. And for so reason, Miss Runderford knew such things very well.
"I should have realized it from when you swung that axe without hesitation."
Cider said playfully. Esperanza laughed too. The anxiety had only been when Cider wasn't there. Warmth returned to her fingertips as the coolness from his starched shirt touched them.
"By Runderford, do you an Lily Runderford? Or Heather Runderford?"
"Do you know her?"
Compared to Esperanza, who knew almost nothing except for the people she had directly contacted despite rolling around in one world for seven years, Cyrus knew well about the world thirteen years later.
"They're sisters that Pri Minister Tempton uses as informants. The younger one should still be at Pinent House at this ti though."
"It seems she ca out early because of the dungeon. She was badly injured then too."
There would also be the reason that Duke Galliston's political importance had dropped sharply after that incident, making it unnecessary to monitor his activities.
"Doesn't she repay her life debt?"
Cider, resting her chin on the armrest, asked.
"What debt when there's nothing hanging over her? It's not like I did it expecting repaynt."
"If you can repay it, you should."
"Not necessarily... Ah, she did tell
that. She said to be careful of Havenly. She seed to think I was in contact with them. Cyrus, was there anyone among the information brokers connected to Havenly?"
"As far as I know, there wasn't. Even if there had been, the information I bought wasn't significant enough for them to identify ."
Then that was fortunate. This plan had to proceed carefully. If successful, they could seize the initiative at once. There were corresponding risks, but Sullivan's trap that stopped Miss Runderford wouldn't be able to stop Esperanza. They had to strike from behind when he was off guard.
"Then that's settled. Anyway, as soon as we confirm Sullivan is out, we can go right away."
"Will it really be okay?"
It was an interesting plan. It wasn't that he thought Esperanza would fail. He knew that if she succeeded, it would have trendous effects, but he suddenly felt like he was missing sothing.
But perhaps having such thoughts was also due to his anxiety. Flawed logic, reason stained black. He knew he wasn't whole right now. He also knew it was foolish to trust intuition at such monts.
"Is there sothing we haven't thought of?"
So when Esperanza asked casually, he shook his head.
"No, I don't think so. I'll go up first."
His back was straight as he turned. There was no wavering in his steps. Esperanza quietly watched that figure. Until the door closed.
"He didn't... say goodbye to ."
"Pardon?"
"I said he left without saying goodbye."
"Didn't he just do that?"
Cyrus asked obtusely. Esperanza glared at him sharply.
"What would you know."
Cyrus, left with nothing to say, closed his mouth.
Except when he was very angry, Cider generally smiled well and liked small pranks. Even while each doing their own work, he would touch noses like petting a young animal or kiss her.
So just now should have been a ti for at least a short kiss. Such things wouldn't damage one's reputation even if done in front of others.
Cider wasn't angry right now. Esperanza bit her lip as she glared at the door with no sign of life.
"What were you talking about earlier?"
"You heard it."
"Really, between you and , only one of us can return? There's no other way?"
"I'm not an expert either, but I don't know what thod other than a mage could provide that much magical power. It might be possible if we completely ransacked a mine."
Realistically, it was impossible. Just as batteries discharge over ti even when not used, magical power also depletes if not used. They might manage to prepare enough for one person, but two people was out of the question.
"Why didn't you tell
from the beginning? You couldn't hide it until the end anyway."
Cyrus said nothing, but she seed to understand the reason. He probably did it to avoid burdening Esperanza's heart. Perhaps he had intended to hide it until the very end. Setting aside whether it was right, she understood there was no malice.
Here and now, everyone was doing their best in their own way. Even so, the result was a complete ss.
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