Chapter 15.
At my words that I had found a way to clean the pendant, Ian came running like the wind.
We sat down together once again in the reception room. At my request, Calix had joined us.
“So.”
Ian, who hadn’t even taken off his coat, asked urgently, his eyes shining.
“What is the method to clean the pendant? And why is His Highness the Prince here…?”
“The reason I asked His Highness to come…”
I straightened my shoulders and answered confidently.
“Is to use him.”
“…Huh? Use His Highness?”
“Yes.”
Calix looked at me with a bewildered face, but I remained silent and simply nodded.
The real reason I called Calix is a secret.
Instead, I planned to give them a false reason. Because…
‘How could I possibly tell them that the blessing stolen from Calix by Ruin is regenerating within his body?’
That’s right.
Slowly but surely, the blessing was regenerating.
I don’t know why, but it was something I realized after being struck by his sword earlier.
‘The sensation on the back of my hand was definitely the power of a spirit.’
I had fought countless test subjects who were injected with the illegal drug replicating the blessing.
So, I vaguely remembered what the power of a spirit felt like.
‘It’s not a physical attack, nor an attack imbued with magic. It’s completely different.’
Spirit magic was different from swordsmanship, which inflicted sharp wounds, or magic, which produced explosive power.
Rather than simply feeling ‘painful,’ the power seeped in, heating the entire body and making it feel dull.
And that pain was identical to the sensation I felt when he pierced the back of my hand.
‘This is a huge discovery.’
If Ruin found out, he would immediately send Alex and Theo to capture Calix alive.
Then he would imprison him in the lab and extract the regenerating blessing for the rest of his life.
Until Calix’s life was exhausted…
‘I can’t handle both Alex and Theo at the same time by myself.’
Although I consistently ranked first in the research lab, the other two were also strong.
If the two of them teamed up against me, I wouldn’t stand a chance.
‘So, it must remain a secret.’
Ruin would undoubtedly use that blessing to conquer other empires.
But great power should only be used for peace.
Just as the Castium Empire has always done.
‘So, I need to create a plausible fake reason to deceive them.’
I suppose there’s only ‘that reason’…
As I was lost in thought, Calix asked again.
“So, how exactly are you going to use me?”
“…That method is.”
I fell silent for a moment, then spoke again.
“I got the idea from the fact that it’s a stone that was present when the goddess Luminesca manifested.”
“Uh-huh.”
“If the spirit’s power has weakened over time, shouldn’t we be able to replenish it?”
“That makes sense… but how? With what spirit power?”
Holding the faintly flickering pendant, I answered.
“His Late Majesty, the previous Emperor.”
“…Huh?”
“The person who spent the most time with His Late Majesty… isn’t it you, Your Highness?”
“……!”
“If simply manifesting could imbue the stone with power, then surely some power must remain with you, Your Highness.”
At my words, the eyes of both Ian and Calix widened simultaneously.
They seemed surprised, but there was no sign of suspicion. That was a relief.
‘Please let this work.’
I handed the pendant to Calix.
“Then, Your Highness. May I ask you to hold the pendant?”
“…Hmm.”
Calix’s amethyst eyes wavered with hesitation. He hesitated, then muttered.
“I too would like to help Sir Ian, but…”
With his words, a heavy silence fell over the reception room.
Even without him speaking, I felt I understood his heart.
I lowered my voice and whispered to him, who was biting his lip.
“…Are you perhaps afraid?”
“……!”
“Your Highness had no blessing, so you’re afraid that perhaps no trace of His Late Majesty’s power remains either…”
“…….”
“You’re afraid that nothing will happen when you hold the pendant, aren’t you?”
“…You’re right.”
Hesitating, he nodded slightly.
I nodded along with him and whispered in a low voice.
“Then, Your Highness, trust me.”
“…You?”
“Yes. Me, not Your Highness.”
I said with a serious face.
“If nothing happens, you can fire me.”
“What?”
“Truly.”
Calix, his eyes wide open, then chuckled softly. It seemed some of his tension had eased.
“Alright, I’ll go along. I’ll consider this an attempt to get you fired.”
“Good.”
“…Then.”
Calix took a deep breath and held out his hand to me.
I placed Ian’s pendant on his palm.
Whoosh-!
Immediately, a strong wind erupted from the pendant along with a multicolored light, instantly filling the reception room.
As if by agreement, we all covered our eyes with our arms and looked at the pendant.
“What in the world is this…”
Ian muttered, flabbergasted.
Amid the intense light and wind, the pendant was gradually regaining its original form.
It no longer grew faint or disappeared.
It remained exactly as it was, showing the beautiful image of the smiling young couple.
Holding eternally the sparkle, excitement, and love of that moment, it shone dazzlingly.
“Ahh……”
His body began to tremble.
Soon, tears streamed from his eyes. I offered him a handkerchief, and he wept as he wiped his tears.
“Thank you so much. Thank you, Your Highness… and Rosie.”
“You’re welcome.”
“You are the savior of my life. To the extent that I would give you everything I have if you wished.”
As if overwhelmed with emotion, he couldn’t speak further.
Calix also just stared at the pendant with a complex expression.
Bewilderment, and joy.
It seemed the two emotions were swirling within him.
“Now then…”
In the meantime, I busily took something out.
“Keep holding it, Your Highness.”
“Why?”
“Why? Because we need to clean it.”
“…Huh? In this state?”
“The spirit power is surging, so it’s probably in an unstable state right now.”
I laid out the cleaning tools one by one before the tearful Ian and the bewildered Calix.
Lukewarm water mixed with soap in advance. Gauze. A soft brush. A microfiber cloth.
“Hold it steady.”
After soaking the gauze in the lukewarm water, I unhesitatingly grabbed his hand.
I was worried he might drop the pendant, that’s all…
Unexpectedly, Calix flinched.
“Y-you, what are you doing right now?”
“Cleaning.”
“You d-don’t necessarily have to hold my hand to clean, do you?”
“If you drop it, it’ll be a hassle.”
Brushing him off, I placed the warm gauze on the pendant to loosen the dust and grease on the surface.
Then, I used the soft brush to scrub the engraved parts.
Of course, scrubbing too hard could cause fine scratches on the gold, so I handled it as carefully as if it were a baby.
“Wait. How long are you going to keep holding it?”
“It’s done.”
He’s so fussy.
I glanced up at his face; it was strangely red.
Is he hot?
‘The window is closed, though.’
Stopping my idle thoughts, I focused on cleaning again.
I needed to rinse the remaining grime in the crevices with lukewarm water and scrub it off with the brush.
Finally, using the microfiber cloth to remove the moisture, then pressing and wiping to bring out the shine…
“It’s finished.”
The image of the happy-looking couple from those days was now fully revealed.
The image from a time when they were fulfilled just by each other’s presence, just by a passing glance.
“…Florence.”
As if he couldn’t believe it, Ian’s eyes shone as blue as a summer sea.
That appearance was, as if he had momentarily returned to thirty years ago, utterly clear, sparkling, and beautiful.
I handed the pendant to him and whispered in a small voice.
“Your wife was a great beauty.”
“…….”
“This is all I can do…”
Then, looking directly into his eyes, I said with sincerity.
“I truly hope it brings you some comfort.”
He took the pendant, stroking Florence’s face with his thumb, and murmured.
“Ah, how I’ve longed for the day I could touch this pendant again.”
“…….”
“Florence.”
Hot tears streamed down his cheek.
“I missed you. So much.”
Hugging the pendant, he whispered.
“…Let’s go home together.”
He put the pendant around his neck and looked at us. His eyes were now bloodshot.
Wiping the tears flowing with the back of his hand, he spoke again.
“Before I leave for a moment, would it be alright if I told you my story?”
