Chapter 14
As Marcella’s brow furrowed, Phoenix giggled and rubbed her frown with her hand. The spot she touched grew hot, making Marcella’s expression sour even more.
“Do you say such things knowing full well that the heat you radiate could burn a human?”
As Arthur snapped, Phoenix let out an annoyed sigh, then rose to her feet.
“I’m a phoenix, so radiating heat is only natural. I’m a ‘fire’bird, should I radiate cold air instead?”
“Aren’t you an ‘immortal’ bird, not a ‘fire’ bird?”
Phoenix glared at Arthur, then approached Marcella. As she got closer, a wave of heat hit her.
“Arthur is more unpleasant than Tammy sometimes.”
Phoenix, who had whispered in Marcella’s ear, moved away from her and went to a sofa a short distance away, perching on its armrest.
Someone was sitting on the sofa with their chin propped up. Marcella squinted to try and see who it was.
“Marcella must be angry. She’s glaring at our Majesty.”
At Phoenix’s voice, sounding amused, Marcella closed her eyes.
*Please, let this not be the imperial palace. Let that person not be Nell. Let me wake up in the hotel I was staying in.*
When she opened her eyes again and found herself in a situation where Tamarin was on her right and Phoenix was lying down looking at her from her left, she had no choice but to realize it. This was not the hotel.
“Kyaaah!”
Upon seeing Tamarin, Marcella let out a scream and backed away. A hot sensation touched her back.
Startled, Marcella raised her head to see Phoenix hugging her from behind, giggling and laughing.
“Tammy, seeing your ugly face first thing upon waking is torture, you know. Why don’t you get rid of it right away?”
“Shut up, Phoenix. Hey, why do you scream as soon as you see someone’s face?”
“It’s torture the moment I open my eyes.”
“I told you to shut up, chicken-head. Hey, you, are you scared of me?”
Tamarin’s face, asking if she was scared, was filled with happiness. Then, Phoenix, who was hugging Marcella, mocked Tamarin.
“Is she doing that because she’s scared? I told you your face is torture.”
“I told you to shut your mouth, chicken-head.”
Phoenix hugged Marcella a little tighter and giggled.
Then, noticing sweat pouring down Marcella’s forehead like rain, she was startled and shook her while holding her.
“Oh my, look at the sweat. Why is she like this?”
“It’s because of your heat.”
“Still? I’m trying so hard right now.”
Phoenix looked at Marcella, saying it was strange.
“As weak as you look, huh?”
“Dim―wit.”
“Tammy, shut up. I need to concentrate now.”
Phoenix pushed Tamarin away with her foot, then looked into Marcella’s face and wiped away the sweat beaded on her forehead with her hand.
Marcella tried to understand the situation that had unfolded the moment she opened her eyes. So, there was the divine beast that bit her head, and this red-haired woman was hot for some unknown reason.
Ignoring the two who were bickering, Marcella burrowed under the covers.
“Did you suddenly turn into a pill bug?”
She heard Tamarin’s voice, but Marcella pretended not to hear. This is a dream, so it can’t be heard. *This is a dream. This is absolutely a dream.* She chanted the spell.
“Shh.”
Feeling heat against her hunched back, Marcella chanted the spell with even more desperate thoughts.
“Going on about dreams and whatnot?”
Marcella finally sprang up and jumped off the bed. It was too much to continue brainwashing herself that this was a dream.
“Where is this and who are you?”
“You’ve already forgotten my face? Dumber than you look.”
“I know you! His Majesty’s divine beast, Tamarin!”
“Oh.”
“And me? And me?”
Phoenix’s eyes sparkled expectantly, and suddenly heat filled the room.
Finding it hard to breathe in the heat, Marcella stepped back.
“How stupid. Chicken-head, how would she know something like you?”
Phoenix hit Tamarin’s shoulder, who had called her a chicken-head, and Tamarin hit her back.
Before she knew it, she was relegated to the background, and they started fighting.
“Stop it. Stop it!”
Marcella shouted at them, but it seemed their ears couldn’t hear her.
Staggering from the heat and magical energy the two were emitting, someone grabbed Marcella’s hand. Thanks to that, she avoided falling, but Marcella, startled, shook off the hand and ran away.
In her haste to break free, Marcella had to catch her breath about three times with her shoulders before she could recognize who had grabbed her hand. It was Nell.
“So-sorry. I was startled.”
She had been so startled that she reacted excessively, shaking off his hand with all her might.
Marcella’s face turned pale. The sensation of his touch lingered on her fingertips, making her body tremble.
Nell looked down at his own hand that she had struck away. The two divine beasts opened their eyes wide, looking at Marcella as if to ask when they had been fighting.
As Marcella nervously stepped back, the divine beasts’ eyes followed her.
“Sorry, kyaaah!”
Phoenix lunged at Marcella. Instantly, past events flashed through Marcella’s mind like a panorama.
Unconsciously raising her arms to cover her head, Marcella slowly opened her eyes to the warmth enveloping her body from Phoenix.
“Marcella, this isn’t too hot, right?”
Suddenly, Phoenix looked as young as Tella.
She looked at Marcella with her sparkling orange eyes. Just like Tella, who would act cute sensing she was about to be scolded.
“So don’t push me away.”
***
Upon hearing that His Majesty had gone to the annex where Marcella was with the divine beasts, Arthur moved his feet as if running.
With two divine beasts together, there was no way they wouldn’t fight, and when they fought, it always, without fail, resulted in major casualties.
The only person who could stop the fights (Nell) had been spacing out more often lately, so if the divine beasts started a fight near Marcella, he wouldn’t be any help.
If Marcella were to come to harm after getting caught up in a divine beast fight, what would happen?
Theo Morris, already questioning what on earth had happened to Marcella, would not sit still.
*’She was wearing a thin dress, so she must have caught a cold.’*
They would no longer be able to use such flimsy, non-excuse excuses.
The Eastern Noble Alliance was surprisingly solid, and if Marcella told Theo Morris that she was being unjustly held at the palace, the likelihood of them rising up together was high.
If the East rose up, other regions who disliked the Emperor would likely seize the opportunity and join in.
“Please, let it be a lie!”
Even from afar, Phoenix’s heat waves were surging from the annex.
Arthur, who had been walking briskly, started to run. He had to stop them as soon as possible, before anything serious happened to the lady.
“Phoenix, Tamarin!”
However, the situation was unfolding in a direction Arthur hadn’t even considered.
Nell was blankly staring at his own hand, and Phoenix was clinging to Marcella. Arthur looked around, unsure from whom he should get an explanation for this situation.
Tamarin, who made eye contact, shrugged his shoulders at Arthur.
“Your Majesty?”
At Arthur’s call, Nell, who had been quietly looking down at his hand, raised his head.
“It’s strange.”
“Pardon?”
“Before, she said thank you.”
Before he could ask what that meant, Nell lowered his hand, glanced back at Marcella once, and left the spot.
Tamarin followed him, but Phoenix still clung to Marcella, not letting her go.
“Phoenix, what are you doing?”
“Be quiet, Arthur.”
Phoenix’s voice was trembling.
***
“Where is this place?”
*How kind of her.* To Marcella, who was asking her burning question first, Arthur smiled brightly.
For some reason, Phoenix was sticking close to her, glaring at Arthur. Because of that, Marcella was sweating.
“As you probably guessed, it’s inside the imperial palace. Originally, we intended to accommodate you, Lady Marcella, a precious person, in the Spring or Autumn Palace for distinguished guests, but due to a minor incident, we had to bring you to this annex.”
“A separate palace? That doesn’t seem like a place I should be. Although this place is splendid too, of course.”
“Lady Marcella! How can you say such a thing? You are His Majesty’s close friend and the most precious guest currently in the imperial palace. It is my regret that we could not accommodate you in the main palace.”
As Arthur made a fuss, Marcella’s eyes widened, her face turned bright red, and her lips moved.
“Lord Digory, I repeatedly asked you to keep that a secret.”
“I don’t recall promising to keep it a secret. I never, not once, said with my own mouth that I would keep it a secret that you told Craban’s eldest son you were His Majesty’s close friend and could have him thrown in the dungeons just by asking!”
“Shh!”
*What if someone hears!* As Marcella frantically brought her index finger to her lips repeatedly, Phoenix raised her head.
“Close friend?”
“Lord Digory!”
“Yes, Lady Marcella.”
Arthur, of course, knew Phoenix was on Marcella’s lap. He had brought it up knowing that. *Now, what should I say to persuade her to stay in the palace?*
“Are you angry, my lady?”
“It’s fine. As you said, you never promised.”
Seeing Marcella unable to hide her anger, Arthur smiled brightly. *Such a good and pure lady.*
“Now that it’s settled, please send me home.”
*I take back thinking she’s a pure lady.*
“Oh, Lady Marcella! How can you say such a thing when you’re unwell!”
Phoenix, who had been leaning against Marcella with her eyes closed, opened her eyes wide and raised her head.
“Where are you trying to go?”
“Now that the fever has gone down, it’s time to go home…”
“Why?”
The temperature from Phoenix, which had been bearable, suddenly shot up.
As Marcella moved back, Phoenix followed. Marcella was scared by the orange avian eyes staring straight at her.
“Why do you keep trying to get away?”
“Because you’re too close!”
“I want to be close to you.”
“Wait, you’re too hot!”
As Marcella shouted, Phoenix flinched. She realized her body was burning without her even knowing.
“Oh, sorry.”
She raised her own hand and blew on it. Then the flames grew larger.
“Arthur, put out this fire.”
“How am I supposed to put out your fire?”
“You can’t even do that? How incompetent.”
“Do I look like a mage to you? If you want to put out the fire, go jump in a pond or something.”
