Chapter 6: Thalia's Bet on Forbidden Love
I couldn't hide my bewilderment. My pulse hammered against my ribs, and sweat traced cold paths down the back of my neck. Whatever this was, it didn't feel normal at all.
"Hehe♪ I think I know exactly why you're like this…" Thalia rested her chin in her palm, that irritating little smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.
I fought down the childish urge to lean across the table and pinch her cheek until she stopped.
"Stop smirking and just tell me… Thalia…"
"Hmm♪ All right. Pay attention."
Thalia let the playful mask slip. She drew a slow, deliberate breath, shoulders settling like she was about to deliver a verdict. The shift to genuine seriousness told me this was no idle tease.
"The Pope is clearly…"
Tap. Tap. Tap.
My fingers drummed the polished wood before I could stop them. Impatience crawled under my skin. Why drag it out like this?
Thalia's eyes flashed wide, as if she'd finally committed. "In love!"
I stared straight into her gaze, unblinking. She looked every bit the sleuth who'd cracked the case, pupils bright and shining. She meant it. Every word.
"…Ah… Yes."
I lifted the cup and took a slow sip, letting the warm, spiced tea roll over my tongue. Any more of this emotional back-and-forth would only wear me out.
I wondered what Lirian was doing right now. My sweet little boy. My one and only disciple. My irreplaceable Lirian. The urge to leave this place and return to the Grand Cathedral of Akadonia pressed on me like a physical weight.
"Oh my♪ Was that not the answer you wanted?"
"…It wasn't."
Hmm…
What dessert should I bring him today? Yesterday I'd stuffed him full of every sweet thing in sight; today called for something new, something that would light up those golden eyes again. The thought alone made the corners of my mouth lift.
"Hmm♪ Vespera?"
"Yes?"
"Then how about we make a little wager♪"
"…Pardon?"
"Let's settle whether I'm right or you're right, once and for all♪"
The proposal dropped out of nowhere, bright and sudden as a thrown dagger.
I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Enough with that already…"
Talking with Thalia always felt like stepping onto a tilting floor. One moment you were steady; the next you were sliding straight into whatever trap she'd laid.
"Hmm♪ Then I suppose you have no need for this new perfume?"
My ears twitched at the word. Thalia's hand slipped into the air and emerged holding a delicate crystal bottle. She dangled it in front of me, swirling the liquid inside so the light caught every facet.
"This little creation is my absolute masterpiece—every drop mixed with my own blood and sweat♪"
"…Hmm?"
"Distilled from the essence of luminveil flowers, it carries a deep, enveloping fragrance crafted to captivate any man♪"
Luminveil flowers grew only in the fertile elven heartlands, an outrageously rare and costly plant. Obtaining even a handful was a trial; coaxing them to bloom was nearly impossible. I could already imagine the fortune the bottle represented.
"…Very well."
"Yahoo♪"
"So how do we decide this?"
"Hehe♪ Just answer a few of my questions♪"
Her laugh carried a sly edge that raised the fine hairs on my arms. I knew I was being played, yet the promise of that perfume—something that could snare a man's attention—kept my feet rooted.
"F-Fine. Get on with it."
"First, picture him clearly in your mind♪"
"…Thalia? I thought you said a few questions."
"It's part of the process. Just follow along quietly♪"
"…Understood."
Control had already slid into her hands. I had no choice but to close my eyes and summon Lirian.
There he stood in my mind, greeting me with that radiant smile that always made something inside my chest unclench. My own lips curved without permission. How could one boy be so unbearably dear?
"Good♪ Now the next scenario."
"…Is this truly necessary?"
"Of course it is, Vespera♪"
"…Sigh…"
I exhaled at the mischievous glint I could practically feel radiating from her.
"You're sharing a delightful moment with him♪"
A delightful moment. Vague, but I could fill it in. Something Lirian would enjoy…
"Does it matter what I imagine?"
"Not at all♪ Anything that comes to you is fine."
The table in my vision groaned under platters of glossy pastries and fruit tarts. Lirian's face lit up, cheeks rounding with that pure, unguarded joy.
Do you like them, Lirian? I stopped at the market on my way here to Countess Evergreen's Estate and chose the freshest ones I could find. Just seeing you smile like that makes the whole day brighter for me…
"You both talk softly, wrap your arms around each other, and share affection♪"
"Sh-share affection…?"
The words yanked me halfway out of the vision. That might be too much for the gentle boy in my head.
"…It could overwhelm him…"
"Oh, come now, Vespera. It's only imagination♪"
Listen to that.
Come here, my sweet boy.
This can't be helped.
I swallowed hard.
Those lips, soft as ripe cherries…
I'll only brush mine against them for the briefest second…
P-Please… forgive your foolish mother…
"First question, Vespera."
"Y-Yes…"
"How do you see him?"
In the vision I glanced down at the boy curled against my chest. Our eyes met; he ducked his head, suddenly shy. The gesture tugged at every protective instinct I owned.
"My c-cute little boy…"
"Hmm♪"
"…There's nothing beyond that…"
Naturally. Public duty and private feeling had to stay separate. In only a few days our bond would shift into something strictly vertical, teacher and devotee, nothing more.
I drew in a slow breath. The imagined air carried a bright, citrus-tanged sweetness, like honey warmed by sunlight. If I leaned in and tasted the skin at the hollow of his throat, I knew he would be just as sweet.
"My goodness♪ Vespera, you're diving straight in♪"
"O-Of course!"
I caught the knowing tilt of her head and forced my face back into composure. The heat blooming across my cheeks refused to obey.
"Ready for the next one, Vespera?"
"…Y-Yes."
"This time it's a peaceful moment shared between you two♪"
"…Right."
I pictured a meadow blanketed in wildflowers, every petal open to the sky. We had spread a blanket beneath the broad arms of an oak, sunlight dappling the grass. The air smelled of green and warmth and life.
Look around us, Lirian. Have you ever seen flowers so vivid? They survived the long freeze of winter and still chose to bloom. In this tiny, perfect instant when the world remembers how to live, I'm grateful beyond words that I get to share it with you.
"Vespera, what do you want to do with him?"
"I want… to share a picnic lunch with him…"
"So it's an outing♪"
"Yes…"
Even the way he chewed, careful and earnest, made my chest feel too full. Birds sang overhead. Warm afternoon light spilled across us like a blessing. I wished this single afternoon could stretch into forever.
"He fumbles shyly and pulls something from inside his tunic♪"
"…W-What could it be…?"
"Oh my, he's brought you a gift♪"
"H-How thoughtful…"
What? You wove this flower crown while thinking of me?
Thank you, Lirian. I will keep it with me always. The gods themselves will look upon your kindness and approve.
"Next question, Vespera♪"
"Yes…"
"How are you feeling right now♪"
"Hic…"
"Oh♪"
"Sniff… It's just… so moving…"
Lirian.
These aren't sad tears. They're tears of gratitude so large it spills out of me. You don't have to comfort me. I'm simply happy—happier than I have any right to be.
"Hmm♪ Vespera?"
"Sniffle… Yes…"
"And still you say you don't love him?"
"I-It's not like that!"
"Hehe…♪"
Thalia's words struck clean through my defenses. I jerked my face away, mortified at how deeply I had fallen into the game.
"It's a different kind of love… maternal affection, nothing more…"
"Hmm~♪"
Exactly. I am Vespera Langford, Pope of the Holy See of Akadonia. My vows bind me to the realm itself. There is no space left for anything personal, no matter how tender.
"I understand♪ On to the next scenario♪"
"…Yes."
Still, this silly exercise was strangely enjoyable. My heart beat faster at the thought of what Lirian might do next.
"This time it's a cozy, private moment together♪"
I closed my eyes again and let dusk settle over a bustling city street. We walked side by side, fingers loosely laced. Lanterns glowed in shop windows; laughter drifted from open doorways. Night had fallen, yet the avenues still hummed with life.
Isn't it beautiful, Lirian? This nightscape is one of Akadonia's treasures. The cheerful noise of the city tells us the long wars are truly over and peace has taken root.
"But suddenly an unknown woman steps toward him♪"
This felt different—sharper. Who was she, this stranger moving so boldly toward my Lirian? My brows drew together before I could stop them.
"The woman reaches out and seizes his hand♪"
The abrupt turn startled me. Had Lirian done something to invite this? Why would she—
My chest clenched hard enough that my heartbeat thudded against my ribs.
"At that moment…♪"
"At that moment…?"
"He shyly stretches out his own hand and gently takes hers in return…♪"
"…What?"
For a heartbeat I was certain I had misheard.