SCMBRN Chapter 29

“You mentioned last time that there was one of my inventions you wanted, didn’t you?”

 

Kyrie rose from his seat and gestured for me to come closer.

 

“Why don’t you come take a look? I prepared them especially for your visit, my lady.”

 

That had been the excuse I used in my letter, a suitable pretext for coming here.

 

He assumed I had come today simply to thank him for letting me sleep in his bed last time.

 

I stood and followed Kyrie, pretending to listen attentively to his explanation.

 

‘Anyway, I’ll be receiving my thanks later.’

 

In truth, ever since our last encounter, I had been agonizing over which magical tool to extract, no, receive, from him.

 

Then suddenly, I recalled a magical item that the heroine Ayla received from Kyrie in Looking for a Husband.

 

It was considered his magnum opus, an invention born from a near-miraculous probability.

 

Kyrie had named it “Tear of the Gods.” It was a potion capable of reviving even someone on the brink of death.

 

‘My life is precious. I must have it, no matter what.’

 

Though I was filled with determination, obtaining the Tear of the Gods at this moment was impossible.

 

Because he wouldn’t invent it until much later.

 

So for now, my plan was to feign disinterest and bide my time for the future.

 

I relaxed slightly when Kyrie picked up a rather tacky-looking fan.

 

No matter how bizarre the magical item he introduced, I was confident I wouldn’t waver!

 

“This fan is a magical tool that, with a single wave, provides a cooling sensation for ten minutes. Even the hottest summer is no match for it.”

 

…I was hit by a sudden urge to give up on the Tear of the Gods.

 

After all, how often would I face life-threatening danger compared to how frequently summer arrives?

 

‘Wait! What am I thinking right now?’

 

I nearly said I’d take the fan before hastily shutting my mouth.

 

No matter how great the magical fan, I couldn’t give up the miracle potion for it.

 

“Hmm, it’s a fine item, but I wouldn’t say I particularly want it.”

 

I forced myself to shake my head.

 

“Could you show me something else?”

 

“Really? You seem quite unable to take your eyes off this fan.”

 

“Th-that’s just your imagination.”

 

“I see. Then let’s move on to the next item.”

 

Alright, this time I’ll steel my heart!

 

“This, as you can see, is an incense burner. What makes it unique is that when incense is lit in this, it repels all insects, regardless of the type of incense used….”

 

“Excuse me, just a moment.”

 

“Yes, please speak.”

 

“Instead of receiving it as thanks, can I just buy it with cash?”

 

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”

 

Kyrie looked troubled.

 

“All the magical tools in this room are made in extremely limited quantities due to the difficulty of procuring the materials. That makes it hard to assign a monetary value to them. Besides, I’m not very inclined to sell my inventions for money in the first place.”

 

“R-right, that makes sense.”

 

Even in the novel, Kyrie always maintained his pride as a magician.

 

‘He sold replicas of his inventions in the Forest of Illusions, but he never handed over the genuine articles, no matter how much money the corrupt nobles threw at him.’

 

For someone like him, gifting one of his inventions to me was purely a gesture of gratitude.

 

Still, I wanted that incense burner so badly I could scream.

 

I wrestled in my mind, weighing the Tear of the Gods against the E×quila Incense Burner, and ultimately chose the Tear of the Gods.

 

“Blub thuh thurng thuh blee hru.”

 

“Pardon me? What did you say? Ah, another item. This way, please.”

 

Despite me speaking through clenched teeth in a desperate attempt to resist temptation, Kyrie somehow understood me.

 

“This is an appetite-suppressing headband. I originally designed it to help patients regain their appetite, but for some reason, it ended up having the opposite effect. Still, if you’re planning to lose weight….”

 

“N-no thanks. Next item, please.”

 

“This is a posture-correcting chair. Just sitting on it comfortably helps improve posture. With this, there’s no need to worry about spinal issues….”

 

“N-next!”

 

Each one of these items was incredibly tempting, but I had to grit my teeth and reject them all.

 

‘Seriously, what is this, a home shopping network? Don’t most mages invent weapons or armor for fighting monsters?’

 

But it seemed Kyrie had a knack for inventing items that were extremely practical for everyday use.

 

Because of that, I was forced into a fierce internal struggle against the urge to make an impulse purchase.

 

After what felt like an exhausting ordeal, Kyrie finally wrapped up his introduction of the magical tools.

 

Honestly, I wanted to beg for all of them, but I wasn’t thick-skinned or thoughtless enough to make such an outrageous request.

 

“This is quite a problem.”

 

Contrary to my internal sense of triumph, Kyrie looked troubled.

 

“I never imagined not a single item would capture your interest.”

 

“Oh, no! It’s just that none of them felt like the one. They were all amazing, really.”

 

“But if that’s the case….”

 

He covered his forehead as if in despair.

 

“What’s the matter? I figured I could receive the gift later. It’s not such a big issue.”

 

After some persistent questioning, Kyrie finally confessed.

 

“Actually, I have another favor to ask of you. That’s why I was hoping to win you over as much as possible.”

 

It was easy enough to guess what his next words would be.

 

“I know it’s shameless, but could you please let me sleep in your bed once more?”

 

That was the real reason I had come to the Forest of Illusions.

 

“Could you tell me what’s going on?”

 

Pretending ignorance, I coaxed the story out of him.

 

“After parting ways with you, I was able to sleep normally for about a week. But then….”

 

It seemed Kyrie had gone through the same ordeal as Raynard and Eugen.

 

“Please, I beg you! Just once more, help me get some sleep!”

 

“Are you sure it will only take one time? If what you’re saying is true, the same issue might happen again.”

 

“T-that is….”

 

His face turned pale, and his eyes darted nervously.

 

“If such an unfortunate thing were to happen again, I… I….”

 

He looked like he might start crying at any moment, so I spoke first.

 

“It’s alright, Kyrie! If that happens again, I’ll let you sleep in my bed again!”

 

“A-are you serious??”

 

“Would I joke about something like this? So don’t cry.”

 

“I wasn’t crying, though.”

 

Kyrie’s face lit up.

 

“Regardless, thank you. I don’t know how to properly express my gratitude. I feel like I’m constantly indebted to you.”

 

“It’s fine. When you finally invent something that really catches my eye, I’ll make sure to accept it.”

 

The Tear of the Gods, something no amount of money could buy.

 

“While none of the magical tools here may have impressed you, you might find something in the Forest of Illusions’ collection.”

 

“Perhaps.”

 

“Let’s go down and take a look. You’re my benefactor, after all. In our store, that makes you a VIP of the highest order.”

 

“That’s more than I deserve.”

 

“Please, choose freely. Of course, there’s no charge.”

 

“That makes me feel a bit guilty.”

 

Despite my words, my feet faithfully followed Kyrie out of the secret room.

 

After all, who would refuse something free? I certainly wouldn’t.

 

“By now, the manager, that is, my brother, is likely dealing with Duke Hiclyd.”

 

Kyrie said as he escorted me back to the VIP room.

 

“What did you tell the manager about me?”

 

“Rest assured, I didn’t mention anything about sleeping arrangements.”

 

He answered confidently.

 

“I just told him I needed to meet someone privately, but was concerned about gossip due to my reputation, so I asked him to act as a go-between.”

 

“I see.”

 

“Though he scolds me often, he’s a reliable person. As his apprentice, I vouch for him.”

 

While chatting like that, we soon arrived at the VIP room on the second floor.

 

Kyrie pulled his hood low again, then called for an attendant, instructing them to bring one of each type of item sold in the store.

 

He also didn’t forget to send word to Sir Calix, who would be waiting for me, to let him know that my shopping would take a little longer.

 

With delight, I browsed through the items the attendant brought one by one.

 

I was overcome by the desire to take them all home, but decided to hold back for now.

 

‘The real Charlotte didn’t use magical tools that often.’

 

It would look strange if I suddenly returned with an armful of purchases.

 

My plan was to gradually build up a collection. For now, I’d only buy what I needed immediately.

 

That was when I spotted something.

 

“Excuse me. What is that?”

 

The attendant, who had been packing several items into a box, looked startled.

 

“Pardon? You mean this?”

 

“Yes. I was wondering why you didn’t introduce it to me.”

 

“Ah, the assistant manager instructed us to bring all items in the store, but some were deemed unlikely to suit a noble lady, so we were setting them aside….”

 

“Hmm. Just in case, could you explain them all to me?”

 

“B-but these really wouldn’t suit a noble lady….”

 

“Please.”

 

A short while later, I was about to leave the VIP room with a velvet pouch tucked into my coat.

 

I’d found it. The very thing I needed right now.

 

What lay inside was none other than my salvation from the trials and hardships I currently faced.

 

Meanwhile, Kyrie, who didn’t seem to understand my choice, had been wearing an odd expression since earlier.