Thanks to my perseverance, the superficial scars have healed and I can walk around without any problem. The pain is still there, but it's enough to numb the pain of seeing him.
　As usual, Master Hilmera saw me off without looking at me. I guess she wants to wrestle with the mirror a little bit, since Master Washekht is coming to visit her again today. Still, I like the fact that he throws me a word when he leaves the room.
　It seems that my heart has become quite attached to him, that I feel so much pain even though I haven't seen him for only a few days. I wanted to restrain myself from running, but by the time I reached his base, I was breathing a little hard. I wondered what he would think of me if I were breathing unevenly as soon as I saw him, and I was sure that he would react in an amusing way, being such an innocent person, but I tried to catch my breath before knocking on his door.

"Hi, I'm here to play!

　This is not his room, but his base. This is his base, not his room. He's not going to be in a situation where he'll be bothered by a sudden visit, so he enters without waiting for an answer.

"Ah, Mursht. It's been a while.

　He was there as usual. Next to him were his guards, Ilias and Wolfe, and there was a hint of the Purple Demon Lord at the back of the room. If you use magic detection, I'm sure you'll get a lot of responses, but I won't go that far.
　Yes, it should be the same as usual, but something is definitely different. It's him, his eyes, eyes I don't know.

...... What's going on?
"Well, a lot of things. The prince's interference is getting more and more serious, so we've decided to get serious.

　Maybe I'm half wrong about the unknowing eye. It's certainly the first time I've seen them, but I know they're his eyes. Dark, dark eyes that match the shape of his fragile heart. Yes, it is because of these eyes that he has become such a distorted being.

It's like a mirror reflecting the other person.
Are you uncomfortable?
No, I'd rather thank you for showing me. The way your eyes don't shine, it reminds me of the old days.
Long time ago?
I was once trapped in a place with no light by an insensitive person. It was scary at first, but I soon realized how comfortable it was. You don't see unnecessary things, you don't hear unnecessary sounds, and you can feel your whole body with all your senses. Now you're trying to turn off the light that is you and see me in the darkness.

　This is probably the most powerful weapon he has. This is probably the most powerful weapon he possesses, a survival technique he has learned to push through the recklessness of accepting a lot of bad intentions with a cowardly heart. A mad attempt to understand the other person by becoming the other person itself, rather than accepting the other person as self.

You look happy.
How can you not be happy that the person you love understands everything about you?

　Now he's trying to understand me. Now he is trying to understand me. He is trying to accept me by throwing away his own individuality and imprinting me perfectly into his body. What unrequited love does not rejoice at such self-inflicted courtship?

It's one thing to understand, but it's another to sympathize. Well, I'm sure you'll be pleased .......
"Heh. But you seem to be in a lot of trouble if you're so cautiously prepared.

　He glanced slightly towards Iliad. I'm sure she doesn't like the state he's in. But the look on her face suggests a kind of determination.
　That's all I needed to know about the situation. Perhaps his current state is a last ditch effort to get things done as quickly as possible and minimize his own burden.

I'd like to ask you a question: I and a few others have been interrupted in the city by an attempt on our lives. Do you have any idea what's going on?
"No. Judging by the way Hilmera was acting, I don't think she gave any such orders.
Do you know that Hilmera is not related to the Washects?

　I wondered if she was bluffing or if she was saying it with conviction. You can't tell him everything about Master Hilmera, no matter how much you know about him. Would it be inconvenient, or not? Master Hilmera doesn't bother to hide such things.

"I don't know about the facts, but she's admitting it. Was this information given to you by Master Washekht?
"No, that's what I've been told. The way you say it, it seems that Washekht is avoiding that information.
Washecto dotes on Hilmera as his sister. I'm sure he doesn't like to talk about it.

　I'm sure that's not what he wants to know. Well, if there's any information you can extract from me, feel free to do so. As for me, it's enough if I can keep looking into your eyes for a while.

You're a man of your word. You are.
My heart is shaking so hard I want to writhe. What about you?

　The fact that he's looking at me like this is probably because there's an urgency in his heart. He doesn't need to do that, I'm just what he thinks I am. He should have known that already, but he had to do it.

You've loosened up.
"That's good to hear.

　His eyes returned to their normal state, as if he didn't need any more observation. I'm a little sad to see him go, but I don't mind the timid look in his eyes, so I'll wait for the next opportunity.
　But an attempt on my life, huh? It seems that a lot of things happened right after I left to take care of Arkreal, are the other princes wary of me? It's not me personally, but Lord Hilmera's eyes. It makes sense to target the timing when the other princes' surveillance is weakened.



"Well... I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm going to be leaving soon.
I see. I'll wait outside for you to get ready.
Are you going to work with me?
"I'm under orders from Lord Hillemera to watch over you. I can keep an eye on you from afar, but I'd rather be with you.

　Now that the assassination attempt had failed, the other princes would be seriously trying to kill him. They might even show him a hidden gem or two. Then there's no way we can't work with him.
　He laughed a little, picked up his sword from the wall, and headed for the door. If you're going to work with me, you might want to talk to Iliad or Wolfe about it.
　As I waited for him at the door, I imagined what would happen next. As long as Ilias and Wulfe are there, they will not try to take his life in a straightforward manner. If they do, it will be by some means of breaking his heart.
　Now he is so weak that he has to use a trick that is avoided by his friends. There is a good chance that the machinations of the vile princes will break his heart. Oh, I don't like that. I can't allow his heart to be broken by someone so wasteful.

But Hilmera-sama told me to move quietly. ......

　Now, I have to figure out how to fake it. I'm sure you'll be able to figure out a good excuse that will make Hilmera look like she's chewing on a bitter pill.

　I'll be back.

"Do you want Murscht to go with you?
"Since he wants to, we'll just have to let him do what he wants.

　I'm sure you'll be able to understand why Ilias is dumbfounded, but I have no right to restrict Murscht's actions. Of course, if he gets in the way, I'll take appropriate action, but I don't think that's going to happen.
　Murscht is a fool, but not a fool. He is proactive, but he is able to keep a good distance between himself and others. He will do whatever Hilmera tells him to do, no matter what.

"Shh, I smelled blood on Mursht. I think it's his blood. He's injured.
The reason he hasn't been seen lately is probably because he's been on a mission involving combat and his medical treatment.

　Since Murscht's disappearance, Lakra, Marya and I have been directly harmed. But if you consider that Mursht himself was also attacked, you can speculate that he might have been the first to get involved.
　However, it is also possible that he was fighting at the request of Hilmera. I haven't heard of any incidents of killing or wounding near me, but in that case, did she interfere with some kind of information source? If that's the case, Hilmera will probably keep her mouth shut, and we can't force her to tell us.
　What I do know is that Mursht has no feelings about the injury or the circumstances leading up to it. That's the only thing I understand from my observation just now.

"Did you try it on Mursht?
"In a way. But he's not lying about his feelings. He genuinely came to see me, and he liked what he saw. It's not very nice, though.

　For Morscht, liking someone is similar to being attracted to art. However, it is not because of their appearance, but because of their inner life and the way they are.
　Rather than seeing into the mind, it is more like visually observing the shape of the mind. If such a thing is possible, it is necessary to consider the possibility that Murscht is a bastard.

Are you saying that everything is fine for now?
"Yeah, I guess so. For now, .......

　There is nothing false in his words. He can point his sword at me with pure fondness, but only by his decision. She will accept any kind of "me" and swing her sword without hesitation while crying.
　She is such a dangerous person, but that is why she is easy to understand. At this point in time, it's definitely in our best interest to let Murscht run free.

"This is just my personal opinion, but don't you think you're letting Murscht off the hook a little too much?
"Maybe so. If you're the same s*x and your personalities are compatible, and he likes you, you'll want to let him in. He's a bit like Marito, if I know him.
To His Majesty? Well, ...... it's true that the degree of his obsession with you may be similar, but ....... Still, in your mind, he has a good chance of becoming an enemy, doesn't he?
"...... Well . But there is no way to avoid it.

　I've done some analysis of my own. It is a mistake to get close to the Serendians when the full picture is not yet known. Washekht's suspicions have not been completely cleared up, and it is not certain when Topala and Mursht will become enemies.
　But even so, he is more tolerant of those who are sincerely interested in him because of the amount of hostility he is facing. There are only places where the princes are breathing down their necks, and most of the people around them can be considered their insiders.
　The desire not to burden Ilias and the others has become an excuse for him to be more open-minded towards those in positions like Mursht and the others. Thanks to this, he does not have any mental health problems, but he cannot deny that he has been lax in his investigation of Hilmera and Washekht. Subconsciously, I am making choices that will not make Mursht and Washekht my enemies.

If you are aware of this, I won't say anything about it. You are far superior to me in human relations.
"Yeah, I'm good at that. I'll be good at it. ...... And I'll be ready for anything.