PMEVBO 96

‘Retiring for one day during the banquet week is, well….’

That wasn’t bad?

The original Lucariel was a notorious habitual escapee in Hell underground dungeon. During the banquet week, when only one guard was on duty, they had no choice but to dope him out with sleeping pills. The prison’s sleeping pills were potent; even Lucariel couldn’t stay conscious after taking them.

“Just in case something happened, even the ninth floor guard received an exemption from attending the meeting.

Isabelle had been the same…

I hadn’t caused an escape commotion recently, save for one instance. Thanks to that, my treatment over the past six years had been fairly decent. Instead of being drugged throughout the entire banquet week, I only had to endure it for one day. Until now, I had spent that day the banquet week duty meeting was held, sleeping through the entire day.

I caused an escape commotion recently too, so I thought maybe I’d get the same treatment as in the original story…

To be honest, I’d been worried about this ever since I learned the quest period overlapped with the banquet week. I knew the original Lucariel had caused an escape commotion and received that treatment, but I didn’t know exactly how much commotion was required to get it.

But even though we were practically glued together from midnight when the banquet started until almost the entire next day, Iser didn’t bring up the sleeping pills. What’s more, he said he had to attend a meeting. Seeing that, it seemed my treatment had changed from the original Lucariel’s.

“…Did they cut me some slack because it was my first time?”

After finishing the quest, I’d even considered downing a week’s worth of sleeping pills all at once. For someone like me, that was fortunate.

Selling drugs smuggled out of prison could net a hefty sum. Consequently, drug management within the prison was extremely strict.

Medications delivered to prisoners came in specially designed containers. They were designed to dispense the contents only when saliva mixed with the liquid at the opening. Empty containers, once the prisoner had finished taking the medication, had to be submitted to the authorities without fail.

The original Isabelle wanted to hurry up and finish her revenge, eager to escape this suffocating place. Even she threw up her hands at this complicated procedure. She’d worked so hard to get the duty shift, only to end up working nonstop while Lucariel slept. That was that.

So I’ll just treat meeting days as days to sleep in… What should I tell Iser when I go to Chepony Castle?

Just then, Iser spoke up.

“You know those sleeping pills you’ve been taking to every duty guard meeting?”

“Huh? …Ah, yeah.”

I straightened my hunched back and looked at Iser. Iser tilted his head to one side and smiled.

“Well, this time, they’re gone. I took them.”

“…What?”

For a moment, I thought I’d misheard. I stared blankly at Iser for a second before speaking a beat late.

“…You took them? Why?”

“I wondered if taking them would help me sleep.”

“Ah….”

Right, come to think of it, when he came to my cell last night, he said that.

‘Actually… I haven’t been able to sleep at all lately.’

As that thought occurred to me, I felt a pang of pity. How desperate must he have been to take a prisoner’s sleeping pill?

“…But you still couldn’t sleep after taking it? It’s pretty strong.”

“Yes, it didn’t do anything.”

Iser nodded quietly, a small smile on his face.

I was caught in a complex mix of feelings. Should I tell him it was fortunate his body was so healthy it didn’t even respond to sleeping pills? Or should I say it was unfortunate his body couldn’t sleep even with them? I couldn’t tell.

Iser asked with a coy smile.

“Are you mad at me for eating it without asking?”

I laughed before I could stop myself.

“Why would I be mad? I’m actually [Read on]grateful you ate it for me since I didn’t want it.”

“……Did you really dislike it that much?”

He gently tucked my hair behind my ear as he asked cautiously. Only then did I realize what I’d just said and felt slightly flustered.

I fiddled with the sandwich, trying to recall. Over the past six years, I’d only taken sleeping pills for six days. Because of that, I don’t think I’d ever really considered whether I liked or disliked them…

…Did I actually dislike them?

I guess I did. Being in that dark cell for so long blurred my sense of time. Taking sleeping pills made my head feel foggy for a while afterward, so even when I woke up, it didn’t feel like I was really awake.

But I didn’t want to spill all these feelings out. Especially not to Iser.

“It tastes awful.”

“Oh, really?”

It was incredibly bitter. But that wasn’t the reason I didn’t want to take it. Instead of answering, I nodded and picked up the sandwich.

With Iser away, the sleeping pills were missing right at the perfect time. No matter how I thought about it, the day of the meeting was the perfect time to visit the castle. As long as I returned within a day, sneaking out without Iser knowing would be entirely possible.

So this was just me saying it to reassure myself.

“…Are you sure? Even if you don’t put me to sleep that day?”

Unaware of what I was scheming behind his back, Iser smiled sweetly.

“It’s fine. Anyway, I…”

Iser trailed off while gently pulling my hand toward his. Then he sucked the sauce off my fingertip.

“I don’t like you sleeping well without me. I’m mean, aren’t I?”

“No, you’re just cute.”

I chuckled softly while tracing his lips with my fingertip.

***

Lucariel ate his sandwich, consistently saying it was delicious. He was so skilled at telling white lies that Iser couldn’t tell if he was being sincere or not.

Even after finishing his meal, Lucariel’s hair was still wet. When Iser offered to dry it for him, Lucariel immediately sat down onto the floor in front of the bed.

“Here, sit down and dry it for me.”

He patted the bed gently and smiled softly, looking just like a puppy wagging its tail. Iser found himself lowering his head and smiling.

While Iser dried his wet hair with a towel, Lucariel curled up, hugging his knees. Through his loose shirt, his straight spine and slender waist were visible. He was shorter than Iser now, but still taller than average. Yet for someone of that height, his waist was remarkably thin.

‘…So that’s why his shoulders are so narrow.’

Just then, Lucariel’s head, resting on his arm, slumped forward. Iser reflexively reached out and caught his neck.

“Ah, sorry…”

Lucariel mumbled. His tone was slower than usual.

Iser set the towel aside and gently tilted Lucariel’s head back. Lucariel was so sleepy he could barely keep his eyes open. Red marks were visible on his slender neck, bound by restraints, and through the gap in his open shirt.

‘It can’t be normal to do this to a human body…’

Why don’t you say you don’t want to? …Is it because of the mission that you endure it even though you hate it?

The fingertips that had been caressing the marks he’d made slipped beneath his shirt. Hesitating briefly, Iser quickly withdrew his hand and cupped Lucariel’s cheek.

“Lucariel, can I sleep with you again tonight?”

“Mm…”

Lucariel answered in a daze. He was a kind person, even in his dreams.

Lucariel fell into a deep sleep the moment he lay down on the bed. Iser, who was putting [visit our site]on a disgusting act of pretending to suffer from insomnia, knew the truth. The one truly struggling with insomnia was Lucariel. It was no wonder he was exhausted after being tormented by Iser all night.

Lying still beside him, it wasn’t long before Lucariel instinctively pulled him close. Burying his face in his shoulder and draping his legs over his thigh was the usual routine. Iser chuckled softly and patted his shoulder. Only then did the steady rhythm of Lucariel’s breathing become audible.

He ran his fingers over the collar around his neck, and whispered softly.

“…You wouldn’t know.”

How much I’ve wanted to do this for you these past six years.

(1/10)

(2/10)

…Already.

It had been barely over an hour since the side mission began. Yet, two objectives had already been achieved. He couldn’t help but laugh dryly.

A faint blue aura flowed from Iser’s body. It began to [stolen content]spread slowly through the restraint collar, eventually seeping in and vanishing without a trace. Then the process repeated from the start. Iser had repeated this cycle even when Lucariel had dozed off briefly this morning.

‘At the very latest, by the day after tomorrow, the restraint won’t be able to function.’

It would be far simpler to destroy it. If he infused it with enough power, it would vanish without a trace. But he wanted to destroy its function while keeping the original form intact. Because…

“…Lucariel would hate that.”

Just like when the Pope promised to take him away from this place.

Suddenly, the surroundings seemed too bright. As the watery blue aura rippled like waves and engulfed the candle, it crackled and the flame flickered out.

“Sleep well, Lucariel.”