Chapter 29
As he settled into his hiding spot, his focus soon turned to the people seated at the table, who were deep in conversation over their tea.
Noticing the prince’s expression, he seemed somewhat dissatisfied. Although it wasn’t overtly obvious, the persistent frown on his face was telling enough.
The people he was speaking with appeared to be of noble birth, their attire and demeanor exuding an air of privilege and refinement. There were two of them, a man in his forties and a striking young woman dressed in attire that was rather revealing for someone of her status.
‘Her outfit is quite daring.’
Cielo thought to himself.
Her gown clung to her figure in a way that was both alluring and audacious. Such a fashion choice would not be deemed conventional in this traditional era. Moreover, considering the woman’s youth, it was improbable that she was the nobleman’s wife.
The woman cannot be regarded as his daughter either, especially considering how the nobleman assessed her figure, his gaze lingering on her chest as he licked his lips.
Disturbed by such an overt display of desire, Cielo made the decision to look away.
Is this a proposal of marriage? The young lady persistently tries to touch Konstantinos or engage him in conversation, clearly attempting to allure the 14th prince. However, the prince’s attention remains solely on the nobleman, never once glancing in her direction.
Cielo observed the scene with keen interest. It was indeed a novelty to witness the prince’s irritation, as he had only ever seen his usually impassive demeanor.
In the end, he became tired of just watching the changes in the prince’s expression, leading his eyes to wander again.
The servants at the back kept their eyes closed and stayed still. If it weren’t for their gentle breathing, he might have thought they were mere statues.
‘I have never seen the palace maids formally welcome a noble.’
As a result, he had never had the chance to observe how they interacted with such individuals. Furthermore, when the prince first brought him to the palace, Cielo was somewhat distracted, so this was the first time he could witness the maids and butlers carrying out their responsibilities.
When his gaze shifted back to the trio, it landed on Konstantinos’ dark eyes.
“Ooff!”
Cielo quickly crouched down and covered his mouth, worried that Konstantinos might hear him breathe. He found this reaction a bit over the top as he lowered his hand and tried to calm his racing heart.
Their eyes met.
Konstantinos had clearly noticed him just moments earlier, standing just outside the palace from which he was barred from leaving until further notice.
Another complication—how delightful.
Cielo glanced back, only to find the prince still fixated on him. Though his head was turned in Cielo’s direction, the two nobles seemed unaware that he was ignoring them.
‘He was able to use magic?’
It wasn’t entirely surprising that he could wield magic. After mainly watching Alistair and Newcastle as magic users, he felt a brief moment of astonishment that quickly faded away.
When their gazes locked once more, Konstantinos shot him a fierce glare. He was truly discovered now.
‘Time to make my escape!’
He flashed a peace sign before quickly retreating, sprinting toward the maze. He entered without looking back, but in his panic and rush of adrenaline, he inadvertently took a different path, causing him to lose his sense of direction.
‘Goddamn it.’
Succumbing to panic offers no advantage, thus, he carefully retraces his steps. He had been coping well until, unexpectedly, rain began to pour two and a half hours later. Now, he finds himself soaked in a remote area.
“Tough luck today, huh.”
Cielo grumbled under his breath.
First, Konstantinos recognized that he had ignored his instructions, then he had lost his way, and now he is caught in a heavy downpour.
The rain had a dual effect. While it quenched his thirst as he drank from the falling droplets, it also left his clothes completely drenched. The multiple layers he wore added significant weight.
‘When is Alistair supposed to arrive?’
He had been alone for a total of seven and a half hours, and with nightfall drawing near, the man still had not come to his aid. It was quite unusual for Alistair to leave him unattended, as he usually followed the prince’s orders without fail.
However, if the prince had indeed told Alistair to leave him by himself, it might suggest a concerning situation…
Without any light source, Cielo quickened his pace. It would be wise to reach the central garden, where he could take shelter in the gazebo and wait for Alistair to come for him. It was likely around 6 PM, and darkness was swiftly closing in.
Regrettably, he has missed both lunch and dinner. This explains his intense hunger.
As soon as he reached the garden, he quickly took off his outer clothing, keeping just his shirt and trousers. The rain kept falling, and he felt a coldness wrap around him.
Cielo looked around the garden and collected some twigs. Maybe he could use them to ignite a fire? Even though he had never been formally trained in survival techniques, he thought that starting a fire shouldn’t be too difficult. He had seen plenty of videos online, and it seemed relatively simple.
“… .”
Nothing he tried ever worked.
With the wet conditions, failure was inevitable. If the situation had been different, he would have already secured a fire.
In the end, Cielo crouched to the side, hugging his knees. He shivered from the cold and felt the sharp pangs of hunger.
“I will never do this again.”
…That was a lie. He would likely find himself in a similar predicament in the future, but by then, he would be better prepared and wouldn’t venture out with just his cane.
His stomach growled loudly once more.
"Damn it. I would even settle for a carrot at this point.”
Who cares if he hates those damn carrots? If it fills him up then so be it.
As soon as he had said that, he felt something drop onto his feet, and when he looked up, he saw a carrot rolling before it stopped after hitting the table.
“… .”
“… … .”
Where on earth did that come from?
‘…I’ve heard that hunger can cause hallucinations.’
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This implies that his condition is worsening.
Still, to reassure himself of his sanity, he picked up the carrot and found it to be a real carrot, proving that he had not yet lost touch with reality.
“But where did this come from?”
Confused, he stood up and looked around. There was no one around, not even a single animal, making him question who could have thrown this upon him.
Cielo raised an eyebrow as he inspected the carrot. Despite his hunger pushing him to eat it, the fact that it was raw and had touched the ground made him pause, he still needed to peel it.
The absence of a peeler is apparent…
He avoids using his fingers, as that would be quite unappealing, and he worries that his nails might be the first to be removed rather than the carrot’s skin.
“Hey there!”
He raised his voice, hoping the individual who had hurled a carrot at him would respond.
“Could you hand me a knife? Or at the very least, a vegetable peeler!”
Out of nowhere, a vegetable peeler appeared in mid-air. He felt a wave of mana brush against him, reminiscent of a dog seeking its owner’s affection.
“What just happened…?”
This was clearly magic. It was strikingly similar to how Newcastle’s discarded items seem to disappear into thin air.
‘Did I do that?’
How could he possibly wield magic without casting?
Cielo quickly placed the carrot and vegetable peeler on the table, his hunger temporarily forgotten as he attempted to cast a spell.
He tried teleportation, summoning a communication mirror—anything that might help him—but nothing worked. He even attempted to command the mana to fetch his food from the Haunted Palace but to no avail.
“…I might be having a hallucination.”
With a furrowed brow, he sat down at the table and began to peel the carrot. His mind was empty at that moment, and it wasn’t until he finished the last piece of carrot that he fully regained his senses.
“That was definitely a real carrot, and it tasted just like one.”
Cielo took steps to acquire the ability to use it, but he is still oblivious to what those steps were.
A carrot and a vegetable peeler don’t offer much insight. Or do they?
“Bring me a cabbage!”
He commanded the mana without casting a spell, but nothing happened, suggesting that it was not the answer.
He made several more attempts, but none were successful. Cielo sat in a chair, resting his cheek on his left hand while his right hand absentmindedly played with the vegetable peeler.
“I was convinced it wasn’t just a figment of my imagination, but could it be that I’m simply desperate?”
His yearning to learn and master magic was intense. After all, what was the purpose of entering another realm if one couldn’t harness its powers? Living an ordinary life in a fantastical world seemed utterly pointless.
Perhaps someone was indeed hiding nearby, helping him. It could be Alistair, Newcastle, or even someone entirely new. Still, this doesn’t explain how they were familiar with a modern vegetable peeler unless it had already been invented.
“No. The mana responded to me.”
If it were someone else, what would make mana cling to him like an overly affectionate puppy?
He asked for a carrot and a vegetable peeler, and they provided both. However, he remains oblivious to the reasons behind mana’s willingness to meet his requests.
“…What are you doing, young master?”
A confused voice came from behind him, and when he turned around, he saw Hope.
“Alistair!”
Cielo’s face lit up at the sight of him, only to quickly shift into a frown.
“Why did it take you so long to come find me? I’ve been waiting for quite a while!”
He was starting to consider the idea that Alistair’s actions were a form of punishment for the trouble he had caused. It seemed the message was unmistakable: “This is the result of your disobedience,” or something similar.
‘But wrong timing!’
At that moment, he hesitated to leave. He still wanted to stay and understand how he had used magic.
Cielo’s attention shifted to the floating orb that was their only source of light, following Alistair’s behind before returning to focus on him.
“I was so hungry that I ate a carrot."
“…I apologize. I believed this would assist you in relaxing, which is why I allowed you to do as you wish.”
Alistair stepped into the gazebo and offered him a coat, which he gratefully accepted, wrapping himself in its warmth. A sigh of relief escaped him as the heat slowly returned to his body.
He then looked up at Alistair, who was studying the carrot skin and the vegetable peeler on the table with a noticeable frown.
“Why do you look like that?”
Cielo picked up the vegetable peeler and offered it to Alistair, who seemed curious about it. This clearly suggested that it was not something that had already been invented in this world, as Alistair was unfamiliar with the tool.
“It seems like it hasn’t been invented yet. This is called a vegetable peeler. It makes tasks easier for people.”
“Interesting.”
Alistair took the vegetable peeler and examined it closely with his gloved hands before shifting his focus to the carrot peel.
“You mentioned a carrot… is it a type of vegetable?”
The man tilts his head, adding to the dramatic effect.
“… .”
“… … .”
“…Huh…?”
Carrots don’t seem to exist in this world!?
In the nearly two months he had been aware in this world, he hadn’t come across a carrot in any of his meals. He hadn’t thought much about it, as it didn’t seem important whether people ate the one food he disliked the most or not. However, the realization that they might not exist here is quite surprising…
“Yes… it is a type of vegetable from my world…”
He answered slowly, still bewildered.
Is it strange that he felt a sense of joy at this discovery?
Still, it is indeed intriguing information. Just because their world was once considered normal doesn’t mean it shares all the same traits as his own. There are aspects of his world that are missing here, and vice versa.
Alistair acknowledges the situation with a nod, though a trace of confusion remains on his face. Fortunately, the man quickly asks about his concerns.
“Where did this come from, young master?”
If these items are from your realm, how did you obtain them? You mentioned being unaware of how you crossed dimensions. This appears to be the underlying meaning of Alistair’s inquiry.
“I appreciate your question, and I meant to clarify it anyway.”
Cielo paused briefly to sneeze, prompting Alistair to conjure fireballs around him for warmth.
“Thank you. Now, back to the issue at hand. I was extremely hungry and accidentally mentioned that I would eat even a carrot, despite my dislike for them.”
Alistair nodded slightly, urging him to continue with his story.
“It appeared out of nowhere! At first, I didn’t notice the mana’s reaction, but during the second time I asked for a vegetable peeler, the mana around me seemed to respond positively to my request and provided me with a peeler from my own world. Both appeared without any effort from me.”
The Head Butler remained quiet, but his expression revealed that he was deep in thought about the information he had just received, likely considering various theories.
Alistair could use a lie detection spell and Cielo recognized that any attempt at deceit would be pointless, therefore, Alistair did not dismiss the young man’s account as mere fabrication. Moreover, there was concrete evidence to back up his claims.
After a brief pause for contemplation, Alistair finally spoke.
“This is quite fascinating, young master. We need to conduct a thorough investigation into this matter.”
Alistair seemed to take pleasure in the revelation.
Cielo hesitated for a moment before asking a question.
“Do you really think I did that? Used magic…”
“As the overseer of this place, I can attest that I sensed no other presence apart from yours, so indeed, I am convinced that the young master was responsible.”
Alistair replied with a pleased smile.
The certainty that he had acted independently filled Cielo with relief and satisfaction.
“Furthermore, I have always believed that the young master has exceptional qualities.”
Alistair went on.
Cielo simply hummed in response.
This idea likely arises from the fact that he was a Traveler, rather than any innate skill or Alistair’s confidence in his capabilities. While it doesn’t deeply trouble him, it still feels somewhat unsettling.
Alistair’s expression shifted.
“On another note, His Imperial Highness reached out to me and mentioned that he would be arriving tomorrow. He also disclosed some rather intriguing details.”
Cielo coughed and looked away, feeling a pang of guilt. He had made troubles not just for Fisher but for Alistair too.
“I’m sorry…”
“Fortunately, we do have some good news.”
The man commented as he watched the carrot peel and the vegetable peeler.
“His Imperial Highness will be pleased to hear about this.”
“Yeah… I truly hope so…”