Azphira Tales

[Arad] "It seems remarkably effective. It felt cool the instant I applied it, and the pain is already fading. It has a scent, but it isn't that unpleasant herbal smell. I think it’s quite, sniff, quite nice, actually." If he had a sin, it was his inability to read the Prince’s current state of mind. [Arad] "Yes. As she applied the ointment, she said the scent makes one's heart feel warm, and it feels that way. But Your Highness......" Fortunately, he eventually noticed Kalart

After finishing her preparations, Roserikta immediately threw herself into the task of making the burn ointment. Since she had all the necessary ingredients, only the process of simmering and mixing remained. There was just one problem: she couldn't hang a pot over the fireplace here as she would back at her pharmacy. It would look far too suspicious. Left with no choice, she used Axaca powder to bypass the long simmering process. Clobellina, watching from the side, clicked h

Kalart did not stop at bringing her back to her room; he insisted on laying her down upon the bed himself. As he tucked the pillow beneath her head and smoothed her stray hairs, she found it increasingly difficult to breathe. The proximity was stifling. [Roserikta] "Your Highness... my foot is only slightly injured. I can still use my hands." [Kalart] "I know." Whenever he acted with such quiet resolve, she found herself powerless to stop him. [Roserikta] "You should get some

[Roserikta] "This is bad." She clicked her tongue in frustration. [Roserikta] "The blanket tore." While checking the pouch hanging from a branch, a sharp twig had pierced the fabric. She felt a snag, and before she could react, the blanket gave way with a sharp rip. [Roserikta] "What now? The walk back will be a struggle." The blanket, which had been functioning as an invisibility cloak, reverted to a mundane piece of fabric. She sighed, visualizing the long trek back to her

Elona soon returned with the ingredients she had requested. [Roserikta] "The Hebori herb and Nepenthes leaves are fine. The problem is the Cantharis." Cantharis referred to a powder made from dried beetles of the same name. While it was a common ingredient in a witch’s pharmacy, it was not something easily found in the Crown Prince's palace. [Roserikta] "What should I do?" She fell into thought. Gathering Cantharis wasn't particularly difficult. They had a habit of swarming u

[Arad] "Pardon? What was I... well, the ladder broke, so..." For some reason, his tongue felt tied. He couldn't tell if the Prince’s piercing blue eyes were merely a gaze or a sharpened blade. Seeing him struggle to answer, Roserikta—who felt a growing sense of guilt—stepped in. [Roserikta] "No one could have caught me in time. No one knew the ladder was broken. It’s not the knight’s fault, Your Highness." She tried to stand, using the chair to support her injured leg. [Roser

It was just as she had feared. Aldwin was in the kitchen at that exact moment. When she saw Roserikta arrive, accompanied by a Senior Knight of the Royal Guard under the guise of protection, she clutched the back of her neck, speechless. [Aldwin] "What on earth is His Highness thinking... Ugh." She couldn't understand what was so special about them. Lately, rumors were flourishing in the Trifolium Palace. They whispered that the Prince had fallen for some cat, only to discove

A Realistic Observation on Why Every Knight Should Raise a Cat The sun rose, its warm morning light tickling her cheeks. [Roserikta] "Ah, I slept so well." She woke and stretched her limbs with a satisfied sigh. Despite the chaotic events of the previous night, her sleep had been as sweet as honey. She felt remarkably refreshed. [Aldwin] "You slept well, did you?" A voice like cold water dashed her pleasant mood. [Roserikta] "…Hm?" She stopped mid-stretch and turned her head

[Eaton] "There will be rumors, Your Highness." He finally voiced his concerns. Of course, his own worries were likely inconsequential, and he knew Kalart would never do something without a calculated reason. Still, he could not remain silent. There had been enough noise about the cat’s owner when she first entered the Crown Prince’s Palace, with many claiming she lacked the proper status. Now, Kalart had settled her in the room right next to his—the very suite intended for th

The voice of him, speaking words that made little sense, felt strangely rigid. While she blinked her eyes in bewilderment, the last of her buttons were undone. He pulled off her inner dress as well, leaving nothing behind. A biting chill struck her bare skin. As she curled her body inward to shield herself, a dry garment was draped over her shoulders. [Roserikta] "Ah...?" [Kalart] "Can I open my eyes now?" It was his cloak. He had taken the cloak he had left nearby and wrappe

Alone once more, he was shrouded in complete and total solitude. Once a day, this was his time to let his eyes rest. Beneath the surface of the water, everything was refracted and blurred, and he preferred it that way. If he did not have these moments of peace, he felt he might have lost his mind long ago. The Crown Prince suffered from an illness known to no one else. To his eyes, human faces appeared twisted and distorted. It was not a general failure of his vision, as he h

[Clobell] "It has been hours. I am dying of boredom. Haaaa-aah." They had been waiting in the audience chamber for three hours. Clobellina, who had been dozing off on Roserikta’s lap, finally found even sleep tedious. She hopped down to the floor and stretched her body long. Roserikta rubbed the bridge of her nose. Her legs were beginning to feel pins and needles. [Clobell] "He acted like he would give you his own liver just a while ago, so why is he ignoring us now? Does he

[Clobell] "Meow." Clobellina finally relaxed. Her eyes, which had been wide with tension until they boarded the imperial carriage, narrowed into lazy slits once more. According to her, she had been quietly gathering the Axaca powder in the basement when she sensed something strange. She had crept upstairs and watched the situation unfold from a distance. When she heard the Crown Prince threatening to burn everything down, she had hidden in a panic, certain she’d been caught f

Cold. No, it was as if he lacked temperature entirely. That was the sensation that washed over her the moment he opened his mouth. To call him a "statue" felt like an understatement. She had expected this, but her heart still sank heavily in her chest. As she feared, the Crown Prince had come with the sole intention of taking Clobellina away. That cannot happen. [Roserikta] “Your Imperial Highness.” She spoke after swallowing a sharp breath. In that instant, the Prince's gaze

[Clobell] "Are you really doing this to me?" She stared at Roserikta, her two eyes brimming with a damp, resentful glow. Of course, the look had no effect. Roserikta simply lifted her teacup, pretending not to notice, and spoke sternly. [Roserikta] “You don’t have time to play around. If you keep this up, even staying up all night won't be enough to finish.” [Clobell] “Do you think this is reasonable? Use your eyes and look at this. When am I supposed to pick all of these up,

[Roserikta] “Clobellina.” A clear, calm voice echoed against the backdrop of the evening sun streaming through the window. [Roserikta] “Come out now. It’s time for dinner.” She placed a plate on the small kitchen table. It was piled high with freshly blanched broccoli and cabbage. [Roserikta] “...Is it too much to leave it completely unseasoned?” She searched the cupboard and pulled out salt and pepper. With a few light shakes, the seasoning settled over the wilted vegetables