A Small but Certain Happiness (7)

Deharem Manor, my study.

I took off my coat and let out a long sigh.

“Haa…”

People say happy hours pass too quickly. Today, at least, I could believe it.

I'd wanted to spend more time with Ashley, but the rain had cut our outing short. Just before we parted, while her carriage waited outside the manor, she'd caught my sleeve and asked me to stay with her a little longer.

I couldn't.

His Excellency the Count would hardly approve of his unmarried daughter spending an entire evening alone with a man, however close they were to their wedding. If word reached him, Ashley would be the one to suffer for it.

This isn't Pelgaroin Castle.

I couldn't blame a father for wanting to protect his daughter. And as the viscount who served him, I ought to respect his position.

I had done the right thing.

That didn't mean I felt any less disappointed.

If only I'd had a little longer with her…

At least there was one consolation.

I had the location notebook Ashley had given me.

I hung up my coat, sat at the desk and set the little book in front of me. Its cover was smooth beneath my fingers.

She said we could talk even when we're apart.

I'd heard of these books but had never used one. The prospect of trying a new form of magic made me both curious and oddly nervous.

I reached for the cover, then stopped.

Something felt wrong.

Come to think of it…

Since returning home, I hadn't seen the elf once. Ordinarily she'd turn up beside me like a cat waiting to pounce, whether I welcomed her or not.

What is she plotting now?

I could hardly enjoy a quiet evening with that question hanging over me.

After a moment's hesitation, I touched the ring on my finger and activated the surveillance spell.

Hum—

A screen rose into the air, showing the elf's room.

She was there, still wearing her maid uniform, resting her chin on her desk as she gazed out the window. Her half-closed eyes looked almost sleepy.

Apparently nothing was amiss.

I was reaching to close the screen when her eyes moved.

She looked straight toward me.

“…!”

A shiver ran down my spine.

She wasn't looking around the room. Her gaze seemed fixed on the viewing window itself.

Did she notice the surveillance spell?

Before I could decide, she turned back to the window as though nothing had happened.

I shut off the ring at once.

No. Surely she didn't…

But pretending ignorance to frighten me was exactly the sort of thing she might do.

Enough. I couldn't spend my whole life worrying about things I couldn't prove.

I cleared my throat and opened the location notebook.

As Ashley had instructed, I laid my hand against a page. Mana flowed from my palm into an intricate magic circle that began to turn. A square window of light unfolded above the book, and lines of writing filled it faster than I could read.

[Witches, I've made a personality spell. Could someone inspect the circuit?]

[You're a wizard. This is the witch channel.]

[Go to the wizard channel! Sharing a network with the University Mage Tower doesn't mean we share every conversation.]

[Is the Witch of Black Flame a god? Is the Witch of Black Flame a god? Is the Witch of Black Flame a god?]

[When can I finally get rid of this trainee-witch label?]

[If nobles can speak plainly, why are we the ones being scolded for it?]

Messages kept appearing. I knew witches had built the network, but I hadn't imagined anything so large.

How am I supposed to use this?

Then a small conversation icon lit up in the corner.

I touched it, and a second window opened.

The other person's name was Little Swan.

▶ Can you see this?

▶ Am I doing it right?

▶ Um… Lord Theorad, if you're reading these, please take a fountain pen or quill and write in your notebook.

▶ Oh! It's Ashley. I changed my name because the notebook allows you to choose one…

Write in the book?

I picked up my quill and did as she said. The words I wrote glowed and appeared on the screen.

▷ Like this?

The sight was so remarkable that I found myself staring.

▶ Well done!

▶ I knew you'd understand at once, Lord Theorad. You learn twice as much as anyone tells you!

I couldn't help smiling at her enthusiasm.

▷ Too much praise can be poisonous. I only did one thing because you told me to do it.

▶ Still! I'm so happy. Now we can talk however far apart we are.

▷ I feel the same. Have you reached the castle already?

▶ Not quite. I think we're almost there. I can see the drawbridge!

▷ Then you'd better get ready to leave the carriage.

▶ That's a shame… I'll write again later!

Her messages stopped.

I'd have liked to keep talking, but she would be back soon enough. I left the window open and took a book of poetry from the drawer while I waited.

About an hour later, a new message appeared.

▶ Lord Theorad?

I closed my book and seized the quill.

▷ I'm here.

▶ Hehe… What an answer.

▶ What are you doing?

▷ Reading in my study.

▶ I just got back to my room after a bath. I wanted to write to you as soon as possible, so I hurried through it. There's a bathroom right next door.

A bath?

Despite myself, I imagined Ashley dressed for bed.

I had never even seen her in her underwear. My imagination had no business taking such liberties. I shook my head, ashamed.

Of course she's properly dressed while writing to me.

Then another message arrived.

▶ Wait a moment. I'll come back in my underwear.

I froze.

She wasn't wearing any?

My hand trembled around the quill.

Before I could collect myself, more messages poured in.

▶ No! Wait!

▶ Delete!

▶ Delete! Delete that message!

▶ Aaaaaah!

▶ Lord Theorad! I sent that by mistake. Please don't look at it!

▶ I'm sorry! I really didn't mean to send it!

▶ Please pretend you never saw it!

Exclamation marks filled the screen.

It was all too easy to imagine Ashley frantically writing on the other side.

I could scarcely look at the notebook. My cheeks were burning, and the possibility that she might still be undressed while sending those desperate messages made it worse.

▷ Don't worry. I didn't see anything. I have some business to attend to, so I'll be away for a while.

It was a kind lie. I'd seen far more than I ought to have read.

I stood up and fled the study. A wash of cold water might restore some order to my thoughts.

---

“Master…”

Creak.

The elf opened the study door.

She had known Theorad was home and had come to see him, but the room was empty. On his desk lay an open, familiar-looking book, with a square window of mana floating above it.

That is…

She knew this book.

Long ago, during the war with the Church, she had developed such books to let witches communicate during their operations. She had left behind the method of making them, so it wasn't surprising that the design survived.

Still, she hadn't expected one to find its way onto Theorad's desk.

What do they use them for now?

Curiosity drew her closer to the screen.

[Don't you think “Gale Dark Spear” is a wonderful name for a spell?]

[Did the Witch of Black Flame really shout the name of that spell in battle?]

[Would the fools at Weaving Turbulence please stop talking about that ridiculous spear?]

[Is the person above a wizard? Why is a wizard shouting on the witch channel?]

[More Black Flame Witch gossip? Aren't you tired of this, Pares?]

…What?

The elf stared.

The one-to-many communication system she'd made for wartime coordination had become a public gathering place for gossip.

And the chief subject of that gossip appeared to be a spell associated with her.

One contributor was particularly relentless: Weaving Turbulence Pares. Where another witch wrote one or two comments, Pares posted ten.

I warned you before…

Irritated, the elf accessed the system with the administrator's authority she still possessed.

She deleted Pares's posts.

Another message sprang up at once.

[Excuse me? Why did you delete my post?]

She deleted that one.

[What's wrong with discussing the Witch of Black Flame?]

Deleted.

[Has the Mage Tower paid you to silence me?]

Deleted again.

[You think you can control what everyone says? I'll keep posting!]

The elf's hand paused.

At this rate, she could spend all night deleting the same witch's complaints. A direct warning would be quicker.

She sat in Theorad's chair, picked up his quill and wrote.

▷ I told you not to make trouble.

▶ What? Who are you?

▷ In your room. I distinctly told you not to spread those rumors.

▶ Ah.

After a moment, Pares's messages began disappearing—this time because Pares was deleting them personally.

Good enough. The elf had no desire to argue further.

She was about to leave and look for Theorad when a small notification appeared at the edge of the window.

She opened it.

▶ Lord Theorad… are you very angry?

The elf blinked.

Who was writing to him privately?

A moment's consideration gave her the answer: Ashley. Who else would be exchanging private messages with Theorad through a location notebook?

She took up the quill again.

▷ I don't want to see you. Don't contact me again.

There. Perfect.

She set down the quill and waited.

The answer appeared almost immediately.

▶ Elf. Don't go too far.

Her shoulders jerked.

She glanced around the study. There was no surveillance device here that she could see.

How did she know?

When the elf looked back at the screen, a chill ran through her.

It had been a very long time since she'd felt quite so unnerved.