Dual Life ~Hiru wa Yuusha Party, Yoru wa Maou Gun~

Chapter 36 – Reunion at the Capital (4) 

“Farsa-dono, I apologize for disturbing your relaxation, but it seems that Julia is hungry and requesting something to eat. May I use the kitchen?” 

The voice of Zenobia, polite as always, interrupted Farsa’s deep thoughts, as she sought permission to use the kitchen for cooking. 

It appeared as though Farsa, immersed in a bath and enjoying his leisure time, had a slightly apologetic expression on his face.  

Farsa realized that he had a tendency to lose track of time when lost in his thoughts and reflected on his actions. Slowly rising from the bath and stepping towards the dressing room, he responded to Zenobia. 

“If you’re going to cook, I can help, and I have some preserved food stored that can be used. Let me guide you to the pantry…” -Farsa 

“Hmm? You seem unsteady on your feet… Farsa-dono, are you alright?” 

As Farsa made his way toward the dressing room while speaking, his steps became unsteady, perhaps due to feeling lightheaded from spending an extended time in the bath. He was on the verge of falling forward. 

Just in the nick of time, Zenobia swiftly caught him, but it was an awkward situation since Farsa, despite wearing swim trunks, was still shirtless. 

“Hya! Fa-Farsha-jyonyo, yo- you musht maintain you-your balansh…” -Zenobia

Zenobia became flustered, her words becoming incomprehensible. Farsa, his breath heavy, leaned against Zenobia, remaining motionless. 

Naturally, Zenobia was not wearing armor after her bath, and being in Farsa’s house, she was dressed lightly. 

In this damp state, Farsa clung tightly to Zenobia, and it was not difficult to imagine the various difficult situations that could arise. 

Both Farsa and Zenobia had flushed faces, but the reasons behind their blushing were entirely different. 

“Sorry, Zenobia… Just for a little longer, like this…” -Farsa 

“Eek! Your breath is on my ear! Al-alright, I understand!” -Zenobia 

Farsa, struggling to breathe, managed to utter words with an unusually feeble voice. 

The sound of his sigh reached Zenobia’s ears, and she couldn’t hide her own unease. However, perhaps sensing that something was different from before, she seemed to regain a bit of composure compared to earlier. 

Nevertheless, it was only natural for Zenobia to feel uneasy and fidgety, as she was in such close proximity to Farsa that she could feel his body warmth. 

“…Farsa-dono, forgive my audacity in asking, but did something happen between you and Palmina? It’s quite unusual for you to show such vulnerability,” Zenobia inquired, her demeanor transforming from earlier as she held onto herself. 

Zenobia, the captain of the White Lily Knights and the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Ctesiphon, was, of course, no slow-witted individual. It was only natural, given her position, that her mental acuity was sharp. 

While she sometimes acted a bit strangely when it came to Farsa, and her inflexible and serious nature often led to misunderstandings, she was undeniably a woman of exceptional talent. 

And as the captain, overseeing others, there was no way that Zenobia could be so oblivious as to not notice something amiss with Farsa, someone with whom she was close. 

If there was a cause, it would be logical to deduce that something had occurred between Palmina and them after they had finished bathing. It was only a natural conclusion to reach. 

Indeed, Farsa’s behavior had been different from his usual self, having spent an excessive amount of time in the bath until he became flushed. 

“It’s not because of something with Palmina. It’s just… I can’t help but think how foolish I am. Well, let’s drop this topic. It will only dampen your mood, Zenobia.” -Farsa 

Farsa unintentionally let slip his thoughts, still somewhat unclear in his mind. Quickly realizing his mistake, he attempted to end the conversation. 

But instead, Zenobia held him even tighter, her expression filled with deep disappointment. 

“Farsa-dono, I owe you a debt from before. You are, in a way, my benefactor. To see my benefactor troubled like this, is it wrong of me to want to be of assistance? Or would it be an inconvenience? Am I, Zenobia de Ctesiphon, merely an insignificant presence to you, unworthy of your grievances? I am regarded by Farsa Speciēs as nothing more than that?” -Zenobia 

Her voice was filled with seriousness, strength, kindness, and a hint of fear. 

Farsa rarely revealed his inner thoughts to anyone, keeping his distance and never showing vulnerability. While this might make him appear as a person with immense strength and reliability, it could also be interpreted as a lack of trust in others. 

No one truly knew the real identity of Farsa Speciēs, the man who had risen to become the Chief Court Magician through his extraordinary talent in magic. 

Farsa’s moment of vulnerability presented a significant opportunity for Zenobia to draw closer to him. However, a single misstep could result in increased wariness and push her even further away. 

Nevertheless, Zenobia had made the decision to delve into Farsa’s heart, regardless of the risks. 

There was no guarantee that she would get another chance like this, and above all, she couldn’t overlook the sight of the person she respected deeply, tormented by their own thoughts. That was who Knight Zenobia was. 

“……I’m sorry.” -Farsa 

“I see… That’s right. How could someone like me be of help to Farsa-dono? It’s just…” -Zenobia 

“No!” -Farsa 

Upon hearing Farsa’s apology, Zenobia interpreted it as a refusal and responded with a deeply disappointed expression. 

However, Farsa interrupted her statement and uttered words of denial. 

“No, Zenobia, it’s not like that, it’s not. But… not yet…” -Farsa 

Observing Farsa stumble over his words, Zenobia smiled gently as if she sensed something. 

Then, she brought both of her arms around Farsa’s head, embraced him, and slowly guided him into her chest. 

She caressed Farsa’s head nestled against her chest and gently patted his back, resembling the tender actions of a mother soothing her child. 

“When I was young, whenever I cried after being scolded by my father, my mother used to do this for me. The current Farsa-dono seems just like a child.” -Zenobia 

“…To say that I’m like a child is quite a way to put it.” -Farsa 

“Hehe, it only appeared that way. …While I have no idea what troubles Farsa-dono, I understand that you cannot speak of it to me, or rather, to us. I apologize for trying to pry it out of you earlier. However, it’s true that I felt relieved, knowing that it wasn’t for the reasons I had thought.” 

Farsa grew up without experiencing the warmth of a mother and lost his father at a young age. 

–It must never be revealed that you were born from the union of a human and a demon; whether the other party is human or a demon, it will surely lead to misfortune. I don’t want you to go through such a painful experience. 

Those words, repeatedly spoken to him by his father while he was alive, were indeed true. In a world where humans and demons waged war, Farsa believed that he was an existence that couldn’t be accepted by either side. 

That’s why he always maintained a distance from others, never allowing anyone to cross the final barrier no matter how close they seemed to be. 

Wearing the masks of both the demon, Mirage, and the human, Farsa, he continued his facade. 

However, gradually, ever so slowly, just like when he denied Zenobia’s words earlier, cracks began to form in those masks, so small that even he couldn’t notice. 

“Thank you, Zenobia. To you, Julia, Palmina, and Aura… I will surely talk to you all someday. Can you wait for that moment?” -Farsa 

“Hmph, what a foolish question. Waiting is my specialty. I will wait as long as it takes for Farsa-dono’s feelings to settle. But please, don’t make me wait until I become an old woman.” -Zenobia 

As Zenobia replied with a smile, still emanating a sense of dignity, Farsa raised his face, locking eyes with her, and asked playfully. 

“It seems like things have turned around from back then. I thought of you all as children until recently, but suddenly you’ve grown into adults.” -Farsa 

“You certainly have a knack for saying things that make you feel older than you are, Farsa-dono. Well, it’s true that when we first met, I couldn’t argue against being called a child… Please, don’t remind me of that time.” -Zenobia 

Farsa spoke in a thoughtful tone, his complexion improving compared to earlier, seemingly regaining his composure. 

On the other hand, Zenobia, who was previously dignified, began to show a hint of embarrassment in response to Farsa’s words that reminded her of the past. 

From the perspective of the long-lived demon race, human growth, which seemed precocious, appeared to be an instantaneous occurrence. Therefore, it was not surprising for Farsa to make remarks that made him sound older than his age. 

Zenobia was currently seventeen years old, but when she first met Farsa, she was only thirteen or fourteen, emotionally immature compared to now. 

On the other hand, Farsa was already around three hundred years old, although he presented himself as a twenty-four-year-old human, he had more than enough life experience to be considered mature. 

In reality, his life was mostly reclusive until he joined the Demon Lord’s army, but even so, he had accumulated sufficient experiences from a human perspective. 

“I believe the first time we met and had a conversation was during a joint operation, right? Oh, I was surprised at that time. Who would have thought that your first words would be something like ‘I’d rather deal with a monster than team up with a weakling like you!’ That’s why…” -Farsa 

“T-T-that’s why I told you not to remind me! Farsa-dono, you’re still as mean as ever! Just when I was worried about you, as soon as you’re feeling better, this is what happens. A-and besides, I think Farsa-dono was still somewhat to blame for having such an irresponsible attitude back then.” -Zenobia 

Certainly, Farsa recalled his past, and he remembered being even more careless than he is now. 

It had been approximately a year since Farsa’s appointment as a court magician, and it was a period when he was deeply disillusioned by the inadequacy of the magical skills wielded by humans. 

Nowadays, the court magicians of the Valois Kingdom were hailed as the most powerful group of sorcerers among the neighboring nations, but that was a tale that began with Farsa’s ascension to the position of head court magician. 

Up until then, the court magicians had been a gathering of individuals whose command of magic, from Farsa’s perspective, could only be described as inept, and their relationship with the knightly order was also strained. 

Furthermore, at that time, Farsa had already achieved the goal of becoming a court magician and was somewhat carried along by the current events, which likely made him appear careless in the eyes of onlookers. 

On the other hand, Zenobia had recently joined the White Lily Knights and was diligently striving every day to fulfill her duties. 

With these two individuals meeting, it was evident that things wouldn’t proceed smoothly. 

“Well, looking back now, I suppose I was fooled by Aura. That girl really has a keen eye for people.” -Farsa 

“Indeed, I am constantly amazed by Princess Aurelia’s foresight. However, it is thanks to that encounter that I became the captain of the White Lily Knights and was able to embark on a journey with Farsa-dono, Julia, and Lady Palmina. It is something to be grateful for.” -Zenobia 

Originally, Farsa, like other demons, had little interest in humans and led a daily life of his own. Initially, he traveled through human countries solely driven by a sense of guilt resulting from his own mistakes, but there were no events that particularly piqued Farsa’s interest. 

It was undoubtedly after meeting Aurelia that his life truly began as a human rather than as a demon. Born between a demon father and a human mother, Farsa had spent most of his life as a demon, making his story as a human all the more brief. 

Playing a part in that narrative was Zenobia de Ctesiphon, who stood by his side. 

Smiling at each other, the two reminisced about those days.