The Saintess in the Birdcage Knew Love, and Then She Fell Into Madness - Chapter 13: Aria's Magic

Chapter 13: Aria’s Magic

“This is really delicious!”

“Ahaha, I’m glad you like it.”

Today, I had once again presented Aria-san with sweets.

Aria-san seemed immensely fond of Jinleo’s pies, as she had been eagerly eating them non-stop for a while now.

(I wonder about things like… excretion.)

I thought about the worst possible things during mealtime, but it seems Aria-san has never even done that… What kind of system does she have? 

When you eat food, you need to expel the digested matter, but in Aria-san’s case, does the food just disappear in her stomach? That would be a convenient feature in its own way.

“What are you thinking?”

“Nothing important.”

That was close. If she knew what I was thinking, I would surely be disliked, and that would be an understatement. The snack time continued without further probing.

By the way, Luke had obviously noticed my absence, but he seemed to sense something about my situation and didn’t say anything. 

“Hmm, it doesn’t feel like you’re just slacking off. I feel like something’s up. Talk to me when you’re ready.”

When he said that, I really thought of him as a genuinely cool guy.

Well, it’s kind of my fault for being here in the first place, but I owe him one and need to repay the favor sometime.

“…Yawn…”

I let out a big yawn. Last night, I couldn’t sleep properly as I was concerned about Aria-san’s situation… Honestly, I’m surprised at how much I’m worrying about it.

“Are you sleepy?”

“A bit… I didn’t sleep well last night.”

“Hmm.”

As I said that, another big yawn escaped me.

There’s work to be done later, but once I’m in work mode, the sleepiness will likely vanish.

As I was thinking this, I heard something that made me doubt my ears.

“Laurent-kun, would you like to rest a bit using my thigh as a pillow?”

“…Eh?”

“Come, rest on my thigh.”

Aria-san patted her thigh invitingly. She was wearing a pure white robe, with a slit that revealed her thigh… and I foolishly kept staring.

“Fufu, you seem interested. I know boys like this kind of thing.”

“I’ve always admired it.”

While I admired the idea, actually doing it was another matter. Aria-san seemed eager and waited for me… but should I really go through with it?

“By the way, Laurent-kun is the type to be reserved, right? Then it’s fine if I insist.”

“Huh?”

Before I could process her words, it was too late. Magical threads entwined around my body and pulled me towards Aria-san… In other words, I ended up getting a lap pillow from Aria-san in an unavoidable situation.

“…!”

“Got you.”

Ah, that phrase brings back memories… but that’s not the point! I was about to ask what she was doing when I was stopped by two large bulges dangling in front of my face.

“…Sorry, Aria-san. This might just wake me up.”

“Eh? Well, that’s fine too. There, there.”

Aria-san patted my head, looking quite pleased. 

It’s strangely comforting, despite being an embarrassing situation. I’m definitely not sleepy… not sleepy, but it’s not an unpleasant feeling.

“Laurent-kun.”

“Yes?”

“…The view outside was really beautiful.”

“…”

“It’s not like I could see everything from there… but it was more vivid than any knowledge I had. There are so many people, so many magical creatures… so many living things.”

“…Yes, that’s true.”

Aria-san didn’t say anything more after that.

Perhaps she thought if she continued, she wouldn’t be able to stop.

Aria-san is… not ordinary. However, what I’ve come to understand in the few days I’ve known her is that her sensibilities are gradually becoming more normal.

(…?)

At that moment, a somewhat unpleasant thought crossed my mind. 

Aria-san had always been here alone, living what was normal for her. But with my irregular presence, if it sparked a longing for the outside world in her… If learning about things she never knew before made her want to escape this birdcage… then I might be the one who instigated these feelings.

“Aria-san…”

“What is it?”

“…”

I had pondered a lot, especially about the barrier Aria-san creates. 

If my premonition turns out to be true, I might end up destroying what has always protected this country. Although I think this way, I’m not entirely certain that it will happen.

“Laurent-kun, you worry a lot, don’t you? That must be about me… I shouldn’t think this way, but I’m really happy that you do. To me, you’re the only one who truly knows me.”

“To be honest, having lived a normal life until now, I can’t help but feel sorry for Aria-san, who I’ve just met… even if you don’t feel the same way.”

“Ah… Thank you.”

“Please don’t thank me. In the end, I haven’t really done anything.”

For some reason, I feel that if only she were let out of here, there would be countless others who could show Aria-san a different world, not just me.

But… I don’t want to pass on that role to anyone else.

“It’s not true that you haven’t done anything… You’ve shown me many things. Taught me… made me feel… You’ve given me a multitude of emotions, and an understanding of what it means to be human.”

“…”

“Where should I direct these feelings, I wonder?”

For a moment, I felt a chill in the air, making me shiver. I was curious about Aria-san’s expression, which was hidden behind her ample chest.

“Aria-san… may I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“…If you could spend time outside, you’d be happy, right?”

Instead of asking if she would be happy, I assumed she would be. 

Aria-san nodded and said cheerfully,

“Of course. It would be wonderful to walk outside with Laurent-kun!”

“…”

…Well, it seems like I’ve got to put in some extra effort.

Starting tomorrow, I’ll research more about magical shields and think of solutions in my own way. I want to be satisfied with my answer, without any regrets.

“Oh, by the way, I don’t just create barriers. I’m quite skilled in magic and confident in handling any situation.”

“But… you haven’t really tested that in reality, have you?”

“With Laurent-kun here, I feel like I can definitely do it!”

“…Is that so?”

Afterward, Aria-san showed me various spells she could cast. The conclusion was clear: her abilities were on a different level.