Tsuihou Sareta Bannou Mahou Kenshi wa, Koujou Denka no Shishou Tonaru

It was late at night when I returned to the mansion.

Lucy went back to her room, and I went into my room, too.

The candlestick fire had already been extinguished, and there was no light whatsoever but the moonlight that shoots through the window.

Sophia and Clarice seem to have fallen asleep already, resting easily.

Only Filia, however, sat back in bed looking out the window at the moon.

Silver hair shines in the moonlight.

Realizing I was back, Philia stood up and turned this way.

Sleeping white negligee hem flutters and shakes.

"Welcome back, Solon"

"I'm back now, Dear Philia. Are you ready to add or subtract?

"Yeah. The fever's down, too. Thanks to Solon and Sophia, and Lucy!

Phyllia's illness was caused by my use of Phyllia's magic from a connected magic circuit.

We recovered without any problems using the herbs we found in the ruins.

I'm relieved. I just can't bear to imagine that Filia will continue to suffer because of me.

"Even though it's getting better, you should get some sleep. As Dr. Lucy said, it's important to restore health."

"Yeah. But I slept all day yesterday and today, so I couldn't sleep. I'm bored with my eyes."

"That's troublesome."

Something like that is good after I did catch a cold and fell asleep.

"Even so, I think it's getting better, and I'm gonna go around and I'm gonna bust it."

I've had terrible eyes with that, too.

When I was a kid, I fell asleep for a few days with an epidemic cold.

On the day when the fever finally went down, the son of the Lord, the Duke, came and said, "If it's healed, let's go play! ♪ And he took me out to the winter fields ♪

As it turns out, I'm going back on the bed again.

Given that, you'd better let Philia stay quiet.

But I felt like I said I had no choice but to leave him alone, and I felt sorry for him.

Besides, keeping it up, Philia said, "I'm fine now! I said," I could sneak out of the room.

I thought about it for a while and then came up with something good.

"If you can't sleep, you can't help it. Shall I join you for tea to warm you up?"

Phyllia let her face shine.

"Solon and me?

No one else is awake.

As I said with a laugh, Philia nodded.

"Yeah. Right. Fun!"

and after filia snapped, suddenly she looked worried.

"But... Solon doesn't want to sleep?

"I want to think a little bit too. Besides, if Philia's happy, she'll blow up drowsiness."

To my words, which I joked about, Philia said "Thank you, Solon" in a bounced voice.

When I took my jacket for Philia and handed it to her, we went down to the lower level of the mansion together.

On this occasion, it might be better to discuss with Philia the plans of Lucy and the others to make Philia emperor.

But Philia's sick, and even for me, I'd normally like to enjoy tea with Philia first.

The dining room is dark, and when I light the candlestick on the table, the tiny area around it is blurred.

"Please sit down and wait. I'll make the tea."

"Yes."

Sometimes Filia makes herself some tea and behaves like me and Clarice and the others.

It's not really something the Empress herself would do, but with a kind of hobby, she enjoys being able to brew tea for us in and of itself.

But Philia is sick this time, so naturally, I'm going to drown.

I poured water into a metal water boiler on the tabletop, opened the top lid and added tea leaves.

The boiler, made of iron and brass, is shaped like a pot and beautifully patterned with blue paint on the surface.

This is quite widely used in empires as a machine for making tea.

I liked the vibe of this machine and deliberately bought luxury goods at Perse's and left them at the mansion.

Tong Tong and I tapped the water boiler with our fingers and the magic poured in and the heating started.

Pine cones are put in the top as fuel, after which tea leaves are automatically simmered out.

Since tea is extracted quite intensely when this machine is used, it is necessary to adjust the water accumulated at the bottom of the machine by pouring it at the end.

The waiting filia was letting her legs hang out.

"Where did you go out with Lucy today?

"It's a tavern on the outskirts of Teito, right? I need a little help."

"Nice. I want to go too."

"You promised to go explore the ruins with Master Philia."

I looked back and laughed.

Filia swells her cheeks.

"I'd love to go on a ruin adventure, but I'd also like to go with Solon to the Imperial City for some food. That's what you promised Clarice, isn't it?

"How do you know that?

"What Clarice was proud of."

Clarice smiled brightly and said, "Next time I'm going out to Empire City with Master Solon!" I can see what you're saying.

I didn't think so, I laughed.

Meanwhile, Phyllia blushed a little and stared at me to the top.

"I want to go to the Imperial City alone with Solon, too."

"It's..."

"Clarice is fine, but I can't?

"No. I was wondering if the Empress would make a scene if she came to the store all of a sudden"

"You can pretend to be a normal girl in disguise and you'll be fine. I went to Mr. Perse's shop with him before."

"Maybe that's true, too. Shall we go around the Imperial City store together?"

"Promise, huh?

That's what Filia said, smiling with a red face.

I thought about it.

The plan to put Philia on the throne probably starts moving before it's that far away.

That might make it impossible for Filia to go to the Imperial City store with patience.

Still, I nodded to Philia.

"Yes, I will guide you to the Empire."

At that time, the top of the metal water boiler glowed red, informing me that the tea was in.

When I poured the tea into the teacup and gave it to Philia, she said happily, "It's a midnight tea party, Solon," and stared at me.