In the hospital, Rhea sat hunched over her desk, surrounded by stacks of parchment and open books. Her office was small but functional. She had shelves lined with glass jars of dried herbs, a cabinet of medicines against the far wall, and a single window letting in pale afternoon light.
She was studying a medical issue that had been plaguing the flood-affected villages.
People were getting sick—many of them. The symptoms were: extreme vomiting, relentless diarrhea, and rapid dehydration. On the surface, it seemed like a simple sickness. Treat the dehydration, and the patient should recover.
But records showed otherwise.
Deaths had been reported. Mostly the elderly, but a few younger adults as well. The medical staffed stationed at every village were not able to identify what is causing this. Something was wrong.
Its as if Rhea was missing something.
The book before her might as well have been staring back at her, mocking her inability to find the answer.
She was lost.
Then—a pale white hand reached into her field of vision and pushed a book towards her.
Rhea blinked.
The hand retreated beneath her desk. She could hear soft breathing coming from the front, where someone was hiding in the small space beneath the wooden surface.
If Rhea had been any normal person, she would have screamed in terror.
But Rhea was accustomed to Ayumu's sudden appearances and disappearances. She had long since stopped being startled. She simply figured that was how white magis were.
That was how Ayumu was. And when on earth has she entered Rhea's office without her noticing?
"Ayumu," Rhea said dryly, not looking down, "you will get me in trouble too, you know."
There was silence. Rhea just snickered and picked up the book Ayumu had given her. The cover was worn, the pages yellowed with age. She starts flipping the pages.
"How many times is this that you have escaped house arrest?"
A long silence from beneath the desk.
Then, a small voice: "…About five times."
Rhea chuckled. "Well, I am surprised you made it this far without getting caught this time." She held up the book. "So. This?"
Ayumu peeked over the edge of the desk, her golden eyes just visible above the wood. She pointed at the book with one pale finger.
"Page 147," she whispered.
Then she ducked down again.
Rhea smiled at Ayumu's cuteness and opened the book to the indicated page. She read line by line, her brow furrowing, her lips moving silently.
Then her eyes widened.
The symptoms were the same. Every single one.
According to this text, there was something in the water—something invisible to the naked eye—that was making people sick. A tiny living thing. A bacterium.
Rhea looked toward where Ayumu was hiding.
Ayumu's whisper came from beneath the desk. "A bacterium. From a country I visited, they have a name for it… cholera."
Rhea shot to her feet. "Ayumu! You found the cause! That is wonderful!"
She spun around and began rummaging through her cabinets—throwing open drawers, scanning shelves for hydrating salts, medicinal leaves, vinegars. Anything that might help treat the sickness now that she knew what she was fighting.
Then she stopped and she turned back to the desk.
"Wait," she said slowly. "How did you know about the flood sickness?"
Ayumu peeked over the desk again, her chin resting on the wooden edge. Her expression was small and pleading.
"I saw it in the reports I signed," she said. "I want to help." Her voice dropped to a whimper. "Rhea, I cannot stay in that room any longer. I can help with the flood prevention. I can help heal people. Help me to tell the Emperor that please Rhea...."
Rhea softened. "I know, Ayumu. But you cannot just disappear like that. The emperor will go berserk. And I don't know if it would make it any different if I said something."
Before Ayumu could respond, both women heard it—loud, hasty footsteps echoing down the corridor outside. Raised voices. A commotion.
Drobar's voice boomed through the hallway: "Sorry, in a hurry! Move it, old man!"
Ayumu's eyes went wide.
She scrambled—crawling hastily and disappeared beneath the desk where Rhea was sitting, curling herself into the small space as if she had never been there at all.
The door did not knock.
It slammed open. Boom.
Drobar filled the doorway, his chest heaving. "Rhea! You will not believe what I just heard!"
Levain appeared behind him and shoved Drobar aside, nearly sending the larger man stumbling into a shelf. "Yeah! Did you know Lord Kaiser was arguing with the emperor?!"
Drobar shoved Levain back. "I was going to tell her!"
"You take too long!"
"I do not—"
"Enough!"
Rhea's voice cut through the bickering like a blade. Both men froze.
"Both of you come barging into my room with no hello. Close the door and just tell me what happened."
Drobar kicked the door shut. He and Levain turned to face her, chests still heaving, faces flushed with excitement.
They spoke at the same time:
"Kaiser wants to marry Ayumu!"
The words hung in the air.
And from beneath the desk came a soft thunk. Ayumu had hit her head on the underside of the table.
She did not make a sound—but the impact was unmistakable.
Rhea kept her expression neutral. She gestured vaguely toward the desk. "Ignore that. My box fell down." She cleared her throat. "What do you mean he wants to marry her? Kaiser has feelings for Ayumu? How did you all know this?"
Drobar threw his hands up. "The emperor was hounding Kaiser, and Kaiser confessed! Right there in the office! We heard everything!"
Levain nodded vigorously. "And the emperor lost his mind. He threw things. He grabbed Kaiser by the collar. It was spectacular." Then his face sobered. "And what makes matters worse… she is missing again. Lady Ayumu is gone."
Rhea sighed deeply as she was taken aback by the sudden news.
She could never understand Kaiser. First, he had followed Ayumu like a shadow—always watching, always near. Then he had swatted her away, because he thinks his felings were not his own. Then he had started to care for her—hovering, protecting, carrying her through two weeks of unconsciousness. And now?
Now he wanted to marry her?
Is he in his right mind?
Rhea's voice was sharp when she finally spoke. "Did the emperor allow it?"
Drobar snorted. "Obviously not!"
Levain shook his head, his expression caught between amusement and concern. "The emperor was so angry. He absolutely did not allow it." He paused, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "I think Kaiser would be thrown out of the empire if he insisted."
Rhea crossed her arms, her brown eyes hard. "Good. The man needs to sort out his feelings before he even thinks about marrying anyone—let alone Ayumu."
Then Rhea looked down at her desk. "Ayumu," she said flatly, "come out."
Drobar and Levain exchanged confused glances.
"Why is Rhea talking to the desk?" Drobar whispered.
Then Ayumu's head emerged from beneath the table.
Drobar screamed—a short, startled yelp. "WHY IS LADY AYUMU HERE?!"
Rhea rushed to him and clamped a hand over his mouth. "Shut your mouth, Drobar! You are so loud! You will get us all in trouble!"
Ayumu stood up slowly, brushing dust from her white robes. Her cheeks were flushed. She looked deeply, profoundly awkward—like a child caught sneaking sweets before dinner.
Rhea crossed her arms. "What do you think of the situation, Ayumu?"
Ayumu blinked. "Eh?"
She looked at Drobar. Then at Levain. Then back at Rhea.
"Ummm…" She fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve. "I am not sure what to feel. Why would Lord Kaiser want to marry me?"
Drobar and Levain stared at her. Then they looked at each other. Then they both sighed.
Ayumu looked around at all of them, utterly clueless. Her golden eyes darted from face to face.
Did I say something wrong? she wondered.
Rhea asked Ayumu, her voice was soft but probing. "Ayumu, do you have any feelings for Kaiser?"
Ayumu blinked. "Feelings?"
"Yes." Rhea leaned forward slightly. "If you cannot answer that, then perhaps… about marriage. Do you want to marry Kaiser?"
Ayumu's brow furrowed. She tilted her head, her golden eyes genuinely confused.
"Don't you need to be dating before you get married?"
The question hung in the air.
Drobar stared at her for a long moment, his mouth slightly open. Then he let out a slow breath. "I do not think we have anything to worry about here." He shook his head. "I do feel bad for Kaiser, though."
Levain stepped closer, his expression thoughtful. "Lady Ayumu, what do you feel about Lord Kaiser?"
Ayumu considered the question carefully. "I think," she said slowly, "that he is a very strict man. But also very kind."
All three of them shouted at once: "Kind?"
Never in their lives had they ever heard that a black magis could be considered kind. Especially not Kaiser—the cold, ruthless, unfeeling Lord Kaiser, whose red eyes had made grown warriors tremble.
Ayumu flinched at their outburst. "I- I believe he is a very kind man. He has always given me advice, he gave me apples. And asked me to dance...even when I could not." She paused, her cheeks flushing slightly. "He never got angry that stepped on his foot a few times. So- so I believe he is very...nice."
Rhea, Drobar, and Levain exchanged glances.
A long, heavy silence settled over the room.
Then Drobar muttered, "I am going to need a drink."
Levain nodded slowly. "I will join you."
Rhea just rubbed her temples. "Ayumu… we need to talk about what 'kind' means."
Ayumu tilted her head again, still utterly clueless. "Did I say something wrong?"
"Yes," all three of them said in unison.
Ayumu looked at them, bewildered.