Please Take A Step Out Of The Portrait

Chapter 9

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Vivian’s POV

Displeasure? Was he angry?

His subdued expression was different from the angered expression that he had previously.

At his worried look with the slightest hints of anger, I had no choice but to call him with a smile on my face. 

“Eddie, what’s that look for?”

His expression then crumbled instantly. Without caring about Yurision, who was next to him, he asked with gritted teeth. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Why didn’t you tell me about that? How could you deceive me seamlessly? Even if it wasn’t said aloud, I could hear his unspoken words. I didn’t avoid his gaze, and when I gave him a soft smile, Edmund’s eyes turned fiercer. 

“Because you didn’t ask.”

It was obvious that he wouldn’t know that he had to ask. It was because before I fainted, he wasn’t even aware that I was sick. Perhaps even the doctors and the healing mage would have only vaguely understood the condition of my body, making it hard to properly diagnose any abnormalities. 

I tried to make eye contact with Edmund, who was standing, but he quietly avoided my eye contact.

From his expression, he clearly seemed angry, so a faint smile appeared on my face. 

So, it was because he was worried.

But it would be better for him to not care so much about someone that he has met for only a few days.

My gaze left Edmund and turned towards Yurision.

“There should be a cure, right Sir River?”

“I’m afraid that there isn’t a perfect cure.”

I did bear a hope that there would be a cure after 200 years, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. 

Yurision brushed his black hair backwards once before he moved towards me. He reached a hand out towards me. The calluses on the first section from the tip of his third finger proved that he was a scholar.

While staring blankly at it for a moment, I reached out and placed my hand on top of his hand. He prodded at the vein of my wrist.

With faint magical power from the finger touching my wrist, I could also feel the flow of magic that I usually wasn’t quite aware of. Like the pulsation of the heartbeat, the mana also throbbed. 

Edmund’s fierce gaze stayed on my wrist for a long time. In the end, I could only call him with a voice filled with laughter.

“Eddie.”

“…….”

“You can relax.”

Edmund looked pissed as he unfolded his arms while opening his mouth.

“Vivian, to me, right now, you’re–”

“Sister often said this to me.”

“…….”

” ‘Don’t pay too much attention to trivial matters.’ ”

I didn’t always agree. I was someone that couldn’t expect any happiness, unless it was small and trivial. In order to somehow endure in this family, I had to find and hold on to happiness in little things. 

Even so, the time that I gave to myself was too short to set a grand goal. My sister clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction at me for giving up without even trying, but that’s a reaction that can only be seen because it’s not me.

Nevertheless, I had no choice but to agree with my sister, as I had to cry as much as the small moments of happiness I had experienced. 

Edmund’s silver and Yurision’s blue eyes entered my vision at the same time. 

A light ripple surfaced on Yurision’s face, which had been expressionless the entire time. In an unexpected whisper, the words that my sister always said to me flowed out. 

” ‘…It’ll come back to ruin you someday.’ “

In that moment, Yurision seemed to have loosen his grip over his mana, and the mana in the whole region became strong enough to steal the breath of others inadvertently. Due to the intensely concentrated mana, I was suffocated for a moment, as if I was smelling the scent of chemical products. 

“Sir River?”

“…….”

Traces of complicated feelings appeared on his face, before disappearing soon after. Perhaps he was surprised by my behaviour, and started to clear the magic in the air hurriedly. Only the non-mage Edmund couldn’t understand the situation, and remained blinking. 

But not long after, Edmund hurriedly put his sleeve at the side of my mouth.

“Vivian!”

Something hot and fishy rose up from my esophagus.

As I coughed up blood, Edmund wiped the blood in front of me and paled.

After barely getting the coughing under control, I took a deep breath while Edmund used a white handkerchief to wipe the traces of blood. 

“Eddie, it’s alright. It would happen sometimes after being exposed directly to mana. It doesn’t cause strain to my body–“

But Edmund cut me off and yelled at Yurision.

“Yurision River, are you kidding me?”

The courtesy that was demonstrated just a few moments prior was completely forgotten as Edmund spoke agitatedly. After taking a gulp for air unwittingly, I tightly grasped the hand that was wiping the blood away with both of my hands. 

“I’m fine, this would occasionally happen…!”

I forcibly caught Edmund’s head from turning towards Yurision, under the pretext of wiping the blood away. 

“I apologise, Lady Summers.”

“No, just Vivian will do.”

Yurision apologised to me with a bewildered voice. As it wouldn’t cause a large strain on my body, it didn’t matter. I said that it was alright, and added that he could call me by my name.

“Vivi.”

Edmund called my name ferociously. Yurision’s voice, without looking at his face, could be heard.

“The blood will stop soon. I’ll pay more attention to confirm it. I’m sorry.”

“I had called Senior here to treat Vivian.”

[T/N: ‘Senior’ as in upperclassman.]

“…I’m sorry.”

At Edmund’s ferocious words, Yurision seemed to be apologetic for now. However, the words that followed soon after showed that Yurision was just as sharp as Eddie.

“It seems like you’re pretending to understand, seeing as how you’re calling me ‘Senior’ and all.”

“Is that important?”

“Not at all. On the contrary, I’m glad to see that side of you, but it’s a shame.”

Yurision snorted before turning towards me. With a flick of his finger, the bloodstained face, as well as the clothes and blankets instantly became clean.

“I guess the two of you went to the same school?”

The answering response came from Yurision.

“I’m an alumni of Del La Clyde.”

Del La Clyde is said to be the most historic and traditional academy in the Empire. It was both an elite educational institution that dominated the world, and a location for the upper classes to gather for social activities.

I was a little amazed as the academy didn’t have such a high status 200 years ago. 

It seems that Yurision is a senior while Edmund is a junior. In that case, there really isn’t a chance that Yurision is Yuriel. 

“Both Senior and I used to be the president of the student council. Although we’re not close, it’s not like we don’t know each other.”

“I’m surprised that you’re treating me like I’m your senior.”

Yurision stood obliquely with his arms folded. Just by standing there with his posture and appearance, his well-managed appearance alone that differed from Edmund showed his position as a high-ranking aristocrat. 

Well, there’s no way that the student president of a prestigious private school isn’t a high-ranking nobleman.

Yurision’s gaze started from my hand that was laid on the bed and went up all the way to my head. And that gaze only returned to its original position only after glancing at the huge portrait above my head.

He gave a chilly smile.

At the much more cynical atmosphere than I had remembered, I tried to shake off the memories of Yuriel that I had left in the past.

Right. Those two can’t be the same person.

“So, please explain to me about Vivi’s condition, Senior.”

It seems that he had decided that it would be better to directly ask Yurision than to get information from me.

Yurision had also explained in more detail than expected while in a slanted posture.

“The magical energy surrounding the heart is what ‘s usually called a mana heart… Right, you seem to know about that. Mages accumulate magical energy through the heart, and supply mana to the entire body with the heart’s pulsation.”

To mages, this was similar to having another heart, hence mages use the expression that they have two hearts. 

Yurision turned towards me completely. It seems like this explanation was directed towards me this time.

“However, there are people that are born with too much magical energy, so much so that their hearts are unable to handle it. As the heart has been overworking ever since then, it would easily break at the slightest mistakes, just like glasswork. Adding to that, the excess mana would accumulate throughout the body, thus affecting the body once again.”

I don’t understand why he was telling me what he should be saying to Edmund. Did he think that I was unaware? 

“When the magical energy circulating throughout the body just like blood deviates its designated path, it’s no different from a bomb that would explode once it’s touched wrongly.”

“…Does the deviant magical energy from the heart not dissipate?”

Edmund asked.

“That only happens when the magical energy is collected from nature.”

I continued answering on behalf of Yurision.

“The magical energy that I’m born with naturally is mine eternally. That’s why it doesn’t dissipate and accumulates everywhere in my body, causing my body to weaken. I would suffer from hemoptysis or a migraine even if I overdo it slightly, and this is usually because of that magical energy.”

“Then, what should you do?”

“I’d have to remove it on purpose.”

“How?”

I met his worried silver-gray eyes willingly.

“You can draw the magical energy out. Perhaps it’s hard for you to understand as you’re not a mage, but you have to slowly draw the magical energy from the toes to the fingertips and draw it out.”

“If that’s the case, you can do that too.”

“Unfortunately, I’m not talented at detecting mana. I can do it while meditating in times of emergency to protect myself, but it’s hard to do it perfectly. Just like how Sir River had helped me a while ago, I’ve been receiving the help of the family mages all this while. That’s how I was about to stay alive until now.”

Edmund seemed to have much that he wanted to say. I continued to explain everything to him.

“As the magical energy is unstable, and also because of the excessive magical energy, the heart itself is unstable, so it is actually overdoing it to use magic most of the time. Normally it would be fine, but if a mistake was made, it could instantly become a deluge.”

It was gratifying that I was the daughter of a prestigious family of mages with a very high-quality education, and thanks to that, I was accustomed to using magic. Up until now, a situation where a flood of mana after using magic had only occurred a few times.

“Although there was a lot of magical energy overflowing this time, it’s because of the intense emotions assimilating together with the magical energy.“

“…It’s at a level where it’s life threatening?”

“That could be the case when it’s serious, but right now, it’s still alright. But I’d occasionally get hemoptysis like this, so you don’t have to worry too much. Rather, it’s more like the body is sending signals to live…”

As I explained casually while wrapping it up to not show as much of the truth as possible, my eyes met with Yurision’s, who was standing with a slanted posture.

The corners of his distorted mouth were lifted. He seems to have noticed the fact that I was lying.

But what could I do?

“It’s alright! I’ve been lazy ever since I came here, and I’ve been neglecting it because there’s too little magical power in the atmosphere? I’ll sort it out first from now onwards. Hmm? Eddie, don’t make that face.”

In the end, this was only a temporary measure so as to not die immediately.

If I wanted to return to my sister’s side, I, who didn’t know when I would die, should find a solution as soon as possible. 

“Sir River, is there no cure for it at all?”

Ordinarily, dark hair would shine brightly under light. However, under light, Yuriel’s jet-black hair would only become even darker. That was the case for Yurision as well. 

He stared at me for a long time, then raised his head and stared at the portrait above the bed.

“Vivian Summers.”

“Yes?”

“…….”

He muttered my name to himself.

When he looked up at the portrait, his side profile was like someone that had given up a lot of things, and was taken over by exhaustion. 

The blank voice that left his mouth was a little hoarse. 

“…Currently, the only method is to break the heart.”

“That method would be difficult. I wouldn’t be able to use magic anymore.”

“In addition, if something goes wrong, it’s dangerous enough that it could even cause you to lose your life. Several skilled mages would be required.”

It was a solution that had also existed 200 years ago.

Then, rather than saying that it’s a cure, it was a quick and elegant way to commit suicide without suffering.

It was also a method that definitely couldn’t be used here. When the heart is broken, there isn’t someone here that could control the wild magical power that has lost its path.

What’s the point of barely escaping with my life and waking up? Without magic, I wouldn’t be able to return to my sister.

“Are there any other questions you’d like to ask?”

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