The night begins under a large peach-coloured full moon and a star-studded sky that looks as if it could rain stardust. Inside our rattling carriage, I sigh while gazing at the night sky while Julian and Patrick are engrossed in lively conversation.
“I understand why Patrick is escorting my sister to the royal palace, but why am I, and even Muguet, being dragged along to this evening party?” Julian asks, tilting his head in confusion. But Muguet, sitting on Julian’s lap, seems to be in high spirits, her droopy ears fluttering and her pink eyes squinting happily.
“Zinon specifically said that both of you could come. Maybe he’s planning to announce some good news about him and your sister?” Patrick suggests.
“Really? Are we finally going to see a tiara on my sister’s head?” Julian asks excitedly.
“I haven’t heard anything like that,” I interject, giving Julian and Patrick a side glare. They’re both so carefree. Zinon and Axel, what are they thinking? Inviting Julian and Muguet to the evening party is like a kind of festival.
The dreaded day has finally come. I’m certain that today is the pivotal day in the otome game, and I’ve been on edge since morning. I have no idea what will happen tonight. I hope everything will end peacefully. But what if the scenario of Magic Eyes starts moving regardless of my will, just like when I was in the magic academy…
“Richeli, what’s going on? You’ve been restless since earlier. You’re looking extra beautiful today,” Julian remarks, gently touching the hem of my blue dress.
“Richeli is at that age. She’s going to dance with the prince at the evening party. It’s natural for her to be nervous and excited,” Patrick chimes in, winking. But he’s completely off the mark. If that were the reason, I would be wearing a more excited expression.
“That age, huh…” Julian’s smile fades as he sighs, gazing out the carriage window. Patrick and I exchange puzzled looks.
“Julian?”
“What’s wrong, Julian?”
Even when Patrick prods him, Julian looks out the window. After a moment, he mutters, “I’ve been feeling strange lately.”
“What?”
Patrick and I urge him to elaborate. “When I look at Abby, I feel restless.”
“Restless?”
“Can you be more specific?”
As Patrick pushes for more details, Julian turns red and stutters, “…when I’m with her, I… want to undress her… and touch her until she cries.”
“!”
Hearing Julian’s shocking confession, not only Patrick and I, but even Muguet sitting on Julian’s lap, look as if we’re about to jump in surprise.
For a while, the only sound in the carriage is the rattling of wheels. Patrick, who had been silent, cleared his throat and said, “I see… Well, Julian is twelve now. It’s that age when you start to… change.”
Julian, who had been looking outside embarrassed, turned to look at us. “Axel told me to take Majiram when I can’t control it… and I’ve been doing that when I really can’t stand it.”
“Oh, you consulted with Axel?”
Julian nods and murmurs shyly, “But sometimes it doesn’t work… I haven’t done anything to Abby yet, but… I can’t sleep at night thinking about what might happen if I lose control and end up doing something that will make her hate me.”
At Julian’s words, Muguet trembles slightly, sitting on my lap.
Julian seems genuinely troubled, but Patrick bursts into amused laughter. “You’re such a fool, Julian. Majiram isn’t effective if you only take it when you can’t control yourself. It has to be taken continuously every day for it to work.”
“Is that so?” Julian asks. Indeed, I remember taking it every morning mixed with my grape juice for two years.
“Really? If I take Majiram every day, will it work? I worry about doing something strange and making Abby hate me,” Julian confesses.
“Don’t worry. If you take Majiram once a day, you can control your desires,” Patrick assures him.
“Really?”
“Yes. But as a consequence, boys need to ejaculate, so you’ll probably wake up from wet dreams every morning. But other than that, no matter how much you’re tempted, you won’t feel aroused. Unless you’re given a very powerful aphrodisiac or manipulated by magic,” Patrick explains.
Julian’s face relaxes when he hears Patrick’s words, and he slumps back against the carriage seat as if he’s been rescued. “I see… I’m relieved… Thank you, Patrick. I’ll take it every morning until Abby comes to me.”
Hearing Julian’s bold statement, I feel a bit startled. Are twelve-year-old boys really this precocious?
“Alright, alright. I can’t believe Julian is already at an age where he has such worries. Abby is a good girl, and I’ll support you if anything happens. Good luck,” Patrick encourages him, patting Julian’s shoulder. I also have some objections, but I fully support his love for Abby.
“I love Abby too, so I’ll support you. But you know you can’t rush things, right, Julian?” I warn him.
“Yeah, I understand. Thank you, Richeli and Patrick,” Julian responds, and we all share a laugh.
But my smile fades quickly as I feel a sudden sense of unease. My heart starts to flutter. A feeling of serious unrest creeps up on me. I don’t know why I feel this way during such a warm moment with a boy entering puberty. I don’t understand why I suddenly feel this unease or feel like a cloud casts a shadow over everything, and my thoughts wander aimlessly.
What is it?
What could it be?
I feel a thick fog of worry enveloping me in the carriage without understanding why. I close my eyes and desperately try to remember something.
What is it?
Something felt off, didn’t it?
What could this be?
Why am I so hung up on the conversation between Patrick and Julian?
My wandering mind suddenly recalls a particular statement from Patrick. “If you take Majiram once a day, you can control your desires.”
“Boys need to ejaculate, so you’ll probably wake up from wet dreams every morning. But other than that, no matter how much you’re tempted, you won’t feel aroused.”
“The only exceptions would be if you’re given a very powerful aphrodisiac or manipulated by magic.”
Suddenly, like a bolt of lightning, a thought illuminates my mind.
Richeli’s diary!