Chapter 68: Protective Sacrifice.

The place Violet dragged Yulan to was a small clock shop.
It was a little farther from the earlier district, so once they left here they’d probably head straight to pick up the repaired file.
They wouldn’t have time for a proper break, but Yulan wasn’t tired anyway, and if Violet had prioritized this, he had not a single objection.

From their conversation just now, it was obvious what they were here for.

“I bought my pocket watch here too. They carry more than just wristwatches, and the designs are plentiful.”

“Oh… so you’ve been around here before, Vio-chan?”

“I’d love to say yes, but actually this is my first time. Marin picked mine out for me.”

“Ah, I see.”

Violet wasn’t fond of wristwatches for much the same reasons as Yulan.
Part of it was her dislike of accessories in general; the wristwatch she owned had been chosen with zero regard for her own taste.
It was either a repaired version of something her father had once worn or a custom order of the exact same design (overwhelmingly masculine).
And the size was far too large; it slipped right off her slender wrist.

Until Marin found her current pocket watch, she had worn a simple one that matched Marin’s.
Nothing more than a plain faux-leather strap with a metal face (almost too plain), but still far better than the ill-fitting monstrosity she’d had before.

Even then, she could never get used to the constricted feeling around her wrist, and she forgot it so often that Marin eventually tracked down the pocket watch she used now.

“This way you can attach it to your bag or keep it in your pocket, right?”

She gazed at the rows of watch faces, searching for something that would suit Yulan.

Leaving her own to Marin had been the right call, but choosing something for Yulan made her heart dance in a strange way.
When she picked something for herself, all she considered was whether it looked good or not.
But finding something Yulan would like carried responsibility (and that was exactly why it was fun).
It was probably because the recipient was Yulan.

Not because she knew his tastes perfectly, but because she knew that even if she chose something ridiculous, he would never blame her; he would simply laugh and accept it.

“Since your hands are big, anything too small would be hard to use, right?”

“Yeah… but if you pick it, Vio-chan, I’ll treasure it no matter what.”

“That’s not the point.”

She had intended to take the lead anyway, but Yulan (smiling and trailing behind her) clearly planned to leave the choice entirely to her.
His eyes weren’t even on the clocks anymore; they were fixed only on the now-perplexed Violet.

“You’re the one who’ll be using it, so it has to be practical.”

With that, she picked up one that caught her eye.
For Yulan, who cared little about design, functionality was key.
Something sturdy and comfortable in the hand.

(Hmm…)

The watches lined up in similar sizes felt just right in her palm, but they would probably look tiny on Yulan.
If it lacked presence, it would meet the same fate as all the wristwatches he kept losing.
If he lost wristwatches so often, he probably never developed the habit of carrying a timepiece at all.

She wanted him to use it for a long time.
She wanted him to love it.
It was needless worry, but natural for Violet, who couldn’t read Yulan’s heart.

“If we match it to my hand, it’ll end up huge, you know?”

“Well… true.”

From Violet’s eye level, Yulan’s large palm swayed.
A hand big enough to completely cover her face (perfectly reasonable given his height).
The pocket watch that felt palm-sized to her looked like a child’s toy the moment it was in his hand.

“If it’s easy to take in and out of a pocket, that’s good enough for me. Too big would just be troublesome.”

He said it so casually, as if it weren’t his own watch…
He knew perfectly well it was for him and was still leaving everything to Violet; it was almost wicked.
No matter how eccentric or inconvenient the choice, to Yulan the greatest brand was “chosen by Vio-chan for me,” so nothing else mattered.

From Violet’s perspective, she was giving a watch to someone who constantly lost them; she wanted at least a hint.

She puffed her cheeks slightly and glared up at his ever-smiling face.
Before he could speak, she grabbed his forearm with both hands and pulled him closer.

“If you see something you like, tell me properly, okay?”

“…!”

The sudden closeness let her see his wide-eyed, blinking surprise clearly.
He didn’t look displeased; he simply chuckled as if indulging a child’s prank.

“…Okay. Then let’s choose together.”

“You’re the one who’ll be using it, remember?”

It was technically his reward from her, but that didn’t mean he had to accept whatever she picked without a word.
Since they were here together, he should voice his preferences freely.
She wanted to choose herself, yes—but more than that, she wanted him to be happy.

And surely the time spent choosing together would be the most fun of all.
Far more than picking alone and simply giving it to him.

“What’s yours like, Vio-chan?”

“Mine? It’s…”

Easier to show than explain.
She pulled her pocket watch from her bag pocket.

A half-hunter (or demi-hunter) style: the lid was donut-shaped with glass set in the center hole.
Amid the simple silver body, a pale aqua gem at the center of the hands sparkled beautifully.

She had thought anything Marin chose would suit Violet perfectly, but somehow this watch… reminded her of Marin herself.
Probably just her imagination.

“It’s supposed to be a protective charm.”

“…Ah, I get it.”

The stone, clear as the open sea, was almost certainly aquamarine.
Calling it a charm was spot-on.

Because it shared Marin’s name?
Or because of the stone’s meaning?
Probably both.

Yulan barely knew Marin, but he trusted her completely on the single point that she cherished Violet.
As long as that was true, everything else was irrelevant.

Above all, Marin was someone Violet trusted with her whole heart; he had no desire to cast suspicion and earn Violet’s displeasure.

“You’re lucky, Vio-chan.”

“Yes.”

The way she smiled happily, cradling it in both hands, conveyed how precious it was without words.

She rarely received gifts (and the only people who chose things while thinking of Violet were Marin and Yulan).
Come to think of it, the first gift she ever received as “Violet” had been from Yulan.
Children get presents for Christmas and birthdays, but she had never been part of that.

“I was tempted to get matching ones, but… I’ll pass.”

“Eh… ah, it might be a little small for you to use.”

“That too… but yeah, something else.”

“…?”

Violet’s watch was subtly reminiscent of Marin yet still perfectly within Violet’s taste.
She generally disliked overly ornate things.
Though delicate and feminine in size and design, a man could carry it without looking odd.
And Yulan had no nerves to care about others’ impressions anyway.

Matching would normally have thrilled him.
Violet would surely agree with a smile.

But this watch—this gift—was something Marin had chosen solely for Violet.
He shouldn’t piggyback on that.
Between two people who cherished Violet the same way, there was etiquette to observe.

If their positions were reversed…
If something Yulan had chosen for Violet were used for Marin’s happiness, he wouldn’t be angry, but he would feel some discomfort.

Whether Marin (who lived for devotion) and Yulan (who drowned in adoration and reverence) felt the same was irrelevant.
If he wouldn’t like it done to him, better not to do it.

“There are lots that would suit you, Yulan… but nothing feels just right.”

“I’d be happy with anything you pick, Vio-chan.”

“That’s not the point—I want something that really fits your taste.”

Seeing her serious profile as she puzzled over it, Yulan felt his own mouth soften into a helpless smile.

Most people either didn’t know or misunderstood Yulan’s preferences (he barely had any likes or dislikes to begin with).
In a way, even Violet misunderstood his true nature… but she still grasped his values well enough to know his few subtle likes and dislikes.

Right now, Violet’s mind was completely filled with thoughts of Yulan.
She was thinking only of him.

That fact alone flooded his heart with joy so intense it felt ready to burst.

This must be the kind of moment people wish time would stop for.

“Yulan, are you listening?”

“I’m listening~”

“That’s the answer you give when you’re not listening. Seriously… Do you like any of them? Dislike any?”

“Hmm, I prioritize usability, so when it comes to design…”

Her sulky expression instantly shifted to concern for him.
That signaled the end of this happy time.
Pushing further would only give Violet needless worry.

Wishing for time to stop was pointless; he knew that.
In a shop that sold time, his wish was nothing but laughable.

He wasn’t sure how long they’d been here, but the repair pickup was waiting.
Dragging this out wasn’t wise.

He could make up an excuse, leave without buying anything, and Violet would accept it.
He could even use it as a reason to go out with her again later.

No matter how calculating he was, as long as it passed through the “little brother” filter, Violet would accept it.
He readied the words to suggest going home—

“Ah…”

“Vio-chan…?”

Suddenly Violet’s gaze was pulled away; she took two, three steps to a different shelf.
She crouched, hands on her knees, peering at one pocket watch.

Her searching eyes sparkled with small delight as realization dawned.

“There it is…”

“What is it?”

“This one is my watch.”

“…?”

What did she mean by my watch?
She wore a mischievous grin; asking would probably yield no answer.

Curious, he followed where she pointed.

And understood immediately.

A full-hunter pocket watch.
The entire lid was covered with a blooming flower made of delicate, varied petals.
Pale violet gems (so light they seemed ready to dissolve in water) formed a beautiful flower field.

“I see… Yeah, it really is your watch, Vio-chan.”

Violets.
In violet-colored gems.

Indeed (a watch bearing Violet’s name, a watch for Violet).
Her name had come from her maternal grandfather, not her parents, so she had never heard the origin, but…

She liked her name enough to see herself in the flower.

“Sorry, it just caught my eye…”

“No, it’s fine.”

She had gotten absorbed, but today’s purpose was Yulan’s watch, not hers.
Before Marin’s gift, she might have bought it on impulse, but now she felt she no longer needed another.

And for Yulan… well, he probably wouldn’t want this design.

The pale colors and violet motif kept it from looking gaudy despite the full-lid flower garden.
Delicate beauty and loveliness with elegance (but far too cute for a man).
Above all, Yulan wasn’t good with fragile ornamentation.

So normally, this wouldn’t suit him as a gift…

“Hey, Vio-chan. I’ll take this one.”

Before she could turn away, Yulan’s hand plucked the violet watch from the shelf.
The slightly long chain (meant for pocket or neck) clinked as metal links rubbed together.

He lifted it to eye level, gazing at it with pure joy—like a child holding a marble to the sun.
The air around him grew even sweeter.

“Um…”

“This is the reward I want.”

He pressed the point again to the bewildered Violet.
He knew exactly what she was thinking, but his desire for this watch was unshakable.

Because Violet herself had seen a connection to her in it.
That alone made it special to him.
And once something became special, he would never let anyone else have it.

A feeling akin to possessiveness—yet surely far heavier, far deeper.

“I’ll make this my protective charm.”

“…Will it actually bring luck?”

“It will. With this, I’m confident I’ll never lose or forget it.”

“Is that really luck…?”

Can’t be helped, her usual big-sister smile seemed to say, accepting it as an extension of little-brother adoration.

It wasn’t anywhere near that innocent, but… Violet didn’t need to know.
She could see and believe whatever made her happy.
Making that belief into reality was Yulan’s mission—his reason for existing.

“If you like it best, then that’s what matters most.”

“Yeah, thank you!”

Sharpen the claws.
Prepare everything.

Slowly, but surely.
He would build a castle for her happiness—a fortress no one could ever breach.
A paradise solely for Violet.

She didn’t need to know anything.
She could simply arrive at that day in blissful ignorance.
The thought of her waiting in that house made him nauseous, but rushing and ruining everything would turn it all to foam.

He would do anything.
Use anything.
Offer every person, every feeling, everything he possessed—as sacrifice for her happiness.

Even if, hypothetically, this love never reached her and ran wild in despair.
Even if all the feelings he offered came to nothing and died.

It would be fine.

Because the one thing Yulan would never, ever do—was hurt Violet.