Noir's heart ached at the desolate expression on Solis's face. He knelt by the man's side and patted his arm.
"We don't know for sure yet if it is aimed just at you or your entire family," Noir said softly. "Would your stepmother let us visit the mushroom farm? I'll be able to figure out when and where the neurotoxin is introduced if I can see the farming and processing techniques."
"And in what capacity would you visit my family?" the question slipped out of Solis's mouth before he could stop himself.
Noir blinked. "As your…friend, I suppose?" he said.
"I don't have friends," Solis spat.
Noir looked down, embarrassed. "Sorry," he murmured. "It was presumptuous of me."
Noir's sad expression startled Solis. His chest felt tight, as if something heavy was pressing him down and he couldn't breathe. He clutched his chest and gasped for air.
With no hesitation at all, Noir picked him up and ran upstairs. He put Solis down on his bed, thrust a herb sachet under his nose and massaged his chest with gentle but accurate motions.
Solis was back to normal in less than a minute. "What happened?" he asked hoarsely.
Noir's expression was complicated. "You…" he began, and then stopped.
Solis struggled to sit up, but Noir pushed him back down.
"You need to rest," Noir said firmly. "I understand that you're upset because of the mushrooms, but there is no need to stress yourself into such a state, all right?"
Solis blinked. "I had…an anxiety attack…?" he murmured incredulously. "But I've never…"
"…had them before?" Noir finished his sentence for him. "That doesn't mean that you never would. You've been through severally traumatic events one after the other; even the strongest of minds have their limits. It is natural for you to have some effects on your psyche." Noir bit his lip and looked up at the ceiling. "I wasn't very close to my family, you know. For eighteen years, my Master raised me single-handedly, and then I was suddenly thrown into the royal family with my Emperor father, four stepmothers and six half-siblings. I was with them for three years, and weren't even all that close…but if I suddenly found out that my big brother Crown Prince Licht or my Emperor father were poisoning me or trying to kill me…I'm sure my reaction would be much worse than yours." He smiled wryly. "So you don't have to beat yourself up about it. It's not that you are weak or anything. It's just that you've been forced to bear much more than any person should."
Solis stared at Noir, who was earnestly trying to cheer him up, and wondered if he should tell him that it wasn't his family's betrayal that caused him to lose it, but the lost expression on Noir's face, but quickly dismissed the idea. He couldn't even believe it himself, how could he expect Noir to? It must be accumulated stress, he decided.
"It's fine if you don't think of me as a friend," Noir continued to talk, his eyes downcast. "But, at the very least, I owe you for not only saving me, but also letting me live here. I'm afraid I don't have too many relevant skills in this world to be of great use to you, but I can heal your legs, and I can protect you. Perhaps…you can think of me as one of your servants…? I promise I won't overstay my welcome. Once you're able to walk properly, I'll leave."
"Where will you go?" Solis asked, his chest beginning to feel tight again.
Noir shrugged carelessly. "I'll figure it out. Maybe I can be hired as a cook somewhere…?" he muttered. He didn't look up at Solis.
Solis grabbed Noir's hand, surprising both of them. "Stay," he said softly. "Stay here with me."
Noir's eyes were pools of molten chocolate, covered with a sheen of moisture that made Solis want to hug him.
"You…you're really ok with that? You'd let me stay with you?" Noir whispered.
Solis nodded.
Noir smiled. "I'll be a good servant to you," he promised.
"I don't need you as a servant, I have plenty of those," Solis said, smiling slightly at Noir's crestfallen look. "I am, however, in desperate need of a good friend."
Noir's smile was as bright as the sun, and Solis thought for a moment that the two of them should exchange their names – it would suit their personalities more!
"I'll be your best friend ever!" Noir promised happily.
Solis couldn't help but return his smile.
"You're beautiful when you smile," Noir remarked. "You should smile more!"
"Make me," Solis challenged half-heartedly. At the time, he had no idea how seriously Noir would take this task, and how much his life would change because of this! But that's a story for later.
Noir patted Solis's arm. "I'll get you something to eat, and then you should take a nap. You'll feel better afterwards," he said.
"I feel better already," Solis told him. "Noir…why are you so good to me? Is it because I look like your Master?"
Noir bit his lip. "Initially, it was because of that…and I still think you and my Master are somehow connected. But after staying with you and getting to know you…I like you for yourself. You're a wonderful person, Boss Solis, and I am privileged to know you," he said, trying to keep his voice calm and steady, but his flushed cheeks gave him away.
Solis suddenly found himself thinking that Noir was absolutely adorable.
"About my stepmother…if you want to visit the farm, I can ask her," Solis said. "But my family will never believe that I have a friend."
"I'll go as your servant, then," Noir said immediately.
"Why are you obsessed about being my servant?" Solis said irritably. "I don't want you to be my servant, all right?"
"All right," Noir said easily.
Solis sighed. "I could possibly take you as my healer, but then my family will look for your credentials and qualifications – which you don't have in this world," he said. "So…the only believable thing that remains…is that you go as my boyfriend."