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From Dolce, With Love - Episode 2
⭠ last episode | Episode 2 | next episode ⭢
Owen: What's with that stupid noise you made.
Akira: W-What's what!? Your mouth's all bloody all over. Are you hurt anywhere...?
Owen: Blood?
Owen wiped his mouth, and it seemed like he'd only just noticed the bloody stains.
He was holding a large jar under his arm. It was filled with bright red candies the colour of blood.
Akira: Oh, no... I was just surprised. I didn’t realize those were candy stains. Are those from this afternoon too?
Owen: Yes, what of it? Did you think someone tried to kill me, and I was throwing up blood? That’s rich.
Owen plucked out a lone candy from the jar and held it up to the moonlight as he spoke.
The candy was cut beautifully, as if it were a red gemstone. It reminded me of the colour of Owen's eyes.
Owen: Hey, Kenja sama. I don't mind sharing just this one with you.
Akira: Wow, really? It's your present though, Owen.
Owen: Mhm. Now hurry up and come over here before I change my mind.
Akira: Thank you very much! Actually, I really wanted to have a taste of Dr Dol— mmft!?
Before I'd realised it, Owen had shoved the piece of candy into my mouth.
My eyes widened. Not at the shock of having been treated so roughly, but at the taste of candy.
Akira: ...! This ... is really good!
It's on the sweeter side, but it also tastes just right, plus it's got a refreshingly fresh flavour to it... I could eat a million of these!
Owen: Oh, that's good. By the way, what do you think this candy is made from?
Akira: Maybe sugar, and something syrupy? But it's so good, I think it's got to have some sort of special ingredient in it...
Owen: It's sanguine sap.
His pretty lips spoke of a thing I'd never heard of. He noisily rummaged through his jar of candy as he continued to explain.
Owen: It's from a magical tree... the sanguine tree. Sanguine sap is its crystallised sap.
It's defined by its colour, the sanguine red of freshly-spilled blood from a newly-opened gash, and its high quality sweetness that melts right into your tongue and seeps into your heart.
One taste, and you're snared for good — it’s sweet temptation, crystallised.
Akira: I see... So it's something that's precious and rare. You're right; it's got a certain allure to it that makes you want to lick more and more of it.
[ No BGM ]
Owen: I guessed as much. But what if I told you that its sweetness is also its poison? What will you do, Kenja sama?
Akira: Wha...?
Owen quietly asked his question. As if to show me what exactly he meant, he took out another piece of candy and popped it into his mouth.
[ BGM comes back. ]
Owen: Very rarely, you'll see black dots suspended in sanguine sap when it crystallises.
That's proof that it's poisonous. It'll permeate every part of your body, make you throw up all your blood until you’ve run dry, and then you die. Most wizards won't survive this.
But poisoned sanguine sap is the sweetest by far, so sweet that it sends you on one last heavenly high before you go.
Owen rolled the candy about in his mouth. He continued to explain, slowly and calmly.
As he did, I caught glimpses of the red candy and the crest on his tongue, and something about it was bewitchingly beautiful.
Owen: Even if you die, your final moments would be filled with an unparalleled taste of honeyed sweetness.
Imagine such delectable damnation, a sin worth savoring.
Akira: A sin worth savouring…
That wasn't too far-fetched a way to describe the luxuriously sweet taste that filled my mouth.
I almost lost myself to it as the candy melted around my tongue.
Akira: Owen. Don't tell me, the sanguine sap used in this candy is…...
Owen: Well, a wizard of my calibre wouldn't have issues with that type of poison. It'd just neutralise right out.
But I wonder, what about you, Kenja sama?
Owen wore a mysterious smile. I grew restless at the sight of it.
Right at that moment, the candy in my mouth melted wholly into a large drop of syrupy sap.
Akira: (gasp) ...!
My blood ran cold.
But I didn't feel anything amiss, no numbness, no pain and no suffering. There was only the sensation of something on my tongue.
Akira: (W-What's going on...?)
I peeled it off my tongue and gave it a good look. It was some sort of clay container, shaped like an envelope.
Owen: ... What.
Akira: I think it was tucked inside the candy. Is it magical?
I rolled it over on my palm. It floated upwards, leaving a trail that sparkled in its wake.
It formed the alphabet of the written language of this world. It seemed to be some sort of message, and as I gazed upon it...
Akira: 'Dear Wizard, With Eyes of Bloody Red'
Akira: (..... Wha-!?)
Owen: Since when could you read our language?
Akira: N-No, I can't. I just... My mouth moved on its own...
Akira: 'It's a lucky day for you if you have received this letter. Allow me to share with you a super-secret recipe.'
Akira: (.....!?)
Owen: Haha... Isn't that great? It was magic, not poison, that filled the centre of the candy.
Akira: That means I'm under the effects of the candy's spell, and that's why my mouth moved on its own...?
Against my will, I continued to speak aloud.
Akira: 'It's a recipe that I hope is perfect for capping off your last supper with something tantalisingly sweet.'
'A shard of milk tea drop, a cockatrice egg, a gem with deep blue swirls...'
Akira: (Milk tea drop and swirly gem? It's a recipe, so they're probably ingredients?)
The words I'd 'read' aloud seemed to be for a sweets recipe.
The ingredients all sounded foreign and fantastic to me, yet I'd been blurting them out one after another without pause.
Akira: 'The final, secret ingredient, is the heart-stoppingly sweet taste of sin. I'll treat you to some at my workshop.'
'From, Dr Dolce'
Owen: ...... Hm.
The corners of Owen's lips turned upwards in amusement.
Right then, we heard someone else call out to us.
Shino: Is that the invitation from that one wizard?
Akira: Shino.
I turned around, and I could make out Shino's silhouette approaching us from the dusky darkness.
He stared, long and hard, at the words floating in mid-air. Then he smirked, victoriously.
Shino: Blood-red... In other words, red eyes. In that case, I'll accept that invitation for myself.
Owen: What?
Shino: It's because you're stingy and wouldn't spare us any of your sweets. Kenja, you're coming with me, right?
Akira: I am?
Shino: Yeah. Related to someone with red eyes and all. That alright with you, Owen?
I stole a glance at Owen. He wore an unreadable smile, but he nodded all the same.
Owen: Well, sure, why not. I'll bring you and Kenja sama along with me.
Shino: Alright!
Akira: Um... I'm happy to be invited, but is it really okay for me to go along?
Isn't this supposed to be a surprise invitation for Owen from Dr Dolce...
Owen: It's fine because I'm the one who's invited and I said so. I don't think there'll be any complaints.
And besides... I think it's a place perfect for two hungry idiots with a death wish.
[ Magical Manor - Classroom ]
Faust: Dr Dolce's sweets workshop? That's a name I haven't heard in a long while.
Shino: Yeah, something like that. Figaro and Rustica said the same, too.
Nero: Inviting Owen to his own workshop, huh... I don't get what goes on in those western wizard brains.
Shino: Owen received the invitation, but it was specifically addressed to wizards with red eyes. Hence, it applies to me too.
I already have Owen's agreement. I'll bring all of you guys along as friends of mine. How about it, Heath?
Heathcliff: Thanks for the invite, but I... I might not be able to make it.
Shino: Huh? Why.
Heathcliff: I have to return to House Blanchett for several days, starting tomorrow.
I've to attend some ceremonies in my father's stead.
Nero: Oh, was that what the letter said? Sure isn't easy being the son of a Lord.
Faust: I must say, family matters should come first. It's a shame, but...
Shino: Then I'll return too. I can't be out having fun by myself while Heath's on official business.
Heathcliff: I'll be fine on my own. It's not one of those really formal occasions, anyway.
So, Shino, go and eat all the sweets you can on my behalf, and then tell me all about the fun you had.
I'll be looking forward to that when I return to the Magical Manor from official business.
Shino: ...... Got it. If you say so. I'll bring back something super special as a souvenir for you.
If I can't bring it back, I'll have Nero make it for you.
Nero: Yeah, sure thing. I gotta admit, I'm curious about that special dolce thing.
Faust: In the first place, I never had any intention of letting just the three of you go unaccompanied.
Moreover… Dr Dolce might have his quirks, but it remains fact that he's a scholar and an intellectual. I think there'd be lots to learn from his workshop.
Nero: Oh, c'mon. It's still class even when we're out of class? Man, we sure got a serious teacher.
Shino: Right? If I've got to spend my time thinking of difficult stuff, I won't be able to taste the sweets I'm there to enjoy.
[ Faust sighs. ]
Faust: I wouldn’t be saying such things if you two were any good at your studies. The both of you have yet to even turn in your homework from the other day.
I don't intend on being a wet blanket, especially when it's something we all look forward to. Maybe I'll have the both of you write me a visitation report instead.
Shino & Nero: Eugh...
Heathcliff: Ahaha. Have fun!
[ Magical Manor - Shylock's Bar ]
Chloe: Hey, did you all hear? Owen got an invitation!
From a mad genius of a patissier, Dr Dolce!
Murr: Hear, hear! I've met him before! I think it was at some academic conference, or maybe some party?
Shylock: Right. I've heard about that scientist from Murr before his soul shattered. He was apparently highly interesting, and quite contrary.
It seemed like he stood out as someone with expansive knowledge, and this attracted attention from scholars of any and every field.
Murr: But he's mostly known for being a weirdo wizard! He exaggerated his words and gestures, and just when you thought he lost his temper, he'd burst out into laughter!
It's just a faint memory now, but his sweets were delicious! There was this famous series of it called, I think something like, Deathly Delights*?
Rustica: Yes. They were deathly delightful chocolat, muffins, cookies... A great variety of everything, all just as vibrantly-coloured, and a feast for the eyes and mouth.
* literally: strong/lethal dose sweet series
Episode 3 ⭢
Owen: What's with that stupid noise you made.
Akira: W-What's what!? Your mouth's all bloody all over. Are you hurt anywhere...?
Owen: Blood?
Owen wiped his mouth, and it seemed like he'd only just noticed the bloody stains.
He was holding a large jar under his arm. It was filled with bright red candies the colour of blood.
Akira: Oh, no... I was just surprised. I didn’t realize those were candy stains. Are those from this afternoon too?
Owen: Yes, what of it? Did you think someone tried to kill me, and I was throwing up blood? That’s rich.
Owen plucked out a lone candy from the jar and held it up to the moonlight as he spoke.
The candy was cut beautifully, as if it were a red gemstone. It reminded me of the colour of Owen's eyes.
Owen: Hey, Kenja sama. I don't mind sharing just this one with you.
Akira: Wow, really? It's your present though, Owen.
Owen: Mhm. Now hurry up and come over here before I change my mind.
Akira: Thank you very much! Actually, I really wanted to have a taste of Dr Dol— mmft!?
Before I'd realised it, Owen had shoved the piece of candy into my mouth.
My eyes widened. Not at the shock of having been treated so roughly, but at the taste of candy.
Akira: ...! This ... is really good!
It's on the sweeter side, but it also tastes just right, plus it's got a refreshingly fresh flavour to it... I could eat a million of these!
Owen: Oh, that's good. By the way, what do you think this candy is made from?
Akira: Maybe sugar, and something syrupy? But it's so good, I think it's got to have some sort of special ingredient in it...
Owen: It's sanguine sap.
His pretty lips spoke of a thing I'd never heard of. He noisily rummaged through his jar of candy as he continued to explain.
Owen: It's from a magical tree... the sanguine tree. Sanguine sap is its crystallised sap.
It's defined by its colour, the sanguine red of freshly-spilled blood from a newly-opened gash, and its high quality sweetness that melts right into your tongue and seeps into your heart.
One taste, and you're snared for good — it’s sweet temptation, crystallised.
Akira: I see... So it's something that's precious and rare. You're right; it's got a certain allure to it that makes you want to lick more and more of it.
[ No BGM ]
Owen: I guessed as much. But what if I told you that its sweetness is also its poison? What will you do, Kenja sama?
Akira: Wha...?
Owen quietly asked his question. As if to show me what exactly he meant, he took out another piece of candy and popped it into his mouth.
[ BGM comes back. ]
Owen: Very rarely, you'll see black dots suspended in sanguine sap when it crystallises.
That's proof that it's poisonous. It'll permeate every part of your body, make you throw up all your blood until you’ve run dry, and then you die. Most wizards won't survive this.
But poisoned sanguine sap is the sweetest by far, so sweet that it sends you on one last heavenly high before you go.
Owen rolled the candy about in his mouth. He continued to explain, slowly and calmly.
As he did, I caught glimpses of the red candy and the crest on his tongue, and something about it was bewitchingly beautiful.
Owen: Even if you die, your final moments would be filled with an unparalleled taste of honeyed sweetness.
Imagine such delectable damnation, a sin worth savoring.
Akira: A sin worth savouring…
That wasn't too far-fetched a way to describe the luxuriously sweet taste that filled my mouth.
I almost lost myself to it as the candy melted around my tongue.
Akira: Owen. Don't tell me, the sanguine sap used in this candy is…...
Owen: Well, a wizard of my calibre wouldn't have issues with that type of poison. It'd just neutralise right out.
But I wonder, what about you, Kenja sama?
Owen wore a mysterious smile. I grew restless at the sight of it.
Right at that moment, the candy in my mouth melted wholly into a large drop of syrupy sap.
Akira: (gasp) ...!
My blood ran cold.
But I didn't feel anything amiss, no numbness, no pain and no suffering. There was only the sensation of something on my tongue.
Akira: (W-What's going on...?)
I peeled it off my tongue and gave it a good look. It was some sort of clay container, shaped like an envelope.
Owen: ... What.
Akira: I think it was tucked inside the candy. Is it magical?
I rolled it over on my palm. It floated upwards, leaving a trail that sparkled in its wake.
It formed the alphabet of the written language of this world. It seemed to be some sort of message, and as I gazed upon it...
Akira: 'Dear Wizard, With Eyes of Bloody Red'
Akira: (..... Wha-!?)
Owen: Since when could you read our language?
Akira: N-No, I can't. I just... My mouth moved on its own...
Akira: 'It's a lucky day for you if you have received this letter. Allow me to share with you a super-secret recipe.'
Akira: (.....!?)
Owen: Haha... Isn't that great? It was magic, not poison, that filled the centre of the candy.
Akira: That means I'm under the effects of the candy's spell, and that's why my mouth moved on its own...?
Against my will, I continued to speak aloud.
Akira: 'It's a recipe that I hope is perfect for capping off your last supper with something tantalisingly sweet.'
'A shard of milk tea drop, a cockatrice egg, a gem with deep blue swirls...'
Akira: (Milk tea drop and swirly gem? It's a recipe, so they're probably ingredients?)
The words I'd 'read' aloud seemed to be for a sweets recipe.
The ingredients all sounded foreign and fantastic to me, yet I'd been blurting them out one after another without pause.
Akira: 'The final, secret ingredient, is the heart-stoppingly sweet taste of sin. I'll treat you to some at my workshop.'
'From, Dr Dolce'
Owen: ...... Hm.
The corners of Owen's lips turned upwards in amusement.
Right then, we heard someone else call out to us.
Shino: Is that the invitation from that one wizard?
Akira: Shino.
I turned around, and I could make out Shino's silhouette approaching us from the dusky darkness.
He stared, long and hard, at the words floating in mid-air. Then he smirked, victoriously.
Shino: Blood-red... In other words, red eyes. In that case, I'll accept that invitation for myself.
Owen: What?
Shino: It's because you're stingy and wouldn't spare us any of your sweets. Kenja, you're coming with me, right?
Akira: I am?
Shino: Yeah. Related to someone with red eyes and all. That alright with you, Owen?
I stole a glance at Owen. He wore an unreadable smile, but he nodded all the same.
Owen: Well, sure, why not. I'll bring you and Kenja sama along with me.
Shino: Alright!
Akira: Um... I'm happy to be invited, but is it really okay for me to go along?
Isn't this supposed to be a surprise invitation for Owen from Dr Dolce...
Owen: It's fine because I'm the one who's invited and I said so. I don't think there'll be any complaints.
And besides... I think it's a place perfect for two hungry idiots with a death wish.
[ Magical Manor - Classroom ]
Faust: Dr Dolce's sweets workshop? That's a name I haven't heard in a long while.
Shino: Yeah, something like that. Figaro and Rustica said the same, too.
Nero: Inviting Owen to his own workshop, huh... I don't get what goes on in those western wizard brains.
Shino: Owen received the invitation, but it was specifically addressed to wizards with red eyes. Hence, it applies to me too.
I already have Owen's agreement. I'll bring all of you guys along as friends of mine. How about it, Heath?
Heathcliff: Thanks for the invite, but I... I might not be able to make it.
Shino: Huh? Why.
Heathcliff: I have to return to House Blanchett for several days, starting tomorrow.
I've to attend some ceremonies in my father's stead.
Nero: Oh, was that what the letter said? Sure isn't easy being the son of a Lord.
Faust: I must say, family matters should come first. It's a shame, but...
Shino: Then I'll return too. I can't be out having fun by myself while Heath's on official business.
Heathcliff: I'll be fine on my own. It's not one of those really formal occasions, anyway.
So, Shino, go and eat all the sweets you can on my behalf, and then tell me all about the fun you had.
I'll be looking forward to that when I return to the Magical Manor from official business.
Shino: ...... Got it. If you say so. I'll bring back something super special as a souvenir for you.
If I can't bring it back, I'll have Nero make it for you.
Nero: Yeah, sure thing. I gotta admit, I'm curious about that special dolce thing.
Faust: In the first place, I never had any intention of letting just the three of you go unaccompanied.
Moreover… Dr Dolce might have his quirks, but it remains fact that he's a scholar and an intellectual. I think there'd be lots to learn from his workshop.
Nero: Oh, c'mon. It's still class even when we're out of class? Man, we sure got a serious teacher.
Shino: Right? If I've got to spend my time thinking of difficult stuff, I won't be able to taste the sweets I'm there to enjoy.
[ Faust sighs. ]
Faust: I wouldn’t be saying such things if you two were any good at your studies. The both of you have yet to even turn in your homework from the other day.
I don't intend on being a wet blanket, especially when it's something we all look forward to. Maybe I'll have the both of you write me a visitation report instead.
Shino & Nero: Eugh...
Heathcliff: Ahaha. Have fun!
[ Magical Manor - Shylock's Bar ]
Chloe: Hey, did you all hear? Owen got an invitation!
From a mad genius of a patissier, Dr Dolce!
Murr: Hear, hear! I've met him before! I think it was at some academic conference, or maybe some party?
Shylock: Right. I've heard about that scientist from Murr before his soul shattered. He was apparently highly interesting, and quite contrary.
It seemed like he stood out as someone with expansive knowledge, and this attracted attention from scholars of any and every field.
Murr: But he's mostly known for being a weirdo wizard! He exaggerated his words and gestures, and just when you thought he lost his temper, he'd burst out into laughter!
It's just a faint memory now, but his sweets were delicious! There was this famous series of it called, I think something like, Deathly Delights*?
Rustica: Yes. They were deathly delightful chocolat, muffins, cookies... A great variety of everything, all just as vibrantly-coloured, and a feast for the eyes and mouth.
* literally: strong/lethal dose sweet series
Episode 3 ⭢