“What about Rosie?”
“Her Highness fell asleep a long time ago. I looked through the window and saw that Your Highness was alone, so I was worried.”
"Ah."
The raindrops were getting heavier. It was time to bring a proper umbrella.
I waved my hand in the air, creating a physical barrier large enough to encompass Sylvestian.
Sylvestian lowered his arms, slightly embarrassed.
“I did something wrong. I’m sorry.”
“No. Your chaste chivalry makes people feel good. You have nothing to be ashamed of.”
"... Yes."
Is she really pure? A question immediately appeared in Sylvestian's mind, but he tried to shake it off.
Just then, a returning Templar came into their line of sight and I desperately hoped it was a chastisement, but alas, the color of the collar soon revealed itself to be blue, the color of wall blood.
“It’s raining.”
“You’re late, Sister.”
As she took off her rain-soaked hood, Brigitte's face was revealed. Despite her late return, her complexion was quite bright.
She looked down at me without getting off her horse.
“How strange. Did you come out to greet me today, even though I was tired from the subjugation?”
“I was worried because none of the Knights returned.”
“Oh, my. The phantom and punishment didn’t come back either?”
The tone of the question was quite ambiguous.
“It must have been the rain that caught their ankle. You don’t have to worry too much. Why don’t you go into your room and rest?”
Even the additional words were unexpectedly affectionate, which added to the suspicion.
'There is something.'
An intuition, almost a premonition, flashed through my mind. I tried to quickly wrap up the conversation.
“I'll stay a little longer.”
“Or so.”
Brigitte shook her head in dismissive dismay, and her steed set off again, Elijah and the Homunculus knights of Wallblood following behind her, bowing to me in turn.
“Your Highness, are you alright?”
I stared at the entrance of the forest, lost in thought. After a long time had passed,
"Ah."
A forgotten fact came to my mind.
“It’s strange.”
"Your Highness?"
Drawn by the call of wonder, I locked eyes with Sylvestian. My amber eyes were trembling wildly.
The order was to be checked and returned. Peony hasn't returned to my side for dozens of minutes, and she's not the kind of henchman to leave me alone for long.
“I will accompany you.”
We are the central building of the base, built like a mansion.
The security guard that had been there just an hour ago had disappeared.
The same was true in the hallway leading to Rosenite's room. Not a single person was visible.
A sense of foreboding gripped my heart. I hurried my steps.
Sylvestian narrowed his eyes, looking around cautiously.
'The air...'
There were more than one or two suspicious things. The hallway was stagnant and eerie.
Even the crisp air stimulated Sylvestian's keenly honed senses.
Finally, we arrived at Rosenite's room.
“Peony!”
Peony was lying under the bed where Rosenite was sleeping.
I hurriedly approached Peony, held her in my arms, and checked her condition. Her breathing and heart rate were evenly repeated.
“Thank goodness, she just fell asleep for a little while."
It was then that the restraining barrier installed in the room was activated, trapping us.
The embarrassing situation didn't end there.
“Your Highness, please excuse my rudeness.”
“Eup...”
'Sir Millard?!'
I was so shocked that my heart dropped. Fortunately, Sylvestian had no intention of harming me. Quite the opposite.
“I, uh... You shouldn’t breathe."
Only then did I realize that the room was filled with a unique scent?
'Wait a minute, Sir Millard is affected too?'
It was clear from his ragged breathing that Sylvestian's condition was deteriorating.
There was only one type of medicine that the homunculus could not develop a tolerance to and reacted to so helplessly.
'It's weak!'
It seemed like someone was doing some pretty low-level stuff.
Dump!
Sylvestian, unable to overcome the potion's power, fell to the side, perhaps due to the paralyzing effect mixed in.
“Sir Millard!”
“If you say so, you won’t be able to.”
“I’m fine..."
I couldn't finish my sentence because I heard footsteps approaching from down the hallway.
'Who is coming?'
I immediately relaxed my body and lay down next to Sylvestian. I was groaning with my eyes barely open, trying to close. Soon, the owner of the footsteps appeared.
The cold, dark eyes that looked down upon me seemed to glow even in the darkness.
“Sister...?”
“Oh, are you still conscious?”
Brigitte stepped through the restraints and crouched down beside me, her hand gently touching my forehead. For a moment, my amber eyes slid open in a daze.
Looking at my face, which had completely lost its ease, with satisfaction, Bridgette opened her mouth.
“They say you're overpaid. You've earned too much honor, and it's only right that you should be repaid. But aren't you glad I'm a sister's heart, because I've gone to great lengths to avoid doing you any direct harm?”
The belief that the scheme was completely successful was a way to silence the villain.
Brigitte told the whole story in a voice that made her sound like she was a friendly sister.
“Sir Millard was in and out of your barracks every night before the poisoning, so I thought it would be fitting to have a scandalous story about him lusting after my sister while my order was being decimated. A scandalous rumor that I coveted my sister's knighthood while my order was being wiped out would be just the thing.”
There was something else that caught my attention, other than the order and all.
'The punishment is annihilated?'
There was talk of touching Michael again.
I felt my whole body go cold. It felt like ice water was flowing through my veins instead of blood.
“You too, didn’t you starve for two weeks because you were suddenly sent to a remote place like this? Think of it as a gift from your sister and enjoy it to your heart’s content.”
“Yes, I’ll be going now. Become the greatest Princess of all time for my cause, Eve.”
Brigitte got up to leave. There was a click.
The closed-door hid Brigitte's back from view.
When the sound of footsteps had become distant enough on the other side of the hallway.
My eyes, which had been blurry, suddenly regained their original color.
I sat up straight as if nothing had happened. Then I opened my mouth, glaring at the closed door.
“Ha, Brigitte again.”
There was no sign of confusion at all, only anger on my face.
“I... Huh? How...?”
Even Sylvestian, who was drunk on drugs, seemed surprised at my sanity.
Sylvestian's presence somewhat soothed my anger.
“I’m okay. I have this.”
I was still carrying the cuttings of the World Tree in my arms.
"That...?"
“It's a branch of the World Tree that serves as a medium between Yggdrasil and me. My mana core exploded because I was able to share the power of growth with Yggdrasil, and judging by my current state, I'm sharing the power of purification as well.”
“Is that so...? Thank goodness.”
“Yeah. So you can rest assured.”
"...Yes."
Sylvestian drew in a heated breath, as if each word was a struggle, and then lowered his gaze in panic as his eyes locked with Eve's.
“Sir Millard?”
“...I was afraid that I might do something unbecoming to Your Highness.”
I felt like the subject had changed, but I didn't think I should argue about it.
I decided to quickly resolve the current situation.
“Where did you put the World Tree tea leaves you gave to feed to Rosie?”
“On the right wall, in the first drawer... it’s there.”
“Don’t move. I’ll find it.”
I searched the drawer myself, but Brigitte had already taken action.
“It has been replaced with coniferous leaves.”
“It was my fault... I should have just left it...and gone..."
Of course, I had no such intention.
“It’s okay, just stay a while.”
"Your Highness...?"
I strode towards Rosenite's bed.
“Rosie.”
The sight of the rustling Rosenite brought to mind a beautiful Princess in a fairy tale who had been cursed to sleep deeply.
I looked at Rosenite with hazy eyes and then rested my head on the back of her head.
I lifted her up. It was as if I was trying to use the traditional method of waking up a sleeping person.
“Your Highness?”
It was at that moment that Sylvestian was confused.
“Can I borrow your pillow?”
I pulled the pillow out from under Rosenite's head and turned around without hesitation.
“Sir Millard, give me your sword.”
When the pillow was cut in half, the tea leaves of the World Tree that filled its interior were revealed.
“Why is this here...?”
“Rosie wasn’t in her right mind. She tried all sorts of folk remedies.”
I confessed, looking embarrassed.
I picked up a handful of tea leaves and gave them to Sylvestian, and also put some in the mouths of Peony and Rosenite.
I, having completed all the necessary measures, looked back at the closed door. It was magically sealed by the binding barrier.
The sealed door had to be resolved.
I was currently in no mood to gracefully dismantle the barrier. I kicked the door with all her might, thinking it was Bridgette.
Bang!
“Then I’ll be back. Take a rest.”
Now it was time to counterattack.
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