It has been fifteen days since Ryan left for the capital.
Today is the day he returns, and it is also the day the estate festival begins.
In the meantime, I...
'I had fun!'
Today is the day he returns, and it is also the day the estate festival begins.
In the meantime, I...
'I had fun!'
Thanks to the royal family buying us some time, I was relieved of my worries about the medical cartel and spent my days lazily focusing solely on my recovery.
Whenever I tried to drastically increase my activity time, I inevitably got a nosebleed, so about half a day is the best I can do to be active.
'Where is that?'
That's right. That's somewhere.
It also means that I have been spending sweet, romantic time with my boyfriend, who comes to my house for half a day every day.
"Can I tell my Lord that you two are dating?"
Today as well, while waiting for Nike at the entrance to the walking path behind the annex at the promised 1 PM, Max asked.
“Why not? I’m an adult now. Actually, I’ve been an adult for a long time.”
"That's true. Oh, please come over to the shade."
The midday sun was quite stinging, so I went into the shade of a tree as Max led me.
Come to think of it, it is time for Max, who has only been watching others' love lives from the sidelines, to go see the face he wants to see.
“When Dad comes, you go to the capital, Max.”
"Yes?"
"If Dad is here, you don't need to escort me. You have to go to work now, too."
“What’s the matter?”
“Close escort for Revan. I’m a bit worried about leaving it all to Kali.”
“Ah... that’s right, that’s right.”
Max's expression darkened.
Since Wassenberg bought the relief medicine released in the system, Revan must have become a person of interest to them.
A genius professor with a history of participating in experiments to transplant supernatural abilities.
Why did that person buy the salvation medicine?
Could it be that he is trying to analyze the medicine?
He even attempted to extract supernatural abilities and transplant them into ordinary people, so he wouldn't use that skill to replicate the salvation medicine exactly, right?
...Well, it is obvious that they are biting their nails right now out of such worry.
It is obvious that they will decide to take care of it before things get out of hand, and that they will get their hands on Revan.
“They wouldn’t burn down the entire academy where my brother is, would they?”
Max was worried. It seemed the horror of the Conrad massacre was coming back to him.
“The situation is completely different from 16 years ago. The Academy is now within the capital, and there is no one left to throw away as a sacrifice after doing something so audacious.”
"The offering would be disappointed to hear that."
“So, at most, they're going to send a few assassins. It’ll be obvious if they handle it with people with supernatural abilities. You won’t fail at dealing with a normal person, right, Max?”
"That is absolutely right."
“And you, you’ve been killed by Marina once before.”
"I don't remember, but they say that's how it was."
"Don't be afraid of dying."
I grabbed Max's arm tightly and reassured him.
“Even without me, the Prince is in the capital. I’ve asked him to keep a close eye on Revan, and if things go wrong, he will help us.”
Of course, Nika suffers from 30-minute amnesia.
“Yup, do not fear death! I’ll engrave that firmly in my head... Ugh!”
Max, who had been speaking confidently, turned pale in a second. It was because of a bug that had been sitting on his shoulder for some time.
“Uh, uh, what do I do? Miss, uh, oh, uh, that, uh, bug... Ah, uh.”
“Wow.”
“What is this that makes you tremble like this?”
He couldn't even shake it off, so I ended up holding it for him.
“Aaaargh! P-P-Please throw it away! Throw it away! Why are you holding onto that?!”
I flung the hairy bug, which was about the size of my thumb, far away.
“Haa, haa, haa. Miss, that, you just grabbed that with your hand... Uh, how...”
“Why can’t you catch it? You’re trembling at a single bug, so how did you slice up the monsters? Act your size!”
How unreliable.
***
Whoosh!
The sword of Lieutenant Reiner, who had suggested they eat lunch and warm up, flew in.
Clang!
He has grown much closer to Vania during this time.
Because they spent three hours together every day.
At the same time, Nike began to have some suspicions about Vania.
Whoosh, clang!
“Excuse me, Your Highness. Could you move a little more dynamically? Are you chasing flies?”
“No. It smells of sweat.”
The 1 o'clock they had promised to meet was approaching.
Nike entrusted his sword to the grumbling Renier and headed to Vania as he did every day.
And then he thinks.
Up until now, he has met Vania after lunch and parted ways before dinner. Even when he asked her to have a meal together, she refused.
It means that they have never once eaten anything together.
'Why?'
There must be some reason.
If she ate exactly the same way he does, she wouldn't be so desperate to avoid meals. Is it not a standard diet?
For example, is she on a patient's meal?
Also, even though there were times when it was hard to part ways while together, Vania turned around precisely on time.
'That makes sense.'
Vania, who seemed fine when they first met, was quite exhausted by the time they parted ways.
It appears there is a problem somewhere beyond just a lack of physical strength.
"I heard there are rumors that Lady Belzer is ill."
Ill?
But is that possible?
Vania is a superpower user who possesses both the ability to heal external injuries and the ability to recover internal injuries.
The reason he considered the excuses Ryan had been making on her behalf—claiming she had body aches or a cold—to be lies was that he knew the truth...
"Your Highness!"
Same time, same place again today. The bodyguard who always comes along, perhaps because of the support.
Nike approached Vania, who was waiting in the shade of a tree.
"Where would you like to go today?"
Vania, asking excitedly, was truly beautiful today as well. So much so that he couldn't gauge her condition just by looking at her complexion.
Nike pondered the answer for a moment.
'Ah.'
He found a bug sitting gently on Vania's shoulder, looking as if it had fallen from a tree.
It looks so scary... He was going to tear it off without Vania noticing.
As if sensing the gaze, Vania turned her head and... saw.
“Aaaah!”
Before he could even pull away, Vania clung to him. Nike's eyes widened.
In an instant, a sudden scent wafted from Vania as she snuggled into his arms.
Warmth that is tightly embraced without any gaps.
Nike swallowed his breath.
It was a stimulus that Nike Valencier had never experienced in the 20 years of his life that he remembered.
An unfamiliar feeling that is hard to express in words.
All his attention was focused on the small body squirming in his arms. It felt like every part of him that touched Vania had become sensitive.
His heart was pounding and heavy.
The myriad sensations felt in a frozen state in an instant.
That moment when he stood still, dazed.
“P-please take it off~!”
Time passed again. Nike let out the breath he had been holding and raised his hand.
“Ah, right. Wait...”
Worm.
"I have to get it off." Nike calmly grabbed the bug on Vania's shoulder and threw it as far away as possible.
“Haa, haa.”
Vania was so surprised that she kept her face buried in Nike's arms and only caught her breath.
"It's okay. It's gone now."
“Uh, isn’t it...?”
Barely peeking out. Lifting only a tearful face, she looks up.
"...Yes."
Nike, who had been distracted for a moment, replied a beat late.
Vania seemed to have forgotten even the fact that she was being held, as if the surprise had not yet worn off.
But Nike wasn't.
I know in my head that I have to let go now… but why?
'Ah.'
At that moment, Nike felt a gaze.
They weren't just the two of them from the beginning.
Nike turned his head and saw Max, Vania's bodyguard, who had been watching the situation all along.
He was looking this way.
“Phew, thank you...”
Vania slipped out of his arms as if she had calmed down, and her guard still couldn't close his gaping mouth.
Nike turned around quickly out of embarrassment.
It felt like he had read his mind—the myriad of thoughts he had about Vania in his arms in that split second...
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