15.

It was strange.

For someone renowned for returning from battle unscathed, it seemed like every time he encountered that princess, he ended up with some kind of injury.

Coincidence, no doubt. But the thought left an odd aftertaste. He felt distracted, like a fumbling novice. At first, he’d thought it was a fluke, but after the second time, he began to wonder.

Could it be a sensory anomaly or some reaction failure?

Leo fric pondered. It felt like his focus had already wavered when he saw the princess falling and leaped to catch her. Perhaps his vision and judgment had already been impaired from that moment on.

He had sensed something subtly off since the war had begun to wind down. To avoid drawing attention, he had restrained himself, moving cautiously in combat whenever possible.

Jinpetsu, his ever-watchful vice-captain, had been quick to pick up on these changes and had since taken an unusual level of care to guard him.

Tonight’s incident had only made that sense of something “off” even clearer, like a heartbeat pounding out of rhythm.

“You’ve returned.”

The knights, who had been scattered around, quickly gathered when Leo fric arrived.

“Did you find Nephi?”

“Found him.”

“As expected, the master always finds him.”

“Maybe he’s found a new maste.,”

Leo fric added with a mischievous tone as he took the bird from his pocket and set it down on the table. Nephi seemed oddly subdued, as if aware he was in trouble, quietly preening his sticky, sap-covered wings and waddling around rather than attempting to fly.

“…He seems a bit off,” one of the knights noted.

“Leave him. He can have his breakfast in the morning.”

Nephi’s feathers drooped slightly.

“Edgick.”

“Yes, yes,” the chancellor replied absentmindedly, pushing up his glasses and burying himself in a book, barely paying attention.

“Take care of the monster cleanup, would you?”

“What?” Edgick’s head shot up, startled.

“A monster? Why? I thought we cleaned up yesterday and would be fine for a while?”

Jinpetsu’s eyes narrowed as he glanced at Leo fric.

“Commander, your neck.”

“…It was just a scratch.”

“…”

“I thought swords avoided you, Commander. You’re acting strangely lately. Where’s the monster?”

Edgick had no qualms poking at a sore spot before asking his question.

“In the garden… by the princess’s room.”

“That’s… an awfully convenient location,” the chancellor remarked, glancing at him suspiciously.

“Nephi was with the princess,” Leo fric explained defensively. “He seemed unusually attached to her, strangely familiar.”

Nephi, as if sensing the teasing, glared at him and promptly flew off to a distant corner of the room.

“Nephi does have a thing for beauties…”

“Peep!” The bird squawked indignantly as Edgick, shrugging, prepared to head outside.

After a moment of hesitation, Leo fric rubbed his forehead and asked, “About… my constitution. Is it possible for unusual reactions to affect my heart?”

He immediately regretted the question, especially when he saw the bewildered expressions of Edgick and Jinpetsu. Jinpetsu looked particularly concerned.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“No, it’s not that bad. Something just felt a bit strange while I was dealing with the monster.”

It had been going on for a while, though he chose not to elaborate.

“With your… unique constitution, I doubt it would affect your heart,” Edgick replied thoughtfully.

“Unless you’ve fallen in love with a monster.”

“…Get out.”

Leo fric spoke with a deep frown, regretting ever asking. Edgick snickered, giving a nod to the other knights as they headed out.

“Jinpetsu.”

Leo fric gestured to his vice-captain and discreetly handed him a small, rolled-up note Nephi had brought along.

As Jinpetsu scanned the message, relief flickered across his face, only for his expression to turn slightly tense.

“His Majesty is safe.”

“At least outwardly. It doesn’t look like anyone is putting overt pressure on him.”

Which meant the orders could well be entirely of Wintran’s own volition.

“…What will you do?”

“I’ll need to think it over.”

“…”

“Either way, I still have to go to the capital.”

Leo fric glanced at the scar on his now nearly healed hand.

Meeting with Wintran wasn’t the only reason he needed to return to the capital.

* * *

The maids attended to Ateira’s morning routine in silence. They let out a quiet sigh upon noticing the pile of broken plate fragments she had gathered, picking them up along with the other dishes. Serving her also meant reporting to Count Zellered.

They exchanged no words with her. In silence, they dressed her, brushed her hair, brought her breakfast, and left.

Alone once more, she gazed out the window and sat on the edge of a long bench.

Last night felt like a dream. If not for the broken plate, she might have questioned whether it had truly happened.

It was a pitiful sound she’d heard just before she fell asleep, and she’d gone out to investigate, only to find that red bird tangled in the vines. Attempting to rescue what turned out to be a pet bird…

Her cheeks grew warm at the thought of ending up sprawled over the man himself.

Mixed emotions stirred within her.

Things were easier, more straightforward when she could feel only hatred. Even the fact that the bird, warm and comforting, was his pet made her feel uneasy. She hadn’t wanted help, yet receiving it left her even more unsettled.

The gratitude she felt instinctively touched on guilt she hadn’t been fully aware of, heightening her inner turmoil. She didn’t regret attacking him—far from it.

He was the man who had destroyed Ledetian. How many things had he shattered and ruined with those hands?

The feel of his arm around her waist as he’d pulled her to safety came back to her, and Ateira shook her head, trying to regain focus. She pushed away any other feelings and focused on the truth.

He was her enemy, her nemesis.

Ateira let out a short, frustrated sigh.

She wondered if the bird had been hurt.

She wasn’t sure if her attempt to cut through the vines had accidentally injured the bird or if it had been pulled too hard. It was during her struggle to free it that she’d lost her balance and fallen.

Did I accidentally cut it? Well, it’s a monster after all. Monsters heal quickly, so it should be fine.

Its appearance hadn’t suggested it was a monster, and she hadn’t noticed at first. If she’d observed it longer, perhaps she might have seen through it, but it had been too brief an encounter.

And yet, that bird had drawn other monsters to her…

Although she’d seen monsters before, it was rare to encounter so many in such close proximity.

The last time she’d seen monsters was during her time studying at the Akalem Temple with her younger brother, Dermin, for their honorary priesthood.

She allowed herself to drift back to that distant memory. The red bird-like monster reminded her of a similar creature she had seen back at the temple.

A strange feeling of nostalgia crept over her. Perhaps that’s why she had felt a slight sense of warmth toward Nephi.

A knock broke her thoughts.

It was too soon for the maids to return, so Ateira turned curiously.

Count Zellered’s knights entered.

“The count requests your presence.”

Ateira’s face hardened. She felt no eagerness to go, but there was no choice. Straightening her attire, she rose slowly and followed them.

The long corridor was deserted, unnervingly so, with no staff or servants in sight.

It seemed he had ordered no one to come near.

The knight led her to a door, opened it without a word, and she stepped inside, gripping the edge of her dress as a subtle wave of tension washed over her.

“Welcome, Princess.”

The count, sitting leisurely on a sofa with a cup of tea, didn’t bother offering her a seat.

“What do you want?” she replied coolly, remaining where she stood. She couldn’t help but think of the broken plate. She remembered the day he’d left, hinting at Dermin’s survival and warning her not to do anything reckless.

If the maids had reported the broken plate, perhaps he thought she had attempted to harm herself. She considered how to explain it as an accident.

“Don’t you miss your brother?”

“…”

The unexpected question startled her, and for a moment, she nearly answered. She caught herself, however, and waited without revealing any expression. But she couldn’t control the way her knuckles turned white as she clenched her skirt.

“Hmm.”

Count Zellered watched her reaction with a glint of amusement in his eyes.

“Would you like to see him?”