Only then did Ricardo fall silent. But his pupils still trembled as if in fear.
Eventually, when the cold herbs touched his skin, Ricardo flinched.
“See! It hurts.”
“This doesn’t hurt, it’s just……”
“Fine. Then let’s say it tickles.”
Ricardo looked like he was about to speak, as if to protest the unfairness, but soon closed his mouth.
‘Anyway, these scars……’
I tried to ignore them, but my gaze inevitably shifted in that direction.
They weren’t traces of battle. Even someone like me, who was ignorant of subjugation battles, could tell that at a glance.
It was clear that they weren’t wounds inflicted to kill Ricardo, who had once been an enemy. At a glance, they even looked like whip marks.
They were simply wounds made deliberately, just to make Ricardo suffer.
And not just once or twice—there were so many scars layered that they couldn’t be counted.
‘Who on earth?’
There shouldn’t be anyone who would dare do such a thing to Ricardo, the heir to the House of Duke Hessen. Unless they had a death wish.
“……That’s enough.”
At that moment, Ricardo cut through my thoughts. I watched him closely as he tried to dress, then spoke casually.
“What are you doing? Now we have to wait for the medicine to soak in.”
He looked at a loss for words at my comment.
I sighed inwardly and sat down beside him.
"The rain has let up considerably, so I think we'll be able to return tomorrow."
“……That’s a relief.”
“You said you still had something to do in Orphen before. Will your schedule be okay?”
As I continued speaking quietly, Ricardo’s gaze landed on my face. When I tilted my head with a puzzled look, he startled and quickly averted his eyes.
“Y-yes, it’s fine. The purpose is just to check Seiren……”
“Ah.”
Then we don’t need to move early in the morning.
Since Ricardo’s hurt too, let’s rest comfortably and head down at a more relaxed pace.
……Or not? Should we move quickly and see a doctor first?
While I was lost in thought, Ricardo cautiously spoke to me.
“The path will probably be slippery, so it might be best to go down slowly.”
“Really?”
He nodded.
As I stared blankly at the campfire, drowsiness crept in again. I rubbed my eyes without realizing it, and Ricardo, noticing, gently spoke.
“Please rest comfortably.”
“No, I need to stay awake.”
“Because of the campfire?”
“That too, and……”
I glanced toward the cave entrance.
“Just in case, I have to protect you.”
If the rain stopped, whoever had shot Ricardo during the day might try to invade again.
At my words, Ricardo’s eyes widened. But soon, he burst out laughing.
I know it sounds ridiculous, even as I say it.
But if you laugh like that, then what am I supposed to be……!
“Don’t laugh, just go to sleep.”
“How could I possibly sleep?”
He chuckled in reply.
To shake off the sleepiness, I hurriedly shook my head side to side.
‘Sleeping while leaving the patient alone—this makes no sense.’
I could still hear Ricardo’s laughter.
“……About that doll you left me back in Dians.”
He continued with difficulty.
“It looks like you.”
“If it’s the cactus, I already told you. I said the prickliness resembles me.”
“No, not that one.”
Only then did I remember the magic doll I had bought with Rayler.
Didn’t they say it changes to resemble the buyer?
As I blinked vacantly, Ricardo pulled my face to his shoulder.
“Did it turn out ugly, by any chance?”
Ricardo flinched.
“……You’re not answering, so it must be really ugly.”
“I’m not sure.”
You could’ve at least said something nice.
I sighed softly, and Ricardo spoke again in a voice that sounded like he had made up his mind.
“……Later, would you take a look at it yourself?”
“……”
“I have no sense of aesthetics.”
It seemed he had taken his time just to say this.
I nodded carefully. Rubbing my eyes with one hand, I spoke.
“Before, you asked me if you were my misfortune.”
Ricardo’s body stiffened completely.
It felt like if I didn’t say this now, I might never be able to.
“I wasn’t unhappy. I had fun in Dians too.”
“……”
“Sorry for answering so late.”
I wanted to hear his response, but inside the cave, only the sound of the campfire echoed.
While waiting for his reply like that, I eventually couldn’t overcome the drowsiness and fell asleep.
* * *
I heard the chirping of birds near my ears. The sunlight was unusually blinding compared to usual.
“Ah……!”
At that moment, I opened my eyes in a wave of unease.
“You’re awake?”
At Ricardo’s voice, I asked as calmly as I could.
“……Did I fall asleep?”
“Yes. You were sleeping quite soundly.”
Ugh, I must be crazy!
Sleeping while leaving the patient alone—what kind of disgrace is this!
“W-What about you?”
He didn’t get a fever last night, did he?
At my words, Ricardo lightly laughed as he rubbed his shoulder.
“I slept well.”
“How’s your body? Did anything hurt during the night?”
He took my anxious hand and placed it on his forehead.
“Will this suffice for a check?”
Huh, that’s strange.
His fever went down this fast……?
Before I knew it, his body had returned to its usual temperature.
“Fortunately, the rain stopped too.”
Just as he said, bright sunlight poured in through the cave entrance. As I took a step to head outside, Ricardo gently grabbed my hand.
In that moment of confusion, he slipped a ring onto my finger. Instantly, my long pink hair shortened, and brown strands shimmered in my vision.
“Ah, thank you.”
Instead of answering, Ricardo ran his hand through my tangled hair.
As we stepped outside the cave, the bright light shone down. Thanks to the storm that had swept through the night, the breeze felt especially refreshing.
“Anne……!”
At that moment, I heard Simon’s desperate voice. He was calling out to us, nearly in tears, holding a half-broken umbrella pitifully.
“Waaah, you didn’t get washed away in the rain, did you?”
“Simon!”
As I hurriedly called out to him, Simon, who had just spotted us, jumped in fright as if he’d seen a ghost.
“A-Anne?”
“What happened to one of your glasses’ lenses?”
“I-Is that really the issue right now? I was so anxious thinking I might’ve driven nobles to their deaths!”
Simon burst into tears briefly, then started hiccupping.
“……Did I just say ‘nobles’?”
Ricardo nodded silently. Simon’s face instantly went pale.
“It’s fine. You took longer than I expected to mess up.”
Honestly, I’m amazed you kept calling me Anne without a slip!
* * *
“Ah, you’re right on time!”
Lily greeted Simon and me warmly, then spoke to Ricardo, who was standing behind us.
“I hope our Anne didn’t cause any trouble. There weren’t any delays, were there?”
Ricardo’s gaze turned to me.
W-Why!
I did well, didn’t I?
When I glared at him, he let out a soft chuckle.
“She certainly lacks the qualities of a magician.”
“Oh dear, I should’ve taught her better.”
“Alright, let’s just go already.”
I pushed Lily’s back. She rolled her eyes but went inside the ship.
In the meantime, Ricardo approached me and bent down to whisper in my ear.
“You said you’d come to inspect it.”
“Huh?”
By the time I asked, he had already returned to his Duke’s appearance.
He greeted me with a slight nod.
“Good grief……”
A dry laugh escaped me before I realized it. At that moment, Simon tapped my arm.
“Anne, take this.”
What he handed me was a frame with a strange drawing. It looked like a ball of fire, or perhaps a beast with outstretched manes—an ambiguous picture.
“What is this?”
“It’s a painting from Lord Atkins’ cave.”
Simon scratched his cheek awkwardly.
“Take it as a souvenir from Orphen.”
“If it belonged to Lord Atkins, isn’t it something valuable?”
“It’s fine. I’ve looked at it enough times.”
“……Are you throwing it away at me?”
Simon frantically shook his head.
“N-No! Anyway, thanks to you, I got to see my family after a long time. And it was nice to meet someone who knows about Lord Atkins……”
He trailed off, mumbling shyly.
What a strange way to say thank you.
Well, that’s very much like Simon.
“……Can I come see you sometimes?”
“If I’m free, anytime.”
A smile spread on his face, which had looked slightly downcast.
Now then.
‘What happened to Peril?’