Thanks to a generous customer on the first day of opening, I was in an extremely good mood.

The black-haired young nobleman purchased all the new medicines I recommended.

“Selling so well on the first day, I have a good feeling about this. The pharmacy must be destined to prosper!”

“But there was only one customer… mmph, mmph…”

Felitz tried to say something, but other organization members covered his mouth, so I couldn’t hear the rest.

In a good mood, I arranged drinks for the organization members who had worked hard helping with the move today.

We closed the pharmacy early as the sun was setting and moved to the tavern right next door.

“I’m paying today, so eat whatever you want! Order everything!”

The organization members cheered as I shouted excitedly.

Just as we were all raising our beer glasses provided by the server and about to toast.

BOOM! CRASH!

Suddenly, there was a thunderous noise from outside.

‘I think I just heard an enormous sound…’

Yet strangely, my intuition was screaming that I should ignore that sound.

“D-didn’t you just hear something?”

“It sounds like something chaotic is happening outside…”

“Who cares if there’s thunder or an earthquake outside? Let’s just drink!”

I tried to divert the organization members’ attention away from the outside and raised my glass again to shout ‘Cheers!’ However…

BOOOOOOM!

“…”

With an even louder noise than before, I just rolled my eyes to look outside.

Then I spotted two men fighting and striking each other not far away.

“Huh? Big Sister! T-there…!”

“No, t-that person is…!”

The surprised organization members jumped to their feet.

“…Don’t say it. I know who they are, too.”

One man was Cail, whom I had been pretending not to know all day, and the other man was…

‘Are they crazy? Why are they fighting in front of someone else’s shop? And they’re supposed to be heroes of the continent?’

They were fighting so violently that it sounded like the world was ending and the ground was shaking.

People were popping out one by one to watch them.

There were swords lying around the two of them; it seemed they had started with sword fighting but had somehow devolved into a fistfight.

It looked like things would get worse if left alone.

“We can’t just stay here, Big Sister.”

Felitz whispered seriously into my ear.

“I know. If we leave them be, they might destroy the pharmacy too.”

Already, the walls around the alley where they were fighting had collapsed, and the stone ground was cracked.

I couldn’t bear to see my precious pharmacy building damaged.

Just as I nodded, thinking I should stop the fight.

“I think that man is threatening your position, Big Sister.”

“Hmm?”

Felitz’s finger was pointing at the other man fighting with Cail, Niel, who had concealed his identity with a magic stone bracelet.

“That man. I think he attacked Cail to take the position of the great hero’s attacker… Big Sister? Big Sister! Let’s go together!”

I left the foolish-sounding Felitz behind and went outside.

Truly, they were making it impossible for me to ignore them even if I wanted to.

Before I knew it, I was standing in front of the two men who were glaring at each other while breathing heavily.

“Filthy slave, deceiver.”

“Disgusting hypocrite…”

I flinched involuntarily at the vicious insults they hurled at each other.

‘Are they actually cursing? Niel Alpenhayer and Cail Aleret?’

I could understand if it were Yuphe. But these two men throwing insults at each other!

Niel Alpenhayer had been far removed from vulgar language, born as the empire’s finest nobleman, and Cail was so innocent and kind that it was hard to believe he had grown up in such a harsh environment.

But this was no time to be amazed. I needed to stop them before they attracted more attention.

“Both of you, stop…”

But my voice was drowned out as they charged at each other again, striking and fighting.

Finally, I raised my voice and shouted.

“Both of you, stop it!”

At once, their fighting stopped.

“…”

“…”

The two slowly turned toward me.

“My goodness, what is going on here!”

I cried out in surprise when I saw their condition.

Both of them were in terrible shape.

Not to mention their faces, which were swollen, bleeding, and bruised all over, Cail had injured his arm and Niel was limping.

“You’re not ten-year-old children, what on earth…”

I pressed my forehead in exasperation.

“…I’m sorry for causing a disturbance, Jella.”

Cail apologized with downcast eyes.

“…”

Meanwhile, Niel just glared at me silently, biting his lower lip hard.

Anyway, I couldn’t leave them like this.

They needed immediate treatment, and if Niel returned to the imperial palace in this state, their fight would be splashed across tomorrow’s morning newspapers.

“Both of you, follow me.”

I took them to the second floor of the pharmacy and put them in separate rooms.

I didn’t want to put the two men in the same space, as they had been engaged in an invisible battle of nerves behind me during the short walk to the pharmacy, and that would only give me a bigger headache.

Having just finished moving, there were only two rooms furnished with furniture.

Since there was only one bed, I first laid Niel, who had severely injured his leg, in my bedroom, and sat Cail on the sofa in the adjacent room, telling him to wait.

“Sigh, what a commotion.”

After separating the two, I let out a deep sigh, and Felitz, who had helped me, cautiously asked.

“Big Sister, is there anything else I can do to help?”

“No, I’ll take care of it from here. Go back to the others and enjoy yourselves. Today was supposed to be my treat, and you barely got to eat anything.”

“But still…”

“It’s fine, just go. Put the bill on my name.”

“Yes, Big Sister! Have a good night then!”

After sending Felitz away, I gathered the necessary medicines and opened the bedroom door.

There I saw a platinum-haired handsome man sitting stiffly on the edge of the bed.

His handsome face was in terrible condition all over.

But the most serious injury was his leg, which had been limping earlier.

“Let me see your leg.”

“…”

Niel glared at me with a cold face but obediently extended his leg.

It seemed that after I revealed my identity last time, he had decided to no longer hide his hostility toward me.

Having been accustomed to his gentle face that he had shown me ever since I opened my eyes again in Jella Irene’s body, I wasn’t used to that hostile gaze.

I disinfected the swollen and torn wound, applied medicine, and wrapped it with bandages.

I inwardly clicked my tongue at his stubborn demeanor, not letting out even a single groan.

Just as I finished treating his leg and was about to examine his face with ointment in hand.

Slap.

He knocked my hand away and turned his head sharply.

“Don’t be like that and turn your head. If I don’t treat your face now, it will leave scars.”

“…”

“Niel Alpenhayer.”

After stubbornly resisting, he finally turned his head back at my call.

Ignoring his glare as he clenched his teeth, I wiped the injured areas with a clean, wet cloth and carefully applied ointment.

“That’s done now.”

“…This is what I disliked about you.”

He said to me in a rough voice.

“Why can’t you ever pass by pitiful things?”

“I treat you and you pick a fight?”

I raised one eyebrow and looked at him with an exasperated expression, but he stubbornly continued his provocation without stopping.

“Jella Shunaibel, I dislike you. I terribly dislike this aspect of you.”

“I know you dislike me, so you can stop saying it.”

“I…”

He moved his lips as if to say something more, but then closed his mouth again.

***

After giving Niel a painkiller with sleep-inducing effects, I went to the adjacent room.

Since the Emperor often went out incognito late at night and returned after sunrise, letting him stay here for one night shouldn’t cause any problems.

Cail, who had been quietly receiving treatment, glanced at me and asked.

“Are you angry?”

“Yes.”

I answered in a scary voice to him, who seemed to be watching my mood.

At this, he hung his head with a dejected expression.

“I’m sorry, Jella. I didn’t mean to make you angry.”

After looking at him quietly, I said with a sigh.

“…Anyone would be angry if you showed up injured like this.”

At those words, Cail slowly raised his head again.

“Were you worried about me?”

“Yes.”

“…”

A blush appeared on his face, which had been dejected until just a moment ago, at my indifferent answer.

Thanks to Cail being more cooperative than Niel, his treatment was quickly finished.

“Does it hurt anywhere else?”

“No.”

“Why did you fight anyway?”

“…I don’t want to talk about it.”

But he turned his head away and avoided my gaze at the following question.

I looked at him with persistent eyes, just as he had done to me.

“Are you really not going to tell me?”

“…”

After avoiding my gaze for a long time, he finally let out a sigh and answered in a low voice.

“I… have always envied that man.”

“Hmm?”

It was an unexpected answer.

Cail had never shown such feelings in front of me, but hearing it now, it seemed plausible.

Unlike Cail, who was of slave origin, Niel was born as the young nobleman of the continent’s finest family, grasping both wealth and power from birth.

But that didn’t mean Cail was in any way inferior to Niel.

I was about to comfort him by saying what did it matter if he lacked a bit of wealth and power, when he had kindness and purity instead.

Suddenly I felt Cail’s gaze staring intently at me.

“Whenever I see that man who has everything…”

Cail muttered in a voice as deep and gloomy as a cave.

“That man is not lacking by your side, but compared to him, I seem so shabby, so I…”

“…”

Words like a confession flowed from between his lips.

For a moment, I was at a loss for words, and a brief silence fell between us.

Just as I was opening my lips, not knowing what answer to give him.

“…!”

Suddenly Cail jumped to his feet.

“Cail?”

“I sense killing intent. Not just one person, but several.”

“What?”

“I’ll check outside, so don’t leave this place.”

“Cail…!”

Cail left only those words and immediately leaped out the window.

“Really, making such a fuss over just a few assassins.”

I muttered, scratching my head.

The killing intent felt nearby was from nine people.

It was a small number, not even ten.

Back when I was still living as ‘Jella Shunaibel.’ Even before I brought Cail to be my bodyguard, there were many threats from assassins. They all ended up being defeated by me though.

Making Cail a knight to protect me was actually to hide my true purpose. I didn’t need protection to defend myself.

Yet Cail always acted as if he had staked his life on that role of protecting me.

I always found that fact quite…

“Ah, right! Niel!”

In the middle of recalling old memories with Cail, I suddenly remembered Niel, who would be sleeping in the next room by now.

It would be dangerous if he encountered the assassins while he was unwell.

Going to the next room, fortunately, Niel was peacefully asleep in the darkness.

I looked down at his sleeping face.

His appearance, lying quietly with his eyes closed, was just serene, unlike earlier when he was giving me sharp looks.

His hair, which was always neat, was disheveled over his forehead.

The hair stuck to his wounds because of the sticky ointment looked uncomfortable, so I reached out to gently brush it aside.

Whoosh!

Niel, whom I thought was asleep, suddenly pulled my body.

The first thing I felt was his firm body enveloping mine and his low, heavy scent invading my lungs.

My body seemed to settle right against his chest, and then he flipped over while holding me in his arms.

In an instant, our positions were reversed.

“Niel…?”

The light green eyes looking down at me from above flashed with a persistent light, seeming determined to bind my body.