Was it because of those eyes that made people look scary? Spica, who belatedly recalled Alkaid’s red eyes, asked carefully.

“……Heze, are you also scared of our Commander?”

“Aren’t you scared? I felt like I should kneel and bow my head the moment I saw him.”

“Yes, he’s really a good person.”

……And kind.

Spica lowered her gaze and fidgeted with her fingers. Watching that, Heze scratched the back of his head vigorously.

Honestly, it was embarrassing to say he was scared in front of his sister.

‘Scary. He’s scary.’

From the moment he first saw him, he had been overwhelmed by the intimidating presence and wanted to run away. He was someone who was burdensome to even be next to, let alone make eye contact with.

Still, he had clearly seen with his own eyes that scary person caring for his sister with utmost devotion. There was such a thing as sincerity that was conveyed without needing to speak. Besides, sister said she liked him this much.

“Well, yeah…… He just needs to treat you well. Actually, I’ve heard plenty about his reputation too. He treats people based on ability regardless of background, and he himself is skilled enough to receive His Highness the Crown Prince’s favor.”

“That’s an honor.”

The siblings’ shoulders jumped at the voice that came in heavily.

“I, I was rude!”

Heze bent his waist, not knowing what to do. But Alkaid’s gaze was fixed on Spica, who had stood up with an embarrassed face.

“I came too, Sister Spica!”

A face full of mischief popped out from behind Alkaid.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

Spica tried to bend her knees, but the Crown Prince waved his hands at both of them to sit down quickly.

Heze, who had come to meet Young Duke Winterhold and now the Crown Prince, looked like he was about to faint.

The Crown Prince looked around at the siblings and grinned.

“Nice to see you’ve opened your eyes. Commander Alki barged in asking why sister wouldn’t wake up and brought me here like this.”

When the wide-eyed siblings’ gazes turned to him, Alkaid coughed awkwardly.

“Presumptuous though it may be, please be quiet, Your Highness.”

“Don’t say presumptuous things, Commander.”

“I could show you what presumptuous behavior is.”

“You never lose an argument anyway.”

Hmph, the Crown Prince who approached Spica winked one eye.

“How’s your arm? Does it move well? Nothing hurts?”

“Ah, yes. It was so fine that I thought it was a dream at first.”

Spica answered bewilderedly. Why he had brought the Crown Prince because she wouldn’t wake up, and why this person was asking like a doctor.

“……Could it be that Your Highness treated me?”

“Hehehe. You finally noticed.”

The Crown Prince put his hands on both cheeks and drew a heart shape while smiling brightly.

“Our Sister Spica was hurt, so of course I stepped forward!”

“……Your Highness.”

When an ominous aura rose from behind, he immediately returned to his original expression.

“Don’t think it’s strange. I just granted Commander Alki’s request. We had a promise between us from before.”

Continuing to speak, the Crown Prince took out a small pouch from his chest and held it out.

“Take this. It came out of your arm, Dame Atrain.”

“……From my arm?”

Spica tried to receive it and open it, but Alkaid, who had approached beside her, took it instead.

A black, pointed fragment fell onto his large palm.

“This came out together in the process of pulling out the sword embedded in your arm. Because of the blood, we initially thought it was a bone fragment……”

On the surface with multiple edges, letters so small they were difficult to read with the eyes were densely carved. The ominous green ink was sinister, like it would emit a gloomy light at any moment.

“There was a curse on this.”

“A curse……”

“A curse of incurable healing. It reduces the body’s ability to recover on its own.”

That wasn’t all. It was a vicious spell that nullified magical healing and actually absorbed holy power to make the curse stronger.

Of course, now it was all purified and was no different from just a stone fragment. Still, Alkaid didn’t want to let Spica touch such a thing. Looking at her trembling eyes, it was a good choice.

“You’re saying this came out of my body?”

“That’s right. Looking at the traces, the doctors said it seemed to have been carefully embedded so it wouldn’t be easily discovered.”

“How could this be…… You mean if this incident hadn’t happened, I would never have known forever.”

The shocked siblings made eye contact. They were recalling the same scene.

The person from the Sobek ducal family who had swaggered and warned them.

〈Our lady has absolutely nothing to do with the accident that occurred during practice. It was an unfortunate incident that happened by chance while checking the ground condition and gathering firewood as a junior. If you testify like that, we’ll let you receive treatment from a priest.〉

The Sobek family was one of the ducal families that were pillars of the Empire. The Atrain viscountcy was too small and powerless to go against them.

The other side also knew this fact, so they had offered a priest as compensation. The doctors had already given up treating Spica. To meet a priest, one had to wait over two months or donate a large sum of money.

〈What will you do? If you leave it like this, the young lady’s arm will either become necrotic or unable to move properly.〉

Neither Spica nor Heze could forget their father’s face that day. An expression filled with regret and guilt toward his daughter, and unresolvable resentment.

Spica looked at that face that had risen before her eyes once again.

‘……Dad.’

Father had passed away, but the Sobek ducal family was still intact, and oaths don’t disappear. Even though they had used ‘priestly treatment’ doubly to prevent Spica from standing up.

It was when Spica was struggling to swallow the accusation that had risen to her throat that the Crown Prince clicked his tongue.

“So, my ‘escort knight’ did such things too.”

Spica looked up in surprise. If it was the Crown Prince’s escort knight, he was referring to Diblin.

When their eyes met, the Crown Prince shrugged his shoulders. His reaction seemed like he wasn’t very surprised.

“How did Your Highness know that……”

“Well, there’s someone persistent when it comes to Sister Spica.”

Though he said ‘someone persistent’ in words, the Crown Prince’s finger was openly pointing at Alkaid.

When Spica’s gaze fixed on him, the Crown Prince grinned and extended his hand to Heze. Surprised, Heze confirmed with an expression like he wanted to run away.

“Yes? Your Highness. Are, are you talking about me?”

“That’s right, Sister Spica’s younger brother. You attend the academy, right? I’m curious about the educational curriculum. Why don’t you tell this young and cute Crown Prince about it.”

The Crown Prince dragged Heze away forcibly. The only people left in the room were Spica and Alkaid alone.

“……”

“……”

An awkward silence flowed for a moment.

The person who spoke first was Spica. She looked at the pouch containing the cursed stone and asked.

“When did you know?”

“I thought something was strange from when you couldn’t breathe after seeing Dame Sobek.”

“Did you investigate separately?”

“……Yes.”

Spica bit her lips. This matter that everyone had to keep quiet about was itself Spica’s wretchedness. The person she least wanted to know had found it out.

She also felt somewhat puzzled.

‘Why did Alkaid go to such lengths?’

Finding out hidden facts requires time, people, and money.

Truth is especially expensive. The fewer people who know it, the more expensive it becomes.

She now knew that Alkaid felt the same way about her. But even if he had liked her first, this was excessive.

“I’m sorry…… If you were displeased…… No, you must have been displeased. I’m sorry.”

“Alkaid.”

Spica looked up at him while sitting. Then she suddenly realized it had been really long since she hadn’t made eye contact with him. Even when he wore his helmet, he had always been looking at her.

That person who had been like that was now turning his expressionless face diagonally away.

‘Why won’t you look at me?’

The original Spica would have asked this directly.

But she felt she shouldn’t right now. She could sense something behind the mask of expressionlessness. Just like how she had been able to feel Alkaid’s smile when he wore his helmet.

Spica withdrew her gaze from Alkaid and looked somewhere in the room while speaking.

“……Alkaid. You know, I think I felt mana.”

“Congratulations.”

Alkaid’s head was turning further to the side as he replied. It was extremely suspicious that he congratulated her after hearing only Spica’s vague words. He didn’t seem like someone who would have expected this.

“Commander, you did something to me, didn’t you? That day, when we fell asleep together.”

“……”

Spica remembered the light she had seen just before losing consciousness. They say that a Sword Master’s weapon emits light when highly condensed aura forms on it.

Also, they said a Sword Master could divide their own mana and inject it into another person’s body. That’s why Spica had asked if Alkaid was indeed a Sword Master.

Alkaid slowly nodded his head.

“I wanted to prepare for any possible situation.”

“Thank you. Thanks to you, I lived.”