“Ah!”

It was a spider.

The spider spread its legs with a rustle. In that instant, it burrowed beneath her underskirt and scurried inside her clothes.

Startled, Amel hurriedly shook her legs, and the creature thrashed around inside with her.

Amel froze, swallowing a panicked breath.

“Miss Amel?”

Amel remained completely rigid.

Cervel, who had been following behind her, spotted her.

“Why aren’t you going upstairs?”

“Ah, ah……!”

Amel let out a trembling whimper.

She couldn’t explain what had happened, and she couldn’t scream either. She simply stood there, frozen to the spot. She lifted her chin and trembled.

She could feel the rough hairs against her skin. Its hairy body clung to her leg.

She couldn’t bring herself to say another word. How am I supposed to explain this?

Her mind went blank. She felt as though she might collapse right there and then.

A chill ran down her back and goosebumps covered her body. All the strength drained from her legs.

Her body trembled violently, and eventually she squeezed her eyes shut.

“What do I do?”

“Why?”

“There’s a bug inside my clothes.”

He let out a quiet, “Ah,” before speaking.

“You stepped on fallen leaves earlier, didn’t you?”

Amel could barely manage to nod.

“……A mountain spider, perhaps? Maybe it crawled inside your clothes to escape the rain?”

He spoke as calmly as ever.

Amel was so tense that she could barely breathe, and Cervel looked troubled.

“Do you want me to help?”

Amel felt as though her legs were about to give out. Her body trembled violently.

Cervel crouched down in front of her.

“Do you want my help or not?”

Amel managed to nod.

“……Please. Do something. Ah!”

“Lift your dress.”

“My dress? Why?”

Amel bit her lip repeatedly, her breath trembling.

Cervel mimed lifting the hem of her dress.

“You said it crawled inside your clothes. I need to see where it is, don’t I?”

Amel’s eyes trembled.

Prick, prick, prick.

Her leg kept burning with a stinging sensation.

Her hands shaking, Amel gripped the hem of her dress and raised it to her calves.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Cervel lowered his posture and peered beneath her dress.

“Oh, dear.”

After taking a look, Cervel clicked his tongue.

“Wh-why? Why are you doing that?”

‘Why did he click his tongue?’

Amel opened her eyes and looked at him.

“It’s hidden inside.”

“……Pardon? Hidden?”

‘Hidden? It had crawled deep between her legs.’

Her breathing quickened, and her body trembled violently.

The area between Amel’s legs grew increasingly itchy. Stiff, coarse hairs moved between her legs. Her legs continued to sting, and her strength gradually began to drain away.

In a low, gentle voice, he said,

“It’s still wriggling around in there. Stay still. I think it’s crawled farther up.”

‘No wonder.’

The ticklish sensation kept moving upward.

Amel’s mind went completely blank, and darkness clouded her vision.

Like a child who had lost her parents, Amel grabbed his arm. Cervel quietly looked down at her hand.

When Amel’s breathing began to tremble, he asked her permission.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Cervel briefly glanced around before reaching beneath her dress.

She wasn’t even wearing stockings, and his head slipped straight beneath her skirt. His short hair tickled her bare legs.

Amel pressed down on his head with both hands.

“Wh-why are you putting your head……!”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t see if you keep pushing my head down. It’s fine, Miss Amel, so let go.”

‘It’s not fine!’

Amel could only stare helplessly as his head moved between her legs.

Cervel pushed his head between her legs. Then came his hand.

He wrapped his hand around her right groin.

“Ah!”

Amel gripped his shoulder tightly.

When she squeezed his shoulder, Cervel brushed at it with his other hand.

He called her.

“Miss Amel?”

Amel didn’t hear him. She simply held on tightly to his shoulder.

He lightly tapped her hand as if telling her to let go.

“Miss Amel. It’s fine, so let go.”

“Ah!”

“How long are you planning to hold on?”

Only then did Amel remove the hand pressing down on his head.

Cervel stepped back. He brushed off his hair, rose to his feet, and looked down at her.

“Did you catch it?”

“Yeah. It was a baby spider.”

“That? It looked pretty big.”

“Mountain spiders are generally a little large.”

Cervel showed her his clenched fist. Something vile was trapped inside his gloved hand.

Amel squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away.

“You don’t have to show me!”

Amel stepped backward until her back was pressed tightly against the wall. Cervel gave a small laugh.

“Are you all right?”

“Pardon? Yes, yes? Ah, I’m fine.”

Amel stammered incoherently, crushing her lower lip between her teeth.

Cervel made a clicking sound by tapping his knuckles together near her head.

“You call that fine? Pull yourself together. Get a grip and stand up straight.”

“Yes, yes.”

“You’re completely out of it.”

She looked around, and her gaze eventually settled on him.

Her mind had gone completely blank. She felt dazed, as though her thoughts had been crushed by bare hands.

Her chest churned of its own accord. Amel rubbed her chest with one hand.

Her startled heart was pounding violently.

“How are your legs?”

“They’re stinging.”

“Are they itchy, too?”

“A little.”

“Is it unbearable?”

“No, not that bad.”

Amel brushed off her dress. She awkwardly shifted her legs, but every time they rubbed against the fabric, they itched.

“You can walk, right?”

“Ah, yes.”

Amel nodded, her face pale. Cervel gestured toward the stairs.

“Then I’ll go release this little fellow outside. You go wait in my room. You’ve been there a few times already, so you should be able to find it on your own.”

“Your Grace’s room?”

“Because your legs might be injured. Apply some ointment before you leave.”

“If you just give me the ointment……”

“Come to my room.”

“I’m fine, though.”

“Miss Amel.”

Cervel gave her a brief look, as though bringing the conversation to an end.

“……All right.”

He went back downstairs and said that he would release the spider outside.

It was only then that Amel realized how exposed their location was. She had been standing in a place where someone could easily come along without her realizing.

Her vision went dark.

Her mind felt distant.

Her head felt foggy.

What am I doing here? Should I have gone back to my room? Why am I here when the owner of this room isn’t here?

She began to wonder if she had come for no reason.

This was the room she had run away from that morning.

She was familiar with the room now.

Amel wandered around, glancing in every direction. Since Cervel hadn’t locked the door, she decided to wait inside.

Click. Click.

As Amel looked around the room, Cervel returned.

He closed the door and asked,.

“Why are you standing like that?”

“The owner of the room isn’t here yet.”

“It’s not as though this is your first time in my room. Why are you suddenly worrying about propriety?”

When Amel continued standing stiffly in the corner, Cervel gestured for her to sit.

“Don’t your legs hurt? Sit down.”

Amel glanced around the room and was about to sit on a chair, but the moment the backs of her knees touched the bed, she sank down onto it.

When she tried to get up again, Cervel turned toward her as if asking why she was standing.

“Just sit there.”

Cervel brought a water bottle and a towel from somewhere in the room.

“What are those?”

“Water.”

“I mean, what are you going to do with them?”

“Wash your legs. Lift them up.”

“Um, I don’t know what you’re planning, but I can do it myself.”

“If you were injured and taken to the hospital, would you say, ‘I can do it myself’ then, too?”

Oh. Ah…… Is that how this works?

Unable to do anything else, Amel simply watched him, gauging his reaction.

“Hold your dress up so it doesn’t slip down.”

Cervel sat down on the floor and lifted the hem of her dress.

Gathering up the fabric, she handed the rolled-up skirt to Amel. Caught off guard, Amel quickly took the dress into her arms.

Her underskirt had ridden up with the dress, leaving her bare legs fully exposed.

He would be able to see everything from below.

Amel hurriedly tried to stop him.

“Ah, wait!”

Cervel took hold of her leg.

The sensation felt strange. When Amel tried to pull her leg away, Cervel caught her ankle and tugged it back.

He clicked his tongue and scolded her.

“You need to stay still.”

“Mm……”

“That’s it. Good girl.”

As though soothing a child, he stroked her calf.

“What are you doing right now……!”