Chapter 3.2

“This exam is to evaluate the abilities of new knights. Senior knights will be present at all times, so there’s no danger. If any problems arise during the exam, you must report immediately to the supervising senior knight. If you fail to do so, you will be held personally responsible for any resulting damage. Understood?”

At the Knight Commander’s words, the new knights answered in unison with loud voices. Daphne watched the disciplined, tense new recruits depart, then returned to the temporary infirmary.

“Has everyone left?”

“Yes. It looks like patients will only start coming after lunch.”

“No! Don’t say things like that. If you do, they’ll come right away!”

At Daphne’s indifferent words, Hailey screamed as if in horror. Even so, this exam was not particularly difficult, so it was obvious there would not be many patients. Daphne leisurely spent her time with the romance novel she hadn’t finished.

“Officer!”

When lunchtime had long passed and still no patients had come, Daphne was thinking it would be nice if the day ended just like this—when suddenly, someone burst into the infirmary. It was a senior knight, blood smeared all over him. His face looked grave, as if things were bad.

“The knights have been poisoned by the Minota tree.”

“How many patients?”

Hailey, who had been knitting, jumped up from her seat. The knight wiped the blood from his cheek with the back of his hand and replied.

“Fifty—no, probably eighty.”

“Daphne!”

“I’ll prepare the antidote!”

The Minota tree’s poison? At worst, she thought it would just be some scratches. That’s how it had always been until now.

Besides, Minota trees didn’t even grow in this area. But for some reason, a line of injured people poisoned by the Minota tree kept coming in, and the severity of their wounds was much worse than expected.

“We need more space to lay the injured down. The antidote is being made now, so as soon as it’s ready, I’ll administer it.”

“Yes, please.”

The Minota tree was a monster that usually grew in desert regions. Because it was always in arid areas, it attacked anything with moisture.

It paralyzed its target with poison from its stem, then wrapped its roots around the body and dragged it underground. Its strength was such that it was difficult to defeat alone.

Daphne mixed the prepared herbs and made the antidote. The finished antidote was immediately poured into the mouths of the knights paralyzed by the poison.

There were even knights with broken bones, so Daphne entrusted the antidote to Lise and rushed to where the wounded had gathered.

Groans could be heard everywhere. Daphne prioritized the most seriously injured patients and cast healing magic on them.

When she reset the broken arm of a new knight who had fainted, he came to his senses from the intense pain and she had to quickly dodge his swinging fist.

She checked the patients who needed magical treatment first, then looked after those in relatively better condition. Only after the groaning in the infirmary had subsided did Daphne manage to catch a passing senior knight to ask what had happened.

“What on earth happened? Minota trees?”

“The Knight Commander is investigating the cause. There were five Minota trees, but everyone panicked and ran, so things got out of hand.”

He clicked his tongue as if displeased with the new knights groaning on their beds. Not wanting to react to his attitude, Daphne simply kept an eye on things and cared for the wounded. That’s when she spotted a familiar face.

“Sir Clyde?”

He, too, seemed to have been injured and was sitting in one corner of the tent. Fortunately, compared to the others, his injuries were very minor. Daphne knelt beside him to check his wounds. He flinched.

“Is there anywhere else you’re hurt?”

She disinfected the scratches and pressed gauze over them. As she wrapped it tightly with tape to keep it in place, he spoke.

“No, there isn’t.”

Just in case there was any poison left, she handed him a cup of medicine. He wrinkled his brow at the terrible smell and then pretended to gag at the taste. Daphne made sure he swallowed all of it, then gave him a piece of candy.

“It really tastes awful.”

“You still have to take it. Sometimes the remaining poison can suddenly have an effect. In your case, Sir Clyde, you have to be even more careful.”

“…Me?”

“Yes. The test results aren’t out yet. If your body changes in the meantime, we’ll have to run another test.”

Ah. He let out a short sigh. Daphne was about to tidy up the leftover gauze and cup and stand up when she suddenly realized something was drawing her gaze. Daphne’s eyes drifted to between his thighs.

‘Why is that so big…?’

Since he had taken off his armor for treatment, he was wearing only simple clothing. The pants were tight like tights for ease of movement, and something was making its presence known between his legs.

Perhaps feeling her persistent gaze, he hurriedly pulled the blanket over his lower body.

“Th-this, this is, um, nothing!”

“Didn’t you say you couldn’t get it up?”

But Evan didn’t answer. With patients flooding in, Daphne came to her senses and stood up.

“This isn’t really the time to talk. Let’s discuss it again after everything’s over. For now, focus on getting better.”

Daphne bowed her head and left. She could feel his gaze burning into the back of her head, but she didn’t have the courage to look back.

Finally returning to the temporary infirmary, Daphne took over for Lise, who was exhausted from making antidotes. Maybe it was better to keep working so she wouldn’t think about anything at all.

“Ah!”

She suddenly let out a cry and threw down the spatula. It was because Evan’s manhood kept floating around in her mind.

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

Hailey, who was sitting on the floor cutting gauze, jumped in surprise.

“No, I’m just a bit annoyed.”

“It’s because things got crazy all of a sudden, right? I mean, Minota trees in this region? Isn’t it climate change? The weather’s been so hot lately.”

“They’re investigating, so I’m sure we’ll know soon.”

“Well, yes…” 

Hailey trailed off. She instinctively realized that Daphne’s frustration wasn’t just because of the Minota trees. But Daphne’s gaze at the pot was so gloomy that Hailey couldn’t easily bring herself to speak.

“Haa….”

Daphne sighed again, grabbed the spatula she’d thrown down, and glared at the boiling herbs.

‘Isn’t he just a pervert? A pervert who can only get it up if someone’s watching?’

The thought that he might be a pervert who deceived people with his innocent face made her shudder. 

But is it really something to call him out for? He doesn’t have to tell me about his preferences.

She shook her head at her own attempts to rationalize.

No, it means he felt that way because of me. Looking at me… 

She suddenly felt a chill and rubbed her arms, shivering. Daphne glanced sidelong at Hailey, who was cutting gauze.

Having been married for almost ten years and with two children, Hailey might know something. Daphne cleared her throat unnecessarily and asked her.

“Um, I have something I’m curious about.”

“Sure, ask me.”

Hailey was completely absorbed in sorting the gauze. She had to count them exactly, so it seemed she couldn’t think about anything else. Daphne, trying to sound as casual as if discussing dinner, asked in a flat voice,

“Are there people who can only get aroused if someone’s watching?”

“…Huh?”

There was a beat, and then the box in Hailey’s hands dropped with a thud.

“What, what did you just say?”

Now that she’d come to her senses, Hailey stammered as she asked again.

“Someone who can only get an *rection if someone’s watching… I was wondering if such people exist.”

“Is the person you’re seeing like that?”

“I’m not seeing anyone.”

“T-then why?”

“I was just curious.”

I don’t really know much about these things. I was just wondering if you did. 

She added this in the same flat voice as before. Daphne stirred the medicine vigorously so it wouldn’t stick to the pot.

With an expressionless face, Daphne stared down at the cauldron; judging by her demeanor, it didn’t seem like anything unusual had happened, yet the content of their conversation was odd. Hailey simply stood there, dumbfounded, staring at Daphne’s back.

Someone who can only get aroused if they’re being watched? Of course, such people exist. But why was Daphne curious about that? Did something actually happen? At a time like this?!

Hailey struggled to calm her mind, which felt like it was about to burst with all sorts of thoughts, and replied in as steady a voice as she could manage.

“Of course, there are people like that. Everyone has different s*xual preferences. But it’s not common. Usually, it’s called exhibitionism, but… well, it’s a bit much to say it’s wrong or anything like that. Ah, but of course, if it’s not consensual, it’s a crime.”

“I see. Thank you for letting me know.”

“Mhm. If you have any more questions, just ask.”

Daphne nodded. Hailey picked up the gauze that had fallen to the floor, trying to calm her heart, which was pounding as if it would burst. She was certain something had happened, but it didn’t feel like the right time to ask, which left her frustrated.

“I’ve finished making this, so I’ll set it aside to cool.”

“Mhm. Thanks.”

Even as she gathered up the gauze and left, Hailey kept glancing back over her shoulder. If she hadn’t heard someone calling her from far away, she might have gone back and demanded Daphne tell her honestly what was going on.

Hailey’s resolve to ask about it the next day never came to pass—not until after the exam ended and they returned to the Imperial Palace. The aftermath of the Minota tree incident kept everyone so busy there was hardly a moment to rest.

* * *

Evan wanted to cry.

No, he actually cried.

He was certain she had been startled and run away after seeing his grotesquely *rect manhood. Even he thought it was disturbingly large and thick.

‘She probably thinks I’m disgusting….’

At a time when he should have been focused on his duties, it was obvious she’d see him as someone who couldn’t control himself around women, getting aroused for no reason. The sounds of his fellow knights groaning in pain still echoed around him, but Evan could only think about Daphne.

Her confused, maybe even disgusted eyes—‘You said you couldn’t get it up, so why does it get hard in front of me?’—kept floating through his mind. Of course, whether she really felt confused or disgusted was just his own assumption.

But how could she not? He had claimed he couldn’t get an *rection, yet he got hard and even cl*maxed at her touch, and this time, he’d gotten aroused just from her looking at him… He was basically a slave to his own desire.

“Evan! If you’re done with treatment, switch out!”

At the senior knight’s command, Evan sprang to his feet. As he headed for the exit of the temporary infirmary, the senior knight, noticing Evan’s sour expression, spoke in a sharp tone.

“Does my order bother you? What’s with that face?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Then why do you look like that?”

“It’s really nothing.”

Perhaps annoyed by Evan’s curt, forward-facing reply, the senior knight smacked Evan on the back of the head. With a dull thud, Evan stumbled forward. The senior knight spat on the ground and tapped Evan’s back with his foot.

“Let’s keep things friendly, huh?”

“Yes, Sir.”

At the gesture telling him to hurry, Evan quickly got up and ran in the direction indicated. Thanks to that, the bulge that had been swelling in his pants had subsided before he knew it.

‘Just focus on work for now. I’ll apologize to her next time I see her.’

Unfortunately, that resolve didn’t come to fruition until the day everything was over and they returned.