Ihis’s face, as she lay there, was deathly pale.

“……”

Seated beside the bed, Cahilid’s red eyes had been fixed on Ihis for some time now, unmoving in the slightest.

The golden healing power that had poured from Ihis’s body had closed the wound torn open by the monster’s bite without leaving even the faintest trace behind.

Even so, the reason Ihis had yet to regain consciousness was probably because she had suffered a great shock.

In a way, it was only natural. Cahilid had experienced all manner of things, enough that it would not be an exaggeration to say he had seen everything, but even he had never encountered a monster of such enormous size before.

Even someone like him, skilled in martial arts, had been taken aback by it. For Ihis, it went without saying that the shock must have been even greater.

What a foolish thing to do.

“Even if you had been bitten by the monster, Lord Cahilid, I would have used my healing power anyway…….”

What?

“Rather than letting you suffer needlessly…… I thought it would be better if I were the one who got hurt…….”

“……”

“I-I’m all right. I’ve been hurt worse than this before…… It’s bearable. And it will heal soon anyway…….”

Cahilid’s face twisted subtly as he mulled over the last words Ihis had left behind.

She had been hurt worse than this before?

With that frail body of hers, which looked as if it would crack and shatter into pieces if she so much as stumbled the wrong way?

It was absurd.

Why had she stepped forward at all?

No matter how one looked at it, Cahilid should have been the one to get hurt. If it had been him, that was what he would have done. After all, her healing power could simply mend him afterward.

There had been no need for Ihis herself to shoulder such unnecessary pain and fear.

Cahilid could not understand Ihis’s actions in the slightest.

Because he had never lived that way, nor had he ever held such feelings.

“……”

Standing behind Cahilid, Cedric had been watching his expression for some time now.

He could not make sense of what was happening at all.

It was already bewildering enough to have encountered that Witch of Erbereje, but for the witch to throw herself forward and protect them with her own body?

What confused Cedric even more was Cahilid’s attitude.

The Witch of Erbereje.

A terrifying figure who carried all sorts of terrible rumors wherever she went.

Some said she was a cursed being, while others said she was someone who should never have been born. Many different speculations circulated about her, but they all pointed to the same conclusion.

One must never get involved with the witch.

If one did, something terrible would surely happen.

But Cahilid had carried the unconscious Witch of Erbereje in his arms and raced back to the mansion as if possessed.

Without the slightest hesitation.

Just what in the world had happened in this mansion while he had been away?

Unable to do anything one way or the other, Cedric merely fidgeted with his hands for no reason.

“Ihis!”

With a voice that was nearly a shout, someone flung the bedroom door open.

Cahilid, who had been looking down at Ihis, slowly turned his head.

Standing there was Mahie, visibly agitated.

“What on earth is the meaning of this, Aila!”

“M-Master……”

Aila, who had been examining Ihis, looked back and forth between Cahilid and Mahie with a troubled expression.

“I clearly told you to keep a close watch over Ihis—no, to take good care of her!”

“……Duke.”

Whatever had happened, Cahilid had no intention of letting the poor maid take the blame for everything.

He slowly rose from his seat.

“There was a bit of an accident.”

“What do you mean by that, Lord Cahilid!”

“I heard that one of my men had been gravely injured on his way to the mansion. So I first asked the young lady to heal—”

It was at that very moment.

“Fa…… Father……”

Ihis, who had barely managed to regain consciousness, parted her lips in a small voice that sounded as if it might fade away at any second.

Cahilid’s gaze turned to Ihis.

“I……”

“Ihis?”

“When I heard that Lord Cahilid’s subordinate had been injured…… I was the one who spoke first. I said I would heal him……”

What lie was she telling now……?

Cahilid was not the only one whose face stiffened.

Cedric and Aila, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, reacted the same way.

“Subordinate……?”

“Greetings, Duke Erbereje.”

Cedric, who had been assessing the situation, quickly offered Mahie a respectful greeting.

“My name is Cedric. I have served Lord Cahilid for a long time. As you just heard, I was gravely wounded after being attacked by a band of thieves.”

“……”

“I had lost consciousness, and Lady Ihis healed me.”

“After finishing the healing and returning…… we were attacked by a monster……”

After briefly forcing out a breath, Ihis continued.

“Lord Cahilid and the knight saved me…… but it was my first time seeing a monster from so close, so I think I collapsed from the shock.”

Mahie’s face crumpled terribly.

And for good reason. If Cahilid had acted arbitrarily by putting Ihis forward, Mahie had intended to use that as an excuse to subtly pressure him and claim credit over the matter.

Going even further, he had planned to say that, as her father, he could no longer overlook Ihis’s healing power being wasted in this manner. With that excuse, which would sound fairly plausible to anyone listening, he intended to throw her back underground.

Then everything could return to its proper place.

But Ihis had stepped forward first?

He could not believe it.

“You always told me, Father. That for the glory of Erbereje, I must do anything……”

As if she could see straight through Mahie’s true intentions, Ihis spoke in a small but clear voice.

“That is why I did it. I could not simply stand by and watch when Lord Cahilid, our honored guest, was placed in a difficult situation……”

If Ihis went this far, there was nothing more Mahie could say.

No, even if he wanted to raise his voice and ask why she had done something so foolish, he could not.

Because Cahilid, his expression hardened, was staring straight at him.

Yes. Ihis would never lie to me.

Ridiculously enough, Mahie truly believed in Ihis.

It was not the sort of trust one placed in another human being. Rather, it was a belief based on the naive yet natural assumption that a dog he raised would never bite its master.

How could such a worthless creature, whose life and death could be decided by a single word from him, possibly lie?

Especially in a situation where so many eyes were watching.

“I understand the situation well enough for now, Lord Cahilid.”

Having finished sorting through his thoughts, Mahie turned his gaze to Cahilid.

“First, it would be best to let Ihis rest. Please come outside with me.”

Cahilid’s red eyes briefly swept over Ihis.

Their gazes met for a short moment in midair. Ihis quickly nodded, as if to say she was all right.

“I will do as you say, Duke.”

Then, with eyes that seemed to burn, he stared at Aila and said,

“You appear to be the young lady’s personal maid. Am I right?”

“Y-Yes……?”

A startled Aila stammered, her fingertips trembling slightly.

“Take good care of the young lady.”

“……”

“Make sure nothing more happens to tire her out. You understand what I mean, don’t you?”

On the surface, there seemed to be nothing particularly wrong with his words.

But the meaning behind them was different.

He was telling her to keep her mouth shut about what she had seen today.

Cahilid’s eyes, glaring at her, were so piercing that Aila answered in a slightly trembling voice.

“I-I understand. I will do my best to nurse her.”

That was the end of it.

Cahilid left with Mahie and Cedric, leaving only Ihis and Aila in the bedroom.

“Aila.”

After confirming that everyone had gone, Ihis looked at Aila.

For some reason, her expression was resolute.

“I want you to do as Lord Cahilid said.”

“My lady, I……”

“Even if you tell Father the whole truth, I have no way to stop you. But I hope you think carefully before making your decision. As you saw, Lord Cahilid has quite a hot-tempered and impulsive personality. Father is also watching Lord Cahilid’s mood for now. In other words, replacing a single maid would be nothing to him.”

For such words to come from the mouth of the young lady she had thought was only innocent—

Aila looked even more bewildered than she had when Cahilid threatened her.

“I’ll pray that you are not a person who lacks judgment.”

“……”

“And one more thing…… I would like us to become a little closer. That would not be entirely disadvantageous for you.”

Ihis looked at Aila, whose fingers were trembling faintly, then let out a heavy sigh, her face drained of strength.

“I need to rest for a bit. Will you leave?”

“Yes, understood. Please call me anytime if you need anything.”

Fortunately, Aila seemed to have properly understood what Ihis meant.

Once even Aila had left the bedroom, Ihis finally closed her eyes again with an exhausted expression.

A few hours later—

Completely unaware that an unexpected night visitor would come to see her.