The man’s hand, blue veins standing out beneath his skin, moved toward her n*ked body, white as a snowy field.

Ihis froze for a moment, looking flustered, but nothing she had feared happened.

Cahilid picked up the slip that had been hanging over her thin, branch-like elbow and dressed Ihis in it again.

Very carefully, as though he were handling something incredibly precious.

At his unexpected action, Ihis unconsciously narrowed her eyes.

“Everything really is abnormal.”

“……Pardon?”

“It’s abnormal that you would willingly sacrifice yourself for me when we have barely known each other. It’s abnormal that you would show me your n*ked body like this while asking me to believe you.”

“……”

“What would you have done if I tried something? Are you that naive, Ihis Erbereje?”

Only after understanding what Cahilid meant did Ihis’s cheeks turn red.

She seemed to lower her head slightly and avoid his gaze, then answered in a small voice.

“……You wouldn’t.”

“What?”

“You wouldn’t…… do something like that.”

This time, Cahilid froze slightly.

There was not a trace of falsehood in Ihis’s blue eyes as she looked at him.

She was just like a duckling that had only just hatched from its egg.

He remembered hearing it once.

A duckling that had just hatched from its egg would unconditionally regard the first person it saw as its protector.

And so, it would follow them without the slightest suspicion.

He could not understand.

Why Ihis would crave his trust to this extent, of all people.

Why she trusted him.

“Am I wrong?”

“……”

“Lord Cahilid.”

“……Ha.”

A disbelieving laugh slipped from between Cahilid’s slightly parted lips.

Ihis Erbereje was a strange woman.

The kind of person he had never once encountered until now.

Someone who kept making even the great Cahilid flustered and confused.

“Fine. You’re right.”

Cahilid looked down at Ihis as he spoke.

“It would be better not to do something like this in front of anyone else.”

“That won’t happen.”

Ihis answered in a voice that was still small, but incredibly firm.

“There is no one else…… I want you to believe me, Lord Cahilid. I only wanted to show you proof. Or perhaps……”

Perhaps.

Ihis continued, slightly hesitant.

“Were you offended?”

“……”

“Because you saw something unpleasant.”

Haa.

Cahilid let out a short sigh.

Was I right after all? Did I do something unnecessary?

A clear flash of regret passed over Ihis’s cowed face, and Cahilid abruptly grabbed both her shoulders.

“I’ll say this clearly. I have never once felt offended when I saw your body. Nor have I ever thought I saw something unpleasant.”

“Lord Cahilid……?”

“It’s just that taking off your clothes so carelessly like this is—what I mean is……”

D*mn it.

After letting out a brief curse, Cahilid released Ihis and pressed a hand to his temple.

He had come here to question her, yet instead, he felt as though he was being pathetically swayed by the woman before him.

Absurdly enough.

But none of Ihis’s actions were calculated.

Cahilid understood that instinctively, and with absolute certainty.

“Enough. We’ll talk about the rest after you’ve had enough rest.”

“But I’m already fine……”

“I’m not fine.”

Ah, she had been thoughtless.

Ihis had been the one injured, but it was Cahilid and Cedric who had dealt with the monster.

He must need rest as well.

“Wait, please wait.”

Ihis’s hand suddenly grabbed Cahilid’s sleeve in a hurry.

Cahilid looked puzzled, but Ihis began lightly feeling over his body with her small hands.

“What are you doing, Ihis Erbereje?”

“I’m checking to see if you’re hurt.”

“……”

“You went through so much earlier. Because of me.”

“Ha……”

Everything had happened in such confusion that she had not been able to check Cahilid’s body.

On top of that, Mahie had suddenly come in as well.

Ihis hurriedly looked him over, but Cahilid shook off her hand.

“I’m not hurt anywhere.”

“But still……”

“You should focus on resting properly yourself.”

“Ah, then please wait a moment.”

Ihis was persistent.

She firmly took Cahilid’s large hand again.

Cahilid flinched slightly, but this time, he did not shake her hand off.

“Your mana doesn’t seem to be surging noticeably, but you never know.”

“……”

“It hasn’t been long since the full moon passed, either…… so I’m a little worried.”

Soon, golden light seeped from Ihis’s hand.

The light burst forth like the sun, then settled over Cahilid’s hand as if sinking into it. Cahilid felt his nerves, which had been stretched taut, ease slightly.

Of course, even as that happened, his heart was still in the middle of confusion.

Looking like that.

She was the one who had been badly hurt, yet even now, Ihis was taking care of him……

He simply could not understand her.

“This should be enough.”

A faint cold sweat forming on her forehead, Ihis released his hand and continued speaking.

“Please tell me right away if you feel your condition getting worse. I’m sure there must be some way I can help—”

“That is enough for today, Ihis.”

“Pardon? Ah, wait……!”

Before she could continue, Cahilid suddenly grabbed Ihis’s wrist and pulled her toward the bed.

Ihis sat down on the bed with a dumbfounded expression, but Cahilid still looked displeased about something.

Then, out of nowhere, he pressed his index finger firmly against Ihis’s forehead.

“Ouch.”

Unable to withstand the man’s strength, Ihis toppled backward just like that.

A soft pillow caught her head, and Ihis, now lying on the bed before she knew it, stared up at Cahilid with round eyes.

“Rest.”

“……”

“Properly.”

Those were his last words.

Without looking back, Cahilid turned and strode away. Then, without even offering her a single farewell, he jumped out the window.

In the bedroom where Ihis was left alone, the same heavy silence as always settled over the room.

He had seemed uncomfortable for some reason.

As if he were displeased.

Ihis could not understand in the slightest why Cahilid’s emotions had changed that way.

She could only pray.

That he would understand her sincerity.

That he would believe her words……

“……”

Perhaps because she had used her healing power when her body had not yet rested enough, strength gradually began to leave Ihis’s body before long.

Soon, a powerful wave of sleepiness washed over her, and Ihis slowly closed her eyes.

As she recalled his hands—

rough and coarse as they dressed her in the thin slip again.

And yet, for some reason, they had felt a little gentle.

Strangely, her heart felt ticklish.

Even though the place where the monster had bitten her had healed perfectly.

✦ ✦ ✦

It was early in the morning when Mahie stormed into Ihis’s bedroom.

“Ihis!”

At that familiar shout, Ihis’s eyelids, which had been tightly closed, flew open.

Soon, her blue eyes were filled with the sight of Mahie looking down at her with his arms crossed, and Ihis slightly staggered as she pushed herself up.

“F-Father.”

Did he not believe what she had said yesterday after all?

Had he come to question her from such an early hour because of that?

Ihis’s small head began turning rapidly.

As long as it was not Aila, there was no one who could prove that her words were a lie.

Before long, however, the words that came out of Mahie’s mouth were of a slightly different nature than what Ihis had been worrying about.