Leon’s face turned serious.

‘She looked so exhausted that day….’

It was understandable, given that she had overexerted herself all day with that frail body.

‘I should have visited her yesterday without waiting.’

Seeing Leon’s expression darken instantly, Eve’s eyes widened, and Daril shook his head.

“How could she be in good condition? She’s been focused solely on creating magic tools for days, barely sleeping.”

Sigh.

Suddenly, Daril let out a deep sigh.

“I just don’t understand why she pushes herself so hard… It’s incomprehensible.”

The two men, having found a topic they agreed on, fell into silence for a moment. Eve also lowered her eyebrows with a serious expression.

Just then, the butler hurriedly entered the reception room.

“Young Lord. Count Renomer and Baron Fenilton’s son have arrived. They say they must have a meeting regarding the magic tools introduced at the hunting competition.”

“Now?”

“Yes. And there are this many letters as well…”

The silver tray the butler was holding was piled high with letters.

Daril’s expression became troubled.

“But there’s nothing to discuss until Kasha wakes up.”

Daril scratched his head in distress but still stood up.

Then, fixing his gaze on Eve rather than Leon, he made a request.

“Please keep your visit brief, young lady. When my sister’s condition improves, I’ll formally invite you to the mansion later.”

“Thank you, Young Lord.”

Thanks to Eve’s cute curtsy expressing gratitude, Daril left the reception room with a somewhat relaxed expression.

“Welcome, Young Master.”

Kasha’s maid recognized Leon and bowed deeply.

“How is Lady Kasha’s condition?”

“The young miss just fell asleep after receiving treatment.”

“Is the healer still inside?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll just take a quick look at her face and leave.”

“Certainly.”

The maid politely replied and opened the door.

Leon handed the bouquet and cake Eve had brought to the maid. The maid received them with a bright expression.

“These are the young miss’s favorite desserts. Thank you.”

Hearing those words, Eve shrugged her shoulders towards Leon as if to say ‘See?’. Leon nodded in approval.

Eve entered the room with wide eyes, seeing Kasha’s room for the first time.

The room was still bare. Piles of blueprints and documents were scattered everywhere. Now there were also magic tool samples and parts custom-made from the blacksmith. There was hardly any space to step in the room.

In the middle of it all, the healer from the temple they had seen before was sitting by Kasha’s bed.

As they approached, they could see the healer’s hand placed on Kasha’s forehead.

Kasha’s small face beneath his hand was so pale and fragile that Leon’s heart sank at the sight.

But that wasn’t the only thing that bothered him.

“……”

The healer’s hand on Kasha’s forehead, murmuring spells to maximize the healing effect, was incredibly irritating. He wanted to remove it immediately.

Leon knew all too well.

The soft, cool sensation of Kasha’s small, round forehead. The slow pulse of her temples, beating steadily like her always indifferent expression.

The thought that the healer was feeling these things now filled him with indescribable displeasure.

“Why is it taking so long?”

The healer, focused on the treatment, turned around without thinking when he heard the sudden voice behind him, then jumped up in surprise.

“L-Leon!”

“Is your skill lacking? Or are you dragging out a finished treatment to earn more fees?”

“What? No, I would never dare.”

The healer, attacked without knowing why, broke out in a cold sweat.

“Leave now. I’ll check her condition myself.”

“B-but I was commissioned for this job, so until the young miss fully recovers…”

“I’ll take responsibility for that recovery. Surely you’re not doubting my abilities.”

Faced with Leon’s unreasonable words, the healer looked clearly troubled, but he couldn’t dare say he didn’t trust one of the most renowned holy power users.

Just then, the young miss’s maid in the back blinked, signaling him to vacate his position, so the healer didn’t resist any further and left the room.

“Elder brother Leon.”

Eve called out to Leon in a small voice after seeing the healer leave the room.

“What is it, Eve?”

“Elder brother, you really like elder sister Kasha, don’t you?”

“What?”

Hehe.

Eve didn’t respond to Leon’s flustered question, but gave a playful smile before quietly approaching Kasha’s bed.

After staring at Kasha’s paper-white face for a while, Eve sat down by her bedside and clasped her hands. Then she closed her eyes and mumbled something for a long time. It seemed like she was praying.

Leon quietly stood behind, not wanting to disturb Eve’s prayer.

A little while later, Eve opened her eyes and whispered softly.

“Elder brother, elder sister Kasha is really different from other noble ladies, isn’t she?”

“She is.”

“You know, that’s why I like her.”

Eve said this while looking up at Leon. With an expression that seemed to say, ‘You do too, right? I know.’

“…I see.”

“Before, I always observed those girls who had mothers, wanting to be like them. Their clothes, their refined manners, things like that.”

Leon quietly brought a chair and sat down next to Eve.

It had been a long time since he had such a calm conversation with his sister. After her symptoms appeared, he had been so busy avoiding her that he hadn’t had time to consider Eve’s loneliness.

Eve seemed to have grown up significantly in those few months.

“But elder sister Kasha doesn’t care about those things at all, yet she does such amazing things. Developing magic tools, winning the hunting competition. She’s really cool.”

Eve’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Kasha.

“Elder sister won’t need anyone to protect her. Right, elder brother?”

“Probably.”

Leon nodded quietly in response.

Eve was right.

Leon recalled Kasha standing alone on the platform at the hunting competition, facing the nobles’ contempt.

Though she looked so fragile, she possessed a strength that no one could break. Like a single wildflower raising its head to the sky even in the midst of a violent downpour.

“I want to be like elder sister Kasha too, elder brother Leon.”

Eve turned to Leon and said that as if making a vow. Leon didn’t know how to respond and just nodded.

“So, elder brother, don’t worry about us anymore.”

“What?”

“You don’t have to protect me and elder brother Anthony anymore. Okay?”

Before Leon could fully grasp the meaning of Eve’s words, Eve suddenly stood up.

“I’m going to ask them to cut the chocolate cake I brought now. So it’s ready when elder sister wakes up!”

Eve shouted this and then ran out of the room.

“Eve…!”

Before Leon could stop her.

Click.

As soon as Eve closed the door and disappeared, Leon realized. Eve had considerately left Leon and Kasha alone.

‘When did that child grow up so much?’

Leon thought this and turned his head with a bitter smile. And at that moment, he came face to face with deep pink eyes staring at him.

“Kasha? Are you awake?”

His voice came out openly joyful, so relieved that he forgot to hide it. Embarrassed, Leon quickly shut his mouth, but Kasha blinked and looked around.

“I thought I heard… Eve’s voice.”

At her words, Leon smiled slightly.

“It seems that child’s prayer was quite effective.”

Seeing his smile, Kasha’s eyes widened in curiosity. Leon awkwardly erased his smile.

“Eve kept insisting on coming to congratulate you on your victory, so I came with her. She just went out saying she’d bring dessert for you.”

“Ah. I see.”

Kasha blinked slowly.

Every time she blinked, her deep pink eyes stood out against her snow-white skin like flowers blooming and withering.

Leon stared at her in a daze before suddenly remembering what he needed to say.

“Yesterday, Odette insisted she had something to discuss, so that’s why I couldn’t come.”

“……”

Kasha didn’t respond, but pulled her hand out from under the bed sheet and fiddled with it. The blue veins visible beneath her transparent white skin kept catching Leon’s eye, forcing him to look away.

“I made it clear that the marriage talk is off. But given the situation that day, you might have been offended, so I thought I should explain.”

Throughout Leon’s words, Kasha just nodded silently without saying anything. Leon anxiously watched her small, bloodless lips.

“If you had demanded an explanation from me right then, I would have given it. But when I got out of Odette’s carriage, you had already disappeared.”

He hadn’t meant to say this much. Leon regretted it a little.

It felt like he had revealed that as soon as he got out of Odette’s carriage, he had looked for Kasha, and that he had been disappointed, even upset and anxious, when he found out she had already left.

At that moment, Kasha finally spoke.

“It’s okay. You don’t need to explain such things.”

“……”

“After all, we’re just in a contract relationship.”

Leon was at a loss for words. Of course, her words were correct.

They were in a contract relationship. There was no obligation to report to each other about who they met secretly or what they did.

Nevertheless, he couldn’t understand why her words made him feel so deflated.

“Anyway, thank you. For coming to visit me… while I’m sick.”

Kasha said this as she reached out towards the bedside table. She seemed to want to check the pile of letters and invitations.

Leon handed her the silver tray containing the letters with mixed feelings.

As if forgetting Leon was there, Kasha flipped through the letters one by one before suddenly exclaiming.

“Ah, here it is.”

Her white hands trembled slightly as she hurriedly opened the envelope. She still hadn’t fully recovered her strength.

‘In that condition, what is she so urgently checking… barely even looking at the person who came to visit her.’

Just as Leon was feeling troubled by a strange mix of frustration and disappointment, Kasha suddenly looked at him intently with a serious expression after checking a letter with a golden border.

“Leon, how have you been… feeling lately?”