When she woke up, she was in the room given to her, on the bed, and that day had already come to an end. She had fallen asleep at dawn and woken up in the middle of the night. Of course, it wasn’t very surprising. Her body just felt too light.

Jade rubbed her cheek and muttered contentedly.

“Being able to sleep again, what a great benefit.”

“Is that all you have to say?”

Blake looked at her with a pitiful gaze and checked her temperature with the back of his hand.

“You’ve improved a lot.”

“Yeah. I feel much better. I could even go out and run.”

Contrary to her words, Jade pulled the blanket closer and curled up.

“Ah, resting feels so good.”

“You only realized that now?”

“You don’t know either. Why are you pretending to know?”

“I live like a human in the subjugation unit, but when I go home, I live like a bear. You just don’t know.”

Blake spoke primly and increased the fire in the small brazier. Then he showed Jade the dried tree bark and grass on a flat plate.

“Aspirin and citrine.”

“Forget it. Why are you showing me that again?”

“I saw your eyes move, you know? Anyway, is your uncle still like that? Doesn’t he use poison or something these days? It’s too obvious.”

“It’s better to be careful with everything…”

Jade fumbled with her words and then apologized with a sigh.

“I’m sorry.”

Having been backstabbed by Felix Broen more than once or twice, she never drank anything carelessly.

If it was tea, she would brew it herself while looking at the tea leaves, and if it was medicine, she would mostly buy the ingredients and make it herself. It was very easy to mix poison into something bitter.

It wasn’t intentional, but for some reason, it was strangely difficult to swallow. Even with water, she had to see it being drawn to feel at ease.

But Blake was one of the few magicians Jade could call close.

Someone she wanted to greet happily and approach when they met, even if she didn’t have the courage to call them a friend yet. Someone she wanted to know for a long, long time.

If she couldn’t drink the medicine given out of concern, it could be unpleasant.

However, Blake shook his head coolly. The story of the Broen family was famously known in social circles.

The story of Felix Broen, who was aiming for the position of family head after the legitimate head met his death. And the even more ominous rumors that followed. An uncle who wants to kill his niece. Other family members who turn a blind eye.

Blake, who grew up under ordinary parents, was sometimes amazed that Jade could smile like that. So he answered even more cheerfully.

“Well. It could be. I told you, didn’t I? That I grew up seeing all sorts of things. I told you about the academy I attended, right? There were so many princes from small countries in the east, and the struggle for the throne was so intense that servants would carry tools to detect poison every day. Compared to that, you’re very reasonable.”

Blake’s chatter made Jade feel a little more at ease. Still, she turned to her side and looked at his busy hands and said once again.

“Still, I’m sorry.”

“I said it’s fine. This is my job. Treating injured people. If you’re sorry, tell me an interesting story.”

“I don’t have much. Should I draw the monster I saw yesterday?”

Blake snorted coldly.

“That’s not interesting. And I already saw what it looked like when they brought it in. It looked like a snake. Except for the wounds, it was quite intact.”

“Isn’t it interesting? The stronger ones tend to deviate from the typical appearance. Anyway, what’s interesting then?”

Blake dragged the cloth spread on the floor and sat next to the low bed. Her eyes were sparkling even in the dim darkness.

“Of course, your relationship with the Chief Commander is interesting.”

Jade immediately pulled the blanket over her head. Of course, it was pulled back down by determined hands.

“I’m a patient. I need to sleep!”

“Don’t be ridiculous. How many times have I seen you being carried? Everyone’s whispering about it.”

“Then, when I was about to faint, how should I have come!”

“That’s true, but…”

The red-haired magician who had filled two large bookshelves at home with romance novels grinned. She was very happy and excited these days, despite being busy with work, as there was so much room for imagination.

“At least you didn’t need to be carried so comfortably. And Sir Lyon didn’t need to personally! Personally put you on the horse and bring you, you know.”

“What do you mean comfortable. It, it was difficult!”

What difficulty, the feeling of her forehead to the tip of her nose perfectly adhering to his nape was so perfect and complete that she slept soundly. She didn’t even feel like she was riding on a horse.

But she didn’t want to be found out. What’s there to brag about having a one-sided crush?

Jade continued to stammer excuses.

“And isn’t it natural to take care of your pair? We went through such hardships together! We worked from morning till dawn the next day, barely getting any sleep.”

“I don’t have a pair, so I don’t know? Well, let’s say that’s true. You might have been difficult to separate because you were cuddled up like a baby kitten.”

“I wasn’t that close−”

“But why did Sir Lyon take off your gloves himself and return them to Rigel as soon as he came back? Even saying thanks for using them well.”

“Huh?”

Looking around in confusion, she could clearly see the outer clothes she had carelessly thrown off on the floor, but the thick gloves Rigel had given her were nowhere to be seen.

“Ack, no, Sir Lyon?”

“Yes.”

Blake wiggled his eyebrows and imitated him.

“‘Thanks for lending them. Pass on my gratitude instead.'”

“Don’t tell me you imitated his voice too? Your mimicry skills are terrible.”

“You think it’s easy to imitate a voice like that? Anyway, it was funny how Rigel coldly replied. Didn’t he say he’d receive thanks directly from you and Sir Lyon didn’t need to pass it on? It was the first time I saw that kid forget his affected way of speaking.”

Jade’s face changed strangely, unable to grasp the situation. Maybe Blake was interpreting the situation wrongly, but….

“I heard there was some talk among the knights. They felt Sir Lyon seemed particularly comfortable when he was with you. His expression softens and his expressions become more abundant.”

Suddenly, after a very long time, she remembered the young child she had met in the Athanase Forest. The girl who had lost the tip of her finger, Nina.

‘The aura itself was comfortable. So you two are a pair. You make each other better, don’t you?’

When I said we weren’t a pair, she said then we were a gang. I wonder how she’s doing.

Jade was smiling, remembering the girl who had come wearing a red hood on a snowy day, but quickly erased her expression when she saw Blake’s eyes brimming with obvious misunderstanding.

“It’s just, we’ve been working together for a while, that’s all.”

“The knights, magicians, and mercenaries who went with you yesterday have already spread the word. They say the combination of you two was perfect. They said it was hard to believe it was just a temporary pair.”

Blake’s eyes were sparkling so much that Jade finally laughed out loud.

“Oh my, Blake! Okay, I admit we work well together professionally.”

“This is what I call an interesting story! Who cares about monster carcasses. That’s only interesting to Rigel. Anyway, so? Anything besides work-related stuff?”

It was obvious what kind of story she wanted. Jade wondered if it was okay to say such things.

But looking at the magic potion bubbling behind her, it seemed okay. Because she knew the sincerity in it.

No, actually, she wanted to tell someone, anyone, just once. Even if it might be used as a weakness afterwards.

Wouldn’t it relieve this complicated feeling a bit? If it could alleviate the feeling of always having a stone placed on her chest.

“You want to know if I’m interested in Sir Lyon?”

Blake seemed surprised by the unexpectedly direct question. It was inevitable because Jade always kept the deepest stories to herself.

But that surprise soon turned positive. As if she was glad to have glimpsed beyond the wall, Blake smiled mischievously, crinkling her eyes.

“Yes.”

“Interest…”

It was easy to admit because her feelings were already sorted out. But it took courage to say it out loud. Jade hugged the blanket tightly and gathered her strength.

“I do.”

“Gasp.”

Although she had heard what she wanted, Blake was startled and ran to the door, bustling about. Jade asked with a sour face.

“What are you doing?”

“What if someone hears!”

After carefully checking even the gap of the open door, Blake came back and sat very close.

“You’re interested, right! Oh my, I’m going crazy with excitement. So? So!”

“Is there more? I just have a liking for him. That’s it.”

“How can that be it? That’s the beginning!”

Jade was the one with a fever, but Blake’s face was turning red as if it was about to burst. Her face had turned so red that the freckles on her eyes and nose bridge seemed blurred.

Somehow, she looked like a magician who had spectacularly failed an experiment. Seeing that, Jade burst into laughter again, and Blake urged her on, hitting the floor.

“Don’t laugh! Continue quickly. Where did you feel the attraction? Is it because you match well? Or his face? Body? Ha, there are too many possibilities. Honestly, I think Sir Lyon has a great body.”

Jade, who was drinking the potion Blake had just handed her, choked and coughed violently. The flush from the intense coughing added to her already heated cheeks.

“Hey!”

“What. Did I say something wrong?”

Blake looked confident.

“You don’t know because you don’t have time to stick around here. People only gather to talk about Sir Lyon’s face and body. Well, you can easily understand the praise for his face since you have eyes, and as for his body…”

“I don’t want to hear it?”

“No, listen. Because there weren’t enough places to wash, a knight who shared the water facilities told me−”

Jade covered her ears and buried herself in the blanket again. However, Blake, with a firm determination not to leave any escape route, snatched the blanket away and threw it somewhere in the corner of the room.