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nThank you raw provider: jarry.

nI smiled as brightly as I could and threw the dirt in his eyes.

n“Ak!”

nHe felt the sting and closed his eyes.

nThe strength of the hand around my neck diminished.

nThe dagger fell from his other hand.

nI quickly grabbed his dagger.

nThurst—

nAnd without pause, I pierced and dug into his abdomen with the blade.

nThe sound of the knife goring through his body was muffled. Blood spattered on my face.

n“It hurts······.”

nThe man looked at the knife that had pierced his stomach in a stupor.

nI took out the knife and stabbed him again.

n“You······!”

nThe man frowned and looked at me.

nHis beautiful face was contorted with pain.

nThe man grabbed me by my wrist wanting to crush it. To prevent me from stabbing him deeply.

nHe held it so tight so I couldn’t move anymore.

nBy tomorrow morning, my wrists will be bruised black and blue.

nJust like him, my forehead was wrinkled with pain.

nAs I chewed my lips, I endured the pain and did not let go of the knife.

nCompared to the alternative bruising will be mild.

nI felt like my bones were about to break.

nI squeezed out the last of my mana and let it flow into my body.

nWith the intention of exploding all the organs in his body.

n“Ahh!”

nHis body jumped as if he had been electrocuted.

nThe force that had been holding me as if it was about to break my wrist loosened.

nPerhaps because the man who cast the spell was injured, the trees stopped moving.

nHe pushed his falling body towards me.

nThis time I had definitely finished him.

nI was drenched in ecstasy and raised the corners of my lips slightly into a faint smile.

nYou must get out of here quickly!

nWhile I looked around frantically, I saw horses tied to the carriage from the corner of my eye.

nThat’s it!

nI stepped towards the horse and stopped.

nMy feet hurt terribly.

nBlood flowed. My injuries ruptured and bled.

nMy body was full of wounds.

nWhen I go back to the mansion, I will have to seek treatment from Igelto.

nEven though they were my traumas, I didn’t feel any emotions like others.

nOnly when my injuries complained loudly with pain and fatigue did I then become aware of them.

n* * *

nWhen I returned, the mansion was in a commotion.

nThey looked at me with astonished eyes.

nOne of the attendants rushed to tell Alastair that I had arrived. “Oh, lady, h—how did you get to this state?”

nLida looked at the wound on my arm, and Hiccup! she shouted in surpise.

nShe placed her trembling hand on my shoulder.

n“We need to call the doctor!”

n“No. It’s alright.”

nThere’s an elf at home, and there’s no need to call one.

nThey knew that Igelto was a doctor, and a few knew that he was staying in this mansion.

n“But······!”

n“Lida, stop. I’m already exhausted, and right now I’m feeling rather unhinged.”

n“I’m just worried about the young lady….”

nShe murmured with a depressed tone, but it could not reach my ears.

nShe announced,

n“Now that the lady is back, the search will be stopped.”

n“……Search?”

n“Yes. Since you didn’t arrive after several hours, the Duke started a search operation. I heard from an acquaintance knight that if you didn’t come back soon the Duke was going to close the border and search the entire country….”

nI raised my eyebrows. It sounded insane… no, utterly absurd.

nThis crazy….

nI couldn’t help but be astonished.

nA dangerous thing occurred today, but if I had been delayed or arrived home a little later, it would have resulted in a more ludicrous situation than it was now.

nSeriously, Alastair thinks that a slight blow will kill me.

nIn a way, the fact that he, who overreacts to me every time, did not find me for several hours while conducted a search operation still fell short.

nThis wasn’t it.

n“…I’m going to go into my room.”

nI went up to my room, ignoring the voice holding me back, asking if I really wanted to get treatment.

nWhen I got to the room, I collapsed on the bed.

nMy messy silver hair was flung and scattered all over the bed.

nI needed to meet Igelto and receive treatment… but my eyes were closing.

nI was physically exhausted and my body was depleted.

nI tried to surrender my dazed self to a mindless slumber.

nBang-!

nThe roar of a door smashed open.

nHelplessly, I got up to see what had happened.

n“Serina.”

nHis eyes and gazes of the servants who saw me a moment ago possessed similar feelings.

nAstonishment.

nWorry.

nAnd one more emotion that differed from the attendants.

nFear.

nWas he afraid something had happened to me?

nI lay in bed without answering his call.

nI am so sleepy.

nWhen I wake up, I can reassure him then.

nI am so drowsy and exhausted now.

n“Serina.”

nHe called out to me again

nAs if he was begging for an answer.

nI wanted to answer him, but my lips wouldn’t move.

nIt only needed to be opened a little bit, but it was heavy like a weight that could not be move.

nAs my consciousness collapsed, I heard footsteps.

nOne side of the bed sank.

nHe came right next to me and sat on the bed.

n“Serina, don’t sleep and answer me…”

nIt was not strange that the voice calling me softly cut off shortly.

nA voice soaked with a weeping tone could burst with even the most trivial touch.

nHe was always like that.

nWhen I got hurt, he suffered as if he had been harmed, and he wanted to take on the pain instead.

n“Why do you keep calling me…..?”

nJust as his voice was similar, my tone was always the same, leveled.

nThe difference is that he was crying and I was falling asleep.

n“How did you get hurt?”

n“Let’s talk later.”

n“Talk to me now. No, I’ll call the elf right away, so we’ll talk after your healing is over.”

n” …. “

n“You can’t sleep until then, okay?”

nHe stroked my hair as if he was an older child looking after a younger one and asked for an answer.

n“······okay. I’m not going to sleep, so go.”

nThe bed, which had been bent under his weight, rebounded.

nHaving received my promise, he got up from the bed and hurriedly left the room.

nWhen he left, I couldn’t hold up my heavy eyelids and closed my eyes.

nI am so sleepy. ·······

nSoon after, I fell asleep.

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