Chapter 59

"……Where am I?"

Leda slowly opened her eyes, placing a hand on her slightly aching head as she looked around. She realized she had been sleeping, as she was in a bed.

—That’s right. I lost consciousness while treating Lady Valerie. I must have fainted.

The room was dark. Peering out the nearby window, she saw that night had fallen. She must have slept for a few hours. Her body still felt fatigued, and she couldn’t say she was feeling particularly well.

"You’re awake, Lord Dixon."

As Leda felt a sense of weariness, Tieda entered the room. He lit the lamp on the table beside the bed and sat down in a nearby chair.

"……Lord Rodenvalt"

"Please, call me Tieda. It feels too formal for someone I owe so much to."

"Then please call me Leda as well."

"Very well, I will call you Leda. …First, I want to express my deepest gratitude. Thanks to you, my sister’s burns have healed remarkably well."

Leda felt a deep sense of relief at his words.

—That’s good. The treatment was successful.

"I’m glad. By the way, what about me?"

"We were worried when you suddenly collapsed. The doctor said it was due to the sudden depletion of your magic, which caused you to faint. He said there’s no particular danger and that you should rest, so we had you stay in a guest room."

"I’m sorry for the trouble."

"Don’t apologize. I only feel gratitude towards you. This is nothing compared to what you’ve done for us."

Tieda smiled, and Leda felt relieved, knowing he was sincere.

"It’s almost dinner time. I’ve had some nutritious food prepared for you, so please eat well and rest. By the way, you and your daughters should stay the night."

"I didn’t mean to cause so much trouble."

"I’m telling you, it’s no trouble at all. Besides, if I send you home like this, my wife and sister will scold me."

Leda laughed along with Tieda, who shrugged and smiled. His demeanor was much more relaxed compared to their first meeting, and he seemed genuinely at ease. It was probably because his sister’s treatment had been successful.

"Has Lady Valerie recovered her senses?"

"Yes, she has. However, at first, even though her burns were gone, her heart remained unchanged."

"Huh?"

"I had forgotten that just healing the burns wouldn’t be enough for Valerie to return to her old self. A person who has closed their heart doesn’t easily open it again."

"……That’s true."

He was right. Valerie, who had been staring out the window like a doll, might not have even noticed that her burns were gone.

"Then, how did you help Lady Valerie recover her heart?"

"To be honest, I did nothing. Or rather, I couldn’t do anything. I was at a loss. That’s when your daughters appeared."

"Mina and Luna?"

"It seems they were worried about you not returning. Myesel couldn’t resist and brought them along."

"Sorry about that."

"No, it’s fine. In the end, it was thanks to them that my sister’s heart was restored."

"……What did they do?"

"It was more Luna than the two of them."

Leda understood. There was a significant difference in initiative between Mina and Luna. Both were good girls, but Luna was more emotional and acted on impulse.

According to Tieda, Luna had pulled out a knife when she saw Leda lying unconscious. It could have turned into a serious problem, but Mina stopped her. Mina was calm and first asked why Leda was lying there, albeit in a small voice. After learning the situation, the two girls were slightly exasperated and worried, but they smiled, saying it was typical of Leda.

After that, when they learned that Valerie, who had not been treated, was still in a state of emotional withdrawal, they took action. Especially the older sister.

Luna declared, "If she doesn’t realize she’s healed, we’ll make her realize it, even if we have to force her," and started looking for a mirror.

However, there was no mirror in Valerie’s room. It had been removed for safety reasons, as she might have reacted violently upon seeing her burned appearance. Upon learning this, Luna carried a full-length mirror from another room and thrust it in front of Valerie.