Chapter 24

When she next awoke, she was in her own bed.

She gazed blankly at the familiar ceiling and sensed someone's presence. Golden hair, falling softly, entered her field of vision.

Her eyes, which were red and puffy from fatigue, trembled as if she was about to cry. Wondering what had happened, she reached out with her right hand, but it was caught by a large hand, and the other warm hand gently covered her cheek.

"It's... good."

Matthias closed his eyes and let out a deep, heavy voice, as if squeezing it out from the depths of his body.

What was he talking about? Fiona thought and then remembered.

She had fallen off her horse.

"Sorry... I'm so sorry... I've caused trouble... I'm so sorry..."

Her voice was hoarse and wouldn't come out as she wished.

Matthias slowly released both hands from Fiona, poured water from a pitcher on the table into a glass, and handed it to her.

Fiona took a sip of the water, exhaled, and then slowly finished the rest.

Tears began to overflow.

"I'm sorry... I'm always causing trouble for everyone... I want to be more useful, but I can't... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

She had thought that if she could use magic, she wouldn't need to trouble anyone anymore, but that wasn't the case.

She always ended up causing trouble for someone.

Matthias gently hugged Fiona, who was陷入自我厌恶, and stroked her head.

"That's not true. You are always helpful to everyone. You just push yourself too hard and misjudge your limits. If you pay attention to that, it will be fine."

"...Yeah, I know... I know that, but even though I try to be careful, I get carried away. I want everyone to be happy and to think I'm reliable, so I get greedy... I'm arrogant and a failure."

Since being brought to the kingdom, she had been treated with excessive politeness, but she had also experienced kindness from people other than her parents.

Each time, she gained more people she loved.

The desire to be liked by these people and not to be disliked grew stronger.

She had nothing to offer but magic. She couldn't do anything else to contribute, and even that she couldn't do well.

Feeling inadequate and frustrated, she hated herself.

Fiona cried quietly while being hugged by Matthias.

He gently patted her back and stroked her head. His arms provided a sense of security.

She felt more reassured than anxious. Even though she had just woken up, her eyelids grew heavy.

When she heard her steady breathing, Matthias's stern expression softened slightly.

But he soon muttered with a troubled look.

"Still, the bracelet is necessary..."

He wanted to respect her wishes as much as possible, but he couldn't afford to wait any longer.

Fiona, unable to use magic, was too powerless and careless. She lacked the ability to handle dangerous situations on her own.

His worry never ceased, and he couldn't send her on missions with peace of mind. Even with her companions keeping a close eye on her, there were limits to the support they could provide.

If he couldn't always be nearby to protect her, the power of the bracelet was essential. He couldn't compromise on this.

Matthias decided to expedite the procedures for Fiona to wear the golden bracelet again.

* * *

When she awoke, the sky outside the window was already dyed orange.

It seemed she had slept for another two hours, and Matthias was no longer in the room.

The room, bathed in the sunset, was eerily quiet.

Usually, she found such moments pleasant, lost in thought in the calm atmosphere, recalling the happy and joyful moments of the day and cherishing them in her heart.

Now, the silence made her feel lonely.

She curled up on the bed, hugging her knees, when the door suddenly opened, and she met the eyes of the person who entered.

"...I'm sorry. I thought you were still sleeping, so I came in without knocking."

The apologetic words and the pause in his steps brought a sense of familiarity. Her sadness vanished, and a smile overflowed.

"I'm happy that Matthias came, so I don't mind."

"Guu..."

Matthias flinched at her gentle, moist-eyed smile. He cleared his throat and regained his composure.

"Dinner will be ready soon. Do you think you can eat? I plan to bring it here."

"Well, I'm hungry, so I can eat. But it's okay to bring it; I can go to the dining hall."

"Rejected."

"Eh..."

His stern face and immediate rejection were typical, so there was nothing she could do but accept it.

"...It's lonely to eat alone."

"Of course, I intend to eat with you here. Is that okay?"

"Together... Sure."

How long had it been since they had a meal together in this room?

Since the need for the lock had disappeared, they had started going to the dining hall, so they only had tea together, not meals.

Eating with her companions was certainly happy, but the special feeling of having Matthias all to herself was delightful.

(All to myself...)

She remembered when Muriel had told her not to monopolize Matthias.

At the time, she felt guilty and tried to return him to Muriel as a brother-like figure. She didn't want Matthias to take care of her, but she thought she had to endure.

Now, how would she feel?

The thought of not being able to spend time with him was unbearable.

She had realized the feelings that had taken root in her heart.

She continued talking with Matthias while sitting on the bed, but halfway through, Fiona realized something terrible.

She was still in her pajamas, her hair was probably a mess, and her face, having slept for over a day, felt greasy.

(Oh no...)

She felt so embarrassed that she couldn't focus on the conversation.

"Um, I want to take a shower before dinner. So, could you please leave the room for a bit..."

She hid her face with her hands and looked up through her fingers, pleading.

"Alright. I'll come back for dinner. Is it okay if I bring it in one and a half hours?"

"Sure, thank you."

Matthas hurried out, seemingly sensing her discomfort at being seen in her morning appearance.

She took a refreshing shower, put on a knee-length knit dress, and wore thick tights.

The temperature dropped sharply after sunset, and it was cold enough for snow to start falling. However, Fiona's room was warm thanks to the thermal heater Matthias had activated.

The magical device that circulated warm air throughout the room consumed a lot of magic stones and needed to be replaced regularly.

The cost was covered by the mage corps, but they tried to save energy by using it minimally. Fiona's room was larger than the others, after all.

However, whenever Matthias visited, he would activate the heater after seeing Fiona wrapped in a blanket, trying to stay warm.

Even when she said, "It's a waste, so it's fine," he would immediately reject it, saying, "Your comfort is more important than the consumption of magic stones."

This made Fiona both troubled and incredibly happy.

Since there was still time before dinner, she went to the office of the captain, Reyla, to report that she had woken up and to apologize.

"Fiona, you don't need to be so down. Lift your head."

Reyla, who had been preparing a financial report, stopped and spoke kindly to Fiona, who had bowed deeply upon entering the room. She smiled at the slight lift of Fiona's head.

"I've heard the details from Nina. You did your job well and tried to entertain the villagers."

"Yes, but... I got carried away."

"That's true. You didn't need to use all your magic. You should reflect on that."

"Yes... of course."

Reyla couldn't scold the dejected Fiona outright.

Fiona, who had been forced to complete tasks without rest and without proper social interactions in the empire, had rarely experienced being praised or thanked.

This made her lose control when faced with such emotions.

Fiona understood this and was trying to control it better.

She was performing her duties well, so it wasn't causing any problems.

Reyla had intended to monitor her for a while, but...

(She might end up hitting her head badly or something and it could be too late to do anything...)

No matter how skilled a healer, they couldn't bring back a lost life. Fiona was an important companion, and she didn't want to lose her.

If she lost Fiona, she knew someone who would turn into a demon, slashing everything in sight, possibly destroying the world in a fit of rage.

Reyla frowned and let out a deep, heavy sigh.

Fiona, seeing this, became even more dejected and hunched her shoulders.

"I'm sorry..."

"No, that's not directed at you. The report from Nina is enough for the fall from the horse. You don't need to write a formal apology, so you can leave now."

"...Understood. Excuse me."

Leaving Reyla's office, she trudged down the hallway and down the stairs. Her destination was Nina's room.

"It's Fiona."

She knocked on the door and called out. There was a sound of movement inside, and the door opened forcefully.

"Fiona!"

Nina, who had burst out of the room, hugged her tightly.

Fiona, having expected this, wasn't surprised.

"I'm sorry for causing trouble."

As she apologized, she was hugged even tighter in response.

"Ugh..."

Fiona groaned in discomfort. Despite her frail appearance, Nina was surprisingly strong.

"I said I would protect you, but I couldn't... I'm so sorry..."

Nina, sobbing, apologized. Fiona, trying to console her, said, "It's not your fault, it's not your fault," until Nina calmed down.

She had come to apologize, but she couldn't do it properly.

However, saying more would make Nina cry again, so she left the room once Nina had calmed down.

The hallway was so cold that her breath turned white, and snow was starting to fall outside the window.

She hurried up the stairs and returned to her room, where she was greeted by warm air.

While sitting on the sofa and thinking about the future, Matthias brought dinner.

They set the table together, poured warm tea from the pot into teacups, and sat across from each other at the table. The tension in Fiona's heart eased, and she smiled softly.

"Did something good happen?"

While cutting a large steak with a knife, Matthias asked, and she pondered how to respond.

(Should I express my affection and make a move, as Nina suggested...)

She remembered Nina's words and tried to put them into action. But when she tried to say it, she felt incredibly embarrassed.

Fiona's eyes darted around. Matthias looked at her curiously.

(I have to say something...!)

"Um, um... I'm happy to have dinner with Matthias. It feels nostalgic, and... I like... having dinner alone with you like this."

She had always said it without thinking, but now, trying to say "I like" made her hesitate. She stumbled over her words as she tried to convey her feelings.

"...I see. I also enjoy these moments."

"Really... hehe."

She didn't feel like she had successfully expressed her affection, but knowing that he felt the same way made her happy.

Fiona started eating with a cheerful mood.

She didn't notice that Matthias's movements in cutting the meat had become awkward.