Chapter 79

In the study room where the tutor had left, Arlo was tidying up the materials with Marieve.

Recently, Marieve had started to help with the cleanup as well. Arlo assisted her.

Marieve's hand suddenly stopped.

"Arlo, the bandage is showing."

When Marieve said this, Arlo realized it with an "Ah."

The bandage had come loose and was sticking out from the cuff.

"I'm sorry. I'll rewrap it."

There was about an hour of break before the next lesson.

"Let me see."

"Eh?"

"Isn't this the place I treated before?"

"No, the one you treated is this one."

Arlo said this, rolled up his shirt sleeve, and extended his right arm.

The scrape had healed completely and looked beautiful.

Healing magic was cast every day, and the scrape healed twice as fast as usual. Marieve's magic power had become more reliable than before.

Since falling into the lake—no, since Arlo collapsed. When Marieve desperately wished to heal Arlo, her magic power had increased slightly. Magic power doesn't increase easily, so it must have been because Marieve felt such a strong desire to heal Arlo. Although there are still many unknowns about magic power, it seems that the mental state is deeply involved.

"Then, let me try the other side."

"Ah, no, this one..."

Marieve's gaze was directed at Arlo's left arm, and Arlo was troubled.

He couldn't show this.

"Um, I have a scrape on my neck. Could you treat that one?"

Marieve reached out to the scrape on Arlo's neck.

A warm sensation touched his neck. The power of light, which he doesn't remember from Cynthia, always felt comfortable with Marieve.

An absolute sense of security, a feeling of comfort.

He wanted to keep it there forever.

"Princess..."

Arlo gently released Marieve's hand.

"You shouldn't overdo it."

A bead of sweat ran down Marieve's cheek.

If she poured her magic power too much, she would collapse.

"It's frustrating... just a little more."

Arlo smiled at Marieve, who groaned. When he touched his neck, it didn't hurt at all.

"You're amazing, Princess. The skin has completely regenerated."

"But there's still a mark."

Marieve glared at Arlo's neck resentfully and suddenly grabbed his hand.

"If you keep doing that, it will become a wound again."

Arlo's fingers had been touching the wound repeatedly.

It was unconscious. Just a habit.

"—Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, after you healed it."

"I'll do it again, no matter how many times. —Does it hurt?"

"No, not at all."

Arlo smiled as usual.

It was his usual, beloved smile. —Or so she thought.

Marieve's expression was not clear.

The Pencilia mansion employs two healers.

Healers are those who treat patients using herbs and tools, and many of them are water mages. Water magic is compatible with human cells, and they use magic to heal diseases and injuries, but this is only to enhance the patient's own healing power. It's different from light healing, which heals from the root.

Therefore, healers use medicine to treat patients rather than magic, except in cases of life-threatening conditions.

Most of the visitors to the healers are knights.

Cynthia sometimes visited the healers. If there was someone with serious injuries, she would go and heal them.

Otherwise, people would hesitate to ask for help.

Rias might be putting some pressure on them, saying that it would be a burden to casually ask for the powerful light magic.

In a room deep in the first floor, a fairly large room with about four beds.

"Excuse me."

When Cynthia said this and entered, one of the healers rushed over and bowed.

"Madam, thank you always."

"Is it just you today?"

Ella, the healer. She has been in this position for about three years. Although she has been entrusted with keeping watch, she is still a novice.

"Yes."

"Is there anything unusual?"

"No, there are no serious cases."

Cynthia sat in the chair offered and received a list of visitors from the last visit to today.

There were only a few names.

As usual, Arlo visited every day.

"Arlo still gets injured often, doesn't he?"

"Yes. Well, yes."

Cynthia shifted her gaze from the list to Ella, whose blue eyes wavered uncertainly.

"What's wrong?"

Cynthia had heard that Arlo's injuries didn't heal. This topic had come up several times before.

Arlo was allowed to continue training, but with the condition that he receive treatment from the healer every day. So far, he has been keeping that promise, coming here every day after training to have herbs applied and bandages wrapped.

"If you have any concerns, please tell me."

"Arlo's wounds are not healing well..."

"Oh, really?"

His nutritional status should have improved. Perhaps he is overexerting himself before the wounds heal.

"If it's severe, I can heal it."

"Actually, it's only his left arm."

Ella pointed to her own left arm, just below the wrist, where the skin is weak.

"I suspect he is widening the wound himself."

Cynthia frowned at this.

At first, it was just a normal injury from training... but when the wound didn't close, it started to fester. Although the anti-festering medicine is being used, it hasn't worsened. However, the wound is in a terrible state.

This is probably because he keeps touching and widening the wound.

The situation might be more serious than she thought.

"What did Arlo say?"

"When I asked if he was touching it, he said a little. Even when I told him not to, he said he would, but..."

"It's still going on."

Cynthia's face darkened as Ella nodded.

She didn't think Arlo would hurt himself. —Or perhaps she had overlooked it. Excessive training could also be considered a form of self-harm.

If it were just about healing the wounds, she could go and heal them now. However, the problem is not the physical wounds.

Stopping the training or ordering him not to hurt himself wouldn't solve the problem. The relationship with his father needs to be severed.

—Or, would simply stopping the meetings with his father improve the situation?

Certainly, meeting Lennon makes Arlo agitated. Lennon is undoubtedly a trigger.

But the fundamental issue might not be there.

"Even when I say it must hurt, he says no. He doesn't even flinch during treatment. Arlo might be insensitive to pain."

Pain perception varies, Ella said.

"I've tried threatening him that he might lose his arm if he keeps doing this... and I've tried asking why he touches it... but he doesn't tell us anything."

Silence fell between the two.

"—I'll take immediate action. Thank you for telling me."

Marieve was running.

She was told not to run, but she had no time to walk.

She ran down a deserted path, searching for Arlo.

She had intended to visit the healer to check if Arlo was receiving treatment every day.

When she heard Cynthia and Ella's conversation, she was struck by a shock like being hit by lightning.

Arlo is my attendant.

I didn't know anything.

—But, of course, it was to be expected.

Arlo is her attendant, but it's a tenuous connection that could be severed at any time, and there's nothing she can do about it.

Marieve has no power and can't protect Arlo.

This is no good, she thought.

When she saw Arlo lying pale and lifeless by Lake Haginor, she was terrified of losing him.

She had been indulging in the happiness of being pampered.

This is no good.

—Arlo must be in pain. It must hurt so much that it's unbearable.

Arlo says it doesn't hurt and smiles, saying he's fine.

He must be hurting and in pain, even if he doesn't show it.

Thinking this, she felt helpless.

Marieve knows nothing. At least Cynthia seemed to have some idea of what was causing Arlo's injuries.

She has no right to know. That's what she is.

Unlike Eidan, she can only act on emotion. She causes problems at tea parties and doesn't make any progress in her studies. She's a troublesome child with golden eyes.

—You haven't fulfilled any of your obligations yet.

Cynthia's words came back to her, and Marieve bit her lip.

After the lesson, Arlo returned to his room.

He might still be there.

Marieve stood in front of Arlo's room.

In the area where the servants' rooms are lined up, it was quiet during the busy evening hours.

A faint sound came from inside the room.

Arlo was inside.

Marieve opened the door with a bang.

Arlo, who was suddenly entered by Marieve without knocking, froze in surprise.

On the desk, his left arm was exposed, the bandage unwrapped, and his right hand was bloody.

"H-Highness...!"

Arlo quickly hid both hands behind his back and stood up.

"Just stop it."

Marieve said, out of breath.

"There's no need to hide it. I won't be angry or stop you. Please, don't hide it."

Don't cry.

Marieve gritted her teeth.

Trigger: Lennon

Anchor: Marieve