“Granoli!”
Addis’ voice called out from above. Disheveled in hair and clothes, he was the first to spot her.
Addis, who had been flying around the area with wind magic, descended from a rooftop. On his ear was an unfamiliar earring – a beautiful wind charm with a silver wing encasing a magic stone. He must have borrowed it from Quartz.
“Are you hurt!? What about those guys!?”
He rushed straight to Raze, not even noticing Zeseman beside her.
Her hair was matted, her clothes damp and clinging to her skin in places. Her eyes were red. Upon closer inspection, there were even signs of being kicked. It was evident that something had happened.
“I’m okay now. It’s all over.”
With sweat beading on her brow and lacking her usual composure, Raze gave Addis a slight smile to reassure him of her safety.
(Do I…look that bad?)
However, she inwardly felt flustered. Only now did she realize her unkempt appearance, with her damp hair and clothes.
If she was going to face Zeseman and Addis, she should have used magic to remove the moisture from her body. But that thought hadn’t occurred to her, and she was perplexed by her own oversight.
“Um, where’s Claude?”
To dispel the awkwardness, Raze searched for the other person she was supposed to be guarding.
“He went to call the knights. Quartz and the others are safe too.”
Addis replied with a stiff expression.
After hearing him out, Zeseman, who had been standing beside them, seemed ready to head to the knight barracks, leaving Raze behind.
“Who’s that?”
“He is a great man of the military who helped me.”
Noticing the man only when he had his back turned, Addis asked Raze vaguely.
A drop trickled down from her tangled braid, past the corner of her left eye. She wiped it away carelessly with her right hand, brushing her left ear in the process.
“–!?”
It was then that Raze realized the magic stone that should have been there was missing.
Unable to maintain her composure any longer, Raze froze in shock, eyes wide open.
“…Granoli?”
Addis’ voice sounded distant as he sensed her distress.
Lowering her right hand, she slowly raised her left fist to eye level, as if it were something alien rather than her own. Tentatively, she unclenched her fingers.
There, resting on her palm, was the black magic stone earring with its clasp deformed…
Only now did she realize that ever since that man had given it to her, she had been clutching her magic stone tightly in her left hand all this time, until this very moment.
“Ha…ha…”
A dry chuckle escaped her lips.
The hand holding the earring began to tremble, as if influenced by that laugh. Raze clenched her fist again.
(I didn’t notice. I didn’t notice?)
Her mind was whirling with jumbled thoughts, only able to mock her own absurdity with laughter.
“I’m sor–“
Her words trailed off as she knit her brows in dismay, looking down while chuckling bitterly at herself.
“Don’t laugh. You don’t have to laugh.”
Addis cupped her face with both hands, forcing Raze to face forward.
His silver eyes fixed on her, indicating she didn’t need to look anywhere else.
Unable to avert her gaze, she had no choice but to directly receive his words, as if being admonished like a child.
A brief silence passed between them.
After staring at each other for a while, his intense, unwavering silver eyes caused Raze to concede defeat.
Realizing there was no point in keeping up appearances any longer, she closed her eyes in resignation.
“Haaaa…..”
And with a resigned expression, she let out a deep sigh.
“Thank you. I’m okay now.”
Raze gently touched Addis’ left hand with her right.
“……..”
The light reflecting in his wide-open tawny eyes, Addis slowly lowered his hands from her face.
Midway, he grimaced as he gently cradled her reddened left ear that had been forcibly torn at.
“No one else was seriously injured. Except you.”
He said quietly. His gaze, missing no change in her, remained fixed on Raze, unconvinced by her assurance that she was “okay.”
“Let’s treat your wounds. You should change clothes too.”
Though he likely had more to say, Addis didn’t voice it.
“Oh, but–!?”
“No buts, just stay still for now.”
Saying that, he slipped his arms under Raze’s knees and lifted her up sideways, taking care since her clothes were damp. If he dried them with wind magic, her skirt might flutter up, so he chose to cover her modestly instead – the mark of a gentleman.
Raze’s petite frame fit snugly in Addis’ embrace.
“Thank you. Even though I’m heavy…”
Gradually regaining her usual self, she remarked.
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Though she gave the impression of being light and diminutive, Raze was surprisingly muscular and heavy. This wasn’t the first time he had carried her, but after Zeseman’s remark about her going soft, she felt awkward.
“You’re not heavy. That’s probably why you were taken hostage. Having to put on that whole act…”
“Was my acting that obvious…?”
She had thought she had fooled them, but perhaps she should have been more committed to her role. To improve for next time, she asked for his impression.
“No, I don’t think they realized at all.”
“That’s good. Being defiant and resisting would only provoke them further, so playing meek was the best way to lull them into complacency.”
As they walked, Addis glanced briefly at Raze. Just a while ago, she had seemed so terrified, but the girl in his arms now seemed nonchalant, like a different person entirely.
“How did you escape? You look drenched.”
“I was taken onto the ship via a small teleportation device.”
“I see…?”
He was stunned to realize the distance he had intended to search would have been nowhere near enough to find her.
It wasn’t unreasonable for him to think he might never have located Raze, given his determination to bring her back.
“It was a poaching vessel, so luckily a military ship happened to be there for an inspection. A few things happened, but I got lucky.”
Raze gave a wry smile. Then, recalling Addis’ words not to laugh, she abruptly closed her mouth after meeting his silver gaze.
“If you’re feeling better, it’s fine… At least it’s an improvement from before.”
Addis’ expression remained stern.
Looking back, her sudden laughter must have seemed unnerving. Not a lifelong stain, but it was indeed quite disturbing. She never wanted to recall that moment again.
“I did panic a bit without my magic stone, I suppose…”
Intermittently, she reflects on herself.
She had figured that if she could steal the enemy’s charm and use teleportation magic, she could somehow manage. They didn’t seem intent on killing, so she vaguely thought she wouldn’t die, but never imagined facing such a monster defenseless. Moreover, on a ship at sea where she couldn’t call for help or escape.
She realized she had only survived this time by sheer luck, so her instincts couldn’t hide her agitation.
“……I’m glad it wasn’t Lady Carne or Folia……”
Raze muttered the words of heartfelt relief, causing Addis to suddenly stop in his tracks.
“–?”
She peers at his face, having abruptly stopped.
Addis briefly knits his brows as if restraining something, tightening his grip on the arm supporting Raze.
“…………I was worried about you. Your life was in danger.”
His voice was lower and colder than usual.
The sharply honed silver eyes right in front of her piercing gaze shot through Raze’s widely opened amber eyes with surprise.
Raze then knew Addis was angry. Her heart thumped heavily.
“You may not care being told this by a good-for-nothing noble’s son, but Still, I was worried about you, special student.”
Raze was perplexed by the words piercing straight through to her. It was the first time anyone had spoken to her so earnestly.
–The composure she had regained was thrown off. She was not someone to be so cherished…….
She realized an unfamiliar emotion was spreading through her chest. Lukewarm, bitter, restless.
If she accepted this overwhelming feeling, she felt she would change from the strong person striving to live independently.
She had to let this emotion escape somewhere.
“I’m sor–“
“Don’t apologize. I’m angry at myself……. You saved me again. Thank you. I’m glad you’re safe.”
Raze was about to deflect by clenching her fist, but Addis’s quiet, calming voice cut her off thanking her instead.
She swallowed hard, as if suppressing something in her throat, and averted her eyes downward from his.
“……No. I couldn’t do anything and just got captured.”
As Addis started walking again, he said nothing more.
The bright, cheerful voices of families and couples visiting for summer vacation could be heard.
(……Ah. If only I could have said something more tactful……)
The fresh, beautiful streets made the silence between them feel like being underwater, leaving Raze restless as she ruminated. What would the angelic Folia have said in this situation? –No, she doubted she could say it as charmingly.
To somehow break this silence, an idea sparked in Raze’s mind.
“……Um, Lord Addis.”
“What is it? Are you hurt anywhere?”
Addis, who had been heading to the camp, stopped again. A look and voice of heartfelt concern fell upon her. Though tickled by his excessive worry, she shook her head before speaking while inwardly shouting for him not to worry so much.
“–Thank you for trying to help me so many times earlier, and for coming to find me.”
Raze had noticed that whenever Addis always thanks her when she helps him in any way.
It was only right for her to return the favor by thanking him for acting on her behalf.
Addis was the son of the Lord grim reaper assigning cruel missions, but not from Welraine. Though appearing to be a smooth operator, he was in fact a person of integrity.
(Come to think of it, he’s helped me quite a bit……)
The words came out more naturally than expected, and Raze smiled unconsciously.
“–!!”
Addis’s silver eyes flew open wide, like a full moon blossoming.
Firmly grasped by something seizing his heart, he held his breath and nearly lost strength in his arms before regaining his grip.
Yet with the piercing amber eyes right before him, he had nowhere to escape. Unable to hide his flushed face with his hands occupied.
“–Ah, of course…..That much……”
Addis turned even redder from his own flustered remark.
Raze chuckled at his blushing.
Just for properly expressing gratitude, he became so embarrassed.
From now on, she would try conveying “thank you” a bit better–.
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