"Lady Roienthal left the estate? Without an escort?"
"Yes, Marquess Baren."
"Hmm."
Marquess Baren Celestia began stroking the beard on his chin.
"House Roienthal has completely turned its back on us."
"Yes. On top of that, Crown Prince Baron is vehemently opposed to it. He flies into a fit merely upon hearing the young lady’s name..."
"Hah. What a foolish, arrogant brat."
With a cigarette between his lips, Baren gazed at the imperial palace visible in the distance beyond the window. He was a man prepared to bear any stigma if it meant securing the future in which the prince and princess his daughter had borne would one day rule that place.
"Very well. Then can it be handled without issue?"
"Do not worry. Preparations for the scheme to ensure the north takes full responsibility for the young lady’s death are complete... Just give the order."
Sizzle!
Baren rubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and nodded.
"Tell them to handle it thoroughly. Anything that cannot be held in our hands ought to be broken."
**
The rattling carriage had already arrived at its destination, Silver Leopard Lake. The flowers blooming around the lake, which resembled a silver leopard of the north, could be found nowhere else in the northern territory.
"Wow..."
Cecilia had cultivated many flowers while living with House Roienthal, but she had never once seen the red flowers before her.
They are red, just like...
Viktor’s red eyes, which she had barely managed to erase from her thoughts, surfaced again. Cecilia lowered her head deeply. The dreadful endemic illness that had seized her.
Cecilia firmly believed that the illness Shurian had told her about, ‘Red-Eyed Mana Overexposure Syndrome,’ was tormenting her.
"We have arrived, my lady!"
When the carriage stopped and its door opened, the fresh breeze blowing in from the lake cooled Cecilia’s heated cheeks. After staring blankly at the silvery lake, Cecilia looked toward Ran, who had followed behind her.
"Ran, I would like to take a walk alone for a little while."
"Yes! I will wait by that tree, Lady Cecilia, so please call for me anytime if anything happens!"
Leaving Ran behind, Cecilia slowly walked along the lakeshore alone and looked at her face reflected on the water’s surface.
Is there still some residual heat left?
Her cheeks were flushed red, and even her lips had become moist from the unconscious swipe of her tongue.
"...Honestly... Get a hold of yourself, Cecilia... At this rate, you will only become a burden to the Grand Duke."
Though she made herself resolve it as if hypnotizing herself, the remaining ember in one corner of her heart was ready to blaze up at any moment.
Rustle.
Then, sensing a presence behind the bushes at her back along with heavy footsteps, Cecilia turned her head.
"Ran? I told you to wait. Did you follow because you were worried—"
Three masked strangers stood before Cecilia, weapons in hand as they stared at her.
"Who are you?"
"You are Cecilia Roienthal of House Roienthal, correct?"
While glaring at the stranger who questioned her in a cold voice, Cecilia began moving her hand to secretly draw the wand tucked against her body.
"You would do well to stop. I can throw my dagger faster than you can take hold of that wand."
"Who are you people... Who sent you?"
"Why should I bother telling you that? You are going to die here anyway. You foolishly stepped out of the Grand Duke’s protection, so now you must pay the price."
The strangers slowly approached Cecilia.
"Die."
Just as they raised their swords high and were about to bring them down on Cecilia—
Whoosh!
With the sound of air being split, a steel arrow pierced straight through one stranger’s arm.
"Agh... Wh-what..."
"What the—!"
Thud!
Another arrow cut through the air and pierced a stranger’s skull.
"Damn it... From where—"
"Run, quick—urk!"
As his companion, an arrow through his throat, tumbled to the ground, the eyes of the sole remaining stranger shook violently.
"Damn it! Stop hiding and show yourself!"
"Insolent fools."
Clop, clop.
A man with jet-black hair, red eyes, and a black uniform, mounted on a black horse, emerged through the bushes to stand before the stranger.
"Viktor Walterheim? Why are you here?!"
"How dare you, in the north... lay a hand on someone under my protection..."
"Urgh!!"
The stranger turned, intending to throw the dagger tucked in his clothes at Cecilia. But—
"Fool."
"Urk!!!"
Three arrows, faster than light, pierced the stranger’s arm, head, and heart. Like a puppet with its strings cut, he collapsed and buried his face in the dirt.
"...Ah."
After settling the situation, Viktor slung his bow over his shoulder. Releasing a rough breath, he strode over to Cecilia and gripped both her shoulders.
"My lady, are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere?!"
Was it the terror of the attack? Or Viktor’s magnificent appearance as he subdued the enemies without a moment’s hesitation? Or perhaps the warmth she felt from Viktor’s hands on her shoulders? Cecilia’s heart began to race wildly, more violently than it ever had before. Her face burned red, and her thoughts came to a halt.
At that moment, Viktor alone, standing before her, filled Cecilia’s entire world.
The illness... Seeing the Grand Duke’s red eyes makes it hurt even more... more...
"My lady?"
Seeing Cecilia clutching at her chest and seeming to struggle even to breathe, Viktor bit his lip.
"My lady, forgive my rudeness."
"Ah... Yes? Eek!"
When Viktor scooped her up in one arm, Cecilia felt as though she might lose consciousness.
"Please endure it for just a little longer. I will take you to Shurian right away..."
Ah... My heart... My heart hurts so much... But... but...
For just a moment, Cecilia wished this instant could last forever.
**
"Wow... This is serious."
"Is it that bad?"
After examining Cecilia, who lay in bed, Shurian came out and offered me a lollipop.
"First, please calm down. Would you like some candy?"
"..."
Shurian and I sat down in our chairs, each with a lollipop in our mouths.
"Has the young lady’s illness worsened?"
"Yes. It has worsened."
"...This is a disaster. At this rate, I will have no face to show the Duke of Roienthal. To let the young lady he entrusted to me end up like this. Damn it."
It was the first time since my reincarnation that I had ever felt so helpless. I had said I would protect her once she left the greenhouse of House Roienthal and entered my protection in the north.
"Damn it... What kind of grand duke am I, what kind of ruler of the north am I, if I cannot even protect her?"
"Your Grace. You did protect the young lady."
"I only got lucky because I followed her out, worried that she had left without an escort."
Staring at the infirmary door, I clenched my fists. I had thought I could prevent it because I knew the original story.
But what was the result? Cecilia was suffering from an unexplained endemic illness.
This is a problem even before she turns into a witch... I was too complacent, damn it.
"Sigh, Your Grace. Could you listen to me for a moment?"
"...I am listening."
"The ‘Target Faith Obsession Syndrome’ the young lady has contracted is characterized by its symptoms becoming more severe when the target saves her during a major shock or crisis."
Rolling her lollipop around in her mouth, Shurian began watching my reaction.
"Your Grace saved her by shooting the arrows, then carried her back to the estate. That probably made the symptoms much more severe..."
"So someone else should have saved her instead of me...?"
"No, that is not what I—"
As I lowered my head in guilt, Shurian muttered, "Oh, dear," and pressed a hand to her forehead.
Because of me... Because I saved her. Cecilia suffers, her mana goes berserk, and the north burns and falls...
A future containing nothing but ruin for Cecilia and me flashed through my mind.
"No. I cannot allow that. Shurian, I do not care how much the treatment costs. Pour all the wealth of House Walterheim—no, of the entire north—into curing the young lady."
"Sigh... Your Grace, I told you before: there is no cure for this illness. It can only be cured by strengthening her immunity."
"...Then we need to have more tea times..."
"Goodness, are you going to wait until tomorrow when she is at a critical point right now?"
"Damn."
I nodded.
"You are right. What must I do? Tell me."
Shurian narrowed her eyes and flashed a wide smile. She wore the expression of a hunter looking at prey caught in a trap. I found it strange, but that was not what mattered now. I had to cure Cecilia. That alone made my head feel as though it would burst.
"We need to take extraordinary measures. And for that, we need Your Grace’s cooperation..."
"If it will make the young lady better, I will do anything."
"Then... hehehe."
**
When Cecilia opened her eyes, she saw a familiar ceiling.
"This is... my bedroom?"
"My lady."
"Hic?!"
When she turned toward the voice, Viktor was there, seated in a chair and looking at her.
"Y-Your Grace, why are you here?"
"How do you feel?"
"Ah... Yes. I am all right... I can only apologize for causing Your Grace concern. I went out without an escort..."
"No. No, it is my fault for saying I would protect you, then failing to protect you properly."
"That is not..."
That could not be true. She wanted to say, You have protected me so much. But the moment she saw Viktor’s face, her heart raced madly. Cecilia could only swallow the words she had meant to say and lower her head.
"My lady."
"Yes, Your Grace."
"Shurian says your illness is currently worsening, and that extraordinary measures are needed to ease the symptoms."
"Extraordinary... measures?"
"Yes."
As Viktor spoke evenly, Cecilia began looking around at her surroundings.
"B-But why are Your Grace and I the only ones in the room? Where is Ran?"
"She has stepped out for a while for the treatment."
"I see."
"Shurian."
"Yes~"
Shurian entered through the door, approached Cecilia’s bed, and opened her notebook.
"Explain it to the young lady."
"Of course. Now, my lady, to explain your current condition: your heart and brain are unable to withstand the stimulation."
"Ah... I see."
"If this condition continues, the illness will not be cured and will become an incurable disease you must live with for the rest of your life."
"Th-Then should we increase that contact, or—"
"No. We must take some measure immediately. Ordinarily, it would have been fine to proceed slowly. But this time, such intense stimulation has put your heart and brain into overload."
Shurian shook her head and continued.
"To produce more antibodies, we will need to use a somewhat more intense method."
"An intense method? What on earth do you—"
"Whew."
"Your Grace?"
Cecilia looked at Viktor, who seemed to be drawing a deep breath as though he had made up his mind about something.
"...My lady, I am sorry."
"Yes? What do you—"
Tap.
When Viktor’s rough, calloused but warm hand took hers, Cecilia’s thoughts stopped.
"Eh... eh... eh... eh... eh... eh... eh...?!"
"My lady! Pull yourself together! Shurian, this is—"
"Pfft... Ahem... This is the process of the young lady’s brain accepting the stimulus. I told you, did I not?"
The corners of Shurian’s mouth rose as though they might ascend into the heavens. Ah, this was fun! So fun! Watching an older woman and younger man, neither of whom had ever dated in their lives, being lovey-dovey!!! And she could watch it legally!!
Ah... It was a wonderful decision to become the grand ducal family’s physician.
"All right, all right, let us stimulate the brain and heart a little more! Do your best, my lady! Your Grace!!"
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