Chapter 111

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Announcement

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“Ah, it’s Eugene.”

Realizing the identity of the unexpected visitor, I nodded my head.

Yes, it makes sense that Eugene would come.

He had to witness my body being cut in half, and a sword being plunged into my heart.

Even with super regeneration, it’s natural to be worried.

Huh, but isn’t this dangerous?

I carefully examined my current state.

I was completely naked, lying on Frey’s lap, my buttocks raised like a cat in a vulgar posture, and my cheeks were smeared with red handprints.

My nose was red, my eyes were watery, and my forehead and hair were damp with cold sweat.

Hehe, anyone who saw this would think Frey was tormenting me.

It’s true, isn’t it? Lucia wasn’t even treated like a person.

She was stripped naked, spanked like a dog, and forced to bark like a dog.

…Huh?

Isn’t this a big deal?

If Eugene sees this, he might misunderstand, right?

No, it’s not a misunderstanding, is it?

I was indeed being abused.

“It’s me, Eugene.”

Knock, knock. 

The sound of knocking rang out again.

Should I just stay silent?

The door is locked, so…

No, locking the door in the first place would look suspicious.

If he notices something and breaks in, it would be impossible to fix.

This is serious.

This is a really serious situation.

Eugene will find out.

Of all people, Eugene.

Even though I was thinking about putting on clothes, I couldn’t even move a muscle.

I held my stinging buttocks and hiccuped.

My lower abdomen felt like it was being squeezed.

I rubbed my thighs together and tried to suppress my moans.

Lucia is a pervert…

Thinking that someone might find out.

Thinking that I might show my vulgar side.

Thinking that someone might see the ugly truth of Lucia.

Ironically, I got even more excited.

My heart was pounding, and I felt like I was going to giggle.

Hmm, but this won’t do.

Eugene and Frey’s relationship might worsen.

That can’t happen. They need to get along quickly.

If unnecessary prejudice arises, it will become a huge obstacle to their relationship.

I tried to get up from Frey’s legs to pick up the patient gown on the floor.

My buttocks were burning with pain, and I hesitated as I picked up the gown.

But Frey snatched the clothes from my hand and threw them under the bed.

Stunned, I stared blankly, and Frey pointed to the bed.

“Lie down.”

Although no sound came from her lips, it was easy to understand.

Huh? Why? Why should I lie down?

Although I didn’t understand, I obeyed.

Lucia is a dog right now.

Dogs must obey their master’s commands, right?

Woof, woof!

◈

The unpleasant smell of medicine stung my nose.

Hospitals have a unique smell.

The floor, ceiling, walls, chairs in the wards, the desk, the vending machines in the rest area.

Everywhere else was faintly infused with the scent of medicine.

I had just been discharged not long ago, and now I was hospitalized again.

Eugene let out a self-deprecating laugh.

Fortunately, he wasn’t seriously injured.

Considering the overwhelming strength of the Black Knight, it was nothing short of a miracle.

But he wasn’t completely fine. Eugene was once again admitted to the Academy’s affiliated hospital.

Although hidden under the patient gown, tightly wrapped bandages restricted his movements slightly.

Still, it was better than Leo.

Leo was bedridden with full-body fractures.

Although his condition was severe, his life wasn’t in danger.

It truly felt like a stroke of good luck.

To survive that situation unscathed.

But luck was on their side alone.

Eugene stopped walking and looked out the window in the hallway.

The red twilight was sinking deep into the earth.

When the sun was at its zenith.

How many lives were lost?

There were too many people I couldn’t save. Too many people were injured. I wanted to save everyone, but in the end, I could only save those I could.

Eugene knew the limits of humans. Humans have only two hands, and only two hands can reach out.

You can’t hold everyone’s hands. If you hold one person’s hand, you inevitably let go of another’s.

The setting sun painted the world in a sticky red.

Why does it look like the blood that spilled today has flooded the earth?

Eugene sighed deeply and pressed his throbbing forehead.

After staring out the window for a while, Eugene resumed his steps toward his destination.

A single-patient ward at the end of the hallway.

The same ward where Lucia was hospitalized last time.

And the same ward Lucia was using this time.

“Will it be okay…?”

It will be fine. With regeneration, any injury will heal quickly.

But even knowing that, it’s human nature to worry.

Moreover, the Black Knight’s attacks carried an unusual energy.

Lucia’s back, being carried by the Vice-Captain of the 2nd Division, suddenly came to mind.

I should have noticed.

That Lucia was pretending to be fine.

Eugene burned away the curse with his entire body, but Lucia couldn’t do that.

I could do it, but then Lucia would burn along with it.

I could feel the horror of handling fire through my skin.

I couldn’t let Lucia endure such terrible pain.

Absolutely not.

Before I knew it, Eugene had arrived at the ward. He cleared his throat briefly.

Taking a short breath to steady himself, he knocked on the door.

“Lucia, can I come in?”

It would be rude to open the door without permission, so he waited quietly for a response.

But no matter how long he waited, her voice did not come.

Strange. Tilting his head, Eugene knocked again.

“It’s me, Eugene.”

Knock, knock. 

The clear knock echoed.

But this time was no different.

Perhaps she wasn’t here, but Eugene felt a presence behind the door.

Did I go to the wrong ward? No, this is definitely Lucia’s room.

But why no answers? Is something wrong?

It was then, as Eugene placed his hand on the doorknob, that the door quietly opened with a click.

“Alice…?”

The one who opened the door was not Lucia.

A girl with dark blue hair looked up at Eugene with half-open eyes.

There was no point in asking why she was in Lucia’s room.

They were close friends, after all.

Probably for the same reason as himself.

She must have come to visit Lucia out of concern.

“Shh.”

Alice put her index finger to her lips.

It was a gesture to be quiet.

“Quietly. Lucia is sleeping. She seems very tired.”

Eugene looked at Alice again. She wasn’t stuttering. Normally, Alice had severe speech impediments, to the point where communication was difficult. But at some point, she suddenly changed—her personality, behavior, and even her speech. The timid, fragile appearance was nowhere to be seen.

Was this her true self? Was the fragile image she showed until now just an act? Eugene thought back to Alice’s usual demeanor. It didn’t seem like an act.

There must be personal reasons. Eugene decided to think of it that way. She must have her own circumstances. Prying deeper would be rude.

The inside of the ward was dark.

The lights were off, and the curtains blocked the light.

On the bed, Lucia was peacefully asleep.

She had pulled the blanket up to her chin and was breathing regularly.

It was understandable that she would sleep early after such a tiring day. In fact, Eugene wasn’t in much better shape either. Fatigue had been steadily accumulating, and if he lay down on the bed, he would probably fall asleep instantly.

“…I should come back tomorrow.”

“Yes, go quickly. Don’t disturb her.”

It was a pity not to talk to Lucia, but opportunities aren’t limited to today.

As Alice said, it would be wrong to disturb a sleeping person.

Eugene was about to quietly retreat, trying to muffle his footsteps, when his gaze suddenly fell on Alice’s face.

Her complexion was pale. Her slightly bloodshot eyes made her look like she was in pain.

Eugene wasn’t just concerned about Lucia. Alice was a girl he couldn’t help but pay attention to in various ways.

A girl who reminded him of his younger sister, the last family member he had to let go of.

Even though he knew they were different people, unrelated individuals, Eugene often saw his sister Yui in Alice. He knew it was wrong, but human emotions don’t always go as planned.

“Are you okay? You don’t look well. Are you feeling unwell?”

Eugene spoke with a voice full of concern.

Thinking about it, Alice was also a participant in the battle. Fortunately, she didn’t have any significant injuries, so she only received a simple check-up, but if any problems arose later, it would be serious. 

Especially since the Black Knight used a curse that interfered with healing. If that had any adverse effects on Alice…

“I’m just tired. Don’t make a fuss.”

Alice responded brusquely to Eugene’s worried gaze.

“Go back. Don’t wake Lucia.”

“But…”

“Go.”

With those words, Alice closed the door forcefully, as if trying to shoo him away.

Eugene stood there awkwardly, unable to move.

Her complexion really didn’t look good. Was it really just because she was tired? 

Since she said she was fine, there was nothing more to say…

‘She seemed angry for some reason.’

What was the reason? Eugene, lost in thought, suddenly remembered the moment Alice had been furious. It was when the masked child had dragged Lucia, inflicting terrible injuries. Alice’s personality changed from that moment. Realizing this, Eugene let out a bitter smile.

I see. Alice was angry about Lucia getting hurt and in pain.

She must have stayed in the room because she was worried about Lucia, even though she was asleep.

Perhaps her tired and sickly appearance was also due to her deep concern.

Thinking that way, Alice’s sharp attitude made sense.

Eugene stared at the closed door for a moment, then turned around with tired steps.

Not being able to meet Lucia and being coldly rejected by Alice left him feeling even more exhausted.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Eugene is clueless.

But it’s not his fault.

It’s because Yui has been gaslighting her brother since they were little.

He was already a clueless person, but now he has gotten even more clueless thanks to that.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Quite a lot of emphasis on a dead character, eh?

Or is it? Hehehe…