“Arsian.”

The person she had wanted to see more than anyone in this moment was racing straight toward her.

I’m saved.

Watching his hand reach for her, Camilla finally let go of the last thread of consciousness she had been clinging to.

*****

“Take your medicine.”

“...Okay.”

“I’m turning the temperature up in here.”

“It’s already hot in here......”

“......”

“...Fine.”

Just stay quiet.

At the fierce glare in Ravi’s eyes, Camilla silently pulled the blanket up higher.

Ravi stared at her for a moment, then sharply raised the temperature in the room with magic.

“Why don’t we set a record while we’re at it? I’m curious how many times you’ll collapse this year.”

“I’m not going to collapse again.”

“Why? Are you jumping into the sea next time? Or how about a frozen waterfall?”

“I said I’m not going to collapse.......”

Then just yell at me. Yell!

Damn it.

She had lost track of how many times this had happened by now, but when she came to, she was in bed again.

And just like always, her family was standing around her with faces full of worry.

The moment they saw she was awake, they let out sighs of relief. Then, as always, the scolding came pouring down.

Ravi in particular seemed too exhausted even to get properly angry anymore, so he was doing what he always did instead—burning her alive with that trademark sarcasm of his.

“You’re not going to stay put just because you’re growing up, are you? Why not just go right back out? Want me to open the window for you?”

“...I’ll stay put.”

“Hmph!”

After shooting her a sharp look, Ravi set the medicine she needed to take before sleeping beside the bed and walked out.

Seeing how thoroughly offended he was, Camilla could only sigh helplessly with a flushed face instead of saying anything back, just as usual.

“Ugh.......”

What was I supposed to do, just stand there and watch when a child fell into the river? Of course I had to save him!

I’m not saying I did well, but can you really treat a sick person like this?

“And he still makes sure I take my medicine.”

He could have sent Dorman or any number of other people, but no matter how busy he was, Ravi always came himself when it was time for her medicine.

“Haah.”

Feeling the room spin again, Camilla slowly closed her eyes.

I wonder if Rio’s really okay. I did hear he was safe, but......

Brush.

“......!”

She must have dozed off without realizing it. Startled by the cool touch on her forehead, she opened her eyes.

Arsian was standing there, his face set hard.

“Arsian?”

A faint smile rose to Camilla’s lips out of habit. She could already guess why he looked like that, and the thought made her want to laugh.

“It doesn’t hurt that much.”

“......”

He didn’t answer. Instead, Arsian carefully touched her fever-warm face again.

The coolness felt so good that Camilla instinctively leaned more fully into his hand. Then Arsian gently cupped her face with both hands.

...Huh?

Eyes closed, enjoying the coolness of his touch, Camilla suddenly froze.

Something soft had landed on her lips.

When she opened her eyes, Arsian’s face was right in front of hers.

Watching her eyes widen by the second, Arsian drew her lower lip more deeply into his mouth.

“Mmph......!”

Camilla hurriedly shoved him away.

“You’ll catch my cold.”

Whether it was from the fever or something else, her face burned hot.

Arsian caught the hand pushing at him and pressed another light kiss to her lips.

“That’s why I’m doing it.”

“What?”

“So you can pass it to me. They say you get better faster if you give it to someone else.”

Her eyes went round as a rabbit’s, and Arsian’s own eyes curved softly, as if he found that unbearably cute, before he leaned in toward her again.

“This cold... is really nasty.”

“Exactly.”

As his kiss deepened, Camilla’s eyes slowly drifted shut.

*****

“Hey, you little bastard! Why are you lying in this bed?”

“Call that Sepra brat right now! Tell him to come take his son away this instant!”

“Hey! If you’re sick, go be sick at your own house!”

The one sprawled in Camilla’s bed, groaning weakly, was none other than Arsian.

Seeing him burning up with a fever so unlike himself, everyone in House Sorpel was dumbfounded. No, seriously—why was he collapsing from a cold in somebody else’s house?

“The Duke of Sepra says he won’t be taking him back. He said we should handle it ourselves.”

“What?”

“He said that if he dies, he might as well die and become a ghost in this house......”

“T-that sly old fox!”

“He also said he won’t be taking messages for a while, so there’s no point wasting your energy.”

“Ghh.......”

The moment they contacted him and told him to come collect his son, the Duke of Sepra had immediately cut the communication.

The Duke of Sorpel kept fuming nonstop, clearly even angrier at his old friend’s behavior, while Ravi threw more fuel on the fire and made a racket right along with him.

Watching them, Camilla clicked her tongue.

“Aren’t you all being a little much? He’s sick.”

“Exactly! What on earth did the two of you do that this brat caught your cold? No, no! Don’t say it! I don’t want to hear it!”

“Still, thanks to him, I’m completely better now.”

“That part’s good—! Ugh! This is so irritating!”

Even while he was disgusted by the sight of Arsian freeloading in Camilla’s room, Ravi was still relieved she had recovered.

Unable to believe that about himself, he grabbed at his hair and let out a scream.

“C-cold......”

Then came a low, hoarse voice.

“Ravi, raise the room temperature more.”

“Yes, Father.”

“I’ll bring more blankets.”

“Do that. Butler, go bring something for this fool to eat.”

“Yes, sir.”

As if none of them had been yelling just moments ago, the three men all sprang into action.

Watching them grumble and complain while still taking perfect care of everything, Camilla kept laughing to herself.

*****

[Sena.]

“......”

In a dark room with not even a lamp lit, Sena was crouched in the corner.

Her head was bowed low, and she did not react at all.

[Hey, how long are you going to stay like that?]

Lu kept talking to her, but Sena only curled in on herself more tightly.

[This is what you wanted! You wanted to save that child! So I helped you—why are you acting like you’re the guilty one?]

“...A person, a person died.”

[So what!]

“I... I only wanted to save Lord Rio......”

That day, when Rio had been taken hostage—

At the sight of the sharp blade biting into the child’s neck, Sena had wanted to run forward that very instant. She had wanted to save Rio from the man’s hands.

And then, in that moment—

Fwoosh!

Something like black smoke had appeared and pierced straight through the man’s heart.

Rio had fallen into the river, and right after that Camilla had jumped in after him.

Sena had not been able to do anything.

Because she had clearly seen that black smoke—the thing that killed the man—burst out from her own body.

The shock had been so great that even after Rio and Camilla fell into the water, she could only stand there trembling, unable to come to her senses.

Splash!

If Arsian had not appeared just then, what would have happened to them?

Sena could only sit collapsed on the ground in a daze, staring as Camilla and Rio were brought out of the river in his arms.

“Was that... Lu’s power?”

[Yes.]

Ordinarily Lu would have shouted about how impressive its power was, but this time it answered in a somewhat subdued voice.

“Why.......”

[.......]

“If we never even made a contract, then why.......”

Hadn’t it said so before? That it could only use its power after a contract was made, that if she wanted its power, she should make a proper contract?

“Then why.......”

We never even made a contract.

They had only been companions who talked so neither of them would be lonely.

[I don’t know either.]

Lu let out a long sigh.

[The moment you decided you wanted to save that child, I suddenly became able to use my power. Even though we never made a contract.]

“......”

[Maybe.......]

Another sigh slipped from Lu, as though it had some guess.

[This too is probably because of the name.]

“...The name?”

[By giving me a name, it seems you made my existence belong to you.]

In other words, even without a contract, Lu had become something that moved according to Sena’s will.

“......”

Sena lowered her head again.

[Hey.......]

Even when Lu called to her, the child did not react.

[It—it wasn’t your fault. I’m the one who acted on my own.]

“......”

“Fine, fine! I get it! I won’t ever use my power on my own again! I absolutely won’t kill anyone!”

Lu went on in a rush, but Sena still gave no sign of hearing it. It seemed the fact that someone had died because of her had shocked her too deeply.

Knock, knock.

Just then, a soft knock sounded, and the door slowly opened. Even at the sound of someone entering, Sena did not move.

“Sena.”

“......!”

But at the familiar voice that followed, the child jerked her head up.

The moment she saw Camilla walking toward her, Sena’s face crumpled.