"Leca? Did you want more of the salve?"
As Mia spoke, she instinctively tried to pull her hand away from Julius's grip. But he didn't let go. If anything, he looked irritated—like someone whose moment had been rudely interrupted. His brow creased as he held her wrist firmly.
Then, in a cold voice, he asked:
"What is it?"
"…It's nothing."
Leca bent forward and picked up the fallen vial. Mia finally yanked her hand free from Julius's grasp and rushed to Leca's side.
"You shouldn't move like that! Your back hasn't even fully healed!"
"I'm fine," Leca replied quietly.
"You idiot. The bottle broke. It's useless now. Make another one—I'll help you apply it."
She gently helped him lie back down. Julius narrowed his eyes, silently watching the whole scene unfold. A dark thought flickered across his mind: I could snap that spirit's neck right now and be done with it.
Leca recreated the potion, and Mia carefully applied it to his wound. But the injury only seemed to worsen. His body burned with fever, and every time her hand brushed the wound, Leca let out a strained groan.
"What should I do? I think it's deeper than we thought…"
She turned back toward Julius.
"It's worse than before. Can't you do something about it?"
Julius walked over like a student called to the front of the class—grudging, with an expression full of reluctance.
"Injuries from monsters are like that. But he's a spirit—he'll heal naturally. Give it two days, and he'll be fine."
"Are you sure?"
"…Yes, Lady Mia. The wound… will heal soon... hngh..."
Leca's voice was strained and unsteady.
Watching this irritated Julius. Healing magic took a fair amount of energy, and he had no desire to waste it on someone like Leca. But seeing Mia so worried grated on him even more.
With a sharp sigh, Julius lifted his hand and placed it over Leca's wound. A soft green mist poured from his palm, spreading over the injury. The wound gradually closed as if it were being stitched shut, and Leca's breathing began to ease.
"I've sealed it and removed the pain. That's all."
"…Thank you, Your Grace…"
"There's no need to thank me. I just couldn't stand hearing a grown man whimpering."
"He wasn't whimpering. I'm the one who asked for your help!"
"That's enough. Don't test my patience any further."
Julius tilted his chin high, golden braids catching the early sunlight like spun fire. With a flourish of his cloak, he turned and whistled for Gaia.
The silver beast galloped toward him. In one fluid motion, Julius mounted her back.
"I'll go ahead. When will you be returning?"
"When Leca's better."
"Suit yourself."
"Wait—are you going to tell the palace you saw us?"
It wouldn't be the end of the world, but she still wanted to know. Julius's lips curled into his usual cynical smile.
"Would you prefer it remain a secret?"
"…I'm not begging. Do what you want."
Without another word, Julius rode off, not even looking back. Mia watched him disappear before turning to Leca. He looked far more peaceful now—his breathing steady, his sweat gone.
She placed her hand on his forehead. His fever had broken.
"Are you feeling better now?"
"…Yes."
That was all he said. He couldn't stop thinking about his earlier reaction—how he'd dropped the vial without meaning to. He had wanted to make more of the potion… and ask Mia to apply it.
But when he saw Julius kiss her hand—
She's going to be queen someday. So why… why did that bother me?
He closed his eyes. What a foolish thing to do.
Mia gently brushed his hair aside. Her touch was soft. Comforting.
"It must have hurt a lot. I'm sorry… you're always the one getting caught up in my mess. You even got exiled last time because of me."
"That wasn't your fault, Lady Mia. Please don't blame yourself."
He tried to sit up, but Mia stopped him.
"No, lie down. Rest."
So he did. The morning sun was warm, and the birds chirped softly in the trees. This moment—just the two of them, hidden away from the world—felt strangely peaceful.
"It must've been hard, being in exile…"
"Not really. I wasn't there for long."
"I'm sorry for doubting you back then. I thought you'd lied to me…"
A faint smile touched Leca's lips.
"Please, don't worry about me. I never want to be the cause of your pain."
"Is that part of your duty as a spirit or something? To never upset your master?"
Leca actually laughed out loud this time.
"Not exactly."
"Then why care so much?"
He paused.
"Was it like this with Mithys too? Were you trying not to upset her?"
"My time under Lady Mithys was very brief, and… well…"
"Well?"
"There wasn't much time for us to talk. Not in a real, meaningful way."
Leca drifted into memory.
His time with Mithys had been brief. The only period they spent together was when the three of them—Mithys, Mia, and himself—had lived under one roof. Back then, once Mia left for work, Leca would simply follow Mithys around.
What was it like, back then? He remembered watching over her to make sure she didn't cause trouble. If anything did go wrong, he stepped in and handled it.
Yes, he had done his best to protect her…
But it was different with Mia.
He couldn't quite put his finger on it. Was it just because there had been fewer dangerous situations back then? Or was it the short amount of time they'd spent together?
In the distance, he could hear the faint chorus of old comrades working—heave-ho, heave-ho—their rhythmic labor songs drifting faintly on the breeze. But they wouldn't come this way, so Leca let himself relax and closed his eyes once more.
"There aren't any monsters here?"
"No, there aren't."
"Well, that's the best thing I've heard all day."
"That's why I suggested we rest here, Lady."
"Aren't you hungry? What should we do about breakfast?"
"Ah, right. Since you've received the Fairy King's blood, you should be able to summon the fairies of trees, flowers, and plants."
"Really?"
"Yes. Ask them to bring you something to eat. Go on…"
Leca taught Mia the proper incantation to summon different types of plant fairies.
"Is this something only the fairy-blooded can do?"
"That's correct. They're not suited for combat, but they're useful for surveillance, errands, or simple requests. You'll find them quite helpful."
"You really do know everything, Leca. That's amazing."
"You flatter me… But this is common knowledge for most spirits."
Leca flushed slightly.
Following his instructions, Mia summoned the fairy of an apple tree. A small fairy appeared, one that bore a surprising resemblance to Mithys. The golden eyes and wings were identical, but this one had short, dark chestnut hair, unlike Mithys's flowing iridescent locks. She wore a simple dress woven from apple leaves and a crown shaped like a tiny apple blossom.
"You called for me?"
"Could you bring us some food? Just for two."
"At once, milady."
In less than ten minutes, the fairy returned with a charming spread—pancakes topped with apple jam, fresh apple juice, and boiled eggs. Mia gasped in delight.
"This is amazing! With them around, we'll never go hungry."
"Just keep in mind, fairies won't bring anything that involves dead animals—no meat, fish, or seafood."
"That's fine. I can do vegetarian for a while."
Mia eagerly dug into the meal, while Leca sipped only the juice.
As she ate, she suddenly paused.
"I wonder what's happened to Roy… What if something's already…"
"…Shall I find out?"
"Are you sure? Won't it overstrain you?"
"This much is nothing."
"Then please. I'd appreciate it."
Leca summoned a small orb of fire, holding it aloft as he murmured an incantation. The orb slowly cleared, revealing an image within.
Roy lay unconscious on the cold stone floor of a prison cell. There were no visible injuries, and she seemed to be in a deep sleep. The salamander was curled tightly at her side like a loyal pup.
Mia felt a wave of sympathy rise in her chest.
"She's still sleeping… Did they drug her?"
"Possibly."
"But why? It's not like she could escape."
"They likely thought putting her to sleep would be easier than dealing with any resistance or commotion."
"Can't we ask the salamander?"
"There's a magical barrier around that cell. Any salamander within it is cut off from communication spells."
"But… I spoke to it in a dream. I'm sure of it."
Leca made a thoughtful sound.
"That was… something like astral projection. Your physical body remained here, while a part of your etheric self traveled elsewhere. It's a skill only fairy-blooded can use—splitting the etheric body to exist in two places at once."
So that's how I visited that prison… and even met the Fairy King before. In dreams…
"But I can't control it. I never learned how."
Mia murmured with a note of frustration. Leca's expression darkened slightly.
"That's a skill you can only learn from other fairies. It's a shame you didn't study it while you were in Muria."
"The Fairy King probably never wants to see me again. I ran away in the middle of the night."
She gave a bitter laugh. Leca, concerned, asked carefully,
"Do you truly not regret it… leaving, and going after this girl?"
Mia hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"I can't explain it, but… it just feels right."
"Then I will follow you. Wherever you go, Lady Mia."
She turned to look at him—his calm, elegant face. For some reason, she found herself drawn to his clear, unmarked forehead.
Everyone she had met in this world—nobles of Sibareth, fairies, even other spirits—had something etched into their foreheads. A crest, a gemstone, a sigil. Everyone but Leca.
He had a bare, unmarked forehead—just like her.
And somehow… that made her trust him even more.