Chapter 42
Genevia, her face a complete mess of tears and snot—nothing like the pure, refreshing heroine she was supposed to be—sobbed miserably.
“Sniff… why…?”
Suppressing both my instinctive discomfort and confusion, I asked,
“…W-What’s wrong with you?”
Her shoulders trembling as if trying to hold back her crying, Genevia spoke,
“…I… I got angry at you like that… snapped at you… even said really harsh things…”
“…?”
“And yet… why did you come to save me…? Why someone like me…?”
“…???”
‘What on earth is she talking about?’
Remembering that I needed to get her back to Sion as quickly as possible, I urged her again,
“Look, just get up first. We can talk on the way back to the annex.”
“Waaahhh…!!!”
For some reason, my words seemed to push her over the edge, and she burst into loud sobbing.
“I thought… I thought you’d hate me now… I thought you’d abandon someone useless like me…”
“Alright, alright. That’s enough.”
I immediately cut her off and looked at her with a flat, unimpressed gaze.
‘Tsk. I was wondering why she hadn’t shown her face at the annex—turns out she wasn’t sulking, she was digging herself into a hole like this.’
“Haah…”
Letting out a deep sigh, I muttered,
‘First, let’s cut those ropes.’
Picking up a nearby sharp fragment, I sliced through the ropes binding her.
“Hey, remember when I said you were kind of a pushover last time?”
“…Yes.”
“I meant all of that.”
“……”
“I’m a fairy, so I can’t lie. So let me tell you something.”
Looking at Genevia—now freed from the ropes—I spoke in a completely serious tone.
“I don’t dislike you. And more importantly, you’re not useless.”
“…!”
Genevia’s light green eyes widened.
Careful not to cross the line into outright spoilers, I spoke just enough.
“My fairy intuition tells me this—Genevia, you’re going to become someone incredible in the future. You’ll help a lot of people, and you’ll earn just as much love and trust in return. I guarantee it.”
“…I-Is that really true?”
Her lips trembled as she asked, her eyes wavering—like a child seeking reassurance from an adult.
‘…Well, it makes sense. Being abandoned by her family and struggling to survive under scrutiny at the temple—of course she’d have low self-esteem and emotional scars.’
The cheerful, kind, sunshine-like Genevia from the original story was probably her own way of desperately trying to carve out a place for herself.
‘The heroine really has it rough too.’
Swallowing a sigh, I spoke to Genevia, who had stopped her emotional spiral and was now listening intently.
“Yeah, it’s true. I’m a fairy—I don’t lie, remember?”
Only then did relief and a hint of hope finally appear on her face.
Seeing that, I added the final touch as planned.
“But for that future to come true, there’s one important condition.”
“…! What is it?”
I placed a hand lightly on her shoulder and said,
“You have to become Sion’s and my subordinate.”
“…!?”
* * *
Bang—!
“Sion!!!”
As I burst into the room, Sion and Garen both turned to look at us.
“Sion, are you okay!? I’m back!”
I flew straight toward him.
It looked like he’d already received some first aid—his right hand was wrapped in fresh bandages, but even those were soaked bright red with blood.
Looking at me, Sion asked,
“Where did you go?”
I gestured behind me.
“I brought Genevia! Genevia, hurry and treat Sion’s hand!”
“Huff… huff… j-just a moment… let me catch my breath…”
Having run all the way here from the main residence under my pressure, Genevia panted heavily.
Garen spoke gravely,
“We’ve applied pressure with additional bandages, but we’re having difficulty stopping the bleeding.”
“Let me take a look.”
Genevia stepped closer and carefully examined Sion’s hand.
“The wound is severe. It looks like the inner muscles and even the bones are damaged. How did this happen in a spar…?”
“I was pierced by a chain sword.”
“…!”
At Sion’s words, Genevia’s face turned pale.
Standing beside them, anxiously shifting from foot to foot as I looked at the wound, I shuddered.
“Ugh, just looking at it makes my hand hurt. Hurry and heal him, Genevia.”
“Yes. I need to concentrate now, so please don’t rush me.”
A moment later, Genevia began chanting, manifesting divine power.
A warm golden light bloomed from her fingertips and enveloped Sion’s wound.
Hummm—
After a short while, the light faded—and his injury had healed as if it had been washed away.
“…!!!”
I immediately grabbed Sion’s now perfectly fine hand and asked urgently,
“How is it, Sion!? Are you okay?! Try moving it!”
Sion flexed and extended his hand, testing it.
Then he said calmly,
“It seems fine.”
“Ah, thank goodness…!”
Overwhelmed with relief, I collapsed onto his hand, clinging to it as I spoke.
“That was seriously close. Don’t ever do something that reckless again!”
“I simply let my guard down. I didn’t expect him to bring a chain sword.”
Sion frowned slightly, recalling the earlier spar.
At that moment, Genevia spoke carefully,
“That wasn’t a fair spar, was it?”
Both Sion and I turned to look at her.
Lowering her head, she said,
“I’m sure the Grand Duchess must have interfered somehow.”
Starting from that, Genevia explained what had happened to her.
“…I see. So you were captured by the Grand Duchess’s adjutant.”
“…Yes.”
Genevia couldn’t lift her head, seemingly ashamed to have been entangled in something involving the Grand Duchess again.
Seeing her about to spiral downward once more, I lightly smacked the top of her head.
“Hey, you still tried to help Sion, right? And you healed him too. I trust you, Genevia. From today on, you’re on our side.”
“…Lady Rin.”
Taking the opportunity, I turned to everyone and said,
“Oh, and about that ‘agreement’—I got it! Genevia is going to be our party’s dedicated healing priest from now on. She’ll be traveling with us. Right, Genevia?”
“…Yes. That’s right.”
She answered obediently, looking a bit shy and embarrassed.
Sion, looking slightly surprised, said,
“That’s unexpected. You didn’t seem like someone with that level of resolve.”
“…I’m a bit offended you saw me that way.”
As the atmosphere between them began to turn awkward again, I waved my hands dismissively.
“Alright, alright—since the expedition members are now finalized, we should submit the roster and start preparing to leave, right?”
“…Excuse me? Expedition?”
“That would be best. I will recalculate the necessary supplies and travel funds according to the number of members and submit the request.”
“Garen, make sure to include plenty for snacks and emergency funds!”
“Understood.”
“…Wait, what do you mean, expedition?”
“I’m counting on you, Garen.”
Garen gathered the documents and left the room.
At the same time, Elda entered.
“Oh, you’re all here.”
Placing a tray with warm tea on the table, she spoke with a faintly regretful tone.
“Everyone’s busy preparing for the expedition. It’s a shame—I wish I could go with you and the Young Master, Lady Rin. But someone like me, just a maid, would only be a burden in such a dangerous place.”
At her words, Genevia flinched in surprise.
“A dangerous place? Wait—what are you all talking about…?”
“Oh my! Silly me!”
Elda clapped her hands.
Then she picked up a small box from the tray and placed it in front of Sion and me.
“It’s finally finished, Young Master!”
“This is…?”
“It’s the item you mentioned a few weeks ago! I’m so glad we managed to complete it in time!”
“…Ah. That.”
Sion nodded slowly, understanding a beat later.
Curious, I flew straight over to the box.
“What is it? What is it?!”
At my excitement, Sion silently opened the lid.
Inside was a thick pink cape coat.
A miniature one—perfectly sized for me.
“…!”
