SAE 07

Chapter 07

“If you eat this, your wounds will heal quickly, I’m telling you.”

“Yeah, sure they will.”

“No, I mean it.”

“Right. I’m sure you do.”

I was so frustrated I could’ve jumped up and down.

I couldn’t let myself be slandered like this, so I was about to argue back—when Felix, who’d been unconscious, woke up.

“Ugh… Where am I…?”

Holding his head as if the spot Isael hit him still hurt, Felix slowly sat up.

Then he looked around, and his eyes locked directly with mine.

“…Rosette?”

He looked like he’d just seen a ghost.

“Y-You’re… alive…?”

That stupid remark made anger boil up inside me.

Honestly, I wanted to kill him.

But Isael was watching, and I couldn’t ruin my public image like that.

Anyway, I needed Isael’s trust if I wanted to leave the Tower.

“Why? Are you shocked to see the person you thought was dead standing here safe and sound?”

But as for the sarcasm spilling out of my mouth—well, even I couldn’t stop that.

“…No. You shouldn’t be alive.”

What did you just say, you bastard?

“Then I… must be dead. Is that it…?”

He looked at me with eyes full of longing, and that’s what came out of his mouth.

Felix clearly thought he’d died and was seeing me again in the afterlife.

“If dying is your wish, should I just grant it for you…?”

I muttered without thinking.

Maybe it was the aftereffects of coming out of the hallucination or whatever—this idiot still wasn’t in his right mind.

“No… My wish is to see my mother just one more time…”

And with that, Felix fainted again.

If we left him here like this, I doubt anyone would blame us.

I was thinking it over when Isael made a suggestion.

“I’ll go toss him somewhere far enough.”

“That’s a good ide—”

I started agreeing immediately but then froze.

“—Actually, no.”

“Why not?”

Because if you get too far from this flower, you might start hallucinating or hearing things again.

We can’t leave the spot where the flower is planted.

I was about to say that, but Isael spoke first.

“Wasn’t he the one who abandoned you? You don’t need to show mercy to someone like that. You’re planning to save him?”

What are you even talking about…

Hey, you’re seriously misunderstanding me.

That’s not it at all.

“It’s not because I want to save him.”

“Then why?”

“I told you. We can’t leave this place.”

You think I want to save the guy who ditched me without a second thought?

I don’t!
I’d rather kill him than save him.

But I can’t do what I want, and this painful reality—do you even understand how miserable that makes me?

I pouted and glanced at the flower planted at my feet, and only then did Isael seem to understand.

But only for a moment.

“If that’s the reason, then it’s fine. Thanks to you, I ate that stimulant—or whatever that herb was—so I’ll be okay for a bit. I’ll go throw him somewhere far.”

“No. Absolutely not.”

I shook my head firmly.

“Even the slightest risk, even a tiny possibility of danger—I’m against it.”

“…”

“He’s not worth you taking a risk for. Just leave him.”

He was going to die anyway if we didn’t escort him to the exit.

I looked down at Felix coldly.

He’d been stripped down to a pathetic outfit—just a short-sleeved shirt and shorts—as he lay unconscious.

“If he tries anything stupid, we can just knock him out again.”

“…Fine. If that’s what you want.”

And so, after I’d decided Felix’s fate with Isael—

Felix, despite being unconscious, started mumbling all sorts of nonsense like he was talking in his sleep.

Isael and I treated him like he wasn’t even there, ignoring every word.

Isael and I agreed to take turns keeping watch.

He actually told me, since I was injured, to just sleep, but I insisted.

“I’ll stay awake now. You go sleep.”

“It’s fine. I’m not tired.”

“Even if you’re not tired, go sleep.”

“No.”

“…”

I guess protagonists of the world come with extraordinary stubbornness.

Even after I told him I’d take the watch, he kept his eyes wide open, refusing to sleep.

That stubbornness—who could possibly break it…

“I’m fine, so you go sleep more.”

“I don’t want to.”

I shook my head.

I didn’t want to dump everything on Isael alone.

When Felix wasn’t around, I slept whenever I could, but now that he was here, I didn’t have a choice.

Despite me telling him to go find Leonard, Felix refused to leave this place.

Felix really had no sense.

“W-Well, it’s just that… this place feels kind of cozy… sort of safe, I guess…”

Cozy?

Safe?

“Is that something you should be saying in front of me right now?”

“T-The situation was complicated back then. I really am sorry.”

“Hah. Unbelievable.”

Trying to talk to Felix only stressed me out, so I shut my mouth altogether.

Whether he was bored or anxious, Felix kept trying to make conversation, but I ignored him cleanly.

Then he switched targets and started talking to Isael.

“Um, since you know Rosette, I assume you’re also from the Lionis Empire?”

“…”

“Since fate brought us together, perhaps we should at least exchange names. I’m Felix Büheim.”

Even here, this idiot was talking about noble status.

I stared at him pitifully.

He didn’t even seem to notice and kept pestering Isael.

“In case you didn’t know, the Büheim family is a count family that has produced many distinguished knights.”

“…”

“Um, may I ask your name?”

“…”

How touching. Truly.

I clicked my tongue and turned away, but then a thought struck me—I widened my eyes and looked at Felix.

“Then you—you’ve seen knights who can use aura?”

“Of course. My older brother was an aura-using knight.”

“Really?”

So there was something useful to extract from Felix besides items!

I was about to rush closer to him in excitement, but Isael stopped me.

“If it’s theory, I already know more than enough.”

With that, Isael positioned himself between me and Felix like he was guarding me from him.

“Did you forget? I’m a prince of the Empire. I’ve been educated by the best instructors since I was a child.”

“Oh… right. That makes sense.”

“Wh–What? P-Prince? You’re a prince?!”

While I nodded, Felix freaked out at the revelation that Isael was a prince.

But no one reacted.

So Felix was useless after all.

Well, Isael was right.

He was the Second Prince and the legitimate heir, so of course he learned from people far greater than someone like Felix’s brother.

I immediately accepted that and gave up on questioning Felix further.

“N-No, but I might still be of help—”

“No.”

I frowned deeply, staring at Felix with disgust.

“You’re useless, so shut that mouth already.”

“No, I—”

“Before I change my mind and dump you somewhere.”

“…”

Finally, Felix shut his mouth tight.

A little while later, darkness fell again.

“R-Rosette. You’re still there, right? You didn’t leave me, did you? Rosette! Your Highness!”

Felix started screaming. His voice was unbelievably loud.

Seriously—what a colossal nuisance.

Ugh, my ears are going to burst…

Where was he earlier? I swear, I really want to kill him while I have the chance.

I was desperately suppressing the murder impulse when something suddenly grabbed my wrist.

“Eek!”

I screamed before I could stop myself.

So humiliating—I felt like I’d sunk to Felix’s level…

I tried to yank my hand away, but then a familiar voice whispered by my ear.

“It’s me.”

It was Isael.