After recounting what happened in the dance hall to Father, he seemed shaken. I saw him ball his fists, veins visible from the strain.

“I was too late… I should’ve stopped him,” he mumbled, mostly to himself.

I closed my eyes, sharing his frustration of letting that man get away. But there was nothing to gain from crying over spilled milk. So before the mood got any darker, I diverted the topic away.

“Father, where did the doctor come from?” I said, eyeing the doctor slightly.

“Oh, actually. After the knights and I evacuated everyone from the dance hall, I sent out urgent letters to both a local hospital and the Royal Medical Academy, asking for any available doctors and nurses.”

That… must’ve cost a fortune, depending on the number of personnel who answered his call.

“And, as you heard earlier,” he continued, clearing his throat, “I also sent a letter to the Saint—I mean, Lady Clara—of the Royal Knights Academy. I honestly didn’t expect a reply, let alone a visit… but, just as the rumors say, she’s as benevolent as she is blessed. She came herself this morning and only asked us to pay for the travel expenses.”

Wow, that’s kind of her.

“She’s already tended to everyone, or so I’ve heard. I believe she’s preparing to leave shortly.”

Ah… That’s a shame.

I hoped I could chat with her more. Her healing magic genuinely intrigues me, and I had tons of questions about it. It was mostly still the same questions echoing down my mind since the castle attack. Does using it tire her? Can she restore lost limbs? Perhaps even revive someone? The last one was definitely a far stretch, but I wanted to ask it anyway.

I was sure that if I asked Father for a meeting with the saint, he would arrange it. But, I didn’t want to impose on her after she came over to heal everyone for basically free.

Maybe sometime in the future.

Then again, that “sometime” might be sooner than I assumed, however.

She’s attending the Royal Knights Academy, huh?

Honestly, I would’ve expected someone with healing magic to be part of the Royal Medical Academy or something. But, I suppose healing magic had more value in a battlefield, tending wounds the moment they’re made.

I’d be attending that same academy shortly after my next birthday… No doubt, that would be the perfect place to learn about the Saint better.

Just then, I heard a throat being cleared by the man in white.

“Forgive my impertinence, Your Grace. But I must ask Lady Carine to lie back down. She shouldn’t strain herself any further.”

“…Yes, you’re right,” Father replied softly. He turned to me with a gentle smile. “Get some rest, Carine. I’ll let you know the moment your mother, Leila, or Feyt wakes up.”

“Thank you.” I returned the smile with a small nod. Then, I gently let my body sink into the soft, welcoming embrace of my bed.

I closed my eyes, hoping for some rest while ignoring the pain, only for my other self to stir awake.

—

The first thing that entered my mind was chatter; layered, constant and overlapping with each other.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Do we have more bandages?”

“The pain’s in your chest? No? How about here?”

“Doctor, are you free? He’s calling you over again.”

“Wait… Did you forget to bring my gloves again?”

It was the voices of people, both masculine and feminine, coupled with their footsteps walking back and forth before me. Along with their calm, composed voices, I heard faint groans of pain scattered around me.

Slowly, I opened my eyes, my vision a blur.

I eased myself upright, bracing for the inevitable sting. But it never came.

My limbs felt… limp, that much was true. But I didn’t feel any pain like Carine’s body did. It made my mind pause for a second.

Did Feyt’s body somehow sustain less damage? No, I believe both of my bodies more or less got beaten up the same amount.

It was a weird way to gauge things, I know.

To confirm I wasn’t imagining things, I tried rolling my shoulders, cracking my neck, stretching my back… But even after all that, I felt mostly fine, albeit a bit tired.

Ugh, I don’t know why my body doesn’t hurt, but I’m not too sure if I should question it either.

Switching my focus, I turned my head to scan the surroundings. I was sleeping on a simple and minimal white bed. There were many more of them spread across the hallways, each of them populated by bandaged patients. I also noticed the wallpaper, marble pillars, and window design to be the same as our estate’s.

So, this is the mansion’s infirmary.

It wasn’t exactly big, just enough for four rows of beds facing each other with a wide enough empty space in between. Despite that, the room felt packed. Perhaps it was because of the constant groans of pain and complaints echoing down the walls. But how come there were this many?

There were a lot more than one set of doctors and nurses here. If I had to guess, there should be around three doctors with six nurses tending to the more than a dozen people here.

I looked to the right and noticed, the one sleeping on the bed next to mine was none other than Leila. Bandages covered her chest and arms nearly fully, with little wraps around her thighs and head. It was then that I noticed her eyes were open, blinking, and looking straight at me.

“Sir Feyt…” she mumbled, barely audible. “Thank goodness you’re alright.”

“L-Leila?!”

How long had she been staring at me?!

I was about to jump off the side of my bed and run to her side, but I stopped in my tracks when she shook her head.

“No need to worry about me, Sir Feyt. The doctors said I’ll be fine. I believe I am just slightly winded, is all.”

“R-Right…”

I reluctantly sat back down on my bed.

A faint chuckle broke the silence between us.

“I’m going to have to take another break, huh?” Leila mumbled, clearly meant just for herself. Her eyes stared blankly at the ceiling above her.

Even now, she’s still thinking about work??

Leila let out a silent exhale. The kind of exhale when you’re trying to lift a weight from your chest.

“Is Lady Carine alright, I wonder…”

My eyes widened. Leila was worried about me this much, huh? I thought I should give her reassurance that Carine is alright. But realistically, Feyt shouldn’t have that information yet.

…But oh well. Leila looked like she was deep in worry. Anything that would alleviate that, even just slightly, would be worth it.

“I’m sure Lady Carine is alright!” I said with the brightest smile I could manage. “In fact, I think she’s worrying about you right now. So you should probably rest for a while.”

Leila looked at me expectantly for a few seconds, body still dormant. Then, she smiled.

“Thank you.” Leila returned to face the ceiling again, her smile still present. “Yes, I should rest for Lady Carine’s sake, so that I may return to her side as soon as possible.”

Leila closed her eyes. Before long, I heard a small, quiet snooze.

Efficient even in sleeping, huh?

I couldn’t help but smile, the weight in my chest easing. Knowing Leila was okay brought me some much-needed calm.

Now, I just had to confirm if Mother was alright…

But then it occurred to me.

Wait… is Feyt’s body really okay?

Seriously, there wasn’t any lingering pain. I remembered how the Saint healed my minor wounds as Carine back at the castle, but the pain still lingered for almost a full day. It didn’t make sense. After yesterday’s beating, I should’ve felt something at least.

Even Carine’s body was trembling just from the slight chill of the air at the current moment, and that was supposed to be the norm.

Don’t tell me, is there something wrong with my body?

“Oh, you’re finally awake!”

A voice reached my ears from the other end of the hallway. Her tone was refreshingly sweet and gentle. I turned my head to see whose voice it belonged to. A new yet familiar face entered my sight.

That simple yet neatly styled shoulder-length brown hair, along with the bright blue eyes that complement her bright smile.

It was none other than the Saint.

Wait, she hasn’t left yet?

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