Even a Scoundrel Gets Tired

143 – The Princess Awoke

In this world, there exist many rules.

Unchanging rules, ones that will never waver.

This was forged by

the world’s very will,

so absolutely, none could

dare interfere.

And amongst these rules, a single one, uniquely peculiar.

Unlike the others, it did not

coerce anything,

nor shelter

nor advise,

nor mediate a thing.

Perhaps, in a way, it was the

fairest rule in all the world.

If one desires something, one must sacrifice something.

Nothing particularly special,

obvious, even.

That unremarkable sentence, now…

echoed within a boy’s mind.

*

Meanwhile, despite the considerably late hour,

the mansion’s lights

refused to yield.

The torrent of divine power

emanating from John wouldn’t allow it,

and more importantly, the news

of the young mistress’ awakening

had roused every servant

in the entire estate.

“Young mistress, are you truly alright?!”

“Oh my… young mistress, how did this happen…”

However infamous the Charlotte family

might be in the underworld,

they were, at large, still

a ducal house,

and after all, the fact

they managed the underworld

was merely a rumour,

circulating in hushed whispers

among the nobles.

The servants simply…

A pure concern

began to bloom for her.

“Ah, I’m quite alright.”

“B..but, even so,

perhaps a bit of rest is needed…”

“I’m weary of hearing those words now.”

“T..the Bishop, too,

wishes for you to rest, my lady…”

“I said I’m fine, yes? I know my own body best.”

And so, she brushed aside

the clamoring concerns

of the throng of servants,

and began to wander the mansion alone.

“Truly, I am well…”

Even so, a prick of guilt surfaced at so harshly refusing the servants’ kindness,

but she shook her head

vigorously from side to side.

And again, she began to wander the mansion alone.

It was a rather

regrettable deed towards the servants,

but if she didn’t, they would continue to follow her heels.

Besides, the place

she was heading was riddled with patients.

Speaking in the kindest light,

their presence would be of absolutely

no aid to the patients’ rest.

Though her heart ached, it was unavoidable.

And so, dodging and

weaving her way through the servants,

she finally arrived before a certain room.

The divine power that had bloomed faintly from afar

felt ever more intense

as she approached the door.

‘Kiyaaagaga!!!’

“Oh dear, just bear with it a little longer.”

‘Giiiiiik…’

“I’ll be back soon.”

As the divine power

grew even stronger,

her shadow began to writhe wildly.

She had to enter this room, come hell or high water.

She still had a debt to collect from the man

sleeping so peacefully inside.

Besides, this level of

divine power was something

she could still endure.

At least, for someone who’d already faced the Saintess’s divine aura.

“Excuse me?”

“Ah, please, come in.”

Tap, tap—

Along with the sound of knocking

a male voice from

inside the room granted her permission to enter.

Likely, the man emanating this

blatant divine power.

Thinking so,

she pushed the door open with a creak,

and a radiant divine energy

greeted her.

“Ugh…”

“Ah, you’re awake?”

She squinted against the divine energy,

and a rather large man appeared before her.

He wore a sacred robe

of a design somehow different

from the garments

worn by ordinary priests of the Order.

He was undoubtedly

the cleric who had

healed her until now.

“Ah, you’re the one who healed me?”

“It seems so. How do you feel?”

“Yeah, right now my body is

almost miraculously refreshed!”

“That’s a relief. Perhaps

“If you feel anything amiss…”

“Yes, I’ll let you know right away, no worries~”

She was grateful for the healing, but

someone with such a priggish

disposition was not exactly her type.

Rather than lending her ear

to his instructions,

she chose to approach the people inside.

Eager to push past

him as he earnestly

recited cautions before her,

she diligently turned her head, searching for direction.

Presumably, to where

that fellow lay.

Sure enough,

penetrating just a little further

inward, she found

candles, radiating holy power from moments ago,

encircling a single bed,

and as expected, beside it,

a woman who appeared to be

around her own age was seated.

‘Her name was certainly Aria, wasn’t it?’

“Hello?”

“Ah… hello.”

Who was it who said,

a person’s first impression

is determined by their greeting?

‘She said she’s his younger sister,

becoming friends couldn’t hurt, right?’

“We’ve met before, haven’t we?”

“Yes…”

“Shall we start with introductions? My name is…”

“Ah… no, it’s alright. I know it.”

“…Huh?”

“Lady Sino of the Charlotte family, correct?”

“Am I that well-known?”

“Yes… My name is Aria…”

“Hm? Sorry, what was that?”

“Aria… I am called Reinhardt.”

Something in “Reinhardt”…

It seemed she hesitated for a moment there, but

outwardly,

there wasn’t much

wrong with her body.

Rather, the problem seemed

to lie with the boy beside her.

*Shwooosh*─

Even in a room

overflowing with divine power like this,

he wasn’t opening his eyes.

All the blood drained,

leaving his skin pale,

and on his chest, an injury

that looked serious at a glance,

kept him still.

I almost missed that perpetually hollow look he usually had—

he looked that dire.

“Um… when do you think he’ll wake up?”

“… I don’t reall─”

“I am quite unsure, I’m afraid, as this is a first for me.”

The answer to her question

came from elsewhere.

From the direction she’d just passed through.

“What are you talking about?”

“Exactly as I said, it’s a

completely new case for me.”

“So that means…”

“Well… it feels as though the

wound itself is rejecting

divine power.”

Rejecting divine power?

Just a wound on his body?

Divine power—

the force that carries God’s strength,

spreading miracles.

Even to the most insignificant creatures,

it’s applied without discrimination,

that beautiful and sacred power…

And this paltry wound is rejecting it?

“…I can’t quite grasp it all,

but it’s a grave situation, yes?”

“Yes, and quite considerably so.”

“…”

“The lingering scars

gnaw away at his flesh…”

“…”

“Blood keeps splattering,

and we must keep regenerating it.”

“…”

“Even so, we have no choice; we must keep him alive for now.”

*Cough* –

The very moment those words left his lips,

a violent spray of blood erupted.

Sudden, without the slightest warning.

From the corner of his mouth

spilled forth

clots of crimson.

And without delay,

the man resumed treatment.

His movements were so familiar, as if witnessing a seasoned master at work.

“Brother…”

“Hoo, in other words,

this has been a continuous cycle.”

“…It’s a touch more severe than I’d imagined?”

“Yes, it’s been this way since yesterday.”

“…”

“Thanks to that, I haven’t been able to rest at all.”

“…”

“I am accustomed to

such occurrences, so it is all right for me…”

But I am unsure how much longer his body can endure.

Blood pours out without cease,

wounds gape open without end.

An ordinary person would

have succumbed to the blood loss ages ago.

As he said,

Jenison could die right now,

and it wouldn’t be unexpected.

He already lost a dreadful amount of blood in the battle,

Because he’d been letting everything slip away as it came.

He should have been dead by now, normally,

‘…I’m almost curious why I haven’t died yet.’

But his body held on.

To this unending pain.

For a full day and night.

“I’ll do my best, but…in this condition, eventually—”

“..Young Master?”

It was then.

That amongst John’s

thick, weighty voice, a very

delicate, thin voice slipped in.

And not a voice that belonged to

anyone who was already in the room,

but a voice belonging to someone new.

“Just a moment, you can’t just…”

“Eh? You’re…”

“..Ella?”

The reactions came one after another: John, Sino,

and then Aria.

“Young Master, why…?”

“Ella, you…how did you get here?”

“Ah…Miss? Why is Young Master…”

“Hold on, calm down.”

“Mmmph…!”

Seeing Ella’s expression,

as if she was about to burst

into tears any moment now,

Sino hastily covered her mouth.

He’d clearly erred in

forgetting she even existed,

but causing a commotion

in this situation wouldn’t

have a positive effect, it seemed.

‘Oh dear…I should have left a separate message.’

“Alright, everyone calm down

and speak slowly, alright?”

“Ugh…Mmmph…!”

“Alright, I’ll let you go now.”

“Hah…”

“You must have many questions, yes?”

“W-Why…why did young master become like that…?”

A question striking right to the heart, without preamble.

How in the world

am I supposed to answer *that*?

He had only gone to

rescue his brother, trapped

alone in that manor.

And there, without warning,

his elder brother had transformed

into a demonic being,

and after barely managing to win,

an ancient monster had appeared,

and they’d fought, razing

the entire manor to the ground,

resulting in these terrible wounds. Should I tell her all *that*?

‘Would she…believe me?’

It’d be more plausible

to say he’d been mauled

by a stray dog from the village.

Honestly, it would.

“Um…but how did *you* get here?”

“H-Huh?”

Ultimately, her chosen path was

not to spout an incomprehensible

truth, but rather,

simply to change the subject.

“No matter that your master

is here, still…”

“H-Huh?”

“There’s no way you could just

waltz into the Duke’s estate like this, surely?”

“S-Someone…someone told me—”

Finally, after listening to

her entire explanation,

she smacked her forehead.

‘Father must have told her…!’

The attire worn by the “someone” she mentioned

matched perfectly the robes

worn by those in her lineage.

To give them commands…

Only he and her father had the authority

to decree such a thing…

At least, *he* certainly never gave

such an order, so it must have been her father’s doing.

“He really didn’t need to go this far…”

“B-but, Young Master, why…”

“Ah… well, you see…”

Oh, blast it all.

Back to square one, then.

Soon, she would have to figure out

just how to respond.

Worrying, fretting, in that very instant…

“…Huh?”

“…Ah, you’ve finally woken up.”

“Y-Young Master?”

From behind her, a chorus

of sighs and exclamations arose, and

at the same moment,

something rustled.

If one had to define it, it would be

the sound of blankets being folded and unfolded─

“Wow, he really came back to life.”

“…You seem rather displeased.”

“Displeased? I’m absolutely thrilled!”

“…Cough, cough!”

“I really am, though?!”

And finally,

the princess, who had slumbered for so long, had awoken.

With an expression that spoke volumes of displeasure.