Chapter 34……………………………………………………
I had no memory of being moved to the mansion, but at the very least, it didn’t seem like I had come back in one piece.
In that case, surely…
“He must have gone on a rampage.”
He had promised to come back safely, yet returned covered in blood. It wouldn’t have been strange if he had gone straight to kill Xavier.
“He couldn’t have already been captured, right?”
My mind instantly became tangled.
Though the knights were holding Xavier, I somehow felt like Mathias could handle it.
After all, even if he were destined to die soon, if he attacked before being punished, Mathias himself could risk punishment.
That would only make the situation more complicated.
There’s only so much protection I could offer.
One, noticing my worry, Sophia quickly added:
“Ma-Mathias-sama is safe! No one touched him!”
“Really?”
He had behaved himself… That was rather admirable.
“Actually, he almost ran out shouting that he’d kill him… but the Marchioness stopped him. She said if he went now and killed him, it would put you in trouble.”
…How can I ever repay this favor?
Though it was a brief explanation, I could roughly imagine what had happened.
“Send a message to the Marchioness immediately. Tell her I’m awake.”
Our original plan had been to get what we needed and part ways, but somehow, I ended up receiving far more help than I intended.
“Then… where is he now?”
If he hadn’t gone to cut Xavier down, there was no reason he wouldn’t have appeared yet.
Sophia looked a little uneasy at my question. Anyone could tell it was hard for her to answer right away.
Seeing that expression, I felt a surge of anxiety. Had something else happened? I parted my lips to ask what had occurred.
It was then.
“Aria!”
Along with a familiar voice—
“?!”
Out of nowhere, someone grabbed me in a tight embrace.
Yet he held me without putting any force on my hands or arms, careful not to hurt me.
“……”
I rolled my eyes as I took in the fresh scent of grass.
‘Speak of the tiger, and it appears.’
That was exactly how it felt right now.
“So…”
I wondered why I hadn’t seen him when I woke up.
“You went out to gather herbs?”
At my words, Mathias nodded eagerly, his face lighting up. He looked just like a puppy wagging its tail, silently asking for praise.
I couldn’t help but let out a faint laugh as I looked at the herbs he had brought.
They were remarkably clean; it seemed he had washed all the dirt off. I could feel the roots with my fingertips.
“He told me.”
Pointing to Enoch, Mathias slowly moved his lips.
“This will help you heal.”
“……”
“He said this is the best.”
“So that’s why you went out and came back?”
“Yeah.”
Mathias carefully held my hand. His hands, clean from washing, felt much rougher than when I had held them before.
He had dug in the soil to find the herbs, and some parts of his hands were cracked from working with bare hands.
Feeling unexpectedly guilty, I gently caressed his hands with mine, which were a handspan larger. As I stroked them softly, Mathias blurted out:
“I was scared.”
His voice trembled subtly with deep emotion.
“I thought you’d disappear.”
“You won’t disappear.”
“I felt like you would.”
He spoke plainly, a rare bluntness from him.
It must have been truly serious. After all, it was bad enough that hearing I had miraculously survived felt like a miracle. From his perspective, it made sense to feel anxious.
“Sorry. You must have been really scared.”
“I was.”
“But now it’s all over…”
“I wanted to kill him.”
“Ah, no, don’t say that.”
He suddenly changed the subject again. I could never let my guard down around him.
“Not yet, Mathias.”
He frowned slightly at my words, observing me carefully.
“You attacked him.”
“Even so, no.”
I warned him firmly once more. These things had to be established clearly early on. Even while reassuring him, it was necessary to reinforce this regularly.
‘Brainwashing is scary.’
Having grown up in such an environment, he probably thought nothing of killing. Even if his nature was inherently gentle, old habits or speech could surface subconsciously.
In the long run, that wouldn’t benefit Mathias at all. Just now, he spoke casually about wanting to harm someone.
“If you make a mistake, you could put yourself in danger too.”
“……”
Though he didn’t fully understand, I emphasized again.
“Never. Hurting someone is something only bad people do.”
“……Then.”
Mathias cautiously looked at me and asked:
“Aria, do you hate bad people?”
“Yes, I do. Even those captured are all bad people.”
“……”
“Are you going to be a bad person too?”
It felt strange explaining this to an adult, but Mathias’ mind hadn’t fully matured yet. In other words, he was physically grown but mentally still like a child.
So persuasion worked better than force.
“No.”
Just like now.
“Right? So you shouldn’t do it, right?”
Mathias hesitated briefly, then nodded slightly. He didn’t completely understand, but seemed to accept it to some extent.
Pleased with his attitude, I put my large hands down and spread my arms, signaling I would hug him.
Noticing this, Mathias’ eyes widened like a rabbit’s, and he slowly stepped forward.
I embraced his broad shoulders and patted his back a few times to show approval.
“Thank you. I’ll use it well.”
“……Yeah.”
Mathias, quietly nestled in my arms, mumbled in response. After a moment, placing his hands on my back as if handling something precious, he let out a relaxed sigh.
It was a sigh filled entirely with relief that I was safe.
While I had been unconscious, events outside had moved quickly.
First, several nobles, including Xavier and the Marquis Odilon, were arrested on the spot. The rest at the auction were dragged away by knights one by one.
The perceptive ones had escaped through pre-prepared routes, apparently.
However, by acquiring the list of attendees and investigating thoroughly, every single one was captured—an impressive achievement.
“Thanks to that, we could easily catch the illegal slave trader too. If we had been even a little late, we might have missed them. The knights moved faster than expected.”
Lady Odilon, who had rushed over upon hearing I was awake, raised the corners of her mouth. She looked extremely satisfied with how smoothly everything had been resolved.
“Thank you, milady. I should have helped more… I ended up putting too heavy a burden on you.”
Lady Odilon shook her head at my words, filled with apology.
“Don’t say that. Since these are palace guards, it was easier for me to take the lead, and honestly, it was rather fun.”
And then:
“As long as the young lady is safe, that’s enough.”
