An Accidental Touch
Going out had been a mistake. I squeezed my eyes shut. How had this happened? I'd been so careful… If I had to make an excuse, there was some justification for it. Back when I was still Gunter, before I died, I used to pat Lana on the head all the time. She was a frail, timid child who always tried her hardest. That earnestness had always filled me with pride, and whenever I felt that way, I'd reach out and ruffle her hair. Eight years had passed since then, but that excuse wouldn't fly here. I wasn't Gunter, the man who'd raised them. I was Kyle Berwen now. An unrelated stranger—a notorious scoundrel with a reputation in tatters—had dared to lay a hand on the saintess's head. There was no way this would be overlooked.
Honestly, having my wrist cut off wouldn't have been surprising. No, it was entirely possible my life itself was in danger. To the Goddess Church, the saintess was nothing less than the goddesses' proxy. In their eyes, this was blasphemy. Even if the crown prince had done it, the incident could have escalated into a major crisis. And yet the one who'd committed the act was a disgraced troublemaker with no backing whatsoever. There was no sweeping this under the rug.
‘…It's over.’
Even as the thought crossed my mind, I yanked my hand away from Lana's head in a panic. At the same time, I added, “I'm sorry. My hand moved on its own…”
It was the truth, but it was an excuse that would never work. Knowing that, I still had to say something. Even if it wouldn't be accepted, I had to struggle as best I could. I had things left to do, and I hadn't revealed my true identity to the girls yet. I had no desire to die here.
‘…Should I run?’
The thought flashed through my mind, but I shook my head. I knew that even if I managed to escape somehow, I wouldn't get far. The Goddess Church and the Empire would mobilize every resource to hunt me down. This body was an imperial citizen, after all; the Empire would spare no effort to capture me for the sake of maintaining relations with the Church. There was no way I could shake off that kind of pursuit in my current state.
Then what? Should I prostrate myself in apology right here? It might not have much effect, but if it was the kind-hearted Lana, she might go easy on me for that alone. While seriously considering whether that might actually work, I glanced at her face.
“……”
There was no reaction. She simply stared blankly into the air, as if her mind had gone somewhere far away. Had my sudden action shocked her? Worried, I called out to her cautiously.
“S-Saintess…?”
Then—
“Ah…!”
With a small sound, Lana's eyes regained focus. Feeling a little relieved, I waited nervously for her response. What would she do? Get angry? Or coldly reprimand me? In the midst of that anxious anticipation, the reaction that finally came was far beyond anything I'd expected.
“…Ah, no. Th-that… could happen, I suppose.”
“……!!”
My eyes widened at those words. I had never imagined she would simply overlook such rudeness. I knew Lana had a gentle, benevolent nature, but to forgive even this… While relief washed over me that I probably wouldn't die here, another worry crept in. Wasn't she being far too lenient? After all, this was a man with no connection to her, someone she'd only just met, touching her head without permission. Common sense said this wasn't something to brush off so easily. Of course, since I was the one who'd done it, it was fortunate for me—but the thought that she might react this way toward anyone else made me uneasy.
‘That won't do.’
I couldn't just stand by and watch Lana get taken in by some scoundrel. I needed to warn her about this somehow. The thought crossed my mind, but—
‘…Now?’
In this situation? No matter how I looked at it, that would be digging my own grave. Still, my conscience wouldn't let me let it slide. While I stood there, torn and unable to decide, Lana spoke.
“W-well then, shall we head back?”
With that, she resumed walking. Left with no choice, I quietly followed behind her. The road back to the Academy was silent. Neither of us spoke. In that strangely awkward quiet, we returned to the Academy.
***
At first, it had been curiosity. Curiosity sparked by Julia's request. While preparing to head to the Academy for the shift change, Lana had suddenly received a message from Julia. That alone was unexpected. Julia wasn't the type to initiate contact on her own. But what surprised her even more was the content of the message. It was something she could never have imagined. Julia, asking her to treat someone? Having spent so many years together, Lana knew Julia well. She knew that Julia taking an interest in another person was… practically nonexistent. And yet that same Julia had asked her to treat someone. The fact that the person in question was a male student at the Academy—someone she'd only recently met—made it all the more astonishing.
It was only natural that Lana would become curious about this male student. Who was he? What kind of person could make Julia ask for such a favor? Her curiosity grew. For that reason, she looked into him. And once again, she was surprised. His rumors, his reputation—they were far too bad. Kyle Berwen. The direct descendant of the Empire's great noble house of Berwen, a problem child who had been utterly defeated in the succession struggle against his half-brother and had been disowned after committing nothing but disgraceful acts. It was a reputation with no redeeming qualities that could possibly interest Julia. Worry had crept in. What if Julia had been deceived by a bad man? Of course, she knew the possibility was low. Even if Julia rarely spoke and always seemed dazed, Lana knew better than anyone how terrifyingly sharp her intuition was. Still, worry was worry, so Lana made up her mind. She would see this man with her own eyes and judge for herself.
With that resolve, Lana went to the Academy and, as hoped, encountered him. The Kyle Berwen she saw in person was—
‘…Strange.’
He was a strange man at first glance. She didn't mean his appearance. Though, admittedly, his looks were a little strange too; regardless of whether he was handsome or not, his complexion was haggard, like that of someone gravely ill. But what Lana found strange wasn't his appearance. What was truly strange was his reaction. The way he'd looked at her when he first saw her—his eyes had trembled so violently it seemed impossible. Of course, that reaction itself wasn't unusual for Lana. Because her appearance was far from ordinary, men who saw her for the first time always wore expressions of disbelief. But the man's eyes were different from theirs. There was not a trace of desire or attraction toward the opposite sex. For Lana, it was a reaction she hadn't encountered since her body had matured. Every man who looked at her showed some sign of being swayed by her as a woman. Yet this man showed none of that. It wasn't a dry, emotionless gaze either. If anything, it was a burning gaze. A gaze filled with all sorts of swirling emotions. But within it, there was not a hint of anything unpleasant or sinister. It was the first time Lana had experienced something like this, and it intrigued her. Naturally, the curiosity in her heart grew larger.
With that curiosity, Lana decided to fulfill Julia's request first. And once again, she was surprised. The man's body was in such a terrible state that she couldn't fathom how it was even functioning, and inside it lingered traces of something horrifically potent. At that moment, Lana understood why Julia had made such a request. The man's condition was severe. His body was closer to a corpse than to a living person. It wasn't something that could be easily fixed. In fact, it was so bad that perhaps only she could heal it. Julia must have known that, which was why she'd asked her. Amidst realization and surprise, Lana completed the treatment flawlessly. Of course, it wasn't a complete cure. The traces left in his body were so stubborn that even she couldn't erase them all in a single session. But that was a problem that repeated treatments could solve. In other words, Julia's request could be considered fulfilled. She could have parted ways with him right then, but—
“Then… could I ask you for one favor?”
Instead, Lana made a request of her own. She asked him to go out with her. He didn't seem like a bad person based on her impression, but she still lacked evidence. She needed to learn more about him. She had to determine whether he would be harmful to Julia. So she asked, and he readily accepted. Thus, the two of them secretly left the Academy and went out into the city. Following his guidance, Lana wandered through the streets of Ardentis. She marveled at the unusual architecture, sampled various foods, and observed how people lived. It was an enjoyable time. Strangely, spending time alone with him didn't feel uncomfortable. And so, after thoroughly enjoying their outing and taking a short rest—
“Do you like exploring the city?”
Suddenly, he asked. At that question, Lana couldn't answer right away.