Misunderstood Intentions
"S-Sir, why are you here...?"
Yulia lay in bed, staring at me with a face twisted in terror. It was as if she'd seen something that shouldn't exist. Her fear toward me was palpable. But honestly, I was the one who felt more bewildered.
...What? Why is she acting like that?
Frankly, I'd expected Yulia to be happy to see me. Even if she hadn't heard I was coming, I thought she'd be pleased that I'd come to visit her while she was sick. But that reaction... what was that supposed to be?
I'd come with good intentions, only to be looked at like some kind of monster the moment she saw me. Even I would feel hurt by that.
Whether she cared or not, Yulia continued to glare at me with wide eyes, her guard raised high.
"H-How did you get in here...?"
"......"
"Answer me right now!!!"
"...Look, even if you're lying in bed yelling at me like that, it's not threatening at all, you know?"
"Kuh...!"
When I replied with genuine disbelief, Yulia's eyes flared with indignation. She seemed frustrated by her own helplessness, unable to resist no matter what was done to her.
No, just what does she think I am? I never planned to do anything in the first place...
The situation was utterly unfair, but unfortunately, there was no one in this hospital room who could vouch for my innocence.
"Hnn, haah...!"
Yulia thrashed on the bed. Even as pained whimpers escaped her lips, she tried desperately to push herself upright. All the while, her gaze remained fixed on me, as if to ensure I wouldn't try anything suspicious.
...I was curious how long she'd keep this up, so I just watched in silence. But as it started to feel pitiful, I decided it was time to tell her the truth.
"Just lie back down, Miss Yulia."
"As if I'd obediently listen to—"
"You're wondering why I came, aren't you? I'll explain it kindly."
"......"
Even as I carefully tried to talk to her, Yulia's expression showed no signs of improving. If anything, she looked even more despairing. It seemed she now believed I was telling her the truth because I had no intention of letting her live.
...Just how far is this idiot going to take this on her own?
"Lady Arie told me you weren't feeling well, so I came to check on your condition."
"...You did, sir?"
"Yes. I've never mentioned it before, but I've actually studied healing arts. I thought it might help, so I came separately."
"How...?"
"I was granted temporary access to the warp gate installed in the Order's dormitory."
Without Arie's influence, it would've been difficult. Yulia still eyed me with suspicion, but her expression had softened slightly. It seemed she'd accepted my explanation for now.
...If she's convinced, I'd appreciate it if she'd stop treating me like a monster. If she keeps this up, I might actually feel tempted to flip everything upside down like a real monster. Well, that's only half a joke...
Now that the misunderstanding was cleared up, I figured it was time to discuss her condition with her.
"So, how are you feeling?"
"...As you can see, I can't exactly say I'm fine."
"Could you describe in detail where and how it hurts?"
Yulia gave a thorough explanation of her symptoms. I committed every single one to memory without missing a thing.
"Hmm... Honestly, just hearing about it doesn't tell me much."
"Does that mean you don't know what illness this is either, sir?"
"That's part of it, but more accurately, these don't seem like symptoms caused by an illness."
The more I listened to Yulia's description, the stronger my suspicion grew that this wasn't a normal sickness. Body aches? Those were common symptoms shared by countless illnesses. Those could be treated with divine power that pushed the body's recovery to its limits.
But the symptoms Yulia was experiencing were truly bizarre. While the pain itself was real, it interfered with things that ordinary illnesses shouldn't affect. Her symptoms weren't limited to just one or two. Severe headaches, body aches, nausea... Furthermore, she said it was difficult to handle both mana and divine power.
Up to that point, I could still believe it might be an illness. But when I heard that she occasionally saw hallucinations, things became ambiguous.
First of all, no matter how unreliable or inexperienced Yulia might seem, she was still a priestess. Her mental fortitude should be superior to that of ordinary people. Moreover, as the Saintess's escort, she might have received special training. It should be nearly impossible for a common illness to induce hallucinations in her.
Above all else, Yulia's body was excessively healthy. She'd claimed her headaches and body aches were severe, but when I examined her closely with the eyes of a Transcendent, every single one of her cells was perfectly fine.
...Smaller than Arie's, but larger than Sabina's—judging by the kindness of her heart, this seemed like the usual Yulia. In that case, was her suffering truly caused by an Outer God's curse?
That, too, was ambiguous. My eyes were superior even to those of ordinary Transcendents. I was skilled enough at detecting traces of Outer Gods that I could identify the Order's hidden pawns with just a brief glance. Yet even with these eyes, I couldn't find a single trace of an Outer God on Yulia.
I'd wondered if I simply hadn't looked long enough last time, but even now, after carefully examining every corner, I couldn't sense even a fragment of an Outer God's curse, let alone the curse itself. Considering the level of my vision, this situation made no sense whatsoever...
Contemplating this rare puzzle, I pulled a chair over and sat beside Yulia, who lay limply on the bed.
"Cough, don't come any closer..."
"I'm fine, so don't worry about it. It's not contagious anyway."
"......"
"...What, was that not because you were worried about me?"
At my words, Yulia subtly averted her gaze...
...I'm worrying this much because of you. This time I'm genuinely offended, so I'd appreciate an apology.
"I-It wasn't because I was particularly wary of you."
"Ah, right..."
After giving a halfhearted response to Yulia's unconvincing lie, I sat down a short distance from the bed. Only then did she seem to feel guilty, glancing at me nervously.
"It really wasn't because I was wary of you."
"Understood."
"......Please don't keep your distance."
"Pardon?"
"I'd prefer if you treated me as comfortably as you did earlier. You... tend to be excessively formal with people you find uncomfortable."
"......"
How did she know...? No one had ever called me out on this before...
Yulia really did seem different from the others. I laughed awkwardly and replied.
"Haha, got it. I thought you were uncomfortable with me, so I was trying to be considerate..."
"Didn't I just say that wasn't the case? I was simply..."
Yulia turned her head sharply away and spoke in a very small voice.
"...It's just a little embarrassing."
"Huh?"
"......"
She seemed to have forgotten her pain entirely as she buried her reddened face deep into the blanket.
In a dark room where not even a sliver of light entered, Cardinal Deodore of the Order flipped through documents by the light of a single candle.
"Hmm......"
Deodore stroked his chin, lost in thought. The documents reflected in his eyes contained information about someone with black hair and black eyes.
"......Perfectly ordinary."
Deodore muttered quietly to himself. He had already learned everything he could from the documents. An utterly, completely ordinary student of the Academy... Whoever had written this report, they clearly had no interest in either side.
'There's not even any mention of healing studies... Why is this report so sloppy?'
He pondered for a moment, wondering what to do with the documents, before tossing them aside with a sigh.
"Haa... Am I overreacting?"
Cardinal Deodore. A priest who had turned his back on the Order to touch upon great knowledge. The thing this man, who had long deceived the Pope's eyes while leaving traces of the Outer God throughout the Holy Kingdom, feared most was a 'variable.'
With his meticulously crafted plan finally within reach, the sudden appearance of a black-haired, black-eyed Academy student entering the Holy Kingdom under the Saintess's authority was certainly something worth his caution.
However, the information written in the investigation report was far too ordinary. In the end, Deodore found himself wondering if he'd been overly sensitive.
But with the great plan right before his eyes, he wasn't careless enough to dismiss his suspicions so easily.
"...I should meet them one more time."
The Outer God's contractor quietly extinguished the candle.