After the Martial Arts Tournament
"Mmm…"
With a low murmur, Milia opened her eyes.
Her vision was blurred, and her head throbbed as if it might split open from the dizziness. What on earth had happened?
After blinking a dozen times or so, her sight gradually sharpened again, and she realized she was in the infirmary.
"The others…?"
She muttered the words as she tried to sit up—
"Ahk!?"
Pain raced along every nerve, and Milia grimaced, letting out another low groan. It felt as though her entire body had been beaten with clubs—the same sort of ache she remembered from the worst bouts of body-wide fever she had ever suffered.
"…!#$*!$@)!"
"My Lady?"
While she was still wrestling with the pain and making unintelligible sounds, a familiar voice reached her ears. She turned her head on pure reflex.
What met her eyes was a boy gazing at her with open worry. Hair the deep blue-black of a night sky, and beneath it a pair of gleaming amber eyes.
"Are you all right?!"
"Schwarz…? What… how…?"
Milia managed another soft groan as she looked up at him. At the same time the events of a short while ago began to surface in her mind…
"I… lost, didn't I."
"…"
Schwarz simply nodded in silence as she hung her head, looking dejected. An awkward quiet settled between them, and for a moment neither spoke.
"Thank you."
"What?"
When Schwarz broke the silence with those words, Milia gave him a puzzled look. Why in the world was he thanking her?
She tilted her head, still at a loss. Schwarz continued with a faint smile.
"When we were little, My Lady, you said you would become strong enough that no one would ever be able to hurt me. The moment we crossed blades I could tell—you've worked incredibly hard."
"Ah… that…"
He remembered. The thought filled her chest with a warm, unfamiliar sense of fulfillment. Nearly ten years had passed, yet he still held on to those words, and the knowledge made her happier than she could say.
But only for a moment…
"Haaauuugh…!!"
Feeling heat rush to her face, Milia yanked the blanket up over her head completely. It wasn't that she disliked the memory or found it embarrassing. She simply had no idea how ridiculous her expression must look right now.
"Ah—My Lady!?"
Startled by her sudden reaction, Schwarz's face filled with panic…
"I'm sorry…"
…and he hung his head, looking crestfallen.
"Wait! That's not it!"
"My Lady?"
At the same time Milia sat up with a shout. Schwarz tilted his head, thoroughly confused. What exactly wasn't it?
Seeing that look on his face, she opened her mouth with another low groan.
"I… I mean, the reason I pulled the blanket over my head wasn't because that memory was something I hated or anything like that, it's just… well…"
What am I even supposed to say right now!?
She barely managed to swallow the urge to scream and frantically searched for an answer. Nothing useful came to mind. Schwarz was still staring at her with complete incomprehension, and her patience was just about to snap when—
"Schwarz. I'm coming in."
A familiar voice sounded from outside. The infirmary door opened and a girl stepped through. Deep brown hair and matching eyes. A sharp first impression that could not quite hide the playful sparkle underneath. It was none other than Student Council President Arge fen Rumenia.
"How's Milia feeli—"
Basket of fruit in one hand, Arge stopped mid-sentence the moment she saw the two of them. Schwarz and Milia likewise froze, staring at the unexpected visitor.
"Hmm…?"
Arge narrowed her eyes and made a thoughtful little sound. Instantly Milia's instincts blared a warning—
"Stop! I don't know what you're thinking, but it's not whatever weird idea just popped into your head, Unnie!!"
She cut Arge off before the older girl could say a word.
"Hmm? And what idea would that be, I wonder?"
"Anyway it's not, so don't start any nonsense!!"
Arge's lips curved into an intrigued, mischievous smile. She strolled over to the bed where Milia lay and settled herself beside it. Not knowing what might come out of her mouth next, Milia watched her with open tension.
But…
"How's your body feeling?"
"…?"
The serious question about her condition left Milia blinking in surprise. That wasn't what she had expected.
While she was still staring, Arge pressed,
"I asked how your body feels. Did you go mute?"
"It hurts… like I've been beaten all over with clubs…"
Only then did Milia collect herself enough to answer. Arge made another thoughtful sound, shrugged as if to say well, what can you do, and set the fruit basket on the nearby cabinet.
"By the way, you really don't hold back, do you? Even if it was a tournament, I never thought you'd go all-out against your own mistress."
"I-I'm sorry…"
"Don't be. If it had been me, I'd have done the same."
Schwarz bowed his head in flustered apology, but Arge waved it off with a light chuckle. Master and servant or not, a match was a match. Once the result was decided, the only proper thing was to accept it cleanly.
"You look surprisingly refreshed, though."
"Unnie, please. Do I really look that petty to you?"
Milia gave a short, incredulous laugh at Arge's remark.
But…
"Funny you should say that, considering last year when you lost to Amelia you locked yourself in your room for three whole da—!!"
"Aaaahhh—!! What in the world is this unnie even talking about~?!"
"Mmph! Mmph!!"
In a panic Milia lunged and clamped a hand over Arge's mouth. The grip was so strong that Arge thrashed, trying to pry the hand away, but it would not budge.
"Mmmph—!!"
"Ah. Sorry."
Only after Arge made a sound that was nearly a scream did Milia finally let go. Arge sucked in a huge breath, eyes watering, and shouted,
"I thought I was going to die! Milia! Control your strength! I'm not some monster in human form like you or Amelia!"
"Monster?! That's way too harsh!"
"P-please, both of you, calm down."
Watching the two of them grumble and bicker, Schwarz let out an awkward little laugh. They really do get along well, don't they? he thought, exhaling a short sigh—
"Well, either way, the atmosphere looked pretty good, so I guess there was no real need for me to come."
"Huh? What? You're leaving already?"
Arge rose with a brief sigh of her own. Milia looked up at her in confusion.
"What do you think the position of Student Council President is? I'm busier than you imagine. And on top of that…"
She turned her gaze toward Schwarz.
"…?"
"I figure the two of you could use a little time alone."
"W-what…!? Unnie!"
Catching the meaning in that look, Milia hurriedly called after her, but Arge only winked and mouthed something that looked like do your best before slipping out of the infirmary as if fleeing.
The door clicked shut, and a chilly silence filled the room.
"Um… My Lady? Just now, what the President meant by…"
"D-don't ask me, you dense idiot!"
Schwarz carefully directed the question at her, but Milia snapped back. Strictly speaking she had no reason to be angry at him; the irritation left over from Arge simply had not yet faded.
"I'm sorry…"
"Ah—no, that's…"
From Schwarz's point of view an apology was the only natural response. Looking thoroughly embarrassed, he took a cautious step back. The awkward atmosphere that sprang up in an instant left Milia flustered; she stretched a hand toward him.
I should apologize.
She thought so, yet the words refused to leave her mouth. After all, how often did the young lady of House Valentine—a count's family whose prestige rivaled that of a duke—ever need to say she was sorry to anyone…
"I…"
"I…?"
After a long internal struggle with her conscience, Milia finally forced her lips open. Schwarz looked at her in mild puzzlement.
"I-I'm…!!"
Why was a simple "I'm sorry" so hard to say? She worked her uncooperative mouth, putting every bit of strength into it.
"I-I'm s…"
In that eternal-feeling instant, just as a soft voice was about to slip free—
"Oh, right. I almost forgot."
"()%*!@()$()@!$@!#@!!"
"Pfft—!? What was that just now?"
The infirmary door flew open again and Arge reappeared. Milia let out a scream that defied description. Hearing it, Arge burst into laughter; Milia whipped her head around in pure panic.
"W-what is it all of a sudden!?"
"I forgot to give you these before I left."
Rummaging in her pocket, Arge produced two slips of paper that looked like tickets.
"What are those?"
"You know the Delleran Theater? Tickets for this weekend's performance."
"Why give them to me…"
"Sadly this unnie doesn't have anyone to go with… And I figured you might need them more than I do."
Milia still looked completely lost. Arge shook her head with a short sigh. In that brief moment Milia caught the wink of one eye.
"Th-thank you…"
"Well then, I'll be off! Do your best, young lady!"
Understanding the meaning at last, Milia trailed off. Looking thoroughly satisfied, Arge flashed a thumbs-up and vanished down the corridor in a flash.
The door clicked shut once more, and silence reclaimed the infirmary.
"Um… so what exactly…"
The whole thing had happened so suddenly that Schwarz could only stare at Milia in bewilderment.
She let out a short sigh and opened her mouth.
"Well… I-it seems that's how things turned out, so m-maybe this weekend…"
Why am I shaking this much over something like this?
While she fidgeted with her fingers, Schwarz spoke.
"There's no need to worry about me."
"Huh…?"
Milia's eyes went round. No need to worry…?
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"While you enjoy the performance, I'll stay somewhere out of sight. I've learned a little infiltration technique from the head butler, after all."
"…"
The sheer scale of his misunderstanding left Milia's mind going blank with pure disbelief. Where exactly had everything gone wrong?
"Haa…"
"My Lady…?"
"I'm going to sleep. Don't wake me."
Schwarz called to her in a puzzled voice as she sighed, but Milia answered as if it no longer mattered, lying back down and pulling the blanket all the way over her head.
"What in the world…"
Watching her, Schwarz could only tilt his head, thoroughly lost.