Healing
"Huuu... huuuu..."
"........."
Kania lay on the bed, breathing raggedly. I sat lightly on the edge of the bed, staring at her for a moment before finally speaking.
"...How long has it been like this?"
"S-Since... this morning... my stomach started getting sensitive... and then eventually..."
"So that's why your stomach hurt back then too."
"Y-Yes..."
Watching her in such agony twisted my heart. The reason she was suffering like this was undoubtedly because star mana had mixed in when I infused her with my life force last night.
Normally, I adjust meticulously to keep star mana, which is fatal to black mages, from seeping in... but my condition at the time must have caused a mistake.
In the end, I'd wronged Kania again.
"Kania, I'm sorry."
"...Pardon?"
"...It seems like it was my fault."
I'd finally been able to treat her well, but instead of doing that, I'd made her suffer... I had no words for it. It felt like I was fated to commit evil no matter what...
"Young Master."
"Kania?"
As I hung my head in self-recrimination, Kania, who had been trembling until then, gently took my hand and spoke.
"Young... Master's... fault... it isn't... huuuh...!"
With teary eyes, she struggled to speak, then squeezed her eyes shut and began trembling again.
'Right, this isn't the time to wallow in guilt.'
Guilt could wait. Right now, treating Kania's stomach pain—caused by me—was the priority. I'd apologize properly after.
"...Kania, I'm going to lift your top a little."
Regaining my focus, I spoke carefully, and Kania nodded weakly.
I gazed at her for a moment, then slowly began lifting her maid uniform.
"Hic...!"
Kania let out a frail whimper. Even the fabric brushing her stomach must have been excruciating.
I paused, and a sense of déjà vu hit me from her moan. I pondered it briefly.
'Could that faint moan I heard at dawn have been this?'
While fiddling with the cat doll early that morning, I'd heard a faint woman's moan from the room. My poor condition then made me think it was a ghost or hallucination, but now it sounded just like Kania's.
'She's been in pain since receiving my life force...'
I could picture her stifling moans and forcing herself to sleep despite the agony. She must have lied about only getting sick overnight to spare me guilt.
Kania was too good for me.
"Kania..."
"Yes... Young Master..."
"...Can you endure it just a bit longer?"
Pushing down the mounting guilt, I fully lifted her top, exposing her stomach, and whispered to her.
"Pardon? What do you m— haaak...!!"
The next instant, I poked her stomach with my finger.
"Huuuuuut... huut..."
Kania, about to ask what I meant, squeezed her eyes shut against the sudden torment, gripped my hand tightly, and convulsed.
"...Sorry."
"Uh... uuuut... uuu..."
After convulsing for a while, she wiped the tears welling in her eyes as I apologized glumly and spoke.
"Don't... apologize... If anything, I... hiiik...!"
"...Then, let's begin properly."
"Haaaaah..."
Unable to watch her suffer more, I placed my left hand on her stomach—where mana had dispersed from the poke—and held her right hand with mine, swiftly stabilizing her mana.
'Oh, this is problematic.'
As I stabilized the mana in her stomach amid her moans, I frowned upon sensing my star mana and her black magic already blending deep inside.
If they fused that deeply, it could leave permanent side effects or become a ticking bomb. I'd stabilized most of the star mana, so it was unlikely, but doing nothing until fusion completed would be irreversible.
'No choice. I have to absorb it all.'
I'd have to absorb the star mana deep in her stomach along with her black magic. Absorbing just the star mana risked her black magic rampaging, but taking both together should be safe.
It would strain my body, but since I planned to perish with the Demon King anyway, what did it matter?
'And I promised to do my absolute best for her.'
Resolved, I took a deep breath and applied force to her stomach.
"...Hng!"
"...Hak?"
Kania tilted her head with a moan. Sensing the deep black magic draining, she must have noticed.
"...Ugh."
"Y-Young Master...?"
Continuing, her deep star mana and half-blended black magic began flowing into my hand. Her eyes widened in alarm.
"Young Master, star mana and black magic are polar opposites! Forcing absorption will—"
"...No other way. Sorry."
As Kania stared blankly, speechless, black energy crept up my arm.
"Uuu..."
"...What are you doing right now?"
"Ah, nothing much. It'll be over soon."
"...You're absorbing the black magic right now, aren't you?"
Feeling her kind heart anew at her frown, I gave a wry smile.
"I said it's nothing."
"........."
Finishing absorption of the residual black magic deep inside, I collapsed onto the bed, sweating profusely.
"Haa... Emergency treatment's done... Your stomach might stay sensitive for a while... but you've passed the crisis..."
"...Young Master."
Exhausted from precise mana control, I panted out the results, but Kania interrupted, so I fell silent and listened.
"...Look at your arm, Young Master."
"...Ah."
My left arm she pointed to was pitch black.
"...Good thing it's the left. Right arm would've been trouble."
"........."
Trying to brush it off as she fretted, she suddenly teared up.
"That's... not the issue..."
Her intense reaction flustered me, and I sweated as I explained.
"K-Kania, really, it's fine. The blackness will fade if I keep flowing star mana into it."
"B-But... the pain and... the curse will persist..."
"You know I'm rich, right? I'll buy expensive herbs and potions, apply them regularly—no itchiness. So don't worry..."
"But... it'll be permanent... forever..."
She murmured, head bowed.
"My black magic... is cursed... so this time too... Young Master..."
"Kania, don't worry. Such permanent wounds aren't an issue for me anyway."
"...Pardon?"
"Soon, not just this scratch, but the life force and abilities I lose for you—none of it will matter. So relax..."
"Hic...!"
"Kania...?"
Even spoiling a bit of the future to reassure her, she burst into tears before I finished.
"S-Sorry, Young Master...!"
"Wh-What's wrong...? I'm fine, really...?"
"B-But... buuut..."
"........."
I spent time patting the back of Kania, who clung to me sobbing. She really was too kind.
.........
"...Sniff."
After crying long, I forced back my tears to avoid burdening Young Master further.
"Kania, feeling better now?"
He gazed at me worriedly, then gently placed a hand on my shoulder and asked warmly.
"Yes, Young Master. I'm truly sorry for showing such an unseemly side."
"...No, people cry sometimes. Holding it in could harm your mind... Better to cry when you want."
I apologized, but he smiled wryly and advised me instead.
Watching him, I recalled him hugging the doll with my soul and weeping, then asked.
"Is that... from experience?"
"...Maybe."
He answered shortly, reached for bandages by his bedside, and began wrapping his arm carefully.
"...Ow."
Though he feigned nonchalance, his arm trembled.
I watched, then spoke.
"...I'll wrap it for you."
"Huh? I'm fine—"
"...Please don't say you're fine so lightly, Young Master."
"...Okay."
Cutting off his protest firmly, I took the bandages he offered and wrapped his left arm gently.
"...Young Master, why were bandages by your head?"
"Ah... Seems I'll need them a lot soon."
"........."
Gazing at his sheepish words, I suppressed surging emotions and continued wrapping.
'His arm's shaking this much... it must hurt terribly...'
He claimed it was fine, but with his arm rotting like that? Even a breeze would agony him now.
Yet, knowing this, he absorbed my cursed black magic... and still smiled at me.
How could someone be like that? Brave enough to face the world's hatred to save all? Kind enough to erase his memories fearing he couldn't love me, bearer of black magic from his mother's sacrifice, and smile innocently despite his arm rotting? Pure enough his unconscious—gathering all ugliness—was holier than anywhere?
"...All done, Young Master."
Finishing amid those thoughts, he smiled and said something unexpected.
"Thanks, Kania. Now, let's resume treatment."
"...Pardon?"
"Haven't fixed your imbalanced black magic yet? Skipping even a day would be bad."
".....!"
Hearing that, I knew.
'You're brave, kind, and pure too, Young Master.'
All three guesses correct.
"...Young Master, rest today."
"No. Can't skip. Or your black magic rampages... Anyway, who knows what happens."
"...Yes, understood."
I suggested rest to spare him, but he shook his head sternly. He still carried trauma from my past mana surge.
It hurt terribly then, but...
'...Compared to your pain so far, it was nothing.'
"Um, Kania. ...Hear me out without getting mad?"
Guilt surging again, he glanced nervously and stammered.
"...Yes?"
Why mind me? Tilting my head, he blushed and spoke lowly.
"Th-The treatment just now left your stomach in bad shape... So, placing hands there for a while... better avoid."
"Yes, I agree."
"So, another spot... that spot is..."
"...What spot?"
"...Only the heart's least embarrassing."
"...Ah."
Finishing guiltily, he bowed his head and muttered.
"Sorry, I know you hate such contact..."
"........."
Gazing at him...
"Or just channel without touching? Harder, but if it bothers you, I can manage—"
"...Like this?"
"........!!!"
I gently placed our clasped hands on my heart.
"K-Kania...!"
"...Begin, Young Master."
Clothes would block life force, so I lifted my top slightly for skin contact.
"Then... starting..."
He hesitated, then quietly infused life force.
'So this is the warm feeling.'
Too accustomed daily? Or clothes dulled it? Warmth bloomed where his hand rested on my chest.
'Receiving life force feels this cozy and warm... I never knew...'
Holding his hand on my chest, savoring the comfort, I checked his face and stiffened.
'I feel ease receiving it... but Young Master...'
Even now, he sacrificed for me. How selfless and noble.
Monitoring for strain to pull away if needed, suddenly an anomaly stirred near my chest.
'Why's my chest heating up?'
Warm before, now scorching around his hand. Panicking, I touched it with free fingers—no such heat.
'What's this? Issue in transfer?'
Debating removing his hand worriedly, rhythmic sounds echoed.
Realizing, I bowed my head.
"...Eut."
"Kania? What's wrong!? Not star mana again..."
"N-No. It's not..."
"...Huh?"
"...Nothing."
Avoiding his worried gaze, head down, I murmured inwardly amid the clear heartbeat in my ears.
'I'm unfit as your maid after all.'
My face, traitorously, had flushed.
.........
"Hehehum~♪ Hum~♪"
As Kania bowed her head blushing, Perloché hummed cheerfully, scribbling away.
"So... if you don't want your secret revealed... come to the Sun God Church cathedral right after academy ends today... Perloché Astellade."
Reciting the letter aloud as she wrote, she set down her pen satisfied and muttered.
"Hehe... Perfect. Even Frey will come raging to the cathedral now...?"
Nodding to herself, she picked up the envelope—then eyes widened.
"Ah, right! This is blackmail!"
Realizing she'd signed her name, she rolled her eyes, then smirked and grabbed the pen again.
"...Done!"
Crossing out her name boldly, she smiled contentedly, slipped the envelope—wait, letter into it? No, envelope into letter? Anyway—muttered.
"Frey... I'll use you up good... before destroying you... yaaawn... sleepy..."
Overheating from writing, she yawned mid-sentence and dragged her tired body to bed.
"Tomorrow'll be fun... hehe..."
Flopping onto bed, imagining her exploits ahead, she drifted off smiling happily.
Utterly oblivious to the envelope-letter mix-up.