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"Ugh… it hurts… my head… it hurts…"
Clutching his head, Alo groaned in pain.
Genevia, startled for a moment, quickly regained her composure and began channeling her divine power to heal him.
"Please hold on just a little!"
I'd been sticking close to Sion and watching all this, but to grasp what was going on I quickly flew over to Genevia.
"Genevia, what's happening?"
"I'm not sure. Mr. Alo suddenly started hurting…!"
Genevia carefully checked Alo's condition.
"Mr. Alo, take slow, deep breaths. Everything will be all right."
"Nngh… ugh…"
Alo staggered and groaned like a sick bird, and Genevia soothed him calmly.
But when there was no sign of improvement, she leaned in and whispered to me.
"Since my divine power isn't having any healing effect, it might be that Mr. Alo's lost memories and cognitive abilities are trying to return."
"Really…?"
'The unmarried man who saved Genevia and grew unusually close to her is about to come back to his senses?'
Sensing this was no ordinary situation, I watched Alo closely.
Just then, Alo's groans and movements stopped all at once.
"Mr. Alo?"
Genevia cautiously called out to Alo as she reached out to support him.
But Alo remained frozen, unmoving like a statue.
Then, something spilled from his lips in a faint murmur.
"…I… kn–"
Huh? What did he just say?
Tilting my head, I flew closer to study his face.
I slipped down beneath his crouched legs and glanced up at him.
Through the tangle of unkempt hair and beard, I caught a faint glimpse of his eyes.
I flinched.
Wait...
In Alo's dark-blue eyes, there gleamed a sharp clarity I had never seen before.
'Could it be… just as Genevia said, his memory and awareness have returned?'
I tilted my head and called to him.
"Hey, Alo."
Alo's eyes turned toward me.
In that moment, I could clearly tell, he recognized me.
But then...
Thud—!
Alo suddenly shot to his feet.
And with a bright, clueless smile, he said.
"…Alo's fine now. Doesn't hurt anymore."
He looked exactly the same as the innocent, simple-minded young man from before.
"…???"
I stared up at him, dumbfounded.
'What the hell? Just now, I was sure he'd regained his memories and awareness!'
But Genevia, who hadn't noticed that fleeting change in his expression, let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness! I was worried since my divine power wasn't working."
"I'm okay. Alo's okay."
Lowering his head shyly under Genevia's worried gaze, Alo cast me a quick sidelong glance.
"……"
And I knew instantly.
For some reason, this guy was deliberately choosing to keep pretending to be a fool.
My mind raced, and then a thought struck me.
'Don't tell me… this scheming bastard plans to act like an idiot just to monopolize Genevia's attention!?'
I hurriedly opened my mouth.
"Wait, Genevia. This guy Alo—if you ask me—"
Before I could finish, Alo suddenly reached out and grabbed me.
"Ugh-!"
He stuffed me straight into the pocket of his coat and muttered.
"Sparkly fairy. From now on, you belong to Alo."
"What the hell are you saying?! Let me go, you idiot!"
It was obvious he was just trying to shut me up. Treating me like a hostage, he shoved me deeper into his pocket while spouting nonsense.
"Pretty fairy. Belongs to Alo."
"Cut the crap and let me out already!"
Just then...
The hand sealing the pocket suddenly moved away.
".…!"
Before I realized it, Sion had come over, gripping Alo's wrist and forcing it aside with sheer strength.
In one swift motion, Sion pulled me out of Alo's pocket and placed me gently on his palm.
His face and voice, cold as when addressing the Grand Duchess, fixed on Alo.
"Don't lay your hands on her so carelessly."
"……"
Alo just stared at him blankly, clearly startled.
Sion's voice grew even sharper, like a warning.
"Lin is not a toy. She's not someone you can just treat however you please."
"…But, she belongs to Alo."
"She's not yours. Even less so."
With that, Sion lowered his gaze to me resting in his hand, his expression softening as he carefully checked me over.
Sion carefully examined me, checking if I was hurt anywhere.
Clinging onto his hand, I jabbed a finger toward that sly, fake fool pervert (=Alo) and shouted.
"Sion! Genevia! Be careful! That guy is seriously suspicious!"
"Calm down, Lin."
"Miss Lin, Mr. Alo must have just been in a state of mental confusion. Please don't press him too hard."
Genevia said, shielding him the way one might defend a scolded house pet.
Other than me, who had seen the look in his eyes, no one seemed to suspect Alo at all.
Garen and Diene approached, asking.
"What exactly happened?"
"Is Mr. Alo all right?"
Because of the commotion, knights and servants nearby began turning their attention toward us.
Worried my existence might be noticed, I quickly hid myself inside Sion's collar. From there, I glared at Alo with wary eyes.
'Ha! I knew it, he gave off a bad vibe from the start! Now it turns out he's some shady schemer hiding in plain sight!'
This wasn't just about guarding against his potential romance with Genevia anymore, now it was also tied to Sion's safety.
"Ms. Lin, young lord, please return to your quarters for now."
Garen urged, conscious of the growing stares.
So except for Genevia, who stayed behind to keep an eye on Alo's condition, the rest of us withdrew.
But as we left, I kept my eyes narrowed on Alo in the distance.
'My gut says it all, he's dangerous. I have to expose his true identity!'
***
The next morning.
I woke up earlier than usual, my eyes snapping open.
Sion was already up, dressed neatly in the uniform provided to the First Knight Order, tightening the laces on his boots.
The uniform was practical yet dignified, and it suited him perfectly.
"Good morning, Sion!"
I called, flying down by his feet.
"Hey, Sion. Just so you know, I plan to spend today apart from you. I've got something important to do."
"Something important?"
"Yep. I'm going to keep Alo under surveillance, watch his every move."
"……"
Sion's hands paused mid-motion, bootlaces half-tied. He lifted his gaze to me.
"…And why is that?"
"That guy… he keeps bothering me. I can't shake it."
"……"
Sion's expression chilled instantly. Clearly, he too had sensed something was off about Alo.
"You're talking about what happened yesterday, aren't you?"
"Exactly. I saw it up close. That guy, he definitely got his memories back, but he's hiding it. He's plotting something, I'm sure of it."
Propping my chin with a hand, I declared with utmost seriousness.
"For example… maybe he's targeting someone. But it's still unclear, whether he's after Genevia… or Sion."
"Lin, it could be you too."
"…Huh? Me?"
Sion frowned, clearly displeased.
"Yesterday, Alo tried to snatch you, remember? And he claimed you were 'his.'"
"Well… I think that was just because I was about to expose his true identity, so he wanted to shut me up."
"Hmm. I'm not so sure."
It seemed Sion and I had different views on Alo's intentions.
"And even if he is some kind of spy, this place is a fortress, surrounded on all sides by elite knights. It's only a matter of time before he slips up or his identity is revealed."
Sion turned his head slightly, gaze cool and detached.
"So… I don't know if it's really necessary for you to be so preoccupied with him, Lin."
"……"
Apparently, Sion was worried I might cause another mess, given my track record.
I quickly flew up onto his shoulder and patted his cheek gently, both to reassure him and, of course, to recharge my fangirling energy.
"Don't worry, Sion. This time, I'll really be careful and just observe him quietly. No trouble, I promise."
"……"
"I'll never do anything that could bring harm to your life here. Cross my heart!"
Knowing that simple words wouldn't cut it anymore, I stuck out my pinky finger.
But Sion, not knowing what that gesture meant, gave me a puzzled look.
"What's this supposed to mean?"
"It's a promise, when you hook pinkies. Think of it as… a fairy-style oath."
"……"
After a moment, Sion lightly touched his pinky to my tiny hand and said.
"…One more condition. Don't recklessly throw yourself into danger."
"…!"
For a second, I just stared at him blankly. Then I nodded my head furiously.
"Y-Yeah! I promise!"
Hearing Sion, even a little, worry about my safety made something warm and ticklish stir in my chest.
It was… remarkable progress.
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