68
Inside the infirmary of the Icevant Fortress.
On one of the beds at the far end, Theon Luxior lay quietly asleep.
Only a few hours earlier, he had nearly bled to death on the snowy field.
Though his complexion was somewhat pale for someone who had brushed against death, it was not unwholesome.
"His breathing has stabilized."
Genevia, after checking Theon's condition, straightened her back as she spoke.
"As you can see, both his external and internal injuries have been completely healed. Right now he's only in a deep sleep because of the extreme exhaustion of his body, so there's no need to worry too much. He should wake up within half a day, or at most by tomorrow."
Hearing this, relief spread across the faces of those who had been standing around his bedside, myself, Sion, Garen, Diene, Ulrich Thurman, and Commander Valdeor.
"…Ha, thank goodness."
"…That was far too close."
"If we had arrived any later, there would've been nothing we could do."
While everyone sighed in relief, Sion, whose expression remained the most severe, kept silent.
Without a word, he stepped closer to the bed.
"……"
His eyes, subdued and heavy, lingered on Theon's face for a brief moment. Then he quietly turned around and walked out of the infirmary.
From his departing back, one could almost glimpse the unrest and tangled emotions he was holding down.
Instead of following after him, I leaned lightly against Genevia's shoulder.
"You're not going with him, Ms. Lin?"
I shook my head and answered with calm dignity.
"No. Sion needs some time to think by himself."
"…That's surprisingly thoughtful of you."
Genevia gave a small nod and sat down on the chair beside the bed.
Before long, one by one, those who had come to "visit" began to leave the infirmary, Garen, Diene, and the others.
I flopped onto Genevia's soft, curly hair and muttered half-heartedly.
"Ugh… How on earth did it come to this?"
"That's exactly it. Whether at the Grand Duke's Castle or here in this fortress, the North never seems to know a day of peace."
Even after pouring all her divine power into the healing, Genevia looked exhausted. She yawned, her face drawn with fatigue.
Still, despite her weariness, her eyes never once strayed from Theon's complexion. Watching her, I muttered with a hint of a pout.
"By the way, Genevia, are you planning to stay here the whole time? Sitting by Theon to nurse him?"
At my question, Genevia blinked and replied.
"Hmm… I don't think that'll really be necessary. For someone like His Grace, he'll just stay unconscious like this until he wakes up. Once he does, there shouldn't be any problem."
"So you don't know exactly when he'll wake, right?"
"Well, no."
Then Genevia looked at me and asked.
"Oh, then how about you, Ms. Lin? Why don't you sit with His Grace in my place?"
"Me?"
"Yes. Just for the time you're away from the young lord. It wouldn't feel right to leave His Grace all alone like this."
She said this with an air that treated Theon, who, after all, was the male lead, as if he were simply a matter of duty. I stared at her silently.
"…What is it?"
"Don't you worry about him at all?"
"Worry? But I already did. Didn't I just tell you? He'll wake up soon. There's nothing more I can do right now."
Genevia shrugged, looking thoroughly indifferent.
"You've known him since the time when he was still Alo, haven't you? Even after arriving at the fortress, you two continued to build your friendship. I've seen you laughing and talking together several times."
Pressed by my questioning, Genevia gave me an exasperated look.
"Ah, that's because His Grace saved my life back when he was still Alo. He's something of a benefactor to me, so I just tried to return the favor by looking after him. I don't recall any 'laughing and talking' in particular, though."
"……"
"Besides, once we return to the Grand Duke's Castle, he'll become my distant superior, my lord, even. Naturally, I want to leave a good impression."
I narrowed my eyes at her and asked again.
"So you're saying your feelings for him amount to nothing more than gratitude, and that's all your relationship is? There's absolutely nothing like… a spark, or any kind of romantic interest between you two?"
"That's what I said."
"Really? But come on, Theon Luxior is ridiculously handsome. His family's powerful, he's rich, capable... You're absolutely sure you don't feel even this much for him?"
"Ms. Lin, don't you remember what I told you before? A priest's workload is enormous, and the pay is pitiful. Especially in a place like this harsh northern front, how could I possibly have the luxury of indulging in something soft and sentimental like romance? I don't. I never did."
With that, Genevia flicked me on the forehead with her delicate fingers.
"If anything, the only one I might share some unusual bond with is you, Ms. Lin."
"Eh? Me? Why me?"
"…From my perspective, that's how it feels. So could you not dismiss it so coldly?"
"Ah… right. Okay."
I quickly shifted the subject.
"More importantly, Genevia, why are you so uninterested in men? There are plenty of fine men around. Don't you ever… you know, naturally feel a flutter in your chest?"
"Fine men? Like who? Sir Garen is already completely under Dame Diene's thumb, and as for Deputy Commander Ulrich Thurman or that Cole fellow and the other relatively young ones, they're all missing a few screws in one way or another. And His Grace, well… sure, he's handsome, well-built, from a powerful house, has money and talent, but… honestly, I keep remembering the fool he was back as Alo. Totally impossible. Just impossible."
Feeling my heart beat nervously, I asked in a small voice.
"Then… what about Sion?"
Genevia's brow furrowed deeply.
"You mean the young lord? I happen to value personality more than looks, you know. And he's definitely not my type."
"……"
"Well then, I really do have things to take care of, so I'll get going now."
Rising from her seat, Genevia smiled with a face full of shameless self-interest.
"Oh, right, when His Grace wakes, Ms. Lin, please make sure you tell him that I'm the one who saved him."
"…Uh, sure."
With that, Genevia left the infirmary. Beyond the quiet silence, only Theon's faint breathing could be heard.
So there I was, suddenly saddled with the task of tending to the male lead. I sat there, dazed, trying to organize my thoughts.
'Listening to Genevia's so-called declaration just now made it even clearer. She has absolutely no intention of dating anyone. Not at all.'
It was as if she were mocking the very fact that this world was supposed to be a romance fantasy, like an asexual heroine chewing up both the male lead and the sub male lead like chewing gum.
'And Sion too… after coming all the way here, there's still no sign of anything developing with Genevia!'
Ironically, instead of the heroine, he was developing a deeper, tighter bond and storyline with Theon, his half-brother and supposed romantic rival. It was a completely absurd situation.
'Why… why is this happening?'
At this point, there was only one serious possibility left for me to consider.
'Could it be that the genre itself has changed? Is that it? Because there's not a trace of romance left in this!'
Just as I was spiraling into despair...
Ding!
"…Huh?"
Out of nowhere, a system message appeared. It felt like the first one I'd seen in almost a million years.
"…What the heck?"
Still stunned, I stared at the message that had appeared before my eyes.
[Fangirling Mission: Make my ultimate bias, Sion Luxior, achieve love and happiness!]
My face instantly crumpled.
"Seriously? Like I don't already know that? With the way these kids keep tearing down their own characters and ruining their setups, things aren't moving at all, and now you throw me this pushy, annoying message? Really?"
I glared coldly at the screen and let out a long sigh.
"…I have been trying, you know. In my own way."
And it wasn't just empty words.
I'd trekked through dangerous lands and remote outposts, risked my life to protect Sion, done everything I could to bring him and Genevia closer, schemes, setups, even throwing in distractions… but none of it had worked.
"So now what? Honestly, I'm starting to lose confidence here. 'Love and happiness for my bias', is that ending even possible anymore?"
And then...
Flash!
"…Huh?"
From the system window, the words "Sion Luxior's love" suddenly began to shimmer.
Unlike before, the phrase was now bolded, adorned with flashy effects that made it sparkle brilliantly.
"What is this…?"
I blinked.
Somehow, the glow didn't feel like a mere design flourish. It was as if the system itself were shouting: This is a hint!
Compelled by a strange intuition, I stared hard at the words again.
And then.
"…Oh."
An outrageous possibility flickered across my mind.
"Sion Luxior's… love?"
I murmured blankly.
"Wait, does it… not necessarily have to be Genevia?"
As if answering me, the system window sparkled even more brightly.
"……!!!"
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