When I woke up, I was lying on a bed in the school's medical room.
　Feeling a twitching pain in my neck, I turned my face to the side and saw Cecily-san.

''Well how long have I been sleeping?''
'Actually, it hasn't been too long since Kurohiko passed out.

　Beside the bed, Cecily was sitting in a round chair.
　She was probably staying with me.

　Cecily told me the story of how I came to be here.
　After that, Hibigami carried me to the school when I lost consciousness, he said.
　Curie-san tried to carry me on his horse.

"I'll carry it faster.

　And he said that he took me away from them.
　Then Hibigami arrived at the school and left me in the care of Makina-san.
　Then he was brought to the medical room, and the flow of events seems to be going on until now.

''Currier seemed to have some hesitation about leaving me in Hibigami's care, but in the end, he seemed to have decided that that man wouldn't just send you to your death.

　I looked at the ceiling with mixed feelings.

'As for Hibigami, I suppose it's for my own good but still, I could have helped again.

　This makes me feel that I have to reach the level of strength that Hibigami is looking for at all costs.

By the way, where is everyone else now...?
'Currier is about to start something with a man named Rokia, and he's making a meeting with him. However, I'm sure he'll come back here to check on her sooner or later.

　Rokia, huh?
　If those two are going to do anything, is it still noise related?

''The headmaster is currently discussing future plans with the instructors and the survivors of the Order. In the evacuation area, the body of one of the four deadly attacks hasn't been found yet, and they're still trying to decide whether or not to release the citizens of the evacuation area. I heard that one of the arms that seemed to belong to the four deadly attacks was found at the scene.

　I am sure that Beshgam was dead.
　The man named Zemeckis was defeated by Mr. Currier and captured by Rokia, I was told.
　This too would be different.
　Masso should have been dead, too, and, above all, he hadn't lost his arm.

　If that's the case, is it the Four Deadly Disasters that Hibigami defeated...?
　But it's strange.
　How could that hibigami fail to kill the enemy?

　No, no.
　There is no way that man would let someone live for no reason.
　In that case, he must have deliberately not held his breath.
　....................
　It was an opponent with room to grow, so it was overlooked.
　Or, one could think that someone had a plan to hide the corpse for some reason, but.......
　If that's the case, why did they do it?

''So, you haven't released the alert on King's Landing yet?
Yes, I'm afraid so.
'Speaking of which I wonder if Zeke and the others were able to evacuate?　Do you have any news on Miss Cecily's place?
'Zeke has gone to the evacuation zone with Hyrgis and my mother, Hannah and Mrs. Loloa. Banton, who came to the school a short time ago, told me about it. My grandfather was accompanied by a member of the Order to the evacuation zone.
Oh, I see. Thank God everyone is okay.

　I've never heard of Mrs. Loloa, but she's probably Zeke's lover.

'But it seems that Zeke and Hyrgis had an encounter with the Four Deadly Plagues on the way.
What?
Zeke's arm was broken, and Hyrgis broke some fingers and he is said to be in good health.
Yeah?

　....
　The other party was the Four Deadly Disasters.
　Should we consider it lucky that we survived?
　And the person who came between the two of them and the Four Deadly Disasters - probably Hibigami.
　That guy didn't say a single word about Sieg and Hirgis-san.
　It's possible that he wasn't even aware that he had saved them in the first place, though.

''.........''
Hmm?　What's the matter, Kurohiko?

　I wasn't sure if this was something I should ask.

'Miss Cecily, your clothes--'
Oh, is that it?

　Cecily picked at the fabric of her apron dress with her fingers and lifted it up.
　Yes.
　Right now, Cecily-san was wearing a maid's dress.

''My clothes were torn and dirty from the battle against the Four Deadly Plagues, so the headmaster lent me the maid of honor's clothes.

　Miss Cecily twists her hips to show me the front and back.

'Hmph, does it look good on you?'
''........By the way, is it okay to say to a noble lady that she 'looks good in a maid's outfit'?
Hmm?　That means you think it looks good on me, so that's how I can interpret it, right?
Yes, I think it looks great on me. But it's a pity that it's a bit too big.

　I guess it's not so much the owner (probably Mia), though, as Cecily is too slender.
　He's quite slender in body, you know.
　For some reason, Cecily put her hands to her chest and puffed out her cheeks.

''Mm, there is a limit to the size of the breasts through individual effort.............another Kurohiko's tease.

　He stared at me with resentful eyes.

'Eh, no--'

　I was just referring to the entirety of my clothes, and no one was pointing out the size of my breasts.......
　Poof, Cecily-san turns her face away.

''It's okay, it's nothing. Your mother also said that the shape of the breasts is more important than their size.

　Cecily's cheeks are a little red, and she gives you a sidelong glance.

It's not a good idea to have a good idea of what's going on in the world.　Okay?　

　With a sniff, Cecily hooks her fingers on the collar of her maid's dress and comes at you with a wicked look on her face.
　Hey, aren't you being a little pissed off?

'Um ... Miss Cecily?　I wasn't referring to the breasts, I was referring to the size of the clothes themselves.
Huh?

　Cecily rolls her eyes.

'Cecily, you're so slim, you look a bit shabby in those clothes, don't you think?　That's what I meant.

　Ms. Cecily's face flushed with embarrassment as she lifted her teeth.

'That kind of thing, come on, say it first!　Ha, you've embarrassed yourself....
...or do you get the feeling that he went there voluntarily?
Oh, you naughty boy!

　Pfft, he poked me in the cheek with the tip of his index finger.
　Huffing and puffing, Cecily-san sat back in her chair, looking disheartened.

'But I was hoping you'd respond to this figure a little more...'
I mean, it may look like this, but I have a lot of fun with it.

　And that's when I said and tried to sit up, and that's when it happened.

''--?　Ugh, goo........?

　As soon as I try to put some effort into my body, intense pains rush through my body.
　Cecily stands up in surprise.

''Kurohiko!

　I collapse into bed again.

'Duh, are you okay!

　Cecily peeks in with concern.

'Maybe it's the effect of using the forbidden spell. I don't think I'm out of the load yet... though I honestly didn't expect it to go this far.

　As long as I don't put any effort into my body, I don't seem to have any problems.
　I don't feel the pain now that I'm in a sleeping position.
　Besides, I wasn't expecting it earlier, so the pain surprised me and I fell down, but if I knew the pain was coming beforehand, I'd be able to endure it a bit.
　Of course, strenuous movements would be difficult, but....
　Well, I guess I'd better sit still and rest for a while.

　And then I notice that Cecily-san is thinking about something.

''Cecily-san?''

　What's going on?
　'Oh,' said Cecily, looking up.

'No ... when Hibigami said he was going to carry you, he said, 'You'd better not rock your horse, huh? I can carry him without shaking him. Wouldn't it be much better if I carried him myself? He said, "I'm sorry.

　I see.
　So Hibigami assessed my condition and carried me in such a way that I wouldn't run into any pain from the shaking.

　Even if it is because you are expected to be an opponent to fight, I feel like I owe Hibigami a lot of debt this time.
　............
　I've got to really work hard at my training.

'Um, Cecily-san.
Yes?
Can you help me up, please?
'What?　Are you okay?
'It hurts when I exert myself, but maybe if you can assist me, I can manage it. It's hard to talk in my sleep, too.
Or do I have to leave?　Kurohiko needs to rest too...
I've got a general idea of how far it's going to hurt to move it, and maybe it's because I just woke up, but I don't feel like I'm going to sleep now.
Well I see........okay.

　Miss Cecily stood up and came to my side.

'Then you will excuse me, Master?'
Well, can you play along?
Oh, you don't like it?
"...the black-hearted maid.
Hey!
Ow!

　A light chop on the forehead with a pop.

"You are a foul-mouthed master, aren't you?

　And then Cecily put her top half of her body in front of me, almost covering me as it was.
　We're just face to face.

'Why, Miss Cecily?'
Hmm.........If you think about it, the situation right now can be said to be one in which I can do whatever I want, right?
"Huh?

　Cecily slowly creeps her right hand down my thigh.
　She strokes it around with a movement as if she were rubbing it.

'What are you doing!
I thought you might need to be punished for your master's poor behavior. If you are too much of a tease, you might get a little embarrassed, don't you think?
"...Cecily, did you have a drawer like this one?
Hmm?　What's that?　I don't understand what the master is saying~?

　Ms. Cecily smiles seductively and tries to put her hand inside my jacket.

''Ko--''
Huh?

　Miss Cecily tilts her head.

'This is not the Miss Cecily I know!　You're an imposter, aren't you?　As long as he can move his mouth, he can use the Ninth Curse!　I am going to invoke the curse...
'Wow, wow!　Kurohiko, calm down!　I am!　It's me, all right!　I'm sorry!　I got too carried away!
...Is it real?
'Yes, it's real, right?　See?

　Cecily chuckles, looking chilled.
　Hmm.
　Only Cecily is the one who can make this angel smile.....
　I'll just have to believe it.

''You're being too evil, Cecily-san.
Actually my mother has been giving me a lot of guidance lately. I guess that's a factor.
Guidance?
Recently, my mother has been trying to teach me the art of captivating men, saying, 'I heard you finally have a man in your life, and I think it's time for you to carve your value as a woman on him.
What's that?
"My mother has been writing a bundle of notes from a young age on the art of captivating men - known as the 'Sociedad Document' - and she inserts one a day under the door of my room before she goes to bed.
It's got some kind of grandiose name but when you open the lid, all you get is a hint of an erotic dictionary.
That was my reading of it and my practice of it, in my own way, but...
'What are you teaching your own daughter, Miss Cecily's mother?　--ggh, ouch!

　Pain shot through my body because I almost held my head up.
　.........d*mn.
　When we were in the Cirrus Baths, you seemed to be keeping a fairly calm distance, but now, Cecily-san, you're casually almost being taken in by your mother.......

'What?　Kurohiko, don't move too hard!

　A flustered Cecily.

'Here, let me help you up. Please don't push yourself.

　Cecily puts one knee on the bed.
　Then she supports my back and pulls my hand away.

'Oh, Miss Cecily,'
'Oh my God, you're blushing again........and your chest is hitting me?　You can't blame me for this kind of situation. I don't care, so you don't care either. Do you understand?
I'm sorry.
Doesn't it hurt?
Yes, I'm fine.

　After a hectic day, I somehow manage to sit up and lean against the headboard.
　Perhaps out of concern for my posture as I leaned back, Cecily placed two pillows between the headboard and my back.

'Thanks for the help,'
No, no, no, not at all.

　Yup.
　Sitting up like this is somehow more comfortable than lying on your back.

However, it seems that I will have to visit Cecily's mother once to greet her. Mainly about your daughter's affairs.
Oh, you mean, you mean, like, you want my daughter for your wife?
'No, sir!　Please don't give any more of these socio-documentation and other unhealthy toxic texts to my own daughter because I'm not going to give them away any more to my own daughter!　And I'm going to protest!
Doesn't it make you uncomfortable to be treated like that, Blackie?
"Ugh...well, that's not to say that I hate it with all my heart, but...you know, the frontier is valuable because we discover it on our own, or something like that.

　I'm not quite sure what I'm saying anymore.

'Hmm,'

　Christ!　And Cecily's eyes flashed sharply.

'You mean that you want to dye Cecily Arkwright to my liking without the interference of others?
"I'm gonna find out, like a great detective. You may look like that, but that's not the case at all...!
I'm sure you'll find that Kurohiko is a surprisingly complex boy. That's why it's worth attacking, you could say. By the way--

　Cecily walks over to the simple cooking table in the medical bay.

'Are you hungry, sir?'
Oh, you're free, but....
I'll be with you in a minute.

　Cecily opens the lid of the rounded device on the simple cooking table to check the contents, and then gulps down the protruding handle-like thing.
　Then the device begins to emit steam.

What is that?
I'll wait until it's ready.

　Mr. Cecily said that much in a coaxing manner, and a minute or so passed--

This is...
I prepared it for Kurohiko to eat when he wakes up. But I'm sorry, it was a bit of a mess, so this is all I could make.

　There was melted butter on top of a sliced, gooey potato.

"Potato butter...?

　I wonder if the device I just saw is a surgical machine like a microwave oven.
　Whatever it is.

"Gulp.

　Oh, it's one of my favorite things to eat.
　Never thought I'd run into you here again.

"Miss Cecily.
Yes?
I love it.

　The fork whose tip was stuck in the potato on the plate in his hand sank deep into the plate with a gulp.

''Nah, Kyu, what is it all of a sudden?
I'm a huge fan of this!
...Oh, yeah, like that.
And I love Cecily for preparing this!
''Well it's just my imagination that I sound like I'm lower in the pecking order than the potatoes, isn't it?''

　'Oh, that's okay,' says Cecily, cutting up the steamy potatoes into small pieces.

'It's hot, let's let it cool, shall we?

　
　............
　A dish with Cecily's breath on it.
　That's one way to look at it.
　But now I wanted to eat potato butter.
　I wanted to eat it.

'Yes, please?　...Oh, yeah.

　Cecily, who stuck out her fork, opened her eyes wide as if she had just come up with a strange idea.

''Kurohiko can't move much, so perhaps it would be easier to transfer the food to his mouth?　
The potato butter, quickly.
Yes.

　For some reason, Cecily-san, who was instantly pissed off, feeds me some potato butter.

''Mugu mugu........gokun.
What do you think?　Is it good?
'It's good--this is good, Mr. Cecily!　And the butter is so thick, so good!　I love you, Cecily!
It's complicated ... this is very, very complicated ...

　Shrewdly, Cecily was performing the dexterous feat of crying with laughter.

　　　　　　　　　　*

　And, well, that's how I got some food in my belly, and I felt a little more relaxed.

'Thank you for all your help, Cecily,'
Well, think of it as my way of repaying you for your kindness. It's not as good as it could be. Because of you, I am safe and sound.

　Cecily's eyes relaxed and she gently took my hand in both of hers.
　It was a very slow motion, perhaps out of concern for my pain.

'If there's anything I can do for you, please let me know, okay?　You ... you've done so much for me.
No, I was trying to repay Cecily for everything she's done for me...
Nope.

　Miss Cecily shook her head.

'You've already done more than that, sir.

　When someone says something like that, I don't know how to respond.
　So I couldn't help but think.

''Well I'm a potential lover, and that's a given!

　What a thing to say.
　Then Cecily cleared her throat and said, in a strangely theatrical manner, "I've set a deadline of three years, but I'm getting nice at an unexpected rate.

I have set a deadline of three years, but I am becoming wonderful at an unexpected rate. Therefore, I am thinking of making the deadline earlier, but--
'Please don't arrange the lines of Hibigami in a casual way. And it's not as if they look alike.
And if it looks like that, it's rather a big deal!　I mean, that's not what you should be touching...?

　But, I see.
　I don't remember the same three years for both the settlement with Hibigami and Cecily-san's potential lover period.......

　Cecily-san gently put her hand on mine and put her hands behind her back.

I'm sure you'll be able to see the real me, sometimes I can speak my mind without hesitation, sometimes I'm very dependable, and when I come on strong, I have a cute reaction... and when I'm in a real crisis, you come to me in a very cunning way. --

　Cecily-san turns her head away with a smile on her face as her mouth falls open.

''It would be crazy not to show favoritism with this, right?

　My heart felt like it was squeezing.
　My face is getting hot.
　I try to hide my embarrassment and giggle.

'Oh, I'm still rather subtly wondering why someone as nice as Cecily-san would want someone like me...'

　Cecily-san also returned a wry smile.

You should strive to have a little more confidence in yourself, though... well, compared to being a weirdly confident person, I personally like it. But it's a little difficult for me to have confidence in myself, too. Because you are--

　Cecily's smile faded into a bit of sadness.

'Because you're really strong now. And now I can't help you in battle like Currier did. Rather, I'd rather be a liability to you.''

　Cecily drops her gaze.

It's a good thing that you're able to do this, because it's a good thing that you're able to do this. Of course, in order to continue to be strong--
Okay, then!

　I swallowed my spit once, and then opened my mouth again.

"When I'm having a hard time ... well, just be there for me.
I'm not sure...
'I feel so much better when I'm around you, Cecily. It's probably because--

　I smile at him.

'Because you are irreplaceable and very important to me.'

　Cecily rolled her eyes.
　She dropped her face.

'Will you stop, please?'
'What?　Um--

　It was then that Cecily gently embraced me in a gentle embrace.
　It was a very soft embrace, a very soft embrace that took into account the pain in my body.
　She put her mouth close to my ear and whispered, so close I could feel her breath.


'Don't make me fall in love with you any more - you really might not be able to wait three years.


　Then she quietly broke the embrace and let go of her body.
　Cecily chuckled.

'I thought by any chance you were going to say something like 'aggravating' again?
...a little bit.
It works to make you anxious and then relieved. That's another teaching of the Societies document.

　Huh, I loosened the corners of my mouth.

'But well I'm going to accept any Cecily-san now, though.
Oh, that's not so bad, is it?

　I chuckled and looked up at Cecily with a smile.

'You'll have to be prepared for three years before graduation, won't you?
Hmmm... that was... pretty good, wasn't it?

　Cecily bent forward with one hand on her hip and poked my forehead with her fingertips, chomping on my forehead.
　Then she winked.

'You can count on it--my, prince?'

　The bashful smile was mingled with a sense of freshness, as if a chill had been lifted from his chest.