She lost her words. Red bloodstains leading from the reception room to her feet. Traces that would only come from someone dragging a deep wound while walking.
No wonder Cider was shocked. Even Esperanza herself was speechless.
"Um, it doesn't hurt that much though."
"You expect me to believe that?"
But it was true. A hunter's body is insensitive to pain. It couldn't be helped. If you felt all pain at reality level, who would play games? Especially combat games where flesh tears and bones break regularly. Just because someone likes fighting doesn't mean they enjoy pain.
In terms of settings, it had something to do with mana utilization, but she couldn't remember exactly. Anyway, with pain sensors seemingly half-turned off, even when blood flows freely, it only stings and doesn't hurt as much as it looks. Actually, she had almost forgotten about it since earlier.
"When did you get hurt that blood is still flowing like that?"
"Probably got hurt near the end of the battle."
Though she pouted, she answered properly. Cider glared at Esperanza as if dumbfounded.
"I really said it doesn't hurt. It's some kind of action related to mana, though I don't know the details."
Cider retorted coldly.
"That's just your claim. I can't dissect you to find out."
"That's what I'm saying..."
You should know this too. At her small muttering, Cider's eyes flashed again.
"Do you have a first aid kit?"
"Probably? Just bandages though."
"That potion thing from earlier?"
"I have some, but there aren't many, so it seems wasteful to use on something like this."
If she had known she'd fall into thirteen years ago, she would have packed her inventory full. Or not accessed the game at all.
"I appreciate the concern, but it really doesn't hurt much. I think I can just stop the bleeding roughly when I get home."
"Don't be ridiculous. You want to ride in my carriage while dripping blood?"
Being scolded this much made her feel a bit sorry. When they first met, she seemed to hear such words as naturally as breathing, but recently, perhaps because they'd become friends, he'd been quite affectionate. Esperanza replied in a sulky tone.
"But there's nothing we can do about it here."
"Stand still for a moment. Sit down if it hurts."
Cider went back and forth down the corridor for a while, then found an empty room not far away. Then he brought the standing Esperanza inside.
It seemed like an unused place, but the room itself was clean, as if it had been regularly cleaned. Cider deliberately opened the window for ventilation, locked the door, and even set up a simple device using wire and his walking stick. She didn't know what it was though.
"Double lock."
"Ah, yes."
Cider, who had thrown an answer in a stiff tone even though she hadn't asked, as if he somehow knew, looked around. There wasn't really anywhere suitable to sit.
"Sit there."
"That's a side table."
And quite high at that.
"There's nowhere else to sit, so what can we do? If you had said something earlier, I would have let you sit on a soft sofa."
"Can't you stop scolding me?"
Cider let out a deep sigh. He felt like he was dealing with a mischievous niece.
"So, Esperanza. Where are you hurt?"
Esperanza hesitated for a moment.
"You're going to do it?"
"Who else is there? I'll say it again, if you had said something earlier..."
"We could call someone even now."
"Ah, you want to call the duke's servants just to wrap a bandage? I don't know why you can't trust me, but I can wrap bandages with my eyes closed."
"Try actually closing your eyes."
"I won't close them. I won't even blink once, so don't worry."
Right, it's just wrapping a bandage. Esperanza bit her lips. There was a reason she had been giving hints and refusing. The person who usually noticed things she didn't say quickly was strangely stubborn this time. It couldn't be helped.
Leaning against the side table with just her bottom resting on it, Esperanza bent her body deeply and slowly lifted her skirt hem.
Wide gray pupils shook and then hurriedly stayed at her ankle.
"Esperanza? What are you doing right now..."
The sentence trailed off. Under the skirt with defense-increasing options, there were no thick petticoats or silk stockings. While the skirt dark enough to hide even bloodstains went up her ankle, brushed her calf, passed her knee, and reached her thigh, Cider couldn't even breathe.
Esperanza glanced up at the frozen man and gathered her skirt to one side. Bare legs that a lady should never show to anyone other than her husband, not even family, were exposed up to half her thigh.
And vivid bloodstains embroidering the straight legs. Eyes that had been following the movement of the skirt hem as if enchanted became distorted.
About half a span above her knee was a red wound. It wasn't a large wound but was quite deep. If it had been just a stab wound, the bleeding would have stopped and it would have started healing by now, but since it was a wound made with mana, blood was still seeping out. Cider bent down.
"You said it didn't hurt while having a wound like this."
"It really is okay though."
"Where are the bandages?"
He no longer showed the same shock as before. The man who had unhesitatingly knelt on the carpet took off Esperanza's shoes and placed her foot on his thigh. It was firm and, for some reason, a little hot. Her toes curled up.
"Stay still."
The coldly sarcastic tone softened a little. Whenever his fingertips occasionally brushed the bare skin of her thigh, Esperanza repeatedly startled, but Cider didn't even blink. As if it was truly just treating a wound. That's all it really was though.
Sticky medicine spread widely over the bare skin. When she shivered from the cold, Cider asked while keeping his gaze fixed on the wound.
"How did you get hurt like this? You were fine at Mabelwood."
"That was just a hydra! This time it was a manticore and the dungeon grade was higher too."
"So did this happen every time when the dungeon grade was high?"
That wasn't the case.
"The, the pants I wore on the first day have high defense. The skirt's performance is a bit lacking."
But in this world without hunters, it was difficult to go around wearing pants.
"Then just wear pants."
He used to say she'd get arrested. His head was lowered so his expression wasn't visible. Instead, the hand pulling the bandage became a little stronger. Esperanza giggled above his head.
"What if I get arrested?"
"Who would arrest you?"
"The police?"
Large hands wrapped around her leg and firmly secured the bandage. Along with a low laugh, breath brushed against her knee. Surprised, Esperanza stiffened.
"Although titles have been useless burdens for over a hundred years..."
Cider, who had removed his hands, still knelt on one knee and raised his head. Their eyes met.
"Still, it's enough to speak up when a police officer tries to drag away a lady."
Actually, there were many things she could argue back. Like getting dragged away together, or what if she got dragged away when he wasn't there. Words she could add with a laugh.
But she couldn't say anything. Unlike his playful words, the vivid... in his warm gaze...
Her face flushed hot.
She just knew. Like one drop overflowing from a full cup. Her heart lurched. The fabric in her fingertips wrinkled.
'Why? Since when?'
However, being able to read unspoken words from just a gaze was the same for the other person. Dismay flashed across Cider's face.
Unable to find words to say, their gazes only crossed awkwardly. Dungeons, Cyrus, the royal family. All the serious problems that had occupied her mind melted away in an instant. All that remained was the gaze Cider had accidentally revealed for a moment. But there was nothing she could do except press her lips tightly and count the sound of seconds.
Eventually, Cider breathed out cold air between his lips.
"I didn't ask anything."
He added while standing up.
"So there's no answer to hear either."
That gaze was just his soliloquy. If she had just accidentally overheard it, she should pretend not to know, pretend nothing happened.
Could she do that?
"Can you stand up?"
Esperanza nodded absently. There was no way he could have forgotten that she had been walking around fine even before the bandage was wrapped. Cider was also only fine on the surface. The sound of his walking stick occasionally came off-beat. The two hurriedly escaped from Pinement House.
"Are you leaving now? I was going to prepare dinner."
Mrs. Kirkfield, who they met at the entrance, made a shocked sound.
"Today doesn't seem like a good day for dinner. I hope all the injured people can recover safely."
She spat out two completely unconnected sentences like a machine gun solely for the purpose of escaping the palace. They called a carriage that had been loitering nearby, and during the ride home, the atmosphere between them was terribly awkward.
She secretly glanced at Cider while pretending not to look. He too was keeping his gaze fixed only on the window, but there was no way he couldn't notice when their eyes met and parted. His lips were stiff. Just because they decided to pretend it didn't happen doesn't mean it didn't happen.
The excited mood she usually felt after battles, the shocking royal secrets she learned today, all of it was swept away by rough waves. She didn't know what to do.
Things like the quest becoming difficult if her relationship with Cider became awkward, or the fact that she was staying at his mansion, didn't really concern her. Such things could be resolved somehow. What concerned her was something else.
Would they become awkward like this and end up distant?
She had experienced such relationships a few times. Relationships that couldn't be recovered or severed, awkwardly held onto until they became neither this nor that. She knew well that nothing remained afterward. Back then it didn't matter. But...
'I don't want to end it like that.'
That was her honest feeling. But wouldn't treating him with such half-hearted feelings be impolite?
What was he thinking right now? Was he hurt? She hoped not. If that were the case, she'd rather... The circling thoughts never finished and faded away.
Before she knew it, the carriage had arrived at the mansion. Eyes that couldn't meet properly and kept slipping held the same smile as usual.
"Let's pretend not to know."
As she jumped down from the carriage, a refreshing breeze tickled her cheek. Esperanza hesitated and asked.
"...Is that still okay?"
Wouldn't that be too cowardly?
"If you were going to hug and kiss me, I wouldn't refuse."
Her face grew hot. Are you crazy!
"I won't!"
"See?"
He shrugged and went ahead into the mansion. Was this really okay? Was this awkward state better than a clear rejection?
Esperanza was someone who would return. Wasn't she throwing herself into dungeons, the royal family, the Golden Claw, and all these complicated incidents for that purpose? Cider couldn't have forgotten that fact.
But if he knew that, then why?
'What exactly do you want to do with me?'
She thought while looking at his silent back, but couldn't get any answer.