Even after several days, the teddy bear did not wake up.
As the dirty teddy bear lay completely still, Ruperi was seized by fear.
"Paul isn't really dead, right?"
The memory of the light fading from those red eyes had still not left him.
They were eyes that had always shone clearly, even if they were cold.
But the thought that he might never see them again filled Ruperi with dread.
He shook the teddy bear's body, but its stuffed arms merely fell limply.
-Young Master!
A few days earlier, Anchina had rushed over after hearing what had happened to Ruperi.
-Ruperi, are you all right?
Praten had also come to the bedroom in his pajamas, horrified.
-Oh, Lord Horanus. Thank you. Ruperi, I am so grateful that you are safe……….
Even when Duchess Kreuz, who looked as though she might collapse, urgently embraced Ruperi, his gaze remained fixed on the teddy bear.
'If I had been strong.'
Then Paul would not have needed to stand in front of him.
Rather than trying to make Ruperi run away, perhaps Ruperi could have protected Paul with his own strength and dealt with the chilling bastards.
Together with the teddy bear's red eyes, the memory of being unable to escape the strange thing no matter how hard he struggled tormented Ruperi.
His eyes reddened, but he did not cry.
'Regretting it won't change anything. Paul is already like this.'
That was why Ruperi asked the father he had not seen in a long time to teach him swordsmanship.
Until now, he had learned swordsmanship because he enjoyed spending time with his father.
But to prevent something like this from happening again, it seemed better to learn from his father rather than from a swordsmanship instructor.
'Before long, I'll awaken Divine Power too.'
That was all the more reason for him to learn swordsmanship from his father, who knew how to wield Divine Power.
As Ruperi's heart broke and hardened, another few days passed.
Just as he was considering seeking out even Horanus, the God of Light, the tattered arm of the teddy bear twitched.
Ruperi, who had been watching the teddy bear, opened his blue eyes wide.
"Paul!"
At least no one else was in the bedroom.
Light slowly returned to the teddy bear's red button eyes, which had gone dark.
Strength returned to its limp body, and a chilly energy began emanating from the teddy bear that had felt as though nothing at all lay within it.
And then.
[………Ruperi?]
As violet words appeared in the air, Ruperi's tears of joy streamed down his face.
***
Good grief, I ache all over.
Who would have thought that even an inanimate teddy bear body could ache like this?
It was all because I had overworked that makeshift mana core.
Although I should not have been able to feel pain, I patted my aching body when Ruperi, his face bright, asked me,
"Paul! You're all right now, right?"
[I told you I'm fine. How many times are you going to ask?]
"You're not going to die now, right?"
[Why would I die?]
"You died earlier!"
This guy was casually declaring me dead.
Still, he was the usual Ruperi, so being the magnanimous person I was, I decided to let it slide.
When I came to earlier, his complexion had been so poor.
'I thought we'd both arrived in the Underworld. Why did he cry when he saw me?'
Thankfully, Anchina had entered the bedroom at just the right moment. Otherwise, I would have been at a loss over what to do with Ruperi's flood of tears.
[How about you? Are you okay?]
"Paul is worrying about me too?"
[Of course, I am. You were in danger.]
"Paul………"
Why was he crying again? Was being worried about such a tearful thing?
I comforted him for a long time.
The bandages around my arms were bothersome, but I somehow managed to console Ruperi as he poured out tears.
Once he had finally stopped crying, Ruperi said something incomprehensible.
"I'll protect Paul!"
[You will?]
"I'll learn swordsmanship and protect you so that you won't get hurt."
Ruperi clenched his fists and spoke as though making a vow.
'He used to throw tantrums because he didn't want to learn swordsmanship from anyone except Father.'
It seemed my loss of consciousness had affected Ruperi deeply.
I felt sorry for him for a moment, then smirked with pride.
[Go ahead, then.]
"Paul, are you laughing?"
[Why?]
"It's the first time I've seen you smile."
Was it?
I was puzzled, but smiled along with Ruperi as he grinned broadly.
After we had smiled for a while, I changed the subject.
[Come to think of it, what happened to the curse?]
"The curse? Ah, Paul, you don't know what happened afterward. Father handled it all."
[Father?]
Ruperi rattled off everything that had happened after I lost consciousness.
First, the owner of the white back I had seen was indeed Duke Kreuz.
Duke Kreuz had returned from the Grand Temple, captured the Dikidia bastards, and locked them in an underground prison.
"Do you know how relieved I was when Father came that day? I resented him, but Father really is amazing after all."
[Yeah. He is.]
"And Father took the curse media away. He asked how I found them, so I said I found them while adventuring."
[Good job.]
"I knew Paul would hate it if I told the truth."
He was truly quick-witted.
From what I heard, it seemed the situation had been settled well overall.
I was about to relax when—
"By the way, Paul."
Ruperi cautiously began, as though he still had something to say.
"What were those ghosts I saw that day?"
***
"Paul, are you all right now?"
Why are you talking to me?
"I'm glad you woke up. Ruperi was really scared."
Ah, so you were another victim of Ruperi.
Anchina had told me something as she sewed up my body.
-Paul! Do you know how badly I wanted to sew you up? Young Master wouldn't let anyone touch you!
During the days I was unconscious, Ruperi had not allowed anyone near me.
The atmosphere had apparently been so tense that Praten continued in a tearful voice.
"So I have a favor to ask—"
That was when my body was lifted into the air.
"Brother, Paul doesn't like it."
"Paul doesn't like it?"
"His expression is stiff. Can't you even read Paul's expression?"
Ruperi scolded him.
Seeing that, Duchess Kreuz reprimanded Ruperi.
"Ruperi, do not be too harsh on your brother. Praten worried about Paul when he was hurt too."
"Mother is the same. You don't have to come anymore."
"Oh my, Paul! Did you hear what Ruperi just said? He is telling me not to come anymore! Isn't he a terribly cruel master?"
Duchess Kreuz instantly changed her expression and accused Ruperi to me.
The fact that they all spoke to me so casually made me feel as though they had found out I was alive.
'How long are they going to keep talking to me?'
In truth, the Kreuz family had been like this ever since I woke up.
Ruperi had treated his family so coldly that once I woke up and the atmosphere softened, they began using me to talk to him.
But despite their efforts, Ruperi's heart had not softened.
"Paul says that's not true."
No.
Judging from the arm that hugged me tightly and his awkwardly sulky voice, it seemed their efforts were working.
'Seven years old, after all. I knew his sulking wouldn't last long.'
The family had become cheerful again, so I probably did not need to get involved anymore.
Feeling faintly satisfied, I recalled what Ruperi had said a few days earlier.
-What were those ghosts I saw that day?
I had been so startled when I heard that.
When I met the Dikidia bastards, I thought I had to resolve the situation somehow, so I summoned a wraith without thinking things through.
Perhaps it was fortunate that I retained at least a shred of reason and had not summoned the wraith I had subjugated while still in House Teneris.
In any case, I panicked and was about to make an excuse—
-You're a necromancer, right? That's your ability.
Ruperi remembered what the Dikidia bastards had said more accurately than I expected.
My mouth nearly fell open.
It was a very good thing that a teddy bear did not have one.
[Ah, no? It just happened that way.]
-You're lying. Even if I'm young, I know what a necromancer is. And you handled them quite skillfully.
[Y-you saw it wrong! Skillfully? I wasn't skillful!]
-So my eyes were wrong? I watched you the entire time.
A cold sweat I did not possess ran down my back.
When I subtly averted my gaze, Ruperi spoke in an eerie voice.
-Right. A necromancer. Can fairies control wraiths too?
[Uh, uh………. I guess so?]
-Just as I thought. Fairies must live for hundreds of years.
But then Ruperi smiled.
I had expected him to question me further, but he unexpectedly let the matter go.
'He hasn't asked about wraiths since then, either.'
I kept pretending to be an ordinary doll as I watched Ruperi's reaction.
Seeing how happy he looked, I brought out the plan I had set aside.
'I need to escape from the Kreuz manor as soon as possible.'