Elysia walked down the long corridor after leaving the chapel.
Ever since she'd seen those golden scales tilt toward Valentin with her own eyes, she felt as though her head were about to explode.
Each of the two men's names had rested on one side of the scales, and the moment more weight of Affection was added to Valentin's side, a warning had appeared.
[System]
[!] Warning: You are approaching the 'Valentin de Arcane' Ending.
It was a dangerous warning that meant one wrong move could bring her to an Ending very soon.
And that wasn't all. Elysia recalled the suggestive words Valentin had said to her.
"If you're going somewhere, tell me beforehand. I don't mind hide-and-seek, but five years got pretty tedious."
Why on earth had Valentin been looking for Elysia?
And for five whole years, at that.
She definitely ran away before she ever confessed to him. Was there some reason for him to do that?
He had never shown any particular romantic interest in Elysia.
At least, that was true according to the game information Elysia knew.
'Don't tell me… Elysia ran off with his money or something?'
The question refused to leave her mind.
On top of that, when Valentin's side had tilted downward, Tristan's had risen like the opposite end of a seesaw.
At that moment, she couldn't help remembering the rule of this game all over again.
[!] Game Rule
If you want to survive, you have to two-time them.
It seemed that getting closer to one man's Ending (written as 'Ending,' read as 'dying like a fucking dog') was caused by the scales becoming unbalanced.
'Do I need to do something with Tristan to balance them out?'
Her thoughts naturally reached that conclusion, but she couldn't be certain that it was actually the safe path.
Using common sense, was it really wise to stir up a hornet's nest just to solve a problem?
Why deliberately provoke not one madman, but two?
Valentin alone was already enough of a headache.
'Then what if I leave Tristan's side alone… and lower Valentin's instead?'
For a moment, she thought she could simply return everything to the way it had been, only to immediately realize how unrealistic that plan was.
'But is that even possible? His Affection goes up just because I look at him, and it goes up just because I call him by his name.'
Does he have some kind of affection deficiency or what?
'If neither this nor that works… what the hell am I supposed to do?'
The more she thought about it, the more her head throbbed because there simply didn't seem to be a correct answer.
She just wanted them to finish investigating the sacred relic and leave this place as quickly as possible. She didn't want to make a move for no reason and end up tangling the situation even further.
'For now, I won't touch anything until I know more.'
It was a lukewarm conclusion, but for the moment, it seemed like her best option.
Just then, Elysia stopped dead when she spotted a familiar figure in the distance.
It was Tristan.
"……!"
She instinctively ducked behind an arched pillar and immediately retraced her steps.
'Ah, fuck. Why did I hide?'
Her body had moved automatically before her mind could even process what was happening.
Her startled heart thudded as though it might burst. Only after Elysia had hidden herself somewhere deserted could she finally clutch her chest and breathe.
'I think our eyes might've met for a second…. I should've just acted naturally.'
Even though she desperately wanted to believe otherwise….
Those pitch-black eyes, like those of a wild beast, had definitely been pointed in her direction.
He'd already seen her. What was the point of deluding herself now?
Regret came flooding in too late, but there was nothing she could do about it.
'At least he didn't follow me, so it should be fine, right?'
Every step she took left her restless, but in the end, she had no choice but to resign herself to it.
'I've already hidden from him, so what can I do? I'll just have to behave more carefully from now on. That's all.'
There was still a long time left before the workday ended, yet she was already completely drained and wanted nothing more than to lie down.
***
After deciding not to provoke either of them until she had reached a conclusion, Elysia spent the next several days avoiding the two men as much as possible.
Volunteering for the night shift at the infirmary was part of that effort.
When she'd first pretended to be sick to avoid them, she'd inconvenienced the other nuns by hiding in her room for several days. And after walking around with Valentin and becoming the target of everyone's envious stares… honestly, she felt a little self-conscious.
For the sake of getting along smoothly with everyone in the future, she thought it would be better to volunteer for the unpleasant jobs.
Fortunately, the perpetually understaffed infirmary welcomed Elysia's decision with open arms.
"…Ah, I'm exhausted."
Late at night, Elysia stood before a medicine pot where medicinal herbs were simmering, straightening her back for a moment as she caught her breath.
The convent infirmary was operated as a form of charity for people who were sick but couldn't afford to go to a hospital.
Since there were no patients in critical condition, she'd sent the other nuns back to their rooms and remained alone.
Her body might be tired, but honest physical labor like this was far easier on her mind than dealing with those two men.
It was fine, aside from the fact that rumors had apparently already reached the infirmary, judging by how the nuns in charge kept pestering her with questions about what the High Priest was like.
All the patients who had taken their evening medicine were asleep.
Elysia checked that steam was rising from the medicine pot, then extinguished the flame. She began sorting the linens that had been soiled while caring for the patients.
Once she finished this, all she had to do was drink a cup of tea to keep herself awake and stay up until morning.
Assuming, of course, that there were no emergencies.
She had thought that, at least for tonight, she would finally have some peace.
"Eli."
Creak.
At the familiar voice coming from the entrance as the wooden door opened, Elysia raised her head.
"I'm hurt."
Tristan stood there at an angle, clutching his injured hand with the other.
***
In the end, Elysia had no choice but to treat him.
Honestly, it wasn't because she felt sorry for Tristan….
Her survival was at stake too.
[System]
Quest: 'Late-Night Healer'
Treat the injury of Strategy Target 'Tristan Loch.'
[!] If you refuse, 'Elysia Gray's' Character Trait will cause your guilt to skyrocket.
[Predicted Ending if Quest is Refused]
<Tristan Loch Route> - Ending 13: Love Blooming from Guilt
'…A Holy Knight losing his arm. I'll take responsibility for you, if no one else will.'
Honestly, who was supposed to pity whom, and who the hell was supposed to feel guilty toward whom?
It was absurd, but 'Elysia Gray' had always been that kind of person.
They said your personality determined your fate.
She couldn't even look after herself properly, yet she was so hopelessly meddlesome that she'd somehow ended up cursed to be taken advantage of like a sucker by not one, but two men.
'I really… hate this part of myself.'
Separate from that, she also felt deeply bitter about her own situation.
There was an injured person right in front of her, yet instead of feeling sympathy, her first concern was saving her own skin.
Elysia found herself terribly materialistic and inhuman.
A sinful life where she had to two-time two men just to survive.
Since she had no choice but to live as Elysia Gray, she'd tried to live with a heart devoted to atoning to the world….
But the world showed remarkably little interest in cooperating with Elysia's holy resolution.
Whether he knew about her troubled thoughts or not, Tristan barely said a word throughout the treatment.
'This wound is deeper than I thought.'
She'd wondered how badly anyone could possibly get hurt in this small, peaceful convent to warrant coming all the way to the infirmary.
But the injury was more serious than she'd expected.
After pouring disinfectant over the wound and wiping it clean with fresh linen, Elysia glanced up—and immediately met Tristan's eyes.
A strange brightness appeared on his face.
At that exact moment, as though it had been waiting for this, the System chimed.
[System]
Strategy Target 'Tristan Loch' likes your warm gaze.
[Tristan Loch Affection: +3]
She hadn't intended anything particularly warm about it.
She'd just looked at him, and his Affection went up.
Afraid it might rise even more, Elysia immediately averted her eyes.
Tristan didn't seem to care.
He continued staring intently at her.
It was so quiet that she could clearly hear the sound of breathing, yet that fervent gaze alone was enough to make her skin prickle.
Focus.
The more conscious she became of him, the harder Elysia tried to devote all her attention to treating the wound.
'Something about this… is strange.'
The injury was a cut across his right palm.
His palm was already covered in calluses and small scars, but he was an experienced knight. How could he possibly sustain such a large wound while training in a quiet convent like this?
And more than anything else, there was something strange about the shape of the wound.
Elysia often worked in the infirmary, so she'd seen plenty of cuts on the people who came here for treatment.
But the line was far too clean and even for an accidental cut.
…Almost as though he'd deliberately sliced it himself.
The moment suspicion turned into certainty, their eyes met again.
"This… you did this yourself, didn't you?"
At her sharp interrogation, Tristan didn't even look flustered.
Instead, he grinned.
[System]
Strategy Target 'Tristan Loch' likes your warm concern.
[Tristan Loch Affection: +5]
Why the hell is his Affection going up when I'm interrogating him?
Is he insane?
"You caught me."
He admitted it without hesitation.
And then—
"You'll only see me if I'm hurt."
Tristan Loch was far more insane than Elysia had ever imagined.