“Now explain. Why were you fighting?”
“Er…”
“Uh…”
Illy and Plum, soaking wet, puffed out their cheeks as Glenn questioned them at the Litbeit Clinic. The fairies had provided them with towels, but they didn’t attempt to answer as they wiped their bodies down.
“Your claws and fangs are dangerous! You can’t just whip them out!” Glenn tended to their wounds as he spoke. After disinfecting the scratches and bites, he applied ointment and then covered them with gauze.
“I’m sorry!” Illy offered, though she didn’t look like she meant it.
Plum was silent, staring off into the distance, seemingly bored.
“Hey, you apologize, too!” Illy snapped at her.
“But I didn’t do anything!” Plum protested.
“Apologize to the doctor for taking up his time!”
“Fine! I’ll apologize, but what makes you think you have the right to tell me what to do?!”
“That’s enough!” Glenn interrupted, worried they were going to go at it again right there in the clinic.
They both shut up, rather than drawing Glenn into their feud.
“Waaah!” Half crying, Memé kept looking back and forth, not sure whose side to take.
“Memé has been worried sick about you,” Glenn said. “Reel it in a bit.”
Illy and Plum had arrived at the clinic mere minutes after Memé, and well before Glenn had even grasped the situation. It was clear from their attitudes that they wanted nothing to do with each other.
What to do?
He wanted to ask why they’d fought, but neither of them was talking. However, the commotion had occurred right after Glenn was asked to perform the physical exams for the ambassador candidates.
Does that mean it was about the selection?
Plum had her own issues, but given what humans had done to Illy, it would be completely understandable if this was bringing up past trauma. Glenn considered performing the physical exams then and there, since they were already in the clinic, but it didn’t seem like the right time.
He sighed. “Well, anyway, all of your wounds are superficial, so I’ve patched them up for now. If you must fight, keep your hands and claws to yourselves.”
“Fine.”
“Got it, Doctor.”
They were surprisingly obedient, but Glenn saw them eyeing each other. Evidently, some people were just incompatible.
What do I do about this?
Spats between young women were beyond Glenn’s capabilities.
“I asked the fairies to contact your guardians,” Sapphee said, with a satisfied expression. “They’ll be here to collect you soon.”
“Guardians? Who’re they?” Illy cocked her head, confused. Without parents or other relatives, the closest thing she had to a guardian was—
“Tisalia.”
“The Lady is coming?” Illy was taken aback.
“I also contacted Arahnia. Bothering her in the middle of her busy workday… Surely she’ll be angry about that.”
“Why would you call my mentor?!” Plum protested. “I have a dad!”
“We can’t approach Lord Murdrac,” Sapphee said. “Also, won’t you genuinely listen to what a respected mentor has to say?”
Illy squawked and Plum screeched in protest.
Sapphee paid them no mind, keeping a straight face. “Anyway, you’re forbidden from fighting. I won’t stand for you taking up more of the doctor’s time, especially for something so ridiculous.”
“Ergh…”
“I-I’m sorry!”
Both girls straightened up under Sapphee’s piercing glare, though they still wouldn’t look each other in the eye. Memé still seemed trepidatious.
Could this be an aftereffect?
Glenn let out a deep breath. Just what he needed. One more thing to worry about.