“Oh my…” she exclaimed. She had never seen something so beautiful. When she stretched out a hand to touch one, it dissipated against her skin like a bubble. She wandered around in utter amazement, paying no attention to where she was going. Suddenly, her foot caught under a tree root.
“Lille, watch out!”
She gasped, squeezing her eyes shut just as she was about to hit the ground. But the bruising impact she expected never came; instead, Charles caught her.
“Are you okay…?” he asked, worried.
Lille found herself pressed snugly against his broad chest supported by surprisingly strong arms. She could feel his long, silky hair brushing the nape of her neck. She had been in a similar position with Ark, once. Then, she had felt nothing out of the ordinary. But with Charles, her face felt like it was on fire.
“Thank the gods I caught you in time. Did you twist your ankle or anything?”
“N-No. I’m fine,” she replied.
When Charles moved to release her, she almost refused to let go. Then she saw it. A warmth spread out from where they were touching, and she saw a light glow from within him. It was an intense, jade-green light, both brighter than the sun, and softer than the moon. It had to be Charles’s mana.
“Lille? What’s wrong?”
She instinctively reached toward it, but was interrupted by a sudden wave of dizziness. Drowsiness rapidly overwhelmed her.
“M-Master…” she called weakly. By the time Charles realized what was happening, it was too late. Strength sapped from each of her limbs, one by one, as if she were a puppet whose strings were being cut.
“Lille!”
She collapsed into his arms, and immediately lost consciousness.
✦ ✦ ✦
❁❁❁
“A developmental fever?” Leo’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief. “From absorbing too much mana?”
Charles had carried Lille to her bedroom, and when Leo brought her some rice pudding, Charles told him what happened. Apparently, Leo had his doubts.
“Shhh,” Charles hushed him. “Please keep it down, for Lille’s sake. The fever made her lightheaded.”
“But…that just isn’t a thing. If it was, it’d happen to kids way more often. Are you sure you have a brain in there?” Leo eyed him dubiously.
“It’s partly my fault for not being careful enough. If I’d controlled my mana properly, this wouldn’t have happened,” Charles said calmly, although he was frowning.
Leo’s scowl didn’t budge an inch. “The fact that it happened because of your mana just annoys me more!” he huffed.
“Well, I get the impression that Lille’s easily influenced by other people’s mana, considering how sincere and genuine she is,” Charles said.
“…From now on, I’ll come to class with her,” Leo insisted.
“I won’t have to make time for you separately that way, so that sounds good to me. But…won’t you get bored?”
“Maybe, but I don’t care.” Leo pouted before angrily shoving the bowl of pudding onto the table and stomping out of the room, slamming the door violently behind him.
“Honestly, that boy…” Charles sighed. “Lille, here’s some rice pudding and some orange juice. Can you manage a little?”
“…Yes,” she replied. Charles propped a pillow behind her back and helped her sit up.
“Are you feeling well enough to hold the spoon?” he asked. She made a valiant attempt, managing to scoop up some of the pudding, but the spoon soon slipped from her fingers and clattered back into the bowl. Charles picked it up again. “…I thought not. Come on—open wide.”
As if she were a baby bird, she opened her mouth, and Charles slid the spoon between her lips. The mellow sweetness of the rice pudding washed over her tongue, and she swallowed it gratefully. Somehow, she finished the bowl, and afterward, Charles supported her back while she drank the orange juice. With a full stomach, she felt a lot better.
As she lay down again, she was reminded of a similar scene from her childhood. Ever since Charles had given her the bag of potpourri, she had all sorts of dreams every night, and had probably recovered most of her memories from the first six years of her life.
“…When I was little, my mother used to feed me like this whenever I got a fever,” she said absently.
Charles used magic to cool down a wet towel, and carefully placed it on her forehead. “Speaking of your mother, I remember you said I was like her in some ways. I might not be able to replace her, but I’m glad you feel comfortable around me.” He smiled.
“Master Charlie…” she began.
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry for being such a nuisance.”
“Lille…” he said despondently. She was the one who wanted to cry, and yet Charles looked just as sad. “I don’t think you’re a nuisance. You’re part of my— You’re part of our precious family. Of course we’re going to be worried when you’re sick, and relieved when you’re healthy. That doesn’t make you a nuisance. Family means we’ll always be there for each other, don’t you think?”
She blinked. “I never knew you thought of me as part of your family, too.”
“Of course I do. Ark and Leo feel the same way, I’m sure. Leo would never say it out loud, though,” he laughed.
Gradually, her sight blurred with tears. Knowing that those special to her loved her just as much in return filled her with an incredible joy.
“Thank you, Master Charlie,” she said tearily. “Could you give Leo my thanks for the rice pudding? Oh, and tell Ark I’m ever so sorry for worrying him.”
“Got it.” He smiled. “Now, you get some sleep. Goodnight, Lille. Sleep well.”
After he left, Lille couldn’t help but replay in her mind what had happened in the forest. She knew she should rest, but as she thought about it, her face grew hotter and hotter, and she just couldn’t fall sleep. In a way, she was glad to be alone, yet also desperately wished someone else were with her. For the first time since leaving the tower, she went to sleep feeling lonely.