SELENA watched Yuki gallop away from Fol Castle on her horse. Once she was out of sight, she turned to her Master.
“Yuki was in a real rush to leave. I wonder if you had something to do with that, Vigo.” Selena smiled at him. He frowned and groaned. “Her Knight is in quite the predicament too. For him to have been in a state of sleep for months on end…was he actually placed under a curse?” she guessed. Vigo stayed silent, a tortured look on his face.
“What? Beating yourself up now?” she teased. He swiveled around to glare at her—she had hit a sore spot. Vigo only gave Yuki ten days.
✦ ✦ ✦
“YOU have ten days,” Vigo told her when the Selena left the room.
“What?” Yuki asked from bed.
“I’ll only wait for you for ten days. Bring your Knight back within that time.”
“I will!” Yuki answered without hesitation. She didn’t have time to waste wallowing in ifs and buts. She leapt out of bed and rushed to make the bare minimum preparations as fast as she could.
✦ ✦ ✦
“TEN days is the limit,” Vigo confessed, tugging on his thick beard. “I don’t mind if I’m called heartless and cruel for this…”
Oh dear.
“No matter how I calculated the numbers, ten days came out as the max. No, when I took into consideration the possibility of her coming back late, I couldn’t let her have the real limit.” Vigo dropped his gaze to his folded arms. “However much medicine we have, it means nothing without her power. We won’t be able save them all. I’m not even sure we can save ten percent without her. If the little lady disappears from us now, the people infected with the Ten Day Fever in Fol will most likely die without her.”
A self-derisive smile crossed his sunken face. “I’m a doctor. I can’t think of anything aside from saving patients. I’m using a foolish little girl, knowing her power is likely chiseling away at her very life. Even if she turns out to be Rvydom’s princess, I would use Rvydom’s princess as a tool to save lives.”
Vigo was being uncharacteristically garrulous. Did he just want to get it off his chest? Or was this his attempt at repentance? Selena neither knew nor cared.
“I wanted to remain disconnected from Fol. I have to save people once I get involved. The nature of a doctor is coming back to bite me…. In the first place, I have no right to keep her restrained here or to set a limit for how long she can go to the capital. Rifaenotis and Galian entrusted her into my care and this is the result. I’m using her as a witch-cursed tool,” he laughed dryly. It was an eerily hallow laugh.
“…I’m fortunate no one has told her about her ability or status…. Do you hold me in disdain now?” Vigo spat, blankly looking nowhere in particular.
What a cruel man. Did he believe he was hurting Selena with what he said? He wouldn’t look her in the eyes. He really is sly.
Did he think she was a woman who could listen to him bare his heart to her and not feel something? Or was this all a part of some perfectly calculated plan?
Unlikely. Vigo isn’t the type to manipulate people.
Knowing this awkward man couldn’t do something as skillful as manipulate with false emotions was exactly why her heart ached for him. He was exposing the darkness he kept hidden inside. A smile touched her face at his forlorn state. A smile wasn’t enough, laughter shook her shoulders.
“I’m your Knight.”
The laughter in her voice must have seemed odd to him, because Vigo finally glanced over at her.
“I’ll at least put my opinion out there, but I won’t reject your opinion. Nor do I ever want to go against your orders.” Vigo remained unblinking, so she continued, “I love Yuki, you know? She’s the spitting image of Lord Cahn with her honesty, sincerity, and kindness. She’s the most precious and adorable thing. I love her.”
Silence answered her in the room. Inside the freezing room only Yuki’s bed seemed to give off warmth—just like the coldness of their lives.
“I love her, but that doesn’t matter. I won’t blame you if your actions lead to her death. Even if Yuki turns out to truly be our princess.”
“…That’s a horrible thing to say.”
“Is it? Isn’t that how it is between Knight and Master? I am your sword and your shield.” Vigo finally looked her in the eyes and she smiled. “And I am a dog whose Master’s orders are absolute. At least that’s how it is for me.”
Vigo’s eyes widened and he dropped his gaze from hers again.
Mad dog…eh?
It had been a long time since she last referred to herself as a dog. Selena didn’t hate being called a dog. In all actuality, she used to take pride in it.
Since when? Since when did the word ‘dog’ start to take on various meanings? Since when did I start hating being called one? She reflected on the sentiment for a while until she realized it was a pointless venture and cast away the thought.
The descending sun had taken on an orange hue. The light did nothing for the two of them in the cold room—it only seemed to shine on the now empty bed whose owner had brought Selena such warmth and joy.
“…I’m a loyal dog,” she whispered, making excuses to no one.