♚♚♚
THAT morning, a single carriage left Mateus Manor with a message. It was, of course, headed to retrieve Nisha and returned successfully from its mission just before noon.
Rock went out to the front garden to welcome their guest.
Nisha anxiously poked her head out of the carriage and placed one unsure foot on the ground after the other, as if she’d never stepped out of one before. But all her apprehension shifted into a relieved smile when she saw Rock waiting for her.
“Rock… Is it true? You found Krister?”
“Yeah, he’s inside,” Rock told her, then hesitantly explained, “But…you should know…he’s hurt.”
“He’s hurt?!”
“Yeah. His leg was broken when he got kidnapped.”
Nisha’s whole face tensed. Rock held out her hand to her.
“I’ll show you to his room. Come with me.”
“…Okay.”
Nisha’s hand was shaking.
Rock tightly held it, and they sprinted to the guest room where Krister was waiting.
Krister was lying in bed when they entered the room.
He was still debilitated in addition to his bum leg, so the doctor said he should start by resting and regaining his strength before anything else.
He wasn’t supposed to have visitors for long today because it might overexcite and exhaust him. Rock explained the situation to Nisha as they raced through the hallway, and she agreed to stay calm.
But she forgot all about that as soon as she saw Krister.
“Krister!” Nisha cried out as she ran and threw herself on him on top of the bed.
Krister tried to catch her, but he could only raise his arms so high. Still, he was able to pat her on the head as she clung to his waist, weeping.
“Sorry for leaving you alone so long, Nisha.”
“I don’t care about that! I-I thought I’d never get to see you again…!” She sobbed like a small child. “I knew you wouldn’t abandon me! So, I was certain something bad had happened to you…!”
“Thanks. Rock told me you put up posters.”
This was Rock’s first time ever seeing such a gentle smile on Krister’s greedy face.
Everyone must have at least one person they can be their true self with and show unfettered affection to, she thought.
“We should give them some alone time,” Ebel whispered to Rock as they stood in the room watching the heartwarming reunion.
“…Yeah, we should.”
Rock was all for that plan and quietly exited into the hallway with Ebel.
They could still hear Nisha crying on the other side of the door for a long while after that.
Rock and Ebel leaned against the hallway wall and remained silent for a few minutes. They were glad to see the lovers reunited, but the circumstances prevented them from truly being happy.
“What will happen to Krister now?” Rock asked in a quiet voice, finally breaking the silence.
Ebel looked at his folded hands and sighed.
“I’ll let him stay here for a while until he gets used to using a cane.”
“Won’t that be a burden on you?” Rock asked frankly, getting a chuckle out of Ebel.
“It’s not that much trouble to look after him. I’ve got plenty of rooms to lend one out, and I can get him the best doctor if he stays in the aristocrat district.”
Was it the noble thing to do not to bring up how much of a financial burden that would be? Rock was impressed by him once again.
“Besides, I want a little more information,” Ebel continued, his brow creasing. “Krister’s probably still confused by it all, but I’m hoping he’ll remember something after he’s had a chance to calm down. I’m betting on it.”
“Yeah, I hope he remembers something too.”
Krister and Kurt—they had two living witnesses under Ebel’s roof.
Rock wasn’t physically harmed, but it was a traumatic experience nevertheless. She wanted something to show for the pain she’d put herself through.
“This sect of the Werewolf Brotherhood seemed relatively new,” Ebel began as he slowly started dissecting the situation. “I’m not sure how they got started, but it might be hard to learn the origins of the curse from them if they were only mimicking the original Brotherhood. But we should be able to come closer to the truth if we can figure out who’s been controlling them.”
The power of the werewolves unnecessarily exacerbates human desire, compelling them to act on their violent impulses.
If nothing else, they learned through this last ordeal that there was something—or someone—who tried to manipulate people that hadn’t been cursed as well. They might be able to learn the truth of the curse if they could find the mastermind behind it.
Ebel and Rock wanted the same thing: to make it so no one else had to suffer and grieve because of the werewolf curse. And to do that, they needed to solve the mystery surrounding it.
But before that—
“Father and I are planning to go back home soon,” Rock softly told Ebel. “The shop has been closed this whole time, and I’d rather not deal with thieves thinking my stuff is free for the taking.”
Too much time had passed since she left her little shop in the slums. So much so that she was starting to miss that squalid shantytown.
There was no greater happiness than being able to choose when and where you return home.
“…I see. I’ll miss you.” An even greater sadness showed on his face than his words let on.
“Please don’t look like this is goodbye forever.” Rock laughed, and Ebel shrugged like a pouting child.
“It feels the same. I can’t believe I have to let go of you again after overcoming a long, arduous wait to finally reunite with you…”
“You can see me anytime you want. I’ll always be waiting for you in my shop,” Rock said to soothe and comfort him.