“Lay her down inside!”
Horten was a laid-back man who didn’t bother much with rules or procedures. Instead of hearing the full story from Maon, he decided to check on the patient first.
Horten hurriedly crossed the infirmary, pulled the curtain aside, and lifted the blanket from the bed. As Maon laid Liana on the bed, Horten covered her with the blanket and set his cloth bag down.
“Hm.”
After looking Liana over from head to toe, Horten lifted her eyelid and checked her wrist, then nodded.
“There doesn’t seem to be any trauma or bleeding, right?”
He couldn’t very well examine the girl more closely—it wasn’t proper, especially for a noble young lady.
“You should answer when spoken to.”
“Yes.”
“Phew.”
Horten nodded at Maon’s reply.
He set a kettle to boil and took out one of the medicine bottles he’d brought in his bag.
It was a potion for waking someone from unconsciousness.
“Looks like she just fainted from fright.”
“A high fever…”
Maon clenched and unclenched the hand that had been holding Liana. The blazing heat of her skin still lingered vividly on his palm.
If he hadn’t caught Liana as she collapsed, she’d likely have been trampled by the horse and her fate would have been sealed by now.
“She only has a slight fever now.”
“……”
“Was her fever worse on the way here?”
“Yes.”
Hmm. A boy of few words.
Horten glanced at Maon, then checked Liana’s temperature again. She had a slight fever, but it was within normal limits.
“In any case, she’s fine now. Once she takes the medicine, she’ll wake up soon. Don’t worry.”
Maon didn’t look especially startled, but Horten said it anyway out of habit, then poured water into a teacup. He opened the medicine bottle and let a few drops fall into the steaming cup, then swirled it until mixed.
“The spoon… Ah, here it is.”
He rinsed a spoon left haphazardly on the bedside table with the freshly boiled water and let the water spill onto the floor, then sat on the chair beside the bed.
“I need help giving her the medicine. Please support her.”
Horten’s eyes widened as Maon casually turned back the blanket, sat down, and lifted Liana into his arms.
Maon rested Liana’s head on his shoulder, even gently moving her hair to one side.
“Heh.”
Horten chuckled and brought the spoon to Liana’s lips. As he carefully trickled the potion in, he saw that she swallowed it unconsciously.
Just as they were nearly finished, the sound of a horse neighing came from somewhere outside.
“Hmm, is someone else coming? Did they get hurt riding?”
With a puzzled look, Horten glanced out the window. One horse was snorting, and soon another galloped up, with a man and woman on its back.
For a riding accident, the girl lying in the infirmary looked much too neat, which made Horten tilt his head in confusion.
“What’s this student’s name?”
After emptying the cup, Horten placed it roughly back on the table.
“Liana… It’s Liana.”
“I see.”
Horten got up and looked for the infirmary’s record book, but it was nowhere to be found. After searching even under the bed, he gave up and took a notebook from his pocket.
He scrawled the date and Liana’s name, then tucked the notebook away and gathered up his cloth bag.
“When she wakes up, have her see a healer. She should be fine, so don’t worry.”
“Yes.”
“Good, good.”
Horten turned to leave, but then looked back at Maon.
Maon was still holding Liana from behind. The unconscious girl leaned limply against his shoulder.
Well. It wasn’t exactly an improper sight, but…
“Are you planning to stay like that?”
Maon just blinked, as if he didn’t understand.
“Never mind.”
There was no point explaining to someone so oblivious.
Horten decided to let it go. After all, who else would come to the infirmary? He’d completely forgotten about the horses he’d just heard and seen out the window.
Just as Horten reached for the door to leave, it burst open.
Déjà vu? He almost bumped into whoever had entered.
His hand, reaching for the handle, hovered awkwardly in the air. Lowering it, Horten looked at the newcomer.
It was Evan, the Crown Prince currently enrolled at the Academy.
“Professor Horten, fancy meeting you here.”
Evan smiled politely.
He must have hurried, because his hair was slightly mussed. Sensing Horten’s gaze, Evan straightened his hair.
“Evan, isn’t it? Are you feeling unwell?”
Even though he already knew the answer, Horten asked.
“No, sir. I came to check on a first-year student who collapsed during the class observation.”
“Ah, you mean the student inside.”
“Is she alright?”
“Seems like simple fainting. Go take a look.”
“Yes, thank you. Please take care.”
“Always do my best—your favorite motto, Evan.”
Horten smiled kindly. Evan said nothing and headed for the bed behind the curtain.
As Horten walked out to the corridor, he saw a male and female student in red ties running toward him. They bowed politely, apparently not recognizing Horten, and slipped past into the infirmary.
“What’s this about?”
Ignoring the commotion, Horten passed by, but at the innermost bed of the infirmary, Evan encountered an absurd scene.
Evan couldn’t help but let out a faint, incredulous laugh, standing there at a loss.
Usually, Evan wore a leisurely smile, but now there was a faint hint of displeasure on his lips. Collecting himself, he spoke again to the boy who looked as though he had no intention of answering.
“I asked what you’re doing.”
What Evan saw was a first-year student, his tie missing and only in a white shirt—probably the one who had rescued Liana at the riding grounds—holding her from behind.
Sitting against the bed’s headboard, he cradled Liana in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder.
To some, it might have looked like an embrace between lovers—shameless for this place—but Maon seemed utterly indifferent.
His jet-black eyes slid over and fixed on Evan.
“Maon?”
Evan recalled the name he’d heard earlier.
“Yes.”
Is he not good with words?
Remembering how Maon had given short answers at the riding grounds as well, Evan wondered if the boy wasn’t ignoring him, but simply poor with the language.
Ah. Now that he thought about it, that jet-black hair was rare in the Empire. Was he from another continent?
“You’re not from the Empire, are you?”
Maon nodded.
The Empire had vast southern territories and rugged northern mountains. After the Continental War, the capital, once close to the northern mountains, had moved south to the central region a hundred years ago.
The area with the capital and the Academy had four distinct seasons and a mild, warm climate, making the people lively and energetic. Their skin was generally tanned from the strong sunlight—unlike Maon’s pale, almost white skin.
Evan’s guess was right.
“…I see. I don’t know where you’re from, but being so close with a young lady is not proper. It could harm your reputation. Especially with a noble lady.”
Evan gestured at Liana. Maon’s pupils seemed to widen for a moment, then he nodded.
“Would you lay her down properly?”
“Alright.”
This time, Evan was surprised.
He’d expected another mechanical “Yes,” but Maon had given a different reply.
Maon stood from the bed, placed a hand on Liana’s shoulder, and gently laid her down. He even smoothed her tangled hair.
It was an unexpectedly delicate touch.
As Evan watched, he approached the bed. Liana’s pale, resting face looked strangely unfamiliar.
Even when she avoided him or lied unconvincingly, her expression had always been polite, her face composed in the perfect mask of a “noble lady”—never lacking a smile. Seeing her lying here with no trace of that, Evan felt unsettled.
The faint crease that often appeared between her brows when she was deep in thought was absent.
Maybe it was her closed eyes, usually sharp and slightly fierce, but now she looked like an innocent girl who knew nothing of the world. Like Cecilia, the pure-hearted noble girl.
Evan was reminded all over again that the two were friends.
“You there.”
Maon had just finished laying Liana down and was about to leave. Evan called out, a bit flustered. The urge to sigh rose within him, wondering where Maon had learned such discourteous behavior as leaving without a word.
Did he simply not know how to socialize? Maon gave the impression of someone who acted as he pleased, though his quietness kept him from attracting criticism or attention.
“How is Liana?”
“…She should see a healer when she wakes up. They said it wasn’t serious.”
“So nothing major, then?”
Maon nodded.
“You saved her, didn’t you?”
Maon, usually quick to reply, hesitated at that question.
He lowered his gaze, as if recalling the moment, thick lashes veiling his dark eyes.
“I don’t know. I grabbed her around the back and rolled backward, but…”
“What do you mean, you don’t know?”
Wasn’t that saving her? Evan stared at Maon.
Just then, the door burst open and two sets of footsteps approached.
Cecilia and Hawkins.
They headed straight for the voices. Under the bright magic lamp, they saw Liana lying in bed, with Maon and Evan facing each other on either side.
“Lord Evan…!”
Cecilia immediately hurried over to Evan.
“Oh dear.”
Evan caught her as she staggered, then released her and looked to Hawkins, who bowed.
“And the professor?”
“We came straight here, so we didn’t see the professor.”
Hawkins replied, but his eyes remained on Cecilia. Worry was written all over his face. Evan followed his gaze and nodded in understanding.
He’d wanted someone to watch over the situation, but it couldn’t be helped.
Seeing her so concerned for her friend, and knowing how frail she was, there was no way he could have left her behind.
Should I have brought her on horseback?
But there was no time for that earlier. When Liana was suddenly carried off, his only thought was to follow.
‘But… how did he get here before me, even though I was on horseback?’
Evan shot a suspicious look at Maon.
“Liana… is she alright?”
“She just fainted for a moment,” Evan answered reassuringly.
How did this even happen? It was strange for a perfectly healthy horse to suddenly go berserk, and for Liana to fall into its path was even more unusual.
Without knowing the full story, Evan turned to Cecilia and spoke.
“Was she pushed by someone?”