A room in the manor’s annex became a sanctuary for Lina and me.
The windows were small, and the door was the only way in or out. No one else ever drew near. It was a simple room, furnished only with a bed, a desk, and a chair. Klaus had arranged it for me.
Lina lay upon the bed. My name was engraved into the black, choker-like mark on her neck. Her hollow eyes stared at a fixed point on the ceiling, seeing nothing.
"Mira."
That morning, I had called out to Mira to stop her.
"While you’re training, I’ll be treating Lina. I’ll be in the annex until noon."
For the most part, Mira and I were only ever apart while she was undergoing her training. During those hours, a member of the Royal Guard chosen by Klaus took over as my escort. Therefore, the actual amount of time we spent apart wasn't changing. I was inside my own home, the Royal Guard were present, and a slave could not rebel against her master; it was perfectly safe.
Even so, Mira’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. It likely wasn't physical danger that concerned her. She understood that secluding myself in a room with another person for such a length of time was a departure from our routine.
"……Understood. Please, do not push yourself too hard, even when you are out of my sight."
"…I won’t."
I didn't want Mira to know the details of the treatment. It would definitely make her worry—and it might even cause her to break again.
I decided that this would remain a secret between Lina and me.
◇◇◇
I parted from Mira and headed to the annex. The Royal Guard Knight had apparently been instructed to wait outside the building to maintain confidentiality, so we parted at the entrance. I closed the door to the annex, turning the room into a completely private space.
Just Lina and me.
I pulled the chair up to the side of the bed and sat down.
"Lina. I’m going to talk to you about your treatment now."
There was no reply. She didn't even blink.
I didn't mind. I continued anyway.
"First, I’ll start by practicing how to heal other people’s wounds. Once I’ve mastered that, I’ll start treating your burns. We’ll take it one step at a time."
General Recovery Magic is typically described as a spell that accelerates the target's natural self-healing. To use it on others, one needs to grasp the sensation of delivering mana across the boundary between their own body and another's—that was what I was about to attempt to learn. However, no matter how high one's proficiency, it is ineffective against old wounds where self-healing has already ceased. The original force that the magic is meant to accelerate simply no longer exists there.
"But your burns are wounds that won't heal naturally anymore. So… I have to get creative. It might be unpleasant, but I need you to bear with me."
Lina's eyelashes fluttered once. I couldn't tell if it was merely from her breathing or if she had reacted to my voice.
I understood. I didn't expect an immediate response. I just had to be patient. If only someone had kept speaking to me back when I was the one chained up in that room. —Simply thinking that was enough to keep me going.
◇◇◇
I drew the knife—my Crest Identification—from the sheath at my waist.
On the desk, I had prepared a small bottle of distilled spirits from the kitchen and several clean cloths. It might not have been true medical disinfection, but it was far better than doing nothing—or so the memories of that person told me.
I soaked a cloth in the spirits and carefully wiped both sides of the blade. Next, I used the same cloth to wipe my left hand clean. Finally, I took a new cloth and lightly dabbed at the burn scars on Lina's right arm where I intended to touch. Though it must have stung, Lina didn't so much as blink.
I lightly pressed the tip of the blade against the pad of my left index finger. I took a deep breath and applied pressure.
A tiny prick of pain ran through me, and a red bead of blood surfaced.
I pressed my blood-stained fingertip against Lina's right arm. I chose a spot where the burn scar had previously festered and turned into a scab—a place where treatment via Recovery Magic was still possible.
As usual, my Recovery Magic activated on its own, attempting to mend my wound. However, I forcibly shifted my consciousness.
Blood is also a part of me. Therefore, I can heal whatever the blood is touching.
I controlled my mana, guiding the Recovery Magic to travel through the blood and transfer into Lina.
A green light flickered at my fingertip, and the small cut vanished in an instant. The warmth traveled through my arm and faded away.
I looked at Lina's arm. —Nothing had happened.
Figures. It wasn't going to be that easy.
I applied the knife once more.
◇◇◇
Every day after that, while Mira was training, I sat beside Lina in the annex.
I would cut my fingertip, activate the magic, and the wound would seal itself immediately. I changed the point of contact; I changed the way I flowed my mana. I repeated the cycle of cutting and closing over and over again.
It happened one day about a month later.
The moment I pressed my finger against her, the feedback suddenly shifted.
The mana, which until now had been contained entirely within my own body, seeped across the point of contact and into her. I could feel it being received inside Lina, merging with her own healing processes, and being put to use. It was a sensation of simply handing it over to be utilized.
The green light bled from my fingertip into Lina's arm.
A small, red, swollen inflammation on the inside of Lina's elbow—a raw spot from chafing—subsided smoothly, vanishing along with the cut on my own finger.
"—I did it."
When I happened to look up, I found Lina's eyes fixed on me. Deep within those hollow pupils, a tiny light had returned.
Things moved quickly after that.
Within that same day, I practiced transferring mana without having to cut my finger. By the next day, the mana would flow into her just by gently resting my fingertip on her skin. I no longer needed the blade.
Lina's body was covered in many wounds that had not yet become permanent scars: festering areas, abrasions, and places where her skin had become raw from being bedridden. If the wounds were "still relatively new," my Recovery Magic could reach them. I had more than enough Mana Capacity to spare. By that evening, I had healed every one of her recent injuries. Lina's fever broke, and her breathing grew easier. A faint hint of color returned to her emaciated cheeks.
I had reached the point where I could use ordinary Recovery Magic without any issues.
The next morning, as I was pouring water from a pitcher into a cup, I heard a raspy sound from behind me.
"……water."
I spun around. Lina's dry lips had moved, if only slightly.
"……Lina."
I brought the cup to her lips. With her eyes closed, Lina took a single, slow swallow.
That was all. She didn't say another word after that.
But for a long time, I found myself unable to move from where I stood.