Following yesterday's session, I returned to Lady Clarissa’s room this morning to continue her treatment.
I was still dressed as a nun, my hood pulled low to hide my face. I would only reveal myself once the door was safely shut.
Lady Clarissa was no longer trembling with fear.
"Welcome, Lord Rein."
Her voice was noticeably clearer than it had been yesterday, and the dull color of resignation had vanished from her eyes.
As before, Marchioness Ahrens remained by her side. My guard, Mira, stayed in the hallway just as she had yesterday. So long as Lady Clarissa remained fearful of the gaze of others, the fewer people in the room, the better.
I removed my hood after closing the door, my long silver hair spilling over my shoulders.
The curtains were drawn back just a fraction today. In the room that had been as dark as night only twenty-four hours ago, a single narrow beam of sunlight stretched across the desk and onto the floor. She had done that herself. There were still no mirrors to be found, but it seemed she felt she could endure at least a little light this morning.
My gaze lingered for a moment on a stack of letters piled high upon her desk, illuminated by that solitary beam. I briefly wondered if they had been there yesterday, and Lady Clarissa caught my glance.
"The letters? I was thinking of finally replying to him. When things became... like this, my last reply told him, 'Please find someone more suitable for you.' But he continued to write. The letters just kept coming, and they’ve piled up quite a bit. I wanted to answer them all before I have to see him again."
Even through the veil, I could sense her shy happiness.
"I see."
Sensing that shift in her spirit made my heart feel lighter; it was proof that I hadn't been wrong to help her.
Following our short talk, I took my seat in front of her.
"I’ll begin today’s treatment now. I was planning to work on your left cheek today. Is that alright?"
Lady Clarissa gave a small nod. Then, with her own hand, she gently lifted the left hem of her veil.
I rolled up my sleeve and pressed the small knife against my left forearm.
I shaved off a thin sliver of skin and applied it to the scar on Lady Clarissa’s cheek. Placing my hand over it, I activated my Transplant Magic. My mana vanished at an incredible rate. Because of this high consumption, I could only treat small areas at a time.
Lady Clarissa and the Marchioness watched me with unreadable expressions, but I pushed through and focused on the task.
A soft green light leaked through the gaps between my fingers.
"It really is... so warm," Lady Clarissa murmured, her eyes narrowing as she felt the sensation.
When I eventually pulled my hand away, the scar on her cheek had been replaced by a small patch of smooth, healthy skin. The rest would have to wait for the next session.
Lady Clarissa gently ran her fingers over the healed area, taking a long time to confirm the sensation for herself.
Finally, she clasped her hands before her chest and thanked me with the solemnity of a prayer.
"Lord Rein. Thank you for your care. Tomorrow... I ask for your help once again."
For some reason, looking into her eyes sent a strange shiver down my spine. It was probably just my imagination.
◇◇◇
When I stepped out into the hallway, Mira immediately fell in line beside me.
"Good work, Lord Rein. Your complexion is a bit pale... perhaps you should rest?"
"I’m fine. I just lost a little blood and mana, that's all."
Mira bit her lip as if holding back a wave of self-reproach, but eventually, she gave a small nod and began to walk, supporting my weight.
The Marquis’s family had assigned a magnificent, secluded guest suite to Big Sister Therese in her capacity as the Saint. It was a large area that included a waiting room for attendants, where Mira, Lina, and I spent our time together.
Since Lina and I couldn't risk being seen, and the nature of my Transplant Magic had to remain a secret, we didn't join the Marquis at his table. Instead, we maintained the guise of "nuns attending the Saint" and had our meals brought directly to the suite.
When we returned to the room, Big Sister Therese was just finishing her preparations to head out.
"Ah, Rein. Is the treatment finished?"
"Yeah. Are you going somewhere, Big Sister Therese?"
"I thought I should show my face at the local church. We need proof that I was actually here, don't we?"
On the surface, what we were doing here was "the resumption of Lady Clarissa's treatment by Saint Therese." To maintain the ruse, she needed to visit the local churches and orphanages during the treatment period to be seen by the public.
"Will you be going every day?"
"I expect so. I'll probably have to commute like this every day until the treatment is finished. I’ll be having lunch over there as well."
"Normally, I would take a nun with me, but..."
Lina, who was also dressed in a nun’s habit, spoke up.
"Lord Rein is physically weak... I will go with you..."
"No, there are too many real nuns and clergy members at the church. I'll go alone so as not to arouse any suspicion."
"..."
Lina fell silent, looking frustrated.
"Be good and wait for me. I’ll be back by evening."
Big Sister Therese gave me a slightly mischievous smile and swept out of the room.
As I watched her leave, I noticed the lunch that had been delivered. Perhaps she had no appetite, but Lina had left half of her white bread untouched.
Beside me, Lina spoke in a soft, lonely voice.
"I... can't do... anything for Lord Rein..."
Mira was always by my side as my guard, both during the sessions and otherwise. However, Lina had no defined role here. There was no work for her as an Apprentice Maid since the Marquis's estate was fully staffed. Furthermore, she had to stay confined to the room most of the time to avoid drawing attention.
Lina was crouching in front of a candlestick, staring with dark, hollow eyes at an unlit candle.
When people have too much time on their hands, they tend to fall into negative patterns of thought. I wondered if there was something Lina could do, and then I thought of magic training.
"Lina. Would you like to try practicing magic?" I asked.
"Look, you can do mana control training even in this room. I thought it might be a good way to pass the time."
"Magic...?"
"Yeah. They say Elves are naturally gifted with magic, so I don't think it would hurt to learn."
A spark of light returned to Lina's eyes.
"If I have magic, I can protect Lord Rein..."
"Magic... I'll do it!"
"Then let's start with the theory."
I began teaching her the magical theories I had learned from Professor Berta, followed by mana manipulation. To my surprise—perhaps it was simply her Elven heritage—she was already remarkably adept at mana control.
"Could it be... she can use magic even without a staff?"
However, I remembered being told that she had burned a forest with Fire Magic when she was first taken in. I wondered if it was truly safe for her to use it. Since she had barely spoken until her wounds were healed, I had prioritized her physical recovery and never asked for the details.
"Lina... could you tell me why you burned the forest with Fire Magic? If it's too painful to talk about, you don't have to."
Lina stared at me for a long moment. Then, slowly, she began to speak.
She explained that she possessed the Fire Attribute, but Fire Attribute Elves were shunned as bringers of destruction to the forest. The children her age had bullied her, calling her a "Criminal Slave." And then—
"One day... I was cornered, and they threw stones at me. One hit my forehead. My vision turned red with blood, and I couldn't see anything anymore—"
Lina cut her words short.
"I thought, 'Help me.' I didn't care who it was."
"And when I came to, the forest was burning."
Lina's voice was trembling.
I reached out and pulled her into a hug. Her small body was shaking.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you remember that."
"...No."
Her muffled voice unraveled and vanished against my chest.
I held her like that for a while. Slowly, the tension drained from her body.
I asked as gently as I could.
"Is your magic... alright now? Are you afraid of it?"
Lina thought for a moment, then gave a small nod.
"...I think I'm alright. I think I can at least manage a small flame at my fingertip."
"What do you want to do? We can stop if it's too hard for you."
"No, I want to do it... Please let me try."
"Alright. Let's try aiming toward the window with the lowest possible output."
"...Understood."
I released her. Lina stood by the window and held her hand out toward the open sky.
With a soft poof, a tiny spark of fire appeared at her fingertip.
"It looks like you're controlling it perfectly."
"Yes."
Lina answered and blew the flame out.
Returning to the center of the room, she used her fingertip to light the previously dark candlestick. A tiny flame transferred to the candle's wick.
"...?"
Suddenly, Lina froze, her ears twitching.
"Lina? Is something wrong?"
"...No. It's nothing."
After that, we continued her training by lighting and extinguishing the candle. She still seemed to struggle with the extinguishing part, staring intently at the flame that refused to go out. This was likely the limit of what we could safely practice indoors.
"When we get back, we'll have Professor Berta look at your progress properly."
Lina gave a silent, firm nod.