Chapter 28

Cough!

As soon as I draped the coat over Shannon, I let out a raspy cough.

When I wiped the corner of my mouth with the back of my hand, dark blood had spread thickly.

I had expected this to some extent, but still, it was absurd.

The hemoptysis had been caused by Shannon.

“You’re really putting me through it, huh?”

[Warning]

[Willpower and Health have temporarily decreased.]

[Activated Trait: Lack of Humanity]

– Those whose humanity has dried up also speak in a dry manner.

– When giving compliments or words of comfort, Willpower and Health temporarily decrease.

[Repeated Penalty]

[Willpower and Health have been greatly decreased.]

This happened because I was trying to comfort Shannon, who was lying there staring blankly at the ceiling like her world had ended after losing the duel.

Telling her she had talent, that she shouldn’t rush things.

Words of praise and comfort like those were never meant to be spoken by someone like Winter Winslet, who lacked empathy to begin with.

The “Trait” was a systemic constraint designed to keep me from deviating from the role of Winter Winslet.

Break the rule, and you pay the price.

But I had pushed myself out of a desire to bring Shannon over to my side, so I’d have to accept this much of a burden.

Still, I was honestly thrown off when she suddenly started crying.

Was she really that devastated over losing?

Well, at least by the end, the poison had left her voice, so I doubt she harbored any deep resentment toward me.

Fine by me. Better that way.

While I was pulling out a handkerchief to wipe away the blood from my lips, someone approached me.

It was a familiar face.

“Professor Sophia.”

“Step away from that girl. Immediately.”

Professor Sophia was wearing an unusually grim expression.

More serious than her face, though, was the divine power swirling around her clenched fist.

Before I could even respond, she grabbed me by the collar.

And then she said,

“Professor Winslet, I cannot forgive you!”

“What are you talking about?”

“In the end… you killed her!”

“……?”

I turned my gaze downward to look at Shannon.

She was lying quietly, covered by my coat.

You’d think she’d speak up if she heard this kind of accusation.

…Don’t tell me she fell asleep?

“There’s been a misunderstanding. Shannon’s perfectly fine.”

“Really?”

“What would be the point of lying when you could so easily catch me? Just check her pulse. She’s just asleep.”

“Oh… I’m sorry…”

What’s with this klutz?

Professor Sophia who finally let go of my collar and stepped back seemed embarrassed and offered an excuse.

“W-Well, why did you cover her completely with your coat? I thought she was a corpse…”

It was meant to give her privacy while she cried, but… whatever.

“Since you’re here, might as well examine her. How is she?”

“Let me take a look.”

Professor Sophia knelt down on the sandy ground and lifted the coat covering Shannon.

“Hmm, her complexion looks peaceful. Only some light external injuries, it seems. Bruises, scrapes, and a shallow puncture on the front of her neck… Goodness, still. How could you let a girl’s skin get this kind of injury…”

Professor Sophia looked up at me as she spoke, then clicked her tongue.

“Of course. Typical of you. I don’t know why I even bother talking. Though, I suppose given the circumstances, this counts as a good outcome… I’ll start the treatment right away. I won’t let a single scar remain.”

She quietly began a prayer, and a warm light from an unknown source started to envelop Shannon’s body.

It was a very different kind of divine power than the harsh energy I’d seen when she grabbed my collar.

Soft breaths.

Shannon’s sleeping breath became noticeably calmer.

“The external wounds have healed, but physical exhaustion is a different matter. She’ll need to stay in the infirmary for a while. Still, she’s young, so her recovery should be quick.”

“Well done. A useful talent.”

“…Only you would talk about divine power like that.”

“It was a compliment.”

“Sure it was.”

A short sigh.

Then Sophia looked me in the eye and said,

“But it’s still too soon to relax. That girl pushed herself too far in the fight with you, didn’t she? There might be an overload in what you mages call ‘circuits’.”

“That’s not something divine power can fix.”

“No. The miracle of healing only works on the body as it was born. There are studies suggesting that improving physical condition can help circuit recovery indirectly, but either way, it’s out of my hands now. So if she ends up with any magical aftereffects…”

“I’ll take care of it.”

I invested too much in her at this point.

I wasn’t letting Shannon go to waste. That would just be inefficient.

It was a statement born out of pure calculation, but Sophia’s eyes widened in surprise, as if she was genuinely moved.

“You… really have changed, haven’t you?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“No, it’s nothing. You’re not the type to enjoy sentimental words, so I shouldn’t have said anything like that. I just… wanted to say thank you. For keeping that promise.”

“Promise?”

Just as I asked that, I suddenly inhaled sharply.

A sharp pain stabbed through my chest.

Like a needle piercing straight through my heart.

Startled, I clutched at my chest only to feel my heartbeat come one beat late.

I ran my hand over my shirt, but there was nothing unusual.

Just firm, healthy muscle.

Was it my imagination?

Did my heart actually stop for a moment?

Seeing my strange reaction, Sophia asked in a worried voice,

“Are you okay? You don’t look well.”

“It’s nothing. I just need some rest.”

“If anything feels off, please let me know. Don’t be stubborn and make things worse.”

“Just take that girl and get out of here. What are you standing around for in front of a patient?”

In any case, the mysterious pain had passed in an instant, and I still had work to do.

I entrusted Shannon to Professor Sophia and had her sent to the infirmary.

Then I instructed Dean Kingfisher to handle the aftermath of the duel—

Order checks on the Luteo Hall’s protective barriers and confirm there were no injured spectators.

Finally, I checked something only I could see…a critical change.

[Notification]

[You have cleared a death flag.]

[Achievement points have been awarded.]

[Shannon Quinlivan’s death flag has been removed.]

[Bonus achievement points awarded.]

[Would you like to open the achievement shop? (YES/NO)]

***

In the original game, Shannon was known as the Witch of the Basement. A mage filled with loneliness and resentment.

That was the fate she was destined for.

But after this incident, no one could say for certain how Shannon’s life might change.

The fact that I had influenced someone’s future with my own power… unexpectedly brought me a great sense of satisfaction.

And it wasn’t just something good for Shannon.

The disappearance of the death flag.

That meant no more death-related branches would occur.

Unless a new cause was introduced, there was no longer a realistic chance that Shannon would turn against me in the future.

In a world full of potential threats, the life of Winter Winslet now had at least one person she could feel at ease with.

And that person happened to be a mage who was originally supposed to become Winter Winslet’s greatest nemesis.

How much had this brought down Winter Winslet’s 100% death rate?

It was a victory I had achieved with my own hands.

Therefore, I had earned the right to rest today.

That’s why I returned home the moment the aftermath of the duel with Shannon had been taken care of.

Leaving work early is always the right choice.

“Welcome back! You’re really early today. Did you forget something?”

As always, Dahlia greeted me at the entrance.

But something about her looked different from usual.

Dahlia was buried in a bundle of laundry she had gathered in her arms, with only her round eyes peeking out.

It seemed she had been in the middle of taking down the wash.

“Work ended early.”

“Well, isn’t this a surprise!”

Seeing her so genuinely happy, as if it were her own good fortune, I gave her a small errand.

“Could you prepare something to drink in the sunroom?”

“Oh, sure! What would you like?”

“Anything is fine.”

“Hmm… since it’s spring, how about something different from what you usually have? The Academy recently sent us fresh basil and rosemary leaves.”

“That’ll do.”

“I’ll get it ready right away. Please have a seat!”

Truthfully, there was a reason I had come home early.

No matter how much I thought about it, the unexplained chest pain that had struck me right after the duel left an uneasy feeling.

So I had planned to observe my condition while resting somewhere quiet.

Besides, there were a few things I needed to think through.

Like the sudden power that surged up near the end of the duel with Shannon…what exactly was it?

And what was the irreversible change in my unknown stats?

It had been a day full of questions.

For now, I would rest and think.

Thanks to Dahlia’s consistent cleaning, the sunroom was spotless and pleasantly warm.

The high air temperature compared to the inside of the mansion was due to the greenhouse-like structure, with transparent glass covering everything from walls to ceiling.

If it got too hot, I could always open a window to let in a breeze, but for now, it was just right.

Just as I leaned back into the sofa and let out a relaxed sigh, Dahlia returned with a teapot steeped in the rich scent of fresh herbs.

“If you wait about three minutes before drinking, it’ll be just right. Normally, I’d time it for you and bring it when it’s ready, but I’ve got something to take care of right now…”

“Housework?”

“Yes! Laundry that’s completely dry should be taken in while the sun’s still out. That’s how it stays soft and smells like sunlight.”

Fair enough.

The crisp linens and clothes I enjoyed every day wouldn’t be possible without Dahlia’s diligence.

“If you need anything, just call me.”

She gave a polite bow and disappeared.

Then she reappeared again.

Though now, it was with just a pane of glass between us.

The sofa in the sunroom was positioned to offer a good view of the outdoors, and coincidentally, that was also where Dahlia had hung the laundry.

Because of the direction of the sunlight and the setup of the space, it felt a bit awkward to move to another seat.

So, unintentionally, I found myself watching Dahlia work.

The crisp linens and clothes I enjoyed every day wouldn’t be possible without Dahlia’s diligence.

Less than ten seconds later, Dahlia let out a shriek and tumbled over.

She had been tugging at a bed sheet on the clothesline when she suddenly felt my gaze and got her arms and legs tangled up.

“Eep!”

She looked like she was pretending to be a ghost, wrapped up in a bright white sheet and flailing around, but it didn’t feel right to laugh. Instead, I decided to help Dahlia out with some telekinesis.

She barely managed to get herself free, only to fall over again in shock when she saw the white sheet floating in midair.

Oh dear.

A moment later, once she grasped what had happened, Dahlia bowed toward me, her face flushed all the way to the tips of her ears.

Then she began to mumble something, but the thick glass of the sunroom made it hard to hear.

I opened the small ventilation window and called to her.

“Dahlia.”

“Yes? Yes!”

“Do you still have things to do after you finish bringing in the laundry?”

“Just cleaning the front entrance, wiping the windows, and ironing the clothes. Then I’m done for the day.”

“Do you clean every day?”

“Dust piles up every day too, doesn’t it?”

Dahlia was the only one managing the entire mansion.

And this mansion had no fewer than twelve rooms.

A question naturally came to mind.

“Don’t you spend the whole day doing housework?”

“Yes! I manage my schedule so I can get everything done from the moment I wake up until right before bed!”

“……”

Dahlia answered proudly.

Somehow, though, it felt like her response was a little off the mark.

“Don’t you ever feel short on personal time?”

“Personal time?”

She asked as if she didn’t even know what that meant, so I asked again just to be sure.

“You don’t set aside any time for hobbies, or to do things you personally enjoy?”

“My hobby is cleaning… and what I want most is to make sure you’re never inconvenienced, Master.”

The conversation was taking a steadily more concerning turn.

I asked one last question.

“Dahlia, are you being paid?”

“No.”

“Not a single coin all this time?”

“Well, I’m just someone being taken in. I should be grateful just to have food and a place to sleep. Serving you, Master, is something I consider only natural.”

It’s not natural at all.

“What about an allowance, at least…”

I trailed off, realizing the obvious.

Of course she hadn’t been given one.

Her employer was the damn Winter Winslet.

And Dahlia had her reasons. Reasons that made it impossible for her to leave Winter Winslet, even if she was being made to work for free.

I let out a deep sigh.

“Dahlia.”

“Yes?”

“We’re going out. Right now. We’ll have dinner out as well.”

“Understood. Have a nice time.”

I tilted my head slightly, then corrected her misunderstanding.

“You’re coming too. Go get ready.”

“What?”

Dahlia’s face turned pale with shock.

“M-Me? But why?”

Why?

I never imagined I’d be the one saying this out loud someday.

I, Winter Winslet—

All I’ve got is money.