Chapter 32 After The Battle
"Mm... Ugh...?"
As I slowly opened my eyes, I found myself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling.
...I remember being attacked by a monster during a picnic with Mornica...
and then, um...
"Yumie!! Are you awake!?"
I heard Elder Brother's voice nearby.
As I tried to sit up in response, a sharp pain shot through my entire body.
"Ugh...!"
"Don't move yet! Your body is still in bad shape, you know?"
Elder Brother gently pushed me back down onto the bed.
Obeying him, I looked at Elder Brother's face again.
"...Elder Brother, you have dark circles under your eyes. Are you okay...?"
"Is that the first thing you say when you wake up? You should think a little more about yourself."
With a face that looked like he might cry, Elder Brother gently stroked my head.
I surrendered to the comforting sensation of his fingers running through my hair, rubbing my cheek against his hand, and finally asked the question that had been on my mind.
"...By the way, how long have I been asleep?"
"You've been out for about 3 days. By the way, you're in the Belmont family's infirmary. It was the closest place to the forest where you collapsed."
It wasn't Elder Brother who answered my question.
I was surprised to hear Prince Sigurt's voice peeking in from behind him.
"Wait, 3 days? I slept for 3 days?"
"Yeah. You completely drained your magic, plus you had bruises all over and some muscle tears in your arms and legs, and a few broken bones too. To be honest, it's a miracle you're still alive."
"......"
Wait, was I that messed up?
I thought I was doing okay until my magic ran out, so I didn't realize I was in such bad shape... I guess I was just numb to the pain from all the adrenaline.
In fact, it seems like I was in such a bad state that even with all that adrenaline, I couldn't move at all in the end.
If Elder Brother hadn't come for me, even if that monster had given up and gone home, I would have died... that was close.
"It was tough. Neil barged into the Duke's mansion carrying you, shouting, 'This is all your fault! If you don't help Yumie, I'll destroy this house!!' He was really out of control, and he even blew up the whole forest just to take down one monster... We were almost on the brink of a civil war among the nobles."
"...The forest is still there, right? Just part of it, part of it."
The prince shrugged, and Elder Brother corrected him while looking away.
Seriously, what is Elder Brother doing? Just because I was on the verge of death doesn't mean he had to go that far.
But...
"Elder Brother, thank you for everything... I'm really happy."
"Yumie..."
I took Elder Brother's hand and expressed my honest feelings.
Even though he's the heir of Granbell, he's still just a Count.
And he hasn't even officially succeeded yet.
Still, I'm really grateful that he was so desperate to help me that he was willing to pick a fight with the Duke's family.
"But please stay calm next time. If you act so forcefully, those who want to help you might not be able to."
"Ugh... I'll be careful."
"Do you really understand? Are you reflecting on this?"
"Of course, trust me."
"Then, Elder Brother, please get some proper rest. I don't want you to get hurt or sick for my sake."
When I said that firmly, Elder Brother choked on his words.
It seems he really doesn't want to be away from me.
"I'm fine now... Or do you want to sleep together?"
There seems to be only one bed in the room, but it's quite big.
My body is small, and Elder Brother is still just a kid.
There should be enough space for both of us to sleep side by side.
"No, but what if I accidentally crush you while sleeping...?"
Elder Brother muttered while glancing at the prince.
It seems he's embarrassed to act all sweet with me in front of the prince like before.
Well, then we can handle it the same way as before.
"To be honest... I'm also feeling uneasy about being apart from Elder Brother right now... Please, can you stay?"
Lying down, I gazed at Elder Brother with a pleading look.
At this point, there was no way Elder Brother could refuse me.
"Alright, then I'll intrude a bit."
Elder Brother climbed into my bed and lay down.
I leaned my body closer to him and whispered in a voice so small it wouldn't reach the prince.
"Really... thank you, Elder Brother. I'm so happy you came."
I tried to act as calm as possible, but the image of that monster was still burned into my mind, and if I let my guard down, I felt like I might start trembling.
But thinking that Elder Brother was by my side made me feel safe.
I was still alive.
I could believe that everything would be okay.
"I love you."
As I said that and kissed his forehead, Elder Brother blushed shyly.
Seeing him like that was so cute, I couldn't help but chuckle.
After lying together for a while...
"Zzz... zzz..."
Elder Brother soon began to breathe softly in his sleep.
"...Finally asleep, huh? Well, I'm glad you regained consciousness so quickly. If it had gone on like that, he would have stuck by your side for a week or a month without sleeping."
"...So it really was like that."
Elder Brother had clearly been exhausted just a moment ago... hearing the prince say that made me truly happy to realize how much Elder Brother cared for me.
"Thank you too, Prince. Elder Brother's recklessness aside, you also did everything you could for us, right?"
Earlier, he mentioned that it almost turned into a civil war among the nobles, and I couldn't imagine Elder Brother negotiating his way out of that situation.
I guessed that the prince had some influence, so I thanked him, and he laughed, saying, "It's nothing special.".
"It's for my best friend and my become your fiancée."
"Hehe, is that so? Because of this incident, you've done a great favor for the Belmont family. With my connection to the royal family and the backing of the number 2 Duke family, no one will complain even if your background is a bit lacking."
I was taken aback by how specific the situation was, and I struggled to respond.
While laughing at my reaction, the prince reached out to me.
"Besides, even without the fiancée talk, I genuinely respect you."
He grabbed a handful of my hair and placed a kiss on it.
I had just kissed my Elder Brother, and I knew it was just a greeting for nobles, yet I couldn't stop my face from turning red.
"Regardless of strength or duty, the way you tried to protect someone in front of you with everything you had is very noble and precious. I hope you grow straight and true without becoming twisted."
"Y-yes. Um... thank you, I guess...?"
Not knowing how to respond correctly, I vaguely expressed my gratitude.
Seeing me like that, the prince just smiled gently, and I thought to myself that I could never compete with him.
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