Chapter 74 Signs Of Miracles Woven By Friendship
After Duke and Thea were taken away, we ended up staying temporarily at a nearby inn... an inn?
for the time being.
It was quite a cramped place, and Monica was complaining that it didn't seem like a suitable place to accommodate a national delegation, but shortly after, someone from the council came to apologize and we were guided to a proper location.
And there was Thea, accompanied by an old lady with a monkey tail.
"Yumie...!"
"W-whoa... heh, Thea, it's been a while. Are you done talking now?"
As I sat in my wheelchair, Thea hugged me.
Her close contact, almost as if she were trying to transfer my scent, was adorably reminiscent of a real dog.
But the thing is, Thea had just been taken away by that Mr. Lygar person, so I genuinely thought it would be a while before I could see her again, whether for questioning or treatment, so I was quite surprised.
"I wanted to see Yumie as soon as possible, so I worked hard!"
"Is that so? Heh, thank you. I'm happy to see you too, Thea. You did well."
"Mmm..."
Though I hadn't said it out loud, her face showed she really wanted to be praised, so I gently stroked Thea with my freely moving left hand.
Her hair was still a bit damaged and frizzy, probably due to her life as a slave, but... it was clear that it had improved significantly compared to before leaving the kingdom when I touched it like this.
Watching Thea get healthier day by day makes me feel like I'm becoming livelier too.
As I moved my hand with gratitude, Thea also narrowed her eyes in comfort.
"The Blue Wolf clan is famous for only wagging their tails with certain people... You're quite the girl, seriously."
"Ms. Yumie is the pride of the Ortria Kingdom, you know. Of course."
When Thea and I were getting close, Monica boldly puffed out her chest towards the old lady.
Isn't calling me the pride of the Ortria Kingdom a bit too much, no matter how you look at it?
What does Monica think I am?
"Now, I think Seios is also talking with Duke, but... it seems we misunderstood you all. I sincerely apologize for our numerous rudeness. Also, I truly thank you for helping our fellow countrymen."
Suddenly, the old lady began to bow to us, and both I and even Monica were taken aback with wide eyes.
"Um, sorry, but what do you mean by rudeness? You haven't been done wrong at all!"
I realized I had unwittingly interrupted, but come to think of it, Monica had been voicing various complaints earlier.
Complaints about the intimidating presence of the warships and that the place we were staying wasn't suitable for foreign diplomats.
Is that what this is about!
I cradled my head in my hands.
"As for the warship, it's the first ship I've ever seen and I thought it looked really cool! In fact, I wanted to see it up close! Also, the place we were at until a moment ago was near the sea, and we could see the townspeople well──it felt like a nice location!"
I felt like I had to cover for Monica, so I began praising Euphemia, recalling whatever came to mind.
The hustle and bustle of the fish market was incredible, and the fact that children were running around town without their parents was a sign of good security.
Then there was the impressive sight of a muscular bear beastman carrying an elderly bear beastman who seemed to be having trouble walking up the hill.
As I listed those things, the old monkey beastwoman just stood there gaping with her mouth open.
"...It hasn't even been a few hours since you arrived here, yet you observe so much. I've lived a relatively long life, but I've never seen a child like this. Hehehe, I can kind of understand why Thea has become so attached to you."
"Of course, it's Ms. Yumie, after all."
The old lady is gazing at me with kind eyes, while Monica puffs her chest out as much as she can.
Isn't this exactly the same scene as earlier?
Déjà vu?
"Anyway, I'm grateful to you all. You said your name is Yumie, right? I've heard a bit about your circumstances from Thea. It must have been tough for you, but you can take your time and rest here in this country. You're welcome."
"Thank you very much!"
I can't help but feel like there are all sorts of misunderstandings about me, though if you're welcoming me, that's all that matters.
I'm just saying... with this situation, is it okay if I ask for a little bit of selfishness?
"If that's the case, is there a facility or hospital in this country that's just right for my rehabilitation? I want to heal this body, even just a little... at least enough to walk on my own."
Thea has become quite lively and has safely delivered Euphemia.
Of course, I want to keep being friends with Thea, but I'm eager to heal this body as soon as possible and return to my family waiting in Ortria.
To that end, when I thought to ask for help, the old lady presented me with an unexpected offer.
"Ah, about that, it's perfect. The current chairman, Seius, is the leader of the Emerald Cat clan, and they have an ability that excels at treating injuries and maintaining health. I was originally planning to leave Thea's treatment to them, but... Yumie, I'll arrange for you to receive treatment as well."
Saying that, the old lady gently patted my head.
She lightly touched my disabled limbs and checked the scars on my burnt and blistered face, nodding once.
"It will take some time, but that person should be able to completely heal this face and these limbs. So, you can rest assured."
"Really... is that true...?"
"Ah, I won't lie to a benefactor who helped my fellow countrymen."
At those unexpected words, I was left speechless──
I felt a single tear that I had been holding back for so long trail down my cheek.
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