Jared Murphy awoke with a feeling of weariness and pain.
His gaze shifted, trying to ascertain his surroundings, and he realized he was in his room, prepared within Olivier’s mansion.
The moment a question arose about when he had fallen asleep here, the battle with Pfeil flashed back into his mind, and he shot up, supporting himself with his upper body.
“——Ow!”
Instantly, his side and shoulder throbbed with intense pain, and various aches assaulted his entire body.
“What happened after that?”
Though he knew there would be no reply, he couldn’t help but ask aloud.
“Oh, you’ve woken up, Jared-san,” Hannelore said, entering the room without a sound. Her face showed surprise, but she quickly broke into a radiant smile.
“Hannelore-sama, are you unharmed!”
Jared voice rose, and Hannelore, placing the pail she was holding on the table, placed a finger to her lips as if to caution him.
“You mustn’t raise your voice. You must remain absolutely still, and Olivier-chan will wake up.”
“Olivier-sama…? Ah, yes, you were by my side?”
At her words, he noticed Olivier, who had been sitting in a chair nearby, sleeping face down on the bed, breathing softly. Her presence by his side brought him a sense of relief, and he exhaled deeply.
“This child was genuinely worried about you, Jared-san. While you were unconscious, burning with fever, and writhing in your sleep, she held your hand and spoke to you the entire time.”
“…Is that so? Um, how long have I been asleep?”
“About a day. You collapsed in the garden, and the doctor examined you immediately. They said it was an injury that could have easily been fatal. While the wounds themselves have been treated, and medical magic seems to have done much to heal you, the lost blood cannot be replaced, and they say you won’t be able to use your magic for several days.”
He now understood the reason for his body’s heaviness and weariness. Jared was experiencing the same symptoms as when Laurentz had used magic until his magic power was depleted the other day.
“Pfeil— No, it’s nothing.”
“If you’re referring to the attacker, I’m aware. You don’t need to hold back.”
“So you did know.”
Trane had anticipated it, and Jared had thought the same. It was impossible for the mother living with Olivier not to know her daughter’s actions.
“Yes, I was aware that my life was being targeted, that this attacker was an unprecedentedly powerful foe, and that Olivier-chan and Trane-chan had been protecting me all along.”
“Why didn’t you inform me about it properly?”
“Just as Trane-chan realized, Olivier-chan had also figured it out. I had to play the part of a foolish woman who knew nothing. It may sound like an excuse, but I had to pretend not to know that I was sent to the villa and that the consorts were mocking me.”
Hannelore’s eyes drooped sorrowfully. Just as Olivier had endured hardship to protect her mother, she too had been fighting alone. While it might have been an invisible battle, it must have been incredibly difficult for Hannelore.
“If it were only my life that was threatened, I wouldn’t have minded. However, my daughters were drawn into it as well. Before I could take any action, Olivier-chan acted. That is precisely why I pretended to know nothing, to avoid getting in my daughter’s way, and to have the consorts believe that they cared nothing for me.”
“It must have been difficult for you.”
“Yes, it was. But it must have been even harder for Olivier-chan and Trane-chan. They tried to protect me, even at the cost of sacrificing themselves.”
He truly thought of her as a strong person. A mother unable to say anything to her worried daughter and relying solely on her daughter’s understanding – Jared could not even begin to imagine how painful that must have been for her as a mother. Hannelore smiled as she looked at her sleeping daughter.
“I believed that my beloved daughters and my husband would overcome this hardship someday. All I could do was wait, pretending to know nothing. But then you appeared. Because of you, Olivier-chan seemed happy for the first time in a long time, and my husband placed his trust in you. And just yesterday, you fought with your life on the line for us. I don’t know how I can express my gratitude.”
Jared, receiving her heartfelt thanks, showed a troubled expression and shook his head.
“There is no need for thanks. I merely wanted to protect you, and I fought of my own will. Also, I damaged the garden, and I caused you a great deal of worry. I apologize.”
Jared had no intention of accepting Hannelore’s gratitude. He had decided to protect them on his own, without being asked by anyone. Olivier had told him not to get involved, but he had fought to the end with his own resolve.
“Don’t be so humble. I truly believe it would be wonderful if someone like you became my son. It seems I gave you an unreasonable condition, like becoming a Court Mage, but I’m sure my daughter can no longer marry anyone but you.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes, a mother’s intuition. It’s undeniable.”
Jared was bewildered by Hannelore’s playful smile. He was, indeed, Olivier’s fiancé, but he had assumed he would be released from his obligation once the danger to Hannelore and Olivier receded. He believed Olivier would be able to find a suitable partner once the problems were resolved. He couldn’t help but feel that there were men far more fitting than the eldest son of a baronial family, especially one unable to inherit the family headship. However, if Hannelore was truly correct, he might be a little pleased.
“I’ll go and tell Trane-chan that Jared-san has woken up. I’d change your bandages myself, but Trane-chan is the most skilled, so I’ll go get her. In the meantime, why don’t you have a good talk with our daughter, who’s pretending to be asleep?”
“—Huh?”
Thinking it couldn’t possibly be true, he shifted his gaze to Olivier.
“…Zzzzzz, zzzzzz”
“That’s so fake!”
“…Zzzzz, zzzzzz, munya”
“No, I can tell you’re awake already.”
Hannelore left, suppressing a laugh at Jared’s retort and Olivier’s continued charade.
“…She’s asleep.”
“We were having a conversation. *Sigh*, please get up, it’s becoming troublesome.”
“What do you mean, troublesome! I’m sorry for pretending to be asleep! I woke up because I heard you talking to Mother, so it’s my fault!”
“I didn’t say it was your fault.”
Jared felt a strange sense of relief, seeing Olivier fly into a temper—the Olivier he knew. Perhaps embarrassed that her mother had seen through her act, she blushed and teared up, looking so adorably young that he doubted she was truly twenty-six. He couldn’t help but smile when he confirmed she showed no signs of injury.
“What are you laughing at?”
Olivier, mistaking Jared’s smile as directed at her, frowned and pinched his cheek. She didn’t apply much force, so it didn’t hurt. However, he noticed her fingers trembling slightly.
“Olivier-sama?”
“I’m so glad…”
Olivier released his hand and wiped away her sudden tears with her fingers.
“Why all of a sudden… Did you get hurt?”
“No, it’s not that. I’m sorry. When you lost consciousness, I truly didn’t know what to do. Help arrived, but you were dying from blood loss. Seeing you now, healthy, has brought me immense relief.”
“I’m sorry I worried you.”
“Don’t worry me like that again. —Well, you’ll probably do something reckless again even if I ask you not to, but I’ll say it anyway.”
Jared assumed Olivier must be exasperated by his recklessness after being told not to be. It was perhaps inappropriate, but he felt a sense of happiness that she had worried for him to the point of tears.
“Hey, Jared Murphy.”
“Yes, Olivier Alway-sama?”
“As Mother said, I knew she knew everything. And with that knowledge, I was recklessly trying to protect her on my own. Seeing your injured form made me realize my own foolishness.”
She muttered self-deprecatingly, but Jared understood. The fact that his mother was targeted; his father, due to his position, couldn’t help. Therefore, it was natural for Olivier, as his daughter, to desperately try to protect her. However, the timing was also off. Olivier acted before Hannelore could. Thus, his mother pretended to know nothing, and Olivier, aware of her mother’s pretense, chose to look the other way. Mother for daughter, daughter for mother. It wasn’t Olivier and her mother’s fault. It was all the fault of the person who hired someone to threaten Hannelore.
“But things will be different from now on, won’t they? We no longer need to hide things from each other, so we can cooperate and overcome difficulties.”
“Yes, that’s right. Thank you. I will definitely overcome this together with Mother and the others.”
But then, Olivier continued with a hint of anxiety.
“Are you alright with that? There will likely be dangerous situations like this in the future. You won’t come to resent being involved with us, getting injured, and nearly dying?”
“No, I won’t.”
Jared’s immediate reply irked Olivier.
“Think about it a little more.”
“I’m acting based on thorough consideration, so I won’t regret anything that happens to me from now on. However, if I were to regret anything—”
“What would that be?”
Jared tightly grasped Olivier’s hand and met her gaze.
“—It would be if something happened to you all. That’s why I will continue to protect you. Because I want to protect you, you who I hold dear.”
“…Jared.”
“So, let me protect you.”
In response to Jared’s words, Olivier gently placed her other hand over his. Then, puffing out her cheeks as if slightly displeased, she said,
“I want you to say you’ll protect *me*, not “you all”.”
“—Let me protect Olivier.”
“Yes, protect me, my fiancé.”
Satisfied with Jared’s words, Olivier smiled happily. Looking at her smile, he felt a warmth spread through his heart. He didn’t yet feel love, but he liked her and cherished her. Of course, it wasn’t just Olivier; he cared for Hannelore and Trane as well. He wanted to protect them. However, his desire to protect Olivier alone felt slightly different. He wanted to help the unskillful Olivier, who had to become strong to protect her mother and couldn’t form close relationships. He wanted to free her, soon. Such a feeling welled up from the depths of his heart. He realized Olivier was looking at him with tear-filled eyes. Feeling embarrassed, Jared tried to pull away, but his hand was held fast, preventing him from doing so. He could feel Olivier’s breath as she drew slowly closer, and his heart unconsciously began to race. Realizing that Olivier desired something and that he was about to respond, Jared also moved, but then—
“H-Hannelore-sama, if you lean over so much, you’ll be discovered…!”
“It’s alright. Those two can only see each other right now. And besides, aren’t you, Trane-chan, watching intently?”
“As a maid, I cannot overlook Olivier-sama’s first romantic scene. Furthermore, as I will serve Olivier-sama and Hannelore-sama for the rest of my life, there is a possibility I might become Jared-sama’s lover, so I’m just referencing it for practice…”
“I understand. If you say so, then watch carefully and learn.”
“Of course.”
Realizing they had been discovered by the eavesdropping mistress and maid, Jared and Olivier froze simultaneously. She clearly grasped what she had been trying to do, and blushing, she stammered,
“Mother, Trane! Why are you peeking!”
As if to cover her embarrassment, she shouted. His hand slipped from hers, and a slight pang of loneliness hit him. In Jared’s vision, the people he wanted to protect were now enjoying themselves. Olivier, red-faced and yelling; Hannelore, making excuses; and Trane, looking nonchalant. Seeing the three of them having fun, he realized, albeit temporarily, that he had been able to protect them. And then, Jared made a new resolution. Since Pfeil was a member of the Assassination Organization Waalthe, powerful enemies like him might appear in the future. The battle would likely continue until the mastermind who commissioned the organization was identified. While this would probably fall to Duke Alway, Jared couldn’t investigate the consorts. However, if asked for cooperation, he would readily lend his strength. He wished from the bottom of his heart that Olivier and her family could live in peace as soon as possible, and that they would be happy.
“Jared Murphy! You too, complain with me!”
I have become the fiancé of the Duke’s daughter. However, rumors say she has a bad personality and is ten years my senior. But rumors are unreliable; Olivier Alway was a woman devoted to her family. Jared Murphy will continue to fight to protect her and her family.
