Looking at the bleeding scratch on the back of her hand, Subaru sighed softly.
Before Tsukasa could speak, the perceptive Emilia had already taken hold of her injured hand.
"Lia?"
The healing light appearing from Emilia's palm explained everything.
Perhaps to hide her embarrassment, Subaru thanked her and hurriedly hid her hand behind her back.
Just as she was about to stick her tongue out to brush it off, she saw Emilia lower her eyes and whisper, "As expected, everyone is working so hard."
This soft sigh was like a pebble thrown into a lake, sending ripples through Subaru's heart.
Tsukasa's voice rang in her ears. "As a Royal Selection Candidate, the pressure is significant."
Tsukasa's words left Subaru feeling self-reproachful. At this moment, she wasn't the only one starting over at Roswaal Mansion—as a Royal Selection Candidate, Emilia had far more to learn than she had imagined.
The responsibilities they carried were worlds apart, and how exhausting it must be to have that heavy burden constantly resting on one's shoulders.
"It's strange, though." Subaru whispered to herself:
"I don't hate the feeling of working hard for my companions. Whether it's training or cleaning, even if it's tough... it's fulfilling. Ram and Rem are actually quite cute, and while that little girl is infuriating, she has helped me too. Roswaal... he's particularly troublesome."
Upon hearing this, Emilia chuckled. "If Roswaal heard that, he would surely be hopping mad, wouldn't he?"
"It's been a long time since I've heard the term 'hopping mad'. Maybe watching him get angry would actually be quite interesting?"
As she spoke, Subaru suddenly lay back on the lawn.
"Anyway, I must resolve all difficulties for my companions. Otherwise, if I let someone important get hurt... that would be the thing I'd regret the most."
In her previous world, she could keep to herself, not care about others' opinions, bury her past deep in her heart, and live only for her family, but that wouldn't work here.
Perhaps this was the conviction she had firmly held onto ever since being dragged into this other world.
Emilia stared at her blankly, her eyelashes trembling, before suddenly laughing out loud. "That's very well said. But you know, Subaru is also a bit of a fool."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because protecting one's companions is never a one-person job, it's about protecting each other."
On the lawn, the two girls smiled at each other.
Watching this heartwarming scene, Tsukasa suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He had never experienced such a bond. But seeing Subaru regain her spirits, he relaxed and quietly enjoyed this moment of peace.
At the same time, a whisper of frustration sounded from a dark corner.
"So close... where exactly did things go wrong?"
Then, everything returned to silence.
The gloom in her heart seemed to have been dispelled by the sunlight, and Subaru's mood was exceptionally bright at that moment.
She stretched her body and stood up, giving Emilia a radiant smile. "Thanks for the sparring practice, Lia and Puck. I'm going to head to the kitchen to help Rem and Ram prepare lunch."
Amidst the waving farewells of Emilia and Puck, Subaru stepped into the mansion.
While walking through the corridor, Tsukasa couldn't help but ask, "Why go to such lengths to cultivate a relationship with those sisters? They are clearly already in Roswaal's camp. No matter how hard you try, it's likely difficult to change their stance."
Subaru smiled upon hearing this and replied, "Whether it's Roswaal, or Ram and Rem, aren't they all working hard to help Lia become queen? Besides..."
A mischievous glint flashed in her eyes. "I can feel that those sisters aren't without room for change. They have something special they care about in their hearts."
Although he only half-understood this reasoning, Tsukasa decided to let her be.
He secretly pondered the unusual expression Rem had worn when she mentioned the Witch Cult that night—this might just be the key to breaking the deadlock.
"Sorry I'm late." Subaru's voice rang out in the kitchen.
Ram and Rem, who were busy working, looked up simultaneously and said in unison.
"You weren't injured training with Emilia-sama, were you, Subaru?"
"Subaru, you weren't injured training with Puck-sama, were you?"
Listening to their synchronized concern, Subaru beamed with a bright smile. "I'm completely fine."
—
After growing familiar with the daily routine of the mansion, time seemed to have been put on fast-forward. In the blink of an eye, the late night hour arrived, and darkness enveloped the estate.
At this moment, Subaru was sitting in front of the vanity. What was different from usual was that tonight, it was Ram tending to her long hair. Gentle wind magic flowed from the pink-haired maid's fingertips, carefully drying the damp strands of hair.
"Is this pressure alright?" Ram's voice came from behind her.
Subaru narrowed her eyes in comfort. "It feels great. I didn't expect Ram to be so skilled at using wind magic."
Hearing the praise, the corners of Ram's lips curled upward.
"What kind of person do you think Rem is, Subaru?"
"Although she always seems so serious, she's actually very reliable. Of course, Ram is too."
Subaru paused and winked playfully. "But I think Ram is more human than Rem."
The hand combing her hair paused slightly.
Ram chuckled. "That's a crafty way of putting it. But Rem... no, it's nothing."
She swallowed the words that had come to her lips, and the wind magic dissipated. She sat down next to Subaru and took out a fairy tale book from behind her.
"Rem should have already taught you the Rune Script, right, Subaru?"
"Yeah, I've basically mastered it."
Ram handed the book over, and Subaru curiously flipped through it.
"Is this... a fairy tale book?"
"To be precise, it's a fairy tale written in Rune Script. As long as you can read it completely, it means you have mastered the Rune Script."
As the pages flipped under her fingertips, Subaru was surprised to discover that this wasn't just a fairy tale, it also recorded the history of the Kingdom of Lugunica, and even mentioned the only alive Witch—Satella.
Upon seeing that name, both Subaru and Tsukasa, in the Consciousness Space, simultaneously remembered the Witch Cult that Rem had once mentioned.
"Ram... could you tell me about this Witch?"
Ram, who was sitting on the edge of the bed swinging her legs, was startled by the question.
"I'm sorry, I cannot answer that question. However, Beatrice-sama might know, you can ask her the next time you see her."
Although a bit disappointed, Subaru continued to press, "What about the Witch Cult, then? When Rem mentioned it before, her emotions seemed..."
Ram stopped swinging her legs, her expression becoming grave. "The Witch Cult is an organization that makes children stop crying and adults turn pale, they are the remnants of the Witch. Rem should have already told you the specific details. However..."
She changed the subject, "Besides the Witch Cult, there are also the Three Great Mabeasts in the world—they are all monsters created by the Witch."
"The Wolgarm that roam outside the forest barrier and threaten the safety of the surrounding area are a type of wolf-like beast."
"As for the Three Great Mabeasts, they are the White Whale, the Great Rabbit, and the Black Serpent. Wherever they pass, not a blade of grass grows."
Subaru thought to herself that these were probably the otherworld version of 'goblins.'
But she remained full of curiosity about information regarding the Witch. Unfortunately, Ram was clearly unwilling to talk more about it and turned to guiding her in writing other characters.
In the dead of night, Subaru was still writing diligently under the lamp, while Ram had long since fallen asleep leaning against the bedside.
Tsukasa had a rare thought of going out—he was simply too interested in the Witch Cult and the Three Great Mabeasts.
But looking at Ram sleeping on the bed, he shook his head. After all, he would encounter them sooner or later.
Then, he sighed softly, "To be able to have such twins as maids following you loyally... Roswaal, what virtue do you possess to deserve this?"
As Tsukasa returned to the Consciousness Space, Subaru put down her quill and walked to the bed to tuck the blanket in for Ram.
"Good night, Tsukasa. Good night, Ram."