CH 51

“I’m sorry!”

A boy’s voice echoed through the workshop.

Fusaki-kun bowed deeply to me and apologized.

“It’s okay, Fusaki-kun, you don’t have to apologize.”

“No, it’s because of my incompetence that Nee-san was in danger.”

“That’s not true. Thanks to you, Yuren-kun and the others were able to come quickly.”

“…It was just lucky. It was His Highness and the others who saved you, and I couldn’t do anything.”

Fusaki-kun continued to deny while bowing his head.

How many times has this exchange taken place?

He had been severely injured and couldn’t get out of bed until just the other day.

As soon as he was able to walk again, he came to me first.

His first words were an apology like this.

I’m not bothered by it.

On the contrary, I’m sincerely glad that he has recovered.

I’m sure everyone else feels the same way.

However…

“I’ll work my hardest from now on, since I couldn’t be of any help earlier! Please tell me anything to do.”

“You should rest a little longer since you just recovered from your injury.”

“It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt that much.”

“Fusaki-kun…”

I can tell he’s lying.

He was really badly injured.

The doctor said he was on the brink of death.

It’s only been two days since he could walk, so his injury shouldn’t have completely healed.

It hurts when he moves.

In fact, Fusaki-kun occasionally makes a face that seems to endure the pain of running.

He seems to be trying to hide it, but the fact that I can see through it means that it must be quite painful.

I want him to rest.

“I think you should still rest. It would be troublesome if you pushed yourself too hard and collapsed.”

“But if it’s me——”

“No. Let’s at least decide on something you can do while sitting.”

“…Okay.”

He should really be in bed.

But since he won’t back down, we compromise and decide to work together.

I have a feeling he’ll disappear if I take my eyes off him.

Time passes and it’s now evening, the time for work to end.

“Good work, Fusaki-kun.”

“Yes.”

“Make sure you rest properly. Don’t push yourself too hard, okay?”

“I understand. See you tomorrow.”

Do you really understand?

I see Fusaki-kun leaving the workshop, a figure that looks somewhat sad and lonely.

Watching him, I feel anxious and want to chase after him.

But before I know it, he’s gone, and I can only sigh in frustration.

“Sigh…”

“Tired?”

“Huh? Yuren-kun!”

“Don’t be so surprised.”

As always, Yuren-kun appears out of nowhere, causing my heart to skip a beat.

“How long have you been here?”

“Just a few minutes. I came to check on him.”

Yuren-kun points in the direction that Fusaki-kun walked.

“Yuren-kun was also worried.”

“Well, of course. He’s my subordinate. As I expected, he seems to be very concerned.”

“Yeah. I am fine, though.”

“I told him the same thing, you know? Thanks to Fusaki’s quick action, we were able to rescue Aria and capture the bandits. It was all thanks to him that we were able to rush in under favorable conditions.”

The reason why Yuren-kun and his companions were able to find me was because Fusaki tied a thread to me and showed them the way.

At that time, he was already seriously injured.

Despite being numb from the effects of the poison, he prioritized me over his own life.

That alone, I think he has already done more than enough.

Both Yuren and I acknowledge it, but Fusaki still blames himself.

“I couldn’t protect you. I’m sorry for being such an unworthy guard. I can’t do anything more than this. I’m worthless. That’s not a boy’s line.”

“…Yeah, but…”

“Oh, he’s not an adult either. Just depressed and down. Like a kid who’s trying to be an adult.”

“I think so. Maybe Fusaki-kun has been…”

Has he been pushing himself like this, questioning his own abilities?

“Does Yuren-kun know? Before Fusaki-kun was Irina-chan’s escort?”

I suddenly became curious.

He’s still young, but he was already working for a long time.

Had he been in this palace all along?

Or was he in a different place?

“Well, to be honest, I don’t know the details either.”

“R-Really?”

“Yeah. It was Duke Garrden who brought him in. He was described as a talented kid, and that’s about it.”

“Duke-sama… I think he did mention something like that.”

Come to think of it, Duke-sama is in no position to call me an outsider or a danger…

Perhaps he was just testing my resolve from the beginning.

If I showed my willingness to stay here, he would accept me… I have a feeling.

“I also trust Duke Garrden, and he has not made a mistake in the people he recommends so far. But just in case, I’ll ask around somewhere.”

“Okay. If you find out, please let me know too.”

“Yeah, Aria has the right to know as well. We will continue to work together.”

“Okay.”

He is my assistant and bodyguard.

Our relationship has not changed until now.

And it will not change in the future.