IBMLS

Chapter 20

I recalled the arrow that had flown toward Zenol, only to be deflected and sent spinning across the floor.

“The artifact His Majesty said he would send me—is it the same artifact that the imperial attendant Zenol had?”

“I believe so.”

Dayvin nodded. The artifact that had automatically blocked the arrow flying toward Zenol. If I had something like that, it would definitely buy me enough time to call for Dayvin if someone tried to ambush me.

“So once I receive that artifact, will you finally feel safe enough to go rest?”

When I asked with narrowed eyes, Dayvin hesitated before replying carefully.

“Is my remaining by your side making you uncomfortable? If so, I can wait somewhere out of sight—”

“No, that’s not what I mean! Nobody should work without any time to rest! It’s a human rights issue!”

Dayvin looked utterly unable to understand me as I ranted about human rights.

“I am absolutely not overexerting myself. I told you I get plenty of rest while you sleep, Lady Anise.”

“Then where did you sleep last night, and for how long?”

As I pressed him with a fierce glare, Dayvin flinched slightly before searching his memory.

“I slept while you were sleeping as well. Around eight hours.”

“Where did you sleep?”

When I asked with my brows raised threateningly, Dayvin cautiously answered while watching my reaction.

“…On the chair in the hallway.”

The moment I heard that, my expression darkened, and Dayvin shrank back a little.

Outside Anise’s bedroom was a small chair for the guard knight standing watch to rest on. And that chair was far too small for the tall Dayvin to lean back on or lie down properly.

So he slept sitting up?!

Sleeping while sitting up—that was seriously not something a person should have to do. And this was someone who had a deep wound through his arm!

I clenched my lips tightly and glared at him.

“You slept sitting up with an injury like that? When was the last time you actually lay down to sleep?”

“…”

Dayvin looked genuinely bewildered, as if he truly couldn’t understand what the issue was.

“Hurry up! When was the last time you slept in a bed?”

“…”

Sensing that I wasn’t going to let this go, Dayvin exercised his right to remain silent. I burst out angrily.

“Why aren’t you taking proper care of yourself when you’re injured? You need to eat well and sleep properly so you can recover faster! At this rate, you’ll die before I do!”

Startled by my words, Dayvin hurriedly tried to reassure me.

“Lady Anise, I’m fine. Truly. You absolutely do not need to worry.”

“How could I not worry?!”

As I shouted and fumed, Dayvin stared blankly at me for a moment before finally nodding.

“…Understood. Then once the artifact from the imperial palace arrives, I will go rest.”

“You promise?”

“Yes. I’ll go sleep in my room.”

Only then did I finally smile in satisfaction. But then Dayvin’s next question made me stiffen.

“By the way, Lady Anise, how did you recognize His Majesty’s artifact earlier?”

Uh…?

Caught off guard, I stammered awkwardly.

“W-Well… how did I know?”

My heart pounded at the thought that he might find it suspicious for someone with amnesia to know about artifacts, but fortunately, Dayvin simply gazed at me thoughtfully before reaching a conclusion on his own.

“It seems your old memories surfaced momentarily.”

That wasn’t it, but still.

I kept my mouth shut, and Dayvin didn’t bring it up again.

That afternoon, the artifact arrived from the imperial palace. Joshua, who personally delivered it, explained it to me in detail.

“It can block any attack against the wearer up to five times.”

“Any attack?”

“Yes. Whether it’s a physical attack from a distance or a close-range ambush meant to restrain the wearer physically, the moment it recognizes hostility, the artifact repels both the attack and the attacker. However, after blocking five attacks, it stops functioning. It needs to be recharged with magical power.”

“How do you recharge it?”

From what I knew, mages were rare in this world. As I tilted my head curiously, Joshua kindly explained.

“It can also be charged with divine power instead of mana. If it ever needs recharging, ask an imperial knight to summon a priest. There are priests dispatched to the imperial family.”

Ohh, I see.

As I looked impressed, Joshua seemed to misunderstand my expression and added an explanation I hadn’t expected.

“Of course, relations between the Church and the Imperial Family aren’t exactly good, but they still cooperate in matters like this.”

That wasn’t what I’d been wondering about, but thanks to that, I learned that the Church and the Imperial Family didn’t get along very well.

Joshua smiled at me and continued his explanation.

“If you wear this, you can rest easy even while sleeping. It can repel attacks that come while you’re asleep too.”

Oh.

I silently marveled, and Joshua smiled proudly.

“It makes quite a loud noise, so you’ll wake up even if you’re asleep. Since it only works five times, you’ll need to call your guard knight before then.”

Remembering the sound the arrow had made when it bounced away from Zenol, I nodded.

After Joshua left, I fastened the two artifacts onto my left arm and then stared silently at Dayvin with wide, expectant eyes.

Reading the meaning behind my gaze, Dayvin rose from his seat with a defeated expression.

“…I will go rest. I shall return before dawn.”

“No~! Rest until tomorrow morning! And if you want to sleep more, you don’t even have to come tomorrow!”

I emphasized firmly, practically threatening him. Dayvin smiled weakly.

“Understood. Then I shall take my leave. Lady Anise, have a pleasant night.”

After bowing politely to me, Dayvin left the bedroom.

Click.

The door closed, and I blinked at the unfamiliar feeling that washed over me.

I realized that not once had Dayvin ever said things like “I’ll take my leave now” or “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I really was a terrible master.

From now on, I should make sure not to overwork Dayvin.

I sank deeply into the pile of pillows behind me.

Though he had left Anise’s bedroom, Dayvin found himself unable to walk away easily.

Logically, he knew he could leave her side now. But a vague anxiety clung to him stubbornly.

Why was he so uneasy?

Blinking slowly, Dayvin stared at the closed bedroom door.

Nearly thirty knights dispatched from the Imperial Knights Order were guarding the inside and outside of the estate. The servants attending Anise were also keeping watch over one another to ensure no one did anything suspicious.

Most importantly, Anise possessed two imperial artifacts given by the Emperor himself. One of them was even a classified imperial artifact personally used by the Emperor.

And yet…

He still felt anxious.

After standing there absentmindedly for a long time, unable to move, the maids and knights from the imperial palace began giving him strange looks, so Dayvin reluctantly forced himself to walk away.

His room, which he had returned to after so long, was covered in dust.

The coat he had thrown carelessly over the chair on August 2nd—when he’d rushed out after hearing news of Anise’s accident—remained exactly where he’d left it.

Looking at the windowsill layered with dust, Dayvin swept his bangs back.

I’ll clean later.

He removed his uniform, changed into pajamas for the first time in ages, and lay down on the bed.

In truth, if he circulated divine power through his body a few times, he could dispel all fatigue instantly. Contrary to Anise’s misunderstanding, he had never been pushing himself beyond his limits while staying by her side.

As he lay staring at the ceiling, Dayvin recalled what had bothered him earlier.

“W-Well… how did I know?”

He blinked as he remembered Anise’s flustered reaction when he had asked how she recognized the Emperor’s artifact.

Could her memories be returning?

If all of Anise’s memories came back… would she tell him to leave again?

The thought of Anise, who had lost all her memories and smiled brightly at him, made his chest ache sharply.

Feeling anxiety make his heart pound, Dayvin soon realized there was nothing he could do about the matter right now and let out a deep sigh.

…Right. For once, let’s just get some proper sleep.

If the arm pierced by the sword healed instantly, the medical staff would find it suspicious. So for the time being, it was best to refrain from using divine power and recover naturally while resting.

Quietly, Dayvin closed his eyes.

Thinking he was fine all this time had merely been his arrogance.

Sleep rushed over him in an instant.

Drowsiness seized his consciousness violently and dragged him deep beyond the abyss of unconsciousness.

How much time passed after he sank into that deep, silent darkness?

Dayvin blinked, unable to believe the sight before him.

Anise, drenched in water and pale as death, lay collapsed on the grass.

Lana’s shrill scream tore through the air.

“My lady! No! Please open your eyes!”