Chapter 12 Part 4

“No, just go for today. I’ll take care of myself.”

As I tried to support him to a hospital, Hyle shook his head and refused my help.

Repeatedly saying “no,” he ultimately stuck to the wall with no intention of moving.

“I’m sorry, but I have no intention of leaving you groaning in a dark alley like this. Don’t treat me like a ruffian.”

Rejecting his rejection, I firmly placed his arm over my shoulder.

Unfortunately, this was my first time supporting a man with a more robust physique than mine, so my inexperience was painfully obvious.

But there was no choice.

I couldn’t use black magic on a sick person and cause more stress…

“There’s an inn nearby, let’s go there. Collapsing outside, especially in an alley like this, is too dangerous.”

This was truly an eerie alley where it seemed no one would come to help even if someone died.

Of course, with me by Hyle’s side, he wouldn’t die, but…

In any case, it would indeed be strange for a delicate young nobleman to collapse weakly in such a place.

When we finally managed to exit the alley, I saw quite a crowd of people walking around.

For better or worse, the inn we were heading to was just across the street.

But I was supporting Hyle, so I wasn’t confident we could safely reach our destination through a larger-than-expected crowd.

Why are there so many people out this late at night!?

It was already difficult to take one step with Hyle being so much bigger than me, let alone having to navigate through people to the inn across the street… this seemed really challenging without magic.

However, hearing Hyle’s labored, wheezing breath, my weak thought that using black magic would be quick immediately faded away.

The main reason for his condition was giving spiritual power to me.

And if I were to use black magic again in front of Hyle, claiming it was to protect him… that would be pure deception.

“Rosiel, it’s fine, let me go. I can get to the inn by myself, you should go home…”

“Enough, patients should be quiet.”

I silenced Hyle’s chattering mouth with one finger and glared at him sharply, requesting that he keep quiet.

Hyle’s mouth seemed to have a will of its own.

A strange will that somehow predicted what I wanted to hear and deliberately said the opposite.

Otherwise, how could he consistently make such tactless remarks?

“You’re forceful in the strangest ways…”

Hyle, who had been smiling faintly with an incredulous expression, finally seemed to decide to lean on me, slowly tilting his head toward me.

His limp head and soft black hair constantly tickled my ear.

Having barely managed to support Hyle to the vicinity of the inn, I slowly exhaled in relief.

I had worried about bumping into people in the crowded area, but fortunately, people wisely avoided us.

…Of course, if I saw someone suspiciously wrapped in a robe moving slowly while clinging to someone, I’d probably avoid them too, out of suspicion if nothing else.

Just as I finally managed to bring Hyle to the front of the inn, it happened.

Thud!

Some sort of blunt impact struck my entire body, forcibly stopping me in my tracks.

“Damn it, who’s this fearless bastard! Hey, watch where you’re going… …!?”

Having unfortunately collided with what seemed to be a drunk muscle-head, I sighed and turned to face him.

Strangely, though, the man who had been grumbling angrily suddenly widened his eyes round and large when he saw me, and began to stammer.

…What’s this? Why is everyone looking at me like they’ve seen something they shouldn’t…

Sensing something odd, I casually glanced in another direction, and sure enough, even other passersby were staring at me.

Everyone had the same look of having seen something they shouldn’t have.

…Well, I know my robe looks suspicious, but not to that extent, right?

Such reactions would be more appropriate if my robe had come off… Wait, what?

My robe came off…!?

In a sudden wave of horror, I raised my hand to touch my head, only to realize that my thin robe had been flung off when I collided with the man.

My brilliant pink hair, House Laté’s signature trait, fluttering in the midnight air, would naturally draw everyone’s attention in an instant.

Thanks to that, my identity had been pathetically exposed.

No one in the Empire didn’t know me. Especially in the bustling plaza, the most densely populated area.

Whether noble or commoner, everyone knew the infamous villainess, the Lady of “that” House Laté.

“Ugh…”

Just this once… just this once, there’s really no choice.

With black magic, right now, I’ll—!

As I urgently gathered magical power at my fingertips, my action was immediately prevented.

Surprised by the sudden intervention, I turned my head to find that Hyle, seemingly having regained his senses, was holding my hand to prevent it from moving.

“Rosiel, we agreed not to use black magic.”

“But…”

“It’s all right.”

Hyle soothed me in a low voice, then slowly raised his head.

Free from my support, he looked somewhat exhausted, but his eyes sparkled like the moon in the night sky.

“Hyle, what are you trying to do? Now is not the time. The situation is serious…!”

“Rosiel, who do you think I am?”

Hearing my worried words, Hyle responded playfully, smiling gently as he snapped his fingers.

It happened instantly, in a very brief moment.

After completing this strange action, he approached me and personally picked up the fallen robe, placing it deeply over my head again.

Thanks to this, my vision was once again shrouded in darkness, but the sounds reaching my ears were crystal clear.

“Huh…”

“What was I just doing?”

Subsequently, I heard the sound of numerous footsteps around us beginning to move again.

From this, I instinctively understood.

Just now, Hyle had erased the memories of numerous unspecified individuals in one go.

Such a feat couldn’t be easily accomplished without powerful magic like black magic… and he did it so effortlessly?

“Ah… come to think of it, you were a min-maxed character, weren’t you?”

I suddenly remembered that Hyle was famous for being an overpowered secondary male lead.

At last, I nodded naturally as my mind accepted the situation.

It makes sense.

After all, one of the main reasons I had approached Hyle was because he was considerably powerful.

“Hmm? What did you just say? I didn’t hear.”

“It’s nothing. Let’s go.”

Hyle’s head tilted to the side with curiosity.

Perhaps it’s better he didn’t hear…

I shook my head lightly and continued supporting him toward the inn entrance.

With the attention gone, my tense nerves found some relief. However…

“…Hmm.”

I felt a mysterious gaze from not too far behind.

It wasn’t alarming enough to warrant turning back to identify its source. It was just a small, delicate presence, like that of a child.

But since Hyle had erased everyone’s memories, there was no reason to doubt that gaze. It must be nothing.

Once in the inn, thanks to the innkeeper whose eyes spun at the sight of the gold coins we handed over, we were able to secure the largest and best room.

“Here, take this.”

After bringing Hyle upstairs and laying him on the bed, I selected a few pills from the medicine I had additionally obtained from the innkeeper and offered them to him.

Though he wasn’t saying it explicitly, Hyle seemed unable to self-heal due to his current lack of spiritual power.

“Rosiel, I appreciate the thought, but this really isn’t necessary…”

“Just take it, unless you want to die.”

Hyle, who had been refusing the medicine with a troubled face, eventually swallowed the pills with water after my firm encouragement.

At best, these were just fatigue relievers, so while they might alleviate his tiredness a bit, they wouldn’t cure what actually ailed him.

But that’s better than nothing.

In truth, I knew it too.

That Hyle’s condition wasn’t a simple problem that could be solved with mere medicine.

“…Indeed, we don’t need a physician after all.”