The light of dawn filtered through the window of the small clinic. A gentle breeze stirred the curtains as a young woman with long purple hair began to open her eyes. Her gaze moved slowly around the room, filled with confusion and weakness.
—"Where… am I?" she murmured, her voice barely a whisper.
As she turned her head, the first thing she saw was Alex, sitting in a chair with his arms crossed, watching her calmly, as if evaluating her condition. The young woman stared at him, her eyes wide with wonder.
—"Are you… a guardian angel?" she asked, her expression caught between disbelief and admiration.
Alex, visibly uncomfortable, frowned slightly and pointed with his thumb toward Emi, who stood nearby, leaning casually against the wall with a relaxed yet attentive stance.
—"The guardian angel who saved you was her," Alex replied, his tone neutral.
However, the young woman completely ignored Emi, as if she wasn't even there. Her eyes remained fixed on Alex, and a small smile formed on her lips.
—"Then… what's your name?" she asked softly, attempting to sit up in bed.
Alex sighed, resigned to the situation.
—"Alex Sasaki," he said simply.
The young woman nodded and tried to stand to introduce herself. However, her body had no strength, and as she stumbled, she nearly collapsed. Before she could hit the floor, Alex quickly caught her by the waist, preventing the fall.
—"You should rest a little longer," Alex said in a calm voice as he helped her back onto the bed.
The girl looked at him with gratitude… and something else. Her cheeks flushed as she stared at him intensely, as if enchanted by his presence. It almost seemed like little hearts floated around her.
Emi, who had been observing the entire scene with one eyebrow raised, muttered to herself:
—"I'm the protagonist. I'm supposed to be the love interest… not her."
Before Emi could say anything more, the door opened, and the doctor entered, carrying a sealed envelope bearing the duke's crest.
—"I have important news. Duke Alaric, this young lady's father, sent a message thanking you for rescuing her. He requests that you bring her to the palace immediately. As a token of gratitude, he offers a generous reward."
Emi frowned and crossed her arms, clearly annoyed.
—"We don't need any reward. We don't do this for gold or noble favors."
The young woman, who had been staring at Alex this entire time, suddenly seemed to regain strength. She rose from the bed with an energy she hadn't shown moments ago and walked over to Alex, completely ignoring Emi's words.
—"Please, accept," she said, taking Alex's hand between hers with a pleading look.
Alex, who had remained passive up to now, saw the opportunity to tease Emi a little.
—"Alright, we'll go to the palace. It's the right thing to do," he said calmly, glancing sideways to catch Emi's reaction.
—"What?!" Emi exclaimed, nearly shouting, pointing an accusing finger at Alex. "Since when do you make decisions without asking me?"
Alex shrugged with a slight smile.
—"You seem to forget you're the one who always makes decisions for both of us. This time, it's my turn."
The girl beamed, clinging even more tightly to Alex.
—"Thank you, Alex. I knew I could trust you."
Emi, frustrated, muttered something inaudible and crossed her arms, looking away while mumbling:
—"This can't be real. I'm the protagonist… right?"
With the decision made, Alex, Emi, and the young woman prepared to leave for the duke's palace. Though Alex tried to remain indifferent to everything around him as usual, he couldn't ignore the growing tension between Emi and the girl. Something told him this journey wouldn't be as peaceful as he hoped.