"...I had no idea that Young Master was in that kind of situation…!"
Meanwhile, back in the hospital wing, Mira, tightly wrapping a blanket around her body, let out a worried gasp after hearing out the story the peasant nurse told her.
"...don't you mean the situation that your Tsar was in…?"
"!!!"
Lilla couldn't help herself and asked with a cheeky smirk, causing the black-haired girl to squirm and blush so hard her face turned bright red.
"Th-that's what I always call him in my head…! Miss Lila… D-do you think he…he heard me call him that…?"
"Well... you know… Ehem! Putting that aside, student Vultress, I believe we should keep this conversation as well as this whole situation between us. Student Rotsard surely won't go blabbing about it either."
Mira dropped down onto the mattress and buried herself in the blanket before making a small space just to peek out of it, and asked, to which the peasant nurse leaned back and hurriedly moved back to the main subject.
"...that's right… I had no idea that his mana got disturbed to the point that his mana barrier doesn't work… That must mean his core is severely damaged… are there any spells or potions that can help with that…?"
The girl perked up and poked her head out, nodding vigorously with a serious expression.
"I haven't studied that particular subject in depth, so I can't say for sure… but that doesn't mean there aren't. I believe I can refer you to the Academy's librarian… She should be able to at least point you in the right direction. Royal family did donate most of their books to the Academy's library, making it the largest in the kingdom, so it wouldn't be odd to assume there will be a lead on the treatment in one of them…"
Nurse Lila furrowed her brows and muttered while looking to the side with a stern expression.
"Student Vultress. We will divide our efforts this way... I will research and gather all the evidence proving that Student Rotsard's life is being targeted with the influence outside the Royal Academy, and you will be looking for a method to heal him."
The woman declared, locking eyes with the black-haired girl.
"...wouldn't…?"
"Before you say anything, I know I have more experience in actual healing, but I also have far more freedom than a student like you. That gives me a bigger chance at discovering something crucial. And considering that I confirmed that Student Rotsard's life force is stronger than an average healthy person, even with his internal injury. Finding out evidence that would expose the one behind attempts at his life takes precedence over fixing Student Rotsard's core."
Mira made a worried expression, but Lila immediately cut her off, not giving her a chance to voice her concern.
"You make a good point, Miss Lila. Okay. I agree with your plan."
"Good~!"
The girl nodded to herself and then declared unexpected gusto, making the nurse acknowledge her decision with a smile.
"...since we agreed, I want to start by making one thing clear… Student Vultress, do you perhaps know whether Student Rotsard giving Student Edemsworth his ring had anything to do with his situation? He said that having only one spouse is a tradition within his family, but I've witnessed first-hand how much he cares for you, making it difficult to understand that particular action."
"...ah…"
Lilla then breathed out and inquired, causing Mira to let out a troubled gasp and fidget, divided between embarrassment and sadness.
"About that… Young Master did inform me about his plans… you see… he… He wanted to go against the family tradition. He said that other nobles are right and having at least three wives, with each one having different responsibilities, is more beneficial for the family as a whole."
The black-haired girl let out a small sigh and revealed.
"You know, usually, for other nobles, that is, the first wife is the one who brings two families together. She is tasked with making the connections and representing her husband outside of their territory. The second wife is the one in charge of finances and stays within the territory. Being the second wife usually means distancing oneself from her relatives and focusing on the betterment of her new family. The third wife is often someone recommended by the first wife, and her responsibilities can vary depending on why she was chosen in the first place. Rarely anyone takes a fourth wife, but if they do, it's because, despite having three wives, they have no only daughters and no male heir. The fourth wife's sole responsibility is to bring an a male heir for her new family into the world."
She explained while fidgeting.
"Oh, I see… then, putting the tradition of his family aside, you were okay in that arrangement in the first place? Student Edemsworth would make a great second wife after all."
"..."
Nurse Lilla nodded her head and pointed out, ready to leave the matter on that, but Mira fidgetted and looked away with an upset expression.
"...I wouldn't say that… My family is a bit special too…"
"?"
The black-haired girl muttered, causing the peasant nurse to tilt her head and look at her with an intrigued expression.
"As you know, every human in the world receives a blessing of the faes during the offering ceremony. While it is random for peasants, entirely relying on luck, each of the noble families attracts a specific kind of fae each time if their bloodline is strong enough. Blessings of the faes always come with some side effects, sometimes troublesome, sometimes not."
Mira said, starting to blush heavily once again while Lila patiently waited for her to continue.
"With the Vultress family, the side effects of the blessing we receive is that we fall in love only once, only with a single person. Because of that, we either marry that person, or stay alone forever, loving them from afar."
The black-haired girl revealed, curling up into a ball and resting her chin on her knees.
"Wh-while I will support Young Master in any decision he makes I… I actually might be a little selfish…"
She added, hiding her face behind her knees.
"I… I will accept and support Young Master's decision, but… but I want him all for myself. I don't want to share him with anyone else, after all…"
Mira admitted bashfully, leaving Lilla at a loss for words.
"Umm… that might be beside the point, but… when did you fall for him…?"
The peasant nurse couldn't help herself and inquired.
"...when my parents and I were returning to our territory from the offering ceremony, we stopped by the territory of Rotsard's mother's family. It just so happened that he and his mother were visiting and… and as we all had a dinner together, Young Master was very enthusiastic about acting like a host, making sure that I feel welcomed and… And I just… just fell in love with him…"
Mira mumbled, plopping down on her side and completely hiding herself under the blanket.
"Wait… don't offering ceremonies happen in early childhood? How old were you then?"
"I had mine quite late… I was nine, and… and Young Master was six."
The nurse raised her hand and asked with great interest, and the girl hidden under the blanket whimpered as if greatly ashamed of herself.
"Whoa… I see that's… EH!? Stop! Wait! How old are you now?!"
Lila leaned back and gasped in amazement, only to flinch and lean forward, calling out in exasperation.
"I'm twenty years old. I'm a fifth-year student, and aside from the current one, I have two more years of advanced lectures ahead of me."
Mira answered apologetically.
"But… then student Rotsard is seventeen… and he's somehow only a first year…?"
The peasant nurse blinked repeatedly in confusion and muttered, taken aback.
"Yes, he enrolled as late as possible. I didn't want to pry too much, but it seemed that his family was hesitant in letting him attend the Royal Academy in the first place."
The black-haired girl nodded and confirmed the guess.
"...did they, now…? That… might have something to do with him being targeted…!"
Nurse Lila straightened her back and said more to herself than to Mira, squinting her eyes because of the rays of the rising sun shining through the window…
"Hmm…? Eh? AH!"
"!?!?"
Suddenly, Lila flinched, staring at the window as if she saw it for the first time, and jumped up to her feet while exclaiming, startling Mira.
"Student Vultress! It's already morning!"
"Eh? That's it…? AH! I need to go back to my room and get ready for the lectures!"
The nurse called out, pointing at the sunrise, making the black-haired girl tilt her head and ask in confusion, only to flinch and gasp, remembering her state and cry out in embarrassment.
"Oh, dear… We don't have any spare clothes here… Student Vultress, cover yourself in those blankets, and I will escort you to your dormitory before people start walking around!"
"Eh?! O-okay…"
Nurse Lilla sighed before declaring, while Mira flinched and nodded with a troubled expression.