Chapter 202
It was a soldier who had been shot in the shoulder with an arrow. He wasn’t a knight, and the injury wasn’t severe, which was why a regular doctor, not a Manifestor, was handling his treatment. Since healing the wound would obviously provide Mür with a clear pretext to humiliate her, Roseline chose mutation instead of healing, just as she had planned. The target of the mutation was Mür.
Poof—
The moment the converted magic shot towards Mür, his body instantly shrank. The robe he was wearing slid off powerlessly, and a white weasel poked its head out from between the folds of the white fabric.
“Oh dear.”
Roseline stomped her feet, covering her mouth with both hands as if she had just realized a huge mistake.
“I’m so sorry, what should I do? My skills are so poor, I couldn’t help it.”
“Pfft.”
“Puhaha!”
Laughter erupted from here and there. Mür, now a weasel, jumped up and down on the spot in frustration before darting out of the barracks like an arrow.
Laughter followed the retreating back of the scrambling little creature. Schnitzel, who had often been dissatisfied with how Roseline was treated, laughed heartily, clutching her stomach, while someone else bowed their head, covering their mouth with their hand. The patients lying in their beds were busy chuckling.
“Ahem. This is a violation of the taboo. Submit a letter of reflection to the Section Head by tonight.”
Merrick, who had suppressed his laughter with a cough, calmly settled the situation. It effectively stripped Mür of any smooth pretext to punish Roseline. Although disciplinary action within the Academy was still pending, a professor who had been observing the situation from the side added, “Submit the reflection letter to me as well.” Now that superiors from both the Knight Order and the Academy had officially mentioned disciplinary procedures, Mür’s grounds for intervention had completely vanished.
“Yes, I’m sorry.”
It was a rather lenient punishment for breaking a taboo. It was likely a decision made with Valen in mind, but Roseline silently bowed her head without argument.
“……”
Malsen, who had poked Roseline in the side with her elbow, gave a thumbs up. Amidst the laughter and chatter, Roseline released her magic onto the arrow-wounded soldier. The soldier, who had flinched in alarm when the magic first touched him, thinking he would be turned into a weasel too, turned to look at Roseline with wide, astonished eyes when his wound was completely healed. Roseline merely gave a faint smile.
It was a rare, peaceful moment.
◇◇◇
That afternoon, Mür appeared with a terrifying air about him, furious and ranting. He insisted that Roseline be expelled immediately for breaking the taboo, and when he learned the punishment had already been dealt, he couldn’t hide his fury. He tried persuading the other Manifestors who were group leaders, but that also proved unsuccessful. Far from agreeing, everyone responded indifferently, so he could only glare at Roseline and grind his teeth.
Her assigned tasks increased. She was now saddled with even more chores, like discarding the bloodied water used to clean wounds and fetching clean water. However, contrary to Mür’s intention to insult her, Roseline simply carried out her duties silently. She didn’t even feel bad about it. Just being able to escape the healing center for a while, using fetching water as an excuse, and not having to see Mür’s face was relief enough.
“Unbelievable… now he’s really…”
However, Valen was different. Spotting Roseline carrying a large bucket of water, he, uncharacteristically, let his words trail off. He took in the strands of hair stuck to her cheek, her soiled robe, and the reddened knuckles of her fingers from carrying the bucket. His jaw tightened as his eyes cataloged these traces of hardship.
“I pay my respects to Your Highness, the Grand Duke.”
Roseline set the bucket down for a moment and offered a formal greeting. He wasn’t alone. He had the Section Head with him, as well as the Vice-Head and several knights. Because of this, Roseline let her guard down. He was a man who, at least when others were watching, maintained proper decorum, so she assumed he would simply pass by this time as well.
“How much longer must I endure?”
The cracking of the man who had been enduring alone was an unforeseen variable.
“Tell me. How much longer should I endure here?”
At his voice, worn thin and low, only the eyes of his retinue grew busy. The knights who had accompanied him on the long journey from the capital had long since noticed the unusual tension between the Grand Duke and the young lady, but the Section Head’s situation was different. His gaze, shaking violently as if an earthquake had hit, landed on Roseline.
This is a disaster.
Swallowing a sigh inwardly, Roseline stared at some point on Valen’s shoulder and slowly spoke.
“I am sorry, but that does not seem to be a question for me to answer, Your Highness.”
“Roseline.”
“There are many people watching, which is a bit awkward for me. May I take my leave now?”
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