"Yes, please don't worry. We are doing our best to provide the best treatment, even utilizing the highest-grade healing potions from the Alchemy Guild," the butler said confidently, but Anais's expression showed no sign of relief. She had accepted that Wonderstein's condition was severe enough to require even the use of the highest-grade potions.
"I must see him in person," Anais said as she got up from the bed. The elderly butler was taken aback and tried to gently urge her to lie back down.
"Madam, you mustn't overexert yourself."
"Overexert myself?"
Wonderstein pushed the butler's hand away roughly. "Hah, hah. How dare I say I'm overexerting myself when he... when he endured what happened to him... What... he... did... even with those wounds... on the cold floor... Hah, hah..."
Anais clenched her chest as she gasped for breath. The butler's face grew pale.
"Madam, you must calm down. Your body has not fully recovered yet."
"No... it's nothing. I'm just not used to it yet... he... he healed me. Look! I'm breathing! I have to see him..."
Despite her gasping breaths, Anais looked around for Wonderstein. The butler felt a surge of unknown emotions as he watched Anais refer to another man as "him" and push away his own hand.
"Prepare my clothes. I have to go see him."
"Yes, I understand."
However, what the butler saw under the mask was definitely a great joy in seeing his mistress smile for the first time in fifteen years.
After various big and small matters were settled, only Wonderstein and Ella were left in the room. There was no hint of worry on Ella's face as she looked at Wonderstein lying halfway covered in bandages.
He was not someone to be worried about.
"Unfortunately, you lived, didn't you?" Ella said.
In response, Wonderstein gave her a disappointed smile. "Ella, even after I took six bullets?"
Ella's words sounded like mockery, but Wonderstein merely smiled without offering any retort.
"Oh, come on. It's all just smoke and mirrors, right? What's a little bloodshed? Humans are resilient creatures. The one who reattached his head even after it was severed by an axe..."
Ella's words flowed without expecting any response from him. She perceived his calmness as audacity, as if he intended to repay his debts by healing her.
So, even when he blocked her path.
Even when he was baptized with bullets.
She didn't worry about it at all.
Ella had seen his true form.
What lay beneath his skin was not human.
She came into the room along with the servant, who then bowed respectfully and said, "Madam will be visiting shortly."
The attitude of the mansion residents towards them had changed drastically since they heard that Wonderstein had awakened and had healed Anais's illness earlier.
The maid who had been keeping an eye on Ella grabbed her hand and shook it vigorously, expressing her gratitude as soon as she heard the news. However, Ella, while accepting their greetings, couldn't be happy along with them. Everything had gone exactly as that devil had planned.
His kind smile and miraculous powers easily enchanted anyone. Ella had been the same way at first.
Up until now, everyone who had met him had experienced despair and terror.
Whether it was becoming slaves like Ella or the circus troupe members or suffering even more gruesome fates, they all fell under his sinister plans.
Doubts suddenly arose in her mind. Had Wonderstein really cured the illness of the madam? Was there a trap somewhere? How many times had she seen what kind of monsters he turned people into while claiming to "help" them?
"Should I expose his true identity to the madam?" She pondered, but she knew that would not be enough. Wonderstein was holding her family hostage. If she interfered with Wonderstein's plans, he would not hesitate to go to her homeland and kill her family, or even worse, transform them into monsters. She had no choice but to continue facilitating the emergence of other victims to save her own family.
"I... I'll be back in a moment."
Ella got up from her seat, unable to face Wonderstein. If the lady were to express her gratitude, her conscience wouldn't be able to bear it.
"Where are you going?"
"Just for a walk."
"Maybe we will get a gift?"
"Take care of it yourself. I haven't done much. I just... fed Chick. He likes fingers."
Pierre Mopasan, the man with the severed finger. He had accused them as the culprits but left as soon as he heard that Anais had awakened. Wonderstein thought about the game's storyline. Perhaps he had gone to Flolande. And he probably visited one of the "Three Witches," Wonderstein's friends. Had I somehow twisted the original plot? He couldn't tell yet.
In the original story, he hadn't been able to kill Anais, and it was the same this time. However, the process was slightly different. Would this become some kind of variable in the future?
"I see?"
As she was about to leave, Ella noticed something covering her body. It was Wonderstein's suit jacket. She had still been wearing it. She threw the jacket onto Wonderstein's legs.
"I was still wearing it."
"It keeps you warm, you know? The morning air is cold."
"Hmph... I told you from the beginning! I'm not cold at all!"
With that exclamation, Ella closed the door and left. Wonderstein looked at the closed door and smiled silently.
*
[You have completed the sub-quest "Sponsor."]
[As a reward, you have received "Debulroots x5."]
[The main quest "Circus Grand Prix" has been activated.]
Circus Grand Prix. He had expected this. Ever since he saw the sub-quest "Prologue" that instructed him to survive until the start of TT1, he had thought of Circus Grand Prix.
Circus Grand Prix was the backdrop for TT1. Unlike the sequels that traveled around the world, TT1 took place in a single city where the festival was held: Hippodrome. True to its name, all main quests converged spatially and temporally to the starting point of TT1.
But for now, he had no time to think about Circus Grand Prix. The woman in front of him was the reason for that.
Anais, who had come to express her gratitude, had been engaging in a repetitive conversation that seemed to be going nowhere.
"You saved my life, Master."
"That's right."
"You also treated my illness."
"I did."
"I told you that I would do anything if it's what you wanted."
"Yes."
"But... is that request just to sponsor a Circus Troupe?"
"Yes."
"Is there nothing more?"
"There's nothing more."
Anais' expression as she looked at me was hostile.
Was the way I had treated her still an issue?
'She poured her heart out in front of everyone earlier. Moreover...'
Anais' illness had been quickly cured.
As soon as my hand touched her chest, the Biomancer's skill instantly transformed her body. She no longer needed to rely on artificial pumps to survive.
However, her breathing didn't return immediately.
There needed to be one more stimulus, like a new-born baby taking its first breath.
At that moment, I had only one choice.
I didn't know about the existence of a manual resuscitator.
I opened her lips, kissed her, and blew air into her mouth.
Artificial respiration was a common-sense action for modern people in emergencies, but not here. It looked like nothing more than an aggressive act, covering her lips.
Surviving the situation on the scene from the soldier was a miracle. I had saved her life, but it was inevitable that she would be shocked when she woke up and heard the details.
From her attitude yesterday, it was clear that she despised Wonderstein.
How embarrassing it must have been to show such an appearance to someone she disliked.
Since I was the one who saved her life and treated her illness, she had no choice but to endure it.
I decided to try to smooth things over at this point.
"Please forget about what happened last night."
"...Forget?"
"Yes, just know that it was for the sake of saving your life. I hope you won't misunderstand."
"Misunderstand...?"
"In case you thought I had different intentions towards you. I have no feelings for you."
"...No feelings at all?"
"None."
"Not even a little?"
"Not even a little."
I didn't expect that these words alone would calm Anais down immediately, but I hoped they would at least soften her.
However, my expectations backfired.
Upon hearing my explanation, Anais' expression became incredibly stern.
Was the glint in her eyes that I mistook for a moment a figment of my imagination?
"I see."
"You do?"
"It was a misunderstanding."
"Oh, yes! It was a misunderstanding. It was just a transaction."
"A transaction?"
"Yes, a transaction. I hope that makes you feel more at ease."
Anais' face returned to a peaceful state.
She had a smile on her face.
The word "transaction" seemed to resonate with her, likely because of her merchant nature.
Thank goodness. I thought I had made a mistake for a moment...
She laughed and got up abruptly.
Anais, who had been calm, suddenly twisted her face.
Her face turned red; tears flowed from her eyes.
She glared at me and shouted.
"You are truly... for the sake of others... sacrificing yourself... Ugh, you... idiot!"
Bang!
She stormed out of the room.
I was dumbfounded and contemplated her words.
Idiot? What did she mean by that?
I would have understood if she had called me a pervert...
In any case, it was clear that she was feeling shame and anger.
It might not be resolved so easily after all.
Still, she will sponsor, won't she?
I nervously opened the message window, wondering if a quest reversal would appear.