『Meilia: They want you to help with the coliseum games. 』
『Lina: I don't see why you need to be involved in that. 』
『Meilia: Look, I'm sorry for what I did. I'm trying to make amends with you all. Forgive me, okay? 』
Lina looked at her coldly, her lips pressed into a straight line. Without saying another word, she turned and went inside, where Neizan and Arthur were.
『Lina: Neizan, I'd like to talk to you. 』
『Neizan: Alright. Arthur, go outside. 』
『Arthur: Hey, I'm not your dog! 』
『Neizan: With Nana around, why would I want you, then? 』
『Arthur: Don't start again... 』
『Lina: Don't worry, Arthur, it'll just be a moment. 』
Arthur nodded, trying to hide his concern as he looked away.
『Arthur: Alright... I'm glad you're okay, Lina. 』
Lina gave a slight, almost nostalgic smile.
『Lina: I'm glad for you too, Arthur. 』
Arthur looked at her for a moment, as if wanting to say something else, but finally turned and walked back to where Meilia was. Lina watched him go before closing the door to the room and turning to Neizan, who waited for her in silence.
『Neizan: First, tell me—what else do you want to know? 』
Lina crossed her arms, looking at Neizan with a mix of skepticism and distrust.
『Lina: What is she doing here? 』
Neizan sighed, running a hand through his hair as if preparing for a long explanation.
『Neizan: Look, she's here by our decision. Though it was Arthur, not me, who thought of it. 』
Lina frowned, clearly unsatisfied with the answer.
『Lina: But why do we need her? 』
Neizan held her gaze, his expression serious and calculating.
『Neizan: As I told you before, Alberto and I made a deal. Or rather, a spiritual contract. 』
『Lina: A spiritual contract? 』
『Neizan: Yes. I didn't know what it entailed either. Turns out my soul is now bound to the contract I made with him, and we both have to fulfill our parts if we don't want a curse to fall upon us. 』
『Lina: I don't understand any of this... And what does that have to do with Meilia? 』
Neizan sighed, trying to explain calmly.
『Neizan: You knew Meilia was a mage. Well, to make the contract, we needed one. Arthur didn't trust Alberto's intentions, since he suggested we do it with an unknown mage. We had no way of knowing if we'd come out of it alright. So, we turned to Meilia to seal it. 』
『Lina: And now you want to trust her? 』
Neizan nodded, though his eyes showed slight discomfort.
『Neizan: I know, and Arthur isn't exactly a fool... well, maybe a bit. But we agreed to let Meilia be the intermediary for two very specific reasons. 』
『Lina: ...I'm listening. 』
『Neizan: If we want to break the contract, we only need her. But the most important thing is that there was an unforeseen event. 』
『Lina: …? 』
Neizan paused before continuing, carefully choosing his words.
『Neizan: Meilia was also imprisoned and lost her noble title. The charges were brought by her own parents, accusing her of stealing a family relic and tarnishing their reputation during a wedding they had arranged with another noble family, where she was to marry one of their sons. 』
『Lina: Just for that? 』
『Neizan: Yes… I don't know what's going on in those people's heads, but I don't care about that now. What really matters to me, according to Arthur, is her knowledge of magic. If I have to face a mage in the coliseum, her expertise will help me anticipate their attacks. And if I get seriously injured, she'll be able to heal me with magic afterward. 』
Lina looked him straight in the eyes, assessing him, as if trying to see if he was hiding something.
『Neizan: What? Is something not convincing you, or why are you looking at me like that? 』
『Lina: …No, nothing. I wouldn't think you'd lie to me. 』
In reality, Lina was trying to see if Neizan felt any consideration or sympathy for Meilia, or if he was just letting her collaborate with them out of convenience.
『Lina: Is it true that you've forgiven her? 』
『Neizan: I haven't. And don't think Arthur has forgotten what she did, either. Although, you know how he is. Maybe it's best to set that aside for now. 』
『Lina: …Alright… 』
With a sigh, she let her shoulders fall and went to open the door again. As she did, Arthur took the opportunity to speak with Meilia.
『Arthur: Did you say something to upset her? 』
『Meilia: Mph, no. I just tried to apologize. 』
At that moment, Lina poked her head through the door.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Later that night, Neizan was with Lina in her room. Although they were alone this time, she was sitting on the bed while he had already laid down, his arms behind his head. He shifted slightly and let out a sigh before closing his eyes. Lina lost herself in thought, recalling everything that had happened the night before.
『Lina: Neizan. 』
He opened his eyes, raising an eyebrow as he turned to her.
『Neizan: What is it? 』
『Lina: ...Something strange happened to me the last time. 』
Neizan sat up a bit, his interest piqued by the seriousness in Lina's voice.
『Neizan: What do you mean? 』
『Lina: Have you ever dreamed about your family? 』
Neizan frowned, reflecting on her question.
『Neizan: Yes... Sometimes I dream, and other times I have nightmares. 』
Lina looked at him with curiosity, her expression somewhat worried.
『Lina: And nightmares? 』
『Neizan: Yes. Why are you concerned about that now? Have you had a nightmare? 』
Lina lowered her gaze, her hands clasped in her lap. She felt a knot in his stomach as he listened to her.
『Lina: ...Sometimes I used to dream about my mother. I would try to run to catch up with her, but she would move away from me until I could no longer see her... 』
『Neizan: I understand... Did she leave you and your father for some reason? 』
Lina sighed, searching for the right words.
『Lina: Really, my father and I never knew where she went. She didn't want to tell us, but I know she didn't want to leave us alone. 』
Neizan looked at her with empathy, recognizing the pain in her voice. Without thinking, he sat on the bed, moving a little closer to her.