With my body having been cleaned with a rag and some water, I left Priscilla to tend to herself in the bath as I went downstairs to see if there was anything that had come up while we were… occupied.
But still, as of right now, I was in quite the good mood.
After all, I was an engaged man now, and my beautiful fiancé and I had just consummated our love many times over.
Honestly… what a great day to be alive.
Perhaps this was why I had been reincarnated into this world?
To give that beautiful Pris of mine all the love she could want and need?
Maybe… and I was going to do it, whether I was destined to or not.
Catching a glimpse of a green-haired woman and cat-eared knight at the bottom of the steps, I felt a smile form on my face as I made my way towards them, skipping a few steps on the way.
"Good morning, Crusch, Ferris. A wonderful day, is it not?" I asked, looking over to them.
"Ah…" Crusch said, her eyes widening as she looked at me.
Hm?
What was her problem?
"S-Selian," she muttered, her cheeks flushing as she instantly averted her eyes. "G-Good… good morning!"
Bringing her hand to her chest, she closed her eyes and shook her head before suddenly turning away.
"N-Now that you are awake, I must be off. I… have to do something!" she said, before she suddenly started walking away towards the back door.
…What?
"Ferris… is something wrong?" I asked in concern, slowly turning to look at him. "Why would she run away like that?"
"Ah… well… Crusch might be feeling overwhelmed, seeing you face to face after… you know," he shrugged, stopping to sniff the air a few times before his nose wrinkled. "And even without the scent left on you, we were able to hear the sounds just fine."
Oh.
So… I see.
This… might be a bit awkward.
"Well, I didn't know Priscilla-sama could make noises like that, so congratulations, but maybe you should limit your energy in the morning," he said, walking past me with his hands behind his back. "Neither Crusch nor I would want you to fall completely into depravity along with our lady, so make sure to control yourselves, nyan~"
He then skipped away, following where Crusch had gone to, as I was left alone, having the intense feeling of wanting to run back upstairs out of embarrassment.
So… they had heard.
I know Crusch's room was quite close to Priscilla's, so that was somewhat natural, but Ferris, who was practically on the other side of the manor's layout…
Perhaps, we might have gone a bit too far.
Taking a moment to regain my composure, I then made my way towards the dining room, hoping to get some food in me before starting my day.
And as I arrived… I realized that I wasn't alone.
"Haa… that's the good stuff," Heinkel said, downing his mug with a smile before he noticed my presence, looking over to me with a raised eyebrow. "Ah, brat. You're awake."
"Yeah… I am," I said as I took a seat across the table from him, pushing my hair back as I looked at the empty plates in front of him. "So I guess breakfast is already prepared?"
"Yep. The maids here really are amazing, huh?" he muttered, wiping his mouth before he narrowed his eyes at me.
I… had a bad feeling about this.
"But that doesn't really matter, does it? More importantly…" he said, his lips spreading into a smirk. "You work fast."
Fuck… he was the last one I wanted finding out.
"That… I don't know what you mean," I said, averting my eyes.
"Ha! As if I could believe that lie. Not only did I hear the sounds, but the entire mansion probably did as well," he said, pointing his fork at me. "But still… it seems that you had a good night… and morning, from what I could tell."
Urgh…
"I already heard from Ferris, so please… just stop it," I said, massaging my forehead.
He was probably the last person I wanted to know about this.
"Haha! Well, I gotta say, congratulations kid. Priscilla-sama is one hell of a woman, so to have not only taken her to the sack, but absolutely conquered her while doing so… you're really living up to the title of 'White'," he said, wagging his eyebrows.
Fuck…
"Anyway, it's a good thing that you finally came down, since I'm heading back home," he said, standing to his feet.
"You are?" I asked, trying to ignore his earlier comments and move the conversation away. "But don't you hate it there?"
"Heh… yeah, I still do… but I figured that it's about time that I paid her a visit," he said, looking down at his clenched fist. "After acting so high and mighty in giving you advice… it's about time that I stopped running away from her myself."
"I… see," I said, looking back down at the table as my fingers thrummed against the polished wood.
The Astrea manor, where Felt and Reinhard resided, as well as Heinkel's wife, who was still under the effects of the Sleeping Beauty disease and was a main source of all of that family's problems.
And with how my progress in using my Divine Protection was coming along…
"Hey, Heinkel…" I said.
"Tch. Missing the '-sama' there, brat," he spat, though I could tell he was mostly kidding.
And even if he wasn't, I would ignore it.
"Are you leaving right now?" I asked.
"Err, I'll probably take an hour or two to gather my stuff and get a carriage," he answered, turning to look at me. "Why?"
So I would at least have a bit of time to tell Priscilla… that was good.
"Well… mind if I joined you?" I asked.
I think it was time to see what was going on with the Astrea family.
—
"So this is your wife… Louanna, right?" I asked, looking down at the woman as Heinkel reached for her hand.
"Yeah… this is her…" he said, his tone warmer than anything I had heard before as he began rubbing circles into the still hand. "I'm back… Louanna. You look just as beautiful as ever."
While many would say this about their wives, in this case… Heinkel really was right.
Aside from the divine beauty that is Priscilla, she was easily the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, to the point of nearly seeming inhuman.
With long blonde hair, a soft face, and completely, utterly still, as if frozen in time.
So this was the Sleeping Beauty disease…
"She's beautiful… how did a guy like you get a woman like her?" I asked, half teasing, half interested in their story.
"Hah. I of all people know that she's too good for me… but as for how, it was an arranged marriage, although I fell in love at first sight regardless of that fact," he said, smiling down at her. "I mean, who wouldn't? The only thing that comes close to her beauty is Priscilla-sama's… hell, that probably is the reason I asked to join you guys rather than that merchant girl, even if I made that decision unconsciously."
I see…
"Then… in that case, did you fall for Priscilla as well?" I asked.
"Heh. Maybe if I was a brat like you, I would have, but it isn't like that… and even Louanna, while I said I fell in love with her at first sight, that was more like getting an interest," he said, leaning down to kiss the woman's forehead as he gently raked his hands through her hair. "No… what truly made me fall in love with Louanna was her kindness… that easygoing spirit… and that despite me being a talentless guy, she alone believed that I could succeed as the Sword Saint… though I guess I disappointed her, huh?"
I see… I wonder, was that part of the reason he didn't like Reinhard?
Some sort of insecurity?
I wasn't sure…
But speaking of the woman, I was able to confirm that her state was eerily similar to those who had been attacked by Gluttony.
In fact, I would have thought of that being the reason for her condition, but she was still remembered, unlike them, so that couldn't be the case.
"And no usual medicine has worked yet? Healing magic too?" I asked, seeing Heinkel's smile turn bitter as he shook his head.
"No… I even had Blue check on her as soon as he rose to his title, but… nothing could be done," he said, releasing a sigh. "I've been searching for a way to heal her ever since, but… well, you can see the results right in front of you."
Well, that certainly explains why he was killing those bandits back then, and also why a lazy guy like him was dead set on getting Priscilla to the throne.
But while Ferris was an amazing magician, the best healer in the world… he wasn't me.
Closing my eyes, I concentrated on the woman in front of me, activating my Divine Protection to feel the mana in the air… and moving past the white noise of the ambient mana, to the two shining spots in my senses.
Heinkel's which was a bit stronger than a regular person's blazing bright and full.
And then… there was a weak flame… so weak that I might have mistaken it for simply mana… but no, it was Od.
Her Od.
Having it so low… it was nearly to the level you would find in corpses, but even corpses had more Od than her right after their deaths.
"Heinkel…" I said, opening my eyes to stare at the man. "Her Od… it's weak. Do you have any idea why?"
His eyes widened.
"Her Od… wait, how do you know? Aren't spirits the only thing that can sense that?" he asked.
"I… have my methods," I said, averting my eyes.
While I didn't think the man was absolute scum like before, I still didn't trust him enough to tell him all of our camp's secrets, including that of my Divine Protection, and especially with my history as a former prince that he was sworn to.
"Alright… but if her Od is low… then that is probably what caused her to be like this, right?" he said, his jaw clenched. "But as for how… I have no damn clue."
Hmm… I wonder if there was a way to fix it… and since I was able to effect the Od, at least if it was unprotected… maybe I could do something about it.
But still, at this point, I only knew how to cut it, and my only experience with that was with the 'zombie' phenomenon a while back… so I was way out of my depth.
But maybe… if there was a spirit that could help…
My eyes widened as I felt a presence approach, and as I turned my head to the door, I watched as it creaked open as a red-haired young man appeared, his eyes wide as he looked at the both of us.
"S-Selian? Father? You two… what are you doing here?" he asked, his tone confused rather than stern.
But still, Heinkel didn't seem to care, his eye twitching as he turned to look at his son.
"Can't a guy come to his damn house to see his wife? Or what, are you planning on taking that away from me too?" he asked, expression twisting in anger.
Reinhard flinched, stepping back as he averted his eyes.
"No… I… would do no such thing… I am just surprised at your arrival… Father," he said.
"Don't! Don't… call me that, dammit," Heinkel said, head tilting to look down at the ground. "Who would want to have you as a son… the least you can do is not remind me of it…"
A tense silence fell between the three of us, while I simply stood back, feeling the awkwardness permeate the atmosphere with each passing moment.
At least, that was before I slammed my fist into the back of Heinkel's head, sending him sprawling to the ground as Reinhard's eyes shot open.
"Agh! Fuck! What'd you do that for, fucker?" he asked, slowly getting to his knees.
"I'm telling you to knock it off," I said harshly, meeting his glare. "Talking all that shit to your son… at the very least, don't do that in front of your beloved wife."
That seemed to affect him a bit, as his eyes went to the woman sleeping on the bed, before he looked down, chewing on his lip.
"How the hell is that telling me?" he asked.
"They say actions speak louder than words, so I don't feel bad," I said, shaking my head. "Besides… why all the hostility? Couldn't you have waited a few minutes before rambling off like that? Are you a kid?"
Heinkel tensed, and with a click of his tongue, he got to his feet before pointing over at Reinhard with a glare.
"Why, you ask? It's because this fucker is the one who ruined our family," he said. "Stealing his grandma's Divine Protection… everything went to shit after that!"
I looked over to Reinhard, who had a guilty expression on his face as his father berated him.
Stealing a Divine Protection… did Heinkel go insane or something?
Theresia van Astrea died, what, fifteen years ago? Reinhard would have been four at that age.
So, somehow, even if he did… why would you blame a kid so harshly for that?
"Perhaps he did, though I doubt it… but even if Reinhard 'ruined your family', it's you who ruined the two of yours' relationship," I said, looking at the older man. "I've asked you before, but now that we're here, I'll ask again. What do you think your wife would say if she got up right now, seeing your hatred for your child… her child… how do you think she would feel?"
Heinkel stepped back in slight shock, but that look was quickly replaced with one of rage.
"You! I didn't bring you here to spout that shit! So shut the fuck up before I-"
"That's quite enough," I muttered, closing in on him in an instant as I struck his neck with my hand, hitting his pressure point so that he dropped to the ground a moment later, unconscious.
Of course, I didn't stop his fall, resulting in a thump resounding through the room.
Fucking hell… this guy definitely needed some anger management.
"Sorry, Reinhard, that your father is such an annoying piece of shit," I said, kicking Heinkel's hand that had fallen onto my foot.
"Uh… it is quite alright… and I understand that he is a… difficult person," he replied after a moment of getting over his shock. "That aside… I apologize on behalf of him for his behaviour… and thank you for taking care of him."
Jeez… why did Reinhard care about him so much, when Heinkel was just a piece of shit?
Well… I guess that's family love… perhaps that was the Louanna part of him.
"Brother! You're here! I thought I smelled something familiar!" a voice said as Felt soon appeared next to Reinhard, her hair blowing around as she came to a sudden stop.
Did she use her Divine Protection to rush over here?
And what was that thing about smelling something? I feel like that was a bit concerning…
"What are ya doin' here anyway? I thought you were… oh," she muttered, her voice quieting as she began to glare at Heinkel on the ground. "Why is that piece of shit here?"
So she already knew about him…
"Don't mind that guy. As you can see, he's not going to interrupt us," I said, walking past the man as I took Felt into a hug. "Anyway, how are things? Anything different from your letters?"
"Nah. Just some people being annoying," she said, squeezing me back before a beaming smile spread across her face. "Oh! And I got Old Man Rom to join us! He's off to take care of some shit, but you should come see him sometime!"
Old Man Rom, huh?
Well, even if he was old, he was still strong, and an experienced person, so I was glad someone like him was on Felt's side… truly on her side, I mean, not just trying to use her for her position.
"That's good. I've also been doing… well," I said, remembering the woman I would soon be returning to.
"I see… but what did you come here for?" she asked. "Not that you need a reason to visit, of course!"
How nice of her.
"Just… following this guy. I wanted to check on his wife here to get a better read on the situation," I said, looking over to Louanna. "It… truly is a shame."
"Yeah… it is… you didn't really know her, did you, Rein?" Felt asked, turning to the man beside us.
"No… I was but two years old when she fell into this state… so I cannot remember her aside from some faded memories, even with the Divine Protection of Perfect Memory," he said with a frown. "I do wish to cure her, however. Not only as she is my mother, but also for my father… but despite wishing for all the Divine Protections that could help… nothing has worked."
I see… it was unfortunate that even with his insane amount of Divine Protections, they didn't seem to do anything.
"Is there any Divine Protection that you think could help?" I asked.
"No… there is not," Reinhard answered with a sad frown. "If I had to guess… the condition known as the Sleeping Beauty disease is something outside of Od Laguna's authority."
Outside its 'authority', huh?
Interesting…
"Anyway, how long do you plan on staying here?" Felt asked, turning her head to look up at me.
"Not long. I have to return as soon as possible for my duties," I said before looking behind me. "And… I'll be taking that guy too."
"Oh… well, thanks for keeping him away. He's really damn annoying… a real piece of shit," she said with a scowl before she shook her head. "But anyway, how are things going with that bi- with Priscilla?"
I caught that near-mistake, but since she corrected herself, I would let it go for now.
And as for me and Priscilla…
"Wait wait wait, why the hell are you blushin'?" Felt asked, reaching up to grip my collar as she began shaking me back and forth. "No way… you did it, didn't you?"
My silence spoke volumes as her eyes widened in amazement.
Dammit… since when did Felt get so sharp? Was it because of her training as a candidate?
"You crazy bastard… should I expect to be an aunt soon!?" she asked.
"N-No! We're… that won't be happening… for a while…" I said, looking away from her. "We're being careful, and I can't imagine having kids at the moment."
As Felt continued shaking me to her pleasure, my mind drifted off to the woman in question, the image of her smile and blazing red eyes clear in my mind.
Priscilla… I think this might have been the longest we had been apart since we came into each other's lives.
I wonder what she's doing right now?