Prisippi slowly raised her head, her gaze meeting those of Fenric, who was staring at her calmly.
“…….”
His gaze towards her was no different from usual. There were no intelligible feelings in it, and he was unpredictable, as always.
This is exactly what made her anxious.
She feared that the only person who was comforting her inside this damned world was about to abandon her as well.
Whether Fenric felt that way or not was unclear. But he didn't say anything. He just took quiet steps towards her, then knelt down on one knee in front of her, while she was sitting on the bed, and gently extended his hand to gently hold her cheek.
“Why this expression?”
“…….”
“Are you hurt?”
Presibe shook her head no, instead of answering.
“It seems as if you have committed a great sin.”
Indeed, in some ways... she had committed something of a sin.
“How did you get to the Forbidden Forest? It was very dangerous.”
“There was a side road west of the village...”
Preseppe said it in a low, almost inaudible voice.
“No, but… at Vanessa’s house… at my mother’s house, I found something that seemed to belong to my father.”
Then she pulled out from her cloak something she had been hiding: a scale from Nidhogg, the dragon.
“It's a dragon scale.”
It was impossible for Fenric, who had repeatedly fought monsters, not to recognize her.
He narrowed his eyes as he stared at her, and a stream of questions began to accumulate in his mind:
That side road was guarded, so how did you manage to cross it? Was it because of the monster blood running through her veins?
But he did not disclose any of that.
Precipe's face looked so guilty, as if she was carrying the burden of the whole world.
“I heard that my mother was once found unconscious near that road, before she became a concubine.”
“Then what?”
“I thought I might find a lead that would lead me to something...to my father, perhaps.”
I thought for a moment, would it be wise to tell Fenric about Vidar?
But after everything that had happened, it would be foolish for her to admit that she had received help from a suspicious, monster-like creature.
Fortunately, she had a decent excuse to even explain her arrival at the deepest area of the forest:
“As you noticed, the monsters did not attack me, so I had no trouble getting through.”
Just as he himself said.
“As for Siegfried...”
There was no way to escape from this topic.
Fenric certainly heard what happened, and there are even witnesses.
“Siegfried...”
She wanted to come up with a convenient excuse...but she couldn't.
All possible excuses seemed lame, so her voice lowered, and she bowed her head silently, just as befits a true guilty party.
But Fenric said nothing.
He did not answer her, did not question her, did not blame her.
But just...hug her silently.
“…….”
Prisippi froze for a moment in surprise, but did not push him away.
“Anyway, the Knight Commander is not dead.”
In fact, even if she had done nothing, he should have died at his hands.
"Anyone who encounters a huge number of monsters is bound to panic. What happened has nothing to do with you, so do not burden yourself beyond what you can bear."
And Fenric knew the truth.
He knew that what Presibe did when she stepped on Siegfried's hand was not of her own free will.
Even if it was of her own free will, I wouldn't be surprised.
Because he knew exactly how much she had suffered in her previous attempts to escape Siegfried.
“And just to make a point that you might be thinking about… even if you are a descendant of monsters, or if you are the only one who wasn’t attacked, it doesn’t change anything to me.”
He patted her back gently as he spoke.
“What really matters to me, is not those trivial details.”
Those “insignificant details” mean that her father may be a monster... or a dragon... and that she is not fully human.
However, to Fenric, that wasn't even worth mentioning.
As if he read what was on her mind, he continued speaking steadily:
“As I have said many times before, my top priority is your safety.”
“…….”
“As long as you're not hurt, that's enough for me...no matter what happened.”
If any of the other five characters who had previously tried to win their hearts had said this, she would have laughed at them.
She would have wondered sarcastically at this unbelievable statement.
But… Fenric was not like them.
He was the only one who had always protected her sincerely, without conditions, and without interests.
The only one who never disappointed her.
So… she could believe him.
Without a doubt.
"…Thank you."
Prisippi whispered as she leaned against his chest, buried in his warmth.
Fenric froze for a second, but, as she had done before… he did not push her away.
“…….”
Prisippi's face, as she hugged Fenric tightly, was filled with countless emotions.
[Can you promise me too, Presibe?]
[With what?]
[Don't hide anything from me anymore.]
Even though they had exchanged this promise before, Prisippi felt guilty that she still could not reveal everything to Fenric.
Maybe it wasn't just that she had a secret to hide.
But because she was fully aware of how honest Fenric was with her, and how important he was to her, as much as he valued her as well.
That's why his embrace of her, even though he knew she was hiding something from him, was so warm... and so tender.
If only she could enjoy this peace of mind, without looking for any other hero...
If only she could stay in this embrace...
Maybe that was better.
[Rumors seem to be spreading like fire, they say that Duke Fenric has different feelings for you.]
At that moment, Vidar's whisper crept into her ear, like a wind that passed through her memory.
[It is not an unfounded rumor. Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to defy the Emperor's will for your sake.]
...Is it possible?
Is what Fenric really feels for me...that kind of feeling?
And if so...what about me?
“Precipie?”
When Prisippi turned away from him a little, Fenric looked at her in astonishment, as if nothing she was thinking had reached him.
“…….”
Prisippi looked at her reflection in his red eyes... Her cheeks had turned a little red without realizing it.
But, what next?
Even if her feelings were real, what could she do?
In the end, she still wanted to get out of this world.
Exiting the game is the only way to return to reality.
But that means... an eternal farewell to Fenric.
Once you get out, you'll never see him again.
He's nothing more than a character who wasn't even part of the game's official system.
Even if you play the game again, it won't appear.
You won't find it.
When she disappears, what will he be like?
Will he go back to the “original settings” and be just as affectionate with the real Presby?
As he was with her?
Don't know. And she can't know.
“Your wounds...”
Prisippi whispered as she looked at Fenric's slightly exposed chest under his shirt.
“I'll handle it.”
His wounds were not deep, but they were many due to his continuous fight against monsters.
She felt like she at least wanted to do something for him.
This is the only thing you can do now.
“Take off your shirt, please.”
Fenric lightly, taking off his shirt without hesitation.
Beside them were medicinal herbs, warm water, and bandages—which Malia had hurriedly prepared, dazed.
Presibe reached for a clean towel, soaked it in warm water, and began gently wiping his body.
Whenever her hand touched his skin, Fenric bit his lip lightly, as if holding back his reaction.
But she didn't notice, completely occupied with cleaning it.
—
As if the monster massacre had not occurred there… The Forbidden Forest had become completely silent.
“…….”
Vidar's steps were light as he walked around.
He passed the corpses of knights, the remains of monsters, and pools of blood, as if they were just things that did not concern him.
His destination was...to a place where there was no life, no sound, and no human presence.
To the cave of silence.
The people were right.
In the past, the King of Beasts lived in the west of the Forbidden Forest.
Even if that time has passed.
“…….”
Vidar extended his long white fingers on the wall of the cave, which was filled with incomprehensible marks.
They were signs of countless days, weeks, perhaps even centuries...
It is as if a prisoner exists to calculate the time of his imprisonment.
And that prisoner was...himself.
“Even after all this time... nothing has changed.”
Changed to the point of sarcasm.
Vidar muttered as he stared at the thick fog inside the cave, then smiled with a cold sarcasm.
He was staring at his old house.
That place where he spent thousands of years.
It's finally back to him.