Green! Way too green!

  This was the first thought that came to Roel’s mind as Alicia wrapped her arms around him.

  That’s 50,000 Affection Points! What in the world? Do I even earn that much in a month?

  Roel was shaken by the green light blazing above Alicia’s head, to the point that he was screaming inside his head frenziedly. But thinking more about it, it appeared that he hadn’t received any Affection Points from Alicia throughout the ‘Bron incident’. Was this the grand total of what he had earned?

  Ah, that makes sense then.

  Roel shot a glance at his broken arms and legs, and he suddenly felt that it was all worth it even if it was just for this sum of Affection Points. As his shock gradually calmed down, his attention naturally wandered off to other sensations, such as……

  How soft, warm, and fragrant!

  Roel thought as he stroked Alicia’s hair. The texture felt a thousand times better than stroking a cat, stoking up a profound sense of satisfaction in his heart.

  “I love you, Lord Brother.”


  Alicia said with a voice slightly hoarse from crying.

  Her sudden proclamation of love made Roel’s heart skip a beat, and he felt a slightly itchy feeling in his chest.

  “Alicia?”


  “Lord Brother, do you love me?”


  “Ah? I-I……”


  Roel didn’t expect to be suddenly bombarded with this question, such that he was stunned for a moment.

  Alicia released her hold and stared at Roel eye-to-eye. There seemed to be a torrent of emotions raging in her eyes, as if she was trying to convey something to him.

  “.……”


  Roel’s eyes widened a little. From the solemn expression on Alicia’s face and her trembling fingers, he could tell that it was not the time for him to be joking around. He could sense that she was feeling nervous, perhaps terrified even.

  She was afraid of being rejected.

  Is this a side effect from what Bron had said to her during the banquet? Or is it a manifestation of the unease she felt from seeing me getting stabbed back then. But in any case……

  There was no way Roel could bring himself to reject her.

  “I love you too, Alicia.”


  Roel said dotingly as he reached out to hug the trembling little girl in front of him. Alicia burst into joyful tears.

  Outside the room, Anna, who was peeping through the cracks of the door, was moved to tears by what she saw. Biting her handkerchief in agitation, she lightly closed the door shut before turning around to face the huge army of servants standing behind her.

  “Our young master and young miss…… are an item now! Uwuuuu……”


  “R-really?”


  “Yay—! Long live our young miss!”


  “Our Ascart House is saved!”


  The ‘Roel X Alicia Ship’ fan club members cheered joyfully upon hearing the news that Anna had brought them. The ones who were the most touched of all were the servants working for Alicia.

  “Anna, are you certain about this?”


  “Of course! How could I possibly be mistaken?”


  Anna, who was still wiping her tears a moment ago, straightened her back and stood with a dignified air as soon as she heard someone questioning her credibility. She quickly recounted the proclamations of love made to one another on the bed earlier, causing the other servants to gasp in agitation.

  “But given the young master and young miss’ age, could it just be kinship?”


  “I don’t refute the possibility, but considering how mature our young master and miss are, I believe that there’s a larger proportion of romantic love in their relationship.”


  “I…… I also think that it’s romantic love too!”


  The members of the fan club discussed fervently with one another over this matter, but none of them were able to accurately capture the thoughts that were in Roel’s mind at this very instant……

  She’s really like a cat.

  This was the thought in Roel’s mind as he stroked Alicia’s silky hair. It felt like he was patting a particularly clingy cat. Thinking more deeply into it, there were indeed a lot of similarities between Alicia and cats.

  Like how they looked docile but were actually very guarded against others; like how they stood dignified and gracefully, rarely trying to display intimacy; like how they were very sensitive toward their surroundings.

  Of course, there were significant differences between them too. Alicia was unable to fully conceal her emotions. She was sensitive but fragile. She sought to love and be loved. Behind her aloof exterior, there was a warm heart beating.

  Roel would have to go through many hurdles and obstacles in order to bring out her true self. The main character managed to accomplish all of this with great difficulty in the game, but Roel was fortunate that he was able to meet Alicia many years in advance. At the very least, he was able to reduce her suffering and alleviate her loneliness.

  She wouldn’t kill me anymore.

  Roel, who finally recalled the storyline of the game, nodded to himself confidently.

  “Lord Brother.”


  “Yes? What is it?”


  Roel was in the midst of celebrating his small victory when he heard the little girl’s voice and turned his head over. Alicia’s head was leaning on his shoulder, and she spoke with a choked-up voice.

  “I’m sorry. It was because of me that you sustained such heavy injuries. If only I wasn’t taken away by them……”


  “What in the world are you talking about? You are the victim here! What are you apologizing for?”


  Roel’s expression turned grave as he spoke with a firm voice.

  “It’s Bron and his group of cronies who inflicted harm on us. They’re the ones who should be apologizing and punished for their actions! So, don’t be silly and take the blame for this matter. If any jackass tries to say otherwise, tell me and I’ll break his leg!”


  “Lord Brother.”


  Alicia was deeply moved by Roel’s words, but at the same time, she couldn’t help but recall some matters.

  “After this incident, it’s likely that there’s already no room for reconciliation between the Ascart House and Elric House.”


  “.…… That can’t be helped. Our paths differ from one another in the first place, not to mention that there’s already a deep grudge between us. It was only a matter of time before this happened, so there’s no need for you to pay it any heed.”


  Alicia fell silent once more. She recalled the look Bryan Elric shot Roel back then, and after a long moment of silence, she finally spoke with conviction.

  “I’ll protect you, Lord Brother.”


  “Hm? Ah…… Oh.”


  Roel blinked his eyes in surprise at Alicia’s sudden remark. He didn’t understand the resolution behind those words, and Alicia, despite having noticed it, didn’t bother to explain either. Her crimson eyes narrowed a little before slowly loosening up once more as she silently buried the vow she had just made in the depths of her heart.

  “But speaking of that, haven’t you already protected me once?”


  “Ah?”


  Roel pointed to his own stomach and explained to the confused Alicia.

  “If it wasn’t for you bravely stepping in back then, my injuries would have been more severe. You have already protected me once.”


  “I-I wasn’t…… I wasn’t thinking of anything at all. I was afraid, afraid of losing you. It was so terrifying that I……”


  Alicia’s voice became choked-up once more. Recalling the overwhelming fear she felt back then made her tug Roel even tighter than before. It was as if she was afraid that he would suddenly disappear into thin air.

  Sensing this, Roel stroked her head and spoke comforting words.

  “But you still saved me. I never thought that you would overcome your fear and pick up the knife. You are more courageous than I imagined.”


  “.…… It wasn’t courage. It was a fear triumphing over another. As compared to losing you, the knife wasn’t scary at all.”


  “.……”


  Alicia’s earnest words left Roel a bit shaken. Something stirred in his heart, leaving him with misting eyes. After a long moment of silence, he nodded his head heavily before leaning it against Alicia’s.

  “Is that so……”


  Roel muttered softly before the room settled into silence, leaving two hearts leaning against one another, beating silently.