The World Has Become Kinder to Her

#### Part 5: Trauma

The Spirit King possessed unique abilities in addition to the elemental powers he was endowed with. Water, the source of life, exhibited exceptional healing capabilities.  

The moment Salia, who was essentially water itself, approached him, Frederick felt an inexplicable fear and dread.  

Images of the serenely flowing Venus River and the sight of a thoroughly drenched Lotus alternated in his mind.  

His silver eyes trembled violently.  

It felt as though not only his body but also his soul was freezing over, and the burning, stinging pain that had plagued him began to subside.  

「Mage, your heart nearly stopped.」  

Salia whispered in a tone that was both cruel and gentle. Even then, Frederick couldn’t breathe properly.  

After some time, Frederick, having somewhat regained his complexion, wiggled his fingers and circulated his mana through his body.  

The discomfort from his internal injuries had been healed, and his mana levels had partially recovered as well.  

He usually considered Salia nothing more than a pesky fly buzzing around Theodore, but seeing this healing ability now, he realized that the Spirit King might actually be somewhat useful.  

“Thanks?”  

「I don’t like the tone of your voice. But what’s the matter? It’s rare for such an arrogant mage to say thank you outright.」  

“If I die now, I won’t be able to finish this.”  

Frederick replied as he poured his recovered mana into the mana stone. Salia frowned.  

「Wait! Then what was the point of me healing you? Pouring water into a broken vessel, isn’t it?」  

“What do you mean? Thanks to you, you’ve earned my gratitude. That’s a rare thing.”  

「What exactly are you trying to make? That stone is already filled to its limit with mana.」  

“The strongest, unbreakable shield?”  

Even as he said this, a bitter smile tugged at the corner of Frederick’s lips.  

Of course, such a thing was impossible.  

Even the highest-grade mana stones had limits to how much mana they could hold, and exceeding that limit would cause them to explode.  

So, now that the stone was at its limit and he had regained control of the mana, it was time to stop.  

「Are you making this for that woman?」  

“…Yeah.”  

「You’re quite devoted, both you and Theodore. But she doesn’t know, does she?」  

“What does it matter? Want me to tell you more?”  

Frederick murmured, wiping the glowing blue mana stone clean with a cloth.  

“In the past, the four types of magic I was best at were wind, teleportation, summoning, and water.”  

Since wind magic worked well in harmony with teleportation, summoning, and water magic, it was natural that he had excelled in those areas.  

But Frederick could no longer use water magic.  

He could still create small water balls, but when faced with large quantities of water, his body would freeze.  

「So that’s why you didn’t use water magic against Gaff? That element would’ve been effective against him.」  

“When I use water magic beyond a certain point, my mana becomes tangled. My very will rejects water. Because water consumed Loti.”  

「…….」  

At that moment, Salia finally understood why this mage had always been so defensive around him. The only way not to be consumed by fear was to resist it with everything he had.  

“But it’s fine. As long as I can protect Loti, as long as she’s safe, nothing else matters. I don’t care about anything else. That’s my sole purpose in this life.”  

— Regarding Lotus, I’m keeping all possibilities open.  

Salia recalled the words Theodore had spoken, overlapping with Frederick’s current statement. He shook his head.  

「You truly love that woman.」  

Love. Frederick couldn’t bring himself to utter the word.  

Even with the truth right in front of him, he hadn’t realized it, ruining so many things in the process. Did he even deserve to speak that word aloud?  

“I like her. I like her so much… so much that it’s become my only goal in life now.”  

***  

Kenneth’s attitude toward Rikheus was clearly sharp. While Kenneth’s expression remained cold, Rikheus was smiling like an angel, but the atmosphere between the two was as tense as could be.  

“This is the imperial palace, isn’t it? A place where we must be mindful of the eyes and ears of others.”  

Lotus subtly tried to suggest ending the conversation here.  

“And my stamina is reaching its limit as well. If you’ll excuse me, my lord, could Sir Kenneth and I take our leave now?”  

“…Of course, Lady Lotus. May your steps be peaceful on your way out.”  

“Thank you for your consideration. I hope your evening is peaceful as well, my lord.”  

Lotus hastened her steps, determined to put some distance between herself and Rikheus.  

The sky, tinged red by the light of the setting sun, seemed unsettling rather than beautiful for some reason.  

Once they were outside the palace, Kenneth spoke up with a slightly twisted expression.  

“Are you alright?”  

He looked as though he might rush toward her at any moment. His hand, which had approached as if to seize her arm, stopped just short. Perhaps he restrained himself at the last second.  

Lotus stared intently at Kenneth’s face for a moment, aware that it was impolite but unable to help herself. Too many things were confusing her.  

Kenneth had suddenly lost his composure, and then, once he regained it, he had treated Rikheus with extreme hostility. Finally, when Rikheus had grabbed her wrist, Frederick’s shield had activated.  

‘Why are you acting like that toward Lord Hycen?’  

‘Why did you lose your composure earlier?’  

Countless questions swirled inside Lotus’s mind, but she carefully chose her words.  

“…I’m fine.”  

The moment she said those words, a wave of exhaustion hit her.  

It was as if all the fleeting moments of joy—her brief admiration of the strawberry sherbet at lunch or the excitement of entering the bookstore—had completely vanished.  

“Are you truly alright? Not just physically, but emotionally as well?”  

Perhaps the confusion she was feeling was plainly visible on her face.  

Kenneth was looking at her with more concern than ever before.  

“My emotions… that’s something I’ll have to think about.”  

Even as a hollow reassurance, it was difficult to say she was fine. For now, this was the best answer she could give.  

Kenneth, with an expression mixed with worry and guilt, bit his lip before finally speaking.  

“That man… he… stirs… something inside…”  

It was happening again.  

The “restriction” of this world, as Lotus had come to call it for convenience. But this time, she didn’t just see Kenneth’s lips move—she could hear faint fragments of his voice as well.  

‘What has changed compared to before? What caused this shift?’  

It was clear that he was referring to Rikheus, but the words were too few to deduce much.  

Lost in thought, Lotus suddenly felt her mind freeze. It was as if she had become a puppet whose strings had been cut.  

There were too many mysteries around her. The emotions she had to deal with in this drastically different environment were overwhelming.  

No matter how much light the man in front of her had given her, it was impossible to shake off the fatigue and negative feelings that had crashed over her, just like the darkness that enveloped her surroundings.  

“And what about you, Sir Kenneth? You looked like you were about to lose control earlier. It was a little frightening.”  

“…Yes, I am fine now. I apologize for causing you concern.”  

“Once again, I couldn’t get an explanation from you. Last time, I struggled with how to approach the subject, but today I think I’m just too tired to even try.”  

“Lotus…”  

The fact that he called her by her name instead of “Lady” was a clear sign that, despite his composed appearance, this man was shaken as well.  

“At times like this, silence might be better.”  

It was her way of saying they should stop the questions, the answers, and the conversation for a while.  

Lotus felt a desperate need for silence, for some time alone to organize her thoughts.  

Kenneth did not object to her suggestion.  

He simply agreed and arranged for a carriage. Though the silence in the small space was uncomfortably heavy, it was still far better than being stuck with the Marquis and Marchioness of Estelle.  

As Lotus and Kenneth arrived in front of the Marquis of Estelle’s residence, they sensed a slight commotion.  

The guards, who saw the two of them stepping out of the carriage, greeted them politely, and one of them ran off somewhere in a hurry.  

Moments later, Hession, along with the family’s knights, came rushing toward them.  

“Lotus!”  

His voice sounded so urgent that anyone unfamiliar with the situation might think something catastrophic had happened.  

“What is it, brother?”  

“I heard you went out alone with Sir Zahard.”  

What was the issue with that?  

Lotus was about to snap back when she noticed the knights behind Hession didn’t look too well.  

They looked like they’d been through a grueling ordeal. With a sigh, Lotus responded.  

“And what of it? Didn’t the knights inform you? A gentleman who happens to be one of the Empire’s finest knights requested to accompany me, so I decided to forego the knights’ escort today. Sir Kenneth has done an excellent job protecting me.”  

*Sir Kenneth,* not *Sir Zahard.*  

Hession caught the subtle change in her wording. Could it be that they had grown that close after just one outing?  

The memory of a dream that once felt so real flashed through his mind, making him all the more uneasy.  

“In the end, he’s still an outsider. What if he harbored ill intentions toward you…”  

Though the word “he” was dismissive, what was even more concerning was the slightly vague insinuation that followed. The knights, who had been standing like statues, now had their eyes darting nervously.  

Hession, despite being the next head of the family, was surprisingly hot-tempered and fearless. When he lost his cool, his words and actions knew no restraint.  

But Lotus, whose expression had hardened, and Kenneth, who looked utterly exasperated, seemed to be of little concern to him.  

“Brother, stop it.”  

“Lotus, I…”  

“You’re embarrassing yourself in front of Sir Kenneth. Besides, since when have you been so concerned about me? There’s plenty I’d like to say to you, but I’m too tired today, so I’ll just say one thing.”  

Lotus stepped closer to Hession and whispered softly.  

“I believe the family knights are more dangerous to me. At least Sir Kenneth treats me like a noble lady, whereas they treat me like I’m worth half that.”  

“Who…!”  

“Because they’ve witnessed how I’ve been treated since I was a child. People are shaped by their environment.”  

Lotus watched as his lips clamped shut like a clam.  

Perhaps it was because they both had similarly green eyes and reddish hair, but at that moment, Hession and Lotus looked strikingly like true siblings.  

Maybe that was why, in the past, she had placed so much hope and expectation on Hession.  

“There isn’t a single person in this world who isn’t a danger to me.”  

Including herself—Lotus, who had not fully abandoned thoughts of death by starvation or suicide, was a danger too.  

The mournful smile on her face made everyone nearby feel a similar ache in their chests.  

And in that moment, Lotus was glad that Theodore wasn’t present.