Aqua didn't come back until the afternoon.
Judging by how tipsy she looked, she'd probably been drinking a lot.
Hayashi Maki scooped the goddess up in his arms, ready to carry her back to her room so she could sleep it off, when Frederica hurried over.
"Hayashi Maki-sama, there's an urgent letter from Roswaal-sama."
"Oh? Let me see what it says."
Hayashi Maki took the letter, opened it, and immediately looked awkward.
It said that Roswaal—and the villagers who had taken shelter in the Sanctuary—were all trapped inside and couldn't get out. In other words, he wanted Hayashi Maki to bring Emilia to the Sanctuary, take the trial, and rescue both him and the villagers.
In truth, the Sanctuary's barrier meant nothing to Hayashi Maki. If he wanted to enter or leave, he could do it any time.
After all, he could appear instantly beside any of his contracted companions.
But the Sanctuary was something they had to go to.
The Sanctuary's trial was tied to whether Emilia could recover her memories.
And the "key" needed to open the world's core—the so-called "Seal"—could only be Emilia after she regained those memories.
That was exactly what Pandora wanted.
On top of that, Hayashi Maki still had an agreement with Roswaal about reviving Echidna, and that couldn't be ignored either.
The Sanctuary was also the witches' grave—where their souls existed inside the dream space Echidna had created.
If Hayashi Maki wanted to contract a witch, he'd have to go there.
"I get what Roswaal wants," Hayashi Maki said. "Frederica, we're heading to the Sanctuary next. Do you want to come with us?"
Frederica shook her head and smiled gently.
"My contract with Roswaal-sama ended the moment I delivered that letter. Please allow me to remain here and keep watch over the church."
Hayashi Maki reached out and patted her head.
"Alright. Then I'll be counting on you, Frederica. I'll bring your brother Garfiel out with me."
"Thank you, Hayashi Maki-sama."
"Then I'm off. When I get back, I hope our excellent head maid will warm my bed for me."
Frederica's face instantly flushed, her heart pounding.
Did Hayashi Maki-sama… mean he wanted her?
Well… if he really could give her the safe place she needed, then maybe… it wouldn't be impossible.
…
Holding the drunk, wobbling Aqua, Hayashi Maki blinked over to Roswaal's mansion.
Ram and Rem were already waiting at the entrance. The moment they saw him, they bowed respectfully.
"Hayashi Maki-sama," Ram said, "Emilia-sama… something happened."
"Oh? What happened?"
"If you go in, you'll see," Ram said with a shrug, then sighed. "She's still crying in there."
"I see. Then you two take care of Aqua for me."
Hayashi Maki ruffled both maids' heads and strode toward Emilia's room.
He knocked.
"Emilia, I'm back. What happened?"
A few seconds later, the door swung open. A soft body crashed into him and clung tight.
"Emilia?"
"…W-waaah…"
The silver-haired half-elf buried her face in his chest, arms locked around his waist like she was afraid he'd vanish if she loosened her grip.
"Don't cry," Hayashi Maki said gently, stroking her silver hair. "I'm here. Whatever it is, you can tell me. I'm always on your side."
The warmth in his touch steadied her breathing a little, but she still refused to let go.
She lifted tearful violet eyes to look at him, miserable and desperate.
"Hayashi Maki… Puck doesn't want me anymore. He broke the contract and left… I finally understand what you meant before."
"The one I was going to lose… was Puck—the one who stayed with me, protected me."
"Hayashi Maki… now I only have you."
Now Hayashi Maki understood why she looked like she'd been shattered.
He sighed, then wrapped her up tighter.
"Silly girl. Why are you crying like it's the end of the world? If Puck left, we'll bring him back. We can just contract again."
"And if he refuses… then we'll beat him up."
"Huh? You can do that?"
Emilia froze, stunned.
"Why not?" Hayashi Maki said. "And don't you think it's strange? Puck cares about you more than anyone—why would he suddenly break the contract and leave you?"
"I… I thought about it, but… don't laugh at me. I'm not smart. I can't figure out why he abandoned me."
"Is it because I'm too cowardly? Too weak? Did he decide I wasn't worth it?"
She clutched him even harder.
Right now, he was the only one she could rely on.
Roswaal couldn't be trusted—he'd always been using her.
Hayashi Maki brushed the tears from the corner of her eye, his expression soft with genuine concern.
"Don't deny yourself so easily, Emilia."
"Puck leaving is also part of making you grow. Part of helping you recover your memories."
"If he didn't break the contract for now, you'd never be able to become who you were before. So once you clear the Sanctuary's trial, you'll be able to find him again."
"And I'll say it again—if he still won't come back, we'll beat him up until he does."
Emilia nodded hard.
In a moment like this, she would've believed anything he said.
Because she'd already lost so much.
And Hayashi Maki was the only one still standing beside her—holding her, comforting her.
"Now that you understand," he said, "go take a bath, change into something pretty, and get ready. We're heading to the Sanctuary."
"Ah—o-okay! I'll go right now!"
Emilia finally loosened her arms, embarrassed, and fled back into the room.
Having Hayashi Maki see her crying—so messy and helpless—made her feel ashamed, and she instinctively wanted to hide.
Hayashi Maki smiled, still catching the faint lingering scent she'd left on his shirt. He spoke toward the closed door.
"Make yourself look nice, Emilia. Be confident. No matter what happens, I'm with you."
"…Okay. I got it. Thank you."
Her voice from inside sounded steadier now—no longer panicked.
Satisfied, Hayashi Maki headed to the living room to wait.