A faint light seemed to appear in Petra's eyes.
She looked up at Grin and said,
"I'll do my best, Brother Grin, but I'm still really worried… What if everyone really gets caught by wolves? What do we do then?"
Grin crouched down until he was at eye level with her, then answered with a warm smile,
"If that happens, I'll definitely come save you."
A spark flickered in Petra's eyes, and she immediately held out her right hand.
"Then let's pinky swear!"
"Alright."
Grin hooked his little finger around hers.
"By the Dragon above, I swear this promise."
Petra closed her eyes and recited the oath solemnly.
When she opened them again, she looked completely steady.
"Brother Grin, I'll definitely protect everyone!"
After saying that, the little girl turned and ran back at once.
Clatter, clatter—
Right on time, the sound of the approaching dragon carriage reached them, and Rem drove it over.
…
Back at the mansion, Emilia had rushed home first so no one would notice where she had been.
She had run the whole way, and even with Puck helping her, she was starting to feel tired.
The moment she returned to her room, she threw herself onto the soft bed and lay there looking completely drained.
Puck, on the other hand, was still full of energy as he sat beside her ear.
"Lia seems like she had a great time today."
Emilia rolled over and sprawled weakly across the bed.
"I've always wanted to go to Arlam Village. This time, I finally worked up the courage."
Puck teased her lightly.
"My poor daughter, you didn't have to be so cautious. You could have just gone with Grin while wearing that cloak that hides your appearance."
Emilia shook her head.
"Hiding under a cloak and hiding behind a cherry tree are basically the same thing."
Puck tapped his own head with a paw.
"Sorry, Lia. That was my mistake."
Emilia opened her arms, hugged Puck gently, and whispered,
"It's okay, Puck. As long as you're with me, that's enough."
Bang bang bang!
Just as the father and daughter were sharing a quiet moment, an oddly abrupt knock sounded at the door.
"Who is it?"
Emilia called out, but no one answered.
Creak—
She opened the door.
To her surprise, no one was there.
With his sharper senses, Puck immediately pointed downward.
"Lia, look below."
Emilia lowered her gaze.
There on the floor sat a tray.
On it were a fresh cluster of cherry blossoms and a pink cake that looked somewhat roughly made.
Emilia covered her mouth, stunned for a moment and unable to speak.
Did Grin-kun bring this back for me from Arlam Village?
Yes.
It had to be him.
Puck was surprised too, and just as he was about to float over, Emilia hurriedly stopped him.
"Wait, Puck. Don't come over yet. Just… wait a second."
As she spoke, she quickly wiped at her eyes with her sleeve.
Only after taking several deep breaths did she finally crouch down and pick up the tray.
"Lia…"
Puck called softly.
He understood that Emilia, who had always lacked warmth and affection, had been deeply shaken by such a simple kindness.
It was better to let her steady herself.
Emilia sniffed and quickly changed the subject.
"Grin has been corrupted by the children of Arlam Village. I'm definitely going to scold him properly next time I see him."
Puck nodded and gently patted her hair.
"Get some rest, Lia. You look exhausted."
Emilia placed the cherry blossoms into the vase by her bed, but kept the cherry blossom cake tightly in her hand.
She had wanted to eat it immediately.
But now, for some reason, she felt reluctant to.
In the end, worn out, Emilia leaned against the bedside, still holding the cake, closed her eyes, and slowly drifted to sleep.
…
Some unknown amount of time later, hurried footsteps shattered the quiet outside.
Why is it so noisy?
Emilia climbed out of bed, slipped on her shoes, and looked out the window.
The sun had already sunk far west, close to the mountains.
Puck, as a Great Spirit, had long since reached his rest period and had already retreated into the magic crystal hanging from Emilia's neck.
The moment Emilia opened her door, she nearly ran into Ram, who looked deeply anxious.
Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Emilia asked,
"Ram, what happened?"
A trace of sorrow appeared in Ram's eyes.
"Lady Emilia… Grin… Grin is dying."
What?
Emilia staggered, and the cherry blossom cake slipped from her hand and hit the floor with a dull thud.
Ram had no time to explain further.
She grabbed Emilia's hand and ran with her toward Grin's room.
By the time they arrived, the room was already full.
Roswaal, Beatrice, Rem, and a bewildered Subaru Natsuki were all gathered around Grin's bed.
Grin, who was usually full of energy, now lay weakly beneath the blankets.
His skin was pale, his breathing shallow, and he looked as though he might stop at any moment.
Rem held tightly to Grin's hand, as if trying to ease his suffering through sheer force of will.
"Why is this happening? He was fine this morning…"
She had only come to bring him herbs for the bite wound.
But the moment she entered the room, she had found him collapsed unconscious on the bed.
Panicked, she had called everyone over as quickly as she could.
Forcing down the heaviness in her heart, Beatrice raised one hand and cast a spell to inspect for abnormal conditions.
A moment later, black smoke began seeping from the dog bite on Grin's palm.
"This is it."
Beatrice grabbed Grin's hand and examined it carefully.
"This wound is the medium for the spell. Someone planted a curse on him."
At those words, Rem's pupils trembled.
Grin had been bitten while protecting her.
The thought formed at once—
It was Rem… who got Grin-kun killed…
And once it was born, it spread wildly, impossible to suppress.
Emilia stepped up to the bedside, and the tears she had been holding back finally spilled down her face.
The half-elf girl said in a trembling voice,
"Why… why did something this terrible happen? I thought… I thought we could become friends…"
Rem sank to her knees by the bed and gently held Grin's cold hand, just as he had once protected her.
Her blue eyes had reddened, and the steadfast look she usually wore had been replaced by fear and helplessness.
"Even Beatrice-sama… has no way?"
Beatrice let out a long sigh.
"If it had been discovered before the curse activated, destroying the spell would have been easy."
"But now that it's already in effect, the only way to stop it is to kill the one who cast it."
"Rem will go kill her right now!"
Veins bulged along Rem's arms as if she were on the verge of transforming again.
She remembered the appearance of both the demon beast and its master perfectly.
But Beatrice shook her head.
"It's too late. This curse continuously drains the victim's mana. Judging by Grin's condition, he has at most one hour left."
Even so, Rem stubbornly pushed herself to her feet and started toward the door.
"Rem will kill her within the hour…"
Ram looked at her sister with deep concern.
She knew there was no talking Rem out of this now.
Besides, she owed Grin her life.
So instead, she stepped to the bedside, looked at the unconscious Grin, and said quietly,
"Even the White Whale couldn't take your life. Ram refuses to believe you've become this fragile…"