‘I want to die.’
Bubble bubble.
Sena was cooling his head, half-submerged in the luxurious hot spring befitting a noble.
He had said the one thing he least wanted to say. A woman? Despite appearances, Sena had a firm gender identity.
“But still…”
Sena reached out his hand towards the black night sky. A small hand, hard to believe belonged to a man.
“When I grow up, maybe I’ll look more impressive.”
He used to think that way when he was younger.
That once he grew older and his frame became more robust, he’d be seen as a man.
“I’m already 21 years old… and I don’t have much time left.”
Sena sighed and submerged himself deeper. He had never tried a hot spring in his previous life, and now he was experiencing one in the medieval era.
It felt much better than a sauna. Sena closed his eyes briefly to savor the sensation.
“Right. I should check my lifespan anyway.”
Normally, he wasn’t the type to procrastinate, but knowing his end was near seemed to have changed him a bit.
Nowadays, even seeing messy things didn’t bother him as much.
Let’s check the lifespan.
Sena stayed as still as possible to stop the rippling water.
Maybe it was his specialty, but the water calmed quickly.
Enough for him to see the number above his head.
“Let’s see, the lifespan…”
Huh?
Sena rubbed his eyes, thinking he might have seen it wrong.
“…What is this?”
He opened his eyes wide and stood up.
“This isn’t a dream, right?”
[26]
His lifespan had increased.
**
“Ah, Senior. Finished your bath?”
“Yeah, I’m done.”
“You insisted on going alone despite our invitation.”
“…Just remember, I’m a man.”
At Sena’s shy assertion, Sylvia covered her mouth with her hand.
“I don’t think that’s something to say while wearing such a pretty dress.”
“I can’t help it. Since they prepared clothes for a woman after I revealed it.”
Sylvia gently pinched Sena’s cheek.
“Yes, it looks great on you. If I were a man, I wouldn’t be able to resist.”
Is that a compliment?
Sena didn’t know whether to be happy or sad about being told he looked good in a dress.
Anyway.
“That’s not the important thing right now.”
Sena looked seriously up at Sylvia.
Sylvia, who was drying her hair with a towel, tilted her head in confusion.
‘Even if it’s just two days, it’s definitely increased.’
Sena remembered his lifespan as 24 days.
But now, his lifespan was 26 days.
It had increased exactly by two days.
It was the first time his lifespan had ever increased, even by a single day.
“Sylvia, check for me.”
Sena extended his hand.
It’s not just his lifespan that needed checking.
“How much my grip strength has improved.”
His tone was dead serious, a rare sight in Sena.
Sylvia swallowed nervously and nodded.
“Alright.”
“Grab my wrist. I’ll try to shake you off.”
Nod.
Sylvia grabbed Sena’s wrist.
But she couldn’t hide her worried expression.
Sena’s wrist felt so thin in her grip, as if it might break with a bit of force.
Sena took a deep breath and used all his strength to shake off her hand.
“How was it?”
“This is…”
Sylvia’s eyes wavered.
‘As expected, my hypothesis was correct.’
Along with his lifespan, his physical condition had definitely improved.
No wonder he felt full of energy since morning.
“This is unbelievable.”
“Go ahead, tell me. I won’t be surprised.”
“You’re weaker than an average adult woman.”
“What?”
‘It’s not like I naturally got healthier and my lifespan increased.’
So what’s the reason for the extended lifespan?
‘I suspect it’s just a reward for banishing the demon.’
Could it be that his lifespan was extended as a reward for banishing the demon?
One thing is certain—
In Sena’s previously bleak future, a tiny ray of sunshine seemed to appear.
“Why suddenly bring that up?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Just wondered if I’ve gotten a bit healthier.”
As Sena spoke, he wrapped a bandage around his thigh.
Sylvia glanced at Sena with a slight blush on her face.
“Still bashful, I see.”
“…What do you mean?”
“I took a bath right next to you, and you’re the first woman who hasn’t peeked at me.”
“What kind of p*rvert do you think I am? Sneaking a peek at guys bathing!”
“Well…? It’d be nice if everyone were like Sylvia.”
At times like this, thoughts of the Academy came to mind.
This is because there were numerous people who were caught spying on Sena’s bath several times a day.
“…I’ve been curious about those bandages of yours.”
“Yeah.”
“You don’t seem to have any visible wounds, so why do you consistently wrap it?”
After returning from his journey, Sena always had bandages on his body.
In truth, Sena found it difficult to answer Sylvia’s question. To him, they were just ordinary bandages that he couldn’t even feel.
“Well, I’m not sure. My dad told me to. But since then, I haven’t coughed any blood. Maybe it’s good for my health.”
‘Maybe because of these bandages, my lifespan is increasing.’
Even if he didn’t understand the principle, since it was clearly beneficial, he continued to wrap the bandage every day.
“I see. Your father, it must be Cruyff, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“He’s the next pope… quite a prestigious lineage.”
“The papal election is coming up soon. So I have to stay quiet.”
Sena smiled quietly.
Cruyff would handle things well.
And Seria, who was by his side, would surely fill the emptiness left by his death.
‘…But I hope I can live until the end of the papal election.’
As Sena tied the knot on his bandage, he suddenly thought about that and his expression stiffened.
Is it really so greedy to want just one more day of lifespan increase?
“Well, that’s fortunate…”
“Huh? What’s the matter?”
Sylvia approached Sena closely, looking fixedly at the bandage wrapped around his thigh and stroked her chin.
‘Something’s not right.’
There was nothing unusual about the bandage as Sena had described it.
Sylvia’s magical perception was excellent, even comparable to the strongest knights within the order.
However, for some reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something ominous was lurking.
“Hey.”
At that moment, Sena gently grasped Sylvia’s head, which was staring intently.
Perhaps it was after the bath, but his hand felt slightly cold.
“Even if it’s me, it’s a bit embarrassing.”
“…Huh?”
Only then did Sylvia realize that Sena was now wearing her dress.
And just now, they had been very close to a crucial area.
“If you’re going to do something like that, at least do it in a more discreet place… Ahaha.”
“W-what are you saying! You’re misunderstanding!”
“Well, Sylvia, at your age and as a knight, you’re probably more lustful than an ordinary person…?”
“Hey, this joke has gone too far!”
Sylvia’s face flushed deeply.
Sena found Sylvia so cute that he laughed so hard that tears came to his eyes.
“This is punishment for teasing me all along.”
Finally realizing it was a joke, Sylvia pouted.
Satisfied, Sena stood up and started to leave.
Sylvia hugged him from behind.
“Sylvia?”
“Please don’t make jokes like that to someone who can barely hold back.”
“…”
“Unless Senior resolves it.”
Originally a line where one would break into a cold sweat, Sylvia’s voice sounded too sad for that.
In response, Sena became equally saddened. However, Sena soon smiled.
“Sylvia.”
Sena tightly held Sylvia’s hand.
“You don’t have to hold back. If it’s really tough, just tell me.”
Sylvia slowly looked down at Sena’s head.
His bangs calmly rested down.
His eyes sank deep.
‘How absurd sincerity is.’
Perhaps it was a feeling of sympathy.
Sena was subtly perceptive and, like a fool, exceedingly kind as a senior.
There was no way he wouldn’t notice a junior harboring feelings for him.
Therefore, it was only natural for him to do whatever he could to help.
That was the kind of person he was.
Not thinking of his own well-being, always concerned about how to make others even slightly happier.
‘How about Her Majesty.’
Sylvia suddenly thought of that.
Would Sena have permitted a kiss with the Empress out of sympathy?
Out of mutual affection, with such pure intentions?
It was different from her own situation.
‘…Would he have done that too?’
Suddenly, her thoughts reached that point.
‘If he didn’t.’
Sylvia knew she wasn’t the first to be kissed by Sena.
‘If I go first, I’ll be Senior’s first experience.’
With that thought in mind, something snapped in Sylvia’s head.
“Well then, Senior.”
Sena thought Sylvia’s eyes seemed a little cloudy.
“Can I kiss you?”
Only then did Sena realize he shouldn’t have said that to Sylvia.
But he had no intention of taking it back.
This was all he could offer Sylvia.
“Yeah.”
Sylvia stopped exploring Sena’s mind a long time later.
Disheveled clothes. Red stains scattered across the body. Sena’s expressionless face.
“It’s over, right?”
“…Yes.”
“I’ll go first.”
Sena got up with a slight sway.
Sylvia, who was unconsciously trying to support him, stopped her hand.
‘He’s worthy of that.’
Astria had sent Sena to bathe first, saying she had something to ask the Church.
Sylvia went along as Sena’s escort.
Originally, Sena going alone would have been unthinkable.
But Sylvia couldn’t bring herself to suggest going together.
“…Thank you for not going all the way to the end. See you tomorrow.”
Before leaving, Sena quietly said to Sylvia.
Thud.
After Sena closed the door and disappeared, Sylvia, who had been blank-faced, laughed out loud.
“Ahaha.”
She immediately grabbed her hair and bowed her head. Transparent droplets fell one by one.
“What have you done, you idiot.”
