Mikael had his own reasons for treating Celina this way. My memory was half-empty, so it didn’t feel like everything was in perfect sync, but I was able to understand it roughly.

Everything Mikael said to me when we first met here was true. In his memory, he and Celina had been exchanging letters consistently since they were young.

Even if they had never actually met, the letters were quite affectionate. She treated Mikael more warmly than Elijah had ordered her.

Because she knew the reality of this world.

It was for the same reason that it felt like Celina was denying reality.

“You woke up after one week.”

“What? One week?”

My voice rose on its own at the unexpected amount of time.

“Yes.”

“It took longer than I thought.”

Ugh. I thought deeply. So I was unconscious for that long.

Just considering the date, the protagonist was not here at this time. It was the time when he started investigating the epidemic that was suddenly spreading throughout the port city of Tyros. It was the type of service that made wizards gain the trust of the nobles and the people.

With that said, the reason why he was here right now…

“Wait a moment. Are you here right now because of me?”

“I apologize. It’s all my fault.”

Mikael said abruptly. I noticed that his fingers, holding my pajamas, were trembling.

“Why are you apologizing again…?”

For a moment, I felt the urge to hold his hand. But I couldn’t do that.

“I should have cared more.”

“What are you talking about? It was just an accident.”

“No. I could have stopped it.”

Mikael finished tying it cleanly and took two steps back. His face was filled with gloom and guilt.

“Then, in that case, it would be my fault for following Ingrit.”

“I think the blame lies entirely with the person who protects you.”

“It’s already in the past. I am alive and well.”

“You say that because you don’t know how you looked then.”

He shook his head and smiled bitterly in self-scorn.

“When Master brought you here, you didn’t look like a person, but a clot of blood. I’ve never seen so much blood in my life. Even despite how unfortunate I was before I met Master.”

“Mikael.”

I called out his name soothingly. The eyes that were on the ground turned to me. Suddenly, I didn’t feel good. The only thing left for the protagonist was to see blood.

It was no one else but me who cast a thick cloud of misery in his childhood solely for the excitement that was to be derived from the gap between extreme happiness and unhappiness. And if that wasn’t enough, I pushed him into pain as great as my love for him just before the ending.

The final sentence, “The prince and the princess lived happily ever after,” was out of touch with reality, but it was necessary in works of fiction. And in order to emphasize it, the suffering of the protagonist was necessary.

Happiness that is easily attained is neither interesting nor meaningful.

“… You must have suffered a lot. Thank you for worrying. But I’m really fine. I want to stop talking about depressing things.”

Even though it was cowardly, I chose to evade it. The current situation was so dumbfounding that I couldn’t afford to care about other people’s feelings.

“Yes. I will do whatever you want.”

Mikael answered. Look, Celina. What do you mean, he doesn’t listen to you? He’s so obedient.

“Ah, right. Come to think of it, that woman got hurt too.”

“That woman?”

“The woman who stabbed me. She was sprawled out on the floor, foaming from her mouth.”

Red Tail was completely knocked out. What happened to her? Did she die?

“Ah. The person who stabbed you was a woman? Then, what about the people who took you?”

“The people who took me didn’t seem to want to kill me. That woman acted as she pleased.”

“What does she look like?”

“Her hair and eyes are red. Ah, she has short hair.”

It was not difficult to describe her because her characteristics were so clear.

“Yes, yes. What else?”

He asked back, leisurely.

“Her cheekbones are a bit protruding, and she doesn’t have two fingers. She also has a burn scar. I think you’ll know as soon as you see her.”

“Yes. You remembered clearly.”

Mikael nodded.

“I will kill her myself.”

Then, he whispered in a low and kind tone, as if he were speaking to his dear lover. His intention was explicit in his clear eyes.

“I’ll bring you her neck.”

“Huh? I didn’t mean for you to kill her…”

I lengthened my words, taken aback.

“Maybe the fact that she collapsed was because of Master’s magic stone.”

He retorted casually.

“If it weren’t for that, you…”

However, his expression as he spoke didn’t look good.

“Did I have something like that with me?”

“The ring you wore.”

“Huh?”

I hurriedly checked my right hand. The frame of the ring remained in place, but the yellow gemstone had disappeared.

I was at a loss. I didn’t know why. What the hell was wrong with that archmage? He was a total tsundere.

I created him, but I didn’t know him at all.