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Chapter 73
Rem woke up hugging a pillow.
For several seconds, she found nothing strange about it.
The room still held the dimness that came before dawn. Light had only begun filtering through the curtains, and the air remained warm beneath the blankets. Her face rested against something that still carried Link's scent: soap, smoke, earth, and that difficult-to-identify note that belonged only to him.
Then she moved her hand.
The other side of the bed was empty.
Rem opened her eyes.
The sheet was still wrinkled, but almost all its warmth had faded. He had not just gotten up. He had been gone for quite some time.
Rem looked at the empty space.
The previous night, Link had promised to sleep.
Not rest after working.
Not close his eyes while waiting for some part to finish cooling.
Sleep.
He had kept that promise for part of the night. Rem knew because she had woken several times to check his breathing and had always found the same peaceful rhythm against her forehead.
At some later point, he had escaped.
Rem slid one hand beneath Link's pillow.
She found a folded sheet.
Opened it.
His handwriting had improved since his first lessons with Beatrice. It no longer looked like someone had forced an insect covered in ink to crawl across the page.
It was still ugly.
I'll be back before breakfast.
I didn't go to the quarry.
Don't worry.
And don't look for me. It's a surprise.
Rem reread the final line.
—Don't look for me —she repeated quietly.
An unintelligent choice of words.
She left the note on the bed and pushed away the blankets.
The door opened before her feet touched the floor.
Ram waited on the other side.
She wore her nightgown and had a blanket around her shoulders. The red-and-blue ribbon Rem had given her remained tied around her wrist.
Her gaze moved from Rem to the empty bed.
—The gardener fled.
—He left a note.
—Then he fled with advance notice.
Rem showed her the paper.
Ram read it.
—His handwriting remains offensive.
—It has improved.
—A less severe disease remains a disease.
Rem stood.
She looked for the robe she had left over a chair.
—Does nee-sama know where he is?
—Yes.
Rem stopped.
—Where?
—You are not supposed to look for him.
—That is what Link wrote.
—For once, his instructions are reasonable.
Rem put on the robe.
—Nee-sama knows that sentence only makes Rem more curious.
—Ram knows.
—Then tell me.
—No.
Rem stared at her sister.
Ram met her gaze without difficulty.
—Is he doing something dangerous?
—Betty is with him.
That did not completely answer the question.
It did reduce the number of possible disasters.
—Puck-sama?
—Also.
That reduced some risks and increased others.
—Roswaal-sama?
—Still asleep.
Rem tied the robe.
—Then Rem will wait.
Ram raised her eyebrows slightly.
—An unexpected decision.
—Link promised to return before breakfast.
—And if he does not?
Rem looked toward the door.
—Then Rem will go find him.
—Naturally.
Ram turned toward the hallway.
—It is still early. Go back to bed.
Rem looked at the empty space.
She did not want to lie down again without him.
She also had no intention of admitting that.
—Rem will start her duties.
—You have the day off.
—The birthday ended.
—Roswaal-sama ordered a full day.
—The date already changed.
—You turned eighteen at midnight. Technically, an entire day has not passed yet.
Rem looked at her sister in surprise.
Ram continued walking.
—Besides, the gardener left instructions.
—Link cannot give orders concerning Rem's work.
—That is what Ram told him.
—What did he say?
—That Rem would agree if Ram pretended the order came from her.
Rem remained silent.
Ram stopped at the end of the hallway.
—He knows you too well.
—It seems so.
The bedroom door remained open.
Rem looked once more at the bed.
Then she took the pillow she had been hugging and carefully returned it to its place.
The indentation left by Link's body was still visible on the mattress.
She did not smooth it out.
—Again.
Link rested both forearms on the table.
He had been awake since well before dawn. His eyes burned, and there was a black smudge across one cheek, but his hands remained steady.
Two objects rested on the work surface.
The first was a collar.
A thin chain made from a dark alloy surrounded a red stone no larger than a fingernail. The fire lagmite seemed to contain a motionless flame beneath its surface. Embedded in its center with a precision difficult to achieve even with six limbs was a tiny blue fragment.
Water inside fire.
The second object was a ring.
Its metallic structure was simpler, though the work inside it was far more complicated. A blue lagmite formed the center. Within the crystallized water glowed a red point resembling an ember.
Fire inside water.
Beatrice stood on the other side of the table.
Puck floated above the collar.
Luci and the four lesser spirits were spread around the ring, keeping the mana flow stable while Link corrected one of the pathways.
—Betty said again —Beatrice repeated.
Link closed his eyes.
Breathed.
Opened the first circuit.
The red lagmite lit up.
Puck blew.
A stream of white cold descended over the collar.
Frost covered the table.
The metal did not freeze.
The temperature around the stone dropped for an instant. The blue inlay reacted first, absorbing the difference. Then the red center gave a pulse and returned heat until it reached the point Link had marked.
No more.
No less.
The nearby frost melted.
—Temperature stable —Puck said.
Beatrice did not answer.
She was studying the internal pathways.
—Now fire.
One of the lesser spirits descended.
A small flame struck the stone.
The red lagmite absorbed part of it.
The water inlay regulated the rest.
A scarlet film appeared around the collar, forming an oval barrier the size of a person.
It lasted three seconds.
Then vanished.
Link looked at Beatrice.
—Good?
—Too slow.
—It was less than two tenths of a second.
—In two tenths, someone fast can lose their head, I suppose.
—The command has too many layers.
—Because you filled the circuit with too many functions.
—It needs them.
—You decided it needs them.
Link remained silent.
Beatrice pointed toward the collar.
—Again. Barrier before regulating the excess.
—That could overload the water lagmite.
—Then divide the output.
Link corrected one of the markings.
Luci kept light over his fingers.
The metal responded with difficulty. He had already heated and cooled it too many times. One incorrect amount of pressure could force him to start all over again.
Puck descended until he was beside Link's shoulder.
—You can still give it to her without every function.
—No.
—Temperature control, resistance to cold and fire, mana storage, and wound stabilization are already plenty.
—It's missing the failsafe.
Beatrice looked up.
—The failsafe was the least predictable part of the previous one.
—It was also the part that saved Ram.
Nobody answered immediately.
The remains of the first Crimson Heart rested inside an open box on another table.
The blackened chain.
The broken mount.
The fragment of lagmite that had exhausted everything it contained to move Ram away from certain death.
Link had left it forgotten beneath blueprints and tools.
Until two nights ago.
When he lifted the box, the old command remained engraved inside the remains.
Protect her.
It had not disappeared when the artifact broke.
It had only waited.
—The previous command was too open-ended —Beatrice said—. The artifact interpreted your desire and used a solution you had not predicted. It worked once. That does not make the method safe.
—That's why this time it has specific pathways.
—And more commands.
—If it detects a lethal impact, it empties the reserve. Barrier first. Stabilization second. If that fails, displacement.
—You cannot guarantee it will find a safe location.
—No. But it can remove her from the place where she is going to die.
Puck moved his tail.
—Or push her into another danger.
—That is why the water inlay checks the surrounding area.
Beatrice closed her eyes.
—The stone does not think.
—Neither did my artifacts when they started.
That answer reassured no one.
Link looked at the collar.
—But they learn to obey.
Beatrice opened her eyes.
—That is precisely what is worrying.
Silence lasted several seconds.
Then the girl extended her hand.
—Make the division.
Link returned to work.
He moved one pathway.
Separated the thermal response from the defensive one.
The mana reserve remained beneath both, isolated by two layers of enchanted metal. The lagmite could store a respectable amount, though not enough to sustain Ram through a prolonged battle.
It would not replace her treatments.
It would not replace her horn.
It would only give her time.
Time to use magic.
Time to escape.
Time for someone to reach her.
Link finished the modification.
Puck attacked with cold again.
Then fire.
The barrier appeared before the temperature changed.
This time, there was no visible delay.
—Better —the spirit said.
Beatrice touched the chain.
Closed her eyes.
—The reserve did not lose stability.
—Then it works.
—That part does.
Link picked up the ring.
—This one is left.
—It has the same structure reversed.
—Not exactly.
The water lagmite was the core of the second artifact. The fire inlay did not regulate only temperature. It also powered the barrier and kept the circuit active even when external cold attempted to stop it.
Beatrice examined it.
—The healing is stronger.
—Rem fights at the front.
—Ram does too.
—Rem takes more physical injuries.
Puck tilted his head.
—Because she uses a Morning Star?
—Because she throws herself in front of things.
Beatrice looked at him.
—An ironic observation.
Link pretended not to hear.
—It will not repair serious wounds —he continued—. It closes small cuts, reduces bleeding, and keeps circulation stable. Anything beyond that requires a healer.
—Or for her to stop throwing herself in front of things.
—That would be harder to program.
Puck laughed.
The ring underwent the same tests.
Cold.
Heat.
Impact.
Mana discharge.
The barrier appeared as a thin flame around the testing stand. It did not burn the wood. It only rejected the impact.
Then Beatrice used a needle to puncture a fresh leaf.
She placed it over the ring.
A blue film covered the cut.
The edges did not completely rejoin, but the sap stopped leaking.
—Minor healing confirmed —Puck said.
Link picked up the leaf.
Studied it.
—It's enough.
—No —Beatrice replied—. It is what it can do. Do not confuse those two things.
He set down the leaf.
—I know they aren't immortal.
—Tell them that.
—I will.
—And yourself.
Link looked at her.
Beatrice had already returned her attention to the artifacts.
—The ring needs one final command.
—It already has the life-saving failsafe.
—Not that one.
—Which?
—The wearer.
Link frowned.
—It's linked to Rem.
—To her current mana. If it changes too much while she uses her horn, the artifact may interpret the alteration as an intrusion.
—I can widen the tolerance.
—Do it.
Link slipped the tip of one finger inside the ring.
The blue lagmite reacted.
The image of Rem appeared far too easily.
Her voice.
Her scent.
The shape of her mana.
The white horn.
The difference between her professional calm and the fierce pressure that filled the air when she fought.
Link engraved both states.
Rem at rest.
Rem as an Oni.
The ring accepted both.
The blue glow faded.
—Done —he said.
Puck turned toward the collar.
—And Ram?
—I recorded her mana with the horn too.
Beatrice became still.
—When?
—When I was carrying her.
—You should not keep traces of other people without telling them, I suppose.
—I didn't store her mana. I only learned the pattern.
—That is still something you should have mentioned.
Link looked at the collar.
—I'll tell her when I give it to her.
Beatrice sighed.
—Betty is beginning to understand why Rem needs to watch you.
—She watches me too much.
—Clearly not enough. You escaped from the bed before dawn.
Link became still.
Puck smiled.
—They found us.
—How do you know that?
—Ram asked where you were.
—And what did you tell her?
—The truth.
—All of it?
—That you were preparing something with Betty.
Link exhaled.
—Then it's still a surprise.
Beatrice closed both boxes.
One red.
One blue.
—They are defensive artifacts. Not declarations of immortality. Not promises that you will always arrive in time.
Link took the boxes.
—I know.
—No. You heard it.
The girl kept hold of the red box before allowing him to take it.
—You built them because you're afraid.
—Also because I can.
—Those reasons are not mutually exclusive.
Link did not answer.
Beatrice released the box.
—Give them their gifts before you decide to add another function.
He placed both inside his backpack.
—I was thinking about adding a signal between them.
The book hit his head.
—It was a good idea!
—Out.
—It could warn them if the other one was in danger.
—Out.
—It wouldn't even have to show location!
Another hit.
Puck floated out behind Link.
—I suggested that one last night.
Beatrice looked at him.
—You too.
The door closed behind both of them.
Rem was waiting outside the Forbidden Library.
Link stopped.
Puck kept floating as if he had absolutely nothing to do with anything.
—Good morning —Link said.
Rem looked at the backpack.
Then the black smear on his face.
Then his eyes.
—You left a note.
—Yes.
—You asked Rem not to look for you.
—Also yes.
—That has the opposite effect.
—I know that now.
Rem approached.
Link did not retreat.
She raised one hand and wiped the stain from his cheek with her thumb.
The dark residue remained on her skin.
—You worked.
—A little.
—Since when?
—Early.
—Did you sleep?
—Yes.
—How much?
Link looked down the hallway.
—An amount.
—That is not a measurement.
—Enough to function.
Rem held his face between both hands.
—Link.
—Three hours.
The pressure against his cheeks increased.
—Almost four.
—Three.
—Three and something.
—How much is "something"?
—I didn't check the clock.
—Then you do not know if it was three.
—I know it was more than two.
Rem closed her eyes.
—You promised to sleep.
—I slept.
—You promised to return.
—I returned.
—Before breakfast.
—It hasn't started yet.
Rem opened her eyes.
—And you left Rem to wake up alone.
The last accusation was quieter than the others.
Link stopped searching for answers.
—I'm sorry.
—For getting up?
—For not waking you.
—Rem would have tried to stop you.
—That is why I didn't.
She stared at him.
—That explanation makes the apology worse.
—Yes.
—Much worse.
—Yes.
Rem slid her hands down to the collar of his shirt.
Pulled him closer.
Link had to lean down.
The kiss was not long.
Nor was it particularly gentle.
When she pulled away, Rem did not release him.
—That was for making Rem wake up alone.
—It didn't feel like punishment.
—Rem never said it was.
—Then I don't understand.
—You don't need to.
She kissed him again.
More calmly this time.
Link placed one hand around her waist.
The backpack bumped softly against his back.
Rem ended the kiss and rested her forehead against his.
—Next time, wake me.
—Even if you're going to try stopping me?
—Especially if Rem is going to try stopping you.
—That condition seems unfair.
—Yes.
Link smiled.
She looked at the backpack again.
—Is the surprise in there?
—Maybe.
—Rem could search it.
—No.
—She could take it from you.
—Not without breaking it.
—Rem was not talking about the backpack.
Link became silent.
She smiled faintly.
—Breakfast.
—Yes.
Rem took his hand.
She did not let go the entire way.
The boxes remained hidden until they finished eating.
Link did not trust Subaru.
He had reasons.
The Japanese boy looked at the backpack six times, attempted three indirect questions, and received two kicks from Ram before Roswaal finished his tea.
Emilia pretended she was not curious.
She was worse at it than Subaru.
Rem remained calm, though her right hand rested far too close to the backpack.
Ram seemed to be the only one uninterested.
That meant she had probably already deduced the approximate shape of both presents.
Beatrice did not appear during the meal.
A door opened just enough for a small hand to remove a plate of sweets.
Then it closed again.
When the cups had been cleared away, Link brought the backpack to a side table.
—Yesterday I said I had another surprise.
Ram set down her cup.
—Ram had hoped the gardener would forget his promise.
—I don't forget promises.
His answer was more serious than necessary.
Ram did not make another joke.
Rem moved beside her sister.
Link removed the two boxes.
Red in front of Ram.
Blue in front of Rem.
Subaru immediately recognized the shape of the second.
His eyes widened.
Link gave him a silent warning.
Subaru closed his mouth.
Then opened it again.
—That looks like—
A kagune appeared beneath the table.
Wrapped around his ankle.
—A box —Subaru finished—. It looks like a box.
Emilia stared at him.
—Of course it looks like a box.
—Exactly. A very normal box. With no additional meaning whatsoever.
Ram looked at Link.
—Barusu is behaving even more suspiciously than usual.
—I don't know what you mean.
—Nobody asked you.
Link pushed the boxes toward the twins.
—Open them.
Ram lifted the red lid first.
The stone seemed to ignite the instant the air touched it.
Rem opened the blue one.
The ring reflected the dining room light.
Neither spoke immediately.
Puck appeared from Emilia's hair.
—Finally.
Emilia looked at him.
—You knew?
—I helped with the tests.
—Everyone knew except us —Rem said.
—It was a surprise —Link answered.
Ram picked up the collar.
The chain slid between her fingers.
—Crimson Heart.
It was not a question.
—A new version.
—The previous one was destroyed.
—It fulfilled the command.
Ram examined the stone.
The red center contained a tiny blue inlay.
—Fire and water.
—The main core is a fire lagmite. The water one regulates temperature, assists with healing, and prevents the circuit from cooking you when it uses too much energy.
—A charming consideration.
—I learned after the first tests.
Puck laughed.
Emilia looked at Rem's ring.
—Hers is reversed.
—Water as the base. Fire inside.
Rem lifted the object.
The red point glowed beneath the blue.
—Like our colors.
Link nodded.
—That was the idea.
Ram held the collar toward him.
—Put it on.
Link blinked.
—Me?
—The gardener made it.
Rem looked at both of them.
Her expression remained calm.
Too calm.
Ram turned around.
She lifted her pink hair with one hand.
The back of her neck was exposed.
Link took the collar.
—You could put it on yourself.
—Ram could.
—Then...
—Ram is waiting.
Rem spoke behind him.
—Rem is too.
Link looked at her.
—That sounded like a warning.
—Rem is only watching.
—Worse.
Subaru hid his smile behind an empty cup.
Link brought the chain around Ram's neck.
His fingers brushed her skin while searching for the clasp.
Ram did not move.
The metal closed.
The stone settled against the base of her throat.
For an instant, nothing happened.
Then the red core pulsed.
A warm current passed through the collar.
Ram's shoulders lowered almost imperceptibly.
The dining room was not especially cold.
Even so, her body had been spending energy fighting the temperature.
The artifact began doing that for her.
—It does not replace the mana you normally receive —Link said—. The reserve is for emergencies.
Ram touched the stone.
—How much does it contain?
—Right now, enough for several small techniques or one larger discharge. Depends on how you use it.
—Does it recharge itself?
—Very slowly. I can fill it. Beatrice, Puck, or Roswaal can too.
Roswaal rested his face against one hand.
—How considerate of you to include me in the maintenance of your gift.
—She already depends on you for mana.
Roswaal's smile did not change.
—Precisely.
Link continued before the conversation could drift elsewhere.
—It regulates heat and cold. It won't make you immune, but it will stop ordinary temperature changes from affecting you and resist attacks for a while.
Puck released a small stream of freezing air.
A red barrier appeared around Ram.
The cold split before reaching her.
The blue inlay lit up.
The temperature within the barrier did not change.
Ram examined the scarlet air.
—Noisy.
—Only during a threat.
—The gardener too.
—It also stores a small amount of healing. Minor cuts, burns, bleeding. It cannot rebuild organs.
—A shame.
—And it still has the life-saving failsafe.
The atmosphere changed.
Ram lowered her hand.
Rem looked at the collar.
—Like the previous one?
—Better organized.
Beatrice appeared in the doorway.
—That does not mean guaranteed, I suppose.
Everyone turned.
The girl entered as though she had been there from the beginning.
She had probably been listening through the door.
—If it detects a lethal threat —Link explained—, it will spend the entire reserve protecting you. Barrier first. Stabilization second. If neither is enough, it will try moving you away.
—Try —Beatrice repeated—. It is not an absolute blessing. It can fail. It can run out of mana. It can misinterpret a situation.
Ram looked at Link.
—You designed another artifact capable of improvising.
—The first one saved you.
—The first one exploded.
—After saving you.
—An important distinction.
Ram touched the stone again.
She did not ask him to remove it.
Link looked toward Rem.
She was still holding the ring.
—Yours works similarly.
—Does it also have a failsafe?
—Yes.
Rem lowered her gaze toward the object.
—Link.
—That doesn't mean I expect something to happen.
Ram gave a small laugh.
—The gardener built two systems designed to prevent death because he expects nothing to happen.
—I want to be prepared.
—He's afraid —Beatrice said.
The words fell without softness.
Link did not deny them.
Rem closed her fingers around the ring.
—Of what?
He looked at both sisters.
Ram with the red stone against her throat.
Rem holding the blue one between her hands.
—Of not getting there in time.
The silence did not last long.
Ram broke it.
—Then get there.
It was not comfort.
Nor a promise.
It was an impossible order spoken as though no other answer would be accepted.
Link nodded.
—I'm trying.
Rem opened her hand.
She gave him the ring.
—Put it on.
Subaru set down his cup.
Slowly.
Extremely carefully.
Link looked at Rem's hand.
She extended the left.
The ring finger.
He raised his gaze.
Rem maintained an innocent expression.
—You know perfectly well what you're doing.
—Rem merely extended her hand.
—You have other fingers.
—This one too.
Subaru covered his face.
Emilia looked at him.
—Why are you acting like that?
—I can't explain it without making the situation worse.
Ram studied her sister.
—Rem chose the finger carefully.
—The ring needs to stay secure.
—Naturally.
Link held her hand.
—This isn't...
Rem waited.
He lowered his voice.
—It isn't a proposal.
—Rem knows.
—Good.
—Yet.
Link's fingers stopped.
Ram closed her eyes.
Subaru made a strangled noise.
Puck spun in the air.
Emilia looked between them, unable to understand why one word had paralyzed half the table.
Link slid the ring on.
The piece settled around the base of her finger.
The blue lagmite lit up.
The red point in its center responded an instant later.
A fine current ran across Rem's hand and disappeared beneath her sleeve.
She closed her fingers.
—How does it feel? —Link asked.
—Warm.
—It should adapt.
—It doesn't weigh much.
—The metal distributes—
Rem pulled on his hand.
Link ended up leaning toward her.
—Rem was not asking about the metal.
He could not answer.
She raised the hand between them.
The blue-and-red ring glowed very close to their faces.
—You said it wasn't a proposal.
—Yes.
—But it isn't only a tool either.
—No.
—Then what is it?
Link looked at the ring.
He had thought endlessly about the structure.
The commands.
The flow.
How to keep her alive.
He had not prepared that answer.
—A promise I still don't know how to name.
Rem watched him in silence.
Then smiled.
—Rem can accept that.
She kissed him.
It was not long.
There were too many spectators.
That did not stop Rem from placing the ringed hand against his chest and remaining close after it ended.
Link's heart pounded beneath her fingers.
—It works —she murmured.
—The ring isn't measuring that.
—Rem is.
Ram drank tea.
—Ram fears the life-saving failsafe may need to protect the gardener from himself.
Subaru raised one hand.
—Seconded.
—Nobody asked for opinions.
Emilia approached Rem.
—Can I see it?
Rem extended her hand.
Emilia examined the colors.
—It's very pretty.
—Also dangerous —Beatrice added.
—Everything Link builds seems to satisfy both conditions.
—Not everything.
Charizard struck a window from outside.
Everyone turned.
The automaton raised its thumb.
Subaru pointed at it.
—Evidence submitted.
Link decided to ignore him.
Puck tested the ring with a small burst of cold.
The blue lagmite absorbed the impact.
When he released a spark of fire, the red inlay created a brief barrier around Rem.
It burned no one.
The air became scarlet for two seconds.
—The healing is a little stronger than the collar's —Link explained—. It is meant for small wounds and to keep you from losing too much blood before help arrives.
—Because Rem throws herself in front of danger? —she asked.
—Yes.
—Link does too.
—We aren't talking about me.
—We should.
—Another time.
Rem narrowed her eyes.
—Tonight.
Link felt as though he had just programmed his own interrogation.
—Fine.
—And you will teach Rem how to recharge it.
—Yes.
—Also how to remove it.
—Do you want to take it off?
Rem closed her hand against her chest.
—No.
The answer was immediate.
Link smiled.
Ram stood.
The collar remained around her neck.
—The gift is excessive, invasive, and probably more expensive than the dresses.
—That sounds like you liked it.
—It sounds like the gardener cannot accept criticism.
Ram walked toward the door.
The red stone moved softly with her steps.
She did not remove it.
Rem found her sister alone in the dressing room.
Ram stood in front of the mirror.
She was not admiring the collar.
That was what she would have said if anyone asked.
She was only observing how it rested against her throat.
The red center seemed to form a natural part of her reflection. The small blue inlay broke the color of the stone like a droplet trapped inside a flame.
Rem entered.
Closed the door.
Ram saw the reflection of her hand before she saw her face.
—You're still wearing it.
Rem lifted her left hand.
—Nee-sama too.
—Removing it immediately would have been discourteous.
—Of course.
Ram touched the stone.
—It has too many functions.
—Link worries too much.
—A charitable description of his paranoia.
Rem stood beside her.
Both looked at their artifacts.
The red collar with blue.
The blue ring with red.
—He thought about us separately —Rem said.
Ram did not answer.
—He did not make two copies.
—That would have been inefficient.
—Nee-sama knows what Rem means.
Ram looked at the ring.
—He placed it on a troublesome finger.
—Rem chose the finger.
—That makes it even more troublesome.
A faint smile appeared on Rem.
—He said it wasn't a proposal.
—The gardener retains a minimal amount of common sense.
—Rem said "yet."
Ram slowly turned.
—You?
—Rem.
Ram faced the mirror again.
—Naturally.
—Nee-sama does not look surprised.
—Ram has seen the way you look at him.
Rem lowered her hand.
The ring gave off a faint glow.
—Do you think it will happen someday?
—If the gardener stays alive long enough.
—He will.
—That depends on whether he stops testing spells on mountains.
—Rem will handle that.
Ram looked at her from the side.
—A wife before becoming a fiancée.
Rem's cheeks warmed.
—Nee-sama.
—Ram only observes.
Rem returned her attention to the collar.
—Does it help?
Ram did not pretend ignorance.
—Yes.
—A lot?
—Enough.
The dressing room temperature was comfortable, but Ram's fingers were not stiff.
Nor had she rubbed her arms even once since Link closed the chain.
—The mana reserve could be useful —Rem said.
—It does not replace Master Roswaal.
—Link knows.
—That does not mean he didn't try.
Rem remained silent.
Ram knew the gardener too well.
—Does it bother you? —Rem asked.
—The collar?
—That Link made it.
Ram looked at the stone.
—No.
The answer was simple.
Rem waited for more.
Ram sighed.
—The previous one saved me. This was built with greater care. Refusing it merely to protect my pride would be stupid.
—Nee-sama does not usually admit she needs anything.
—Ram did not say she needs it.
—Of course.
—Rem has become insolent since obtaining a partner.
—She learned from Link.
—That is not something you should be proud of.
Rem rested her head against her sister's shoulder.
Ram allowed the gesture.
—He was afraid —Rem said.
—Ram has eyes.
—Not only because of what happened in the forest.
—Also because of what has yet to happen.
Rem nodded.
The ring rested near the collar when their hands joined.
—We cannot allow him to turn that fear into another reason to destroy himself.
—Then do not allow it.
—Nee-sama has to help too.
—Ram already does.
—Insulting him does not always count.
—It counts more than he deserves.
Rem smiled.
Ram held her hand for several seconds.
The collar and ring gave different pulses.
Red.
Blue.
Fire and water imprisoned within one another.
—The gardener forgot one function —Ram said.
—Which?
—An artifact that keeps him still.
—Rem can do that without assistance.
Ram studied her sister's expression.
—Too much confidence.
—Experience.
—Ram will not ask.
Rem's blush intensified.
The conversation ended precisely there.
Link was waiting in the hallway when Rem emerged.
Ram took the opposite direction without stopping.
—Your sister just looked at me as though she knows something dangerous.
—Nee-sama knows many things.
—That always sounds worse when you two say it.
Rem stopped in front of him.
Link looked at the ring.
It was still on the same finger.
—I thought you might move it.
—To another finger?
—Yes.
—No.
—People might misunderstand.
—Who?
Link vaguely pointed toward the dining room.
—Subaru already did.
—Subaru misunderstands many things.
—Ram doesn't.
—Nee-sama understood perfectly.
That was precisely what worried him.
Rem lifted her hand toward his face.
The blue stone shone in front of his eyes.
—Does Link want Rem to move it?
Link thought about the answer.
—No.
—Then it stays.
—Fine.
—You're looking at the ring.
—I made it.
—You are also looking at the hand.
—It's attached to the ring.
Rem stepped closer.
Link ended up against the wall.
She placed her left hand against his chest.
—Rem woke up alone.
—I already apologized.
—Yes.
—I also received two punishments that felt like rewards.
—They were not punishments.
—That explains some of my confusion.
Rem raised her face.
—Tonight, you will not get up without warning Rem.
—No.
—You will not go to the workshop.
—No.
—You will not go to the quarry.
—No.
—You will not check on Pepa.
Link hesitated.
Rem pressed the ringed finger against his chest.
—No.
—Fine.
—You will sleep.
—With you.
The words escaped before he could correct himself.
Rem smiled slowly.
—That is what Rem expected.
—I can sleep alone.
—Rem knows you can.
—Then...
—But you asked Rem.
Link decided not to defend himself against a truth.
—Yes.
—Then you will sleep with Rem.
The distance vanished.
She did not kiss him immediately.
She let him wait.
Rem's chest brushed his as she leaned in. Her lips passed near his cheek and stopped beside his ear.
—Besides, you no longer need to have a crisis over Rem's age.
Link felt heat rise into his face.
—I wasn't having a crisis.
—You ran away when you saw Rem after finding out.
—I needed a bath.
—Avoiding looking at Rem does not clean your clothes.
—I was processing it.
—Now Rem is eighteen.
—I know.
—You may look at her.
—I'm already looking at you.
Rem moved back only slightly.
—Not at Rem's eyes.
Link obeyed involuntarily.
His gaze dropped.
Rem was still wearing her uniform, buttoned all the way to the neck and perfectly arranged.
That did not help.
She pressed herself slightly closer.
Link quickly returned to her eyes.
—You're doing it on purpose.
—Yes.
Her honesty left him defenseless again.
—You're becoming dangerous.
—Link built a failsafe.
—Not for this.
—Then you forgot a function.
She kissed him.
The ring's barrier did not activate.
Link's heart considered that perhaps it should.
When Rem moved away, she was still smiling.
—It is not a proposal —she murmured.
—No.
—Yet.
Link held her waist before she could retreat.
—When I do it, it won't be an accident.
The mischievous part of her smile faded.
Something softer remained.
—Rem will wait.
—I didn't say it would be soon.
—Rem is patient.
—That sounds threatening.
—Slightly.
They separated when they heard footsteps.
Subaru appeared at the end of the hallway.
Saw Link against the wall.
Rem far too close.
Her left hand over his chest.
He immediately turned around.
—I saw nothing.
—GET BACK HERE!
—I have very important things to do somewhere else.
Rem let out a laugh.
Link rested his head against the wall.
—He's going to tell everyone.
—Everyone already knows we are together.
—He won't tell the story that way.
—What way will he tell it?
Ram appeared behind Subaru.
—Ram hopes the life-saving failsafe does not need to activate before lunch.
Link closed his eyes.
—It has already begun.
...
Ram did not look back.
She did not need to in order to know Rem would lead the gardener to her room. Nor did she need to ask what had happened during the previous nights.
Her sister smelled like him in the mornings.
Not scandalously.
Not yet.
It was the scent of shared pillows, blankets, and too many hours spent breathing against the same chest.
Ram knew Rem better than anyone. She could tell the difference between staying with someone out of obligation and finding reasons to remain after the obligation ended.
At first, Rem had gone in to calm his nightmares.
Now she also slept there because she wanted to.
Ram was not certain which of the two facts was more concerning.
For years, she had watched her sister sacrifice sleep, food, and time without considering any of them losses as long as someone else received something in exchange.
The difference was that after sleeping beside the gardener, Rem also seemed to rest.
Her movements were less rigid.
She smiled without preparing the expression first.
And on some mornings, she even appeared annoyed at having to leave the bed.
That was new.
Not necessarily bad.
The gardener had not demanded that she go. In fact, he probably would have tried convincing her to leave using some stupidity related to protecting her.
Rem had chosen to enter.
To stay.
And to return the following night.
Ram would respect that choice.
That did not mean she would stop watching.
Link would not turn Rem into medicine for his nightmares.
Rem would not turn caring for Link into another excuse to forget herself.
If either of them confused dependence with love, Ram would correct them.
And if that nighttime habit caused the Oni population to increase before Ram was prepared to become an aunt, she would correct the gardener first.
Violently.
Ram opened the guest-room door.
At least Rem had begun choosing something for herself.
For that night, it was enough.
...
The manor grew quiet long after the celebration ended.
The hall lights were extinguished.
Ram and Rem withdrew with their presents.
Subaru stopped wandering through the corridors, and Beatrice closed the door to the Forbidden Library.
In the study on the upper floor, Roswaal remained awake.
A soft tap sounded against the balcony glass.
Not a hand.
A small messenger bird waited on the other side of the window, wings folded, a cylinder fastened to one leg.
Roswaal opened the window.
The bird extended its leg without entering.
—How diligent.
He removed the cylinder and released the animal.
It immediately took flight, disappearing above the dark grounds of the estate.
Roswaal returned to the desk.
The seal engraved on the cylinder belonged to House Karsten.
His smile became barely more pronounced.
He extracted a short letter.
It contained no unnecessary greetings or lengthy explanations.
Tomorrow, Wilhelm van Astrea and Ferris will arrive at the Mathers residence.
Ferris will perform the agreed examination and personally deliver the matter originating from the Capital.
Until then, discretion is requested.
Roswaal read the lines a second time.
Then placed the paper on the desk.
—At last.
There was no need to inform Emilia yet.
Much less Subaru.
The news would produce more genuine reactions when the visitors were already standing before the manor and leaving was no longer an easy option.
Roswaal brought the letter toward the flame of a candle.
The paper began blackening from one corner.
—The peace lasted considerably longer than expected.
He released the sheet.
Ash fell into an empty container.
Outside, Pepa slept beside the mining wagon.
The Wolgarms remained silent.
Charizard and Excadrill rested motionless in the workshop.
The entire estate seemed to have stopped.
Roswaal looked into the darkness beyond the window.
—Tomorrow, the board will begin moving again.
The last piece of the letter disappeared into the flames.