Carlisle slept peacefully on Subaru's lap, his sleeping face as serene as a child's. Subaru looked down at him, her gaze gentle. Her fingers softly brushed through his hair, and her heart was filled with happiness and contentment.
Just then, faint footsteps sounded from not far away. Subaru looked up and saw Rem and Ram walking toward them. Ram's gaze fell on Subaru and Carlisle, and her eyebrows lifted slightly.
"Subaru... what is this?"
Subaru quickly placed a finger against her lips, lowering her voice.
"Carlisle is sleeping. Could you please be a little quieter?"
Seeing this, Ram immediately lowered her voice as well, although her tone still carried a hint of teasing.
"Really, you cannot move like this. The Mansion is running out of ingredients, and Rem is going to the nearby village to purchase supplies."
Subaru blinked in surprise and muttered to herself.
"That means... I have to go help too, right?"
She lowered her gaze to Carlisle, who was still sound asleep on her lap, and felt a little reluctant. She had wanted to spend more time with him, but she had not expected unexpected "overtime."
"It is alright, Sister. Rem can go alone."
Ram sighed softly, a trace of helplessness in her voice.
"But with two additional mouths in the Mansion, the ingredients are being consumed much faster than usual." She glanced at Subaru and then at the sleeping Carlisle, her tone softening slightly. "Let us not disturb Lord Carlisle. I will go with you, Rem."
Rem nodded, having no objection to the suggestion.
"Okay, Sister."
Seeing this, Subaru clasped her hands together and apologized in a quiet voice.
"I am sorry, both Senpai's. You have really been troubled."
Ram waved her hand impatiently.
"Alright. You stay here and take good care of Lord Carlisle. But..."
She deliberately stretched out the final word, a teasing smile forming on her lips.
"Do not take this opportunity to do anything strange. Even though Lord Carlisle is asleep, a Knight is very perceptive. If you secretly do something improper, he will not let you off easily when he wakes up."
When Subaru heard Ram's words, her face instantly turned crimson. She quickly waved her hands in protest.
"S-Senpai! What are you saying! I would never do something like that!"
Her voice sounded flustered, carrying a mixture of embarrassment and helplessness.
Ram waved her hand without even looking back.
"Who knows? After all, Subaru is a maiden in love. Her mind must be full of pink fantasies."
Subaru's face turned bright red as if her thoughts had been completely exposed. It was almost as if steam were rising from the top of her head. She became completely flustered. Her lips parted slightly as if she wanted to argue back, but the words refused to come out. In the end, she could only lower her head while her eyes darted around nervously, looking exactly like someone who had been caught red handed.
The two figures gradually disappeared into the distance. Subaru watched their retreating backs, feeling both grateful and slightly guilty.
A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves, and the tree shadows swayed softly. Subaru sat quietly beneath the tree, waiting for Carlisle to wake up.
---
"How beautiful... the sky."
Carlisle murmured as his gaze rested on the magnificent evening clouds along the horizon. The orange red clouds resembled burning flames, painting the entire sky into a spectacular picture.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling a little dazed. In the past, he had never developed the habit of sleeping during the day. Every time he woke up in the evening, a strange sense of emptiness would surge within him, as if he had missed something important.
"You are awake. How do you feel? Actually, this is my first time giving someone a lap pillow."
The girl's playful and concerned voice came from above him. Her fingers still gently brushed through his hair, her movements soft and natural.
Carlisle slowly sat up and turned to look at Subaru.
"Thank you, Subaru. You have really worked hard."
He had not expected that he had actually rested in her lap for nearly the entire afternoon. As a Knight, he was accustomed to being someone others relied on, but today he had relied on someone else. This was the first time he had experienced such a reversal.
"No, no, not at all! It is such an honor to help the greatest Lord Carlisle in the world relax!"
The girl quickly waved her hands as a bright smile bloomed across her face. Her tone carried a hint of admiration, but even more genuine joy.
Carlisle looked at her innocent and carefree expression and felt a long forgotten sense of peace. This was the first time he had felt so relaxed since arriving at the Mansion.
He remained silent for a moment before speaking softly.
"...Subaru, is there anything I can do for you?"
His gaze rested on her face.
"I want to do something for you. I hope you will make a request."
"Really!"
Subaru instantly became excited. Her body subconsciously tried to stand up, but the numbness in her legs caused her to frown.
"Ah... well, even though I am very satisfied, my legs are completely numb."
She muttered softly with a slightly embarrassed smile.
She tried her best to hide the discomfort in her legs, lowered her head to think for a moment, then looked up again. Her eyes were filled with anticipation and a hint of shyness.
"If possible... could you pat my head?"
"Just... that?"
"Of course! Please do it!"
Carlisle reached out and gently placed his hand on Subaru's head, softly stroking her hair.
"Is this alright?"
Subaru unconsciously rubbed against his palm like a kitten, a satisfied smile appearing on her face.
Her heart could not help celebrating.
"This is wonderful! He is patting my head again! His hand is so warm and gentle... this feeling is truly blissful!"
Carlisle's hand moved gently through her hair. When he noticed the satisfied expression on Subaru's face, he slowly withdrew his hand.
Subaru tilted her head shyly, her heart filled with reluctance. Although she truly wanted to remain here and continue enjoying this warmth, she knew the time had come. If she delayed any longer, it would be unfair to the two seniors who were working hard.
"Today was really fun! I... need to go help in the kitchen."
"Go. Do not keep them waiting too long."
"Mm! Tonight I will definitely make a lot of dishes that Lord Carlisle likes!"
Subaru stood up and walked briskly toward the kitchen. A satisfied smile still remained on her face as she began planning the dinner menu in her mind.
Carlisle watched her retreating figure before standing up as well, preparing to leave. This was the first time he had relied on someone so much since arriving in this world.
And the feeling... was not bad at all.
---
That night, in Carlisle's room, he sat at his desk while his pen moved steadily across the paper. Lines of writing and diagrams gradually filled the page as he outlined several training plans.
His brows were slightly furrowed, showing that he was deep in thought.
"Subaru's talent is not particularly strong in this world. But since she called me teacher, I must take responsibility."
His pen paused briefly before he wrote several keywords on the paper.
Rare magical resources.
Spirit contract.
Magic tools.
"If someone wishes to strengthen their Gate and magical aptitude, can it only be achieved through rare magical resources, or by forming a contract with a powerful spirit?"
His thoughts continued to expand as various possibilities formed in his mind.
Or perhaps... creating powerful magic tools?
This was the first time he had seriously considered how to solve the problem of insufficient talent. After all, he had never faced such concerns himself. Even during the first week of his training in the Knight Order, he had already defeated his instructor. Talent had never been something he needed to worry about.
Carlisle set down his pen and sighed softly, rubbing his temples.
His gaze shifted toward the night sky outside the window. Because he had slept earlier that afternoon, he felt no trace of drowsiness now. Instead, he felt full of energy.
"Perhaps I should practice my swordsmanship."
Carlisle stood up, organized the papers on his desk, then took the sword hanging on the wall before walking out of his room.
The Mansion was extremely quiet at night. Only the soft echoes of his footsteps could be heard in the corridor.
---
"Help... so scary... Sister..."
Suddenly, a weak voice echoed inside Carlisle's mind, trembling with fear.
His body stiffened instantly.
At that very moment, the Blessing of Justice activated. Someone nearby was facing mortal danger.
"Where?"
Carlisle's heart began racing as his eyes swept rapidly across his surroundings. In the next moment, the location of the person calling for help appeared clearly in his mind.
To his shock, the location was inside the Mansion itself.
Without hesitation, Carlisle immediately ran. His footsteps echoed urgently through the corridor.
Only one thought filled his mind.
He had to reach them as quickly as possible.
As he approached the location, his heartbeat grew faster and faster until he finally stopped in front of a door.
"Wait... this is Rem's room!"
Carlisle's pupils contracted as a terrible premonition surged within him.
He reached for the door and pushed it, only to find it locked.
Without hesitation, he smashed the door open. The lock shattered under the enormous force, and the door slammed violently against the wall with a loud crash.
Inside the room, Rem lay weakly on the floor. Her body trembled slightly, and her face was deathly pale. Water attribute healing mana continuously emerged from the horn on her forehead and flowed slowly into her body. It was this healing power that had allowed her to barely regain consciousness, crawl out of bed, and send out a desperate call for help.
"Rem!"
Carlisle rushed to her side and quickly crouched down. A brilliant light of healing magic condensed in his palm before flowing rapidly into her body.
However, the moment his healing magic entered Rem's body, it vanished like a stone sinking into the ocean, producing no effect at all.
"What is happening? No... this is completely useless!"
Carlisle's heart filled with anxiety. He realized that he had encountered a crisis he did not understand. He needed to find someone who might know what was happening.
A memory suddenly flashed through his mind.
"Carlisle, Subaru. This is Betty, the administrator of the Forbidden Library. You may call her Beatrice."
Beatrice.
"Hold on, Rem. I will take you to Lady Beatrice!"
...
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