Leopold's been in the infirmary for three days now. Captain Fuegoleon told me not to worry about him and to carry on with other missions, but even though I don't want to admit it, I've been growing a bit anxious. A simple wound to the abdomen shouldn't be too hard to fix, especially with the high level healers at the squad base. And there's also an awful sense of guilt, which has slowly been gnawing away at me. Was it my fault that he got hurt? Was it because my attack missed a bolt of light magic? I haven't been able to concentrate, but I can never visit the infirmary because of the steady stream of missions the Captain keeps assigning. I hope Leopold's fine. I don't hate him to the point where I don't care about his life.
I give a sigh as I walk back to my quarters after a long day . The sun is already sinking into the horizon, painting the sky with a plethora of beautiful colors. I look up and see shades of vermilion in there, just like the color of Leopold's hair. Flashes come back from that day in the dungeon: the way utter shock on his face, how his braid dangled over his shoulder as he slumped towards the ground, and the faint smile on his lips when he thanked me. I purse my lips as I start to think about how he fell quiet and followed my lead in the dungeon. Maybe he's not so bad after all. But then I remember his sneers and insults and slap my hands onto my face, groaning in frustration. He's a commoner-hating noble! Someone who's shown his rotten feelings at you from the very start!
"Hey, you."
I slowly lower my hands from my face. Please don't let that be who I think it is. I turn my head towards the courtyard, and to my dread, I find Leopold Vermillion, standing in the grass, looking straight at me. Eep!
"Me?" This has to be some mistake. Please tell me he was talking to someone else.
"Yes, you." He starts making his way towards me.
"What do you want?" I consider backing away, but I decide to stand my ground as he nears, stopping right in front of me.
"I suppose I underestimated you. I've never seen anyone find the treasure of a dungeon so quickly." He looks to the side and stares at the ground. Is he... blushing?! No, that's just the sunset's light on his face!
"Oh. Well, I've always been good with sensing mana," I manage to respond, surprised at the compliment.
He gives a soft chuckle, and something inside my chest tingles. It's a nice sound, even though it's coming from him. "Yeah, but your control is something else. I've never seen anyone who can disperse their magic so discreetly."
"Th-Thanks. I guess." I feel a slight blush crawl up my cheeks and I look away for a moment, hoping it will go away.
I start to fiddle with my hands as an awkward silence takes over. Leopold's eyes flicker at the motion and he suddenly steps closer, taking my hands into his own.
"What are you doing?" I cry, pulling my hands back and glaring at him. Why'd he get so close?
He quickly steps back, an embarrassed look on his face. "I'm sorry, I just saw your wounds and... those blisters are from when you bandaged me, right?" To my surprise, there's a glimmer of caring in his turquoise eyes.
I drop my stare and absentmindedly rub my wrists. "Yeah, but it's no big deal. I can always buy a potion or just bandage them."
"Well, how about I take you out to a castle town tomorrow? Does Kikka sound good? You'll be able to pick up potions there, right? I can get brother to call off your missions for a day." He gives a tentative grin, and I find myself staring at an expression that seems so foreign on his face. A trip to Kikka? What is happening?
"Sure. I could use some new supplies for my satchel."
"I'll see you tomorrow morning?" He smiles again, and my heartbeat quickens a bit.
"Y-Yeah."