Viola, who had already closed the distance and was reaching out toward the locket, was hit directly by the force of the explosion and lost her balance. Her entire body was thrown backward as if she had been struck, flying through the air.
Seeing this, Dean immediately rushed toward her and caught her in his arms, using his whole body to break her fall. The two of them rolled across the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.
Within Dean’s broad embrace, Viola’s body trembled slightly.
“Viola, are you all right?”
Before he could even finish asking, Viola had already pushed herself upright. Her gaze was fixed not on the ground or Dean, but solely on the air.
“I got it!”
Lily caught the locket that was slowly falling through the air, grabbing it with both hands. Her face lit up with a childlike, innocent smile.
The silver locket sparkled as it reflected the sunlight in her hands.
For just a moment, unmistakable relief flashed across Viola’s eyes.
“Huh?”
At that moment, Lily noticed the portrait inside the locket, whose lid had been knocked open by the impact.
It was a quiet-looking girl with red hair and crimson eyes.
Lily narrowed her eyes and examined the portrait carefully before turning to Viola.
“Who’s this?”
“Give it back.”
Viola was still half sprawled over Dean’s abdomen, but she had raised only her upper body and reached out her hand.
There was a slight tremor in her fingertips, but her voice remained as calm as ever.
“I asked who she is.”
“…My younger sister.”
“Your sister?”
As she slowly handed the locket back to Viola, Lily casually remarked,
“One side looks like your mother, and the other looks a lot like your father, I guess?”
Viola accepted the locket and answered quietly, her expression unmoving.
“I wouldn’t know. Neither of us knows what our parents look like.”
Lily blinked and froze for a moment.
“Did I just say something rude?”
She asked cautiously, but instead of answering, Viola wrapped both hands around the locket and carefully examined it.
I’ll have to replace the chain.
Looking at the broken chain, she sighed inwardly.
Fortunately, the locket itself was undamaged.
Only after confirming that did she finally relax a little.
Just as silence settled between them, Dean, who was still underneath her, broke the quiet with an uncomfortable groan.
“Um, Viola… could you possibly get off me now?”
His hands moved awkwardly in the air as though he didn’t know what to do.
Only then did Viola seem to realize their position.
“Oh. I’m sorry…”
“What on earth is going on here?”
At that moment, a familiar voice came from the edge of the garden.
At the far end of the academy grounds, where sunlight streamed down, Samuel was slowly walking toward them.
When he spotted Viola sitting on top of Dean while clutching the locket, Samuel gently took hold of her arm and helped her to her feet.
“…Thank you.”
“Now, can you explain what happened, Viola?”
Only then did Viola seem to become aware of the locket clutched tightly in her hand and the chaotic scene surrounding them.
Her eyes wavered for a moment.
“Well…”
Viola calmly explained what had happened with the crow and how they had dealt with the situation.
As Samuel listened to her composed explanation, his brows drew together slightly.
“You’re hurt.”
As he said that, his fingertips carefully moved toward the back of her neck.
A thin but distinct wound remained where the crow’s claws had grazed her.
Before the blood had even dried, the chain had snapped against her skin, leaving the area scratched and torn.
From up close, he could also see several cuts running across her elbow and wrist, with tiny traces of blood slowly trickling from them.
Only then did Viola realize that she had actually been injured.
Along with the pain, she felt slightly dizzy.
But she turned her head away to avoid his gaze and answered in her usual calm tone.
“It’ll heal soon.”
Samuel gave a short, quiet laugh.
This time, he held her arm more firmly, his fingers tightening as though he wouldn’t allow her to escape.
“Let’s go to the infirmary. I’ll take you.”
Just as Viola was about to instinctively refuse, she caught sight of Dean.
His collar was stained with dust, his hair was disheveled, and he stood there looking somewhat dazed.
The traces of the moment when he had wrapped his arms around her and fallen with her were still visible on him.
“Then Dean should go too. He fell with me while protecting me. We don’t know if he was hurt somewhere…”
At her words, Dean’s expression wavered faintly.
Behind his usual smile, an emotion he couldn’t put into words seemed to flicker briefly.
“Your department has better medicine anyway.”
However, before that emotion could settle, Samuel gently interrupted.
“Besides, your lecture is about to start. So go on. As for what just happened… I’ll hear the details from Viola later.”
“…Yes, understood.”
Dean hesitated for a moment before eventually giving a short nod.
“Get treated properly. I’ll see you later, Viola.”
He ran a hand through his slightly disheveled hair and gave her an easy smile.
Viola wanted to tell him to come along with them, but Dean had already turned away.
“You two should go to class as well.”
Samuel spoke to Lily and the General Department student, who had been standing quietly nearby.
“I’ll call you separately later and hear the whole story.”
After everyone had left, only Viola, clutching the locket to her chest, and Samuel, who was still holding her arm, remained.
In the gentle sunlight, their two shadows quietly overlapped.
“Let’s go. If you don’t get treated quickly, it might leave a scar.”
“…Yes.”
On the way to the infirmary, Samuel carefully supported Viola’s arm with one hand.
Normally, she would have stubbornly insisted on walking by herself.
But for some reason, Viola didn’t pull away.
Instead, she silently allowed herself to lean against his gentle support and continued walking without a word.
Samuel was quietly pleased by the strange silence between them, savoring the moment.
“Samuel? And… you’re Viola, aren’t you? Good heavens, what happened to you?”
As the door to the infirmary opened, the professor in charge looked up and stared at the two of them.
When he saw the condition of Viola’s arm and the back of her neck, he stood up in surprise and approached them.
“No, never mind. Sit down first. I’ll treat you.”
He quickly pulled a wheeled chair forward, but Samuel smiled and raised his hand slightly.
“I’ll treat her. There’s also something I need to discuss with her.”
“Really? There’s no reason I can’t do it for you.”
“It’s all right. I’ll take responsibility, so please leave her to me.”
The professor stared at him for a moment before letting out a small sigh and nodding.
“All right. Then take your time talking. I have something to take care of anyway. Just don’t let anyone else in while you’re treating her, and make sure to lock the door when you leave.”
After giving them those instructions, he picked up his coat and quietly left the room.
Once the door closed, Samuel opened a small first-aid kit and took out disinfectant and bandages with practiced hands.
“It’s going to sting a little.”
The moment the cotton soaked with disinfectant touched her wrist, a sharp sting spread through her skin.
Viola slightly furrowed her brows but made no sound.
Holding his breath, Samuel carefully cleaned each of the wounds running along her elbow and wrist.
“So…”
He quietly spoke as he wrapped gauze around her arm.
“The reason you rushed in like that didn’t seem to be because of the assignment.”
Normally, Viola would have checked the item involved in the contract first.
But she hadn’t even glanced at the leather bag.
There had been no payment or reward involved, yet she had thrown herself at the monster without hesitation.
The reason was clearly personal.
The small locket Viola was still holding tightly.
“Was it because of that?”
He could instinctively tell.
That small pendant was the reason behind her reckless pursuit, her injuries, and the depth of her reaction.
“…It’s something precious to me.”
He wanted to know what was inside it and why she had been so determined to protect it.
If she was willing to risk herself to retrieve it, then it must have meant more to her than a simple keepsake.
Yet he swallowed all the questions that had risen to the tip of his tongue.
“Is that so?”
He smiled gently and carefully placed his hand over hers.
At that moment, a soft light began spreading from where their fingertips touched.
Viola looked at Samuel in surprise, but he immediately withdrew his hand.
The broken chain had been restored as if by magic.
The metal connection was perfectly smooth, and not even a trace of the damage remained.
“Be more careful with it from now on. Don’t let it get damaged again.”
Samuel took more disinfectant and moved his hand toward the back of her neck.
The moment the medicine touched the thin wound left by the crow’s claws, a cool sensation seeped into her skin.
Viola’s breathing slowed ever so slightly, as though it had momentarily faltered.
Her exhalation carried not only fatigue, but something unfamiliar as well.
“…But, you know.”
The hand that had been removing the gauze and applying ointment paused for a moment.
Viola waited for him to continue.
“Are you close with that knight from earlier?”
His voice remained calm.
“His name was… Dean, right?”
