70 – Agillem (5)
In truth, calling it cohabitation was not something extraordinary.
Due to my severely injured state, I had to spend most of my time in bed.
And Bell took care of my every need.
Initially, I was entirely dependent on her for everything.
I couldn’t even eat on my own.
As I grew older… No, as I transitioned from being a newborn, having mostly handled everything on my own since then, being fed by someone felt incredibly awkward, but there was no other choice.
While I found such situations extremely awkward, Bell showed no signs of discomfort.
No, she even joked about it at times.
“Come on, say ‘ah.'”
“….”
“I said say ‘ah,’ right?”
“…Your mouth is open, you know.”
“You need to say ‘ah’ properly and make a sound.”
“….”
Being in a position where I couldn’t refuse, being indebted to her, and ultimately having my life owed to her, I found it difficult to reject her words.
In the end, I had no choice but to be at her mercy.
However, even I had a line I couldn’t cross.
“It’s a bit much to clean that too….”
Even in such a situation, there was a psychological resistance to helplessly allowing even that part.
But despite my refusal, she said,
“Do you plan to stay like this then?”
“Well, once I recover a bit more, I’ll—”
“Who do you think has been taking care of your body for a week? It’s too late to start worrying about that now.”
“… .”
Since it was a valid point, I couldn’t argue back.
In the end, I, a sound-minded person not far from her age, had to experience a woman cleaning my body.
Of course, there was a line I couldn’t cross, so I resisted and managed to block half of it.
Bell seemed to question the significance of that, but perhaps due to my strong will, she eventually compromised and allowed it.
Thus, being at her mercy, though often… Well, quite frequently feeling troubled, most of the emotions I felt towards her were gratitude and apology.
It was only natural.
Without even needing to mention that she saved my life, all her actions were for my sake.
…Even though it was sometimes awkward to know that.
Fortunately, my physical condition improved rapidly, and before long, I was able to move my body to a certain extent, allowing me to handle that part on my own.
At that moment, Bell seemed somewhat disappointed that she could no longer tease me.
Anyway, time passed like that.
Finally, the day came when I could leave the confines of the bed.
“Whew….”
Solely by my own strength, I rose from the bed and stood on both feet.
During the process, a slight pain flowed through my body, causing my expression to involuntarily furrow, but it didn’t feel like a significant strain.
“Your recovery is really fast.”
Observing me in that state, Bell made a brief comment.
“You must have quite some skill, huh?”
At her subsequent words, I couldn’t help but smirk.
One might wonder what recovery and skill have to do with each other, but generally, exceptional fighters also have good recovery abilities.
The reason for this is quite simple; as one’s martial prowess increases, their physical abilities, including muscles, blood vessels, and internal organs, also become stronger, leading to a faster recovery rate.
Although it’s not as dramatic as vampires or creatures with regeneration abilities in stories, it still holds significant meaning.
Considering the severe injuries that would have required an ordinary person to lie still for several months, the fact that I could move my body so quickly was likely due to those effects.
Of course, the occasional potions I consumed may have played a part as well.
…By the way.
“As expected, she doesn’t know.”
It was something I had vaguely suspected, but the current conversation confirmed it for me.
Bell does not have a precise understanding of my abilities.
She may be aware of my prowess being quite remarkable for my age, given her realization of her own mortality, fleeing after killing the prince, but she has no idea that it reaches the level of the Ten Swords.
In a way, it’s understandable.
Though it’s a bit awkward to say it myself, discussing the possibility would be too far-fetched.
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“…Let’s leave it as it is for now.”
Revealing my abilities wouldn’t likely change Bell’s attitude, and I have no intention of disclosing it to anyone, so there’s no need to make it known.
Of course, if Bell were to inquire, I wouldn’t hide it.
“But just because you can move your body now doesn’t mean you’re planning to leave right away, right?”
“…Of course not.”
“Hmm… Your response is slow, isn’t it?”
Bell narrowed her eyes and looked at me.
Avoiding her gaze, I discreetly wiped the sweat off my back.
“I’ve always thought that Mr. Wade is really bad at lying.”
Still with her eyes wide open, Bell remarked.
“……”
I am aware as well.
Indeed, I’ve always been easily caught when telling lies to those around me.
When it’s a truly necessary lie, I can do it nonchalantly, but when it’s not, the guilt of conscience surfaces, making it all too apparent.
Actually, I haven’t not thought about it.
Now that I can move my body and use magic to some extent, I have thought a few times that it might be good to leave here gradually.
Though it was always kept in mind, there was indeed a possibility.
“What do you plan to do with that body now? You can’t even properly take down a bounty hunter with that.”
“……”
Certainly, the probability of being caught or killed is high if I go out with this body.
I knew that, so even if I were to go out, I was planning to hide quietly, but even then, it was clearly not a good choice.
With this body now, I wouldn’t be able to prepare for unexpected situations.
“If you’re feeling sorry for me, is that why? Trying not to cause trouble even a bit? If that’s what you’re thinking, I’d say drop it right now.”
“……”
I couldn’t say a word.
Truly, I had hit the nail on the head.
“It’s noble to think of others, but you should also do it while thinking of your own body. If you end up getting caught in vain, what would my efforts be for? I’d just be wasting my time. So, stop having unnecessary thoughts and stay here until you’re fully recovered.”
“…Yes.”
In the flawless argument without room for rebuttal, I was left dumbfounded.
“For now, don’t think about anything, just focus on recovering.”
“…Understood.”
Listening to Bell’s sharp words, I nodded heavily.
As she said, let’s set aside those thoughts and focus on recovery.
I owe her a favor, and I’ll repay it with full sincerity someday.
***
Lately, Bella had been engulfed in a subtle mood.
The cause was Wade Heblon, a man who suddenly intruded into her daily life one day.
…Of course, rather than saying he intruded into her life, it would be more appropriate to say that she had let him into her life, but that wasn’t important to her.
She had saved the dying Wade, but there wasn’t a clear reason for it.
Her body had just acted on its own.
Having gone through all the trouble to save him, she was now just keeping him at home and taking care of him.
…One could argue that changing that stance immediately to earn a huge bounty was possible, but she wasn’t inclined to do so.
Money is important.
It is very important when considering one’s circumstances.
But when it came to selling him, Wade, to the empire, she felt an inexplicable resistance.
Thoughts of changing her mind came to her several times, but she ultimately gave up.
And the result was a caregiver life that was out of the question.
Feeding him by hand, bathing him, and doing all the little things herself were all necessary.
It was something that had no connection to her life so far.
She had become an adult long ago but had never been in a relationship.
One could say there was no time for that.
There was no room for that.
A normal life was not permitted for her.
Yet, suddenly, she found herself living with a man of similar age.
And even with a man whose face was to her taste.
It wasn’t surprising or embarrassing that there was no romantic entanglement with a man.
Her emotions weren’t girlish enough to sway that way.
Feeding him was something she could do casually.
Teasing Wade when he felt embarrassed to do such acts was quite entertaining.
Even though touching his lower body was a bit more difficult to do nonchalantly, it wasn’t an issue since Wade refused.
Taking care of Wade wasn’t as bothersome or unpleasant as one might think.
Moreover, lately, he had become able to move his body on his own, so she didn’t even need to do that anymore.
However, Bella was still tormented.
Was this situation really right?
Were her choices not wrong?
With Wade entering her life, her existence had changed drastically from what it used to be.
She couldn’t help but wonder if this was right considering her goals, if she could stay as she was, it was a constant worry.
And the real problem was…
Clank—
“Oh, you’re here?”
“…Yes.”
“Welcome.”
…The thought that this kind of life might not be so bad began to creep in little by little.
“You’re back early today, aren’t you?”
Bella smiled faintly at the man who welcomed her, swallowing that thought once again.
Wade, who could now move around by himself, still stayed inside the house, but actively started helping with the household chores.
Cleaning, cooking, laundry, and so on.
When she first heard his intentions, Bella tried to stop him, wondering why a patient would do such things, but Wade’s determination was strong, and eventually, Bella had no choice but to let him work.
She felt a bit uneasy about a newly adult man doing household chores, but surprisingly, Wade’s skills were quite decent.
It wasn’t perfect, but he had a good grasp of things.
“I’ve prepared the meal. Haven’t you eaten?”
“…No.”
Recently, whenever Bella went out, Wade would prepare a meal in advance and wait for her to return.
At first, the situation was very awkward, but recently, her thoughts had started to change little by little.
It may not be just uncomfortable and annoying. That’s what she started to think.
Every time she came home, he greeted her, they had meals together, exchanged greetings in the morning, and talked every day.
It felt like…
“…Like newlyweds.”
“…!”
Bella jerked her head sharply.
“…Why are you suddenly like that?”
“…It’s nothing.”
Yeah.
She was just a bit flustered.
This situation was new to her, she was just a bit excited.
She didn’t harbor any special feelings for that man.
So Bella thought within herself.
Deep down, she entertained the idea that prolonging this kind of life a bit more wouldn’t be so bad.
However.
Reality always has its own course, not necessarily as one desires.
“Long time no see, ‘Moonshade’.”
Seeing the familiar face in front of her, she realized that fact.