Sylphy finishes with a kiss on my cheeks.
Feeling her supple lips, my decision to study flew out the window, perverted thoughts fill my head.
Grab Sylphy right here, and let's make a second baby right on that bed...
Those thoughts cross my mind.
No, no.
I can't be so impulsive right now.
I need to study!
Okay, how about stroking that ass a little? No, better not.
"Say, how's things on your side?"
"Oh. It's like this."
With the H Genie sealed, I talk about the events of today.
Zenith and her curse.
Summoning magic.
Also, the meal with Nanahoshi.
"... Rudi is so nice to Nanahoshi."
Sylphy looks a little displeased when I mention Nanahoshi.
So eating alone with another woman is no good?
Well, Zanoba was there too.
Maybe I shouldn't have prepared something special for Nanahoshi.
Not good, got to do something to make Sylphy happy.
Sylphy needs a reminder that the one I love isn't Nanahoshi, it's her.
"Em, Sylphiette-san?"
"Yes?"
"May I have a hug?"
Hearing that, Sylphy puffs her cheeks and turns her head.
"Oh, playing nice all the sudden? What's wrong? Feeling guilty?"
Eh, eh?
Why is Sylphy so cold today?
What happened?
Is she mad?
Did I say something wrong?
Burnout?
We have been married for almost 3 years now.
The 3 year itch?
No, how many years doesn't matter.
What do I do now?
Danger, danger.
"Eh, sorry. You always seem so excited whenever Nanahoshi comes up, so spoil me for a bit."
Sylphy sticks out her tongue and hugs me tight.
I return the hug.
It feels so warm and soft.
Feels just like Sylphy.
Honestly, I might have done something that displeased Sylphy.
But, I don't want her to hate me.
I've got to be more careful in the future.
"If Rudi really wants to make Nanahoshi-san his third wife, please don't just drop it out of the blue like Roxy. Can we talk about it first?"
"No, that won't happen. My relationship with her isn't like Roxy and Sylphy. Just that, I know a bit about where she's from, so I want to give her a hand. There's nothing between us..."
"Oh really?"
Sylphy slaps me on the head with a smile.
Then she pat me on the back before she heads out.
"Well then, I need to get back to Ariel-sama. Do your best, Rudi."
"Ah, ok. You too, Sylphy."
Not good.
I was earnest, but without realizing it made Sylphy unhappy.
This is bad.
This is very bad.
I need to keep my distance with Nanahoshi.
I can't do too many things to please her.
Okay.
"Eh?"
Opening the door on the way out, Sylphy suddenly stops mid-track.
Nanahoshi is right outside.
"Sorry, I didn't want to bother you two, but... Cough.. Cough..."
Nanahoshi was coughing roughly.
Holding her chest and neck, she seems in serious pain.
"Sorry. I accidentally overheard your conversation. Cough... I don't plan to have that kind of relationship with Rudeus, so please rest assured... Cough.."
"Ah, oh. That's fine. More importantly, are you feeling alright?"
"It's fi-... cough, cough."
I never saw Nanahoshi in such a bad shape before.
Like something was stuck in her throat, she keeps coughing. How worrying.
"A bit, just now, I started to have a really bad cough... cough... cough... So I've been looking for someone to cast detoxification for me. I went over to Cliff's, but they're... busy. So I came over to find Rudeus... But if it will cause some misunderstanding, then I'll hold it and wait for Cliff tomorrow."
"No, it's fine. Don't worry about that..."
Sylphy hurriedly grabs Nanahoshi by her shoulders.
"Then, let me take care of it. If it doesn't work, then we can have Cliff cast an Advanced one instead?"
"Thank you very much, please do..."
"Alright, first thing's first."
Sylphy gently places a hand on Nanahoshi's neck.
She can use voiceless invocation detoxification magic too.
Something even beyond me.
No, I should have that potential too.
"Eh?"
While thinking that, Sylphy looks puzzled and confused.
The next moment, Nanahoshi's cough suddenly intensifies.
"Cough.. Cough..."
"Eh? It feels... really weird? Magic-ish... Eh?"
Sylphy tilts her head and places her other hand on Nanahoshi's shoulder.
Instantly, Nanahoshi's cough gets even worse. The situation is critical.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
Feeling anxious I ask.
Nanahoshi covers her mouth.
"Ugh.. cough!"
Splat.
"Eh?"
Blood splattered over the floor.
"Hey; hey!"
"..."
Nanahoshi looks stunned at her hand.
Then, she slowly opened her palm and showed it to us.
Her palm was painted red with blood.
Immediately, Nanahoshi lost consciousness and collapsed on the floor.
"Eh? Why?"
I'm not the only one in shock.
Sylphy stands stunned, unable to comprehend what has happened.
"Just now, I felt, in Nanahoshi... Why? Eh?"
Her face and hand splattered with blood, looking down at Nanahoshi on the ground.
Her face pale white.
I rush to her side.
"SYLPHY"
I yell out in a coarse voice.
Sylphy's entire body trembles. Fear in her eyes, she retreats several steps.
"N-No! It wasn't me! I didn't do it."
Sylphy has retreated into a corner.
I silently follow behind.
With her back against the wall, realizing she has nowhere to run, she can only shut tight her eyes.
"I might have said those words, but I was only joking around... Something like this... I would never do anything like this!"
I take out a handkerchief and dip it in some water (warmed with magic) and start wiping the blood off Sylphy's face.
"Eh?"
Then I wipe off the blood on her hand.
A patient's blood is a treasure trove of pathogens.
Although I don't think just wiping would help, but leaving the blood there probably won't do.
Sylphy offers no resistance.
"Don't worry. Sylphy. I was watching. It's not Sylphy's fault."
"Oh, oh."
I'm very calm right now.
Seeing Sylphy in a panic somehow calmed me back down.
Maybe it hasn't settled in.
For now, stay calm.
"It's fine. It's not Sylphy's fault. Nanahoshi has been weak lately. Right?"
"Em..."
"This time you just had bad timing. Caught her at her worst. It's not Sylphy's fault."
"... Em, em, but, just now, I felt, when I used magic, in Nanahoshi, something strange, detoxification, did not work at all... Not just that... it ballooned..."
Nanahoshi was on the ground, blood gushing from her nose and face.
Unconscious.
Situation critical.
Sylphy is still a mess.
Better to calm her down first.
No, better to keep her busy with something.
The best thing to stop someone from panicking is to give her a goal.
"Listen carefully, Sylphy. Cliff, Perugius-sama, go find someone and call him over."
"Call?"
"I will examine Nanahoshi's condition and do what I can. Meanwhile, Sylphy, go find help. Can you do it?"
"I-I can."
Sylphy's eyes regain focus.
Then, she heads to the door and rushes out.
Even though she has experienced a lot in her life, seeing so much blood close up must still be quite a shock.
Especially from someone she's familiar with.
Even if she's jealous, Sylphy would never do something like that.
But Sylphy could be impulsive sometimes...
No, no.
That's impossible. Definitely impossible.
"Okay."
Stopping myself from overthinking, I turn towards Nanahoshi.
Although there's little I can do here, I'll do what I can.