"I... I came to say..." She forced the words out like they were choking her. "Thank you."
"For what?" I played dumb. "The Golem? Or the hot spring?"
"Don't mention the spring!" she hissed, looking around frantically. "I swear, if you tell anyone—"
"I won't," I chuckled. "Relax."
Alicia looked at my chest, where the bandages peeked out from under my shirt.
"You blocked that curse for me," she whispered. "You hate me. I humiliated you in the plaza. I tried to blow you up in the mock battle. But you still... jumped in front of it."
"Alicia," I said, my tone turning serious. "I don't hate you. You're arrogant, loud, and you throw fireballs when you're naked—"
"Alex!"
"—but you're not a bad person," I finished. "You held the line against the Bear. You didn't run away. That takes guts."
Alicia stared at me, her red eyes shimmering slightly.
"You're an idiot," she mumbled, crossing her arms and looking away to hide her face. "You're a reckless, perverse, stupid idiot."
