I carried the unconscious Eclair back to her house, laid her on the bed, and only then finally caught my breath. By that point, night had already fallen.
The lantern's light flickered across the wall, casting quiet shadows. Beneath it, Eclair breathed softly in her sleep.
"Eclair—is she okay?"
"Yes. She just snapped under the tension. But Theo, are you all right? The place you were hit is still swollen."
"Ah, yes. The potion you gave me earlier took the pain away."
"Good. Still, don't push yourself too hard."
With that, Milfi lowered her eyes a little and quietly stood. "Well then, I'll head home."
"Huh? Already?" The words slipped out before I could stop them. It felt a little cold, somehow. Maybe she noticed, because Milfi smiled softly.
"Right now, what Eclair needs is you. Please take care of my cute 'little sister,' all right?"
She patted my shoulder and left the room. In the quiet that followed, the lantern flame wavered faintly.
(Me... necessary to Eclair...?)
As I turned those words over in my mind—"Pervy monkey."
"Wah!?" The voice from the bed made me jump. Eclair had opened her eyes at some point. "You scared me. Were you awake?"
"Mm. Milfi-nee seemed to notice, though."
I hurriedly filled a glass with water and offered it to her. Eclair sat up, said "Thanks," and gulped it down.
"...Gross. Your cheek's all swollen."
"It's not a big deal."
"It is, idiot. Why did you do something so reckless?"
"It wasn't reckless."
"It was. If things had gone wrong, you could've been killed."
"But you saved me, Eclair. You were so cool."
"I-It was just luck! ...And in the end, it was Milfi-nee who saved us."
"Well, true." I gave a wry smile. Eclair lowered her blue-purple eyes, fiddled with the blanket, and sighed.
"Man, I really can't beat Milfi-nee, can I?" Her voice held resignation and a hint of loneliness. "...I've always admired Milfi-nee."
"Huh?"
"We grew up in the same village. She's strong and kind... always shining so bright. I wanted to be like that too."
The lantern's light cast shadows on her profile. In her lap, her slender fingers clenched tightly.
"I came to this town because I thought chasing after Milfi-nee would change me too."
"..."
"But it was a total failure. Dungeon exploring never went well, and in the end, I was always getting saved by Milfi-nee..."
Eclair toyed with the edge of the sheet and looked down. "Even with that aphrodisiac curse. It was because I insisted on going to that dungeon... I dragged Milfi-nee into it too."
Her words spilled out one by one, tinged with sadness. "...I'm the worst, right? Dragging people around for my own convenience, causing trouble. Even today... because of me, you got hit..."
"Eclair..."
"S-So, you... don't have to bother with me anymore... I don't want to see anyone get hurt because of me..."
Her last words were hoarse with tears. Her clenched fists trembled slightly. (...I see.)
Why I couldn't leave Eclair alone—I finally understood. She's just like me. I hated myself too. No cool skills, no power to protect my friends.
I was scared of drifting further from the ideal me. Effort didn't pay off, and eventually my lack of confidence turned into resignation.
"I'm worthless," I'd repeated in my heart over and over. Just like her now. —But.
Milfi saved that version of me. "Have confidence, Theo. You're a wonderful person. ...Much more than you think."
How much those words saved me. So now it's my turn. I want to save her too—the her who is starting to hate herself, just like I did.
I gently opened my mouth. "Eclair, don't blame yourself so much."
Eclair slowly raised her face. The lantern's light sparkled on her tear tracks. "I don't think I got hit because of you. I did it because I wanted to."
"B-But if I were as strong as Milfi-nee, that wouldn't have..."
"Milfi is Milfi, and Eclair is Eclair." I said it with a small smile. "You're not honest, you act tough, and your mouth is foul, but deep down you're hardworking, a little clumsy, and lonely... That's all part of Eclair."
"...!"
"So don't hate yourself anymore. You're a wonderful person. —Much more than you think."
Those were the words Milfi once gave me. The saving words that stayed lit in my heart like a lamp, never fading.
Now I wanted to pass them to her. Eclair stared at me without saying a word.
The moon hid behind clouds, making the room even darker. Under the unreliable lantern light, I couldn't clearly see her face.
Eventually, the weight of my own words embarrassed me. "Uh, um... ahaha. That was kind of cheesy, huh. A-Anyway... get some rest today—"
As I started to stand from the chair, that's when. "Wait."
That one word stopped me in my tracks. "Don't... go home yet."
A trembling voice. But beneath it dwelled a firm resolve. "Eclair...?"
"I... still can't like myself right away. But—just for today, I think I'll try being a little honest with myself."
"U-Um...?"
"So, um... will you help me?"
To my questioning look, she turned her face away. Even the base of her cat ears was flushed red in the lantern light.
"Uh... what do you mean, exactly?"
"...A-Already! You're so dense!"
Seeing me completely clueless, she pouted her lips in embarrassment—and then, in a shaking voice, said, "Ple— Hold me... please.♡"
cont.... chapter and art p@treon/Soiha