Vol 2 Chapter 73 – A Second Kiss【Vol 2 – The Condemned Knight Edition】

“Hmm… I never expected things to turn out like this…”

Erik muttered in puzzlement from atop his bed.

Yes, he was currently hospitalized.

With the Immortal skill and Miriam—who could wield exceptional healing magic despite its drawbacks—as his partner, Erik was now docilely residing in a place he would normally never need to visit.

Not even when he’d single-handedly held off Biriel’s rebel army had he been hospitalized.

The reason, of course, was that Miriam hadn’t healed him.

Well, the abdominal wound was fatal for ordinary people, so she’d frantically healed that much when she rushed to his side.

However, afterward, Miriam—furious at the reckless act Erik had committed after hearing about it from Eleonora—stopped the treatment partway through, partly to make him stay still for a while.

Still, since she was soft on Erik, she’d healed him enough that a week of rest would result in complete recovery.

Also, since he understood that Miriam was angry for his sake, he couldn’t persistently demand more healing, so he was forced into a hospital stay of abstinence where he couldn’t satisfy his masochism.

“Perhaps I went a bit too far…”

Piercing through his own abdomen while taking down an enemy.

It was an act of self-harm Erik had wanted to try someday.

In reality, Erik’s attack alone couldn’t have defeated Natan—without Eleonora’s help, he might have escaped—but it could be called a success.

Just remembering it made Erik shiver with excitement.

The pleasure when he completely pierced his abdomen and inflicted a fatal wound upon himself, and then the intense pain when Miriam healed it.

Everything had been wonderful.

Perhaps the situation had enhanced it too.

While he grinned on the bed like that, with Miriam’s intention to encourage reflection completely lost on him…

“Oh? Come in.”

After a knock, Erik readily invited entry.

If it happened to be some assassin, that would make things even more delightful.

However, the person who entered wasn’t such an outlaw but Eleonora, with her black hair cut in a bob style.

“Erik-san, are you sure you shouldn’t be sleeping?”

“Yes, I was just feeling a bit bored. I’d be happy to have company.”

Erik felt unsatisfied with Eleonora first showing concern for him.

If it had been Debora, she wouldn’t show such concern in the slightest…

Prompted by Erik, Eleonora sat in a chair near the bed.

“This is a get-well gift. Please have some if you’d like.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Eleonora placed an assortment of fruit on a nearby table.

Hmm… Erik was dissatisfied with how proper her manners were.

“Um… is your wound all right?”

Eleonora had removed her usual mask of the emotionless, dignified female knight, and looked up at Erik with worried eyes.

Any man would be moved, but Erik’s peculiar proclivities were skewed in such a direction that his heart didn’t budge in the slightest.

“Yes, no problem at all.”

Erik would have been happy if it throbbed with pain, but Miriam, who was soft on him, would never leave such a wound.

“I see. I’m sorry for causing you injury because of me.”

“What are you saying? That was because I allowed my body to be controlled. There’s no need for Eleonora-san to feel responsible at all.”

To Eleonora, who bowed her head, Erik conveyed his true feelings.

He would have been even happier if she’d been controlled by Natan’s magic and beaten him to a pulp… but the old man’s magic couldn’t dominate her, the perfect knight except for her sadistic urges.

Well, Erik’s mind was also steely, so it couldn’t be controlled either. The fact that pillar was his masochism was truly unfortunate.

“Hehe… Erik-san really is kind. You accepted all of me including my sadistic urges, and got injured…”

“I wouldn’t say I’m kind.”

Eleonora smiled softly.

From Erik’s perspective, he was doing it to satisfy his own desires, so the evaluation of being “kind” was somewhat off.

However, to Eleonora and others who didn’t know his bad habits, what he was doing was truly good deeds deserving of praise.

Many people would surely agree with Erik’s actions.

Because from an outside perspective, what he was doing was that of a philanthropist overflowing with self-sacrificing spirit.

“No, you are kind. That’s why you—”

Eleonora leaned forward.

Erik, who was basically defenseless toward others out of expectation that they might inflict violence on him, naturally didn’t brace himself…

“—saved me.”

So he couldn’t avoid it when Eleonora’s soft lips touched his cheek.

Erik was dumbfounded.

Even though it was just the cheek, this was the first time he’d been kissed—

No, wait…

Noise ran through Erik’s brain.

The first time? No, not the first. This was the second time.

Then, the first kiss was…

Who on earth kissed me…?

Erik couldn’t remember.

“From now on, I hope I can save you too.”

Erik was about to think deeply when Eleonora’s words brought his consciousness back to the surface.

She had already separated from him and was blushing with embarrassment as she smiled.

“…However, I don’t think I can suppress my sadistic urges alone yet, so I’d be happy if I could borrow Erik-san’s strength.”

“Y-yes. Please don’t worry about that.”

“I see.”

When Erik agreed in confusion, Eleonora smiled brightly.

“Well then, Erik-san. When you’re fully recovered, let’s go on patrol together again.”

“Yes.”

Eleonora smiled and left the room.

Erik saw her off with a smile and exhaled.

“…What was that that flashed through my mind?”

He had a memory of kissing someone.

However, he couldn’t remember who at all.

Among the people who’d been close to him in the past, someone who would kiss him…

“No one comes to mind…”

Erik groaned.

Then, his ears caught the sound of loud footsteps.

Without even a knock, the door was forcefully flung open with a bang.

“Erik! How’re you feeling!?”

“D-Debora…”

The one who burst into the room while he was deep in thought was the ever-energetic Debora.

Even Erik was startled by the sudden loud voice and felt a bit of pleasure.

“What brings you here?”

When Erik asked this, Debora puffed out her cheeks in displeasure.

“‘What brings you’ nothing! While Papa was forcing me to study, Erik was having such fun adventures!”

Whether it was actually an adventure aside, the intense days Erik had spent apparently looked enviable to Debora.

“Grr! Now that I’m remembering it, I’m getting mad! I want to blow Erik up!”

“By all means.”

“Hm?”

For a moment, she thought she heard a strange response… but Debora dismissed it as her imagination.

“Well, anyway, that’s why I snuck out of the castle!”

“Ooh…”

Erik applauded as she proudly puffed out her non-existent chest.

Still, she’d done well to slip through doting King Rei’s surveillance network.

“Now, Erik! Let’s go on an adventure!”

“…Pardon? I’m sorry, but I’m currently hospitalized…”

“Huh? You won’t die, so you don’t need to be hospitalized, right?”

Debora tilted her head with a look that said “what are you talking about?”

Erik felt pleasure from this unreasonable statement made without any malice.

“Heh… shall we go then?”

Erik got out of bed.

There was no way he would overlook such unreasonableness.

Debora watched him with satisfaction, but…

“We have to make sure Papa doesn’t find us.”

Erik had fully anticipated that too.

The doting King Rei wouldn’t blame the runaway Debora—he would punish whoever was with her.

If they weren’t caught, he could hurt himself on a fresh-out-of-the-hospital adventure with Debora, and if they were caught, unreasonable punishment would be handed down.

From Erik’s perspective, either outcome was delicious.

“Shall we go, Debora?”

“Yeah!”

The masochist and the spoiled princess smiled at each other and snuck out of the hospital.