Click~
Having finished her bath, the Shogun returned to her room and firmly shut the door behind her. She neatly folded the clothes she had taken off and placed them by the bedside. Since she would be wearing them again tomorrow, she did not put them away in the wardrobe.
At this moment, she had already changed into her bathrobe. The plain under-robe complemented both her temperament and the soft shade of her hair perfectly.
Rustle~
After a faint sound of fabric brushing against itself, she loosely tied the sash at her waist and adjusted the collar that wrapped around her full bosom. Perhaps because she had just stepped out of the bath, faint wisps of warmth still rose from her skin from time to time. A delicate flush lingered upon her fair, beautiful face, tinged by the lingering heat.
Bare feet slipped into plush slippers as she walked to the vanity and slowly sat down. Drawing her still-damp long hair over her shoulder, she began gently drying it. A faint mist remained in the air, and the room gradually filled with the subtle fragrance of her body.
[Shall I help you?]
Ei's figure overlapped with hers in the mirror, moving differently as she spoke.
"No need... I am not a child."
She continued drying her hair while glancing at Ei's reflection, her tone carrying a faint, sulky complaint.
[Indeed, you are no longer a child... in a certain sense.]
After saying that with deliberate meaning, Ei's gaze shifted—resting on her upper body, on that flawless feminine figure... and the conspicuous curves.
"W-Where are you looking///~!"
As if sensing her mother's gaze, her face flushed instantly and she hurriedly covered her chest.
[Hm? Is that strange?]
Ei blinked, looking genuinely puzzled and a little innocent as she asked.
"O-Of course it is strange. Do not be so indecent///~."
The natural tone in Ei's voice left her feeling both helpless and embarrassed. Blushing, she tugged her slightly loosened collar tighter and muttered under her breath.
[Haa... I do not understand.]
Ei sighed and shook her head.
"You—///!"
Her grievance flared at the sight of that expression. She was on the verge of exploding when—
[Pfft~ I am going. I will wait for you in bed.]
Ei suddenly revealed a faint, mischievous smile and left behind words that were far too easy to misunderstand. Though the phrasing was suggestive, the truth was simple—tonight, she intended to sleep beside her daughter.
"...!"
As Ei vanished, the figure in the mirror returned to her own flushed, adorably sulking expression.
"Haa... honestly... so troublesome///."
Seeing that Ei had disappeared, she let out a breath of relief and resumed drying her hair, her soft lips parting as she murmured the faintly intimate complaint.
On the bed, motes of light gradually gathered beneath the covers, forming a slight rise. Ei manifested directly under the blanket, sitting upright while wrapped inside it. Through the mirror's reflection, she watched her daughter puffing her cheeks at the vanity.
With a gentle smile, she raised a hand and beckoned, clearly inviting her to join her in bed.
After finishing drying her hair, the Shogun had intended to go straight to bed with Ei and rest... but unexpectedly—rest would not come so easily.
Tap tap tap~!
Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded outside, rapidly approaching.
"!"
As if she had anticipated it, Ei immediately lay down and slipped fully under the covers, leaving only a slight bulge in the blanket.
Click!
Sure enough, the next second the door was pushed open. The one who entered was Emilia.
"Shogun!"
"...?"
The Shogun, who had just stepped one foot onto the bed, turned in confusion toward the anxious silver-haired girl, then slowly slid her foot back into her slipper.
"What has happened? Why are you so flustered?"
Seeing Emilia's expression, she frowned slightly and asked.
"Haa... haa...! Something has happened. Rem—!"
"Take me there."
Before Emilia could finish, she had already understood. She strode quickly to her side and spoke decisively.
"Mm, yes!"
Emilia's eyes brightened. She nodded vigorously and immediately rushed out of the room.
"...Ei, I—"
"That child is in trouble, is she not? Go quickly... do not worry about me."
Seeing her daughter's expression, Ei smiled gently and waved her hand in reassurance.
"Mm..."
Tap tap~
Wearing only her bathrobe, the Shogun hurried out of the room, leaving Ei alone behind.
"Haa..."
Looking at the now-empty bedroom, Ei let out a soft sigh. Lowering her eyes, she glanced at the kimono collar she had already loosened and quietly pulled it back together.
"Fortunately, I had not taken it off. Otherwise I would have to put it back on... I suppose that is... a good thing."
Her final words were weak, tinged with helplessness and something more complicated.
On the other side—
Tap tap ×2
The urgent footsteps of two people echoed through the corridor.
"Rem! Rem!!"
"Aaaah!!! Ugh~!! Aaaah!!"
"What is wrong?! Tell your sister!"
Even before they reached the room, Rem's agonized cries and Ram's grief-stricken, almost hysterical shouts could be heard from afar.
At last they arrived. Roswaal was already there, standing guard. Only after stepping inside did she see the full scene.
Ram knelt alone beside the bed, clutching her sister's fair hand and calling out to the blue-haired girl writhing in agony. Rem's entire body convulsed, her eyes rolled white, her breathing ragged. Ram's voice had grown hoarse and trembled with tears that streamed down her cheeks.
"Ram..."
Emilia looked at her with heartache.
"Roswaal, what happened?"
The Shogun turned toward the clown-faced man standing with folded arms, his expression uncharacteristically grave.
"I do not know. When I entered the room, it was already like this."
He shrugged. The usual theatrical tone was gone from his voice, replaced by unmistakable seriousness.
"Haa..."
She exhaled and moved swiftly to the bedside. Ram hurriedly shifted aside to make room for her.
Sitting down, she looked at the miserable girl whose life seemed to be slipping away. The convulsions were gradually weakening. A dark, blood-like liquid trickled from the corner of Rem's mouth.
She reached out, touching the icy skin and wiping away the stain at her lips. Then she leaned down, pressing her ear to Rem's chest to listen to the heartbeat within.
It was racing frantically, as if it might collapse under its own strain at any moment.
"Lady Shogun..."
Ram clutched at her sleeve as if grasping her final hope, tears covering her face.
"Please... save... Rem... I cannot... live without her... please... Ram begs you..."
Her sobbing was so broken that the words came out uneven and blurred.
The Shogun nodded quietly.
"I will do my best."
Her voice was steady, meant to reassure.
Ram felt as though she had been handed an anchor. She released her sleeve, knowing that interfering would only hinder her. Still kneeling on the floor, she silently wept as she watched her sister.
"What is going on? Why is it so noisy in the middle of the night? Betty cannot even sleep."
At that moment, Beatrice, the blonde little girl, rubbed her eyes as she entered. When she saw the scene clearly, she froze in shock.
"W-Wait—what happened? What is wrong with Rem?!"
"Shh~."
Emilia made a quieting gesture and shook her head. Beatrice obediently fell silent and stepped closer. When she saw Rem's condition, even she was stunned.
That appearance looked beyond saving...
But she was wrong.
In the next instant, the Shogun drew Musou Isshin from her chest. A long-forgotten dreamlike violet radiance flooded the room, spreading outward like a sea of light with the blade and the violet-haired woman at its center.
"!" ×N
In that instant, everyone present was stunned—including Roswaal and Beatrice. This power was completely beyond their understanding. It was astonishing and mysterious, yet carried a warmth that reassured the heart.
Was this the hidden strength of the Shogun?
She allowed Musou Isshin, glowing with violet radiance, to hover in the air. With a gentle wave of her hand, the purple light intensified once more and enveloped the blue-haired girl lying on the bed.
The radiance surged fiercely, yet it was not blinding. Instead, it carried the flourishing mystery of a star-filled sky—an otherworldly hue that did not belong to this world. The sight left everyone spellbound.
"...!"
Ram unconsciously clasped her hands together in prayer, biting her lip as she watched the starlike light spread across her sister's body.
Hum~
As if embraced by a mother's warmth, Rem's pained expression gradually eased. At last, her face settled into the serenity of deep sleep, and the violent convulsions slowly ceased.
"!" ×N
The obvious change shocked them once more. Roswaal even stepped forward slightly, his face solemn as he observed.
The Shogun paid no attention to their reactions. She simply allowed the starry violet glow to circulate within Rem's body, as though searching for something.
"...There it is."
She murmured when she found it.
Lightning flickered faintly in her eyes as she made a subtle gesture.
Hum~
The next moment, something like purification occurred. A dense, gloomy black substance was drawn out from Rem's body—no, more precisely, it emerged from her palm.
"That is—!"
Beatrice's eyes widened slightly.
The others stepped closer, gathering around the bed to witness the scene.
The Shogun slightly reduced the intensity of the purple light, though Musou Isshin continued to float above, steadily extracting the remaining toxin from a specific point in Rem's hand.
"Eh? Betty, do you know what that is?"
Emilia asked quickly.
"Mm... this is a curse cast by a spellcaster."
Beatrice frowned, lowering her voice as she leaned closer to confirm, even sniffing faintly at the lingering aura.
"There is no mistake. It is a curse—and the timed kind. It activates after midnight. Once triggered, the victim will most likely die."
She nodded firmly.
"Midnight?!"
They glanced at the clock. It had already passed twelve by about fifteen minutes.
"Ram, can you recount what happened?"
The Shogun asked while Musou Isshin continued its purification.
"Mm... earlier, I was going to have Rem rest. It was already late, and she had not rested at all today. But when I saw her, her face was pale and her body weak. She could barely even walk."
Ram clenched her hands.
"I intended to carry her to bed, but her condition worsened rapidly. Rem began crying out in pain, trembling all over, saying it hurt. I panicked. I did not know what to do and could only keep calling her name. Then Lady Emilia happened to come in."
She looked toward Emilia.
"Yes. When I saw Rem like that, I instinctively went to find the Shogun. I do not know why, but I just felt that she would definitely have a way."
Perhaps that was trust. Or reliance. Or simply a sense of security.
"Haa... what a series of troubles. I never expected Rem to be cursed."
Roswaal sighed. Tonight's events had almost entirely escaped his predictions.
"Mm... haa..."
Rem, still unconscious, revealed a trace of discomfort. A faint groan escaped her throat from time to time, though it was no longer as severe as before.
Seeing this, the Shogun placed her palm gently against Rem's forehead and stroked it softly.
"..."
Feeling the warmth, Rem gradually sank into quiet slumber once more.
"Ram, hold her. It will ease her unease."
"Mm!"
They switched positions. Ram gathered her sister into her arms, passing her own warmth into Rem's body. As expected, Rem became even calmer.
"But... why? When was she cursed?"
Emilia asked.
"Could it have happened inside the mansion?"
Ram wondered.
"That is impossible. Everyone here is one of us. Though Natsuki Subaru may be somewhat suspicious, he clearly does not possess the temperament of a spellcaster. I sensed no such aura from him."
Beatrice shook her head.
"Perhaps it did not happen in the mansion."
The Shogun spoke.
"?" ×N
They turned toward her.
As if answering their gazes, she lifted Rem's hand—the one still faintly emitting black residue—and turned it over. Beneath a small bandage lay the source from which the purified substance had emerged.
She carefully peeled off the bandage, revealing two puncture marks resembling bite wounds.
"This is...!"
"Bite marks," Roswaal murmured.
"Who bit her?!"
Emilia asked in shock.
"Ram? Do you remember anything?"
The Shogun looked at the pink-haired girl holding Rem.
"...!!"
Ram stared at the marks, then furrowed her brow as she recalled the events of the afternoon. Suddenly, her eyes widened in realization.
"That dog!!"
She exclaimed.
"...A dog?"
The others were startled.
"Mm. Earlier, when I saw the bandage on Rem's hand, I asked about it. She said she had been bitten by a puppy in the village."
She answered.
"Then... that dog was the source of the infection?"
"Mm. And not only it. A spellcaster can cast curses through a medium. That means... the dog has an owner. And that owner is very likely in the village."
Beatrice reasoned.
"In other words, everyone in the village right now—!"
Emilia's face gradually paled.
"Mm. They are likely in danger."
If that demonic beast attacked randomly, and the villagers remained unaware... the situation would be dire.
Beatrice's brows knitted tightly.
Hum~
During this time, Musou Isshin completely purified the toxins from Rem's body. The black smoke dissipated, and the violet radiance slowly faded. Having fulfilled its purpose, the blade returned to her chest and vanished.
"Lady Shogun, how is Rem?"
Ram asked cautiously.
"She is no longer in mortal danger. However, the toxin previously damaged her internal pathways. Though the curse has been purified, she remains in a coma and will not awaken for some time."
She answered.
"Haa... I understand. Thank you—truly—for everything you have done for Rem."
Ram let out a breath of relief. No matter what, her sister's life had been saved. She bowed deeply to the one who had once again rescued them.
"It was only natural... As for the village, I will go and take a look. Ram, remain here and care for Rem."
She rose to her feet. Because she was still wearing her bathrobe, she instinctively tightened the loose collar at her chest before speaking.
"Yes."
Ram nodded obediently. She could not leave her sister's side.
"You have my gratitude, Miss Raiden."
Roswaal said.
"..."
She merely glanced at him without replying, intending to return to her room to change clothes.
"Wait—Shogun."
Emilia quickly followed after her.
"?"
She paused and looked back.
"Haa... I am coming with you."
Emilia approached, catching her breath.
"That will not be necessary... You should—"
"You expect me to feel at ease letting you go out alone in the middle of the night?"
Emilia puffed her cheeks as she retorted.
"...I am not a child."
She sighed helplessly.
"Whether you are a child or not, someone is accompanying you. It is decided."
Emilia declared stubbornly before heading back to her own room to change clothes.
"..."
She was rendered speechless.
"Hehe... So go change, Shogun~?"
Seeing her at a loss for words, Emilia smiled in satisfaction, winked playfully, and closed the door.