That Was an Ominous Thing to Say, Wasn't It??

“I feel like a seriously ill patient... This seems a little over the top...”

“...It’s not over the top. You were unconscious for a whole day.”

“What!?”

No wonder my throat was so dry. I’d thought I’d been wandering through the forest for only a few hours, but it seemed I’d been exhausted both mentally and physically.

When I looked up, I noticed the dark circles under Julius-san’s eyes as he gazed at me with a gloomy expression.

Had he been by my side this whole time?

I reached out and touched his cheek, gently tracing beneath his eye with my thumb.

“...I’m sorry for worrying you.”

At that, Julius-san shut his eyes tight, as if holding back his emotions, and squeezed my hand so hard it hurt.

“It wasn’t your fault, Riko. It was my fault for failing to protect you...”...