"Y-Yike! Are you okay?"
Two weak punches hit my chest, followed by countless tears.
"Why would you do something like this?"
She hit me again.
"I told you I didn't need any help…"
She sniffled as a soft, warm energy was emitted from both her hands.
"Perfect Heal!"
Amelia's hands, covered in my blood, began chanting all kinds of spells over and over again.
"Regenerate!"
"…"
No matter what spell she cast. None of them healed my injuries.
"I-I'll do whatever you want, just don't die… please."
***
[A few days before]
I had the perfect opportunity in front of me.
However, I knew very well that Amelia wasn't the one who held the power here.
If there was anyone who could make me enter the Royal Academy, it would be her parents or whoever was currently at the top of the Lix Family.
"Are you sure you can handle going all the way to the Lix Estate?" Amelia asked me with a worried glance.
The reason I was inside of her personal carriage even there was because I told her I wasn't feeling as great as I thought and believed that I'd need her help again. That was when she suggested I come to the Lix Estate with her so she could watch over me for the next few days.
'To think that it would be this easy… Are all people usually this careless towards strangers?' I suddenly thought.
Looking at her smiling face, I couldn't help but remember some of my past.
***
"Did you really think that I was friends with you?"
I had been stabbed in the back, right into the stomach, by a presumed friend.
"Ugh. W-Why…?"
He laughed. "Are you really this naive? Don't you realize what kind of place we're in? It's kill or be killed, and I'll do anything to survive, even if it means killing those closest to me."
His smile only grew with greed as he continued speaking.
"One of the higher-ups offered me personal guidance in improving my Mana Core as long as I killed you. Who would be stupid enough to refuse such an offer?"
I pulled out the knife from my stomach, blood gushing out.
"If you really wanted to kill me… you should have cut off my neck," I muttered under my breath as my eyes turned into an endless pool of darkness.
Within a split second, the one who had his head cut off wasn't me but my "friend," and the one who received the higher-up's personal guidance was me.
***
"Mhm, Yike? Are you sure you're fine? If you keep clenching your fists, you might hurt yourself."
I shook my head and dismissed those annoying thoughts.
"Ah, sorry. I just got distracted for a few seconds."
I forced a smile. However, it clearly wasn't very convincing.
Amelia didn't comment on it, but it was clear from the look in her eyes that she knew I was hiding things from her.
Even now, she must be thinking about what kind of person I am. After all, her first impression of me was getting brought to her half-dead; she must have thought that I was some kind of weirdo.
"Actually, there was something I wanted to tell you…"
Her cheeks turned bright red, and she couldn't even bring herself to meet my eyes.
'Ah. There it is. I knew there was a reason why she brought me along. She must want something from me.' I nodded. 'Everyone is the same.'
"What is it?"
"Well, the truth is… I'm not very well-liked by my family. Most of the family ignores me and despises my very existence. That's why I decided to bring you along. I-I thought it might be better if I had someone with me this time."
'That's it? She saved my life, and that's all she wanted?' I frowned.
"You just want me to tag along? That's it?"
To be honest, even if she were to ask me to kill those who were bullying her, I would have agreed.
After all, Amelia was my savior. She deserved at least this much.
"Y-Yes…" She looked down, almost crying. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pull you into this situation; I didn't think about the position I was putting you in. If you want, I can bring you back to the Royal Capital…"
'She really is strange. I've never met anyone this stupid in my entire life.'
I took a deep breath.
"Accompanying you is the least I can do. If there is anything else you want me to do, then I will gladly comply."
Her eyes immediately lightened up, and her smile radiated.
"R-Really!"
Her reaction was genuinely sincere.
'To think that she would be this happy with this much.'
It annoyed me a little.
"As I said, if there is anything else you need help with, then I will gladly help you."
She stayed silent for a few seconds but ended up shaking her head.
"Nope, that's it! Just stay close to me while we're there."
'I won't leave her side,' I vowed internally as I watched her careless face.
However, while there was no doubt I would do what I was asked, there was still another problem I'd have to get resolved.
I would need the Lix family's recommendation to become a professor at the Royal Academy.
'I could potentially blackmail them by threatening their lives. But… if I do that, then there's a great chance they'd find traces of my powers.' I clenched my jaw. 'I'll have to gain their favor in another way.'
Nevertheless, there was still time before the Royal Academy would begin.
For now, I would watch over Amelia and make sure nothing would happen to her.
"Miss Lix, we are about to arrive at the family's estate."
"I-I see…"
Immediately, there was a clear change in her behavior; her smile was nowhere to be seen, and more importantly, her hands began twitching from fear.
'Just what has she been enduring in there?'