落とし穴外伝：彼女の真実 (Part3)
So, her parents never returned, Prol herself fell ill and became bedridden, and she was saved only because Weed intervened just as she was on the brink of death.
Prol had mentioned that Lord Yuki himself had treated her directly back then.
"And that’s why... you decided you wanted to serve him?"
"Precisely. Or so I would like to say, but if that were the only reason, I wouldn't be much different from the others—from Orelia, Hovis, or Yayui."
It was true. While we hadn't been sick, we had been liberated from slavery and welcomed with exceptional treatment. That wasn't our only reason, but we all felt a profound debt of gratitude to Lord Yuki, which is why we served him now. I didn't think there was that much of a difference, despite what Prol said.
"There was more to it than that."
As she spoke, a faint flush colored Prol’s cheeks.
*Wait, was there a reason for her to blush? Or did I just imagine it?*
As the thought crossed my mind...
"Ahaha, I just remembered something a bit embarrassing. No, perhaps I should call it a happy memory. Well, no matter. The three of you are now servants by Lord Yuki’s side, just as I am. I shall tell you why I maintain the attitude you find so strange."
Prol took a sip of tea to moisten her throat before she began to speak.
"I may have made it sound grand, but it isn't a particularly long story. It happened after I was treated for the pneumonia that nearly killed me. At the time, Weed’s system for accepting immigrants wasn't nearly as refined as it is now. The same went for our medical care. After all, when the immigrants from Lithea first arrived, the only ones who could move properly were the fairies. Do you know the history of that period?"
"Yes," Orelia answered. "If I recall, the first to move to Weed were Princess Elju of Roschur, Lady Oriel, and the adventurer Mr. Mauve. They were followed by the nine women who are now Lord Yuki’s wives. Then came the royal guards under Her Majesty Seraria and Lady Quar. After that were the migrants—or rather, the former slaves—from Roschur, followed by Lady Narjia and the other fairies."
*Whoa, nice going, Orelia.* She had clearly studied Weed’s history well. I, honestly, would have been sweating that question.
"Correct. After that, the immigrants centered around the slums of Lithea headed for Weed. Since we had no medical knowledge to speak of, the healing was handled by Lord Yuki, Lady Rurua, and Lady Lilishe, who was secretly mingling among them. Of course, with their power, they could force a recovery through sheer magical might. But that wasn't all. Do you understand what I mean?"
When she asked, we could only tilt our heads in confusion. If you're healed, isn't that the end of it?
"I explained my situation at the time, didn't I? I was dying of pneumonia. In other words, I couldn't move. Even if one is perfectly healed with powerful recovery magic, if the body has no underlying strength left, one cannot simply stand up. You understand that much, yes?"
It was true. Basic recovery magic, excluding spells like Extra Heal, generally struggles to restore a patient’s actual physical stamina. The standard procedure is to heal the wounds or illness and then let the patient rest to recover their strength. I even knew that reckless over-recovery could, in the worst cases, shorten a person's lifespan. Of course, Lord Yuki and Lady Rurua would never make such a blunder.
"Then, consider my circumstances. A young girl, dying of a terrible disease on the street, unable to move... what do you think I looked like?"
"Eh? That’s..."
In that moment, I understood. Prol had been dying on the street, unable to even twitch a finger. That meant...
"Yes. Exactly as you imagine. I was covered in filth. Vomit was the least of it. I had soiled myself where I lay, lacking the strength to even wipe, my body stained and rotting, with insects and rats swarming over me."
That was... a truly horrific environment. It was a miracle she had survived at all.
"It was no different when I was carried into Weed. No, it was likely worse, as those were my final moments. My skin was probably raw with rashes, and insects might have even laid eggs in me. There is no way to confirm it now, thankfully."
I felt a slight wave of nausea. I felt bad for Prol, but the mental image was hard to stomach.
"Oh, my apologies. At any rate, even though I had been healed, I was still a piece of trash covered in waste... yet Lord Yuki held me close. Lord Yuki, who knows more about hygiene and sanitation than anyone, gathered that filth into his arms."
As she said this, Prol looked genuinely happy. And the reason Lord Yuki had acted that way was something not just I, but Orelia and Hovis understood as well, leading us to share wry smiles.
"Knowing Lord Yuki, did he just feel like you could be washed?"
"That sounds like him... 'If it's dirty, just wash it'..."
"He’d definitely say that."
Lord Yuki was someone who cared about cleanliness, but he wasn't the type to push people away because of it. If anything, he was the type to worry about the cause of the mess.
"Precisely. Without a hint of hesitation... he stripped away my rags and washed every inch of me in the bath himself. Including my private areas, of course. Though, from a sanitary standpoint, it was only natural. Besides, I was just a child then."
"""Ah..."""
Lord Yuki doesn't really have a concept of 'womanhood' when it comes to children. I, on the other hand... well, he sees me as a woman.
"Of course, there were many other children and adults there, and he probably didn't spend even ten minutes on me alone, but I remember it vividly. He didn't hesitate to touch the parts of me I found too disgusting to even look at, washing me with such care. He cleaned my body with shampoo and soap. And at the end, he told me I had become a 'beautiful young lady.' I was so, so happy."
*Wow, Lord Yuki, you really shouldn't do things like that.* No, he probably did it for everyone, so maybe Prol was just overreacting? But then again... if someone did that for me...
"In that moment, I made up my mind. I would dedicate my entire life to Lord Yuki. It didn't matter if he never looked my way; after all, I was originally just a piece of trash mired in filth. It would be presumptuous to ask for anything in return. However, I heard his goal was the development of Weed, so I have done everything in my power to assist. That is how I earned Lady Kirika’s recognition and came to be here. Well, that was a long explanation, but that is why I wait for Lord Yuki like this. Are you satisfied?"
"""Yes, very much so!"""
If someone did that for you, of course you’d swear your loyalty. Far more intensely than we ever could. Just as I was thinking that...
"Oh, please don't misunderstand. There are many others like me. So, if the three of you are ever disrespectful or prove yourselves unnecessary... I might just have to take care of you. Please keep that in mind."
"""Eh?"""
She said something incredibly intense, and as we watched Prol stand up from her seat...
"I'm home."
"We're back! Oh, Prol’s the first one to greet us today?"
"Yes. Welcome home, Lord Yuki, Lady Milly. Did you find some good liquor today?"
"We did! We got some great stuff from Gartz. Oh, look, the three of you are here too. Let's all have a drink together!"
As we stood there, frozen by the sudden shift in atmosphere...
"Prol is only joking. Though, it won't do to ignore Lord Yuki and Lady Milly’s greeting."
Lady Kirue’s voice brought us back to our senses.
"""Welcome home!"""
We hurriedly moved to greet them.
Prol is definitely the 'heavy' type, but she has her reasons. She might even be more intense than Milly, but in the end, I suppose it’s fine.