Avalon's Dungeon

Ever since it turned into the third dungeon, the level of difficulty had increased considerably ―― like traps, poisonous mushrooms, and strange-looking monsters. To this, Sara pondered.

「Hmm...」

Sara spread a piece of paper on the table in the corner of the small library in the fort, sat down on a wooden chair, and was drawing some schematic.

She is wearing a lab coat over her regular clothes, which seems to fit in somewhat, but her legs are dangling because of her lack of height, and the height of the desk is up to her chest, which makes it really difficult for her to write.

At that moment, the door to the library opened.

「Oh, Sara, there you are!」

As Alexis enters the library, Sara stops her writing and smiles at him.

「Oh, Alex. What's up?」

「Well, I just wanted to ask you...」

「Oh, right. I forgot to give you this. Here you go」

Before Sara could ask Alexis, she handed him a powder wrapped in a thin sheet of paper.

「What's this?」

Alexis asks and Sara replies.

「Birth control, I prepared it for you. I won't ask what exactly happened, but you need it, don't you? Make sure you give it to Her Highness properly」

「Ugh...」

"How old is this girl really?" Alexis wondered, but he was grateful for the gift.

「Why don't you just give it to Fransisca directly?」

Sara smiled bitterly when she heard this. But then she whispered to Alexis.

「That... well, shouldn't you be careful? I think Her Highness is sensitive about such things. I mean, she used to be Princess-maiden, right? Even what you did to her is not quite clear to me...」

Sara stares into Alexis' eyes as she says this.

「...I know I'm supposed to. But why is the princess...?」

Sara immediately looked down at the paper spread out in her hand.

「...well, it doesn't matter. Anyway, don't forget to make her drink it, okay?」

Sara pointed at the medicine in Alexis' hand.

「Oh, yeah」

Alexis nodded and decided to leave the library. But before he left, he saw that she had a look in her eyes as if she wanted to tell him something. However, he knew she was not going to let him pry any further into her life.

「...ah」

As he stepped out of the library, Alexis remembered.

He wanted to ask Sara about Fatima.

（Did Fatima consult with her?）

It bothered him, but whatever. Alexis leaves with this thought.

* * *

Right now, Fransisca was crouched on the bed with a pillow in her arms.

「......」

She had been silent for a long time.

She just sat there, not moving a muscle.

A few minutes ago, she also soaked in the bathtub. She had washed her body thoroughly and had rinsed off enough Alexis' liquid.

But now, Fransisca is thinking about the events of this afternoon over and over again.

（――I was right, my memory is completely lost. Sara told me she worked hard to make an antidote. And Alexis-sama...）

Fransisca sighs.

「...Does he hate me so much that he's doing this to get revenge...?」

It was then.

A knocking sound is heard, followed by a voice saying, "Hey, Fransisca".

「Hyauwa?!」

Fransisca let out a strange sound and jumped up from the bed.

「A, A-Alexis-sama?!」

「What is it? What's wrong with you?」

Alexis was muffled on the other side of the door.

Fransisca rushes to get off the bed and opens the door.

「I-it's not that...」

As soon as she sees Alexis' face, Fransisca's expression turns complicated.

Alexis furrows his brow.

「...what? Let's go in」

「Uh, yes」

Fransisca lets Alexis in and closes the door.

「...oh, um... Are you still coming in tonight?」

Fransisca's cheeks flushed. Frankly, she wanted him to spare her. It was because she was tired from the daytime activities.

「Well, I'm not so eager that I could do it a third time」

「T-third time...」

Fransisca counted in her mind with a blush.

So, he had to come inside me today, and then...? What about the other one?

Alexis hands Fransisca a powder as she tilts her head.

「Here, take it」

「Eh?」

Alexis gave a simple explanation to Fransisca, who received the powder with a puzzled look on her face.

「Birth control pills, Sara gave them to me」

「Oh...」

Fransisca's cheeks were again tinted.

It was because she was made to realize that she was doing such a thing again.

「T-thank you very much...」

Fransisca blurts out in embarrassment.

「Don't forget to drink it. See you tomorrow」

With that, he turns to leave, and Fransisca immediately says, "Umm”.

「...What is it?」

Alexis looks back at her with a doubtful expression.

Fransisca realizes that she has held him back and hurriedly puts her hand over her mouth.

「What do you want...?」

Alexis' expression became even more dubious, and Fransisca was left with no choice but to say something. Eventually, she finally opened her mouth.

「...If you hadn't gone to get the antidote, I might have died there. And that would have been a great opportunity for you」

Fransisca speaks in a whisper.

Alexis rolled her eyes and asked, "What do you mean?".

「You have a grudge against me, don't you? You put me in this position... because you think what I did before is unforgivable. Am I wrong?」

Alexis was puzzled to hear Fransisca speak with a gloomy expression on her face.

Why did Fransisca take such an attitude from him?

「It's okay, you don't have to worry about me. I am well aware of how rude I have been to you」

「Umm... what do you mean?」

Alexis folded his arms and turned his body toward Fransisca, ready to listen.

（I've told him this much, so it's doesn't matter...）

Fransisca nods her head in agreement.

「I'm at least willing to take responsibility for myself. If you ask me to die, I will accept the responsibility anytime without you having to go through all this trouble」

Her clear amethyst eyes look straight at Alexis.

Alexis is taken aback by the look of determination in those eyes.

（This girl...I see. So this is the kind of girl she is）

He's strangely impressed.

The fact that Fransisca had first tried to capture Avalon with him at the head, the fact that she had been so angry at the rudeness of the Krangal soldiers, and the fact that she was now following Alexis all made sense to him.

「...Really, you're a serious girl, huh?」

Fransisca is annoyed by Alexis' attitude, who blurts out an exclamation.

「What... are you talking about all of a sudden? I'm serious, right now」

「Yes, I know. That's what I'm telling you, isn't it? You're serious」

「A-Alexis-sama, please don't make fun of me...」

Alexis raises his hand lightly to Fransisca, who looks puzzled.

「Well, let's not be so formal, and we'll do it again tomorrow. Okay?」

Alexis turns away from Fransisca as if he does not want to hear what she has to say.

「Besides, it's not like I hate you or resent you or dislike you」

After saying this incidentally, Alexis leaves the room.

「Uh... Eh...?」

All that was left was a confused Fransisca.