Through the gap in the door, she saw a human figure. 　Lying face-down. Shoulders rising and falling faintly——there was breath. But the clothes were dark and wet. Even in the moonlight, she could tell it was blood. 　Miyuu couldn't move for a while. （Attacked by a magical beast? Or...） 　The howling had stopped. The forest was quiet. But if she opened the door, danger might come again. 　But. （If I leave them, they'll die.） 　Her meticulous nature activated at the worst possible timing. Risk calculation and sense of responsibility reached a conclusion in a second. 　She opened the vine door. 　Cold outside air flowed in. She approached the young man lying on the grass, placed her hand on his shoulder, and gently rolled him over. 　The face she saw was——younger than she expected. 　Pale silver hair was stained with mud and blood. His face was ashen, with painful wrinkles between his brows. But his features were refined. Overall, he had the air of someone completely unsuited for sleeping rough or fleeing. 　Deep wounds on his flank and left arm. The way his ribs protruded looked wrong——possibly a fracture. （This is really bad.） 「[serious]……I guess I have to use the Jade Shrine Maiden's power at full strength」 　A muttering she hadn't meant anyone to hear. Miyuu rolled up her sleeves and placed both hands on the young man's flank. 　Jade Shrine Maiden——a rare power to commune with ley lines and channel plant-derived healing magic through the body. Only one in a hundred thousand people are born with it. Miyuu awakened to this power the moment she reincarnated into this world. Healing Sprout, as she'd arbitrarily named the healing magic. 　But there was a price. 　Healing a fracture took three days, a cut wound took minutes. And each time she used it, the caster's——that is, Miyuu's——body temperature dropped 2 to 3 degrees. She'd learned that firsthand just yesterday during the cabin construction. 　But now wasn't the time to worry about that. 　Green light spread slowly from her palms. The wound gradually closed. The fracture would take time to fully heal, but at least she could stop the bleeding. 　Cold. 　Heat drained from her body in a creeping sensation. Her extremities grew numb. After about five minutes, Miyuu swayed. 「[sarcastic]This magic has the worst cost-benefit ratio ever……」 　Shaking, she pulled over a blanket and draped it over the young man. Then she wrapped herself in a blanket too and leaned against the wall. So this is how exhausting it gets when body temperature drops more than two degrees. 　At least his life wasn't in danger anymore. Though the fracture would take at least three days to fully heal. （Three days……） 　Staring blankly at the young man's face, Miyuu wondered. Who was this person? Collapsed in the forest in the middle of the night in this condition. 　The answer came the next morning. ────────────────── 　She woke after the sun had risen high. 　The sound of a stream. The smell of the morning forest. The Luna mushroom's glow had faded, and ordinary sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves. 　And——a hoarse voice came from inside the cabin. 「……Um. I'm sorry.」 　Miyuu jumped up. 　The young man was trying to sit up. Leaning on one arm, unsteady. His face was still ashen, but his eyes were open. His pale silver hair was disheveled, and his blue eyes met Miyuu's——for some reason, he suddenly looked like he wanted to sit formally. 「[serious]You woke up」 「Yes. I... I'm very sorry to have troubled you all night」 　The word "troubled" echoed through the morning forest. 　Miyuu froze for a moment. （I've never seen someone who was covered in blood say they're sorry.） 「[sarcastic]Well, I don't know what to do with an apology. What's your name?」 「Ri... Rion」 　There was an odd pause. About half a second. 「[sarcastic]Did you just hesitate?」 「I did not hesitate」 　An immediate answer. But his face twitched slightly. Miyuu pressed on. 「[sarcastic]Where are you from?」 「Um... from the direction of... Baltea...」 「[sarcastic]The direction of Baltea??」 「In a broad sense, the Baltea Kingdom, the surrounding... that is, the regional...」 　It was getting worse and worse. Miyuu put her hand to her forehead. 「[sarcastic]You're really bad at hiding things」 「I-I'm sorry. It's been a while since I've talked to anyone...」 　This overly sincere excuse was actually funny. He clearly intended to lie, but he was terrible at it. More than that, the word "while" seemed to contain something true. 　Miyuu sighed. 「[serious]Fine, whatever. Anyway, you have a fracture, so don't move for three days until it's fully healed」 「A fracture... I see. I'm very sorry」 「Is 'I'm very sorry' a habit of yours?」 「I'm very sorry... oh, no, this is not a habit」 　Miyuu left to gather medicinal herbs, barely holding back her laughter. ────────────────── 　It was early afternoon when Miyuu crouched beside Rion to check on his wounds. 　As she reached to adjust the bandage, his shirt gaped slightly at the chest. 　There was a glint of metal. 　A medal hanging from a chain. Even covered in dirt, its pattern was unmistakable. A shield with two crossed swords——Miyuu recognized it. It was the same emblem stamped on the coins that Pom, the old woman from the general store "Pom's Wooden Box" in Timone Village, had shown her while talking about the king. 　The royal crest of the Baltea Kingdom. 　Miyuu slowly raised her gaze. Her eyes met Rion's. 「[sarcastic]……Isn't this the royal crest?」 　Silence. 　Rion's blue eyes wavered slightly. Then, as if resigned, he let out a long breath. 「[serious]……Yes. I intended to hide it, but it was impossible from you」 「[sarcastic]I think it was impossible from the start」 　Rion began to speak quietly. 　That he was the second prince of the Baltea Kingdom. That alone was more than enough information, but there was more. 「I am cursed. It's called Thorns of Tornis. If I try to leave the kingdom's territory... my entire body is wracked with pain, and I cannot move」 「[surprised]A curse...?」 「The Velde Great Forest is located at the eastern edge of the Baltea Kingdom. I came near the border and reached my limit there. That was last night」 「[sarcastic]So you were trying to escape the kingdom, got stopped by the curse, and collapsed... Who were you running from?」 　Rion paused for a moment. 「From my stepmother. Queen Sofia... the second wife of King Hendrick. I believe she is the one who cast this curse」 　Miyuu waited silently for him to continue. 「I have no means of leaving the kingdom. If I return, I'll have to live under the curse, under her. I didn't want that, so I've been running through the forest, and then... I was wounded by a magical beast」 「[sarcastic]So that's why the prince ended up like a tattered rag」 「A tattered rag... I cannot deny that...」 　Looking at Rion's helpless answer, Miyuu felt something indescribable. It was a reality that wasn't funny. Inside the kingdom, he suffered from the curse's pain. Outside, he'd be eaten by magical beasts. There was nowhere to escape. （I can't just leave him alone, seriously.） 「[sarcastic]Fine. You can stay here until it's fully healed. But you're leaving after three days. Absolutely」 「……Is it... truly alright?」 「It's not alright, but what can I do? I'm not cold enough to throw out someone with a broken bone」 　Rion's face flushed. 　It flushed obviously. Against his pale skin, it was even more noticeable. （Wait, hold on. Is the prince really this easy...?） 　Miyuu made a huge mental comment. ────────────────── 　Night came. 　The forest was dark, and Luna mushrooms glowed faintly. Miyuu was dozing in the corner of the cabin. Rion was quiet under his blanket—— 　A groaning sound came in the dead of night. 　A low, pained voice. Miyuu jumped up. 　Rion was trembling all over. Teeth clenched, sweat beading on his forehead, gripping the blanket. It wasn't the pain of a fracture. It was a different kind of suffering, spreading across his entire body. 「[scared]Rion!」 「Ah... I'm sorry... the curse...」 　Thorns of Tornis. The curse that caused excruciating pain when trying to leave the kingdom's territory had flared up suddenly. This forest was at the eastern edge of the Baltea Kingdom, right on the border. Even a slight movement might trigger the curse. 　Miyuu didn't hesitate. She reached out. 　She placed both hands on Rion's chest. She activated Healing Sprout. A different use than when healing the fracture——using the plant's life force to temporarily suppress the pain that the curse's magic carved into his body. 　Cold. So very cold again. Her body temperature dropped. 　But Rion's trembling gradually subsided. 　The tension in his clenched teeth eased, and his ragged breathing slowly became steady. 　Minutes later. 「……Thank you, very much」 　His voice was hoarse. Just those few words, but they were so quiet, so genuinely grateful. 　Miyuu tried to pull her hand away——and stopped. （My hands are the only thing that can ease this person's pain.） 　That fact spread slowly through her chest. 　She thought it was responsibility. At first. That she couldn't just throw out someone in this condition. But——it wasn't just that. Something else was stirring somewhere in her chest. She didn't yet understand what it was. 　Without pulling her hand away, the night continued. 　Miyuu sat beside Rion, listening to the sounds of the forest. The flow of the stream. The sound of Luna mushrooms swaying. Rion's peaceful breathing. 　After a while, confirming that Rion had fallen asleep, Miyuu finally pulled the blanket over herself. （Why did I have to pick up a prince, seriously.） 　She murmured and closed her eyes. The stirring in her chest was still there. ────────────────── 　The next morning, the door rattled without a knock. 　When Miyuu moved the vines to open it, a middle-aged man stood outside. A leather jacket with a guild emblem on an armband. A leather ledger in his hand. A face she'd seen around the village——a circuit inspector from the Phrazen Medicinal Herb Guild that came to Timone Village regularly. 　The Phrazen Medicinal Herb Guild was an organization that controlled the harvesting and sale of medicinal herbs throughout the Baltea Kingdom, with about two hundred members. They handled medical care at the village level——in other words, they were the authority on medicine and medical arts in this region. 　The man's eyes lit up when he saw Miyuu. 「So it was true after all. There's been a rumor in the village that a Jade Shrine Maiden has settled in the southwestern edge of the forest」 「[serious]……What of it」 「It's a rule of the Phrazen Medicinal Herb Guild」 　The man opened his ledger and continued matter-of-factly. 「If a Jade Shrine Maiden appears, guild members are obligated to report it to headquarters within three days. Headquarters will report it to the kingdom. The report goes to Leglante——the capital of the Baltea Kingdom」 「[sarcastic]……What if I refuse?」 「You'll be treated as a fugitive. It's the rule」 　He said it with a smile, then bowed. 「Within three days. Thank you」 　He turned and walked back the way he came. Miyuu watched his back in silence. 　The report would reach the guild headquarters in Leglante. And that information would also reach the upper levels of the kingdom——including Queen Sofia. 　Miyuu slowly closed the door. 　When she turned around, Rion was watching her from under his blanket. On his face was an expression as if he'd understood something, quiet and resigned. 　Neither of them spoke for a while. 　Only the sound of wind from deep in the forest could be heard.