To Give a Faint Smile

The last time Roland remembered having such pain, perhaps it was a long time ago. Despite the pain, he couldn't help reminiscing. It was a while before he finally realised the ruckus. Seeing the anxious and shocked people around him, Roland showed a faint smile.

"It's nothing, see?" Roland showed his hand that had been stabbed and waved it for them to see before looking at Nana. "Can you please heal me, Miss Nana?"

Roland said casually as if nothing happened.

Truthfully speaking, it was more like a scratch or graze. The fork was quite sharp but not enough to cut deeply, especially not when Roland controlled his own strength.

When he was asked why he did it, he really didn't know what to say. Roland decided silent was gold, neither the shouts of Carter nor the silent but passionate gaze from Anna moved his indifferent smile. He only gently urged the frightened young witch to use her ability while showing his wound that had formed droplets of blood.

Anna changed her angle, she whispered Nana something, and the young witch finally snapped out of her daze. Despite her hands trembling, her treatment was nothing short of a miracle. Roland's hand healed in a way that the after patch was completely nonexistent. If they didn't see the whole thing themselves, it would be hard to accept there was a wound there just now.

Rubbing his chin, Roland tried to remember the sensation of the magic that happened to him. Nana said something like sticky water to illustrate her magic, but none besides her could see it. Only after he made himself as the patient that he could somehow feel it. Despite her description, to him, it was neither sticky nor wet. His hand indeed felt something, but describing it was not really easy.

This was also the first time he touched 'magic' firsthand. Unfortunately, he gained nothing besides affirmation.

"Don't look at me like that." Roland was very curious and looked at his healed hand from many angles, but his corner of vision was filled with strange gazes that he couldn't help but stopped what he was doing and showed an awkward expression.

"Think about it this way," Roland pondered for a bit before giving a reasonable excuse in his opinion, "I want to feel for myself about that sticky water."

Seeing everyone was not convinced, Roland shrugged. "This is magic that can be felt without doing any harm. Anna as fellow witch aside, Carter you should have some curiosity about what this magic all about."

Carter nearly nodded before shaking his head. He wanted to speak, but Roland raised his hand first to stop him.

"Enough already, it was something minor that couldn't even be called a wound." Roland was hopeless, while he didn't feel regret doing that, he didn't know the follow up could be quite troublesome.

After a moment, the chief knight obediently backed down. Though the atmosphere changed to a quite strange one, Roland ignored it and asked Nana about the thing.

"The consumption?" Nana stilled and thought for a moment. "Healing the chicken was a tad more tiring."

Roland didn't know how to make out the unit from the statement, but he more or less understood that the only significant difference was not from what creature she healed but the size of the wound.

Of course, without thorough research with a detailed record, he couldn't be so sure. But the prince tactfully stopped before making the young witch feeling more burdened.

She was only a 14 years old girl.

In any case, the healing ability was very valuable, no two ways about it. Accidents happened all the time and ability that could treated flesh wound in that short amount of time couldn't even be measured by gold royals.

Although he already knew, Roland couldn't help feeling he had struck rich.

The training finished shortly after. Roland didn't want to work Nana on the first day too much, and she ended up joining Roland watching Anna creating various fire tricks. She would occasionally clap in excitement, and Roland himself couldn't help admiring Anna.

Carter already went out after reminding Roland once again to not be... so reckless in the future. He was sure Carter wanted to say foolish, the prince appreciated the kind gesture of the chief knight.

There were only three people left in the cottage.

The pastries were just one thing, Roland had prepared the lunch as well. The newcomer immediately captured by the sweets and before long had her belly full from the lunch.

Anna as always, excluded calm aura like a lake without ripples. She sipped her tea silently, but Roland noticed she had continuously looked at him rather than Nana.

Roland couldn't pretend not to notice that but didn't know what to do. He gave a thought that stirred away and ended pondering whether he should do the serious talk or saved it for later.

The talk about what's they would face in the winter.

It was important, but he thought to once again not ruining Nana first day of gathering. He could always disclose it to Anna first while still somehow or another made Nana worked her ability.

Anna reached out for Roland after Nana came back to her home. She first took his hand and checked it for a moment.

Finally confirming the wound was indeed gone, and she couldn't even tell where the injury used to be, she let out a sigh of relief.

Roland felt warm and was moved; this young witch was really kind.

"...Why did you do that?" Anna asked once again, but her soft tone suggested she didn't really wait for the answer.

"That's..." Even so, Roland felt it was somehow inappropriate not to speak. He let out a sigh and spoke. "Part of it was indeed just my curiosity, and the other half was to confirm my resolve."

"Resolve?" Anna murmured.

"Yes, my resolve." Roland gently rustled Anna's head. Despite it was the head of the witch that could melt him in a couple of seconds, his heart was calm as a thousand years lake.

Anna kept quiet before realizing something and asked in confusion, "Why did you send her back?"

For many witches, each second spent outside was dangerous. To Anna, it was probably even more dangerous to live in the town than the unexplored part of the forest outside Border Town.

"She still has her family," Roland said, trying to recall the image of Nana's father. "She could always choose later."

Anna looked down with an indifferent expression, but Roland could notice a hint of sadness in her eyes.

"What option we could choose." Anna squeezed out a whisper. "We have none."

"Nay." Roland smirked, "You have me. Sooner or later I will transform this town and wriggled out all the church influence."

Still, Roland saying that because he already knew Nana's father loved her so much that he didn't care whether she was a witch or not. For a noble, no, for a man like that, Roland definitely wanted to make him to his side.

As for the matter of transforming the town, he had to.

"Nana will still come often," Roland said as if trying to comfort her. "It would be nice if she decided to live here, but if not I will still try to make her often come to practice."

Anna quietly nodded.

"Whether you want to live as a normal girl again, studying for more knowledge or doing what you like, I will do my best to fulfil all of that."

Roland said that as he looked at the sky, not noticing for the brief moment Anna looked up at him, and contrary to her silence, the clear eyes she had were bright.

He spoke about resolve earlier, but compared to that, just withstanding pain seemed a bit lacking. Before he wanted to speak further, he was reminded of the action the Roland in the story took and unconsciously smiled.

With that earnest smile, he looked at Anna.

"I promise." Said Roland firmly.