Beilixiya is afraid

Inside the Wolfgang family’s exclusive treatment room.

The air was thick with the scent of potent herbs, disinfectant potions, and healing magic.

Thanks to a certain “accident-prone” young master, the Wolfgang family had long been a top-tier VIP client of the Noah Royal Capital’s Healing Church, even possessing their own exclusive high-level treatment room and a resident senior priest.

At this moment, Xia Ya was lying listlessly on a large, comfortable sickbed, his entire body wrapped in bandages inscribed with healing runes, making him look like a freshly unearthed mummy.

He appeared wilted, his gaze hollow as he stared at the ceiling painted with the image of the Goddess of Healing.

Only the occasional twitch of his lips from a twinge of pain proved that he was still alive.

The door opened silently.

Geralt von Wolfgang’s tall figure appeared in the doorway.

He was still dressed in his smart, everyday attire, his expression serene, betraying neither joy nor anger, as usual.

But Beilixiya, who followed behind him, was in a completely different state.

She had changed out of her torn combat maid uniform and was now wearing a simple grey long dress.

Her head was bowed low, and her silver-grey hair had lost its usual vitality, hanging messily over her shoulders.

Her amber dragon eyes were now swollen and red like plums, clear evidence of a recent crying spell, with tear tracks still damp at the corners.

Her head drooped slightly, and her tail dragged listlessly on the floor behind her.

She was enveloped in a shroud of immense self-blame and fear that seemed on the verge of crushing her.

She didn’t even dare to look at Xia Ya on the bed, instead fixing her gaze on the tips of her own shoes, her fingers twisting the hem of her dress so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Geralt walked to the bedside, his gaze sweeping over Xia Ya’s miserable state, then over to Beilixiya, who was practically curled into a ball.

He remained silent for a few seconds.

The air in the treatment room was so heavy it felt like it could drip.

“Ahem.”

Geralt cleared his throat, breaking the silence.

“Xia Ya, what new trouble have you gotten into now? Spatial magic? Combat training? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is! Your study last week, the training grounds today—are you planning to blow up the entire estate next time?”

Xia Ya struggled to turn his eyes toward his father, attempting a smile, but the effort made him suck in a sharp breath of pain.

“Father… I was just… trying to test a new idea… Who knew Beilixiya would react so… quickly…”

At the mention of her name, the girl’s body flinched violently.

Her head sank even lower, her shoulders began to tremble slightly, and a suppressed, broken whimper escaped her throat.

Geralt’s gaze turned sternly to her.

“Beilixiya.”

“Y-Yes! My lord!”

Beilixiya shot up like a startled fawn, tears welling up uncontrollably in her eyes as she responded.

“As Xia Ya’s personal guard, to strike him with such force, regardless of the reason, is a grave dereliction of duty.”

“Beilixiya… Beilixiya knows she was wrong!”

Beilixiya dropped to her knees on the cold floor beside the bed with a thud, her voice thick with a despairing sob.

“Beilixiya is willing to accept any punishment! I beg you, my lord… please don’t send Beilixiya away…”

For the current Beilixiya, leaving the Wolfgang estate, leaving Xia Ya’s side, was more terrifying than any torture.

“Father!”

Xia Ya grew anxious, struggling to sit up, which immediately made him grimace in pain.

“It has nothing to do with Beilixiya! It was me! My magic went out of control… It was my fault! Punish me!”

Geralt looked at the trembling, tear-streaked dragon-kin girl kneeling on the floor, then at his son on the bed, who was glaring in distress and covered in injuries.

A flicker of helplessness crossed the depths of his eyes.

He fell silent for a moment, his gaze shifting between the two as if evaluating something.

The only sounds in the treatment room were Beilixiya’s suppressed sobs and Xia Ya’s slightly labored breathing due to the pain.

Finally, Geralt spoke again, his tone seeming to soften slightly, though it still carried a business-like air.

“Punishment is necessary. Xia Ya, you are confined to the estate for one month. Aside from your necessary lessons, you are not to take a single step outside, and you are especially forbidden from visiting the restricted section of the Royal Academy’s library! Furthermore, all your books on spatial magic, alchemy, and the like will be confiscated and kept by me personally!”

Xia Ya’s face fell instantly.

A month of confinement plus the loss of his “spiritual nourishment” was practically a death sentence.

But seeing his father’s stern gaze, he could only swallow his protests and meekly reply, “…Yes.”

Geralt’s gaze shifted to the kneeling Beilixiya.

“As for you, Beilixiya…”

Beilixiya’s body tensed instantly, her heart nearly leaping out of her throat.

“…During the period of confinement, you will be responsible for watching over Xia Ya. Do not leave his side for a moment! Also, since you cannot control your power, you will practice until you can! In the quarry behind the estate’s mountain, you will hew ten cubic meters of stone with your fists every day, until you can perfectly control every ounce of your strength and an ‘accident’ like today’s never happens again!”

Beilixiya was stunned.

She looked up in disbelief, teardrops still clinging to her swollen, red eyes as she stared blankly at Geralt.

‘Watch over the Young Master? Hew stone from a quarry? This… this punishment sounds…’

“What? Are you not satisfied?” Geralt raised a slight eyebrow.

“No! I am satisfied! Beilixiya is very satisfied! Thank you, my lord!”

Beilixiya practically shouted the words through her tears, immense surprise and gratitude overwhelming her fear.

“Hmph.”

Geralt snorted lightly, seemingly content with their reactions.

He paused, then changed the subject, revealing the true purpose of his visit.

“Furthermore, given that the two of you… have far too much energy and are constantly causing trouble, rather than continuing to torment other families and the academy tutors here in the royal capital…”

Geralt’s gaze grew profound.

“It is time you went out to gain some real-world experience.”

Xia Ya and Beilixiya were both taken aback.

“In a while, after Xia Ya’s injuries have healed and his confinement is over, you will go to the Adventurers’ Association in the royal capital and officially register as adventurers.”

“Adventurers?!”

Xia Ya’s eyes lit up instantly, as if more than half his pain had vanished.

Wasn’t one of his greatest dreams since transmigrating to be just like the protagonist in the game, adventuring freely with the dragon maiden he had raised himself?

This was simply… a blessing in disguise?!

Beilixiya’s eyes widened as well.

‘Adventurers? With the Young Master?’

‘Leaving the royal capital, venturing into the wider world?’

The thought temporarily made her forget her sorrow and self-blame, a strange sense of anticipation stirring in her heart.

“However,” Geralt’s tone shifted, carrying a hint of warning, “don’t think you can run wild just because you’re outside. I will have an old friend at the Association ‘look after’ the difficulty rating of the quests you accept. Remember, you represent the honor of the Wolfgang family! Don’t embarrass me, and more importantly, don’t lose your lives out there!”

“Yes! Father!”

Xia Ya’s voice was a little strained with excitement.

“Yes! My lord!” Beilixiya also nodded vigorously, a light rekindling in her eyes.

Geralt looked at his son, who was suddenly full of spirit, and the maid, who seemed to have found her anchor again, and couldn’t help but be reminded of himself in his youth.

He walked to Xia Ya’s bedside and reached out, as if to pat his son’s shoulder, but seeing the bandaged arm, he gently placed his hand on his forehead instead.

“Heal well, you little brat.”

With that, he lingered no longer, turning and striding out of the treatment room, leaving the two youths with their different thoughts behind.

The door closed, and the treatment room fell silent once more.

Xia Ya laboriously turned his head to look at Beilixiya, who was still kneeling by the bed.

The girl was also looking up at him, her red, swollen eyes still shimmering with tears, but the deep despair and fear had been replaced by a mixture of gratitude, determination, and a slight confusion.

“Beilixiya…”

Xia Ya’s voice was a little hoarse.

“Young Master!” Beilixiya responded immediately, instinctively trying to stand.

“Don’t kneel… Hiss… Help me sit up a little…” Xia Ya grimaced.

Beilixiya quickly got to her feet, carefully avoiding his injuries, and with the gentlest of motions, helped him up, placing a soft pillow behind his back.

“I’m sorry… Young Master… Beilixiya…”

The girl’s voice was thick and nasal as she began to choke up again.

“Stop, stop, stop!”

Xia Ya quickly cut her off; he had no desire to hear another declaration of self-blame.

“Didn’t I already say it was my fault? I messed up! And besides…”

He looked at Beilixiya’s red eyes and forced a reassuring smile, though it was somewhat distorted by pain.

“And… look, isn’t this great? It’s a blessing in disguise! We get to become adventurers, real adventurers!”

At the mention of adventure, Xia Ya’s eyes sparkled with excitement, as if he could already see the sea of stars and unknown dungeons.

Beilixiya looked at the familiar light in his eyes, that light of the Young Master’s that was forever filled with curiosity and passion for the unknown, and the gloom in her heart seemed to dissipate a little more.

She sniffled loudly, wiped the tears from her face, and her gaze gradually became firm.

“Yes! Young Master! Beilixiya will train hard and control her strength! I will definitely protect you, Young Master! No matter where we go to adventure!”

Xia Ya nodded in satisfaction, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the bedside table.

There, besides the medicine bottles, lay an open book with slightly scorched corners—his copy of “Principles and Expansion of Applied Spatial Magic (Forbidden Arts Volume).”

His eyes flickered for a moment.

‘Hmm… The node calculation for the spatial deflection really did seem to have some problems… I’ll have to try a different approach next time…’

The thought flashed through his mind, but looking at the determined gaze of the girl beside him, Xia Ya wisely pushed it back down into the depths of his heart for the time being.

‘Oh well, the priority now is to heal, and then… to embrace that long-awaited world of adventurers!’