Bitter-Sweet
Two figures exited Chaldea's recreation room, having enjoyed a game of fidchell for a couple of hours. They were Fergus mac Roich, the former King of Ulster and current lover of Connacht's queen Medb, and Connla, the 'son' of Ireland's most famous hero Cuchulainn. By 'son', it meant that Connla had been born a girl, but after her tragic death by Cuchulainn's own hand, he asked the local historians to pass down the story of her being born a boy to disguise the truth. Fergus and Connla never met when they were alive, but due to their connections with Cuchulainn, they became a tight unit almost immediately. While they weren't blood relatives whatsoever, Fergus insisted on Connla referring to him as an uncle figure, perhaps to mimic the days when he raised and trained Cuchulainn.
"Hah hah hah, that was a good game, kiddo!" Fergus laughed.
"You think so?" Connla murmured.
"Of course. You thoroughly trounced me each and every time, but that just reassures me that you'll be a great tactician when you grow up."
"Can Servants even age to begin with?"
"Sure they can. There are so many loopholes in the summoning system, I'm sure there's some way we can figure out how to make you become the lady you're meant to be."
"Hmmm… I don't know about that. Besides, I think you were going easy to let me win on purpose."
"Whoops. Looks like you saw right through me! Hah hah hah!"
Connla pouted, "You think I wouldn't notice? Next time, give me an actual challenge! The whole point of fidchell is to improve one's abilities against a smarter opponent! I can't do that if you're letting me win! That's not how the real world works, you know!"
"Okay, okay," Fergus relented. "The next time we play, Uncle Fergus will show you how formidable he can be as Ulster's former king!"
"You should've just did that from the start…"
As they turned the corner to head to the cafeteria, that was when they heard a woman's voice cry out in obvious distress, "What did you just say!?"
"You heard me. Master would die if she associated herself with a jealous lava swimmer like yourself. The moment she tried to take a bath with you, she would be scalded to death. What would happen with resolving the Incineration of Humanity if our one and only hope was killed by a lizard pretending to be her lover? Ahh, I think I would die of shame if I allowed such pettiness to get the better of me," a second woman coolly and coldly retorted.
"I don't believe this! You have no right to talk to me like that!"
"I'm a queen. I can say whatever the hell I want, to whomever I want."
Fergus and Connla glanced at each other. They didn't know who the first woman with the shrill voice was, but they instantly recognized the second woman with the nonchalant tone. The former cringed and said, "Uh oh. Medb's going at it again. We better stop her before it can get any worse."
The duo hurried down the hall to the scene of the argument. They discovered a familiar pink-haired woman in white clothes arguing with a Japanese priestess who had similarly long and smooth locks of aqua hair. The queen was obviously getting the upper hand in this fight, judging by her confident smile and prideful gait compared to the priestess' visibly angered expression.
"Queen Medb and… Ms. Kiyohime?" Connla wondered, not expecting to see these two Servants together.
"What's the matter?" Fergus asked his lover. "It's not good to see such lovely ladies ruining their beauty with such needless quarrelling."
"Ahh, Fergus and Connie!" Medb crooned. "Perfect timing. I was just about to shoo this unpleasant reptile away. Can you believe this? She tried to tell me that her obsessively singular love for Master is far greater than all of the boundless affection I have demonstrated for my many lovers, both when I was alive and as a Servant. To think that she's trying to compare our forms of love is like trying to say an ant is superior to a human being. I was so offended that I repaid her silly insults with interest."
"Hmph! As if a real woman like me would be insulted by such a hollow comparison," Kiyohime folded her arms in disgust. "There is no greater feeling than throwing your arms around the one person you were destined to be with, knowing that they will trust you implicitly for as long as you both live."
"How adorably naïve you are, Dragon Priestess. Life's too short for such sentiments. Humans are not omnipotent, so they have no way of knowing if some random person they meet is going to wind up being their lifetime soulmate or their absolute worst enemy. It's all about choices. In other words, keeping as many options on the table as possible. Sure, all of the men I knew in my lifetime are no longer with us, but that just means I can put them in the past and pursue my heart's dream here in Chaldea without restraint."
"You mean chasing after that prickly version of Cuchulainn? How laughable. It's no wonder he brushes you away all the time – you're too stupid to notice that he isn't interested in you."
"That's rich, coming from the harlot who mistakes Master for the poor monk who was unfortunate enough to slight a jealous dragon. If I had been around, I would have had my best men slay you so I could dine on dragon meat before bedding Anchin for myself."
"What was that!?"
"Okay, okay, I think that's enough for today!" Fergus shouted and jumped between the two frustrated women. "Both of you have valid arguments, so how about we call it even and go our separate ways for now, all right?"
"Oh, Fergus. I appreciate you swooping in to save your queen, but that's such a cop-out," Medb frowned. "Besides, it's obvious I have the upper hand in this discussion. Just a few more hits below the belt, and this woman will be too busy nursing a bruised ego to even think about challenging the Eternal Lady to a battle of love ever again."
"Khhhh-!" Kiyohime's cheeks flushed red with fury. She then opened her fan and cooled her face with it as she haughtily retorted, "You're such a pain. Do you want to get burned that badly?"
"Oh my. Is my burning red-hot love for all the brave men in the world too much for you to handle? Connie might be seven years old, but even she's a bigger woman than you'll ever be, pipsqueak."
"That's not it. I just can't stand this overpowering stench of an easy woman. Ugh, it's like I'm smelling the worn-out town bicycle gathering dust in the garage. I think I'm going to faint if I smell it any longer."
Connla raised an eyebrow, unsure of what the heck she was witnessing. Fergus kneeled behind her, put his hand on her shoulder, and whispered into her ear, "Women can be real scary, huh?"
"Um…"
"Make sure you don't grow up to be like that, okay?"
"Okay…"
Medb glanced at the hopelessly confused Connla, finding her expression funny enough to giggle at. She leaned over the child Lancer and asked with a big smile, "Say, Connie. Which one of us do you agree with? Are you one of those types who gambles all of her chips on a single man, or do you spread things out to reduce your risk? Of course, since you're Cu's baby girl - and by extension mine as well – you'd pick the more sensible option, right?"
"How on earth is a child so young supposed to answer something like that?" Kiyohime muttered. "Not even I would be dumb enough to expect an answer from her."
The Lancer pathetically mewed under her breath, unsure of how to answer. Instead, she murmured, "Can I ask you something else first?"
"Of course you can," Medb said.
"Why did this topic of love and relationships come up in the first place? Lately, I've been noticing some of the staff and Servants having these sorts of conversations, and have been a bit baffled over it. It's been going around everywhere, so I'm worried that maybe there's some big incident going on behind the scenes throughout Chaldea. It's not the first time something suspicious like this would happen, you know."
"Oh my," Kiyohime suddenly frowned. "Don't you know? It's Valentine's Day tomorrow."
"Huh? Vall-en… times? What is that supposed to be?"
"You've never heard of the day dedicated to the Christian martyr St. Valentine?"
"Oh, so it's the name of a saint, like Lady Martha or Sir Georgios. Thank goodness. It sounds like a totally normal thing for people to do then, rather than some imminent threat to Chaldea lurking in the background. But then, what is this day supposed to be for? Is it a sabbat like Yule, Lughnasadh or Samhain? We just had the Imbolc sabbat a couple of weeks ago, so I don't think there's any connection with that…"
"I see. No wonder you're so confused," Medb said. "Don't worry – your reliable Queen Medb has this covered. Valentine's Day is a time to express affection between people by presenting gifts and affirming each other's relationships. It's more of a modern holiday that originated sometime around the third century, or about 300 years after our time."
"I see. But if it happened so long after our lifetimes, how come you know so much about it?"
"Oh, you silly goose. I don't confine myself to just our past beliefs. I embrace all forms of holidays and celebrations, regardless of their origin. Anything to help me get that much closer with your daddy is a win in my book."
"Huh…"
"Ah, that gives me a great idea!" the queen cried out and grabbed the girl's wrist. "Since you don't know about Valentine's Day, this will be a fantastic opportunity for me to teach you! All right then, it's decided! Tomorrow, you and I are going to make chocolates in my room and hand them out to our friends and loved ones!"
"But I've never made candy before. I don't even like eating it."
"It's okay. We'll start with the basics, then gradually improve your skills. Before you know it, you'll become my personal Little Brave Pâtissier. I'm getting excited just thinking about it!"
Before the pair could leave, Medb's voice quickly turned bitter as she glanced at Kiyohime and said, "Oh, that's right. Since Master would insist on it, I should give my failure chocolates to my love rivals as well. Rivals are just as important as friends in their own way, after all."
Kiyohime glared away and barked, "I don't want any!"
"Oh, don't be so stubborn. I'll even fill them with my special mead-flavored cream as a bonus. Just one bite and you'll finally understand the world of mature adults. Just sit tight and wait for it, okay?"
Before the priestess could argue back, the queen took the child spearman with her down the hall while humming a merry tune. Fergus stroked his chin and said, "Impressive. Medb doesn't give out her specialty mead to just anyone, much less use it as an ingredient for a cream-filled chocolate. That must mean she considers you a worthy rival in the affairs of love."
"Tch. As if I want any of that woman's garbage," Kiyohime scoffed. "If it's so goddamn special, what is this stupid mead supposed to be made out of anyway?"
"Ah… well, let's just say she's only able to make it once a month."
"Really? That's oddly specific."
"I know, right? The rest of the time, she just uses her regular blood."
"WHA-!?" the priestess twisted her face in pure revulsion.
Fergus raised an eyebrow and said, "What's the matter?"
"It's made out of her blood!? A-And on top of that… wha… wha…"
"Hey, alcohol is alcohol, right? As long as it's prepared properly, I'd drink it anytime."
"THAT'S DISGUSTING!"
Without thinking, she slapped his face and ran off, too flustered to think straight anymore. He rubbed his cheek, then muttered to himself, "Ouch. Remind me not to piss off a dragon next time. Maybe I should've left out the 'once a month' part to spare the poor girl's sanity."
Kiyohime ran back to her room and opened a chest containing bundles of QP she had gathered over the months since she had been summoned to Chaldea. In a frenzied rage, she turned her blankets into a makeshift sack to stuff as much QP into it as she could, while growling to herself, "That goddamn bitch! How dare she make fun of me like that! First she dismisses my fervent dedication for Master, then she dares to give me chocolate with suspicious ingredients in it!? How repulsive! How atrocious! My blood boils thinking I have to share the same roof… Nay, breathe the same oxygen as that wench!
"Fine then! If that's the game she wants to play, then I'll do the same! Just you wait, Whore Queen of Connacht! I'll have you use an ingredient that'll make you fall over in such shock that no man will ever want to look at you again! Then we'll see who has the last laugh!"
With that, she heaved the 'bag' over her shoulder and stormed back out into the hallways.
Early the next morning, Connla waited outside Medb's room for about ten minutes. Eventually, the pink-haired queen returned with some grocery bags full of chocolate, ingredients, and tools needed to get them started on their confection making. Her room was larger than most Servants', which allowed her to fit it with a personal kitchen so she could do her own cooking and baking in peace. Connla got to work melting the chocolate while Medb sorted through the ingredients she brought with her plus some spices she already had on hand. Connla watched her organize the little bottles into neat rows and writing notes to herself.
"Are we almost ready?" Medb asked.
"The white chocolate's all done if you want to dye and flavor each bowl. I need to start on the milk chocolate now."
"Excellent. Now then, white will be vanilla, pink will be strawberry, and red will be cherry. I'm debating on whether to go with grape or blueberry for purple… Hmm… You know what? Let's try blackberry for a change."
Medb opened a black-colored bottle and poured some dark powder into the bowl of violet-colored white chocolate. Connla eyed the shockingly inky substance as Medb stirred it into the chocolate. She looked perplexed as she said, "That's weird. I don't think it was supposed to turn this dark. Did I put too much in?"
"Say," Connla interjected. "Mr. Emiya said that if you're not sure, you should always taste test your food. Since I'm not used to eating sweets, I should use this opportunity to get accustomed to it."
"I guess so."
The child Servant took a small tablespoon and scooped some of the dark purple chocolate, then consumed it in one swallow.
"… Gh!?"
Connla's eyes widened in uncharacteristic shock. Without warning, she grabbed the nearest towel and covered her mouth with it to spit up the chocolate.
"What's the matter, Connie?" Medb asked worriedly.
She couldn't answer. Her throat tightened up against her volition, and her nerves were so tingly that she was paralyzed on the spot. She lost her balance and tumbled backwards onto the ground with a chilling thud.
"Connie? Connie, what happened!? Connie! Open your eyes! CONNIII~IIIE!"
Those were the last words Connla heard before her eyes rolled back into her head, and she blacked out.
Ritsuka, Mash, and a team of Servants exited the simulator after doing a quick session of daily Ember gathering. Kiyohime seemed particularly thrilled with clinging on to Ritsuka's arm. Mash looked almost a little jealous, but was too timid and decent to raise any sort of objections unless their Master's health and safety were being jeopardized.
"Ah, Master," Kiyohime crooned as she hugged the bewildered Ritsuka's arm tighter. "Let's hurry to the kitchen already. I can't wait to get started with making my chocolates for you."
"All right, all right, just settle down already," the teenaged Magus chuckled, unable to bring herself to shoo the lovestruck Berserker off her. She then asked Mash, "Do you want to join us?"
"Huh? Oh, um… I-I already have plans for today…"
"I see."
Cuchulainn Alter rubbed the inside of his ear and groaned, "Are we done here? I'm gonna go crash for a while."
"We barely did much fighting, and you want to take a nap already?" Fergus wondered. "I didn't take you for being such a lazy bastard, Setanta."
"It's not the fighting that's tiring me out. It's all of this ruckus over some stupid holiday. We just had Halloween and Christmas, and now it's already Valentine's Day? Give me a break. At least space these ridiculous events out a bit more."
"I guess Medb's gushing can get a little exasperating at times. I suppose it's a saving grace that Connla doesn't know anything about the holiday. It's been giving Medb a much-needed distraction from crawling all over us handsome fellas… Not that I would mind, of course."
"Would you shut up already? Or are you asking me to use Gae Bolg to make your manhood a thing of the past?"
"Temper, temper. Fine, go have your beauty sleep, big guy. I'll make sure Medb doesn't teach Connla too much about the finer points of romance."
"What, so you can?"
"Come now. I do have this little thing called 'common sense', you know."
As the two Celts began to part ways from Ritsuka, Mash and Kiyohime, the Berserker priestess scowled a bit and grumbled, "Ugh, such vulgar brutes. Why did I have to partner with those two for today's Ember hunting?"
Mash smiled sheepishly and said, "Last I checked, you were the one begging Senpai to join the team after she had already chosen the roster."
"Then Master should've just kicked them out!"
"But…"
Before their argument could get out of control, the group heard hurried footsteps rushing down the hall. Fergus and Cuchulainn were surprised to see a frantic Medb carrying a comatose Connla on her back piggyback style.
"Fergus! Cu! You've got to help me!" the queen cried out in desperation.
"What's the matter?" Fergus asked.
"Connie and I were making our chocolates, and then when we tried to taste test some… oh, it's too much! I don't know what to do!"
"Slow down and take some deep breaths. What happened when you tried to eat them?"
Behind the startled Ritsuka, Kiyohime glanced away a bit and thought, It's about time that slutty queen had a taste of my 'special spice'.
To her astonishment though, Kiyohime heard Medb blurt, "Connie had a bite, and then she fell over!"
The priestess' chest seized up with horror. No one else noticed since they were preoccupied with checking Connla's condition. Luckily, Ritsuka was wearing her Atlas Academy Mystic Code, so she had access to the Rain of Isis ability. Once she heard how Connla was suffering from some kind of paralysis, she used the spell to try to purge her body of the unknown toxins. While it was helpful, it didn't seem to be 100% effective.
"Shit. Whatever it is she ate, it's some seriously strong stuff," Cuchulainn muttered as he took Connla from Medb. He inspected her face and noticed that some pink color was returning to her cheeks. "Thanks to Master though, she's been healed enough to avoid being admitted to the medical ward. Fergus, you and Medb go find Roman and let him know what happened."
However, Medb was so shaken that she experienced a brief crying fit. The more Kiyohime saw this, the guiltier she felt about causing all of this. Fergus snatched the queen's shoulder and urged, "Come on."
"O-Okay…" Medb stammered, fighting back some more tears as she followed the Saber.
"Master, can you and Mash secure Medb's chocolate so the scientists can analyze it?" Cuchulainn asked Ritsuka.
"I'll handle it!" Mash declared. "Even if Senpai has poison resistance thanks to my protection, I still don't want to risk her having the same symptoms just from touching whatever substance is causing this."
"Good point."
Kiyohime stepped forth and said, "I want to help, Mash."
"Are you sure?" the Shielder appeared baffled.
"There's no way Master will be able to relax until she knows everything's fine with Connla. Besides…"
"Hm? Besides… what?"
"Um… no, it's nothing."
"Well, I guess I'll help you look after Connla," Ritsuka said to Cuchulainn. "If Rain of Isis recharges fast enough, I should be able to perform it again."
"Fine. Let's get her back in her room."
In Dr. Romani Archaman's office, the orange-haired physician was having a conversation with one of Chaldea's many Caster-class Servants. Specifically, it was Paracelsus von Hohenheim, one of human history's most prominent alchemists who left his mark for both normal people and Mages, which was incredibly rare considering how different the two societies were.
"I'm sorry to have to ask so much out of you. Unfortunately, there's just no other way we can acquire medicine for the staff other than to request that you and any other Servants with medical knowledge produce it in-house," Roman said. "I've been prescribing so much anti-anxiety medicine that my cabinets are quickly running out."
"Please, don't concern yourself with me," Paracelsus said with a quiet smile. "If it is anything I can do to make life that little bit easier for everyone, then I will dedicate all of my wisdom and talents toward that goal. To be honest, I'm not exactly an apothecary by trade, but converting herbs and raw materials into curative drugs is not too dissimilar to transmuting metals. All I would need are the right reference materials to provide the groundwork."
"You're free to help yourself to any of my medical texts then."
"Well then, perhaps I should become proficient with learning how to make this anti-anxiety drug as soon as-"
Before Paracelsus could finish speaking, they heard the door opening, followed by two sets of footsteps approaching the office. Fergus and Medb arrived, and the former said, "Sorry for the intrusion, gentlemen. We've had an emergency, but Master's Mystic Code managed to pull our butts out of the proverbial fire."
"So you want to report it to me?" Roman asked.
"Yeah. It's about Connla."
He and Medb spent a few minutes explaining what happened. While Roman wasn't entirely sure what to make of this, Paracelsus became visibly alarmed when he heard of the Lancer's symptoms. He became serious as he said, "I see. If my intuition is correct, then that 'flavoring' Lady Medb used must have actually been Void Dust."
"Void Dust!? That powder generated after Shadow Servants are killed!?" Medb blurted. "That's insane! I'd never keep anything like that in my spice cabinet, much less allow Connie to ingest even a speck of that stuff!"
"Did you happen to double-check the contents of your cabinet before using anything?"
"Why would I!? I had no reason to suspect that the blackberry flavoring was switched out with a poison!"
A slight crease formed on Paracelsus' brow, and he murmured, "Switched out, hm? This could be troublesome…"
"Why do you say that?" Roman asked.
"The previous evening, Ms. Kiyohime asked me if I could brew some Void Dust to help with boosting her abilities."
"Kiyohime did!?" Medb blurted in horror.
"Since it's a high-demand item, she offered a sizeable amount of QP in exchange, so I found it hard to refuse. Considering Lady Medb's claim of having a heated argument with her yesterday afternoon, perhaps it would be prudent to interrogate Ms. Kiyohime."
"Damn it," Fergus cursed. "Kiyohime's cleaning up Medb's kitchen with Mash right now."
"That bitch! She could be trying to dispose of the evidence!" Medb raged furiously.
"I don't think Mash would let that happen, but let's get the jump on Kiyohime while we have the chance."
As the two Celts rushed out of the infirmary, Roman rubbed his head and muttered, "Perhaps I should think about having stricter safeguards regarding dangerous substances, considering the number of Servants who use them."
"I sincerely apologize for my part in this affair," Paracelsus murmured forlornly. "I allowed commonplace greed to cause such an egregious lapse in judgment."
"It can't be helped. You were just acting according to the currently enforced rules. I think you understand that such behavior will not be allowed in the future though."
"Of course."
In Connla's room, Cuchulainn had placed the unconscious child on her bed and forced her to drink an antidote. Although it tasted terrible, he knew it would work for her. Ritsuka sat at the dining table nearby and watched the treatment in anxious silence.
"There," he murmured. "Now we just wait for her to get better."
The Mage frowned, then murmured, "I'm kind of worried about her."
"What for? I told you, she's going to be-"
"I don't mean her physical health. What do you think this will do to her self-esteem? She's already hard enough on herself as it is due to her horrible Luck stat. She might start to think that Valentine's Day is a dangerous event when it's supposed to be about bringing people together."
Cuchulainn narrowed his eyes, then grumbled, "I think you're overreacting a little."
"But…"
"She might be young, but she's not stupid. She'll understand that this was a mistake."
"Hmm… I guess so… I just don't know what to do for her. I'm afraid that if I made chocolate for her, I might wind up accidentally poisoning it, or burn it without realizing. Her luck is just that terrible, after all."
He became silent, realizing why Ritsuka was so afraid. She didn't want fate to play another bad hand for Connla simply because she wanted to make up for this blunder on her Servants' part. He scowled a little, then told her, "Leave it to me. I'll make sure to treat her to a nice barbecue on your behalf. I'll even test the food myself to be absolutely sure."
Ritsuka sighed, but relented. "Thanks, Cuchulainn. I'm just so nervous right now."
"Hey, it's good that you're thinking that much for her. If you want to give her something, maybe leave that stupid doll I gave you earlier on her bed."
"Good idea. I bet she'd love it."
As they were talking, Connla gradually came to and stretched her limbs. She groaned and opened her eyes, noticing Ritsuka and Cuchulainn nearby.
"Master… Father…"
In Medb's kitchen, Mash and Kiyohime packed the melted chocolate and unused ingredients into bags to be sent for analysis. Kiyohime didn't say a word as she eyed the bottle she had switched the blackberry flavoring with, hoping to reclaim it while Mash wasn't looking.
"There, almost done," the Shielder said. "Judging by the used spoon, this purple chocolate must've been what poisoned Connla."
"Then I'll handle it," Kiyohime offered. "You should start bringing everything over to the doctor's office."
Before Mash could do so however, Fergus and Medb practically shoved open the door and stormed in angrily. The Saber bellowed, "Wait!"
"Fergus? What's the matter?" Mash asked.
"Get Kiyohime away from there! She's trying to dispose of the evidence!"
"Huh? Evidence?"
Kiyohime bit her lip in consternation. Medb pointed at her and shouted, "Give it up, dragon girl! Paracelsus told us everything! You tried to assassinate me with Void Dust that he brewed for you!"
"… Damn it."
Mash quickly grew angered when she saw the Berserker's reaction, and she asked, "Is this true?"
"… Hah. I don't know what you're talking about," Kiyohime feigned ignorance. "You're just taking the word of that sinful alchemist to fling such baseless accusations at me? For shame. I thought you were above that."
"Okay then," Medb countered. "Mash, be a dear and inspect the stupid lizard's clothing. She might still be hiding a certain something on her."
"H-Hiding what, exactly!?"
"Sorry, Kiyohime," Mash apologized, then patted her down and examined any potential loose folds of her kimono that she could hide stuff in. Soon, her hand brushed against a small bottle tucked within her obi, and she plucked it out for everyone to see. She put on her glasses to read the tiny print:
"Hm? … 'Blackberry flavoring'?"
"That's it!" Medb shouted incredulously. "That's the original bottle she swapped for the poison!"
Kiyohime knew she was defeated and hung her head in shame. Fergus grew angry as he told her, "I can't believe this. I know you and Medb don't agree with each other on certain things. However, that shouldn't be enough to incite you to endanger your own allies just because your feelings were hurt. Or am I a bad judge of character, and you're actually more unbelievably petty and conceited than I think?"
"No… I just… want to make her understand…"
"I thought you hated liars. But it's okay if you lie if it means getting the upper hand on a rival?"
"Ah…"
"Regardless if you meant it as a harmless prank or a serious attempt on Medb's life, the fact remains that you put an innocent girl in danger. Hell, you knew Connla was going to help Medb make her chocolates, didn't you? You were definitely there when they made their plans yesterday. Yet you still went through with it without caring if the kid would get involved too?"
His words were cutting so sharp into the priestess' spirit that she no longer had the will to fight back. Medb remained quiet, while Mash looked gobsmacked by such fierce brevity the usually carefree man displayed.
"Enough is enough, Kiyohime," Fergus said. "You're lucky no one died today, but if you pull such a ridiculous stunt again, I can't guarantee that I won't shove Caladbolg through your heart to save Chaldea from a potentially dangerous ally. Are we clear on this?"
"Y-Yes… I understand. You're not lying… so it's fine," Kiyohime murmured. "I truly love Master, but… I don't want to kill her the same way I killed Anchin. If I really do become a threat to everyone around me… If that enraged, jealous side of me should emerge to threaten my friends' lives… then… I'll trust you to stop me."
"Good. We should inform Master and Setanta as well before making you sit in the brig for a while."
Shortly after Connla woke up, Ritsuka and Cuchulainn left her room so she could get some sleep. Cuchulainn rubbed the sides of his head and muttered, "God damn it… I'm so stressed out, I could explode."
"Are you going to be okay?" Ritsuka asked.
"I'll be fine. I think some more training in the simulator is what I need to work off my frustration."
Soon though, they saw Mash's group approaching them. Judging by their serious expressions, the pair could tell that some big development had happened in their absence.
"Cu!" Medb exclaimed and ran up to him. "We found the culprit behind this incident!"
He glanced at the remorseful Kiyohime, but didn't act as surprised as anyone expected. All he grumbled was, "Guess it's true then."
"What do you mean?"
"The kid regained consciousness just now, and she told Master and I something so ridiculous, I couldn't help but get angry with her."
"Does that mean Connie's okay?"
"She'll be fine. She only ingested a very tiny amount of Void Dust, plus Master cleansed her and I gave her an antidote. She won't be in any danger from here."
"Oh, thank goodness. I didn't know what I'd do if she died because she was making chocolates with me…" Medb moaned and looked away. "I thought for sure you would hate me, Cu…"
Cuchulainn narrowed his eyes slightly. His stoic expression didn't show it, but it always felt weird for him to see this fretting, motherly side to the queen when she was always so self-confident, sassy, and unflappable.
"So what did Connla say?" Mash asked Ritsuka.
The Mage grew serious as she replied, "Well…"
Ten minutes ago…
Connla's senses gradually awakened from a deep sleep, and she opened her groggy eyes. She realized she was lying in her bed wearing her nightgown, and she heard at least two people chatting with each other. She glanced over to find Cuchulainn and Ritsuka talking under their voices about something she couldn't quite pick up.
"Master… Father…" she moaned.
They finally noticed she was awake, and Cuchulainn approached the bed and leaned over his daughter as he said, "You're up."
"What am I doing here? Why was I sleeping?"
"Do you remember what you were doing before you woke up?"
"Um… I was… Oh, right. I was in Queen Medb's room learning how to make those confections."
"Yeah. She said you fainted after taste testing some bad chocolate."
"I did?" Connla paused, trying to think back to that moment. It was still a bit hazy for her, but she nevertheless remarked, "So that must've been what Ms. Kiyohime was doing earlier."
"Kiyohime?" Ritsuka asked in surprise, not expecting to hear the Japanese priestess' name in this conversation. "What does she have to do with this?"
"Well… I don't want to alarm you, but… um…" the child Lancer fidgeted nervously. "As I was turning the corner to go to Queen Medb's room, I saw Ms. Kiyohime leave the room and go the other way. I kind of hid myself a little in surprise, so I don't think she saw me."
"Weren't you suspicious? You know they had that fierce argument yesterday."
"I was, but when I looked inside the room, I couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Plus when Queen Medb returned from her shopping, she looked so excited to get started. So I kind of… didn't say anything to her."
"Are you kidding me?" Cuchulainn widened his eyes. "You knew that possessive wench could've sabotaged that room with something dangerous, yet you kept your mouth shut?"
"I had no idea if she had actually done anything or not. I figured I would quietly look for any evidence while working with Queen Medb to not spoil her mood. I mean, you know what she's like when she's upset, don't you? But then, I guess I discovered what Ms. Kiyohime did when I tasted the chocolate. I was sort of suspecting something with the food, and I've heard of how members of royalty are sometimes assassinated with poisoned food, so I… well…"
Ritsuka gasped, "You insisted on trying the chocolate to protect Medb from a potential poisoning?"
"Um… I… guess so…"
Cuchulainn smacked his forehead and glowered, "Son of a bitch!"
"I'm sorry…"
"You should be sorry! Are you out of your goddamn mind!? Why do you have so much trouble thinking about your own safety!? Do you have any idea how frantic Medb was when she was running around carrying you on her back!? Didn't you think you'd 'spoil her mood' by exposing yourself to such danger willingly for her sake!?"
"…"
He certainly made a valid point, and she had absolutely nothing to argue back with. Deep down though, both of them knew why she was like this – her mother Aife had raised her to be a selfless workaholic who neither rested nor complained. As Connla's father, Cuchulainn had an obligation to correct this horribly misguided way of living, and this incident was just one more to add to the growing pile of unfortunate circumstances because of such a twisted upbringing.
He gasped to calm himself down, then rested his hand on the frightened girl's shoulder and said, "I'm not mad at you. I know it's not your fault. I just want you to learn how to respect yourself a bit more. I'm tired of seeing you get injured or exhausted because you pushed yourself too hard. Yet, I know you're not just going to change overnight. It's going to take some time, but I'll do whatever it takes to pull you out of Aife's overblown shadow. I'll even bleed myself dry if it means making you understand somehow."
"I don't think you need to go that far…" Connla shuddered.
"If you don't get your act together, maybe I might."
"Please don't. I swear, I promise I'll learn."
"I'm gonna hold you to that."
"Mm…"
Ritsuka watched their exchange and smiled to herself. It felt especially endearing since it was Valentine's Day. It wasn't just a day of expressing romantic feelings between men and women. It was a way of conveying goodwill between any people who had strong bonds with each other – parents and children, siblings, husbands and wives, friends, teachers and students, classmates, bosses and subordinates, co-workers, and everything in between.
"Let's go," Cuchulainn told Ritsuka. "She still needs some more sleep before she'll feel completely better."
"Okay."
The present…
"Oh no…" Kiyohime moaned in horror and covered her mouth to hide her gaping jaw. "Connla ate that chocolate on purpose?"
Medb was equally as stunned as Kiyohime. After hearing that, she knew she owed Connla a huge favor for sparing her such an ordeal.
"Yeah," Cuchulainn said. "It means that the severity of Kiyohime's punishment will have to be lessened, now that we know it isn't as much of an accident as we thought."
Mash frowned a bit. She then told Ritsuka and Fergus, "Let's bring Kiyohime to see the doctor. He'll decide what to do with her once we give him all of the facts."
"You got it," Fergus said, keeping his grip tight on Kiyohime's wrist so she couldn't run away.
After they left, it was just Cuchulainn and Medb standing in front of the entrance to Connla's room. The queen felt so bad that she couldn't look him straight in the eye. Eventually, she murmured, "I guess you're not in the mood for my usual antics. I'll do the dignified thing and leave you alone for to-"
"Wait."
Then, to her absolute astonishment, Cuchulainn leaned in and kissed her upper cheek. He ran his tongue along the flesh, wiping up her tears to savor the salty flavor. He did the same with the other side. She was still standing there in stunned silence when he decided to engulf her lips with his own, snatching her head and pressing her face against his so she couldn't escape. All of her worries and self-reproach immediately melted away as she blanked her mind, hoping to commit every last bit of this precious moment to memory.
Soon, he allowed her to breathe normally again. He glared his shimmering ruby eyes into her amber irises, then glowered, "Damn it, woman. Why do you have to be so decent when it comes to the kid? Why can't you be your usual psychotic self and be the one to cause trouble like you typically do? This wouldn't be so goddamn difficult otherwise."
"Oh, Cu. Don't be silly. You already know the answer to that," Medb smiled.
"…"
"It's okay. I know you're upset, so if you want me to leave you alone for today, I'll do so. Tomorrow is a new day, after all."
"Hmph. I've changed my mind. Training in the simulator isn't going to relieve my stress. I'll have to do something else. You're simply going to accommodate me."
"Oh my…"
"Just as a warning – don't blame me if anything bad happens. It's what you get for making a Berserker excited."
"Eh he he he… I know. Since my room's become a crime scene, we should use yours instead."
"Fine. But only until the kid wakes up in time for supper."
Several hours later…
Connla sat up on her bed and let out a large yawn. The antidote that Cuchulainn gave her also worked as a strong sedative, so she still felt a bit groggy. Before she fell asleep, he had told her to wait for him in the cafeteria, so she did just that. Fifteen minutes passed however, and there was still no sign of him.
"That's odd. Father isn't usually so late," she murmured to herself.
As she looked at the clock, she noticed someone approaching her. It was Mash, carrying a plate with a tower of meat tucked inside two thick burger patties, with some fries included on the side.
"Wow, look at that," Connla remarked, realizing that she was salivating a bit. "You must've worked up an appetite, considering how busy it's been today."
"Oh, this isn't for me. Cuchulainn actually had me order this from Vlad Lancer for you."
"Really?" she stared dumbfoundedly at the meal placed before her. "You mean he isn't coming?"
"He said he had to take care of some business with Medb."
"What kind of business?"
"I think I heard him mumble 'transferring magical energy' or something like that. He wasn't really making a lot of sense."
"… Huh?"
"Oh well, I guess it's none of our business. I'm sure he'll check up on you later. You might as well dig in to regain your strength in the meantime."
"Mm," Connla mumbled and started eating. During her meal, she asked, "So what's going to happen with Ms. Kiyohime?"
"After we told the director everything, he decided to let her off with a stern warning. You consumed the poison on purpose, so he didn't want to give her a particularly harsh sentence. However, Fergus said that he'll be keeping a sharp eye on her so she doesn't cause that kind of trouble again. Roman also said that starting tomorrow, we're going to keep all dangerous substances locked away, and improve protocols on who can access them."
"I see. Considering my part in this, I should help out with that."
"I don't know. Everyone might become nervous if you're around."
"Really? I guess I'll ask Master what she thinks later."
"Good idea. Don't worry about any of that for today. You need to rest."
"Okay."