As time passed, the pain in Cogita's head didn't ease in the slightest. Instead, it came in wave after wave.
Her mind, usually so clear, grew muddled.
Instinctively, Cogita spread her hands and fumbled about, but all she could grasp was the cold doorframe.
She didn't know what was happening to her all of a sudden.
This had never happened before.
Right now, she couldn't even manage the calm, rational analysis she applied to everything else.
She couldn't help worrying—had Elias actually angered her so badly that something went wrong?
It wasn't impossible…
At last, Cogita's consciousness grew blurrier and blurrier.
Before she sank fully into darkness, she vaguely sensed that she'd caught hold of something soft.
It was still cool to the touch, but it made her feel far more at ease than the doorframe ever had.
...
"Mmn."
With a soft sound, Cogita slowly opened her drowsy eyes.
After a moment adjusting to the discomfort of the light, she froze.
The ceiling in her view wasn't unfamiliar—it was Elias's room.
The curtains were drawn tightly, and the only light in the room came from a desk lamp he'd brought back from the human world.
"How…?"
Cogita's head was still foggy.
Only after a few seconds did she recall being so furious with Elias that she'd fainted in the sitting room.
It seemed that… he'd found her unconscious and carried her here to rest.
Realizing that, Cogita pressed her lips together.
The pain in her head had already receded like a tide. Thinking back, the last thing she'd grabbed must have been Elias's hand.
That lingering sense of safety left her inexplicably at ease.
And yet, Cogita still felt unsettled.
She didn't understand what had happened earlier—her head had felt as though it were about to split apart.
It was as if some memory had been trying to force its way out, but…
Her memory had always been excellent—almost photographic.
There shouldn't have been anything she'd forgotten.
And besides… any memory capable of leaving her in that state would have to be important.
Cogita sensed something amiss.
Click—
Just then, a faint sound came from the wooden door nearby.
Whoever was opening it was being extremely careful, clearly trying not to make any noise.
When Elias saw Cogita sitting up, he froze.
"You're awake?"
After closing the door, Elias hurried over, worry written all over his face.
Earlier, after settling Dianna and Diancie, he'd returned inside out of concern for Cogita.
He hadn't expected to find her on the verge of collapsing the moment he entered.
She'd looked like someone drowning, small hands flailing helplessly.
By the time he reached her, she'd already slumped over, unconscious.
Fortunately, after checking her condition with psychokinesis, he hadn't found anything seriously wrong.
Seeing Elias, Cogita instinctively avoided his gaze.
Fainting out of anger…
She couldn't quite bring herself to say it.
Only then did Cogita notice that she'd been changed into sleepwear, and that her tied-up hair now fell loose over her shoulders.
She didn't know whether Enamorus had done it, or…
Thinking of the second possibility, Cogita's cheeks warmed.
Even if she was capable of waiting for Elias in bed—if he had been the one to change her clothes, she would still feel embarrassed.
For once, cracks appeared in Cogita's usually composed expression.
"Are you feeling better?"
"What happened earlier? Why did you suddenly faint in the sitting room?"
Unaware of Cogita's inner turmoil, Elias continued asking, his concern evident.
He truly had been startled.
He'd just dealt with the Carbink's unrest, only for Cogita to collapse inside the house—one thing after another.
His nerves had been stretched taut the entire time.
Without realizing it, Elias even hesitated.
If things were already like this now, then when a year passed and his lifespan ran out, Diancie and Cogita… really would be hard to leave without worry.
Hearing his concern, Cogita's cheeks grew even warmer.
Normally, she would have steadied herself, acted as though nothing had happened, and answered coolly.
After all, she'd always believed the Elias she'd raised should listen to her.
But right now…
Perhaps because she'd only just woken from fainting, Cogita turned her head away.
"Hmph."
A faint, quiet sound escaped her throat.
Elias: ?
He parted his lips and stared at Cogita, wondering if he'd misheard.
Cogita, only then realizing what she'd done, also looked awkward.
"I-I'm fine."
She took a deep breath, sat up straighter, and said blandly, as if trying to salvage her broken image.
Seeing how restless she was, a faint smile crept onto Elias's lips.
He could tell—Cogita still wasn't quite clear-headed.
"Good. As long as you're fine."
After checking her again with psychokinesis and Aura and finding nothing amiss, he assumed she simply hadn't rested well.
When Elias suddenly took her hand, Cogita calmly shifted her gaze away.
Her expression was composed, as though she hadn't noticed what he'd done at all.
Yet the red tint at the tips of her ears made it seem otherwise.
"Cogita?"
As if he'd discovered something interesting, Elias's smile deepened. He leaned closer to her ear and spoke softly.
For an instant, he saw the color at her ear tips deepen even further—like ripe berries, glowing with a rosy blush.
Realizing something was off, Cogita forcibly suppressed her agitation and asked, pretending to remain calm,
"Is there something else?"
"No. I just came to check on you. It's good that you're awake."
Elias stopped there, choosing not to tease her further.
As he spoke, he walked to the window and gently drew the curtains aside.
Even from here, they could see the giant diamond hanging high overhead.
In the underground darkness, it truly was the equivalent of a sun.
"There's food on the table. You were out for several hours—remember to eat."
Elias reminded her.
"Mhm."
Cogita narrowed her eyes slightly, letting out a soft hum.
She was already accustomed to this kind of meticulous care.
It felt as though, from long ago, it had already become part of her life.
But…
Recalling what she'd realized before fainting, the faint smile at the corner of Cogita's mouth slowly faded.
"You know what you said earlier… you were lying to Dianna and Diancie, weren't you?"
Those emerald-green eyes fixed steadily on Elias as Cogita asked.
At that, Elias—who had thought the matter glossed over—stiffened involuntarily.