Like an innocent child, Alice was taken home by Thalia, a kind and somewhat 'dramatic' girl who welcomed her as a "magical girl."

  Perhaps, at that moment, neither of the two girls knew just how much the events of that night would send ripples through this turbulent world...

  "So it’s true that the Royal Court of Astralis is a despicable and evil imperial government? I always suspected as much. I’ve seen those thugs who collect 'protection' money from restaurants hand over half of their extorted cash to the patrolling guards. In a kingdom like this, it’s no surprise they wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice human lives to research so-called 'supernatural powers.'"

  In a small room, simple but impeccably clean and organized, Thalia was opening the metal clasp of a white medicine box while voicing her indignation about Alice’s situation.

  Without a doubt, upon hearing the girl’s brief account of that night’s events, the empathetic Thalia immediately sided with the "magical girl" she had taken home.

  After all, faced with the awful truth that the imperial guards accepted bribes from criminals, even a middle schooler could understand what kind of entity the "Royal Court of Astralis" really was.

  Of course, as she spoke, Thalia didn’t pause her movements with the medicine. With practiced hands, she pulled out a white bandage and a bottle of disinfectant from the box, then looked up at Alice, who still seemed a bit uncomfortable, and said gently:

  "Um… your clothes are soaked in blood. To treat your wounds, you’ll need to take them off..."

  "Ah… okay."

  Taking off her coat under the bright light, in front of someone else… Even though it was another girl, Alice still felt incredibly embarrassed!

  But she knew that to treat the injuries, she had to remove her clothes. So, after Thalia’s warning, she pulled off what remained of the Kaminiya school uniform, already torn to shreds.

  After all the chaos of the night, the uniform was so destroyed it was impossible to tell what the crest or any of the colorful details had once looked like.

  "I… really appreciate your help. If it weren’t for you, I honestly don’t know what I would have done. Thank you."

  Speaking politely, wearing only a bunny-print bra and surrounded by the warm air of the room, the exhausted Alice still felt like she was dreaming.

  After all, exactly one day ago at this time, she had been lying comfortably in her velvet bed. She always thought of herself as a typical “happy little princess,” but suddenly… everything had changed.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  She had to fight. She had to kill without mercy. And from now on, she would have to face the entire empire.

  Looking at the open wound on her arm, where blood still trickled, Alice could hardly believe that injury was on her own body.

  The world truly was full of mysteries and unpredictable twists…

  Seeing the calm expression and restrained demeanor of the girl, the inexperienced Thalia couldn’t fully grasp what was going on. But when she noticed the deep gash on Alice’s shoulder, exposing the bone, she couldn’t help but let her fingers tremble.

  Alice was right. That kind of wound really was terrifying.

  "You don’t need to thank me. I love helping others. That’s what magical girl partners do, right? But… I’m going to apply the disinfectant now. It’ll sting a bit, so try to hang in there, okay?"

  “Farkas Disinfectant,” produced by the Farkas Medical Company, was a highly effective antiseptic against bacteria and viruses, thanks to advances in biotechnology.

  When applied properly, most wounds wouldn’t get infected.

  But the only side effect was...

  “Ah... ouch!”

  That’s right—pain.

  The colorless and odorless disinfectant spilled onto Alice’s wound.

  The liquid, though invisible and scentless, felt like a blade slicing through her muscles and nerves.

  For the first time, Alice felt that searing pain, and the veins in her body seemed to stretch as a burst of light flashed through her mind.

  It hurt so much! Alice could barely hold back her tears.

  But it was necessary to prevent infection.

  And because it was a medicine meant to treat the wound, Alice used every ounce of willpower to sit still, practically motionless, enduring the unbearable pain until, finally, it began to subside.

  Sweat dripped down her delicate skin, soaking her bra.

  “Haa… haa… That hurts so much. Maybe it’s fine for small cuts, but with a wound this big… I don’t think this disinfectant was made for large injuries…”

  Breathless and with her arm almost limp, Alice felt like her left shoulder no longer belonged to her.

  "I… also think Farkas Disinfectant was meant for small wounds. But it was the only one I had at home… I’m so sorry. As soon as the pharmacy opens tomorrow, I’ll buy something better for you."

  Seeing Alice suffer like that, Nisha, who didn’t understand the concept of “pain” might have been confused by her master’s conflicting emotions.

  But Thalia, gripping the gauze tightly, seemed even more affected. Her expression looked as if she herself were the one injured.

  While Alice was only sweating and trembling, Thalia had bitten her lips so hard they were bleeding.

  Maybe the sight of Alice enduring such pain had been too painful to watch…

  "A-according to the instructions, the wound needs to be cleaned three times… Three times before being bandaged. Should… should we continue?"

  Thalia’s hands trembled slightly as she held the bottle. It was clear she didn’t want to go on.

  “…Let’s follow the instructions. Don’t worry, I can apply it myself.”

  Alice took the small bottle with a faint smile.

  For some reason, she found the girl in front of her very cute.

  She wasn’t even the one in pain, but she seemed to feel it as if it were her own.

  “Did my father feel the same kind of ‘empathy’ when performing surgery? When he was killed by a bullet, did he feel that pain too? After what he did to my mother, what had his heart become over these years?”

  Without knowing why, Alice, as she smelled the medicine in the air, suddenly remembered her father.

  She recalled his body in a suit and tie, sprawled on the bloodstained floor of the room, and the shaky, tear-streaked handwriting in his notebook…

  Plop!

  She poured more of the disinfectant directly onto the wound.

  The pain that had just subsided came crashing back like a tsunami, engulfing her nerves instantly.

  But this time, Alice didn’t scream.

  She felt that, little by little, she was growing used to this pain that never seemed to end.