Having more experience than Lucy, Yara knew that in order to reach the truth, one must not be guided by their imagination.
Therefore, since there was no evidence to confirm Lucy's suspicion, she couldn't afford to ignore other possibilities in trying to discover who was responsible for the explosion of the marquis's son, as that would mean overlooking important clues.
However, it was true that most scenarios involved Marquis Olsen, so if no other leads emerged, the best course of action would be to begin the investigation with him at the center.
Moreover, he was the enemy of Rina's village, so Yara figured it wouldn't be a waste of time to try and learn more about him, even if she eventually discovered he had nothing to do with the incident.
Of course, seeing Lucy's expression practically screaming "Praise me!", Yara couldn't bring herself to tell her that the idea wasn't all that helpful. More precisely, its only real merit was that it convinced her not to dismiss the possibility that the Marquis was behind the explosion.
"Well, this scenario isn't impossible. I'll try to gather as many rumors as I can about the marquis's family when I pass through his territory…", Yara finally said, wearing an approving smile.
But Lucy didn't have time to enjoy Yara agreeing with her theory because something else in Yara's words caught her attention.
"Wait a second! When are you going through the marquis's territory? You mean... you're leaving?", Lucy looked at Yara with a sorrowful expression; she resembled a cat watching its owner shut the fridge without giving it any food.
Yara understood Lucy's reaction. Who would want to be away from their girlfriend, especially when they'd only just started dating less than a day ago? She wasn't thrilled about the situation either, but she had no choice.
"As I told you, my brother's condition, while currently stable, could worsen at any moment, so I have to bring him the antidote as soon as possible. Even if Silas were in one piece, I wouldn't trust him to deliver it because it's far too valuable…", Yara began explaining the situation she was in.
She felt a bit guilty, knowing she had insisted on starting a relationship with Lucy and Rina even though she was fully aware that she would have to leave them for a while. Of course, if she had to live that day all over again, Yara was sure she would make the same choice, since she was the kind of person who, once she wanted something, would go after it as soon as possible, no matter the method.
Besides, the future was unpredictable. She couldn't be sure she'd ever see Lucy and Rina again if there was no bond between them. But now, as their girlfriend, she had the right to be involved in their plans for the future.
"But I won't be gone long, probably no more than 30 days. Also, I've thought of a way to contact you both daily…", Yara tried to soften the impact her departure had on Lucy and Rina.
Lucy hadn't considered that Yara would need to deliver the antidote personally, likely still influenced by the way things worked in the modern world she came from, where no one worried about deliveries thanks to the abundance of courier services.
"It's okay. I don't want you to abandon your responsibilities just to please me…", Lucy said, seeing no alternative to Yara's proposal to separate for a while.
If she could be certain that Rina's village was safe and that Rina's grandfather would easily accept their relationship, she might have suggested she and Rina accompany Yara, this being a great chance to learn more about the world she'd been isekaied into. But since that wasn't the case, she and Rina would probably have to spend the upcoming time near the village.
"So, you're planning to accompany Rina and me back to the village and leave tomorrow morning?", Lucy tried to guess Yara's intentions. Even if Yara only stayed one more night, it wouldn't be so bad. Lucy was confident in her ability to make Yara fall completely for her, so deeply that she'd want to come back as soon as possible. After all, her 'skills' had been honed on herself, so she knew just how lethal they could be.
But Yara's answer ruined Lucy's plan of having a grand feast that evening, one where she could indulge in two delicious cakes at once.
"I don't think it would be a good idea to come with you to the village. Until I'm certain no one's following me, it's too risky to stay in one place for too long…", Yara said. She didn't want Lucy and Rina to be in danger because of her.
At this point, not only had Lucy's naughty thoughts vanished, but she was also beginning to worry about Yara. What if she really was the target of a conspiracy? On top of that, she felt like an irresponsible girlfriend for not being by Yara's side during such a critical moment.
But suddenly, Lucy remembered that the saying "I can't be in two places at once" didn't really apply to her.
'Should I use the Blood Clones skill to send a clone with Yara? Even if the clones only last for twelve hours, at least I can make sure Yara doesn't fall into any trap like the one I uncovered right after she separated from us. Honestly, I wanted to keep this skill as a trump card, but now that Rina and Yara are my girlfriends, I don't think it's a problem to use it in front of them…'
"What are you thinking about, Lucy?", Yara interrupted her thoughts, unsure how to interpret the rapid changes of expression on her face.
"Umm… I'm a bit worried about you. I'm not saying I don't believe you're competent, but an enemy capable of setting traps like the tattoo on the marquis's son's back can be extremely deceptive...", Lucy shared her concern about Yara's departure.
"Anyway, I've got a little surprise for you before you leave—something to help keep you safe until the end of the day…" she added, her voice lifting with enthusiasm as she resolved to follow through with her plan to send a clone with Yara.
Yara was touched that Lucy valued her safety more than her own desires. From what she'd seen, Lucy was the kind of person who acted more on emotion than logic. Maybe she had her reasons, but those reasons didn't always make sense to others. So Lucy was truly worried from the heart, not just trying to make an impression.
As for what surprise Lucy had in mind, Yara guessed it was probably some potions or an artifact.
Of course, Yara felt well-equipped to handle any situation, but she had no intention of rejecting Lucy's good intentions. She figured that accepting her help would ease Lucy's worries.
Yara believed that pride had no place in a healthy relationship; being there for each other and occasionally leaning on one another was what made bonds last. After all, everyone enjoys feeling needed by the person they love.
"Well, our Lucy really is a little Morwyhar...", Yara teased, gently ruffling Lucy's hair while looking at her with affection.
"Err… what's a Morwyhar?", Lucy asked, instinctively pulling back her ears under Yara's touch. She'd never heard the term before, but she figured it had to be something cute.
Yara found Lucy's proud expression amusing.
"Oh, no wonder you don't know; it's a figure from a tradition unique to dark elves. Morwyhar is adored by all dark elf children because during the three days when the Morwteril trees are in bloom, he brings them gifts. That's why I compared you to him, because you're full of surprises...", Yara explained, pulling her hand back from Lucy's head.
Lucy deflated a bit after hearing Yara's explanation.
"So… he's some kind of old dark elf?", she asked, drawing a parallel between the tradition described by Yara and Christmas.
It felt a bit weird to be likened to a Santa-like figure, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. After all, everyone had loved Santa Claus as kids.
But it turned out the situation was worse than Lucy had imagined.
"No, why would an old man give out presents? Morwyhar is a giant bat with a human head...", Yara said, puzzled by Lucy's assumption. She figured Lucy had probably never met a dark elf elder before—otherwise, she'd know how grumpy they are and how all they do is complain about the younger generations.
"…Good to know for the future...", Lucy muttered, clearly done with the subject. She understood that Yara was trying to compliment her generosity, and maybe dark elves did consider bats adorable, but being likened to a human-bat hybrid was not something she could wear as a badge of honor.