Kraft clenched his fist around the pendant, concealing its glow before anyone else could notice it. "All right, let's give the patient some peace and quiet to rest. A noisy crowd won't help her recover."
"The Duke hopes you and Knight Martin will come meet him as soon as you've rested. Someone will come to remind you, Professor," the guard said as he left the room, making sure to add, "It's related to this matter."
"Of course. I'd like to find out what happened, too." Kraft nodded, then signaled for Kup to shut and lock the door.
Once the footsteps had faded into the distance, he drew the curtains halfway and opened his hand. The pendant, with an inlay made from a condensed mass of a Giant Mushroom from the Deep Layer, gave off a faint red glow in his palm. Compared to the tiny red specks that had only been visible in the dark before, it now looked like a clot of blood-red flame set in a metal plate—second only to its state when directly facing an Angel.
Kup reacted instinctively, ducking beside the door and reaching for the handle of his hammer.
Kraft got to his feet and carried the pendant around the room. Its red glow dimmed, then brightened again. When he approached the bed, the change in its brightness was unmistakable.
Yvonne recognized the familiar little ornament, too. She watched Kraft walk around the room with it, then return to stand in front of her. Puzzled, she looked up at him.
They stared at each other.
"Yvonne, I know that remembering what happened might make you uncomfortable..." After considering his words, he chose a compromise, hoping to avoid making the girl feel as if she were being interrogated.
"You might have been affected in some way.