Chapter 61

I showed my condition to the doctor who visited for a house call and received a prescription for a decoction.¹ After taking the medicine for about two days, I felt much better. Thinking it was finally time to move around, I pushed aside the blanket and sat up.

However, as soon as Felix noticed me trying to get out of bed, he freaked out and stopped me. He shoved me back under the covers and tucked them in tightly so no air could get in. He was being ridiculous. I looked at him in disbelief before kicking the blanket off with both legs.

“It’s stuffy!”

Felix immediately grabbed the fluttering edge of the blanket and tucked it back in properly.

“Just bear with it a little longer. You can go out once you’re fully recovered.”

“I’m already fully recovered!”

“That’s just how you feel. The doctor clearly said to take the medicine and rest for a week.”

“People recover at different rates, so they were just being generous with their estimate. I’m completely fine now.”

“But I don’t think you’re the doctor.”

Felix remained stubborn, insisting that if I moved around just because I felt a little better, my condition might worsen.

“I don’t care! Whatever you say, I’m getting out of here!”

Felix then quickly lay down beside me and hugged me, blanket and all. I knew it wasn’t a hug in the romantic sense; it was a form of restraint. I struggled, twisting my body to break free from his grasp.

“Let go! You’re annoying!”

“Just a little. Let’s rest just a little longer, Iel.”

Of course, I was grateful to Felix for nursing me so devotedly during that time. That was my sincere, unadulterated truth, but I was fully healed now! Let me be free! If this kept up, I’d turn into a tree and take root in this bed!

Even when I collapsed after having my heart replaced by that Master, people around me only treated me like I’m extremely fragile, but they didn’t make this much of a fuss. Of course, Anne had been genuinely worried about me back then, too… Anyway! Felix’s worry was a burden in a different way than Anne’s.

His hug didn’t have a painful amount of pressure, but he wouldn’t let me go, either. After struggling for a while, I finally gave up and gasped for air. He then gently stroked my back, helping me regulate my breathing. It was incredibly frustrating how he gave me the sickness and then the medicine.

“You shouldn’t overexert yourself.”

“I didn’t… huff… overexert… urgh… anyway, you don’t even give me the chance to overexert myself, do you?”

“Your breathing sounds rough.”

“That’s because you, huff… Ugh. I’m out of breath.”

“Calm down and try to relax your body.”

“How much more relaxed can I be than this?”

Are you kidding me? Are you teasing me right now? My strength had long since hit rock bottom. I glared at Felix, who only said things that made me want to explode. Felix soon loosened his suffocating arms and touched my forehead. His gentle expression quickly turned into a frown.

“I think you have a fever again.”

“That’s because I got angry.”

I told him a fever was only natural, but he ignored my words entirely and hurriedly left the bed. He soon returned with a cold wet towel, placed it on my forehead, and patted the blanket as if to soothe a child.

“Go to sleep quickly. Anyway, they said you need to sleep a lot to get better.”

“I’ve slept so much that I can’t even sleep anymore.”

“Just close your eyes. You might fall asleep.”

His hand covered my eyes. I immediately grabbed his hand and pulled it down. I intentionally opened my eyes wide, trying to look bright-eyed and alert.

“Fel, I want to go out to the yard. I want to see the flowers.”

“It’s raining outside.”

“Then it’ll be even more fresh!”

“The air is cold.”

In the end, Felix wouldn’t let me out of bed. I grumbled that he was being mean and turned away, but before long, I found myself glancing back. I was worried because he hadn’t said a word from behind me. Was he perhaps pacing around, anxious because I was sulking?

When our eyes met, he lifted the corners of his mouth slightly. He seemed fine. It just looked like he had run out of things to say. I turned my head back and closed my eyes.

There was nothing I could do immediately, so I decided to do as he said and try to get some sleep. But how was I supposed to keep sleeping with my head this clear? Felix really was a stubborn, silly, block-headed sea cucumber, sea squirt…

“…Hmm?”

The sound of rain tapping against the window was loud. It seemed I had fallen asleep without realizing it and had been woken up by the noisy rain.

Even until daytime, it was so quiet that if Felix hadn’t told me it was raining, I would have thought it was just a cloudy day. Now, even the sound of occasional thunder rumbled in the distance.

“Fel…”

I sat up and looked around. It was already pitch-black outside the window. Still, the room was softly lit thanks to the lantern on the table. I had no trouble identifying my surroundings, and I quickly realized that I was the only one in the room.

“Fel?”

I called out for Felix once more toward the closed bedroom door. Even after waiting for a long time, there was no sign of Felix, nor was there any reply.

Why wasn’t he here? Maybe it was because I had just woken up, but my head felt a bit fuzzy. As my thoughts moved slowly, I stared at my hands resting on the blanket before looking up again. Then, I turned my head inadvertently and spotted a vase on the side table.

A few marigolds were placed in a small vase that hadn’t been there before I fell asleep. The yellow flowers, which had clearly been picked from the yard, finally revealed their presence by emitting a subtle, warm fragrance only after they entered my field of vision.

‘I am here.’ It felt as if the flowers were speaking to me.

Of course, I knew this was nothing more than a childish imagination. Still, thanks to them, my heart, which had started to feel anxious upon realizing Felix wasn’t by my side, slowly settled down. From that moment on, I could wait for Felix calmly while looking at the marigolds.

I heard the sound of the front door opening and closing from outside the bedroom. That was followed by the sound of an umbrella being folded and shoes being changed. Then, the sound of dishes clattering in the kitchen. Soon, the bedroom door opened, and Felix appeared.

“Are you awake?”

He rounded his eyes, holding a tray. He then walked over and placed the tray on my lap.

“I went out to buy dinner.”

Felix had been making my meals while nursing me, but I nodded, thinking it might have been a hassle for him. I see.

“I asked them to make it as a patient’s meal, but since it’s store-bought, it should taste a bit better.”

However, thinking about it again, it seemed like going out to buy food in this kind of bad weather would have been even more of a hassle.

Feeling sorry and embarrassed, I mumbled.

“I liked your cooking, too.”

“You can’t really call that cooking.”

Felix wasn’t bad at cooking, but he explained that this time, he had used almost no seasoning and kept the ingredients simple because it was meant for a patient. That was probably why I had thought it tasted a bit bland.

It was because digestion was prioritized over nutrition. It also meant I had been quite sick, so I had no intention of blaming Felix. If anything, I was grateful.

Anyway, it seemed Felix had decided to feed me something prioritizing nutrition once he saw that I looked a bit better today. The food he had brought through the heavy rain still had warmth, and steam was rising from it.

“…”

He didn’t have to go this far. Just staying by my side was enough.

I felt moved by the situation, but I was also upset because I didn’t want Felix to go through this kind of trouble on my account. Suddenly, as I wiped the corners of my eyes with my sleeve and sniffled, Felix looked flustered. I nodded vigorously at him when he asked if I was okay, and picked up the utensils.

The smooth soup certainly had a substantial flavor. It was seasoned perfectly, and it seemed to have many ingredients in it. I should eat well and get better quickly.

The reason I had been sick this time was entirely my own fault, so I truly felt sorry to Felix, who was going through so much trouble for me.

I’m sorry for doing something so useless. I was stubborn with the petty intention of making things difficult for you. I didn’t know I would end up this sick. I’m also sorry for being grumpy today.

“How is it?”

“Mm, it’s delicious!”

His smiling face, saying he had bought it at a shop he knew, was lovely.

“Aren’t you eating?”

“I ate separately at the shop.”

“Really? You’re not just making that up so I won’t worry, are you?”

Since it was quite possible, I looked at Felix intently with suspicion.

“Yes. Really.”

“What did you eat?”

“Meat pie and tomato soup.”

“Hmm…”

“I’m really not making it up. I have to conserve my energy to take care of you, so I’m making sure to eat well on purpose.”

“Good, well done. You have to keep eating well like that from now on.”

I warned him that it should be the same even when I wasn’t sick. Felix smiled and agreed.

“I told you I would.”

The next day. I felt that I was truly completely healed this time, but I still didn’t push away Felix’s overprotection and obediently continued my bed life. Only after completing the full week the doctor had mentioned did I finally become a free body.

“Fresh air!”

I went out to the yard, stretched, and looked up at the sky. In the high sky, white clouds were torn into thin wisps. Felix, who had followed me out, said somewhat dejectedly.

“I ventilated the house every day.”

“I’m grateful for that!”

Even so, I said that the outside air was still the best and leaned into his embrace. Felix smiled quietly as he easily lifted me by my waist as I hopped up. I grabbed his face, pressed my lips firmly against his for a moment, and then pulled away.