Klen sat right next to me instead of across from me.
For some reason, he picked up my spoon instead of his own and scooped up a big portion of the stew in front of me.
The spoon moved slowly and stopped right in front of my mouth.
“…?”
As I stared at it, it came even closer.
“Aren’t you going to eat?”
“No, I am hungry… I will eat it myself.”
I reached out to take the spoon, but he lightly dodged my hand.
His movement was so fast it was impressive.
Even though he moved like that, not a single drop of the stew in the spoon fell.
While the spoon dodged me, his other hand immediately grabbed mine, pulled it down, and interlaced our fingers.
“Didn’t you notice that your arm is shaking?”
My arm was indeed shaking.
A fine tremor ran not just through my arm but all the way to my fingertips.
That was the result of gripping the bedsheets—and Klen’s back—for so long yesterday.
Though I couldn’t bring myself to look, there were surely clear handprints left on his back.
“…”
In the end, all the blood rushed to my face, and it felt like it was burning up.
To hide it, I quickly took the stew from the spoon into my mouth, and the warm stew filled my mouth.
I tasted the rich flavor of the stew along with the soft texture of the meat.
The food slid down my throat without irritating my sore neck, and I felt a bit of strength returning to my body.
Watching me, the corners of Klen’s eyes crinkled slightly.
“Here.”
“…”
It seemed he didn’t plan on stopping after just one bite.
This would likely continue until he was satisfied.
I gave up on resisting and eventually took the second spoonful into my mouth.
Clatter—
“Hmm?”
While I was chewing the stew, the window suddenly burst open, and a refreshing breeze flowed in.
Come to think of it, the curtains that had hung heavy until dawn were now all neatly tied back.
A bird with vivid blue feathers flew through the open window.
[Were you eating?! Where are the cookies?!]
Aren landed on the table, hopped around, picked up a piece of sweet fruit, and looked around.
As soon as he realized there were no cookies, he showed his disappointment.
While the little guy was inspecting the table, I quickly pulled my hand away and moved a distance from Klen.
“Aren.”
[No, why is your body so damaged! Your face is so pale! What on earth happened?!]
Only after checking the table did the bird look up at me and jump in surprise.
He immediately flew onto Klen’s shoulder and began pecking him with his small beak.
[You scoundrel! You should have considered your partner’s condition!]
“…”
I knew it.
Aren didn’t know nothing.
In fact… he probably left the room on purpose.
It seemed he only came back in after making sure the curtains were neat and the room was settled.
“Aren?”
Attacked out of nowhere, Klen tried to soothe the bird by stroking its head, though he clearly didn’t understand why he was being pecked.
Since his shirt didn’t tear at all, the attacks were likely so weak they only felt like tickles.
He stared quietly at Aren before looking up at me.
His eyes were pleading for an explanation for the bird’s behavior.
“Mmm.”
First, I took the spoon from his hand.
Full of questions, Klen obediently handed it over and watched me intently as I took a bite of stew with my trembling hand.
After moistening my throat with the warm broth, I spoke carefully.
“He… he says my complexion looks bad.”
“Ah.”
Aren was a Divine Beast, not a normal bird.
With that one sentence, Klen seemed to understand the situation.
“Aren. That’s not it.”
[Hmm?]
He grabbed Aren with his hand, lifting him up so they were eye-to-eye.
“The reason Adrian’s complexion is pale is because his stamina is weak.”
“……?!”
My head, which had been looking down at the stew, snapped up toward him.
If my hands weren’t so shaky, I might have struck him on the back of the head or his shoulders.
My fists, which already lacked strength, trembled with indignation.
‘I… have weak stamina?!’
First, he says I need to build it up, and now he says I’m weak.
This was a provocation—a provocation so intense I didn’t even know how to respond.
As Klen moved his face closer, Aren’s head pulled back slightly.
Chirp!
Chirp, chirp!
“…”
The bird began to cry in a high, thin voice as if it had turned back into a normal bird, causing my anger to fizzle out with ridiculous ease.
Klen’s eyes turned back to me.
“Uh, so.”
It was just the chirping of a normal bird with nothing to translate.
I rolled my eyes and spoke.
“He says it hurts, so please let him go.”
“What?”
Flustered, he quickly let go, and Aren flapped his wings rapidly to soar into the air.
“I didn’t think I was holding him that tight…”
His low voice was already thick with regret.
Considering how loudly Aren had chirped, it probably wasn’t that much pressure, just as he said.
The bird hadn’t even struggled.
Aren circled the room once before landing back on top of my head.
[How dare he threaten me! How rude! So rude!]
“He says he’ll forgive you if you give him cookies.”
[What! When did I…]
“And cake.”
[Ahem! Hmm. Cake?]
Aren’s voice became much calmer.
Even if Klen couldn’t understand the words, the change in tone was clearly conveyed.
Klen said with a soft smile:
“I’ll have various desserts prepared.”
Chirp!
“…”
Sometimes I really wonder if this creature making cute little noises is actually a Divine Beast.
Once the slow meal ended, Klen finally had to go to Brother Fabian.
He didn’t hide his reluctance at all; he looked so heavily forced that it felt like more than just an act.
I almost felt like stopping him and asking if he really had to go.
After sending him off, I desperately wanted to collapse and rest my exhausted body, but I forced myself up.
I had to find out how Rodney was doing.
“I’m going to take a short walk.”
“Is it not still difficult for you to move? Your body is so fragile…”
[My master won’t collapse from just this~]
Naturally, Linda opposed the idea. In fact, if she had agreed readily, I might have suspected it was someone else in disguise.
I carefully used the excuse I had prepared.
“Klen said it would be good for me to build up my stamina. Can’t I just look around nearby?”
“…Pardon?”
Upon hearing that excuse, Linda’s face froze instantly.
She looked down and pressed her lips together, as if she were replaying the words she had just heard.
“To say such a thing.”
The words that followed were cold enough to bring frost.
They say servants grow to resemble the ones they serve.
Even though she didn’t know his true nature, the atmosphere she gave off right now was reminiscent of the coldness Klen emitted when he wasn’t acting.
[Those who serve you are truly different. To be able to emit such a terrifying aura.]
But I wasn’t lying.
