* * *
The day after a round of laughter and chatter.
As if all my worries had been pointless, something happened.
“Ugh…”
Just like Klen warned, I ended up bedridden.
My body was limp, completely drained of strength, and I couldn’t muster any energy.
Even the air pressing down on me felt heavy.
Sinking deeper into the bed, I felt like I’d become one with it.
On top of that, a creeping fever began to rise, and I had to accept the obvious—I had come down with body aches.
And this time, it wasn’t an act.
It was real.
It was ridiculous to get sick after just some light hunting.
I couldn’t comprehend it and even tried to deny it.
I’d gone camping countless times back home without so much as a scratch.
“Ugh…”
But the more I denied it and tried to move, the more my body screamed in pain.
The spinning dizziness forced me back onto the bed, and I had no choice but to face reality.
Come to think of it, during the hunting competition, I did feel sluggish and lethargic.
I just didn’t expect it to turn into full-blown body aches.
What was the cause?
It couldn’t possibly be from roaming around to hunt or fighting that gargoyle.
‘No way… could it be stress?’
Maybe it was the frustration and tension from holding back my strength and pretending to be weak.
I wasn’t even allowed to swing my sword freely.
Not to mention, the contempt from others, dismissing me as some outsider, probably added fuel to the fire.
Did all of that pile up and finally cause my body to shut down?
Honestly, those people would’ve shut their mouths the moment I drew my sword.
“Sigh…”
Even my exhaled breath carried burning heat.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve been this sick.’
The last time I was bedridden like this was so long ago in childhood that the memory barely surfaced.
I couldn’t even recall how I handled it back then, and with my feverish head, my thoughts weren’t connecting properly.
“You’ve been holding it in, haven’t you?”
“To be this unwell… You endured it all because you didn’t want to ruin the hunting tournament…”
“Did Lord Klen not notice at all?”
“We should have stayed by his side…”
A cool, soft cloth wiped the sweat beading on my forehead.
My mind was hazy, but their voices rang strangely clear in my ears.
The attendants surrounding me were under a severe misunderstanding, creating a gloomy atmosphere.
They all believed their frail young master, who had been hiding his pain for fear of spoiling the mood, had finally collapsed.
The heat radiating from me, combined with cold sweat, made the air heavier than any acting ever could.
This wouldn’t just stop as whispers between them—it would spread, gaining layers, until it became a convincing rumor.
It might actually solve my dilemma of how to maintain the fragile image after winning the tournament.
Whether that was a relief… I didn’t want to think too deeply yet.
“L-Lord Klen! You shouldn’t come any closer!”
The door burst open, shattering the calm, and in walked the obvious culprit—Klen.
I could feel him stride to my bedside and sit down.
“If I can’t approach my delicate spouse when they’re sick, when am I allowed to be by their side?”
“…”
“…”
I thought to myself—what nonsense is that? But the room fell silent.
Even minor body aches can be contagious depending on the cause.
As attendants, it was only natural they tried to stop him from getting too close.
But no more protests followed.
‘Is it because of that cold, icy voice?’
He’d always been the perfect actor, yet his true nature slipped through now of all times.
The unfamiliar side of him must’ve shocked everyone.
Normally, I’d have to step in to smooth things over.
I forced my heavy eyelids open.
“…”
And instantly, I gasped.
Those amber eyes had crept right up to mine, staring silently into me.
His expression, stripped of any pretense, was cold as ice, his brows furrowed in concern.
A cool hand pressed to my forehead, then brushed against my cheek.
The temperature was perfect against my feverish skin.
Instinctively, I leaned into that coolness, and his hand, which was about to pull away, settled back onto my cheek, soothing me.
“I knew you had a chronic condition, but I neglected to take proper care of you. That’s on me. The medicine?”
“He already took it, but there’s been no improvement.”
I’d started feeling worse not long after Klen left earlier.
I’d brushed it off, thinking it was nothing, only to collapse completely.
He must’ve rushed over the moment he heard.
“Was it from the healer?”
“N-No, just basic emergency medicine…”
I turned my head toward the maid.
No wonder it hadn’t tasted as bitter as I expected.
It wasn’t the healer’s concoction.
She bowed deeply, as if she’d committed an unforgivable crime.
But it wasn’t her fault.
Usually, basic medicine was more than enough for simple body aches.
That’s how it’s typically handled.
‘Not that I expected to get this sick…’
Watching the attendants trembling like guilty criminals made me feel like I was the one who’d done something wrong.
My neck barely turned, yet I couldn’t stop glancing toward them.
Klen, quietly observing my complexion, let out a soft sigh.
“Raise your head. You’re making it look like I scolded you.”
“…Yes.”
His eyes curved into a gentle smile, the familiar Klen finally back.
I heard sighs of relief all around.
The heavy air lightened just a little.
He gently brushed my hair back.
The cool, smooth touch tickled, and my body melted into relaxation.
“Are you feeling stifled?”
I stared up at him silently.
Moving my head in this state was nearly impossible, so I opted to speak.
“Stif…fled…”
The words barely scraped out between my cracked, dry lips, weaker than I thought.
He immediately called for water, lifting my head slightly and bringing a cup to my lips.
‘Gulp.’
The water wet my lips and slowly trickled down my throat.
He adjusted the angle carefully so I could swallow with ease.
Only after ensuring I drank enough did he set the cup down.
‘I expected him to fumble at least once…’
Klen, always ready to play the fool, was flawless this time.
He even wiped my lips gently.
“In that case… shall we go for a walk?”
“…?!”
A dazzling smile bloomed on his face, as if erasing everything happening now.
So he was slipping back into character at this moment?
“Lord Klen?!”
“T-That’s absurd!”
“You’ve seen Lord Adrian’s condition, yet you suggest that?!”
Before I could even protest, the attendants objected in unison.
And rightly so—my body was in no condition to leave the bed.
If they’d stayed quiet, I might’ve yelled myself, asking if he was insane.
But Klen seemed to take my silence as agreement.
His hand slid behind my back, lifting my upper body with ease.
“Young Master…!”
“You mustn’t!”
The attendants all turned pale.
The way they stepped forward, as if willing to do anything to protect their master, was honestly touching.
But… strictly speaking, their master wasn’t me.
It was Klen.
Seeing them, Klen’s smile deepened.
A pure, harmless smile with no trace of malice.
And yet, I couldn’t shake off the cold chill that ran down my spine hidden beneath it.
“If you still try to stop me… I’ll have no choice but to cut you all down.”
‘…Cut their heads off?!’
Surely he didn’t mean it literally.
It was probably half a joke.
* * *
