Chapter 13
Episode 13
"Ultimately, today's investigation yielded nothing."”
I slumped my shoulders, looking up at the darkened night sky.
“You've certainly been through a lot, Bestia.”
His expression, so blunt for someone offering comfort, made me let out a chuckle.
The Young Duke stared at me wordlessly, then pointed to a building.
“Aristelle and Mary don't seem to be here yet, so let's secure lodging first.”
“Yes, let's do that.”
At times like these, I envied the Young Duke, who showed no signs of exhaustion.
But was my thought merely a delusion?
As we entered the brightly lit interior, I noticed his complexion, only slightly better than that of a corpse.
\ \ \
“There are no rooms here either?”
“Yes… there is only one room left.”
The employee, looking troubled, glanced at us and continued.
“It's probably because of the festival period; even if you go elsewhere, there won't be any vacancies. This room was also canceled by someone who had previously booked it.”
The employee's words were true.
We had visited almost every lodging place up to this point, confirming that there were no available rooms.
Aristelle, who had joined us late, spoke cautiously.
“You two should share it. We'll find lodging a little ways out of town.”
“That’s right! Bestia isn't exactly known for her stamina!”
Mary, seeming concerned for me, echoed his words.
“But……”
“Bestia can use it alone. I don't sleep anyway.”
Seeing the Young Duke speak so indifferently, I felt a strange sense of guilt.
No, your current state is one step closer to the afterlife than this world!
Come to think of it, it would be stranger if he were in good condition.
Had he ever rested since coming up to the Duke's Mansion with me?
Looking back, not at all.
He was even handling most of the Duke's duties, as the day he would inherit the Dukedom was fast approaching.
It was just that he was not the type to boast, so it was barely noticeable.
“Young Duke, I was able to come this far thanks to you taking care of me, wasn't I?”
“Yes, that's right.”
I shouted at him with a determined expression.
“Let’s just share it!”
“Huh?”
“No need to search further, let’s share it.”
“Huh? Share what…?”
“The room! We won't find any available places around here no matter how much we search.”
“Huh? But……”
“Don't hesitate, let’s go in right away.”
“Huh?”
The Young Duke repeated the same words several times, like a broken machine.
\ \ \
As soon as we entered the room, I patted the bed and said to the Young Duke.
“Young Duke, lie down here!”
“Huh?”
The Young Duke had a bewildered expression, uncharacteristic of him.
It was unfamiliar, but his somewhat odd demeanor struck me as a little funny.
“Huh? Please stop that! I’ll help you get some sleep now!”
“But Beth… it’s fine if I don’t sleep?”
“It’s not that you don’t sleep, it’s that you can’t sleep, right? Come here. You need rest, Young Duke.”
At my firm words, he uncharacteristically glanced at me and sat on the edge of the bed.
“Young Duke, you should lie down.”
“Bestia, I’m fine, so you should rest first……”
“Geez, really!”
I grabbed his shoulders with both hands and pushed him onto the bed.
The Young Duke studied my expression before obediently lying down on the bed.
“By the way, Bestia, when will you rest?”
“After I see you resting.”
I draped the thick cotton comforter over him and said triumphantly.
He seemed to think it was futile to break my stubbornness, so he didn't refuse.
“Alright, patient. Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”
When I asked the Young Duke with a playful expression, he quickly averted his gaze.
“Well, I’m not sure.”
“Tell me if you feel any changes in your condition compared to before, not just if you're sick.”
“Actually, lately… I’ve been having trouble concentrating on work.”
“And then?”
“I feel a tightness in my chest and a sense of unease whenever I have a moment.”
“Huh? Then you really might be unwell!”
“It’s fine. I know why.”
“You know the reason, so why are you neglecting it?”
“……”
He looked at me for a moment, then turned his head away again.
“Young Duke, if you keep neglecting it like this, something serious will happen later. Unless you want to die young, you should get treatment…”
“Beth, I’ve lived long enough.”
“No, you’re barely in your early twenties, what are you talking about?”
Seeing his nonsensical talk escalating, it was clear his condition was serious.
I gently placed my hand on the Young Duke's forehead and infused magic power.
Hmm… looking at it like this, there doesn't seem to be any particular abnormality.
Could it be a heart problem?
“Young Duke, is it alright if I examine you elsewhere?”
A moment of silence passed, and he nodded a couple of times with a stoic expression.
I slightly pushed aside the blanket that covered his shoulders.
I brought my ear to his chest.
“What is this, Young Duke? It’s really strange. I can’t hear your heartbeat.”
“……”
“Young Duke?”
When I lifted my head to meet his gaze, his neck and ears were flushed bright red.
“Are you feeling very unwell?”
“…Yes. Thanks to whom.”
The Young Duke’s subtly trembling eyes seemed sharper than usual.
“You said you know the cause. Why are you leaving it as is?”
I urged him with concern, and the Young Duke replied without a tremor.
“It’s all because of you, Bestia.”
“Huh?”
“Take responsibility. Compensation for damages will be marriage…”
The Young Duke's eyes fluttered as he spoke softly.
With his unfocused, hazy eyes, I wondered if he even knew what he was saying.
“Don’t joke around now, tell me if you have any other symptoms.”
“None. It’s just accumulated fatigue.”
Lies.
Before I knew it, beads of cold sweat had formed on the Young Duke's forehead.
As I looked at him with worried eyes, the Young Duke merely offered a smile.
He’s not the type to smile like that… treatment is urgent.
I sat on the edge of the bed, clasped his hand, and infused magic power.
His hand was pale, with no warmth of a human.
Closing my eyes, I channeled magic power, searching for any abnormalities in his body.
Huh?
He, who had been lying on his back, had somehow turned to face me.
He looked up at me intently, resting his forehead on my leg as I sat on the bed.
“…It’s comfortable this way.”
With his eyes weary and relaxed, he seemed to be drifting off to sleep.
His behavior, like he was being pampered, felt a little cute.
Come to think of it, Mary had said something like this before.
“Bestia, if you find the other person cute, it means you’re already done for.”
“Ah, no!”
I muttered to myself, but the Young Duke remained still.
With his forehead resting on me, his complexion seemed better than before.
I brushed aside his hair, which had stuck to his forehead due to the cold sweat.
The way he gently nudged his head into my hand felt like a purring cat.
I gently stroked his hair a few times.
“Young Duke, I’ll go get a wet towel.”
He shook his head with his eyes closed and gently grasped my wrist.
I felt a faint strength in the hand holding me.
“But……”
“This is more comfortable.”
As he acted as if he didn’t want to be separated from me even for a moment, I had no choice but to sit back on the bed.
They say when the body is sick, the heart is also sick, and the Young Duke was exactly like that now.
And so is the heart of the one caring for the patient.
My thinking of the Young Duke as cute wasn't born from affection.
Perhaps it was just pity, like looking at a wet puppy?
\ \ *
In the middle of a field filled with colorful, beautiful flowers.
…Is this a dream?
Seeing the unrealistically beautiful scenery, it didn't seem like the real world.
Did I fall asleep while watching over the Young Duke's condition?
But this is a little different from usual?
It felt too vivid to be a dream, with a warm spring breeze enveloping my entire body.
“…Hello.”
“Huh?”
At the sudden greeting, I turned around.
A boy with calm, soft-looking black hair and bright, golden eyes.
Although his aura was completely different, he looked exactly like the Young Duke.
But I had never seen the Young Duke when he was young, had I?
Is this a dream unrelated to my past memories?
Perhaps because he received no response, the young boy spoke to me again.
“Who are you? This is our family’s private property.”
“……”
The young Young Duke looked about 7 or 8 years old.
Could it be that I had actually seen the Young Duke in his childhood, but I just don't remember it?
The young Young Duke spoke to me again.
“…It’s dazzling.”
He scrunched up his face and offered a handkerchief with his small, chubby hand.
“Cover it with this.”
What was the connection between the Young Duke being dazzled and him giving me a handkerchief? No, what was I supposed to cover? I was puzzled, but still thanked him.
“I was blinded by the sunlight, thank you!”
“…That’s not why I gave it to you.”
The Young Duke glared at me with a sulky expression, as if displeased about something.
“Your face.”
“……Huh?”
“It’s hurting my eyes, cover it quickly.”
He gave me a handkerchief to cover my face; he must have been different from others even from a young age.
Come to think of it, did he just say it was dazzling?
Suddenly, the story of the person the Young Duke met, who was dazzlingly beautiful, came to mind.
…It couldn’t be that it was me, could it?
To be continued in the next chapter ▶
