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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: A Fragile Body
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The more Yelena examined me, the more the smile faded from her face.
When I was down to my chemise so she could check for external injuries, Yelena barely managed to move her lips.
“My lady, could you wait here for a moment? I have something to discuss with the Duchess.”
Winter raised an eyebrow but followed Yelena out.
What? What’s going on?
I quickly pressed my ear to the door.
Hmm, as expected, I can't hear a thing.
Could I have some serious illness?
If anything, I ate much better in the Snake Pit than I ever did at the Count's estate. I'd even gained some weight.
I pulled my ear away from the door and studied my reflection in the mirror.
My straight, violet hair with a hint of blue and my large, round eyes were just as the novel had described.
My delicate skin, so pale you could see the veins, looked like it would bruise at the slightest touch.
I let out a short groan.
More than anything, I was bothered by the dazed expression on my face, a result of my fever.
I needed to look like the sharp and clever Cheria, not this!
I rubbed my eyes, trying to clear my head.
My reflection stared back at me, its brow deeply furrowed.
“…”
I-If you looked closely, you could see a resemblance to my sister, who was said to be unbelievably beautiful.
The decisive difference was my gently downturned eyes, but the bridge of my nose and my jawline looked as if they were drawn with the same brush.
Still, the frail impression was so strong that it overshadowed all my better features.
What was Kivrin thinking when he said I was prettier than the view outside?
Was his vision just blurry from seeing the sun for the first time in a while?
Feeling awkward, I settled quietly on the sofa.
Soon, the door opened, and Winter entered before Yelena.
“…”
Winter looked at me, opening and closing her mouth.
The longer Winter stared at me, the heavier the air in the room became.
It was an ominous sign.
Just when I thought she really wasn't going to take me with them, Winter let out a sigh.
“You need a proper nanny, like Viscount Rose. Though it will be difficult.”
“…”
Winter seemed to notice that I was watching her nervously.
Winter hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“I… I apologize. I was distracted.”
“…”
She was truly a difficult mother-in-law to understand.
I would have been grateful just not to be thrown out, so hearing an apology left me completely bewildered.
Winter gave her head a light shake, as if to clear away stray thoughts.
“No, excuses are unnecessary. You are my responsibility now, so it's right that I look after you.”
“…”
I couldn't understand her words at first.
I was just sold to the duchy, wasn't I?
Could the Temple's influence have reached so far as to have them specifically pick me out?
Ugh, my head was so hot I couldn't string a long thought together.
Winter knelt to meet my gaze.
“We can save the complicated talk for later. At this rate, you might not even live to see the end of the year.”
“My lady!”
Yelena was horrified.
I nodded to show I understood.
So my condition was that bad. I'm doomed.
It made the Cheria from , who had somehow survived until seventeen, seem all the more amazing.
Ah, I really should have finished the story before ending up in this body.
Not only had been discontinued, but the grown-up Cheria had only appeared in the very last chapter.
All I knew about the seventeen-year-old Cheria was that she was called a beauty, much like her sister Muria, but that she never looked happy.
“Did the count's family feed you poison instead of food?”
Winter muttered under her breath.
“Not exactly, but…”
“So you didn't even get that.”
Winter wore a look of profound pity.
Yelena was on the verge of tears.
“My lady, please, be gentle. You're scaring her.”
“Hmm.”
“…”
Winter's eyes narrowed.
“I don't think you'll make it to the duchy.”
My shoulders stiffened.
She was going to leave me behind after all.
I said quickly.
“I can make it!”
Winter gently pressed a finger to my nose.
“Hold on. I'm still thinking about what to do.”
“…”
I stood there blankly, Winter's finger still on my nose.
Winter didn't speak again until I, growing impatient, was just about to open my mouth.
“Three days. Menelik should be able to buy us that much time. Yelena, you are responsible for Cheria's recovery until Viscount Rose arrives.”
Yelena answered cautiously.
“To get Lady Cheria to a healthy weight, we'd need to feed her five meals a day for at least a month… But will Viscount Rose really come back? The Temple is sure to pressure him again.”
“…”
Winter's eyebrow shot up.
Yelena gave a forced cough and backpedaled.
“A-Ahem. That is for you to handle, my lady! I will focus only on our young lady.”
The Temple had already given them a stern warning to leave, and now they were extending their stay because of me?
Even with a raging fever, my first thought was that this was wrong.
Nothing good ever came from a houseguest causing trouble.
“Um, you don't have to go to so much trouble. I'm grateful enough that you're taking me with you…”
“Speaking of which, you must still be on an empty stomach. Let's go to the dining hall together.”
Winter cut me off sharply and rose from her seat.
Yelena quickly gathered her things.
“Oh, I'll go get the Young Lord and join you. I promised I'd let him know about the young lady's condition first thing. It would also be good to find out what foods she likes.”
“…”
I was just completely ignored, wasn't I?
…And worried about, at that.
With no other choice, I fumbled to pick up my dress and put it on.
Winter slipped her hands under my arms and lifted me.
I don't even know why I was so easy to lift.
“This reminds me of when Kivrin was six.”
“…”
As if I weighed nothing at all, Winter lifted me, a ten-year-old, even higher.
“He weighed just about the same as you do now.”
Once again, Winter carried me to the dining hall.
“I can walk on my own.”
Of course, Winter didn't listen.
Winter set me down in a chair and sat opposite me.
Winter's piercing blue eyes were fixed on me, regardless of whether the food had arrived.
My face was starting to feel prickly under her gaze, and I didn't know what to do, but thankfully, Kivrin arrived.
“Lady Cheria!”
“Young Lord, I'm fine—”
“D-Don't go to heaven!”
“…”
My mouth tightened at Kivrin's sudden outburst.
Heaven?
Why does it feel like the situation just got worse…?
I stared intently at Yelena.
The woman who'd told Winter to be gentle had apparently reported to Kivrin that I was on the verge of departing for the afterlife.
Yelena gave an awkward laugh.
“W-Well, the Young Lord had already overheard…”
Winter, with an I-knew-it expression, calmly sipped her aperitif.
Not understanding, I tilted my head.
No way. How did he hear that?
I was sure Kivrin had gone back to his room instead of following us.
If he had tried to hide in the hallway, a passing servant would have found him.
And it would have been impossible for him to eavesdrop like I did.
Just how good does his hearing have to be to have caught that?
Meanwhile, Kivrin, the very cause of my confusion, was busy pushing the dishes in front of him toward me.
“H-Here, have mine, too.”
“Please have mine as well, my lady.”
Yelena joined in.
“…”
Before I knew it, a meat dish with a slightly spicy sauce, a steak with a side of vegetables, and a grilled trout were all placed in front of me.
Were they expecting me to eat all three plates?
“I can't eat all of this.”
At that, the two of them began to cheer me on with one heart and mind.
“You c-can do it, Lady Cheria!”
“Just eat as much as you can!”
“…”
Winter didn't seem inclined to stop them, so with a small sigh, I picked up my spoon.
I started with the simple soup, and at the first spoonful, a warm, savory flavor filled my mouth.
It was, of course, on a completely different level from the clumsy dishes I'd made in the Snake Pit.
“Wow, this is delicious…”
I'd spoken my thoughts aloud without realizing it, and Yelena eagerly agreed.
“Right? It's good, isn't it? I'm sure you'll like the steak, too.”
Yelena came closer and cut the steak for me, as if I were her own little sister.
Eating what she gave me, I quickly became full.
“I can't eat anymore.”
I'd done my best, but most of the steak was still left.
This body, with its weak stomach, couldn't handle much food.
Still, Yelena praised me as if to say that a good start is half the battle.
“You did very well, my lady. We can increase your portion size slowly.”
“More than this?”
No matter how I thought about it, that seemed impossible.
