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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Cure
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A brief silence fell. As my eyes darted around, I raised my hand high.
Winter stroked my head and asked.
“What are you curious about?”
“What do you mean, it was becoming a monster?”
“The leopard was about half-eaten by a monster… Hmm, that’s not a very good way to put it.”
“…”
“The leopard shared about half of its flesh with the monster.”
As if satisfied with her hasty rephrasing, Winter chuckled.
What’s the difference?!
Daniel subtly avoided my gaze.
It seemed he’d decided that no matter how much he loved Nina, defying Winter was impossible.
Winter continued her explanation, stroking my hair.
“When eaten by a monster, death is usually instantaneous. But on rare occasions, they absorb the monster’s supernatural ability instead. Fortunately, it worked out for the better, giving it a tenacious life force. Thanks to that, it managed to stay alive until it could receive proper treatment.”
So was that why Dewey was so adamant about catching a rarer animal than Nina?
Though in the end, he just ended up digging his own grave.
The next day, Daniel brought Nina.
Perhaps having grown smarter after absorbing the monster’s ability, Nina didn’t pounce on people and remained calm.
It was even more surprising when she recognized Kivrin and wagged her tail.
Meanwhile, the ducal household grew busy preparing for the coming winter.
A month after Nina’s arrival, I too started bundling up in thick clothes.
Winter and Menelik began heading out on subjugation missions to the Waning Moon Forest, returning each time with carts full of red magic stones.
Since not all monsters possessed magic stones, the actual number they subjugated must have been much higher.
I started taking etiquette lessons and no longer avoided Rose.
“All done.”
Kivrin held the flower shears, a proud expression on his face.
Ever since he’d witnessed me walking around with thorns stuck in my hands, Kivrin had been helping me with my flower arrangement homework.
I scratched my cheek with a finger covered in bandages.
“Thank you so much, Young Lord. I just wish Viscount Lington would quickly realize that I have absolutely no talent for flower arranging.”
Still, this Cheria may be bad at flower arranging, but she’s great at making decorative knots.
As proof, the decorative knots I’d made were hanging here and there in Kivrin’s room.
“Oh, he’ll find out. Though it’s already too late.”
Kivrin’s voice was a low rumble.
But when our eyes met, he smiled prettily as usual, so I dismissed it as my imagination.
I tucked a flower behind my ear—one that had been rejected because a single petal was slightly wilted.
My reflection in the mirror was glowing.
My purple hair, which reached my waist, was also glossy, a far cry from before.
It seems all that good eating and sleeping at the duchy has paid off.
I was just about to make the outrageous comment to Kivrin, asking if my face wasn’t cute.
Just then, I heard the maids murmuring in the hallway.
“Hm?”
As I tilted my head, Kivrin, with his excellent hearing, explained.
“A… a letter has arrived… from the Temple.”
I wasn’t surprised.
They must be disappointed that they haven’t heard news of anyone dying.
They must be quite displeased that Kivrin is doing perfectly fine without the Temple’s supervision and ‘help’.
I went with Kivrin to see Winter.
Just as we arrived, Winter’s aide was shoving an unopened letter into the fireplace.
“While I am away, do not open the castle gates, not even if the Emperor himself comes to visit.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
I could feel the killing intent in Winter’s voice.
Yup, there was no need to even read the letter’s contents.
“Mother, are you going to the forest again?”
I asked, leading Kivrin before Winter.
Upon seeing us, Winter immediately softened her demeanor.
“This time, it will take a few days. A territorial dispute has broken out between monsters at Full Moon Lake.”
So you’re going to send both sides on a nice trip to the underworld, right?
Even having lost an arm, Menelik was a swordmaster, and Winter, as the last descendant of a fallen kingdom, had been through all sorts of trials, so I wasn’t worried they would get hurt.
Suddenly, Winter’s gaze fell upon my hands.
For a moment, her lips twisted into what seemed like an oversensitive grimace.
“Stop the flower arrangement lessons at once. They’re utterly useless anyway.”
Viscount Lington might cry if he heard that.
I mean, I did try to do well.
Winter then gave her aide further instructions regarding the castle’s security.
We went to see Menelik as well.
For some reason, Kivrin seemed to be suppressing his reluctance, but he didn’t pull his hand away from mine.
“I never thought the day would come so soon when Kivrin would see me off. Is it thanks to my good daughter-in-law?”
“…”
Kivrin said nothing.
As if he’d expected as much, Menelik simply patted my head a couple of times.
It was a little surprising to see the decorative knot I’d gifted him hanging from his scabbard.
From what I remember in the novel and what I’d sensed myself, he didn’t seem like a very affectionate person.
I felt puzzled, but for now, I decided to take good care of the box he had given me.
Winter and Menelik left early the next morning, leading the knights.
Soon after, the castle gates were completely sealed.
Winter’s aide and the head butler began to secure the entire castle, and the security became much tighter.
But compared to the novel, this was nothing.
In , the Nectarian duchy was extremely reclusive.
It had been that way even before Kivrin was born, but after his birth, the castle gates were opened only three times a year.
And one of those times was for Winter’s birthday.
In any case, the day passed uneventfully, albeit with a bit of tension.
The problem arose at dawn the next day.
I had been sleeping soundly when my eyes suddenly flew open.
“Ugh, why do I feel so sick to my stomach?”
Feeling a sudden wave of nausea, I sat up.
I don’t want to wake Yelena…
Wondering if some fresh air might help, I went out into the hallway.
It was still too early to call it morning. But the sound of several people talking drifted up the stairs.
What’s going on?
I crept downstairs quietly.
I heard the maids speaking with irritation.
“They’re still here?”
“Don’t even ask. Two high priests are here, making a scene and demanding to be let in if we don’t want to face the god’s wrath.”
Ugh, so it was the high priests making me feel sick!
They must possess a divine power several times stronger than that of ordinary priests.
Still, the servants showed no intention of disobeying Winter’s orders, so I felt relieved and hurried back.
I grabbed the doorknob, but then hesitated to open it.
Should I just go all the way to the top floor? If I get as far away from the high priests as possible, maybe my stomach will settle down?
Just then, the door to the next room opened.
“Lady Cheria…?”
Two golden eyes, half-closed with sleep, peeked out.
“You weren’t asleep?”
Kivrin rubbed his eyes.
“I… I woke up, but I was about to go back to sleep. What about you, Lady Cheria?”
“I should be sleeping too, but…”
My stomach felt upset, and I was in a bad mood.
It felt like the invisible divine power of the high priests was plucking at my nerves.
I slowly let go of the doorknob I had been gripping tightly.
Kivrin looked bewildered at that.
“D-Don’t you want to go into your room?”
“I guess not.”
“Then… would you like to come to my room?”
I hesitated for a moment before entering Kivrin’s room.
I was thinking of telling him the truth if it became too unbearable, but suddenly Kivrin’s hand cupped my cheek.
“Y-Your nose is red.”
I blinked.
The moment his hand touched me, the unpleasant feeling vanished as if it were a lie.
My queasy stomach settled, and my heart stopped racing.
Huh? The priests should still be outside, right?
“Did you just heal me?”
“Heal…? Ah, are you hurt?”
Kivrin looked completely clueless.
I was bewildered too.
“I was feeling really unwell just a moment ago, but now that I’m with you, Young Lord, I feel fine.”
My body even relaxed against my will, and a wave of drowsiness washed over me.
Kivrin gazed at me as I barely managed to stifle a yawn.
“Th… Then sleep with me today.”
It was an offer I couldn’t refuse right now.
It wasn’t the first or second time I’d slept with Kivrin.
I readily took Kivrin’s hand and lay down beside him.
I was suddenly reminded of our days in the Snake Pit.
Compared to back then, Kivrin has changed a lot, hasn’t he?
He smiles a lot, and he holds my hand without hesitation.
Kivrin gently patted my back.
“Have sweet dreams. Ah, you don’t have to worry about anything.”
“…You too, Young Lord.”
“D-Don’t answer, just sleep.”
Okay.
I’m supposed to be taking care of Kivrin, but he’s taking care of me instead.
I need to get my energy back quickly.
…Or so I thought, but when I woke up after sleeping like a log, it was already noon.
