Chapter 229 – A Cold

Chapter 229

A Cold

Date : Day 11 of Deepwinter 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.

By the time Hyoren returned, he was alone. He had parted ways with Ina at the Adventurer's Guild.

Today was actually Ina's rest day, but with several clerks having taken sick leave because of the harsh Deepwinter weather, she had agreed to cover the afternoon shift.

Hyoren had left her there before making his way home alone.

The Wyvern Street Manor soon came into view. The familiar building stood quietly beneath a blanket of white snow. The roof was covered in a soft layer of frost, while the courtyard and surrounding street had been painted white by the snowfall. The quiet winter air carried only the faint sounds of distant footsteps and the occasional movement of people passing through the neighborhood.

Above the manor, Luna had already begun its slow descent from its zenith.

Hyoren stood outside the front door for a moment. The cold had settled into his coat again during the walk home. He tightened it around himself before reaching for the handle. The moment he opened the door, warmth greeted him.

The familiar warmth of home.

He stepped inside and closed the door behind him, shutting out the cold winter air.

“I'm home.”

His voice carried gently through the manor.

A moment later, someone peeked out from the kitchen—Lena.

The Fox-clan Beastkin caretaker smiled warmly when she saw him.

“Welcome back, Master Hyoren.”

Hyoren nodded.

“I'm back, Lena.”

He glanced toward the rest of the dining area.

“Did Jackey and Arianna get back home yet?”

Lena shook her head. Her droopy fox ears swayed gently with the movement.

“Not yet, Master Hyoren.”

She bowed slightly.

“Did you require something? Something to eat? Or perhaps something to drink? I can prepare it quickly.”

Hyoren smiled.

“No need, Lena. I already ate outside with Ina.”

He took off his outer coat and adjusted the shawl around his neck. Then he paused. His gaze briefly wandered toward the staircase leading to the second floor.

“But…”

He looked back toward Lena.

“Could you make me some tea?”

He hesitated for a moment.

“And herbal tea too.”

Lena nodded.

“Of course.”

Hyoren glanced toward the stairs again.

“Did Elise already wake up and eat lunch?”

The warmth in Lena's expression faded slightly. A worried look appeared on her face.

“Sadly, not yet, Master Hyoren.”

Her ears drooped a little.

“Mistress Elise is still sleeping in her room.”

Hyoren nodded in understanding.

That wasn't particularly surprising. Elise had been feeling unwell since yesterday, and the cold had clearly taken more out of her than she had initially admitted.

“Then could you prepare some porridge for her too?”

He looked toward the kitchen.

“I'll take care of her after this.”

Lena immediately bowed.

“At once.”

She turned toward the kitchen.

“Vina, please prepare some porridge.”

A young voice answered from inside.

“Understood, Mother.”

Vina began preparing the meal.

The quiet sounds of cooking soon filled the kitchen. Water being poured. A pot being moved. Utensils lightly clinking against one another.

Hyoren sat down in one of the dining chairs while he waited.

For a little while, he simply rested.

The warmth of the manor slowly seeped into him, chasing away the last traces of the winter cold. He watched Lena prepare the tea. One cup for him. Another for Elise.

The fragrant smell of herbs slowly spread through the room. From the kitchen came the gentle bubbling of the porridge as Vina prepared it.

It was an ordinary household scene. Nothing particularly remarkable. And perhaps that was exactly what made it pleasant. Just tea being prepared in the afternoon while someone cooked lunch for a sick family member upstairs.

Not long afterward, Lena returned with a tray.

A bowl of warm porridge rested beside a cup of herbal tea. Another cup of tea had been prepared for Hyoren. The steam rose gently from both cups, carrying a soothing herbal fragrance through the room.

Lena looked toward Hyoren.

“Should I or Vina bring it to Mistress Elise, Master?”

Hyoren shook his head.

“No need.”

He reached out and carefully took the tray from her.

“I'll bring it myself.”

He gave Lena a small smile.

“Thank you, Lena.”

From the kitchen, Vina's voice called out.

“I hope Sister Elise is going to get well soon!”

Hyoren looked toward the kitchen.

“Thank you, Vina.”

Lena bowed slightly as Hyoren stood.

“Please take care, Master Hyoren.”

He nodded.

“I will.”

With the tray balanced carefully in his hands, Hyoren started toward the staircase. Behind him, Lena returned to the kitchen. The quiet sounds of the household continued as if nothing had changed.

Hyoren climbed the stairs slowly.

The warmth of the manor followed him upward. The second floor was quieter than the first. The sounds from the kitchen gradually faded behind him with every step.

At the top of the staircase, the familiar hallway stretched ahead.

The master bedroom was in the middle. Hyoren's own room. He passed it without stopping.

He turned toward the right. Elise's room was there.

The hallway was quiet. Only the soft sound of Hyoren's footsteps and the faint clink of the teacup on the tray accompanied him.

He stopped in front of the familiar door. The warm scent of freshly prepared herbal tea still rose gently from the tray.

***

Hyoren stopped in front of Elise’s door. He raised his hand and knocked gently.

“Elise, are you awake?”

He waited for a while. Nothing. There was no response from inside.

Hyoren glanced at the door for another moment before deciding not to wait any longer. He carefully turned the handle and opened it.

The moment he stepped inside, a familiar sight greeted him.

Hyoren smiled.

Elise’s room was so… Elise…

He chuckled softly.

No matter how many times he visited her room, it still managed to amaze him.

She truly loved green…

Almost everything in the room had some shade of it, balanced here and there with warm yellow accents. Her comforter was green. Her curtains were green. Even the small decorations scattered around the room seemed to follow the same color scheme. It was unmistakably hers.

A potted plant sat quietly in one corner of the room.

Elise loved taking care of plants. She had always enjoyed having something green growing around her, something she could patiently tend to and watch change with the seasons.

Hyoren’s eyes settled on the plant.

Moon Lily…

He remembered Elise talking about it before. When spring came, she had told him, it would bloom beautifully, producing silver and yellowish flowers. For a moment, Hyoren simply looked at it.

Even now, during Deepwinter, it remained there in its pot, waiting patiently for the warmer season to return.

His gaze eventually moved on.

Near the wall stood a rack where Elise’s Aerostag Leather Armor rested on a mannequin. Her quiver was strapped to it as well, along with her beloved Moonveil Bow. Even without Elise wearing them, Hyoren could immediately tell that the equipment belonged to her. It was almost like seeing a part of her personality arranged neatly in front of him.

His eyes shifted toward her table.

Several compounding and alchemical tools were laid across its surface. Some were used for preparing poison. Others were for making potions.

Elise was still learning.

She wasn't an alchemist like Oria, nor did she have years of experience brewing medicine and concoctions. But Elise wanted to be able to brew potions, not only poison. So she had slowly started learning.

Hyoren smiled faintly at the sight.

It was just like her…

Even when she wasn't particularly good at something yet, Elise would still take the time to learn it if she decided that she wanted to.

His gaze finally moved toward the bed.

Elise was still sleeping. Her silver hair was spread loosely across the pillow, and her breathing sounded slightly ragged. The faint warmth of her fever lingered in the room, making her normally lively presence seem unusually quiet.

Hyoren’s expression softened.

He crossed the room and carefully placed the tray he had been carrying onto the side table. Then he turned his attention back to Elise.

He already knew her condition. He had checked her yesterday when she collapsed. Still, knowing that wasn't enough to stop him from checking again.

Hyoren activated his Magic Eyes : Diagnostic Sight.

The familiar information appeared before his eyes.

Elf - Level 22

Weak Point : Brain (Head), Heart (Left Chest)

State : Mild Weakness. Fever. Mild Inflammation. Upper Respiratory Tract Infection. Common Cold - Rhinovirus Infection.

Hyoren stared at the result for a moment.

Then he let out a quiet breath of relief. She was still sick. Her fever was still there, and her body was still fighting the infection. But her condition hadn't worsened. That alone was enough to ease the tension that had been sitting quietly in his chest since yesterday.

Hyoren deactivated Diagnostic Sight.

He dragged the small chair closer to the bed and sat down beside her. For a while, he simply watched her sleep.

***

Hyoren remembered what had happened the night before—Elise had collapsed with a burning fever.

At first, Hyoren had tried to use a Healing Potion. It had done nothing. 

Then he had tried Healing Light. The moment he activated the spell, however, Elise’s condition had actually worsened.

Hyoren had immediately stopped the spell.

Arianna, who had been nearby, had scolded him the moment she saw what happened.

“Leader! Do not ever use healing magic on illness anymore... please... it will worsen the infection!”

Hyoren could only stare at her. His mouth opened. Then closed. He had no idea what to say.

His Healing Light had been capable of treating injuries that should have been impossible to survive. Yet somehow, when he used it on something as ordinary as a fever, it had made things worse.

Arianna sighed when she saw his bewildered expression.

“Please go to Lady Oria. She should have some fever and cold medicine.”

Hyoren was still stunned.

His mind was struggling to process what had just happened.

How could Healing Light restore broken bones and repair severe internal injuries, yet make Elise's condition worse…?

Arianna called out to him again.

“Leader. Snap out of it. Quickly, go to Lady Oria! Let us take care of Mentor meanwhile.”

That finally broke through his stupor.

“R-right. Thanks, Arianna.”

Arianna simply nodded.

“Go!”

Hyoren scrambled out of the room and headed straight for the alchemist.

***

Hyoren’s thoughts returned to the present. He looked at Elise sleeping peacefully on the bed.

He chuckled quietly.

Man... what a hectic day last night…

He leaned back slightly in his chair.

To think that healing magic wasn't all-powerful...

The thought itself was strange.

For so long, Healing Light had been one of his most reliable tools. Whenever someone was injured, he could simply use it to repair the damage.

But illness was different. And he had learned that lesson the hard way.

His thoughts drifted back to what happened after he left Elise's room.

He had gone straight to Oria.

The moment he explained what had happened, the small elf's expression had changed.

“Hyoren, you fool! Do you want to kill Cow-tits that badly? Never ever use healing magic on illness anymore. Understood?”

Hyoren had nodded several times.

“But it still makes me wonder why healing magic isn't working. My Healing Light could restore broken bones, ruptured spleen, and treat brain hemorrhage... but it made Elise's condition worse.”

Oria didn't stop working while he spoke.

Her hands remained busy.

She reached into a glass container and took out several herbs. Then she retrieved another ingredient from a small box before reaching for a bottle of liquid and a container of fine white powder. One ingredient after another joined the collection on her worktable.

She was already preparing the medicine.

“Because that's healing magic's limitation, Hyoren.”

Oria placed the herbs into a mortar. Her sapphire eyes remained focused on her work as she began crushing them.

“Do you understand the exact cause of the common cold? You said you were studying medicine in your old world, right?”

Hyoren nodded.

Of course he understood how the common cold worked. Viruses. They were microscopic pathogens that invaded living cells and used those cells to reproduce themselves.

For the common cold, rhinoviruses primarily infected cells inside the nose and upper respiratory tract. The runny nose. The fever. The inflammation. Those symptoms were largely the result of the body's immune system responding to the viral infection.

Hyoren looked at Oria.

“Back in my world, we understood that colds are caused by viruses... microscopic parasites that hijack living cells. Does magic not recognize the difference?”

Oria raised an eyebrow. She seemed mildly impressed.

“Hoo. So your world knew about those too.”

She continued crushing the herbs.

“And yeah. We've known about microscopic pathogens for centuries, Hyoren. Arcane lenses mapped bacteria and viruses a few centuries ago.”

Her hands never stopped moving.

“And that's precisely why healing magic fails.”

Hyoren's eyes widened. He hadn't expected that answer. Kresneger's understanding of medicine was more advanced than he had assumed.

“I see.”

He thought about it for a moment.

“So it's the same mechanism as in my old world...”

His gaze shifted toward the ingredients on Oria's table.

“But why does healing magic fail?”

Oria began mixing the crushed herbs with the other ingredients.

“Healing magic doesn't magically erase damage, Hyoren.”

She continued stirring.

“It floods the target tissue with dense light Aethell. It forces host cells to divide, repair, and metabolize at a thousand times their normal rate.”

The spoon moved steadily through the mixture.

“Now, what happens when you pour high-yield biological fuel into a body currently overrun by trillions of replicating viruses?”

Hyoren winced. The realization hit him immediately.

“You feed the virus...”

His expression tightened.

“The magic supercharges the infection instead of the patient.”

Oria stopped mixing. A small smile appeared on her face.

“Precisely...”

She went back to work. This time, she poured a liquid into the mixture and continued stirring.

“The virus multiplies exponentially within seconds. The patient's lungs flood with fluid, or their body attempts a hyper-accelerated immune response.”

Hyoren's eyes widened again. He knew exactly what she was describing.

“A cytokine storm...”

His expression became serious.

“Your own immune system cooks your organs trying to wipe out the threat all at once.”

Oria nodded. She continued mixing.

“Oh... your world called it a cytokine storm?”

She transferred the mixture into a larger glass tube. Then she poured another liquid inside.

“We called it 'The Aethell Fever' back during the plague years... about three hundred years ago.”

Her expression became grim.

“Lost many before we banned healing magic on sickness caused by pathogens.”

She briefly looked at Hyoren. Her sapphire eyes met his dark ones.

“That's the difference between illness and injury.”

She returned her attention to the mixture. Her hands continued working as she stirred the medicine inside the tube. Then she poured Aethell into it. The mixture reacted immediately. The liquid began to glow faintly as the alchemical process transformed it into a potion.

Hyoren furrowed his eyebrows.

“So healing magic could treat wounds. It could detoxify poison...”

He carefully considered everything Oria had explained.

“But it shouldn't be used for illnesses caused by infection.”

Oria nodded. Her silver hair swayed slightly as she did.

“Poison is a dead chemical compound. We can filter that out magically.”

She continued working.

“Bone or organ is structural.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

“But a virus is an army hiding inside the very cells you're trying to save.”

Hyoren nodded slowly. That explanation finally made sense. Healing magic wasn't inherently incapable of dealing with illness. The problem was what it considered the target. It accelerated the body's ability to repair itself.

But when the enemy was already hiding inside those very cells, accelerating cellular activity could help the enemy as well.

Hyoren carefully watched Oria finish preparing the medicine.

“So how do we treat it?”

He paused.

“Without antivirals, in my world we mostly relied on supportive care. Symptom management, rest, fluids, and letting the immune system do its job.”

His gaze shifted to the potion.

“Are you doing something similar?”

Oria nodded.

“Essentially, yes, but with alchemical precision.”

She picked up another ingredient.

“This potion contains frost-willow bark for the fever, and yew leaves for the inflammation.”

She carefully added the final ingredients.

“I used a low-intensity heating during the extraction process so I didn't destroy the plant's active medicinal compounds.”

Hyoren watched in silence.

A few more moments passed. Then Oria finally nodded. The potion was done. An ice-blue liquid sloshed gently inside the glass tube.

Oria quickly poured it into several smaller bottles.

“Done.”

She gestured toward the finished potions.

“Give this Cold Potion to Cow-tits. Once in the morning and once at night. She should recover in three to four days.”

Hyoren nodded.

Truly similar to the common cold on Earth…

He couldn't help but find that strange.

Illnesses seemed to transcend worlds, too…

He carefully collected the bottles and placed them inside his storage bag.

“Thank you, Oria. Again. Thank you.”

Oria turned away. A faint blush appeared on her face.

“I just don't want to lose my enemy. Who could I insult if Cow-tits died?”

She waved her hands toward the door, shooing him away.

“Now, shoo, shoo. I'm busy now! Go!”

Hyoren chuckled.

He understood Oria and Elise's relationship. They were close. Very close, in fact. They simply had a strange way of showing it.

Oria was always like this with Elise.

Always bickering. Always insulting her. And yet, whenever Elise was in trouble, Oria was one of the first people to worry.

“Thank you again, Oria.”

Hyoren stepped outside. He had just reached for the door when Oria suddenly called out.

“Make sure she drinks herbal tea and rehydrates too. You could use a compress to help alleviate the fever.”

Hyoren stopped. A smile appeared on his face.

Oria truly cared about Elise.

She just wasn't honest enough to admit it.

“Thank you, Oria! Will do!”

With that, Hyoren closed the door.

***

Hyoren’s mind went back to the present.

He noticed that the compress on Elise's forehead had already cooled. He reached over and touched the cloth with the back of his fingers.

It is no longer warm…

He quietly removed it.

The room was peaceful, filled only by the faint sound of Elise's breathing and the occasional muffled noise from somewhere downstairs.

Hyoren dipped a fresh cloth into the basin of warm water.

He wrung it out carefully before folding it. He knew that a compress placed on the forehead wouldn't actually do much to lower a fever. As a medical student, he had learned that cooling the forehead could make a patient feel more comfortable, but it didn't meaningfully reduce the body's core temperature. The more useful places were the neck and the body's folds, where heat could be released more effectively.

Still, there was no reason not to put one on her forehead. If it made Elise feel better, that was enough.

He carefully placed the fresh compress against her forehead.

Then he changed the other compresses as well, using warm water and placing one around her neck and another against her armpit. He adjusted each one carefully, making sure they weren't uncomfortable.

Once he was satisfied, Hyoren returned his attention to Elise.

He had just finished adjusting the compress when she stirred. 

Her fingers moved beneath the blanket. Her silver eyelashes fluttered. Once. Twice. Then her emerald eyes slowly opened.

She blinked several times, staring blankly at the ceiling before her gaze finally settled on Hyoren.

“Uhh... Hyoren?”

Her voice was hoarse and sleepy.

“What time is it...?”

She tried to sit up.

Hyoren immediately moved closer and supported her back.

“Easy.”

He helped her sit against the pillow.

“You don't have to rush.”

Elise leaned against him for a moment before finally settling into a comfortable position.

Hyoren glanced at the clock on her table.

“It's 13:35.”

He looked back at her.

“How are you feeling?”

Elise was quiet for a few seconds. She brought a hand to her forehead and rubbed it gently.

“Still terrible.”

She gave him a tired little smile.

“My nose is completely stuffed, and my head feels like it's floating.”

She paused.

“But...”

Her expression softened.

“I think the fever isn't as bad as yesterday.”

Hyoren smiled.

“That’s good.”

He could hear the relief in his own voice.

“It's not much, but at least you're recovering.”

Elise gave a small nod.

“Slowly, I guess.”

Hyoren smiled.

“Slowly is fine.”

He glanced toward the tray.

“You haven't eaten since morning, right?”

Elise looked at the tray too. Her nose twitched faintly.

“Actually...”

A tiny smile appeared.

“I was wondering what smelled so good.”

Hyoren chuckled.

“Vina made porridge for you.”

Elise looked toward the bowl.

“That explains it… Can I have some?”

Hyoren picked up the bowl and spoon.

“Of course.”

He hesitated for a moment before looking at her.

“Want me to feed you?”

Elise blinked. She raised one finger.

“I can probably eat by myself.”

Hyoren raised an eyebrow.

“Probably?”

Elise nodded.

“I think so.”

She looked at the spoon in his hand. Then at her own hands. Then back at Hyoren.

There was a brief silence.

“...But.”

Hyoren waited.

Elise's lips curled into a small smile.

“If you're already offering...”

She shifted a little closer.

“I suppose I won't refuse. Fufufu.”

A faint giggle escaped her.

“Being taken care of by my lover sounds rather nice.”

Hyoren smiled.

“Ah. So that's what this is.”

Elise tilted her head.

“What is it?”

Hyoren chuckled.

“You're taking advantage of the situation.”

Elise gave him an innocent look.

“But, I'm sick…”

Hyoren shook his head lightly.

“That doesn't answer my question, Elise…”

Elise giggled. She chose to not answer.

“Fufufu.”

She pulled the blanket a little higher.

“I'm a sick person. Aren't sick people allowed to be spoiled?”

Hyoren laughed softly.

“You seem to have recovered enough to start making excuses.”

Elise tilted her head slightly.

“I've always been good at making excuses. Fufu.” 

Hyoren scooped up some porridge.

“That part is definitely true… But fine...”

He brought the spoon toward her.

“I'll indulge you this time.”

He smiled.

“Consider it a special privilege. The sick are allowed to be spoiled for a day.”

Elise's eyes curved happily.

“Then I'll make sure to enjoy my privilege.”

The two of them laughed quietly.

Hyoren brought the spoon toward her.

“Here.”

Elise opened her mouth.

“Ahhh.”

The warm porridge entered her mouth. She closed her lips around the spoon before Hyoren pulled it away. She chewed slowly. The warmth spread pleasantly through her stomach.

After swallowing, she smiled.

“Mmm...”

She looked at Hyoren.

“That's really good.”

Hyoren scooped up another spoonful.

“Of course.”

Elise leaned forward slightly.

“Are you saying that because Vina made it?”

He held the spoon toward her.

“No… I'm saying it because Vina really is that good.”

Elise opened her mouth again.

“Ah.”

Hyoren fed her another spoonful.

“Her cooking is honestly getting ridiculous.”

Another spoonful.

“She could probably run a restaurant.”

Elise swallowed and smiled.

“At this rate, we're going to become too spoiled to eat anywhere else.”

Hyoren nodded seriously.

“That is a legitimate concern.”

Elise giggled.

He continued feeding her. One spoon. Then another. Then another. The process was slow and unhurried.

Hyoren never rushed her.

He waited until she had swallowed before offering the next spoonful, occasionally adjusting the bowl or letting her take a sip of water between bites.

As the food settled into her stomach, Elise's expression gradually became more alert.

The fever was still there. Her nose was still stuffed. Her body was still weak. But the worst of the mental fog seemed to be lifting.

And that was when she noticed something.

Her gaze drifted toward Hyoren's face. She stared for a few seconds. Then her eyes narrowed slightly.

“...Hyoren.”

Hyoren tilted his head.

“Hm? What is it, Elise?”

Elise nodded.

“Your ear.”

Hyoren paused with the spoon halfway toward the bowl.

“My ear?”

Elise lifted her hand. 

Her fingertips gently touched his left earlobe. More specifically, the golden dagger-shaped earring hanging from it. Her emerald eyes immediately softened.

“Oh.”

She smiled.

“So you really decided to wear it.”

Hyoren instinctively touched the earring with his fingers.

“Yeah.”

He gave a small shrug.

“I wasn't planning to at first.”

Elise giggled.

“I know…”

Hyoren furrowed his eyebrows.

“You do?”

Elise smiled.

“You've never really been the type to wear accessories, Hyoren.”

Hyoren chuckled.

“That's what I thought too.”

His fingers brushed against the gold.

“But after Gror appraised it, I changed my mind.”

Elise looked at the earring again.

“What did he say about it?”

Hyoren explained the appraisal to Elise.

The accessory was called the Null Earring. It wasn't an artifact on the same level as Sylvana's Lavalier or Noctynara's Lament, but it was still a useful magical accessory. 

“So...”

Hyoren touched the earring again.

“I figured there wasn't much reason to leave something that useful sitting in storage.”

Elise nodded slowly.

“Makes sense.”

Her fingers gently touched the earring again.

Then she looked at him.

“I'll admit...”

She smiled.

“I really didn't expect you to actually wear it.”

Hyoren gave her a wry look.

“Does it look strange?”

Elise answered immediately.

“No.”

Then she looked at him a little longer.

“Actually...”

She tilted her head.

“I really like it.”

Hyoren's eyebrows lifted slightly.

“You do?”

Her fingers moved away from the earring.

“Mmm… It looks good on you.”

She studied him for another moment.

“The gold works really well with your black hair.”

Her smile became warmer.

“And it makes your face look sharper somehow.”

Hyoren touched his cheek unconsciously.

“Sharper?”

Elise nodded.

“Very much so. Fufu.”

She looked at him with unmistakable fondness.

“You look more handsome, Hyoren.”

Hyoren's ears became slightly red.

Elise noticed. Her smile widened.

“And now you're blushing.”

Hyoren curled his lips.

“I'm not.”

Elise pointed at him.

“You are.”

Hyoren turned away.

“It's probably the room.”

Elise glanced around.

“Really?”

Hyoren looked back at Elise.

“Yes.”

Elise smiled softly.

“Then why am I not blushing?”

Hyoren fell silent.

Elise giggled.

“Got you.”

Hyoren sighed, though there was a smile on his face.

“Fine.”

He touched the earring again.

“I'm glad you like it.”

Elise's expression softened.

“I really do.”

Then, after a brief pause, she added quietly,

“You look more handsome, my love.”

Hyoren's face warmed again.

Ina had said something similar earlier. And now Elise was saying it too. For such a small change, it made him surprisingly happy.

“I see...”

He looked away for a moment.

“Thank you, Elise.”

Elise giggled.

“You don't have to thank me for telling you the truth.”

Hyoren looked back at her.

“Still.”

He picked up the spoon again.

“I appreciate it.”

Elise nodded a few times.

“Then I'll say it again later.”

Hyoren furrowed his eyebrows.

“Don't spoil me too much.”

Elise smiled.

“Isn't that what you said you were going to do to me?”

Hyoren paused. Then laughed.

“Fair enough.”

He brought the next spoonful toward her.

“Now, open up.”

Elise obediently opened her mouth.

“Ahhh.”

Hyoren continued feeding her until the last of the porridge was gone. Once the bowl was empty, he set it aside and handed her the herbal tea.

“Here. Drink this too.”

Elise took the cup with both hands.

She slowly drank. The warmth of the herbal tea soothed her throat and helped ease some of the unpleasant dryness left by the fever. When she finished, Hyoren took the cup from her.

“Better?”

Elise nodded.

“A little.”

She sighed softly.

“My body still feels heavy, though.”

“That's why you need more sleep.”

Hyoren helped her settle back onto the bed. He adjusted her pillow before pulling the blanket up around her shoulders.

“The herbal tea should help you sleep more comfortably.”

He checked the compress again.

“You've eaten, you've had something warm to drink, and your fever hasn't gotten worse.”

He gently tucked the blanket around her.

“So now you just need to rest.”

Elise nodded slowly.

“I know.”

Her eyelids were already beginning to droop.

“My head still feels a little mushy.”

Hyoren smiled.

“Then don't fight it.”

He adjusted the blanket one last time.

“Go back to sleep.”

Elise looked at him.

“What about you?”

Hyoren's jaw tightened.

“I'll stay here.”

Elise immediately shook her head.

“Hyoren… You really don't have to.”

She gave him a tired smile.

“I'm only suffering from a cold. It's not like I'm dying.”

Hyoren said nothing.

Elise continued.

“You have other things you could be doing.”

She pulled the blanket slightly higher.

“Go do them. I'll be fine.”

Hyoren leaned closer. He gently kissed her forehead.

“No.”

Elise blinked.

“I insist.”

His voice was calm, but there was no hesitation in it.

“I don't want to go do something else.”

He looked at her quietly.

“I want to stay with you.”

Elise's cheeks slowly turned red.

Hyoren continued.

“You're my lover.”

He gave her a gentle smile.

“So when you're feeling like this, I'd rather be here.”

Elise's eyes widened slightly. She quickly turned her face away.

“That's unfair...”

Hyoren tilted his head.

“What is?”

She clutched the blanket near her chest.

“Nothing.”

Her voice became quieter.

“It's just...”

She swallowed.

“Why are you suddenly being so assertive...?”

Her face grew even redder.

“My heart can't handle this when I'm already sick...”

Hyoren couldn't hear the last part clearly.

“What was that?”

Elise immediately shook her head.

“Nothing.”

She turned back toward him. A tired but genuinely happy smile appeared on her face.

“Thank you, Hyoren.”

She blinked slowly.

“For taking care of me.”

Hyoren touched her forehead.

“You don't have to thank me.”

Elise locked her emerald eyes with Hyoren’s dark ones.

“But I want to.”

Her eyes were slowly closing.

“I feel really lucky...”

Her voice became softer.

“But I think I really can't stay awake anymore.”

Hyoren smiled.

“Then don't.”

He reached out and gently touched her forehead one last time.

“Sleep well, Elise.”

Elise gave him a faint smile.

“Good night...”

Her eyes closed. Her breathing gradually became slower. Steadier. Within a short while, she was asleep again.

Hyoren remained beside her.

He looked at her face. The flush from the fever was still present, but it was less intense now. After eating the porridge, drinking the herbal tea, and having her compresses changed, Elise already looked more comfortable.

She was still sick. There was no mistaking that.

But she was resting properly now. And for the moment, that was enough.

Hyoren quietly pulled the chair closer to the bed.

He sat down.

His hands rested loosely on his lap as he watched Elise sleep. The room became quiet again. Outside the window, Deepwinter continued its slow passage.

Inside, Hyoren simply remained there. Patiently watching over the woman he loved.