Translator: Nonon
Proofreader: Silavin
POV: Gray
Thanks to the multiple covers that Violet had put over me, it was quite warm, and thanks to the magic tool that used ice stones to cool my fever. I was feeling a bit better.
Furthermore, thanks to the medicine that Lady Emerald and Lord Orchid had brought, my fever had subsided considerably, and my head had cleared up more than it had been at the beginning. However, I still felt a bit unwell. How should I put it? It was like I was spinning around in circles.
“I’m sorry, Lady Apricot… *koff*”
“Don’t worry about it. Is something bothering you, my disciple? Should I change the cooling cloth?”
Lady Apricot, who was taking precautions against infection by using [Asgard (Space Preservation)], asked worriedly as she helped me take off my sweat-dampened clothes and wiped my body.
The cooling cloth on my head was still cold enough.
Speaking of things bothering me… the room was warm, and the humidity wasn’t particularly uncomfortable. I still didn’t have much of an appetite. I was able to take in fluids so I wouldn’t become dehydrated. My clothes were a little damp from sweating, which did make me uncomfortable, but Lady Apricot had just wiped me down and she had also prepared new clothes for me, so it wasn’t a problem.
If I had to say one thing…
“After I collapsed, there was nobody else to take care of Lord Clo’s and Lady Violet’s needs…”
Another thing that bothered me was the fact that normally Lord Clo would be busy around this time of the year with various tasks for the New Year holiday, but I caused trouble for everybody by collapsing.
I don’t understand complicated things, but I’m sure there were things even I could do to help, but I ended up increasing their workload.
“… There is nothing to worry about. Ms. Violet is also here now. Things should be easier than the usual.”
“But…”
“I’m nursing you back to health and quickly recovering is the best filial piety to parents.”
“Muu…”
“Pouting will do nothing.”
Lady Apricot scolded me as she wrung out the towel and wiped my back.
She’s right, the faster I recover the faster I can help with the work. And in my free time, I can also play with Lady Apricot and Brown.
I understand all this, but it’s very frustrating to be in a situation like this where I can only rest. Besides…
“However, Lord Clo needs his coffee to be roasted twice at ten-second intervals after the water has boiled for seven seconds and is poured at the right angle four times into a spiral that loops around the canter 5 times, or he won’t be satisfied with his cup of coffee…!”
“W-wow, my Disciple, you’ve been repeating such a meticulous brewing process each time…?”
Of course. Both coffee and tea have their own unique expressions at different times. What I’ve just said is merely the usual trend and can change depending on the season and the brand. If I’m going to brew it, I have to brew it until it’s satisfying.
I’m not very knowledgeable about rights and countermeasures and other complicated matters, so I just have to do what I can.
…But why did I become so obsessed with this?
“If you try to do the same thing in your current state, it will only cause trouble. Mr. Clo can brew his coffee and if she can’t confirm your safety, Ms. Violet will be worried too. Here, I’ve finished wiping you down so wear fresh clothes and go to bed.”
“Uu, okay…”
Anyway, Lady Apricot was right, so I obediently (reluctantly) put on my clothes (+let her put them on me).
I do get it, but there’s nothing I can do about it.
“So this is what they mean when they say no means yes… *koff*.”
“I don’t know why you would suddenly say that, but I can tell it doesn’t mean what you think it does.”
Mm, that’s not it.
I’m sure I heard that it refers to a state where even if you say no, your brain and body are trying to do something else. I overheard Lord Khaki tell Lord Yellow that he often watched those kinds of plays. I also heard the term ‘kukkoro’ used in a similar context at the same time.
“By the way, when you said that Lady Violet was mentally unstable, what did you… *koff*”
But what does it mean that Lady Violet is mentally unstable?
I laid down in my new clothes and had Lady Apricot put cover on me as I asked.
“Ms. Violet was worried about your health and was beyond herself wishing for you to recover faster. It’s the proof that you’re loved.”
“… That’s—“
I am very grateful for that.
I have no memories of my birth mother or father, but I am very happy if they cherish me that much.
And now I’m even being nursed to health by my magic teacher, Lady Apricot, who’s by my side all the time.
I have to work hard to repay them for all the trouble I’ve caused them after I recover――
“Here, I wiped off your sweat so you should feel refreshed. Now, rest.”
“Yes, I will do so. Right now Lady Violet and Lord Clo must be working together… working together…?”
“? What’s wrong, disciple?”
Come to think of it, Lord Kuro and Lady Violet must be busy right now with their work as territory lords.
Lord Kuro had previously explained that this land has few residents so there shouldn’t be much work to do, but thanks to someone somewhere work comes in regularly and needs to be dealt with.
“I reckon Lord Clo and Lady Violet are dealing with paperwork right now, are they not…?”
“I guess so. They said they would finish the work at home, so they could be ready to respond to emergencies anytime.”
“In other words, right now they are in the office… *koff*”
“That’s true, I heard that both of them are in the office.”
Huh, I feel like I’ve heard about a situation like this somewhere.
Yes, the third party who would normally be there is somewhere else for some reason.
And that third party is unable to move because they’re out or they’re sick.
And there’s also the office, that’s a little distance away from here.
“I heard that the Territory Lord who built this mansion built it quite well…”
“…Oh, you mean how it can stop sounds from leaking out under certain conditions or something? Seriously, what was the lord who built it thinking—this is not the time to talk about that right now. So what are you getting at?”
“Father and Mother in a closeted room, with no interruptions, as Mother is in a different mental state than usual…”
“Hmm?”
And I came to a conclusion.
“In other words, I can have a Little Sister or Little Brother soon…!?”
“Wrong.”
However, the conclusion I came up with was quickly denied.
Is it my imagination or was the denial more straightforward than usual?
“But I’ve heard that if a couple gets along well, they can have a child…”
“You’re not mistaken, but you’re wrong. It’s true that they get along, but they’re certainly not in the kind of a situation you mentioned. Rather, if they were really in the kind of situation you described while you’re in this condition, they would be the worst actually.”