“Are you alright? Your complexion became extremely bad and you were about to collapse.”

“Is your body not feeling well? Don’t tell me you overdid it even before defeating the zombie?”

The warmth transmitted from the two people supporting me with worried faces brought me back to reality.

「Hey! Are you okay?」

Even Zero, who was angry about the abnormality in the status window, worried about me, tapping my cheek with her small hand.

At that sight, I was able to restore my rationality that had been driven to its limit.

It’s okay.

‘……I’m fine, Zero. A scary popup appeared.’

「You…….」

Zero tried to dig deeper, but I declined as it was unpleasant.

“Rus, Michael, I’m fine. I think the tension had built up, and fatigue hit me all at once. Or perhaps I had a sip of liquor earlier, and it might have been a strong drink.”

「You didn’t drink anything like that. You’re lying.」

Sometimes, you need to overlook things and let them go, Zero.

“……Are you really okay?”

“It doesn’t seem so.”

Rus and Michael were still restless, not letting go of me.

“If you’re sick, let me examine you with magic.”

“Or shall I bless you with divine power?”

I declined their kind offer because the blow had been to my mind, not my body.

“It’s okay. This will be cured by a good night’s sleep.”

“……Even if that’s the case, overdoing it isn’t good for your health. If that could be cured by sleep, then there wouldn’t be believers coming for healing through divine power.”

“Uh…… I was about to say that it was an invincible hangover……”

Michael looked at me as if I was a child who was put on the spot.

“You’ll collapse like this.”

Ugh. I was about to say it’s an invincible hangover, so what?

……But I couldn’t say that and weakly protested.

“Aren’t I, the master and the final decisionmaker of this mansion, supposed to set an example, especially at times like this?”

I knew that a taunt of when did I ever take care of those below me would come back.

Instead of teasing, Rus and Michael poured out nagging.

“Did you overwork yourself, knowing that?”

“I’m telling you, no!”

Hey, Rus Krichten. Who really overworked? It’s you, right…….

I wanted to tell Rus to look in the mirror. With dark circles under his eyes that covered them like a panda’s, and now burst blood vessels on the whites of his eyes, he looked like a zombie.

I wanted to ask Michael for help, but he unusually sided with Rus and scolded me.

“The magician is right. Especially at times like this, Your Grace should also take care of your health.”

“But……”

“It’s natural that people under a trusted ruler will be more confused if they lose that ruler. Don’t overdo it today and rest.”

Michael glanced at the zombie corpse for a moment and turned back to me.

“If there’s more information to come from that corpse, the magician and I will find it out together.”
“Of course. Your Grace, please go in and get some more sleep. You are the center of attention here, and if you were to collapse, the servants’ hearts would be disturbed.”

‘I’m really fine…’

It was unfair to be treated as a patient just because I had stumbled a little.

But I could no longer withstand the strong insistence of the two men who were already trying to send me out of the basement.

“……All right. Then I’ll leave the night watch to you two tonight, but both Mr. Luus and Commander Michael should not overdo it and rest before it gets too late.”

“I promise.”

“We promise.”

‘It feels like they’re going to stay up all night…’

But since I can’t stop them anymore, that’s that.

I eventually turned and escaped from the basement.

Seeing that the status window was littered with errors, I figured there would be little gain for Luus to dig for more information.

‘Showing a weak appearance. Sigh.’

I sighed, holding a flame in my right hand and heading to my bedroom, and Zero muttered softly on my shoulder.

「You know.」

“Yeah. Zero.”

「Don’t get hurt.」

It was a word far from the usual attitude, prickling like a thorn and complaining.

“What’s going on? What’s the matter? I didn’t know you could say such sweet words.”

「Can’t I say sweet words? Hmph. If my assigned host falls ill, my time off will be delayed!」

He added that it was for his own sake, but Zero’s warm words comforted me.

I was able to enjoy a moment of peace in this lonely and unfamiliar world, without knowing a single person.

“No, thank you.”

「Heh…… Hmph. Then take better care of me! And yourself too!」

‘Cheeky, but cute.’

“Yes. I will.”

I’m not alone.

For now, that alone was enough.

“You know, Zero.”

「What.」

“If Luus tries to stay up all night, knock him out with your power so he gets some sleep. If he collapses, I can’t make use of a good worker…….”

I have to refill the food storage that has shrunk due to the party.

For that, I definitely needed Luus’s food collection skill… No, magic.

“You’ll do it? Hehe.”

「I got it, I got it.」

Zero agreed, making a face that said he couldn’t be stopped.

With that confirmed, I felt at ease. At the same time, fatigue hit me.

‘Ah…… I was really tired.’

Apparently, I had been troubled by the zombies that had come close to the Duke’s residence without me realizing it.

I tilted my head briefly towards the brightly lit hall. The sound of laughter was cheerful and pleasant to hear.

Happiness radiated from those who looked joyful.

‘……I wish those people wouldn’t die.’

Is there no way to achieve a happy ending together?

With a heavy heart, I returned to my dark bedroom.

‘I wish it were all a dream when I opened my eyes.’

But I knew better than anyone that such a miracle wouldn’t happen.

「Goodnight, host.」

Kindly, Zero turned off the light.

I replied quietly.

“Goodnight, Zero.”

May the worst days not come again.