Reus, who uncharacteristically failed to manage his expression, paused for a moment. Then, as if he had found an appropriate answer, he finally opened his mouth and spoke.

“…I will have the physician prepare some medicine.”

“No, no…! I have already taken medicine.”

Roel hurriedly pointed to the empty medicine packets on the side table. Three empty packets could be seen.

“I usually don’t respond well to medicine… If I sleep deeply for a day or two, I will be fine. So you don’t have to worry. Really.”

Instantly, Reus’s mood plummeted to an unbearable level.

Even if she recovered right away, he would not feel at ease, let alone the fact that she said she needed to be ill for another day or so.

Also, her words about not needing to worry.

The latter was something he used to say all the time, but it particularly irked him more.

Still, it didn’t seem like she was lying this time.

‘If medicine doesn’t work, I can just use my power.’

The power Reus spoke of was the healing power passed down in the Rochester family.

However, the problem was that the healing power Reus currently possessed was incomplete and unstable.

The incompleteness was due to a certain incident that struck the Rochester family, and the instability was because the feeble healing power was forcibly restoring Reus’s wounds.

And this healing power flowing in the Rochester family could not originally be used on oneself. However, as an exception, when one’s life was in danger or suffered injuries of that level, the power would self-heal the body to protect its vessel.

This was the case for Reus, who had been severely injured during a recent monster subjugation expedition.

So for the sake of his own body, it was absolutely desirable not to disperse that power.

If he used that power on others even once in this state, it was certain that the healing power would become so faint that he wouldn’t be able to feel its existence for days.

Accordingly, it was obvious that the recovery of his own wounds would be noticeably slowed, but Reus didn’t care about that at all.

Right now, his only concern was that if the power was dispersed, the healing power for Roel might be insufficient.

“Exactly where does it hurt?”

A faint wariness settled in Roel’s eyes.

Why is this man acting like this again?

Roel filled her eyes with all sorts of emotions without knowing that Reus was accurately reading the meaning in her eyes. Yet she still diligently answered.

“Other areas are fine, but the abdominal pain is a bit severe…”

Reus pondered for a moment and asked as carefully as possible so as not to scare Roel.

“May I examine it myself?”

Roel’s gaze wavered slightly in surprise.

Abdominal pain?

‘Then does he mean he wants to see my stomach?’

The healing power Reus possessed required contact as a basis. That was why he had cupped Roel’s swollen cheek with his hand to heal it inside the carriage before.

The surprise was only momentary. Roel soon recalled the incident in the carriage on the way to the Rochester ducal castle not long ago.

‘Ah, he meant he would directly heal me…’

Although Reus’s kindness was unfamiliar, Roel slowly nodded her head.

As permission was granted, a thick hand covered her stomach. Her frame was so thin and slender that Reus’s one hand almost entirely covered Roel’s stomach.

‘No wonder she eats so little.’

The delicate body was very unsatisfactory, but for now, he moved his hand.

As the large hand gently rubbed over the flat stomach, the body that was already overly tense stiffened even more at the unfamiliar touch.

Roel’s stiffness was vividly felt through Reus’s palm. However, Reus paid no heed and continued to stroke her stomach very slowly, tenderly enough to be slightly ticklish.

Before long, healing power flowed into the abdominal area. Feeling the warm energy, the body naturally relaxed its tension.

The pain gradually decreased and became faint, and warmth permeated her stomach as Roel’s eyelids grew heavier.

If a sick person becomes drowsy, they should just go to bed, but for some reason, she was trying her best to fight off sleep with all her might, as if something worried her greatly.

Reus, who knew she was enduring because of him, moved his other hand to cover her eyes that looked like they would close at any moment.

“You should fall asleep now.”

And he infused an energy that was not healing power but could provide stability.

Soon, the eyelashes that tickled Reus’s palm fluttered a few times and then completely stopped, and the steadily escaping breaths tickled the edge of his palm.

In this way, Reus remained by her side for a long time even after Roel had fallen into a deep sleep.

* * *

‘It doesn’t hurt at all.’

I lay still, staring intently at the ceiling.

Normally, I would have to hold my stomach, groaning in pain, unable to get up for a long time. But now, far from abdominal pain, my body felt so light that it felt awkward.

At that moment, the incident with Reus from late yesterday afternoon came to mind in a hazy way.

Even recalling it again, it was a scene that lacked any sense of reality.

Reus…

‘Is he lenient towards sick people?’

If not, there was no way to explain the sudden change.

‘He didn’t even want to have a conversation with me until I got sick.’

Just thinking about yesterday morning proved that. Didn’t he maintain a dissatisfied expression throughout the meal time?

Indeed, Reus seemed to be the type who had a soft spot for sick people.

I’m grateful that he cared for me, but…

‘He hated people interfering with his own sickness so much.’

With mixed feelings, I headed to the bathroom. By the time I returned to the bedroom, Reus was guarding the bed.

‘Why did he come again…?’

At this hour when he should be working in the office, Reus was in the bedroom.

I didn’t know the reason, but for now, I timidly moved my steps to the bed where Reus was sitting. Until I settled myself back on the bed, no particular words were heard from him.

Just as I was getting more curious about the reason for his visit, a sudden thought occurred to me.

‘Anyway, I should thank him for yesterday…’

But recalling that incident made me feel strangely flushed. Unable to meet his eyes, I only looked at Reus’s innocent legs.

“Um… Thank you, Your Grace. Thanks to you, I feel much better…”

While speaking, Reus cupped my chin and cheeks, lifting my face, forcing me to meet his eyes.

Deeply flustered, I quickly averted my eyes, but he didn’t seem to mind as he intently gazed at my face.

And soon, Reus’s touch that had been cupping my face moved to my forehead.

His hand went from my forehead to my cheek, and from my cheek to the nape of my neck in turn.

Reus, who had been checking if the fever had sufficiently subsided by touching the back of his hand and the inside of his wrist, muttered in a low voice.

“It seems you still have a fever.”

“No…! I’m really fine now…”

“If you feel any discomfort, don’t try to hide it and tell me now.”

“I’m truly fine now… Really.”

I explained my current condition and even my mood to Reus, who still had doubtful eyes. Only then did the somewhat clumsy yet gentle touch leave me.

Reus’s touch had left, but strangely, the heat seemed to intensify.

* * *

Since that day, Reus did not lash out at me.

That didn’t mean he treated me kindly like when I was sick, but even this was a big enough change for me.

‘Even now.’

At Reus’s direct order to buy medicinal ingredients and magical tools that were good for the body, things were arriving for me today as well.

“This is a very famous medicinal ingredient used during menstruation in the Eastern Continent. And this is a tool that warms the stomach, and this is very good for replenishing energy…”

As I listened absentmindedly to the explanation of the head maid Beryl while nodding my head, a thought occurred to me.

‘Could it be that he still thinks I’m sick?’

Come to think of it, the menu that was served on the table during lunchtime today was also slightly different from usual.

Normally, the meals were based on wheat-based foods with the definite inclusion of meat, but today, it consisted of foods that were clearly easy to digest and dishes that I particularly enjoyed eating.

‘I’ve been constantly cared for since that day.’

Receiving Reus’s consideration, which I couldn’t experience often, somehow made me want him to continue treating me as a patient…

‘No…! This is not proper etiquette towards someone who is worried. Let’s stop the bad thoughts.’

It crossed my mind for a very brief moment.

Soon, Beryl, who finished explaining the last magical tool, took me to Reus’s office.

‘Today, I should properly convey my gratitude.’

As I was about to knock on the door while taking a moment to prepare myself, a voice came from inside saying that I could come in, and the door opened almost immediately.

I thought his voice seemed to be getting a little louder, but I didn’t expect Reus to be standing right in front of the door like this.

Surprised, I reflexively tried to take a big step back but ended up misstepping.

“Ah…”

But before I could sit down, Reus pulled me in and easily straightened me up.

“Thank you…”

But Reus’s expression, which had been quite alright until just now, subtly creased.

He didn’t seem to be the type of person originally, but these days, I couldn’t understand why his mood changed so abruptly.

‘Ah… Is it because I’m all better now?’

Constantly glancing at his expression, I carefully entered the office. As I cautiously took my seat, Reus finally settled in the seat across from me.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Yes, thanks to you. I’m grateful that you took care of even the trivial things despite the inconvenience.”

I sincerely conveyed my gratitude for the treatment he gave me that day, the numerous medicinal ingredients and magical tools, and even the small considerations… But it seemed that it wasn’t a satisfactory expression of gratitude.

Reus’s brows furrowed even more than before.

I thought he was worried about me, but was it my misconception again?

Perhaps the sensitive energy from returning from the battlefield, as Dwin said, might be lasting a bit longer.

But then Reus spoke.

“It’s not an inconvenience.”

“…Pardon?”

“It’s not an inconvenience, so there’s no need for you to be so conscious of my mood.”