“I’m sorry…… Huu……”

When Aeli didn’t respond, the child slowly added an apology and started crying.

Since quite some time had already passed since the fever had risen, I was certain that if the child cried even more here, the condition would truly become serious.

In fact, the red spots that had been all over the body were gradually creeping up to the face.

– …… Adi, first…….

Let’s continue talking after your condition improves a little.

Just as Aeli, who had been hesitating not knowing what to do, was about to open her mouth to soothe the child,

The attic door opened with the sound of hurried footsteps. When I turned around, Mari was looking this way with a half-crying face next to the butler who had a troubled expression.

‘…… When did she come?’

There was no time for the question to be resolved. Mari, who had confirmed the child’s hair slightly visible between the blankets, took big strides forward.

“Young master!”

“Uuwaah……”

“Are, are you in so much pain that you’re crying? The fever… The fever is too high……!”

To the child who was turning his head towards Aeli’s direction and making small crying sounds, Mari panicked greatly and blurted out words incoherently while flustering.

Mari moved to lift the child with the blanket and lay him back on the bed. It was clearly an action that came from not knowing how long he had been lying on the cold floor.

At that moment, with resolute words, the butler who snatched the child from Mari’s arms and held him, shook his head.

“No disease will get better in a room like this.”

“But… but he’s crying like this. He usually doesn’t act spoiled unless it’s really necessary!”

Though surely not the intention of the person in question.

Aeli couldn’t help but become solemn at Mari’s statement, which was heard along with a scream-like tearing sound.

After all, the image the child had shown her during the short period of just over a month was generally that of a spoiled, childish person.

She didn’t even dream that he had been showing signs without her knowing.

“That’s why it can’t be done even more. Look at the state of this room. The sun has already risen this much, does this temperature make sense in this season?”

“……”

“Rather, it’s a thousand blessings that he hasn’t been seriously ill until now.”

The butler turned his back and left the attic, continuing to speak.

“For now, I’ll be in the young master’s original room, so you go and call the doctor right away.”

“…… Yes.”

Mari, who had been angry at the butler’s words, bowed her head deeply and hurriedly went down the stairs. It was an amazing speed, as if she was sliding rather than running.

“Oh, my……”

– …….

Of course, even then, the child’s gaze remained fixed on me.

“It seems his strength suddenly weakened, causing his immunity to drop. The fever is quite high, but it’s just a simple cold, and we’ve finished prescribing medication, so let’s wait and see for now.”

“Um, so… is he really alright now?”

“If the medicine takes effect. Strangely, even when prescribing the same medicine, it seems to have minimal effect on the young master… I would try a stronger medicine, but since the amount won’t be much, it might be difficult to see a great effect.”

“What?”

“He’s still young, so we can’t carelessly abuse medication. If used excessively, his body won’t be able to handle it, so we need to adjust while keeping in mind that it could become poison instead.”

Saying that while fiddling with his glasses frame, the doctor really seemed troubled. As an added bonus, he was muttering quietly, ‘I’ve never seen a case like this before…..’

Mari, who had been quietly listening to the doctor’s words, seemed to be contemplating for a while, biting her lips, then softly called the butler.

It meant that there was something to be said separately, so let’s meet outside for a moment.

‘Seeing as they want to talk outside, it must be something that can’t be said inside.’

Although she was curious, Aeli couldn’t bring herself to follow Mari and the butler.

Why?

“Mmm……”

– Shh. There are people here, so let’s talk a little later.

“……”

– Instead, I’ll stay here. Will that make Adi feel a little more at ease?

After Mari and the butler had slipped out.

The child, left alone with the doctor, was slowly following her whereabouts, moving his eyes. Even with eyes full of drowsiness, as the effect of the medicine was gradually rising, he did so.

If she followed them out, he would probably make a fuss again, telling her not to go.

…… And this time, since there was a witness, there was no guarantee that the words wouldn’t leak out.

She could gloss over it by saying he was seeing things and talking because he was sick, but that wouldn’t necessarily be the best option either.

For that reason.

“……”

Aeli stared blankly at the child who was quietly making eye contact with her, lying on a large and soft bed after a long time.

It was a few minutes later when the child, who had been constantly moving his lips after hearing her words, closed his eyes with a swish.

It hadn’t taken very long, so she didn’t know the exact time.

Although they said the medicine doesn’t work well, it seemed that it wasn’t completely ineffective.

– …… Sleep well.

To the child who was going to sleep looking much more comfortable than before, Aeli opened her mouth with a slightly choked-up heart.

Whether her thoughts were too many or her head had become empty, she couldn’t utter any more words.

It was when she was staring at the sleeping child in a daze.

“We’ll look after the young master, so you can go now.”

“What? But……”

“It’s dawn, isn’t it? I saw you researching late yesterday, so if you’re really worried, just tell us the precautions and go get some sleep for a while.”

If you make a mistake while dozing off, we’ll all end up on the guillotine. The butler, who had naturally opened the door and entered, added jokingly.

The content somehow didn’t seem like a joke, but it was too brutal to have much effect.

The doctor nodded quickly with a grim expression and a pale face.

Hurriedly packing his things and standing up, the doctor opened his mouth.

“Then, just in case, I’ll leave emergency medicine on the table.”

“Alright.”

“This bluish liquid medicine is for when the fever rises severely, the yellow pills on the opposite side are for when the skin rash doesn’t disappear even after an hour has passed, and the red powder behind is for when the respiratory tract swells and he has difficulty breathing……”

“I understand, thank you.”

“Ah, and the dosage is the same for the liquid medicine and powder, one teaspoon each. For the pills, you should split them in half and give only one side, but if more dosage is needed, consultation with an expert is necessary, so please be sure to call me—”

“Yes, yes. Then, take care on your way back.”

The doctor’s mouth didn’t stop even while being pushed on the back, as he seemed to have many worries.

Aeli gauged whether what he was worried about was the child’s health or their necks.

…… It seems the latter weighs more heavily.

“Ah! And there’s something I didn’t get to mention, if by any chance the fever doesn’t go down by evening, it could strain the brain, so at that time it would be good to call a priest for treatment—”

“……”

– …….

“Nng……”

As the doctor who had been talking non-stop until the very end left, the child’s room was suddenly enveloped in silence.

Whatever conversation they had, the atmosphere between the two seemed to have become awkward abruptly.

‘That looks… more like faces of people who had an uncomfortable conversation rather than a fight.’

It was the moment when Aeli, who had known Mari for a long time and could read the situation to some extent by looking at her expression, tilted her head.

“So it seems some explanation is needed as to why the young master was staying in the attic. What do you think?”

The butler, who was looking at the sleeping child with a complicated expression, asked Mari in a low voice.

Mari hesitated before answering.

“He said he would stay there since his birthday passed last year.”

“And you didn’t try to stop him?”

“I tried, but his will was so firm……”

As Mari trailed off, the butler sighed and said.

“While the lady was absent and the duke was not staying at the mansion, there was no one to serve in this duke’s household except the young master. For quite a long time. You know that better than anyone, don’t you?”

“…… Yes,”

“No matter how much we are employed by the duke’s family, as humans, we can’t be confident that there won’t be moments when we become lax in such a situation.”

“……”

“You should have corrected that in time. At least, you should have put in place minimal measures to ensure they didn’t forget what position the person they serve holds.”

And for the young master, his quarters were exactly that.

To the butler who spoke while rubbing his brow as if he had a headache, Mari retorted as if choked up.

“But the young master is a young lord without such things!”

“That’s right.”

“Everyone knows that the young master is the child of the duke and lady, and everything in this mansion is no different from being the young master’s, so why should that be proven to the servants?”

“That’s exactly why it should have been done even more.”

“…… Pardon?”

Mari asked back with round eyes as if bewildered.

But as the words continued from the butler’s mouth, her raised head gradually lowered.

“It’s an attic that even the servants wouldn’t use.”

“……”

“As he is the son of the lady you’ve served for a long time, you probably wanted him to do whatever he wished.”

Sometimes, not only bloodline but also differences in living standards can remind one of their position. The butler said.

He was a young child who couldn’t maintain discipline among the servants by himself.

Position makes the person. Considering the overall aspects of the child’s life, including the state of his clothes, it seemed to coincide at a glance, so in the end, the butler’s opinion was correct.

Aeli, listening to all those words. Just closed her eyes. Mari also remained without any reaction.

The butler opened his mouth in a low voice.

“There will be quite a lot to report to the duke.”

It was no different from a warning that a storm was coming.