‘How can the side effects be treated?’

Each person would show different symptoms of fatigue. The side effects that appeared on Lea could manifest differently in Akiya.

After all, there are physical differences between women and men. Rams’s words from earlier in the day continued to circle her mind.

Only the words from Rams that any circulating treatment method was just a rumor remained. Eventually, a restless Lea opened her eyes.

“It’s hot.”

Could it be a fever due to worrying about the side effects? Oddly, Lea had felt the room was stuffy for some time.

She looked at her sweaty shirt and took off the thin clothing she was wearing.

“Ah, strange. Why is it so hot?”

A momentary relief when taking off her clothes, and then the burning heat returned. It felt like all the moisture in her body had evaporated, as if standing next to the sun.

‘What’s happening?’

Although it was summer, the capital had more wind than Count Heidern’s territory. Fanning herself, Lea eventually couldn’t overcome the heat and abruptly stood up from the bed.

‘It’s not even the hottest part of summer yet?’

Feeling something strange, Lea began to touch her own body. Wherever her hand reached, it felt like it would melt in the heat, and Lea was startled.

“What’s going on…? Why is my body so hot?”

As if her body was engulfed in flames, the heat seemed to increase. A deep sense of anxiety crept up her neck.

With the familiar warmth, Lea’s hands finally trembled.

“Could it be.”

The sensation poking her lower abdomen from earlier was familiar.

It was like…

“That night felt the same.”

Naturally, the memory of that night entangled Lea’s mind. Her own figure, bowing her head while on top of the Count’s body.

Realizing she couldn’t stay like this, Lea abruptly stood up. If this is indeed a manifestation of the side effects, the events of that night would repeat.

“That can’t happen.”

‘Absolutely not!’

Facing the Count is already hard enough with just the memories of that day. Repeating it is absolutely unacceptable. With that thought, Lea bit her lip tightly.
There was no time for hesitation. The only thought was to cool off with a cold bath.

Exiting the room, Lea wandered in search of a bathroom.

Initially, she thought she could manage for about an hour, but the side effects progressed more quickly than anticipated. With each step, her legs felt as heavy as a waterlogged sponge.

Finally, unable to go much further, Lea leaned against a wall and exhaled deeply. Before she knew it, her camisole was soaked with sweat.

“Haa… Haa…”

Her trembling legs seemed about to give way at any moment. Lea desperately held onto her fading consciousness.

If she were to collapse in the hallway now, Count Heidern might find her. Driven by the thought that she must cool off somehow, she took step by step forward.

Each movement was accompanied by a crushing sensation. Shivers ran up her legs, causing her body to tremble uncontrollably.

“I’m going crazy…”

Where the hell is the bathroom? The unfamiliar mansion and her impaired condition made even locating a bathroom vexing.

Then Lea’s eyes landed on a door. A small console table blocked its front, but anyone could tell it was undoubtedly a bathroom.

Lea had no time to ponder why the console table was there; she promptly entered.

There was no time to remove her soaked camisole. She immersed her body slowly into the bathtub filled with cold water, causing the water to splash out.

As the boiling heat within her subsided a bit, only then did Lea sigh in relief.

“Haa.”

Even if the tub’s water was quickly heated by her body temperature, she felt relieved for extinguishing the urgent fire.

‘I did enough.’

At this point, energy drained from Lea’s entire body.

‘I wish I could just fall asleep like this.’

Then, perhaps ‘the side effects might pass?’ she dreamt futilely, about to close her heavy eyes, when—

The sound of a turning doorknob echoed in the bathroom.

‘Who…?’

Lea’s halfclosed eyes shifted toward the slowly opening door.

Despite her blurred and foggy vision, the approaching figure was unmistakably clear—as if engraved in her memory.

‘Why?’

Why was that man here? The one person she should be avoiding right now was him.

Lea clenched her lips tightly.

“Lea.”

At the sound that reverberated in her ears, every sense in Lea’s body woke up. Because the man’s single word melted away the tension that had armored her entire body.

“Why are you here?”

From the moment she decided to come to the bathroom—through countless moments of endured agony—all of it dissipated. Lea could no longer deny it.

That she desired that man.