“What if another typhoon strikes?”

From Yune’s groaning mouth, harsh breaths and hot air exhaled. Torn by the child’s suffering, Lady Fenton finally rose.

“It’s getting dark. No one is around. Riding into a storm would be disastrous… Let’s tend to Yune ourselves for now. She may improve by morning.”

“In the meantime, I’ll do my best to fix the carriage.”

The coachman, who had been watching, turned away.

The room was filled with Yune’s moans. I wanted to stay by Yune’s side, but Lady Fenton said I should leave, fearing the illness might be contagious.

The door closed, and Roger, Yurik, and I stood silently in the middle of the hallway.

Upon realizing Yune was sick, a heaviness settled in our hearts. Roger felt the same, and Yurik didn’t need to say it.

“Did your sister often have fevers?”

Roger, slouched against the wall, asked. Yurik and I also sat down.

“She’s weak. Whenever there’s a cold going around, she suffers from fevers.”

“Hmm.”

“But she’s always gotten better.”

Yurik insisted she’d get better this time too. Time heals, they say. Yune, normally so lively and active, would surely overcome this. Still, our feet seemed glued to the floor.

The dark corridor was lightless. Yune’s cries from the room sounded louder and clearer.

…Ah, did I foolishly wish to go to the sea?

“You’re overthinking, Lise.”

Roger broke the silence. While I was feeling distraught, he managed a joke. Unable to muster the energy to reply, I buried my head in my knees. Then Roger draped a blanket over my back. When did he even get a blanket?

“Just use it and stop thinking weird thoughts.”

“I’m not thinking weird thoughts.”

Roger managed to open my lips. Yurik, shifting his body, pulled the clumsily draped blanket up to my neck.

“Lise, listen to that idiot for once. You do tend to get stuck in your own thoughts.”

“Did you just call me an idiot?”

Roger was fuming, but didn’t argue with Yurik, who was taking his side. I was slightly shocked by that.

I’m stuck? Where?

When I glared at Yurik, he poked my cheek with his finger.

“…?”

Not once, but several times.

“What are you doing?”

“Loosening up your stuck thoughts.”

Hearing Yurik’s words, Roger poked my other cheek. Both cheeks poked by the two boys felt oddly…

Weird.

I can’t do this. I shouldn’t sit or stand between them in the future. This spot is not very good.
“Lise, your cheeks feel like whipped cream. So soft.”

“Huh? I was thinking the same. Doesn’t it feel like touching a baby’s skin?”

“It’s squishy too.”

“The texture is subtly nice. Could this be addictive?”

Roger and Yurik surprisingly got along well. I opened my mouth to stop their fingers from poking my cheek but eventually gave up. On second thought, I didn’t mind it that much. The laughter coming from beside me sounded quite pleasant.

“Yune! Yune! Quickly, bring some water…!”

I opened my eyes as the door swung open.

The hallway was blurry but bright. Apparently, I had fallen asleep, as the day had broken outside the window. Sitting up, I saw Yurik asleep with his face on my knees and Roger leaning on my shoulder.

“Yune! Are you okay? Yune!”

My wife’s voice rang from the open door. The urgency jolted me awake. Realizing the situation was abnormal, I shook awake the two kids resting on me.

“Yurik, Roger, wake up, quick!”

“……?”

“Uh… What is it, Lise?”

They were light sleepers.

As I jumped to my feet, both Yurik and Roger’s heads fell to the floor. Their eyes blinked in surprise at their conjoined heads.

“We need to go to the hospital right now.”

As I entered the room, I saw my wife hurriedly putting on her coat. On the bed lay Yune, paler than the day before, gasping for breath. I wondered how high her fever was. Her face was drenched in cold sweat, and her clothes were soaking wet.

“But madam, the situation outside…”

“We fixed the carriage last night, so we’ll have to use it.”

“But we don’t know when the wind will pick up again. We should call a doctor…”

“That would be too late.”

My wife had already made up her mind.

“Mother?”

“It worked out well, Yurik. You stay and guard the villa.”

Yurik and Roger, now fully awake, stood still at the threshold. After quickly assessing the situation, Yurik stepped into the room.

“I will go too.”

“No. You stay here and look after Lise and Roger.”

“Roger and Lise will be fine without me.”

“No, only Yune, myself, and two maids will ride the carriage. Any more and the repaired wheel might break again.”

Just then, the voice of the coachman preparing the carriage sounded from below. My wife carefully lifted Yune.

“Yurik, promise you’ll come back quickly, okay?”

At my wife’s words, Yurik bit his lip, unable to hide his anxiety.

“……Please take care.”