IBHGDH 12

Chapter 12

I’ll just eat a little so no one notices.

Esiel nodded as if making up her mind. She picked up a fork and stabbed a strawberry slice from the topping. As she lifted it into the air, golden syrup dripped down under gravity.

She admired the sight for only a moment before quickly putting the strawberry into her mouth.

“Wow!”

Before she even had time to chew the fruit, the syrup that touched her tongue delivered a shocking taste she had never experienced in either her past or present life.

For a brief moment, it felt like stars flashed before her eyes.

A few minutes passed.

“Huh? I ate it all! What do I do…?”

When she finally came to her senses, the plate was already empty. Esiel quietly set down the fork.

“Calm down… calm down.”

She slowly backed away from the empty plate. Contrary to her words, her mind was completely blank. The more she tried to think, the more it felt like her thoughts turned into a white sheet of paper.

And unfortunately, that was when it happened—the owner of the room returned.

“Why would you need to calm down?”

Romford’s flat voice echoed through the quiet room.

“G-Grand Duke!”

Startled, Esiel turned around and tried to hide the empty plate from him. Romford stood leaning against the doorframe, watching her. She had no idea how long he had been there.

This is the Grand Duke Romford’s room…! Ah, I’m doomed!

“Judging from how flustered you are, you’ve caused trouble again.”

“……”

“You even came into my room without permission.”

Romford’s eyebrow twitched slightly as he finished speaking. Esiel quickly tried to explain.

“I-it’s not really trouble… just a small mistake, I mean—”

“That’s for me to decide.”

He walked forward indifferently, steadily closing the distance between them. Esiel’s heart pounded wildly with tension.

In just a few steps, he was already right in front of her.

“Sorry!”

Esiel shouted in panic. Her eyelashes trembled beneath tightly shut eyes.

Whether or not he would forgive her for eating all his food was one thing—but entering his room without permission was another uncertain matter.

“The plate is empty.”

Romford’s gaze shifted from the plate to Esiel. He reached out and grabbed her shoulder, pushing her toward the door with rough force.

“Get out.”

“…Huh?”

But something about his hand felt strange.

The warmth was slightly higher than her own body temperature. And just as she noticed that, his hand disappeared from her shoulder.

Esiel turned around and called out to him as he walked away.

“Grand Duke… are you sick?”

The small child with red hair was trembling.

At a glance, she looked frightened.

Whatever had been on the plate had nothing to do with Romford. He wouldn’t have eaten it anyway. It was the chef’s effort and sincerity—an attempt to fulfill responsibility toward the health of his employer and master.

If anything, the proper outcome would be for the plate to return empty. That alone would satisfy the chef, who had never seen such a result since being employed.

Whether he should praise the trembling child for that… or punish her for entering his room without permission and draw his sword—Romford couldn’t decide.

He was thinking.

A rare occurrence.

Normally, he would have drawn his blade without hesitation. He had no intention of allowing even the slightest trace of another person in his bedroom.

And yet now, he was hesitating over something so absurd.

Not even guilt should have been possible for someone like him—so why?

“G-Grand Duke?”

Esiel’s soft voice reached his ears.

He did not respond and instead walked toward the bed.

Esiel blinked repeatedly. For a moment, the usual cold sharpness in his eyes was gone.

Why did he just send me out without punishment? Is the Grand Duke Romford… actually sick?

As she wondered this, Romford lay down on the bed.

It was still afternoon. Far too early to sleep.

He shifted restlessly, as if trying to take a nap.

This was wrong. If there was ever a moment to escape, it should be now—when his guard was lowered.

But Esiel only tilted her head and watched him.

The order to leave still echoed in her mind.

“Get out.”

Yet her feet did not move.

His black hair spilled across the white pillow, half-hidden under the blanket, creating a strange contrast.

The warmth from his earlier touch still lingered on her shoulder.

Finally, she took a step.

But not toward the door.

Instead, she approached him.

“Grand Duke… what’s wrong?”

She couldn’t ignore the strange feeling she had sensed earlier. This Romford was different from the usual cold and sharp man she knew.

She circled near his head, fidgeting with her dress hem. Then, as if making up her mind, she tiptoed and leaned closer to his face.

Romford lay still, breathing quietly with his eyes closed. His breath sounded slightly rough.

Is he sleeping?

Maybe she was overstepping. Perhaps he was simply resting due to heavy work. Or maybe he had finished everything early and fallen asleep.

Still, she couldn’t leave.

Esiel clenched and unclenched her small hands.

Then she reached toward his forehead.

It was hot.

Much hotter than normal.

“Grand Duke, your forehead is burning! Are you sick?”

A summer cold—the kind even dogs don’t catch.

Romford rarely got sick. Constant battles and overwhelming workload had made him physically resilient. For him to fall ill was almost unheard of.

He has a fever… a cold? Do others know?

He did not respond.

Esiel looked between him and the door repeatedly.

Tap—tap—tap.

Quick footsteps echoed down the hallway.

Esiel was rushing toward the kitchen.

There was nothing better than “that” for treating a cold.

It was a dish she had learned from her previous life, made with her grandmother’s recipe.

When she had once served it to sick children at the daycare she worked at, they had all made sour faces at first—but soon returned empty plates with bright smiles.

It was both tasty and nutritious, suitable for everyone.

“Dopni! Dopni!”

Her urgent voice rang out.

Dopni rushed out of the kitchen, startled.

“What’s going on?!”

“Do you have pears here right now? Fruit—fruit!”

“Pears…?”

Dopni frowned deeply, the word sounding unfamiliar.

“D-don’t tell me you don’t have any…?”

Esiel’s face tightened in panic, and she began stamping her feet anxiously.

“There are some… but not prepared. You’d have to pick them from the backyard trees. Why?”

As expected of a grand estate, they weren’t absent. It was just that pears weren’t a commonly used fruit in this world.

In this place, pears were severely underrated. Most people would rather eat radish than a pear.

But Esiel knew—it was the perfect remedy for a cold.

“The backyard?! Thank you!”

Leaving a confused Dopni behind, Esiel rushed out.

She quickly realized she didn’t even know the way, but that wasn’t a major problem.

Because she soon ran into Perudin in the hallway.

“Why are you here? Where are you going?”

He had a red-bound etiquette book tucked under his arm.

“Perudin! How do I get to the backyard?”

“The backyard? Why are you going there?”

“Come with me—lead the way!”

“W-what? Hey, fine, stop pushing!”

Perudin was startled as Esiel pushed him forward, but soon his eyes sparkled as if he had found a new game.

The backyard was accessible through a side door on the first floor.

It contained vast farmland and orchards.

There… pear trees.

Esiel scanned the area quickly and spotted a small group of pear trees in the corner.

She smiled and ran toward them.

Perudin narrowed his eyes in confusion, then hurried after her shouting, “Hey! Wait for me!”