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Chapter 8
Renearn set down his teacup as if preparing to stand.
Of course, there was a possibility she was not faking illness, but he was not someone with enough free time to waste verifying it.
“So that’s the situation. Is she very unwell?”
“Yes, she suddenly developed a fever this morning……”
The Baron started rambling out an explanation.
Just then, a knock sounded.
“What is it?”
Baroness Sestol stood up. She blocked the slightly opened doorway with her body while asking the servant’s business.
It was an extremely cautious action, almost as if she were hiding a secret.
Renearn sharpened his hearing.
“Madam, the doctor has arrived.”
“We called him ages ago. Honestly…… I’ll come right away.”
Without realizing it, Renearn turned his head to look at Baroness Sestol.
‘A doctor?’
After closing the door again, she returned looking somewhat dissatisfied.
“I’m sorry. We sent a carriage for the doctor this morning, but he only arrived now.”
‘So she’s really sick and not lying?’
That woman who talked about punching bears with her fists?
The memory of how bony Minachelti’s shoulders had felt when he held her came back to him.
“Is she very ill?”
“It’s just a fever from exhaustion. Once she takes medicine, she’ll recover quickly, so there’s no need to worry.”
Baroness Sestol spoke while touching one cheek.
It felt as though she was deliberately trying to downplay Minachelti’s condition.
Like someone desperately insisting there was nothing wrong with her daughter.
Renearn changed his mind.
Perhaps it would be better to delay sending the lawsuit a little longer.
“I’m still worried. She seemed truly frightened yesterday. I was with her, yet I feel guilty for not protecting her properly.”
“Oh my. You really don’t need to concern yourself that much……”
“I would at least like to visit her while she’s sick.”
“Since you put it that way, I suppose I can’t refuse.”
Baroness Sestol let out a small sigh as though she had no choice. Still, it was obvious she was trying hard to hide her happiness.
Renearn followed her upstairs to the second floor.
And while the doctor examined Minachelti, he waited briefly in the hallway.
“It’s just a simple fever. Her temperature is a little high, so I’ll leave some fever medicine.”
“That’s all?”
“Pardon? Y-yes……”
The doctor tilted his head blankly as though asking what the problem was.
Baroness Sestol opened her mouth as if about to complain, then closed it again.
It seemed she had remembered there was a guest present.
‘Well, if someone waited three hours only for a ten-minute examination, anyone would grumble.’
Anyone would be annoyed after preparing a carriage and spending money just to receive simple fever medicine.
Of course, none of that had anything to do with him.
“Miti, Lord Kirchhoff came to visit you.”
The moment Renearn stepped into the room behind Baroness Sestol, warm air rushed toward him.
Even though it was still a little early in the season for lighting fires, logs were burning in the fireplace.
A small kettle boiling above it released white steam, and every window in the room was tightly shut.
“Then please talk comfortably.”
Baroness Sestol tactfully left the room.
He heard the door close behind him.
After rolling his slightly stiff neck, Renearn looked toward Minachelti, who was leaning against the bed.
A yellow canary was sitting on her palm.
“Are you sick?”
“Can’t you tell just by looking?”
A rebellious answer came back immediately.
At the same time, the canary pecked the back of her hand.
“Ah, that hurts!”
Minachelti protested to the bird.
The canary chirped at her as if scolding her.
‘She even fights with birds.’
One corner of Renearn’s lips twitched.
Even with her voice weakened from illness, her sharp attitude remained, and for some reason it amused him like a child.
“I thought you were pretending.”
“Your Excellency keeps judging me with such narrow-minded assumptions.”
“Did I? Then I apologize.”
Renearn apologized lightly.
At his apology, Minachelti’s expression became even more twisted.
Judging from how pale she looked, her illness did not seem fake.
The overheated room, the basin and white cloth left on the empty chair—all of it proved she was truly sick.
Still, he strangely wanted to confirm it himself.
“You talked about beating up bears, so I assumed you were healthy.”
“Did you come here just to pick a fight?”
Minachelti pouted as she argued back, and Renearn shrugged mockingly.
“In that case, may I check whether you’re actually sick?”
“What if I refuse?”
“Then I’ll send the lawsuit I prepared the moment I return.”
“So you really came here to threaten me.”
Minachelti narrowed her eyes.
“It’ll only take a moment.”
Renearn walked toward her in large steps. The closer he came, the more her neck shrank back.
Her light brown eyes trembled slightly.
They looked like milk tea made by pouring milk into dark tea.
Renearn reached toward Minachelti’s messy forehead.
Her round forehead was smaller than his palm.
‘She really is hot.’
As if proving her innocence, her skin felt damp and burning hot.
Renearn glanced at her only with his eyes.
She sat stiffly with tense shoulders, her gaze wandering restlessly.
He noticed strands of sweat-soaked hair sticking to her thin neck.
And the tight muscles there as well.
“It seems you weren’t lying.”
Renearn withdrew his hand and slipped it back into his pocket.
It still felt as though warmth lingered in his palm.
“You seem unwell, so I’ll leave for today. We can discuss the unfinished matters another time.”
“Why do you keep leaving my opinion out of the conversation?”
“Then shall we discuss it now instead? It’ll make resting difficult.”
“Just say whatever business you came for. You bothered coming all the way here anyway.”
“Are you worried about my trouble, or are you complaining because this is troublesome for you?”
“What do you think?”
“I’ll assume it’s the first.”
“Unbelievable.”
Minachelti let out a hollow laugh at Renearn’s shamelessness.
His gaze unconsciously drifted toward her slightly parted lips.
Even though her lips were dry from sickness, her expressions were surprisingly lively.
“I gave it some thought.”
“About what?”
Minachelti’s eyes sharpened.
“About how I should take advantage of this pushover and torment her.”
“Please stop acting so twisted.”
“……”
Unable to hold back anymore, Renearn frowned and spoke sharply once.
Minachelti immediately shut her mouth.
Then, unlike her usual attitude, she glanced at him cautiously.
She still looked sulky, but it seemed she had decided to stop interrupting him.
“I’ve become somewhat interested in your magic. So I’d like to make you a proposal. If you accept it, I’ll pretend yesterday’s incident never happened.”
At his words, Minachelti suddenly lifted her head.
Her widened eyes were full of shock.
Her eyes rippled like milk tea being stirred with a spoon.
“What proposal?”
Her voice rose slightly.
She sounded hopeful.
‘Did she spend all night worrying about how to pay compensation, and that’s why her fever worsened?’
Thinking that made him feel slightly sorry for her.
Maybe it was because her personality was fierce despite her small frame.
“But first, there’s one condition.”
Minachelti’s face twisted again.
She clearly disliked how he kept adding conditions instead of getting to the point.
Inside her head, she was probably cursing him for being annoyingly picky.
‘Still, considering how obediently she’s listening, it seems she understands the situation somewhat.’
Imagining logic and emotion fighting inside her overheated little head almost made him smile again.
“What is it?”
“Join the Magic Tower.”
“What?”
Minachelti’s face twisted crookedly, and her voice shot upward.
She looked ready to grab him by the collar and demand what nonsense he was talking about.
“If you want to freely use magic, you’ll need proper status, won’t you? It’ll also serve as an objective evaluation of your abilities.”
Renearn calmly explained his purpose.
“If you successfully enter the Magic Tower, then we’ll discuss my proposal afterward. It won’t be a bad deal for you either.”
“……”
Minachelti still stayed silent.
But her raised eyes seemed to say, ‘Go ahead. Keep talking, bastard.’
“You should be grateful.”
Renearn deliberately smiled brightly just to provoke her.
As expected, the wrinkle between her brows deepened.
Suppressing the urge to burst out laughing, he stepped away from the bed.
“Rest well. Take your medicine properly. And don’t run away.”
“Who said I was running away?”
“Then goodbye for now.”
Minachelti let out a hollow laugh when he abruptly ended the conversation himself.
“Seriously, he just says whatever he wants and leaves. Unbelievable.”
He heard her grumbling behind him, accompanied by the agreeing chirps of the canary.
‘She really raises something that looks just like her.’
The chirping somehow resembled her a little, and the thought made Renearn smile for no reason.
