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It has been a week since I came to Cerceus’s manor.
In the meantime, Erhan has been surprisingly healthy, except for the fact that he once collapsed due to dizziness and was seriously ill.
When Erhan began to have a cold sweat, Ferelmen gave him some prescription and asked him to rest inside his chamber.
“This situation just frequently happens.”
Erhan feels sedated by Ferelmen’s prescription and lies on the bed with his eyes half-closed.
However, I was not happy to see this little boy suffer.
“Tomorrow morning, you will be alright.”
As things were unfolding right now, I knew that he was going to die.
Therefore, even if Ferelmen leave this territory right now, there’s no telling when Erhan would be cured.
“Lise, you can go now. I will stay here.”
“I disagree madam. Madam can retreat and rest right now since I’ve heard that madam has an important task for tomorrow morning.”
I sat by Erhan’s bedside as I started to soak a towel to reduce his temperature.
“I am the doctor’s assistant. Last time, I also stayed up all night while taking care of the Young Master.”
The Duchess felt a little hesitated but eventually nodded and left the room after saying,
“Very well.”
So I stayed up all night by Erhan’s side.
“…Lise?”
Erhan suddenly awakened in the middle of the night with his pale and white face. His black midnight eyes stared at me.
“Sleep, Master Erhan.”
I patted his hand as my green eyes stared back at the precious little boy.
“Today… this time and next time… will you still stay here.”
“Yes, I will stay by your side until you regain your health tomorrow.”
Eran reached out his hand helplessly.
‘You look like a baby…’
I grinned as I held his hand.
“Yes, I’ll hold your hand. Go back to sleep.”
“Okay..”
He closed his eyes again and muttered.
“…Stay here.”
“I will.”
Even though he was growing up well, Erhan woke up a few times that night just to make sure if I was still there.
Such a deep and lonely night has passed.
I couldn’t find any other symptoms that night either.
The cause of his illness was still unknown.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that there was no possible factor. Ever since I’ve stayed up two nights taking care of him, Erhan started to open up to me.
Besides, Erhan was spending his decent lifestyle as I wanted him to be.
That’s why, every day we seem to be living our life really well.
“Wow, Master Eran! You seem to be faster than yesterday!”
I would cheer and stared in amazement while looking at Erhan. He will be running vigorously towards an enormous aesthetic tree.
“Run! Run! You need to develop your immunity!”
No matter how different we were, I was in a position to make him speak more comfortably.
Erhan, who had run a few laps, sat next to me, trying to relax.
“I ran one lap more than yesterday.”
“How do you feel? You feel good after moving frequently, don’t you?”
“Yes, I feel very refreshed.”
I wiped off his sweat and let him drink lukewarm water.
During the break, I always prepared a nutritious sandwich for him.
It was for him to get used to eating more healthy dishes and not refusing to eat.
“You have to eat everything without leaving any leftovers. Then I will play with you.” (tn: omg lise you sound like that trash but in a good way.)1
Fortunately, Eran had no objection to me feeding him.
“I am sure you will sleep well tonight, too.”
“I shuppose sho.”
Eran replied with a muzzle because his mouth was full.
I kept glancing at him and he seemed cute no matter how much I thought about it.
I didn’t like children very much, but there were many children who followed me in the nursery.
I even wiped Erhan’s sweaty hair slightly because I remembered how I took care of some children while in nursery.
Erhan looked at me with an excited smile and asked.
“But you said you were going to play with me. Then I don’t want to go to bed early today.”
“You have to sleep early to be strong.”
“Really?”
Erhan’s eyes narrowed satisfactorily, perhaps at this time.
“So you’re gonna be with me tonight, right?” (tn: OK that sounds so wrong)
“What?”
“You’re making me sleepy because you held my hand.”
That’s not it…
I got a little embarrassed.
I was just trying to help. Holding hands and closing my eyes helped them fall asleep quickly.
“Last night when I was sick, you held my hand and I’m all better.”
That’s not true…
It was due to the Ferelmen’s prescription. (tn: yeay we got another prim. how excited -_-)
I tried to clarify that point, but Erhan was relentless.
“I feel like I’ve been feeling better lately.”
Eran smiled and said,
“Even today, my dizziness is completely gone. I guess it’s because I slept soundly.”
“Well… I repeat, sleep is one way to regain more energy and enough sleep makes you healthy.”
After explaining, I couldn’t really help it. I worked so hard for him to trust me, so I should be able do this much…
“Okay, I’ll be with you tonight until you go to sleep.”
These conversations were repeated over and over again. Maybe tomorrow we’ll go back to square one.
I didn’t think it would matter if I slept alone, but Erhan insisted that I should be next to him.
“Not just tonight, but continuously.” (tn: lil boi get married)
“… well, s-sure”
I answered lightly.
I thought that a child would feel good if he slept well after suffering from insomnia after a long time.
“But you still have to go to bed earlier.”
‘That way, you’ll be taller and stronger.’
He seemed to have a better complexion and a richer expression than I had seen him for the first time.
‘If you raise him well, he will look cool.’
I was lost in thought when I saw him drinking water.
I’m trying for humanitarian peace like this, and I thought it would be okay to satisfy a little personal greed.
Erhan, who I saw for the last time before returning, was too unattractive that he was not worth raising.
So if you’re going to be healthy, I’m going to make it up to my taste…3
‘Your physique is splendid, so I think you can just grow more. I like a more muscular body. Then tall and strong… His voice should be a little lower when in puberty phase, right? The lower it is, the cooler he’ll be, so I should take care of his throat. I’ll have to ask them to put some of the lemon in the sandwich with a good herbs’2
The image of a young man with a slightly decadent and handsome black hair faded away. (tn: don’t bother me, i’m fangirling so hard rn)
I had a very good memory, but I couldn’t figure out why I suddenly had such an afterimage about my ideal type. (note: the after image from her dream?)
‘Have I ever seen a patient like that before I returned? That’s strange. I will be able to remember someone that handsome.’
When I glanced at the thirteen-year-old Erhan, I laughed by myself.
“Hiking is also an exercise?”
Suddenly, Eran asked me a question and I quickly erased the false idea.
“Of course.”
“Then can I go to the hill behind the castle tomorrow?”
“Great. Did you want to go there?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, I’m going tomorrow.”
His young face, smiling quietly, was full of excitement.
I stroked his cheek and smiled brightly.
Behind the castle, there was a small hill near the mountain rather than a mountain.
“Erhan, are you all right?”
“Yes.”
I can see him running out of breath, but he just shrugged and walked.
Two knights were escorting us from behind.
“Did you want to come here?”
“Wederick said there were a lot of cherries here.”
“Oh, really?”
I walked by his side with our hands intertwined together. My eyes were sparkling and excited when I heard about berries.
“Then I will have to pick a lot.”
He spoke with nonchalance as if he knew it.
“I thought you’d like it.”
“What?”
“Last time you had dinner, you saved some fruit desserts.”
“I’m from an orphanage… I save it when it’s good.”
The sky was blue with a hint of white fluffy cloud as the weather was nice. The sound of birds chirping was heard here and there.
Erhan’s hand, which held my hand tightly, was warm. The way we were walking while hearing the bird singing and spinning was peaceful.
‘I’ve never been on such a leisurely picnic like this before.’
Climbing on the hillside, we decided to have a snack for a while.
We sat side by side in the sunny spot while the guards prepared for the picnic basket.
“Good.”
“That’s great.”
Erhan came up and gave me another cherry, and I didn’t decline to eat it calmly.
“Even if it’s hard, I’m feeling healthy while enjoying at the sunlight and moving my body.”
“I’m right, aren’t I?”
I grinned and said to make amends for my receipt of the cherries.
“I picked the birthie leaves as I came up. It’ll help you grow if you eat it. Eat this herbs”
“… This looks strange.” (Erhan)
“But you said you’d do everything I told you to do.” (Lise)
He took a bite of the herbs and puked it out as if it was tasteless.
“It’s bitter. It doesn’t taste good.” (Erhan)
“Oh, don’t just talk back and eat.” (Lise)
I soothed him by forcing him to eat the birthie leaves.
“Instead, I’ll play the flute and make a ring with flowers.” (Lise)
“What’s that?” (Erhan)
“Friends always do it when they come out to play.”
It was when I was distracted for a while to find some grass flowers and inadequate grass,
I heard that the snacks were ready, I turned my head and saw a snake approaching Erhan’s ankle.
“Master Erhan!”
I dropped the grass flowers in surprise and ran to him.
If it was red-bodied and black-spotted, it must be a light toxic Erbonian snake.
If the weak Eran was bitten, it would cause a big problem.
Without time to think, I hastily hugged him and rolled over.
“Ugh!”
I felt a sour pain in my ankle.
It was not long before my view began to feel blurry.