CH 41

Characters in this chapter:

Sapphiras Perfectio, 2nd son of the Earl of Aldridge

Percival Belisario, 3rd son of Margrave of Vanderwall on the Eastern Frontier

Aurora Steinfeld, daughter of the Duke of Bloomfield

Liliana, daughter of a Viscount, Aurora’s lady-in-waiting

Clawis Omnibus Worstitters/Clawis Garcia, Crown Prince of Worstitters

“Where is this?”

I muttered involuntarily as I woke up.

The ceiling and curtains are white. No matter how I look at it, this is not my room.

“Sapphiras-sama, you have woken up.”

A strange woman with a braid called out to me with a smile.

Eh? Who are you?

My question must have shown in my expression.

“I am Merida, a servant of the Duke of Bloomfield. The master has asked me to look after Sapphiras-sama. This is the academy’s infirmary.”

“Infirmary……”

The infirmary is a room where academy students stay when they are ill or seriously injured. Students who have townhouses in the royal capital return to them when they get sick, but other students rest in the infirmary.

Why am I in that infirmary?

“If you have woken up, please drink some water first. We will prepare a meal for you soon.”

When I got up, Merida quickly put some cushions on my back so that I could get into a comfortable position and handed me some water. This is the first time in this life that I have been treated with this kind of hospitality. In Perfectio, they didn’t do anything for me, whether I was sick or not.

The water they gave me was slightly sweet with fruit juice in it. It was delicious, so I got a second helping.

“By the way, what am I doing here?”

“You collapsed from overwork. You must have been very tired. You slept for two days. The doctor says there’s nothing wrong with you except that you’re tired, so don’t worry.”

“Two days……”

Uwah, I’ve been asleep for two days since then. Confined life and malnutrition were plaguing me, and I was aware that I was weak. Still, I’ve had a lot of meat recently, so I thought it was a little better. As expected, I can’t compensate for my physical strength with magical power. I’m glad I didn’t collapse over there.

“Your schoolmates were very concerned and brought you a get-well gift. I will serve them to you as dessert after you have eaten your meal.”

On a small table in the room, there are sweets and fruits. It’s wonderfully all food. I don’t know who came to see me, but they’re people who know exactly what pleases me. Thank goodness.

“Now, please eat your meal first.”

To make it easier to eat on the bed, Merida had prepared sandwiches for me. I immediately opened my big mouth and took a bite of the sandwich. It’s the first meal I’ve had in more than two days.

Yum! The steamed chicken is tender, the boiled egg is soft and fluffy, and the vegetables are fresh. The freshness of the vegetables soaked into my guts. The bread is fluffy and slightly sweet. I mindlessly devour the sandwich. I also take a cup of fragrant tea.

“Um, can I have another one of these?”

“Ara, well……yes, of course, I’ll prepare it right now.”

Merida seemed surprised at how much I ate. She probably thought that because I look thin, I eat thin too. I certainly used to be, but now I eat as much as anyone else.

After I ate the second helping of the sandwich, Merida called out to me.

“There is some pêche received as a get-well gift, can you still eat?

“I will eat it!”

The word ‘pêché’ reminds me of the ladies who invited me to their tea party. I remember how delicious those pêche tarts were.

“This is the person who gave the pêche.”

As I enjoy the smooth, fresh and richly fragrant pêche, Merida offers me a message card. There were words of sympathy and the signatures of the four ladies. I knew they were the ladies who invited me to the salon.

“We also received Makoro from Miss Aurora.”

“Makoro!”

Oh, my God. Is deliciousness still to come? I clench my teeth in happiness.

“Sapphiras, are you tired?”

While I was immersed in happiness, Percival came to visit me. I must have worried him, because I collapsed as soon as we got back from Worstitters.

“Percival! I’m all better now. I’m sorry for the trouble I caused you.”

“No, you haven’t caused any trouble.”

Merida quickly brought a chair. As expected, she is a servant of the Duke’s household. She continues to work tirelessly.

“I’ve brought you a get-well gift, but……it probably would have been better if it was not food.

Looking at the sweets and fruit on the table, Percival gave a wry smile.

“No, you can never have too much food!”

When I replied greedily, and Percival held out a beautiful box, just big enough to fit in my palm. It looks like a jewellery box.

“It’s a very beautiful box, is it sweets?”

“Yes. It’s called chocolate. They say it has the effect of relieving fatigue.”

“Hehhh”

When I opened the box I received, there were four brown ball-like objects inside. Some of them have patterns on them, but they all look like lumps of earth. But Percival wouldn’t bring a lump of earth. And put it in such a nice box.

I picked one up, looked at it carefully, and threw it into my mouth. The lump of earth quickly melted into a thick cream-like consistency. The slight bitterness in the sweetness fills my mouth.

“Eh? What’s this, it’s amazingly delicious……even though it’s just like a lump of earth.”

I wonder what the ingredients are, such a strangely delicious taste.

“There seems to be some shops that serve it as a hot drink.”

“Ehhh? This as a drink? Wouldn’t it be like muddy water.”

“……Well, it certainly would be.”

Percival smiled like the sun was shining brightly, but when he softly erased his smile, he lowered his shapely eyebrows.

“……I’m sorry, Saphiras. I was by your side, but I didn’t notice until you collapsed.”

“No, Percival, don’t apologise. I was the one who underestimated my own physical strength. I didn’t think that my fitness was so poor. I need to train a bit more.”

“If you suddenly push yourself too hard, as you did when we were eating, you’ll end up hurting your body.”

“I know, it’s fine, I won’t overdo it.”

I learned from the food issue that it’s not good to overdo it.

“How are you feeling, Sapphiras-sama?”

“Miss Aurora!”

Aurora, with a gorgeous smile on her face, arrived with Liliana.

“Thank you for the other day. You two have been very helpful to me. Clawis is grateful. Also, if you have a chance to meet His Highness the Crown Prince, he said he wants to thank you.”

“Oh, really? I’ll let His Highness the Crown Prince know that. The injured people are all much better now. Emily also said she wanted to see Sapphiras-sama and thank you.”

It’s only been two days since then, but it’s the holy magic of Aurora, isn’t it?

“I see. Then I’ll send them back to their country as soon as I can.”

“My my, Sapphiras-sama. You just woke up a few minutes ago, so you shouldn’t push yourself too hard yet……It’s a good opportunity for Worstitters to get to know the best parts of our country, and we’re going to let them stay a few more days to recuperate as well.”

“It’s just as Miss Aurora says. Sapphiras should rest well now.”

Certainly, I should quietly do as I am told. Perhaps because my stomach was full, I suddenly felt sleepy. I’ve slept for two days and I can still sleep, so my body must be looking for a break, regardless of my energy.

“Sapphiras-sama must still be tired, so we will take our leave now. Please take care of yourself.”

“Mm, both for your……thank you for visiting.”

“Percival-sama, we’ll leave the rest to you.”

“Ah.”

Listening to the conversation between Aurora and Percival, I did not resist the drowsiness that came.

Percival is saying something in a gentle voice, but I’m sorry. I’m already too sleepy to reply. Let’s talk slowly after I wake up.