"...No way, right...?"
One day at the ducal household.
Katia was dumbfounded. —Because she had just witnessed something unbelievable.
"No... El..."
Her body trembled, her voice shaking.
Looking upon the state of her most trusted retainer — a sight she could never have predicted —
She delivered that impossible verdict, still reeling with shock.
"El...
caught a cold,
apparently...!?"
—The causes were numerous.
First, since Ermes had transferred in and started attending the academy, far too many things had happened, leaving him virtually no time to rest.
To make matters worse, after the incident at the academy, Ermes — along with Katia and Sarah — had been continuously brought in for questioning at various locations throughout the kingdom.
...Among those interrogations, there were instances where he had been compelled to give somewhat coerced answers in order to protect the ducal family's position and secrets.
Given his personality, that too must have been an enormous mental burden.
Katia and Sarah, as daughters of nobility, were at least somewhat accustomed to such things — but Ermes had been away from noble society for so long, which likely only compounded the strain.
In short — he had been thrust into an unfamiliar environment and subjected to far more than any ordinary person could handle. The resulting fatigue had finally erupted all at once.
(...No, even so...)
That was what Katia thought.
Even so — to think that Ermes of all people.
He who had been honing his craft in magic and everything else lately, growing ever more difficult to regard as anything close to human.
To think he would collapse from overwork — that, no one could have predicted.
Well, in a sense. It did confirm that he was human after all, and that the entire ducal household had grown far too reliant on his inhuman capabilities.
Yurugen, as head of the house, reflected on this as well, and arrangements were made to grant Ermes ample rest and attentive care.
In any case, now that things had come to this —
"So, El."
In Ermes's private quarters.
Katia sat beside the bed where he lay, her face full of concern as she addressed her attendant.
"Father has given you plenty of time to rest, so take it easy, all right? ...I'm sorry. I really did push you too hard, didn't I?"
"No... I'm the one who should apologize. My self-management was far too lax..."
Even Sarah's magic couldn't cure a common cold, after all.
So Ermes, stuck spending the entire day in bed, answered in a slightly heavy voice.
He looked more or less like his usual self, but... his brows were slightly drawn, a faint blush colored his cheeks, and his breathing was warm with fever.
"...!"
Seeing him like that, Katia's heart raced.
She wanted to see this side of him too — his weakened state, coming from the person she relied on so completely.
...It was for the sake of that most personal of desires that she fought with all her might against Leila, who desperately tried to stop her —
— "You'll get infected!" — and had also brushed aside Sarah's subtly insistent request, somehow managing to secure the right to visit.
And so, in their private space with only the two of them — within the time limit Leila had imposed, of course — Katia savored the rare sight of Ermes in such a state.
...Well, saying I was "savoring" it might be a bit strong; his feverish expression lacked the intensity to be truly bearable to look at directly. However, precisely because his usual demeanor was calm and composed, the devastating effect of this heated, flushed expression was magnified.
It might be a disrespectful thought, but where exactly did that particular, feverish allure unique to a person with a cold come from?
Such idle, nonsensical notions flitted through my mind. ...Conversely, if I *wasn't* thinking about these trivial things, I probably wouldn't be able to maintain my composure. In a sense, was my own temperature not rising even higher than his right now?
Even so, the thought of moving away from this spot didn't even remotely cross my mind.
With her cheeks still flushed, Katia conveyed her concern for him, tinged with a slight desire, saying:
"Um, Ermes... Is there, um, anything you'd like me to do for you?"
"...Anything I'd like you to do?"
"Y-anything is fine! You're a patient right now, so forget about being a master or whatever and just honestly, um, lean on me. ...I'll do anything, so please don't hold back."
"...Well, let me see."
Truthfully, she had gathered a considerable amount of courage to say that, but he merely tilted his head with a troubled expression.
Maybe I should be more specific... she thought, and despite her embarrassment, voiced the content of her suggestion.
"F-for example, um... are you hungry? If you are, I could feed you directly—"
"I'm quite alright, thank you. It's not so bad that I can't even move my hands... I did manage to eat a light meal earlier. I appreciate your concern."
"Th-then. Are you sweating at all? Perhaps a change of clothes—"
"Rest assured. I have sufficient spares on hand. I won't cause you any unnecessary trouble."
"...Aren't you hot? I could at least change out the damp cloth—"
"I can manage that with magic. Even with a cold, I can still use simple General-purpose Magic without any issue."
"..."
—His defenses were simply too flawless.
Even when struck with a cold, he was still Ermes. Her rare desire to do something for the weakened Ermes remained, ultimately, unfulfilled.
...Well, no. He was just being considerate of them, even now, and doing what he could on his own. You could call that undemanding, and you wouldn't be wrong... but still.
(In times like this... I wish he'd just rely on someone else.)
She puffed her cheeks slightly, though she knew full well that saying so would just be taking her frustration out on him.
She let out a breath, assured him it was nothing after he worriedly asked if he'd somehow upset her, then sat back down.
From there, she decided to at least stave off the boredom by making some small talk.
"...Still, I'm honestly surprised. I never would've guessed El would get knocked down by a cold. This might sound rude, but... I just never had that image of him at all."
"...Ha ha. Yes, I was surprised too. ...Even so, back when I was with my master, I never caught a cold even once."
"Wait, really!?!"
That, at least, was genuinely shocking.
"You were with Lady Rose for... five years, and not once? That's incredible..."
"Yes, well... there was also the fact that I 'couldn't afford to get sick.'"
"Huh?"
"Ah, well, you see. The thing is..."
Katia tilted her head, not quite following what he meant.
Watching her do so, Ermes hesitated for a moment, then spoke with a wry sort of smile.
"If I couldn't move... my master would die. Literally."
"............Oh."
She understood completely. Overwhelmingly so.
She was well aware that his master, Rose, was a spectacularly useless person outside of magic. During his training years, she had been entirely dependent on him for daily life.
So the explanation carried an almost absurd amount of credibility. To think she'd been so dependent on him that she essentially held his life and death in her hands — what on earth was that dissolute beauty even doing?
Katya had been letting her thoughts wander to the red-haired witch she hadn't seen in a while, somewhat exasperated by the memory — when she suddenly noticed something.
"So… right. The last time I caught a cold was really… back in the Frambleed estate, when I was locked in that solitary cell. That was the last time."
"…El?"
His demeanor had changed.
His cheeks were flushed even more than before, and his words came out slurred and vague. His eyes didn't seem to be focusing properly on anything.
"Now that I think about it… that day too. The cell was already freezing, but it was… so, so cold."
"El, are you alright!? This is…"
Was his fever going up?
In a sense, it could be a sign that he was on the mend, but he was clearly suffering.
"But my body was burning hot… and that was so painful. I was lonely, and it hurt, you know."
"W-wait right here! I'll get Leila to bring something cold—"
Katya scrambled to her feet and turned on her heel, rushing to fetch something to bring his fever down.
—And then, with a sharp grip.
She felt her own hand being seized by something warm.
"Huh, El?"
Only one possibility came to mind.
She turned around, and sure enough, Ermes's hand had reached out from the bed and was clutching hers.
"Wh-what's wrong? If there's something you need—"
"…Don't go."
And then, she looked.
──His face, twisted into an expression that was awkward yet sorrowful, on the verge of tears.
"Don't go, Kati... That's strange. I'm usually fine with this, but... I'm sorry. For some reason today, I feel so... lonely."
"...El."
They both realize it at the same time.
This wasn't the him she knew. Judging from his attitude and tone──the fever must have slightly muddled his memories, pulling him back to his childhood.
"!"
Once she realized that, there was no longer any hesitation in what came next.
She settled her hips once more, took his outstretched hand in both of hers, and drew him to her chest. She wanted to share even a little of her warmth with him, looking so lonely as he did.
"...It's okay, El."
And so, she told him.
"I won't abandon you. I'll never abandon you, no matter what. I'll always be right here. ...So, please don't worry."
She didn't know if he heard her words, but hearing her voice──he simply smiled.
And then he closed his eyes. Before long, she could hear the steady rhythm of his breathing. The fever had sapped his strength, and he must have fallen asleep to recover.
"............"
...She was startled.
She hadn't expected him to have moments like this, but... more than anything, it was that expression.
He was someone she and everyone else knew to be emotionally detached──and even though his consciousness had regressed to the past, the look on his face was painfully wistful. What that meant was...
"...Could it be... that he's starting to come back?"
The thing he had lost in the Royal Capital──the thing he wished to reclaim.
Could his heart be... gradually returning, through his life here and the experiences at the academy?
If that was true──then I was... incredibly happy.
Still feeling that joyful warmth in her heart, Katia let her shoulders relax as she gazed at his peaceful, sleeping face.
──And only then did she finally become aware of what she had been doing just moments ago, and what she was doing right now.
"────!?"
She noticed, belatedly, that she was gripping his hand firmly in both of hers, holding it pressed tightly against her chest.
Her entire body flushed with heat all the way to her head. An unbearable, ticklish sweetness clawed at her from beneath her skin, washing over her completely.
...And yet, for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to let go of the arms she had pulled around her. Not even slightly.
On top of that, his earlier attitude, his expression──it was all seared into her mind, refusing to fade.
──Leila had told her it was only for five minutes.
But still. She had always wanted him to lean on her, to rely on her.
And then, right when she least expected it, she had seen that side of him──and he had asked her to stay.
"...There's no way I could pull away...!"
With that, her face burning scarlet, she tightened her grip around him even further.
In the end, she stayed like that for a while longer──enduring a terribly embarrassing, prickling, ticklish time. And yet, she savored every moment of it.
◆
"...So."
The very next day.
"You went and broke my instructions beautifully, spending all that time at his bedside──and as a result, the single thing I told you to avoid has happened, exactly as predicted."
Just as expected──the owner of the bed had been swapped.
"Do you have anything to say for yourself, Lady Katia, who has so splendidly caught his cold?"
"Well... absolutely none."
Leila stood before the bed like a towering guardian deity, exasperation and anger living side by side on her face.
Facing her, Katia let out a feverish breath, half-hiding her face under the blanket as she answered with a guilty expression.
"Have you reflected on your actions?"
"Of course. But..."
She answered Leila's interrogation honestly, but her impaired judgment still led her to say something she really shouldn't have.
"Honestly? I don't regret it at all."
"Lady Katia?"
"B-because...!"
As Leila's smile-only intensity ratcheted up further, Katia retreated deeper behind the blanket. From behind the two of them, a voice called out. It was Ermes, who had made a complete recovery by contrast.
"Um, Leila. My memory is hazy and I don't really remember clearly, but... it's probably partly my fault too. So this time, let me handle the nursing—"
"Please stop! I can see a future where an infinite loop of master-and-servant caregiving erupts! And besides, whenever you get close, Lady Katia's body temperature rises for an entirely different reason!"
"No, but since the responsibility is mine..."
"Oh, honestly, this adorable master-servant pair! It's precious, but for this occasion only, please leave everything to me!"
And so, in this household, one could witness the exceedingly rare sight of an adult properly scolding a child.
Their fondness for the two of them, who showed behavior befitting their age for once in a certain sense, grew even further, or something to that effect.
Watching it all unfold, Katia's slightly awkward smile from within her bed served as the final punctuation on the matter.
The ducal household was peaceful once more today.
And with that, our little digression comes to an end!
The author was thoroughly satisfied to have replenished the Sarah characterization and master-servant dynamics supply, and would be delighted if the readers enjoyed it as well!
And starting from the day after tomorrow, Chapter 3 finally begins!
The chapter title is "The Throne of a New Star." It looks like it's going to be a large-scale chapter, entangled with the history and feuds of the Royal Capital.
To keep things from getting dull in the middle, and to make it even more exciting than Chapters 1 and 2,
I'm planning to go full throttle from the very start, so I'd really appreciate it if you'd give it a read!
Going forward from Chapter 3, as previously announced, I'll be aiming for two updates a week, every "Wednesday" and "Saturday."
I sincerely apologize again for the decreased frequency. I'll make up for it by putting everything I have into the quality of each update, so I'd be very happy if you continue reading!
Finally, to everyone who has been cheering me on — thank you so much!
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