The room they were guided to as the best space was excessively large for two people.

As it was also used as a resort for nobles, everything was harmonious – from the gold-plated luxury furniture and famous paintings to the soft carpets and lighting that appropriately illuminated them beautifully.

The maids had taken their luggage anyway, and Horrux was walking around with fierce eyes. By this point, she thought that physician was really quite an easy person to understand.

She could see why Reizen didn’t get rid of him. Once you got used to having him around, it wasn’t particularly uncomfortable.

Rather, after seeing him sincerely treating Mr. Robert last time, she found herself nodding and thinking ‘Ah, that’s right, he was a physician…’

The maids would unpack their luggage, and the couple who came up to the room didn’t have anything particular to do. Since Arthur said he would visit in the evening, Reizen’s time would be free until then.

“…”

The stigma on her forearm stung again. When the pain rose, Melissa silently bit her lip and held her breath.

Heat rose to her head, making her feel like she had a ball of fire inside. But she was used to enduring such pain, so she didn’t make any sound outwardly. The problem was that the pain was getting increasingly worse…

“Want to have dinner together?”

“I’m not feeling well…”

There was little room to think of anything else. Even speaking felt like her throat was completely blocked.

The heat enveloping her whole body felt like needles pricking her entire body. She didn’t know how to describe this. How did Reizen endure such pain?

The longer she stayed with him, the deeper the desire grew.

And the more she suppressed the desire, the stigma wouldn’t allow regression. She almost let out a groan at the feeling of her entire body being poked with iron skewers.

Melissa lowered her head while covering her mouth with one hand.

“What’s wrong. Feel like throwing up?”

Reizen tried to approach.

Melissa, who had been sitting on the sofa, suddenly stood up and stepped away from him.

“I think I’m motion sick from the carriage. I’ll feel better after resting a bit.”

Melissa told Reizen to go eat dinner since he must be hungry. He let out a short “Ha” laugh while looking down at the floor. He looked like he wanted to say something.

Was he going to blame her? Was he thinking why she stubbornly came along to be a bother when she would be in such pain?

When Melissa looked at him with wavering eyes, Reizen ran a hand through his hair and swallowed his words.

“No, rest.”

His eyes had grown somewhat cold.

Silence fell after the door closed.

Melissa immediately ran to the washroom and emptied her stomach. Laila, who had returned after unpacking, was startled when she saw this.

Though they had come all the way to Glinford, she couldn’t move from the bed.

“What’s happened to you, getting sick after coming so far, my lady.”

Laila wiped away Melissa’s cold sweat with a wet towel while making a crying face.

“It’s not pregnancy.”

Horrux, who came to check on Melissa while Reizen went to eat, said sharply.

“Looking at the symptoms, it seems like just a fever.”

He must have brought emergency medicine as he handed some medications to the maid to give her.

“This is for reducing fever, and this…”

Thinking about it again, Horrux was somehow… strange. Though his personality wasn’t great, it was fascinating how dedicated he was to his role as the imperial physician.

Reizen returned right after dinner when he heard Melissa was sick.

“Are you okay?”

Unlike him who was always okay, Melissa was not okay. But she couldn’t complain to someone asking if she was okay, so she asked as gently as possible.

“Dinner…”

“I ate well. Florence had actually prepared something for us coming.”

So, did you two eat together?

Hearing those words while her fever was rising made her feel dizzy on top of it. Melissa suddenly realized this unpleasant emotion was coming from deeper inside than she had thought.

Reizen sat on the edge of the bed and touched her forehead. Then he placed his hand on his own forehead and raised one eyebrow. His face showed more of a routine check than worry.

“Hmm, the fever is quite high. Medicine?”

“Horrux gave me some.”

“That bastard better not have prescribed wrong?”

Reizen told Whilton to check the medicine Horrux had given.

According to Whilton when he returned, Horrux had thrown a fit and spat while talking.

He said Horrux threw a tissue box at Whilton, saying how dare they doubt him and not to deceive the imperial physician.

“If you weren’t feeling well, you should have just said you’d rest. Why force yourself to come along. If you were sick, you should have said something.”

Did he have to hurt her with such annoying words?

Reizen’s words pierced Melissa’s heart like arrows. She was indeed foolish. She shouldn’t have come along…

“I regret it too.”

“Then go back even now.”

Melissa exhaled hotly and turned her head away sharply. As she averted her gaze as if not wanting to look at Reizen, he suddenly let out a low laugh.

What did that laugh mean?

Melissa felt shame wash over her, somehow feeling like her sulking heart had been caught.

“His Highness left early this morning with Lady Florence to look at the train station site.”

Ah.

Melissa let out a short sigh.

The fever only broke around lunchtime the next day. The pain was barely manageable, so she was planning to secretly search through Reizen’s luggage bag.

But to hear he left with Florence…

Somehow her mouth turned bitter.

“He said he would return before dinner.”

Melissa nodded at Laila’s explanation.

And as soon as she left, she secretly searched the drawers.

Melissa swore she had never touched another person’s belongings in her life.

Her hands trembled in fear of being caught. On one hand, she felt uncomfortable and uneasy wondering what she was doing.

But when the symptoms temporarily subsided, it felt like now was her only chance. With Reizen away, it was the perfect time to look for the medicine.

She planned to take just one if she found it.

Though she slept in separate beds last night due to the high fever, if Horrux knew her fever had broken, he would suggest they sleep together tonight.

‘Please, please…’

Her mind turned white and hazy.

She was so out of it that she didn’t even know why she was acting this way anymore. She searched through the luggage bag and opened all the drawers in the room, but there was no medicine anywhere.

‘No medicine… how?’

Then how was Reizen enduring this beast-like desire?

Suddenly she remembered him having dinner with Florence and leaving early in the morning. Oh please. She didn’t want to imagine strange things.

‘Or perhaps he carries it with him?’

If the stigma’s pain manifested this frequently, that possibility was high.

“Ugh!”

Melissa collapsed to her knees in place as pain shot through her entire body again.

It was still bright outside.

But her mind started becoming so hazy she couldn’t tell where she was.

Her left arm was too painful and felt like it was being stabbed with nails. Along with the burning pain came an intense itching sensation. She dug her nails into the stigma on her left arm and scratched hard.

It feels like her skin is burning up.

At the same time, she became anxious.

She remembered what Selheim had said.

“You know? He’s too kind to possess you.”

Though that statement provoked antipathy, it was also true. So this was a problem she had to overcome herself.

Melissa crawled across the floor with trembling hands. She thought she would look again in case there was any medicine left.

* * *

Meanwhile, Reizen’s work was going very smoothly. The sky was blue under the blazing sun.

“Has this place been chosen?”

Arthur smiled contentedly while looking at the wide plain. Florence also clapped her lace-gloved hands as if satisfied.

“An excellent choice. Construction will begin right away. Since large ships need to come in, the port needs to be renovated too, so it will be a large-scale construction.”

Arthur continued after Florence’s words.

“We’ll select retired soldiers and academy students who need scholarships to work on the railway construction. If there are those among them who share our vision, they could be incorporated into the merchant group.”

“Good.”

Reizen agreed with a casual smile.

Arthur spoke while attending to Reizen as he walked to the carriage.

“You’ll become an incredibly wealthy man once trade resumes normally, Your Highness.”

Florence added.

“My hotel will prosper more too. I’m thinking of making a cruise ship when I secure extra funds. Wouldn’t it be perfect since nobles love boat rides and travel so much?”

“That’s a great idea.”

Arthur nodded his head vigorously.

“You both have to invest then?”

Florence looked at the two with coy sideways glances. Arthur nodded saying yes, yes, and Reizen showed a faint smile.